Kevin and Lydia Fowler

New Blog!!

2011-01-10T10:48:00.002-05:00

Due to so many changes forthcoming in our growing family, we though a new blog address would be appropriate.

You can now find, follow, and share in our lives at The Fowler Family.

What it means to be cool...

2010-10-24T19:46:00.005-04:00

Kevin and I were at Wendy's the other night when a semi-scruffy-looking young man walked in. On his back, he had a backpack, and sticking out of the backpack was a similarly-scruffy-looking white puppy. It was a cute sight. The dog was just chillin', and the man seemed pleasant enough. He walked up to the counter, and was informed that he couldn't be a patron, even at just the counter, with a puppy in tow. Understanding, he turned and headed out the side door.

At the table behind us were seated a young man looking to be around 13 or 14 with his dad, having dinner. As we watched, the boy jumped up and ran out the door after the guy who had so recently exited. It was all we could do not to stare in appreciative amazement as the boy offered to buy anything the guy wanted for him. His request was simple: two cheeseburgers. They threw in a drink, too. When the guy popped his head in the door to thank the boy's father for the food, the dad offered up the change from the $10 that had been used to buy the meal.

At the table on our opposite side that evening at Wendy's sat a young lady, probably 10 or 11, with her dad, out for a Friday night date night. We again marveled as we listened to them chatting, about nothing in particular, laughing and enjoying one another's company.

Today, at church, half way through the song set, I watched as a son of one of the larger families in the church, arrived, and scooted in to fill his seat on his family's allotted row. He's the fifth child of a family of nine, near 19 or 20. As he shuffled on a chair behind his mom, she turned to greet him, and he greeted her with a kiss on the cheek.

All are examples of children, willing to go against what is popular, "cool," or trendy to both honor their parents and honor and serve those around them. They have each been wonderful reminders that not every child is a texting addict, unable to have a real conversation with a living, breathing, person in front of them. And, personally, I think that's cool.

Baby Feet at 10 Weeks

2010-10-21T11:25:00.005-04:00

Things are moving along just as we have prayed they would. My jeans continue to get tighter, and my appetite (what little of it has returned) continues to get bigger. We're scheduled for our 11-week appointment next Wednesday, but we had a fun moment at home last night that I thought I'd share.

When my parents were here a few weeks ago, my mom left a mysterious little box with instructions to open it at 10 weeks, no earlier, no later. Well, the 10 weeks mark finally arrived yesterday, and inside was a very tiny pin with silver baby feet on it--exactly the size of our baby's feet right now. The card she enclosed reminded me of how she wore this pin when working in the PDICU in San Antonio--the international symbol of pro-life. How special! I don't know how long Kevin and I spent just gazing at those little feet, imagining that a very similar pair are within me as our little baby forms.

I don't have a picture with me of the actual pin (I'd like to take one of the baby feet next to Kevin's feet--wouldn't that be funny!? :). But I was able to find some images online to share with you. :)

"For you created my inmost being;
You knit me together in my mother's womb..."
~Psalm 139:13

New Experiences

2010-10-11T19:16:00.004-04:00

It's been a season of firsts for the Fowler family.

At the beginning of September, we celebrated our one year anniversary of attending Cornerstone Church of Knoxville. This church has been a blessing to us in fellowship, friends, teaching, and an incredibly warm community of believers that love the Lord and seek to make Him known in Knoxville.

A couple weekends ago, Kevin ran his first 5k with my dad, who drove down from PA with my mom just for the occasion. It was a neat experience to be there to support them and see them through to the finish line. We're hoping next year, we can all participate--it is, after all, a run/walk. :)

For my birthday last week, we decided it was time to purchase our first ever major furniture purchase--a chocolate brown, micro suede sleeper sofa that will replace the couch that my parents so graciously gave to us when we got our own apartment. We don't get the new couch delivered for a few more weeks, but in the meantime, we're working on getting it down to Vonore, where Kevin's parents have graciously offered to store it until we have a place with room enough for it.

Last, we found out on Labor Day (of all days), that I'm pregnant with our first child! This by far has trumped any "first" we've ever had. :) We saw the heartbeat a couple weeks ago, and our baby is a healthy little bundle with a heartbeat of around 150 beats per minute (normal for a developing infant, apparently). Should be sprouting leg and arm buds this very week. We won't find out for another couple months whether our baby is a boy or girl, but for now, we're just reveling in the amazing process that the Lord has begun within me.

This has led to another first for me--maternity clothes! I actually had to read up on how to purchase this new genre of apparel. You don't after all get a guide to buying clothes of this nature when that test comes back positive, after all. I did manage a few great buys at a consignment event today--5 maternity tops for $30!

One of the most common questions I've gotten asked of late is whether I have any food aversions. Unfortunately, the answer to that for the moment is everything. :P I have absolutely no appetite. The Lord has been gracious in regard to morning sickness, nausea and the like. I have had relatively little morning sickness. I've had waves of nausea, but most does not impede day-t0-day functioning. I could not have asked for this, and the Lord has been gracious to grant me what I do not deserve--relative ease during this time of apparent tumult and newness within my body.

I cannot promise more frequent posts. Energy is low and time is little for blogging. I will try to be better about my frequency. Life is exciting right now. :) We are grateful and we are blessed.

I hope this post finds your circumstances similar. :)

A Celebration of Ersie

2010-09-04T14:42:00.010-04:00

(Cross-posted at Barry's Genealogy Diary)

Ersie Cordelia Cooper was born on September 18, 1920 to parents William Emory and Mary Eveline Self. She has been an active member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church her entire life and it was there that she met a young man named Willard "Lee" Cooper. Willard was always childhood friends with Ersie's two brothers, and it was on one occasion that an approximately 12-year-old Lee was having breakfast with the Self family that he patted an approximately 9-year-old Ersie on the head and announced that he would one day marry her. After their teenager years and after Lee's four years in the Pacific theater of World War II this would soon become a reality.

While Lee was in the service, Ersie regularly wrote to him. When he came back to the states he had every intention of marrying Ersie. Lee asked Ersie's father for her hand in marriage and he replied, "Well, she is old enough to know who she wants, you're just taking my biscuit maker away from me!" To avoid time-consuming local government paperwork and fees, Lee and Ersie did what so many East Tennessee couples did at that time and got married in the state of Georgia. Their journey together began on December 21, 1946.

Ersie recounts her wedding day.

Even though the two married relatively late in life (Lee was 29 years old, Ersie was 26), Ersie and Lee had nine children, with eight surviving infancy--Shirley, Peggy, Lovonda, Ronnie, infant son Randy Lee, Darlene, Randall, Reese, and Donnie. All children currently reside in Monroe County, except for Darlene Cooper Russell who is an elected official in neighboring Loudon County.

Ersie and family were forever changed on Monday, October 25, 1982 when Lee went home to be with the Lord. He was 65 years old. Keeping him in her memory, Ersie has gone on to enjoy a total of twenty-one grandchildren and twenty great grandchildren. The Lord has continued to bless Ersie with satisfactory health, with the exception of some eye and back difficulties here in recent years. Despite these setbacks she has a sharp mind, quick wit, and a friend to everyone she meets. She is always up for a trip to Wal-Mart and even recently volunteered to board her first airplane for an adventure to Nebraska to visit some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren for Thanksgiving.

We thank God for the nine decades that he has sovereignly granted Ersie to be in our lives and we count each day as a precious gift.

Each year during the Christmas season, the Coopers enjoy a family reunion at the Vonore Community Center where Ersie is surrounded by all of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and more gifts than she can open in a single evening. In addition to this event, this year Ersie's friends and family will also be meeting at the Vonore Community Center for a special event on September 18, 2010 at 4-6PM to celebrate her 90th birthday. All are encouraged to attend for food and fellowship. Ersie would love to see you all!

Birdies, Birdies, Everywhere!

2010-08-28T09:52:00.002-04:00

So, the other day, we were sitting in the living room, and up flew a hummingbird. He flew to our porch, hovered for a few seconds, and off he went to conquer another day. Not one to let a great opportunity like that get away, I immediately (well, almost immediately) skittered out and purchased a hummingbird feeder. My hopes were slim that we'd actually attract something, but, boy, have we ever!

Needless to say, the nectar I mix more often than not attracts more than just hummingbirds...
And, as yet, I have not gotten a picture of the guys at the actual feeder--they're just too fast! But I did get a picture of this one. He seems to rule the roost. They're very territorial animals, and so we're constantly watching as no less than four of them war over our one feeder. I'm thinking it's time to invest in another one, huh?

Isn't he cute?
And, well, we've still got our own bird to contend with. He seems to be getting over his adolescent stage, as he's developed a habit of sitting on the back of the couch and nibbling at our hair, fluttering from perch to perch, or helping Kevin with his work. :)
Last, we're still on track to run our 5k. Though a weekend getaway a couple weekends ago put us off schedule a bit in our training, we did run 25 minutes straight on Cedar Bluff this morning. It's quite the humbling experience knowing that the people in their cars are probably laughing at me as I scuttle along down the street. Kevin is much more impressive in his running. :) We're scheduled for an October 2nd 5k run through downtown Knoxville. Should be fun! :)

Apps That Get Me Through The Day

2010-08-01T17:29:00.007-04:00

Last year, I wrote a post regarding my favorite tech tools. Now, I would like to discuss iPhone applications.

I wake up in the morning and I turn off my Sleep Cycle app. This application monitors my sleep throughout the night and analyzes the best possible time to awaken me in the morning. Sleep research has established that the best time to awaken a sleeper and ensure that they feel refreshed is if they are at the top of their sleep cycle rhythm—this application uses the iPhone’s accelerometers to pinpoint the best possible time to wake me up. According to the Sleep Cycle’s statistics, I have used the app for over 124 nights—and there have only been two occasions that I did not wake up feeling like I am at the top of the world!

I then rollover and have my morning quiet time using the Reformation Study Bible app. This app was the most expensive I have ever purchased, but it has been the most invaluable. This application offers thousands of commentary notes from today’s leading theologian—including R.C. Sproul’s notes that come preinstalled on the app. The easy to use app also organizes all of my verse notes and easily syncs them to the Internet or to my iPad. With the thanks to this application, I have created hundreds of notes that I will never fear losing, unlike that devotional journal that I once misplaced.

I roll out of bed and it is time for exercise. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for the past month, I have been using the 100 Pushups App, and thanks to it I am now at 90 consecutive pushups every morning. However, if it is a Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday, it is time for Lydia and myself to train for our 5K and our opportunity to utilize the Get Running and Run Keeper apps. (But naturally, before we go out the door we have to check The Weather Channel app to see what we need wear.) The Get Running app has masterfully coached we couch potatoes into running enthusiasts, while the Run Keeper app commandeers the iPhone’s compass and GPS capabilities and logs our distance and our routes.

While running, I use the Rhapsody app to listen to music. I am the type that abhors the thought of buying an iTunes song for .99 and ending up hating the piece. But with Rhapsody, I can listen unlimitedly to millions of songs (that are also in the iTunes collection) for $10 a month. I cannot tell you how much music that I planned on purchasing, listened to it on Rhapsody instead, ended up hating it, and thus saving $15 thanks to the application. The Rhapsody app keeps getting better and better. Check it out, music enthusiasts!

While sitting down to eat breakfast, I organize my day with 2Do. For those of you who I have not yet converted, I subscribe to David Allen’s personal productivity system called Getting Things Done. I have used countless todo lists on the iPhone, but 2Do is the best by leaps and bounds. What makes it even better is that I use a separate app called reQall to vocally enter my todos throughout the day. ReQall dictates my todos and uses this process to update my 2Do app inbox. I use these apps more than any others.

After I have my morning review of my todo list, I have to see what is going on in the world. So, I use the Google Reader vehicle Byline, The Huffington Post app as well as the Drudge Report and Politico mobile app sites.

Now it is off to work, I am sitting at a red light and I see that Lydia sent me a text message to my Text Free app—an application that allows me to send and receive as many text messages that I want at absolutely no cost to me. Of course, it is rightly against the law to text on the road in the state of Tennessee—even if you are at a red light—so I use the Dragon Dictation app that with a touch of a button records my voice and dictates the reply text message. Is the transcription accurate? It learns your voice overtime so eventually it becomes freakishly accurate!

While in my car, I like to listen to a lot of talk radio, yet living in East Tennessee I oftentimes only have the selection of Rush Limbaugh or Rush Limbaugh, so I fire up the WunderRadio app which boasts the most comprehensive radio streaming archive on the iPhone. I see that Neal Boortz is on a radio station up in Alaska, so I choose the stream and listen to Neal in perfect quality.

On my lunch break, a coworker asks to see photos of my European vacation. Photos work great on any iPhone, however, they also take up way too much disk space. That is why I use the Flickr app to store my photos online. I never have to worry about losing my photos in a hard drive failure, or anything of the like.

After work, I head to the local bookstore to pick up a book on theology. I use the Red Laser app to scan the barcode to see that it is actually sold online much cheaper. But I have even more options! Going on the Amazon website, I see that I can buy the Kindle version of the book at a much cheaper price and it can also be synced to my Kindle app on my iPad. I could start reading the book on the way out the door, drive home, pick up my iPad and pick up where I left off!

While reading my e-book, I hear a lot of emergency sirens. Recognizing that Lydia is on the road, I pull out my 5-0 police radio app to listen in to the local police transmissions. I hear that the sirens are for a 459 in progress. Having no idea what a 459 is, I look it up in the app’s glossary to see that a 459 is a burglary in progress and has nothing to do with traffic accidents, so my anxious heart is quickly relieved.

Lydia then arrives at home. We put down our Apple products. We then share a wonderful evening.

I suspect that this time next year, I will have even more apps to share! Below are photos of the apps mentioned above (in the order in which they were mentioned). I endorse each one!

This and That...Mostly That.

2010-07-17T19:56:00.003-04:00

It's definitely been one of those months. After we got back from Europe, it took roughly two solid weeks for me to even feel like my body, mind, and soul had all landed on the same continent. For the weekends of those two weeks, we had company. Briley Hooper once again travailed the mountains of East Tennessee to visit us with Eva--always good times there! And, second, my very own father drove down our new car! But that's kind of a fun story...

When my parents moved to PA, they soon realized that a car without four-wheel drive would not bode well for its driver during the snow-covered winters of New England. They began shopping around for just such a car. In the meantime, Kevin and I had fully planned to drive both our cars (his a '93, mine a '99) until their wheels fall off. My parents then approached us with a proposition--sell our Nissan and buy their '06 Toyota Corolla. In a wonderful turn of events, we sold our Nissan to a dear friend of ours whose sister (who was her ride) just got married. We then purchased my parents car, and Dad drove it down just a few weeks ago.

Drives like a dream! We haven't, however, found a good name for it yet. Any suggestions? :)
In other news, our porch garden is just trucking right along. I must admit, I was a bit surprised that if I left what I thought were green peppers on the pepper plant long enough, they turned red. Is that normal? In any case, the tomatoes have been absolutely scrumptious!
Inject random comic relief here:
So, as stated in previous blog post, I returned from Europe with a renewed commitment to keeping our lives simple and clutter-free. It's quite the process--have you ever noticed how stuff just seems to develop a life of its own and multiply? Yeah, I know, that's a lame excuse. In reality, we bring stuff in and it only controls us to the level that we allow it.

In all seriousness, I'm learning a lot about appropriate levels of sentimentality. What is it that is truly irreplaceable and should not be given away and what can I take a minute and realize that if it was out of my house, I'd probably never even remember that I once owned it? It's a very fine line, and it takes diligence, structure, resolve, and most of all, the realization that, at the end of the day, it is just stuff.

Where is this mini-rant going? Well, we've got a fabulous guest room/study/piano room that I love having. The problem is that the closet therein had become a bit of a junk closet, something I told Kevin upon moving in that I wanted to avoid at all costs. It wasn't purposeful; it just happened bit by bit, box by box, file by file.

So, last night, around 9:30 at night, we did it. Together, Kevin and I cleared out the entirety of said closet's contents. We have a big bag of trash, two boxes ready for Goodwill, several items ready to be donated or sold on Craigslist, and lots of wonderful, beautiful space of nothingness!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present our closet! I love it!
Now, that that's done, we're moving on to the desk....

Lest you be concerned that all we've been doing is buying, gardening, and cleaning, we're also training for a 5k! I know, for those of you who run and exercise regularly out there, that's not that impressive (what's a wimpy 3 miles!?). But for us this is big news! We're two weeks into our training, and it's just starting to get to the point where I'm sorta kinda looking forward to it. :) The run is sometime this fall, probably October, and we have several others who have said they'd come out and run with us. Should be fun!

So, that's life in a nutshell. The highs, the lows, the plateaus. :)

Until next time!

By All Means, Travel!!

2010-06-13T11:46:00.004-04:00

So.....we got back last night. It was a whirl-wind two-week trip to all the biggies in Western Europe (London, Paris, and Rome), and while I'm already planning our next trip (though not quite on that scale), Kevin's response last night to whether he was sad this one was over was, "No--I'm ready to be home."

And though I am already ready to be traveling again (just can't help that one), it is good to be back in the familiar, English-speaking land of America. I hope to post more pictures in the coming days, but for now, I've chosen one from each stop to share with you, along with some things that crossed my mind while we were across the pond. Hope you enjoy!

1. I can live on much less than I would have ever thought possible. While there's nothing wrong with keeping just-in-case things around (like that Galileo thermometer in case the actual thermometer goes out or something), simpler is better.

2. Souvenirs are nice, but by all means not necessary. I bought one really nice ring in each city we stopped in. And that was all. We bought a couple, well-chosen gifts for family, and that was all. I must have asked Kevin ten times if he was going to get something, and his response every time was, "The pictures are great souvenirs for me." What a fantastic philosophy!(from the London Eye, overlooking Parliament--the ONLY day it rained on our entire trip!)

3. Spend time (even if only a few days) in a place that does not speak your mother tongue. It's uncomfortable and awkward and very eye-opening (especially for us Americans who tend to think the literal world revolves around us).

4. Along with that, accept that the American way is not the only way. There were no "free refills;" we paid for tap water; we had to sit outside at restaurants because the owner wanted us to pay to use his air conditioning; and public restrooms were not always free. While the American in me cried "foul!" to many of these, it's not necessarily wrong. It's different. Appreciate the differences.(The Eiffel Tower, as taken from the second level of the tower, at night, looking straight up.)

5. One thing I was continually amazed at was how well Kevin and I enjoyed being with each other throughout the entirety of the trip. It's one thing to be married and spend the evenings and weekends with each other, but to spend 24/7 with each other is a completely different ball game. And I loved it.

6. It continually amazes me to see how big our world is, and yet, the Lord loves each of us and cares deeply about a relationship with each of us. Six billion is a lot of people, but not for him. I say that because it's very easy for me to limit Him to my human capacity. His ways are not my ways; nor are my thoughts His thoughts.
(The Roman Colosseum, Rome, Italy).

7. Be proud of your heritage. When we first arrived, I was so paranoid and self-conscious about being an American. I know our reputation is not always the greatest in terms of foreign relations, but we do hail from a great country that affords a lot of rights and freedoms not afforded in other countries. While respecting other cultures is important, I don't think it's any less important to value the parts of our culture that we are blessed to partake in.

Lord willing, there will be more pictures forthcoming. It sure was a trip to remember!

Porch Produce

2010-05-08T12:38:00.005-04:00

When I was little, my mother converted a giant tire filled with sand that had worn out its welcome as a sandbox into a circular garden in San Antonio. The only thing I actually remember being grown there was banana peppers, but I'm sure I'm missing something. There were probably tomatoes and other varieties of vegetation. It was fun.

Well, folks, we don't have a tire. We don't have any dirt. Heck, we don't even have a yard!

But we do have a porch, some pots, and I did invest in a bit o' soil.

Aaaaannnddddd.....

Voila!
It started with just one little Tomato plant, but he seemed lonely. So, we added.

This is Cilantro (left) and Sweet Bell Pepper (right).

And, imagine my surprise when I was watering the other day, and actually noticed this little guy just hanging around. I guess I underestimated my ability to actually grow plants that produced something!Stuffed peppers, anyone!?

While the Husband is Away....

2010-05-06T19:53:00.007-04:00

...the wife will play.

And buy produce.

Admittedly the rhyme needs work. However, while Kevin was in Gettysburg last week (I guess the prompt posting needs some work, too), I set to work. Along with our newly-acquired piano (which has already given me hours of enjoyment), I've decided to take up painting. For my first project, I tried a paint-by-gray-scale (instead of paint-by-number). It wasn't super impressive, so it will probably eventually go to meet its maker in a landfill of some sort (shh! Don't tell Al Gore--who will incidentally be at UT next week for an honorary degree...).

What I did learn, though, is that I'm pretty good at the abstract. Forget still life; abstract is where it's at! So, after several laborious hours that produced a thoroughly disappointing attempt at a masterpiece (the packaging lied!), I set my mind free and this is what I came up with:

(the one on the top)
You like? I do, too. :)

Then, I proceeded to my second attempt at abstract, which I like, but I'm not crazy about. It does make a nice, whimsical entry-way piece (complete with monogrammed letters spray painted by yours truly).

Last, I took my liking for the colors black and khaki, my talent of spray painting, and combined them on a third, larger canvas and came up with this:
And speaking of dreaming, I've got some to do pretty soon! :)

G'night!

P.S. If you're wondering where the produce of my rhyme is, I'll get around to it eventually. The pictures aren't loading properly and I don't have the patience to wait for them to.

My New Toy!

2010-04-24T20:57:00.005-04:00

Only because I'm so incredibly excited am I blogging about this now. (and because Kevin is currently experimenting with said new toy :). But what could it be?
Well, recently, I started really, really, REALLY missing my piano. See, when we moved into our apartment, we agreed that both the weight of the piano and the noise it would cause for the neighbors meant it was probably best left at Mom and Dad Fowler's. :( And, though I appreciated the times when I was able to play it when we visited there, it just wasn't satisfying my music craving.

When I brought up the idea to Kevin, he agreed that I should look into digital piano options. They have weighted keys, so they feel much more like a real piano, but they also have volume control (which I'm sure the neighbors would be grateful for).

I shopped online, shopped in-store, and after trying out a couple, I found one I liked that was within our price range. And though I will admit, if felt a little strange to be assembling a piano, it went off relatively without a hitch.A mere one hour later, we are able to present to you our Piano.
And, here's to many more evenings that look like this: :)

The Only Way to Spend an Evening

2010-04-23T16:59:00.006-04:00

We have a porch. It's tiny, and it's one floor up, but it's ours and recently, I've taken a great liking to decorating it. Last spring, my flower experiment was a failure (completely!), but I'm not letting that get me down. We're trying again--this time with some easier flowers.

Aren't they pretty? We've also got a white annual, but it doesn't have as many buds yet. Here's hoping a little water and lots of sunshine is sufficient to sustain these little guy, because my thumb is as far from green as can get.And.....

I've got a tomato plant! Yay! Again lack of green-thumbness may mean we get no maters, but we're giving it a shot. Everything I've read says that tomatoes are fairly foolproof gardening. :)
AND...

Since the weather's been absolutely lovely, we've been frequenting our newly-flowered porch. And what better way to frequent it than to take along a game we both loved when we were younger?
We played late into the night, as you can see from the lack of sunlight behind me.
We did have to decipher, change, and compromise with some of the house rules that we're used to. :)
Hope you're enjoying the spring weather in ways that are special to you! :)

Parakeet Playtime

2010-04-14T22:15:00.000-04:00

While we're in fierce disagreement that owning a pet (dog, cat, bird, lizard...) is good "practice" for raising a child one day, I will admit that it is fun to have a little life around that we care for. His name is Optimus, and we brought to our home in the midst of a harrowing hail/thunder/lightning storm (and he consequently didn't move from his perch for 3 days afterward).

As we fast approach his one-year anniversary of being with us, I thought I'd give some glimpses into a day in the life of Optimus J. Prime.
For starters, this is the face that greets me every morning, as I remove the towel covering his cage.
Though he isn't really a morning bird, sometimes I can still get one or two chirps out of him before I leave for work.

Upon returning from work, we always try to greet him and ask how his day has been. For the most part, his days consist of water, play toys, and oatmeal (never knew this, but parakeets can eat a wide variety of human food, and this one can suck down plain, uncooked oatmeal like there's no tomorrow!).
In the evenings, we try to spend quality time with him. He's developing quite a love for technology.
As his wings have grown back, and he's been able to fly around and explore the apartment, he's made quite a few "friends" out of his reflections in various fixtures around our house. His favorite we've named Charlie, who resides in the ceiling fan of our dining room.
He also took quite a liking to his shadow recently as the sun streamed in.
It's not uncommon that we catch Optimus stretching his wings (pun intended) and attempting to add new skills to his already well-rounded set of skills like biting the hand that feeds him and playing with the food on his plate--er, dish. Today, we caught him perched (another pun intended) precariously. While I don't think he appreciated our laughter at his expense, I must give him props--I couldn't stand successfully with one foot on a ladder and another on a swing!
And while he can't talk, he does sing quite well. We've found the best way to encourage this singing is to play music he's fond of. Caedmon's Call and Casting Crowns are among his favorite bands to sing to.

And, finally, we've learned that though he can't vocalize his contentment, he can show us in other ways that he's happy. For example, when he puffs up and stands on one leg, he's showing us that he's happy right where he's at. :) See that little pink dot beneath his wing? That's one claw that he's curled under.
So, here's to another year with our little budgie! :)

6 Reasons Kevin is a Fantastic Teacher (and why he'll be an even better father!)

2010-04-11T14:56:00.003-04:00

6. He's not afraid to call it like it is. If you're a male in Kevin's class, you are either acting like a man or a boy. He dispels the myth of adolescence on the first day of class.

5. He makes current events in the world real, starting out each day by asking his students what's going on in the world. If he'd have been my teacher, I would have had a much broader scope of world happenings than I had when I was in 8th grade.

4. He thinks of creative forms of discipline. The kids didn't bring their books to class? No problem. They simply sing a lyric from a Miley Cyrus song in front of the class. "Party in the USA," anyone?

3. He's not afraid to have fun (even with something so seemingly boring as history). Last year, his classroom turned into a veritable street corner, with signs plastered all over encouraging student to vote one way or the other for classmates who were running in Kevin's classes very own presidential election (including various classes assigned at the House, the Senate, and the Supreme Court).

2. The students respect him. Thus they don't want to disappoint him. Thus the only students he's ever calling out in the halls and/or writing up are those that aren't his.

1. He's the boss. There can occasionally be room for discussion/explanation; however there is no room for arguing.

Suffice it to say that I never knew what a history nerd I was until I married one. A love of history and knowledge of our country's past, present, and future is something we hope to pass on one day. :)

Surprise--We're Here!

2010-04-08T14:31:00.003-04:00

For those of you who don't remember, last March, Kevin and I flew out to Texas and surprised my mom just for the fun of it. It was a hit, and recently, Kevin was getting a hankering to do it again. The only thing was this time, we were driving North, not flying West.

After a whirlwind planning (pulled off in less than 3 weeks), we jumped in the car and drove to Pittsburgh, PA last Thursday, spent Friday and Saturday with Mom and Dad Skidmore, and then drove back on Sunday (also known as "Easter"). Fortunately, my mother is a very easy person to surprise because she's sort of clueless when it comes to being suspicious of things. (So, that's where I get it from!?)

I didn't bring our camera, but we did get a video of the actual surprise. Kevin took the video while holding his iPhone against his chest, so it's a little shaky, but definitely worth a look-see. :)

Saturday at the Fowlers

2010-03-13T10:58:00.003-05:00

For those of you who think I'm the lazy, bed head who sleeps all day on a Saturday, here's your proof!

Although in his defense, he is working very diligently on the school's yearbook, which will be done in--count it--ONE WEEK!

And I even made up my side of the bed. :)

Bang, Bang!

2010-03-07T18:16:00.005-05:00

Growing up, I had bangs that started at the base of my skull and ran all the way to my eyelashes. I don't begrudge my mother this--after all, it was the 80's, and, well, mile-high hair was in (as were Vanilla Ice and Jammers, but let's just not go there).

When I hit middle school, I decided that bangs were for little girls, and I would grow mine out! I held onto that bangs-are-for-little-girls mentality until recently, when I noticed they were starting to make a come-back (along with pink eye shadow and fluorescent tights, but we'll leave those to another day). For a while, my mom's been telling me for a while that I need to cover up my forehead because nobody should be subjected to that much white, which are not her exact words, but I'm good at deducing.

So, while down at the Fowler's today, I petitioned a hair cut out of my mother-in-law, bangs and all! As she's never cut my hair before, I think she was a bit nervous (probably because Kevin told her I'd never speak to her again if she messed up, which is not true--it would only be a week at most).

But we needn't have worried--she did a marvelous job!

So, here's my new do! What do you think?
Ahem, well, while my photography skills definitely need honing, here's a better picture with some light attached to it.
Now, I'm afraid to go take a shower for fear I'll never get it to look this good again!

Have Passport; Will Travel (Part II)

2010-03-06T15:52:00.006-05:00

So, while the rule in the previous post about knowing where something is until the exact moment you need it still applies, the second part of that rule reads as follows:

"Once final and thorough means to locate _______ have been exhausted and means to replace _______ have been enacted, ________ will be found." [once again fill in the blank with lost item of your choice.]

We knew it was going to happen. All members of my immediate family that I consulted regarding replacing said document affirmed that it would be found...eventually. So, the semi-rational part of me was thinking, "If that's the case, let's just go file for the darn thing and I'll find the old one all the sooner!" Never mind that it's not cheap to replace them--I was just wanting it found.

And, alas, I wish I could tell you I saw a vision in the heavens on my drive home from that infamous Post Office (anyone for the miraculous gifts of the Spirit?). Or even that I was holding it in my hands all along, just like happens with my keys, oh, every other day! Or even that when I got home, it was right underneath the desk that I've searched within an inch of its life over the last month and a half of looking.

But it's not that exciting. I was cleaning out a shelf at work (AT WORK, I tell you!), and there it was--inside an old day planner (a DAY PLANNER, for goodness sake!). Why did I put it there? I don't know. When did I put it there? Haven't the foggiest. Would I ever, in a million years, have though to look there? No on your life!

So, as Kevin says, it was meant to be. I must trust that since my old passport was due to expire next year anyway, there's a reason the Lord wants me to have a valid one for the next ten years. (which, I'll admit, kind of excites me :).

The new one is joining me for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between (short of maybe a bath). I'm stapling this baby to my backside and not letting go.

'Cuz look out, Europe!

Here.

We.

Come.

Have Passport; Will Travel.

2010-02-27T15:34:00.003-05:00

It’s got to be somebody’s law: You will always know where ________ is until the very moment you need it (fill in the blank). Over the last couple of months, my blank has been filled in with “passport.” I got my passport almost 10 years ago, and it’s got all sorts of fun stamps from places like Prague, Copenhagen, and Krakow in it. It’s been floating around our apartment since we moved in, and I’ve known where it was (roughly) until Kevin and I actually decided to put them (he’s gotten one recently) to good use. And that’s when it went missing.

I’ve searched as many places as I could think of—boxes, books, shelves, cupboards, closets, you name it. No passport.

My decision to bite the bullet and replace it was two fold:

1) We’re traveling the end of May, and should there be any complications within the 5-week window you’re to allow for processing, we’ll at least have some time, and

2) It expires next year anyway, so why not?

With that in mind, I set out this morning, paperwork in hand, to file for a replacement. The plan was to leave at 8, arrive at post office, file, and be home by 8:45, 9 if we’re being generous.

Well, I didn’t drag my lazy self out of bed until 9:45. The morning is not my friend, and I was doubtful of my own self-discipline to leave at 8 to begin with.

First stop: Post Office near home. I walk in to find a sign reading, “Sorry for the inconvenience. Today [only] we are not accepting passport applications.” Other USPS offices are listed, but, being the rebel that I am, I head to my second choice—the County Clerk’s Office. The time is roughly 10:06.

I drive the few miles in between, and my heart sinks as I catch a glimpse of the Clerk’s parking lot—it’s empty. Oh, wait! There’s one car. I must be the only interested party today. Lucky me!

Lucky indeed—their office is only open Monday—Friday (something I would have known had I taken the time to check).

“No matter!” I think. I grab my trusty GPS and type in “Post Office.” Perfect there’s one just down the road. According to GPS (or Gepus, as we affectionately call him), my arrival time will be 10:27.

I arrive at USPS location #2 and though my heart drops at both its size and the volume of cars in the parking lot, I assuage myself with the thought that they’re not there for passports (how common could the need for them be, anyway?). The though is short-lived, as I enter to find a line no shorter than 20 people—all waiting for passports. And they're having a great time, too. Alas, I cannot partake of such frivolity at a time like this.

I text my husband to tell him of my travails and ask his opinion. He suggests just waiting until Monday. I consider this, but my impatience gets the best of me, and I search for another Post Office location. It’s only 4.2 miles away. Not bothering to check the arrival time, I head out, hopeful that this location is smaller, less crowded, and I can make it home by 11:30.

Well, I got my wish. This Post Office was indeed smaller, and there was only one patron in line before me. However, taking in the outside, inside, and manner of the single employee behind the counter, I’m not so sure I would entrust a postcard for their delivery, nonetheless a document that requires everything short of a blood sample to obtain. After a brief internal struggle, I retire once again to my car, not caring whether they actually do file for passports or not.

At this point, I was starting to feel like I do when eating from a bag of potato chips—“Just one more; just one more.” I also shortly entertain the thought that maybe the Lord just does not want me to go to Europe. That thought is short lived, as I decide that He’s going to have to be slightly more forceful if that’s the case.

The clock reads 11:02, and Gepus told me I could be to the next nearest Post Office location at 11:24. Can’t pass up a deal like that!

Beginning to feel only slightly anxious, I wonder what the penalty for forgery of an official document of this nature would be. Forgery can’t be too hard, can it?

At 11:23 (gotta love speeding!), I arrived at the next Post Office that the all-wise Gepus advised. Large, yes, but not overly crowded. I think we’ll be okay. The end is in sight.

But a sign out front changes all that.

“This office does not accept passport applications.” Of course it doesn’t.

“Those can be handled at our main office at [fill in said address].” Of course they can.

I began taking note as my gas tank began slipping from ¾ full to half on my way to Post Office #4, Stop Number 6. Having not eaten breakfast before leaving home (because morning is not my friend, remember?), I stopped briefly at a gas station and purchased a drink.

Upon arriving at the maze of arrows and gravel that is Post Office #4, I let out my only cry of frustration of the entire morning, as I’m routed every way but the right way to get into a parking spot.

There are only three customer-labeled parking spots, all vacant, and I snag one. As I enter the large building with a small office, I exult at the sign that reads, “This office is for passports only. All commercial post office business is taken at [fill in said address].” Now we’re talking!

The lady behind the counter seems pleasant, and I hand her my documents (everything but some blood), and begin to remove my checkbook from my purse (checks only; no debit).

“You’re going to have to take another picture.” Of course I am.

“They’ve changed the laws, and you can’t be smiling in passport photos any more. See how it distorts you face?” Hm. I’ll have to remember that the next time I’m smiling. Thanks for the complex.

“And, since you’ve gotten married since your last passport was issued, we’ll need a copy of your marriage license.” In all the fine print that I did read, obviously that was one part that I didn’t.

So, I leave the fourth Post Office of the day, still with no passport, beginning to hunger, and done attempting to plan anything else for the remainder of my Saturday waking hours. It’s 12:10, and it only takes me thirty minutes to drive from that Post Office to home, and then back to where I took my passport pictures the first time to have them redone. It’s during this trip that I wonder if Kevin can just carry me in his suitcase. He’s strong, and though I’m far over the 50-pound weight limit, the extra fee might actually be worth it.

At 12:45 the lady at the photo lab tells me I can walk around the store for ten minutes until the (unsmiling) pics are ready. At 1:01, she’s standing with two co-workers at the printer, shaking her head slowly from side to side.

“There’s a really big order in front of you, and it’s not uploading your picture.” Naturally. After pacing a few times in front of the photo counter, I break down and buy a bag of Doritos. After all, it’s going to do nobody any good if I finally make it to the passport office and pass out before the dang thing can finally be filed.

At 1:10, the photo lab manager, hands me my new photos. It’s then that I realize that smiling may distort my face, but not smiling proves that my eyes are indeed two different sizes. (Distorted picture or Igor-lookalike? Hm. Tough call.)

All documents in hand, it only takes me a few minutes in the parking lot to fill out the final paperwork once back at the Post Office. I run through the documents in my head—application, form admitting I did in fact lose my passport, marriage license, birth certificate, and driver’s license. (For only a brief second, I ponder the irony if I didn’t actually have my driver’s license, but, alas, it was present.)

As I hand it to the lengthy-haired gentleman behind the counter, I sigh. After all this work, a few staples and two checks from the checkbook that I so rarely “happen” to have on me, seal the deal.

I sign my name (in black ink only), and leave the office.

It’s slightly anticlimactic. So much work. For a little book of paper.

It’s just before 2 pm when I arrive home.

Time for lunch.

Valentine's Day Surprise

2010-02-13T15:05:00.006-05:00

"My, oh, my! What is that heavenly aroma?" you ask.

Quite simple, really.

You see, I've got a husband who adores in the most Christ-like way possible the ground I walk on. Though we still claim the "newly-wed" title, we're past the stage of doe-eyes, and we're learning to deal gently, yet firmly, and in truth, but also in love with each other. And it's a trip, but I wouldn't change it for the world.
But I digress....

The smell......is because the one I love loves me back with all of his heart, and he shows it in the way that's most meaningful to me. (I like gifts. :) To cap it all off, he had them delivered to my work office! Can't get much more special than that! :)

Happy Valentine's Day! :)

A Little Rearranging

2010-02-09T21:56:00.003-05:00

It only took a couple months (maybe even weeks) of marriage for Kevin to realize that I love to rearrange furniture. I wasn't really all that worried, though, because when we were in college, I took note that Kevin made a point to rearrange his dorm room at least once a year--and he only had one room to play with!

I'm a very visual person, and it only takes the twinkling of an idea of rearrangement to get my cylinders firing. I even remember one night when we were living in Maryville. It was 10 pm, and the idea had been forming all day. Finally, I got the mental redecorating right, and, well, I just couldn't wait until the next morning to bring it to fruition. It had to happen right then!

Whatever this may say about my lack of patience (and there is plenty lack, let me tell you!), I do have an incredibly understanding husband who, to the best of his ability, humors my whims.

But, this time, it was all on him. Well...mostly.

See, Kevin's been hinting toward a new TV recently. I resisted for whatever excuses I could put up: it won't our current entertainment center (which was true), we don't watch it that much anyway (but we love our movies!), and we don't have the money (yet).

Well, Kevin's accepted the entertainment center as his new dresser (doing well so far), we still don't watch too much (but American Idol has been fun), and the debt is PIF. So, we bit the bullet, and bought a wholesale, brand new, flat-screen TV. And it's been fun. Even Optimus has been getting in on it (I think he thought it was real yesterday and was trying to fly into the screen :).

So, Welcome to our New Living Room....

P.S. Since you'd probably not be aware of this on your own--that's Kevin's old dresser in the corner. It's a surprisingly functional game/remote control/VHS holder. :)

Wandering Into a Wonderland

2010-01-31T11:26:00.003-05:00

Global Warming? Ha! Not in Tennessee. Kevin's very insightful comment yesterday was that when it's hot out, we think the world is clearly coming to an end; when it's cold out--it's just winter. Hm.

Needless to say, the snow/ice has proven some extra time at home, no church this morning, and a chance for me to walk to my old job (which I still freelance at) in 17 degree weather at 6:45 this morning. Yay for extra money! :)

And some pictures....

This was the scene Friday night:
And then much of the evening and yesterday, it was a slushy, rainy, snowy mess.Kevin couldn't pass up the opportunity to make a snow angel. On the ground. Of the parking lot. I mean, seriously, what guy could pass up that opportunity?
So, from our warm, cozy winter home to yours, we wish you a safe, restful day of praising our Lord and celebrating his goodness! :)

How We Spent MLK Day

2010-01-21T18:36:00.005-05:00

What's the best way to spend a day celebrating a man who loved peace, fought for justice, and celebrated the American right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?

We went down to Vonore and shot some guns.

For those of you a little shocked that this is how I wanted to spend one of my rare days off, you're not alone--Kevin was shocked, too. Guns are not something I grew up with, nor are they something that I'm completely comfortable with, which I blame more on my nurture than my nature.

Needless to say, I do enjoy pretending to be Annie Oakley and seeing how good my aim is. Beside that, the silhouettes will make great guest-room wall paper. :)

A Fresh Start

2010-01-13T21:02:00.001-05:00

I came across this picture the other day from our old apartment, and I thought I'd share it with you. It reminded me of the freshness of this season of a new year. It's never too late (or too early) to make changes that need changing; however, I'm reminded all the more at the beginning of a new year that our Lord is merciful, gracious, and ever-willing to help us on our way as we try to put bad habits behind us and trust and rely upon His leading.
Some areas I wish to grow in this year:

~Reading my Bible. Period.

~Eating healthier. (This will require lots of planning for days I'm gone from 8am-9pm!)

~The two-second rule--put away my shoes; hang up my clothes; rinse out my dish...

~More time with Kevin. Though we anxiously await a time when our family will expand, I want to cherish and pour into this time that is ours.

And that's all. That's all? I think that's enough for now, don't you!? :)

Lydia's Guide to Gift-Giving

2010-01-11T20:07:00.007-05:00

I know what you're probably thinking.

"Gift-giving guide? Christmas was just two weeks ago--I've got eleven more months before I have to being thinking about gift-buying, and then I've got another month beyond that before the actual buying begins!"

And you're right...sort of.

You see, I've known for a long time that my love language was gifts. I love receiving gifts. I love looking at a gift received and thinking of the giver every time. I love being surprised by someone thinking enough of me to present me something. But even more than that, I love giving gifts.

I grew up with a mother who is an expert in the gift giving field, namely because she loves giving gifts, too. It gave me a great example to watch, and I thought, instead of waiting until right before Christmas when everyone is scrambling around trying to find that last-minute purchase, why not share what I've learned and observed along the way now?

Maybe next Christmas, you, too, can enjoy giving more than receiving! :)

1) Always be on the lookout. I've bought wedding gifts from Kroger and Christmas gifts at Cracker Barrell. No store is off limits.

2) Think practical. Most people don't need another snow globe lying around. That's why, with such a large family on Kevin's side, we've opted for some food options the past two years--everybody loves food!

3) Budget. I confess--this one is hard for me. I like shopping; I like spending money; I like buying things for other people. But if you decide on a dollar amount or even set aside a specific amount all year leading up to Christmas, you won't be in post-Christmas debt.

4) Keep a list. I tend to do this about two weeks before Christmas. I gather all the items I've been collecting throughout the year, and I write down who's getting what. That way, I won't chance that we forgot nephew number one when gifts are being exchanged (and, yes, before he saw his gift under the tree this year, he did come up and ask if we'd even brought one for him :).

And last...

5) Begin shopping now! I learned this one from my mom, and I must confess, it's my favorite. The day after Christmas was always when she would get a head start on next year's gift buying--fabulous sales and markdowns on items that won't be out of season when next Christmas rolls around. It also creates great stories to share with those you love about how when you saw their gift in the middle of June at a Lavender Festival in the hills of Tennessee, it just spoke their name to you.

Now, I realize that the true meaning of Christmas isn't gifts and stocking up on piles of loot. I do, however, relish the opportunity we have to bless our family (and sometimes friends) and share with them through gift-giving some of the bounty the Lord has allowed us.

May your 2010 bring the joy of the Lord!!!

Who Says Teaching is a Thankless Job?

2009-12-18T23:02:00.008-05:00

Well, for most of the year, maybe it is. But, let me tell you, come Christmas time, Kevin sure cleans up (ahem, see above image)! And the best part is I get much of the benefit of the gifts, seeing as how many of them are girly note pads and post-it notes that he has little interest in. :)

And then, of course, there are other benefits of this time of year, like the encouragement to keep going.

My favorite one (currently lighting up the coffee table he's sleeping next to so that its luminescence can softly pull him from his slumber).

Teaching (whether personally or professionally) is no easy task. I'm very proud of my husband, who is a qualified, hard-working, dedicated, passionate, gifted man. At times, though, it's nice to know that I'm not the only one who feels this way. :)

The Blessing of Zero!

2009-12-18T08:51:00.003-05:00

$32,938.11 (not counting interest).

25 months of payments.

Discovering Dave Ramsey this summer.

Cutting back to live off of one salary.

$22,000 paid off since the end of July alone.

And it all comes down to one last interest payment of $8.75.

Lord, may we continue to be faithful with the resources You have allowed us.
We are humbled by your provision.

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt;
Open your wide mouth and I will fill it."
~Psalm 81:10

Playing Catch-Up

2009-12-12T14:19:00.006-05:00

It's been quite the time in the Fowler household. We're very grateful for those of you who have hung with us through this sparseness of posts. :( Lord willing, time will return for blogging, but for right now, I'm having to rely on "catch-up" posts.

First off, the Lord is returning health to our household! Amazingly, Kevin, though a public school teacher, is sick very rarely. This past week, however, it hit him hard--no voice, sinus pressure, the works! He's healing, though, and it's great to have him back to normal--whatever that may mean. ;)

Also, as some of you know, I've been sick with chronic tonsillitis since roughly August. I was given the option to continue a barrage of antibiotics, but when I thought about that, coupled with the multiple times I've had strep and tonsillitis in the past year or so, Kevin and I decided that surgery was the best option. Last Thursday, I underwent my first real surgery since having my wisdom, teeth removed in 10th grade. I wasn't nervous about the surgery; it's routine enough. I was nervous about the recovery. Tonsillectomies in adults bring with them incredibly difficult recovery processes. But, friends, the Lord has been merciful! A mere four days post-op, I was eating spaghetti with a little ground beef, and the next day I was eating chicken stir fry! There have been some rough spots, but it's humbling to think that the Lord would protect me from having to go through weeks of pain before healing.

Along with that, my parents drove down and spent 9 days with us to serve, care for, and manage our household while Kevin was at work and I was recovering. I think we were all a little anxious to see what would come of it, since that amount of time with anybody can be a bit of a strain under a tiny roof. But, again, the Lord was gracious, and we had one of the best visits with them. Funny enough, they're turning around and coming back in just 2 short weeks for Christmas.

And now we're busily set about getting things ready for Christmas. We've got our tree up.

Do you like the tree topper?

And I'm wrapping presents like mad trying to get it all done before I go back to work on Monday.

But in all things, friends, may we never forget who this season is truly about.

May you have a wonderful, safe, happy time of celebrating all that Christmas is truly about!

The View from the Top!

2009-11-23T19:45:00.005-05:00

For my one and only's birthday,

I took him somewhere far, far away.

I took him somewhere exotic.

I took him somewhere only nerds like us would go.

I took him to Chicago.

But, not just to Chicago. I took him to a live taping of NPR's "Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!" It's probably one of the last surviving radio programs out there that isn't purely news, and it's probably THE only one filmed before a live studio audience. Needless to say, the audience was filled with people just as hopelessly nerdy as us! It was bliss!

If you're not familiar with "Wait, Wait..." you're missing out. Those two podiums on the left are for the judge/score keeper, Carl Kasell, and the one on the right is for the host, Peter Sagal. The table on the right is for the show's three panelists, who vary week-to-week. This week's panelists were Paula Poundstone (Kevin's favorite), Roy Blount Jr. (my favorite), and Faith Sailee (new to the show). We figured two out of three ain't bad!

As I said, the recording is live and the panelists, who are all comedians, answer questions on the week's news. In between those questions, listeners can call in and be on the show live.

After the show, which was incredibly fun and enjoyable, the hosts and the panelists stay around to answer questions, sign autographs, take pictures, and just generally chat it up. We didn't do much chatting, but we did meet Peter, Carl, and Paula. Needless to say, I scored big on the birthday gift! ;)

Since we took all day Thursday to drive down and watch the show that night, we didn't want to drive back the next day, and why should we--it was Friday! So....we stayed an extra day and saw the sights of Chicago.

For starters, the weather could not have been more beautiful! I mean, can you see that sky?! And it was mid-50's--cool enough to walk; warm enough to not freeze.

Of course, you can't make a trip to Chicago without visiting the historic, record-breaking Willis Tower! Never heard of it? Well, you probably have, but didn't know it. It used to be called the Sear's Tower, but when the building was sold, the contract stated that the largest tenant could rename the tower in 2008. The largest tenant was--you guessed it-- a company named Willis and they renamed it last year. I agree, though, it is a little unimpressive to say, "We got to see the Willis Tower!" Doesn't quite have the punch that the Sear's Tower has.

And there's a new addition to the Willis Tower--retractable glass encasements you can step into and look down...103 stories! Are you brave enough!?

I thought I was doing well just standing there, but...

Kevin took it a step further!

This is the only picture we've got of both of us in the Tower. It's a shame you can't see any buildings, sky, birds...flying saucers....anything! It was crystal clear that day, but the sun was also shining too bright for good pictures, and, well, there's only so many pictures you want to ask complete strangers to take! :)

So, friends, that was our visit to the Windy City. Hope you've enjoyed this little taste. There was actually much more involved (Pizza! The Field Museum! Lake Michigan!), but I've got a birthday boy to tend to!

Happy Monday! :)

Good Times With Great Oldies!

2009-10-18T20:48:00.006-04:00

What a wonderful, exciting, enjoyable, and refreshing time this weekend was. Fall break in this place means several things--Kevin gets time off from school; I have the opportunity to take some much-waited-for vacation days; and, last, it's Maryville College's homecoming. The latter of which means lots of very dear friends are making the trek to the highlands of good ole' MC.

This year, we were blessed multiple times over to have not one, not two, but THREE friends in our home as well as many more friends that we caught up with at MC itself yesterday. What a blessing relationship and friendship are!

First, two of my dear roommates, Anne and Laura, traveled from Charlotte, NC and Columbia, GA, respectively to spend time with us. It was a fast two days, but we didn't waste a minute, except when we were forced to sleep (right, Laura? ;). I don't know what I would have done without these ladies in college. It is such a treat to get together a couple times a year to reminisce and catch up on what the Lord is doing in and through us. I hope to keep these ladies around for years to come! :)

We also had a brief with Mr. Briley Hooper. He's traveled over the mountains from near Asheville, NC a couple of times to visit, and we've enjoyed every visit, especially this one because....

HE BROUGHT EVA!

This girl totally stole the show for me! I've wanted a dog very much since getting our own place, but not as much as when I met this little lady. She's absolutely precious! We asked Briley if we could adopt/foster/borrow/clone Eva, but he's apparently pretty attached to her, and, well, the feelings are mutual.

Kevin did, however, get his shot at her, and she playfully obliged him. Gotta love those ears!

Eva did eventually tire, and there was no waking this pup.

In the end, the weekend was a pure joy. Time with great friends is always appreciated and refreshing. I'm so grateful that we have friends that love us enough to make the hours-long journeys to spend time here.

Let that be an invite to anyone and everyone who desires a clean bed and warm fellowship.

We're waiting!

How do you Dress for a UT Ball Game....

2009-09-26T14:46:00.003-04:00

...when it looks like this out?

Why, like this, of course!

For My Mamma,

2009-09-21T18:33:00.003-04:00

It's only been two years since we got married (slightly over). This past weekend I used, for the first time, the mixer my mother bought us for our wedding present. I have my reasons--like we had no room for it in our other apartment, and I've never been much of a baker, so why bother?

BUT...this weekend, I flew to the store, bought all necessary (and not on-hand) ingredients and, maybe for the second time in my life, made banana bread! You can bet that mixer was working overtime! :)

And since I'm one of those clean-as-you-go cooks, this is as messy as my kitchen ever got. :)

Last, as I was coming in from my Wal-Mart excursion with my ingredients ready to make HER some banana bread, our wonderful neighbor, Regina, was waiting at the base of the stairs for us with a home-made Apple Crisp! Now, just how did she know that Apple Crisp is my absolute favorite!? And it seems to be Kevin's, too, by the way we polished it off so quickly (2 days was all it took, folks!).

SHHH!! Don't tell Kevin...

2009-09-12T19:05:00.004-04:00

...but I've rearranged the study!

Think he'll like it?

My Beloved Hard at Work

2009-09-05T14:27:00.005-04:00

I came around the corner of the hallway yesterday, and was greeted by the sight of Kevin on the porch, citronella candle lit, grading papers by its light. It made me pause and thank the Lord that I have a husband who is so responsible, respectable, hard-working, and loves to provide for his family. Just thought you should know. :)

Short and Sassy

2009-08-27T14:15:00.004-04:00

Oh, how I love thee--let me count the ways....

I know many women whose husbands like them to keep their hair long. This, for the wives, is an act of love to keep their hair long in deference to their husbands likes. They please their husbands in this way, and in so doing, show him their love.

Kevin, however, is no such husband. I have complete and utter freedom when it comes to the length of my hair (although he did nix the "shave it all off" idea I had during college).

So when, recently, I started to get my every-two-year hankering to chop it all off, he was all for it. And, thus the search began. I look at magazines, pictures on the Internet, and started observing in my own day-to-day life at UT what looked good on what girls with which face shapes.

I finally settled that instead of going short, short, I'd go a bit longer than short and then go short later if I still wanted to do it. So, Sunday night, I headed to SuperCuts (we're on a budget here, folks! :). Chesleigh, my new favorite stylist, did exactly what I wanted. She cut my hair to shoulder length with just a bit of layering around my face. I got home, and Kevin exulted at how much he loved it.

But I just wasn't satisfied. My face is long already and the shoulder-length style pulled it even longer. So, Monday I called Chesleigh back and asked if I could come back and whack it all off.

Thus, friends, I am now sporting the shortest do I've had since probably kindergarten.

Truth be told, I LOVE IT!

...and so does my husband. :)

I had fun taking some pictures to send to Mom Fowler and Mom Skidmore.

The night I got it done:

...and after I learned a bit how to style it.

(and with a little photoshop help! :)

First Day of School

2009-08-17T08:10:00.005-04:00

Yup--it's that day that the kiddos head on the buses or strap on their walking shoes for the trek back to good ole' West Valley. And you know what that means: I also get to send my little husband off for his first day of school! Needless to say, things are a little hectic around the school, but I'm sure they will settle down.

Wouldn't you love to have this strapping gent teaching your 8th grader!?!

We covet your prayers as this new school year begins and sails off into the sunset!

Anniversary Flowers

2009-08-12T21:32:00.006-04:00

Maybe you can help me...I'm looking for something. It's quite precious, as things of this nature are. I know I had it, but I just can't seem to find it. Maybe I misplaced it, but I have a feeling that maybe, just maybe, it's gone...

Have you seen the month of July? I mean, seriously, I have no clue where it went.

Hm. Strange.

Well, regardless, the arrival of August means I get to celebrate the day Kevin and I committed our lives to one another. It's been 1,467 days of wedded bliss, and I wouldn't change one second of it.

You hear all the time, "I just keep learning new things about him/her." I never believed it--even when we were dating, I was sure that I'd hit the point where he would bore me or (more likely) I would bore him...But we've not gotten there.

I'm daily amazed that Kevin chose me as his wife, and it only makes me love him more.

I was actually out of town when August 5th rolled around, but upon my return, Kevin had some beautiful red and yellow flowers waiting for me.

Here's to many more August 5ths!!!!!

Two Things That Chirp

2009-07-18T08:55:00.005-04:00

I (Kevin) was placed with the responsibility of blogging this, and surprisingly the Getting Things Done (GTD) guru has procrastinated for almost a month of these very important additions to our family. Yes, we at the Fowlers added two things that chirp to our family.

1. The Apple iPhone 3GS

This is probably the most extravagant purchase I have ever made. Yes, the guy who prides himself on buying hardly anything just bought one of the hottest items on the market. For those that have been around me the past year, this purchase probably isn't a big surprise. I used my (free) iPod Touch religiously and I came across a small bonus at work two weeks before the phone's release. So, I wanted to use this newfound chunk of change on something that I could use everyday. I chose the iPhone and I absolutely love it.

Lydia figured that since I am making this rather expensive purchase, a little treat for her was in order...So, she chose the second thing that chirpped.

2. Optimus Prime (O.P.)

This is our little parakeet budgie O.P. He's quite the contented little dude. Its taken him a little while to get used to us, but he's getting there!

Welcome O.P. and iPhone!

Visits from Afar

2009-07-17T23:31:00.003-04:00

It's been a hectic past couple of weeks on my side. Things at work have picked up tremendously, and so often it's all I can do to fall into bed at a decent hour. With that said, we've also had several visits from some very special people!

Back in June Len Turner (who's studying at Princeton Theological Seminary) and Laura Palmer (who's studying at Columbia Theological seminary in Atlanta) stopped in for a visit. These two ladies are much of what got me through college! I could not have made it as far, and I would not nearly have the GREAT memories I have without them. I'm so grateful for their friendship, love, support, and--most importantly--brutal honesty. Yay Termates! :-)

Just a couple weeks ago, Thomas and Stephanie Russell, also friends from college stopped by. We've missed them greatly since they moved to Arkansas recently. It was a quick stop-in, but we were so grateful they made a couple hours for us. It's been fun to meet up with them on the Wii's and play some competitive MarioKart. :)

And last, my cousin, Megan came down from Michigan with an interpretive dance group to perform at a church in Loudon, just a few miles south of here. I was sad I couldn't see her performance because of my work schedule, but they did let us steal here for a night. It was super fun to see how this young lady, who I've not seen since my wedding (almost two years ago!), has grown in the Lord and matured into a young lady. I remember changing her diaper!!! :)

After a pizza dinner, we spent the evening playing on the Wii. I think we played every sport on there (baseball, bowling, golf, tennis, and boxing) at least once. Kevin showed her how to play Baseball. :)

And that's out story these days! We've been so inspired by the traveling of others that we're embarking on a six-day trip on Sunday. Where are we going? Well, maybe you should just wait and see...But I can tell you that it's supposed to rain the ENTIRE time we're there, and most of what we had planned were outdoor options....We'll be sure to let you know how it goes! :)

A Quote From The Game 20 Questions...

2009-06-19T16:39:00.002-04:00

[Context: Lydia was just given the clue that the answer was a director who has also acted]

Is it that M. Night Sha-ma-ma-layan guy? --Lydia

Heart's Cry

2009-06-13T14:47:00.002-04:00

This might hurt, it's not safe

But I know that I've gotta make a change

I don't care if I break,

At least I'll be feeling something

'Cause just okay is not enough

Help me fight through the nothingness of life

I don't wanna go through the motions

I don't wanna go one more day

Without Your all consuming passion inside of me

I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,

"What if I had given everything,

instead of going through the motions?"

No regrets, not this time

I'm gonna let my heart defeat my mind

Let Your love make me whole

I think I'm finally feeling something

'Cause just okay is not enough

Help me fight through the nothingness of this life

'Cause I don't wanna go through the motions

I don't wanna go one more day

Without Your all consuming passion inside of me

I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,

"What if I had given everything,

instead of going through the motions?"

Take me all the way (take me all the way)

Take me all the way ('cause I don't wanna go through the motions)

Take me all the way (I know I'm finally feeling something real)

Take me all the way

I don't wanna go through the motions

I don't wanna go one more day

Without Your all consuming passion inside of me

I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,

"What if I had given everything,

instead of going through the motions?"

I don't wanna go through the motions

I don't wanna go one more day

Without Your all consuming passion inside of me

I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,

"What if I had given everything,

instead of going through the motions?"

Take me all the way (take me all the way)

Take me all the way (I don't wanna go, I don't wanna go)

Take me all the way (through the motions)

Take me all the way

I don't wanna go through the motions

~Matthew West

Road Triiiiiiiiip!!!!

2009-06-04T21:49:00.005-04:00

A two day conference that counts for work time afforded me the day off today. So, Kevin and I pack up and headed south for a little field trip to Ruby Falls in Chattanooga! It's been a long day and we're both exhausted...so this will be mostly pictures, but they're worth it! :-D

Almost there...

Some self-explanatory sites along the trek to the falls....

Goofing off...

The Falls, head on:

The view from beneath the water fall...Like diamonds falling.

Praise the Lord He gave us such majestic wonders to behold and enjoy.

May they point us back to Him!

Fowler's 40th Anniversary

2009-06-02T19:04:00.006-04:00

Haha--no, not us! Silly you!

Kevin's parents celebrated their 40th anniversary on Sunday, and they let us share in on the fun! We went to Puleo's in Maryville (highly recommend if you're in the area!).

And we showered them with technology! They got a digital camera from Greg and Melinda, and they got a new webcam (with a microphone) from Kevin and me. Super fun evening! We just wish Kim and Josh could have been there to round out the "kids."

I owe them much. They raised the man I love. And they raised him well.

Brothers and sisters-in-law!!!!

(Greg obviously didn't get the white-shirt memo...)

Happy two-days-after your Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

We Love You!!!

Weekend Happenings

2009-05-31T20:25:00.004-04:00

We've tried quite a bit to reign in our weekend activities. I love spending the entire weekend with friends, having fun, and just bumming around recovering from the week...but it means that we don't get anything done around the house or the quality time with each other that we should. Sooo....we've tried to cut back or at least limit and be aware of where we're spending our time. This weekend was a good example.

Friday, I went to a graduation for a couple girls from church (one of whom I met when she was in seventh grade!!!!), and then afterward, Kevin and I watched a movie.

Yesterday, Kevin headed down to Vonore for some assistance installing a new stereo in his Explorer (which ended up never working after an entire day on both his and his brother, Greg's, part!).

After cleaning the fish tank in the morning, I worked for a few hours at Sorenson and then went to The Home Depot to buy some flowers for our porch. It was honestly I think the first time I'd actually enjoyed myself there (sorry, Chris Borders!). :)

Check them out:

We started pretty basic: Flower, Pots, Soil.

Pouring the soil....
Planting the Plant.....
Enjoying the view!!
And these are the wind chimes Kevin bought me a couple weeks ago. I love the brassy color, and they make the most heavenly sound when the wind blows (and they sound like ska music when the wind really blows! :).

We also celebrated Mom and Dad Fowler's 40th wedding anniversary! Can you believe it!?! 40 years of marriage! I'm excited about us nearing 2! :) I'll post some pictures from that later on...Don't want to overwhelm you. :)

And Baby Makes Three....

2009-05-24T11:35:00.005-04:00

But not for us. :-)

Chris and Rachel are having their little Gabriel, Lord willing, within the next few weeks. So, we decided to make one last go of it before he comes, and have a rip roarin' night of chicken and rice casserole (courtesy of Beth) and game playin' (courtesy of the Slates)!
And just to relive childhood (and all those cheesy wedding dances we've been to), we did the train for our group picture. Our personal favorite is Greg's ultra-masculine glamour shot (third from the left).

Left to Right: Lydia, Kevin, Greg, Beth, Rachel, Gabriel (in utero), Chris.

Kevin on the Tube

2009-05-16T11:53:00.002-04:00

Me on the local news:

Quote

2009-05-16T11:51:00.001-04:00

Circumstances are rulers of the weak, but weapons for the wise. -- Andy Andrews in The Traveler's Gift

Lydia Met a Celebrity

2009-05-09T21:40:00.003-04:00

It's been quite the week in the Fowler household.

Over the last week....

~Kevin's school got closed for and entire week for swine flu (as you know).

~Lydia's parents came through on their way moving from Ft. Worth, TX to Pittsburgh, PA.

~Lydia's parents took Kevin with them to help move. Three of their four helpers were unavailable due to various reasons, and so, we see the Providential Hand of God in the school closure.

~Lydia completed her first week of graduations working at UT.

~Lydia took off for Chattanooga to attend the Tennessee Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (TRID) conference with two lovely ladies.

This is a picture with Cheryl Moose, the President of the national interpreters association, the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.

(L to R): Lydia, Cheryl, Shauna, Liz.

...and a mere two hours ago, I arrived back home to pick up and leave again to pick up my husband who just worked his tail off for some very thankful in-laws.

Phew! What's your weekend been like? :) We're just glad to be back home!

Kevin Get's a Week Off of Work...Thanks to Media-Hype

2009-05-04T08:30:00.001-04:00

Baby Love

2009-04-28T08:43:00.004-04:00

In an effort to preserve our baby selves, Kevin scanned in our baby pictures. I'd like to have them restored (they're discolored in person) and then hang them together in our home. In the meantime, thought you'd like a look.

I was born a red-head. Then I went bald. Then it came back in blond, and it' s been steadily darkening since then. My mom like to tell how I was quiet long enough for the picture, but burst into tears the moment the shutter had shut.Kevin apparently always smiled with his tongue out. Thankfully, that much has changed. ;)

Life Changing Software

2009-04-25T08:42:00.003-04:00

Hello friends and fellow Mac heads,

For the past month or so I have been using computer software called Things. It is from a company based out of Germany called Cultured Code. This software is simply a sophisticated to-do list based off of world-renowned productivity guru David Allen's system (and book by the same name) Getting Things Done.

I first experimented with the iPod/iPhone version of this product. I purchased it for $10 (which is pretty expensive as far as iTunes Store apps go) and found that it was totally worth it. I then read about their desktop version which would open a whole new world to my iPod version. I purchased it (after a free 15 day trial) for $50.

For a grand total of $60, I have purchased the entire Things package and it has earned my highest recommendation. Using it and the Getting Things Done model, I have become more productive, more responsible, more punctual, and even...more relaxed. If you would like to know more, I highly encourage you to watch the video that is linked above. You may only want to watch the first half, as the latter half talks about software development. This is a great company and investment. I hope that you will consider it.

Inspiring Reading...

2009-04-17T11:22:00.002-04:00

"Some people try to define worldliness as living outside a specific set of rules or conservative standards. If you listen to music with a certain beat, dress in fashionable clothes, watch movies with a certain rating, or indulge in certain luxuries of modern society, surely you must be worldly.

"Others, irritated and repulsed by rules that seem arbitrary, react to definitions of worldliness, assuming it's impossible to define. Or they think legalism will inevitably be the result, so we shouldn't even try.

"...Both views are wrong. For, by focusing exclusively on externals or dismissing the importance of externals, we've missed the point.

"...[John] takes the debate inside. For that's where worldliness is. It exists in our hearts..."

~Mahaney, C. J.. "Worldliness." pp. 29.

Some Colorful Visitors

2009-04-11T12:57:00.006-04:00

We've had quit the crew stopping by lately. Check out these pictures of some of the crazy critters we've come across!

This is Lenore the Lizard. Her coloring was so vivid, she looked like a rainbow!

She started with a yellow shade and went from green to blue to purple by the time I was looking at her tail.

...and this is Charles the Cardinal. His coloring was so bright I almost thought I was imagining things, but I wasn't. He landed on the tree a couple apartments down from us--a sure sign that Spring is on its way!

A Little Closer Up.

Praise the Lord for the Creativity of His Creation!

Forget the Sky...Our Building's Falling!!!

2009-04-09T13:38:00.004-04:00

For a couple weeks, there's been yellow caution tape around a corner of the building next door...

Kevin came home the other day and said that it's because the building is sinking.

:-/

I came home today, and any suspicion we had was confirmed.

Looks like we may be living on the first floor soon.

Megan Came to Call...

2009-04-05T14:40:00.004-04:00

What a treat!

Our dear friend Megan came over last night and not only graced us with her company, but also brought the fixin's for chocolate and strawberry crepes! Oh, my gosh! Talk about spoiled!

First, Meet Megan!

(those of you who were at our wedding will remember she told the story of how Kevin and I met--yeah, she's basically a celebrity to us!)

Next, Meet her delicious crepes!

Your mouth is probably watering already, and you can bet ours sure were!

Last, but certainly not least, we played some Wii...go figure! Meg had never played one, and we were more than delighted to allow her the pleasure, because, well, they're lots of fun.
I think she liked it--what do you think?

Oh, the joy of friends, friendships, and MarioKart Wii!!! :-)

Grape Bags and Yogurt Containers!?!

2009-04-04T11:53:00.001-04:00

Without getting on the band-wagon or soap box, here's a great list of things you never thought you could recycle, but you can!

Say "Adios" to your trash can!

...well, almost. ;-)

A Little Jean-ology.

2009-04-03T20:50:00.002-04:00

According to Wikipedia, jeans are "pants, or trousers, made from denim [and they are] mainly designed for work..."

According to me, they're just darn comfortable! I could eat, sleep, and do just about anything else encompassed in a pair of Levi's (which is strange because I own multiple pairs of jeans, and none of them are official "Levi's")! It takes only seconds after I walk in the door to throw off my work attire and grab the closest pair I can find.

Where does this topic come from, you ask? Well, we went on vacation two weeks ago, and a load of jeans needing laundering has been laying fallow on our bedroom floor because we only had enough quarters for one load of laundry at the time, and, let's face it, underwear will just win that competition every time!

But I stopped by the bank the other day and got $40 worth of quarters (yeah, I know! we'll probably never run out now!), and this evening, my wonderful blue denim trousers were returned to me, and I'm excited.

So, I'm thankful to the youths of the 1950's who rejected what was common in favor of the casual, and I salute them! :-)
That's me in one of my most favorite wardrobe pieces: OVERALLS!! And it was taken with the tripod Kevin allowed me for my new hobby. I got it last weekend and I've been playing with it ever since! :) Maybe at some point I'll learn to include the rest of my head in the picture!! haha!

Point to Ponder

2009-03-25T11:38:00.001-04:00

"What does it look like when the
blood of Christ governs the television and the Internet and
the iPod and the checkbook and the neckline?"

~Forward by John Piper

in: Maheney, C.J., "Worldliness." 2008.

Recipe for the Perfect Evening

2009-03-24T18:39:00.005-04:00

Start with a good, home-cooked meal--one you know will be a hit!

Add some outdoors,

and a table for two!

Then, spice things up with the one (or ones) you love, and you're good to go!

The Last 5 Days in 20 Pictures or Less...

2009-03-22T17:17:00.007-04:00

Back in February, we decided to surprise my mom with a visit in March. The plans were set, the tickets purchased, and then we just had to wait....But the time finally came, and she was just as surprised as ever when we showed up and sat down next to her while on a date with my dad.

Following are some pictures from our trip. Can't fit all 247 of them on here, but hopefully, this will give you the flavor of our time there.

Wednesday, Day 1:

We took the train from Ft. Worth into Dallas. Quite the sweet ride.

Dealey Plaza is famous for the location of JFK's assassination, but it's also where the very first homestead of Dallas was established.
Kevin in front of the second of two white x's marking the spots.

The crosswalk where history was made.

We couldn't take any pictures inside the 6th Floor Museum. If you ever get the chance to visit, it's well worth it, albeit sobering. By the end, I just had to leave the museum. What a time in our nation's history...

Kevin's second time ever on a train on the ride back home.
We stopped to pay our respects to my biological father, who died when I was just a baby. It was an interesting feeling to see the year of one man's death as the same year that gave me life.
Thursday, Day 2:

It seemed only right that the day after visiting where JFK was shot, we would travel through Austin on our way to San Antonio and stop at LBJ's presidential library.

He is commemorated as a man who was forced into a job he didn't want, but in reality, he established many government programs that are still alive and running today (ever heard of PBS?).
We also visited the capitol building, where I met George W. Bush while on a 5th grade field trip. :)

Can't go on a vacation without a little Starbuck's!!!

On the streets of Austin.
Friday, Day 3:

After a day in Austin, we arrived in San Antonio late Thursday night and hit the ground running the next morning.

We took Kevin to the house I grew up in...funny, it seemed so much bigger back then....
He also got to see my old elementary school...which also seems to have shrunk.
And then breakfast at the Gunther House. World Famous Sticky Buns and all home made (the flour is ground on the premises).
Long Live the Alamo--as well as the line to get in!

We decided to forgo the two hour wait to spend 15 minutes inside its walls, but we did get to see the museum on the perimeter.

Can't visit good ol' S.A. without seeing the River Walk. After a lengthy walk down it's bank, we had dinner at a little restaurant with...
...two of the most special ladies I know!!! I grew up with Leslie and Danielle right next door--and we spent hours at each other's houses playing anything and everything you can imagine!
With our Mammas.
Saturday, Day 4:

Our last night there, my brother, Don, and his wife, Danielle, joined us for dinner. It was the first time our family had been together since their wedding in November, 2007. It was fun to see them!

And today is Day 5, of which I have no pictures only a sad case of let down that it's all over. I'm so grateful to Kevin for allowing us this venture! It was 100% worth the money, time, and energy put into it. :)

And that's it!

I would be lying to say that I'm glad it's over. It's always sad to say goodbye to my parents, but I am very grateful to report that their house is sold and they are on their way to Pittsburgh, PA as of the beginning of May! We're hoping our visits with them will be much more frequent! :-)

Hope your weekend was as fun as ours was!

Now, it's time to recover... ;)

So Far Away and Yet...So Close!

2009-03-15T19:31:00.002-04:00

I'm not a technology fan. In general, I'd rather throw my computer out the window and revert back to the days when we walked from place to place (hoop skirts and all!). Kevin has converted me somewhat, as our phone line is through the Internet and our computer has a little apple symbol on it. :)

But I'd have to say that yesterday probably took the cake.

From thousands of miles away, we spoke to and chatted with our sister and her five beautiful children! It was like they were in the same room! (except they're not quite so pixelated in person ;).

Below are some pictures from the fruits of Kim and Kevin's roughly forty five minutes on the phone as Kevin talked Kim through the web cam setting up process.

As I'm sure you'll agree, it was well worth it! :)

Kevin talking to Rachel:

Kevin waving at Caleb...who pretty much just stared the whole time. :)
The next picture actually came from last weekend. Kevin and his college roommate, Josh, synced their Wii's together and played a game of MarioKart while having each other on their web cams...it was like college again!

Like I said, I'm not a tech fan, but it's sure brought some family and friends who are far away close....and that's pretty cool.

The Fam Came to Call

2009-03-14T13:26:00.005-04:00

I know this is my second post today, but we've just had such an abundance of excitement over the last twenty-four hours, I had to write about it, and I'm not great at posting things in a timely manner, soooooo you get two posts today. :)

Our Fowler Family gave us the incredible blessing of making breakfast--

and they even let us eat it with them!

I'm a little un-practiced in regard to en-masse cooking, so it was probably quite the site to see Kevin and I scrambling around the kitchen before they got there. But we did it!

He took on the eggs and I made the bacon and sausage. Our guests arrived right on time, and there were (thankfully) no hungry bellies by the time we were done.

The Ladies got the table:

Since we only own four "real" chairs, the men took the couch:

And since a plain ol' breakfast just wouldn't be exciting enough,

we asked Dad to close the porch door in just the right way so as to cause our power to go out....

okay, so that's not true--but the power did go out at the exact moment he came back inside.

So, the rest of our meal and time together was had by candle light:

Or, more accurately, this is what is looked like:

And then our visitors left, their bellies full, and their traveling to the Big City done--for now.

We'd be happy to have them again.

They are, after all, very pleasant company. :)

It is more blessed to give...

2009-03-14T13:05:00.004-04:00

What a humbling evening it was.

Kevin had some dermatological procedures done on Thursday which took him out of school for both Thursday and Friday, and last night some of his co-workers (like the entire 8th grade staff) chipped in and dinner was delivered to our doorstep.

Check out this spread from Buddy's BBQ:

BBQ, Beans, Coleslaw, Buns, Cookies...The Works!

And if that wasn't enough, they also brought along two gift certificates for Puleo's and Aubrey's!

We were both incredibly humbled by these gifts and grateful for the Lord's provision. We're excited for the next time around when we can bless someone! :-)

Hang 'Em High!

2009-03-09T18:53:00.003-04:00

We've all got hang ups. Admit it! There are those things that just get your goat like nothing else, regardless of the fact that you neighbor, spouse, or best friend could care less.

As a full-time interpreter, full-time home maker, and full-time wife, I'm learning that not everything that I hang up on needs to be hung. I'd like to share with you some things I'm learning are, at the end of the day, not worth sweating about, and then some things that I believe are worth making a priority.

Things to lay down, not hang up on:

1. A Perfect House. Neither one of us are slobs, but neither are we the most tidy of people all the time...and that's okay. I'm learning to not let a book off the shelf or a remote control on the couch bother me.

2. Kitchen/Bathroom Floors. I know--that sounds disgusting, doesn't it? But it's the truth, and it really doesn't bother us.

3. Dusted House. No, I'm not a fan of those bunnies either, but in the end, I'd rather live with them than kill myself daily trying to annihilate them. They reproduce like bunnies, anyway! I've settled on a good dusting about once a month.

4. A New Meal Every Day. It's very noble to never eat the same thing twice--it's just not very practical.

5. Time with Everyone! I would love to exist in a perpetual state of fellowship (It's what I like to imagine Heaven will be like!). In reality, it's just not possible. We try to make time for Sunday lunches after church with some people and then maybe one or two other get-togethers during the weekend.

Things to hang high:

1. Order, not perfection. Keeping the floor empty of stray items and the clothes hung up can only take a minute if not put off until later.

2. Clean Kitchen Counter Tops and Sinks. It doesn't take much time to wipe the counter and rinse the dishes (even if not wash them), and the lack of pesky pests flitting about will be thanks enough.

3. Clean Clothes. Wash, fold, and put away. There's nothing like having to wear old, dirty, wrinkled clothes. It colors the whole day.

4. Meals. No, we're not health nuts--far from it! But at the end of the day, the last thing I want is to have to scavenge for something to eat. It's helped a lot to plan out our meals week by week. Sometimes I can even prepare dinner the night before.

5. Time with family. There are two of us right now, but we love the idea of adding to our family. And should the Lord allow us children, we're excited about making time with family important and priority.

I hope these encourage, not discourage you. It's a learning process, and I'm excited to be learning alongside some of the best! :-)

Wisdom During Economic Turbulence

2009-03-04T06:09:00.001-05:00

"...All the perplexities , confusion and distress in America arise, not from the defects in their constitution or confederation, not from want of honor or virtue, so much as from downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation..." -- John Q. Adams

A Place To Hang Your Hat

2009-03-02T21:28:00.003-05:00

Welcome to our Home!

Come on in! Kick you shoes off and stay a while.

Would you like something to drink?

I know, I know--things probably look a little different than the last time you saw them.

We just like to keep everything new and fresh.

Hope you enjoy your stay and, please, come back.

R.I.P. Barnabas

2009-02-28T19:15:00.006-05:00

There's been a death in the family.

We're still in some shock, so you're going to have to forgive us. It wasn't entirely unexpected, though. He didn't eat his breakfast, and he just wasn't looking his normal peppy self. We spent some time with him this morning, and I think we both got everything off our chests that we needed to.

With great sadness and grief, we bid adieu to Barnabas, our faithful and forever our first Beta.

He provided many hours of enjoyment and swam many inches around his tiny bowl. He lived a long and profitable life. We always lamented that he would not let us bring home a Lady Barnabas for him, clinging tightly to his bachelor-hood.

He was a quiet soul, never saying much. He preferred to spend hours alone instead of fraternizing with the lady-types. We didn't push, knowing he would blossom in his own time, and we are grateful for the time we did get with him.

So, Barnabas, here's to you! We'll always remember your sparkling water and colorful personality!

Shoe Sense

2009-02-24T14:13:00.009-05:00

Welcome, Ladies, to your favorite part of your wardrobe...

They can make you or break you. They can turn a so-so outfit into a killer statement. They can mean hours of misery or years of comfort.

That's right!! I'm talking about those pesky soul supporters you're always collecting from around the house at the end of the day (or week, if you're me!).

Let's Talk About Shoes!

I learned to love shoes early, and by "shoes" I mean anything and everything that goes on my feet. Most of my spare money in my youth went toward new pairs of shoes. In fact, I can remember, at the age of five, saving up for months for a really cute pair of purple and pink high heels from the toy store (hint: shoes that come wrapped in plastic and are hanging from a shelf are probably not the best). I saved and saved and saved, and, finally, the day arrived for me to purchase my beloved shoes. I shelled out the money and brought home my new treasure. There was only one problem: By the time I'd saved up enough money, my feet were too big--

like WAY too big. With a tear in my eye, back to the store they went. And I've spent the years since that devastating experience making up for it! :-)

So, I thought I'd pass on some suggestions from my years of shoe connoisseurship.

Some thoughts on one of my favorite subjects: SHOES! :-)

1. More expensive DOES NOT (necessarily) mean more comfortable. Parenthesis added because there are times I've regretted deeply, with every step taken, buying a cheap pair as thy dig into the back of my foot. There are also times I've rejoiced at the comfort felt by pairs such as the red flats below--comfy, stylish, and cheap--they cost me all of $13.99 at Ross. I'm not huge into name brands, but if you are, I highly recommend such stores as Ross, TJMaxx, and Marshall's--name brands without the price.

2. A Sharpie can be your best friend. Like I said, I buy cheap, and sometimes, that does sacrifice quality. I've found this most often with my boots. The pair below are ankle boots from Payless and it didn't take long scuffs and wear to start to appear, as you can see.

But never fear! A Black Sharpie works like magic. :-) Since most people are at least this far away from your shoes anyway, they'll never notice.

But just in case you want proof, here's a close-up.

3. Figure out what you want out of your shoes. and don't stop until you find it. With my recent job change, I'm walking up to a couple miles a day, AND I have to look professional from head to toe! It's a challenge, let me tell you. I'm looking for professional AND comfort!

Flats have become my best friend, but there's been a problem--due to inserts that I wear, the shoe slips off my foot often. I decided to remedy this with an ankle strapped flat...if I could find one. Graciously, the Lord provided just the pair for me, and at only $13! They're adorable AND comfortable AND flat AND they have an ankle strap!

4. Stack your shoes--don't pile them! Floor space is precious, isn't it? So is our time, right? So, why do we toss our shoes in a pile and spend precious minutes searching for the matches when we need them? Use such organizers as the one below to stack or sort your shoes. It saves time, space, and money by keeping your shoes nice longer.

And that is all! Happy wearing and Happy Walking!

p.s. I'm starting some new labels for topics on which I blog often. This will hopefully make organization of posts a little more convenient. :-)

Dear Diary.....

2009-02-19T16:12:00.005-05:00

Valentine's Day was super fun this year! Kevin took me to P.F.Chang's for dinner on Saturday--a sacrifice because rice isn't exactly on his list of tantalizing treats.But then, he took me to a Lady Vols game on Monday! We like to celebrate on February 16th anyway because that's the day he asked me to marry him--two whole years ago! Sigh...

Anyway, the Lady Vols played the Duke Blue Devils.

We were about as excited and nervous as the players themselves. The Lady Vols, after all, have quite the reputation around here as crowd pleasers. We sat and watched them warm up for quite a while.

After about thirty minutes of anticipation, the lights dimmed and the show began. The Ladies were introduced one at a time--running out to the court, cheering from the audience, they even got their own fireworks show!

Then came tip-off!
It didn't take long for us to realize why Pat Summitt is both feared and revered at her games. She's intense!It also didn't take long for us to start having the same reactions she was having to her Vols: What are you doing, Ladies?

They just weren't on their game that night. The didn't rebound, pass, or play smart. These weren't the infamous Lady Vols we'd heard so much about.

Don't get me wrong, diary--we had a great time, and we would love to go back! It definitely gave us a new perspective on something we'd only heard rumors about.

...and, there is, after all, nothing better than sharing a Valentine's Day Celebration with one I cherish so much!

Awake, O Sleeper!

2009-02-18T08:15:00.002-05:00

It’s common knowledge that I like sleep. I always have. Of course, as a little girl, I resisted the traditional Sunday afternoon nap, afraid I was going to miss something of the goings-on at home. They couldn’t very well leave me out of those all-exciting football games on TV or cookie baking ventures in the kitchen, could they? Well, they didn’t. My parents were just as fond of naps as I wasn’t at that time.

Over the years, however, that changed. I started enjoying my sleep time. I looked forward to retiring (even for a nap) to my bed. I guarded my sleep preciously, so much so that, by the time I got to college, I could sleep for 10-12 hours and still be in need of more, walking around fatigued all day.

Sound normal?

Well, good, because it’s not, and it’s only in the last month or so that I’ve learned exactly how un-normal that was.

I went in for some routine blood work in January and found out I have pernicious anemia, a disorder where my body doesn’t absorb vitamin B12 from my food. The most common symptom is constant fatigue, regardless of how much sleep is had. As it turns out, the disorder is genetic, and, well, I’ve known all my life that my mom gives herself B12 shots (yeah, she’s a nurse—she can do that sort of stuff).

Since being diagnosed, I’ve started taking B12 supplements, and I can’t express how dramatic the difference is. I feel awake during the day! It’s not that I don’t yawn anymore or feel tired, but when I’m awake, I don’t feel like there’s a fog above my head and a haze in front of my eye balls. I don’t have to carry around toothpicks to prop open my eyelids any more. :)

Praise the Lord for the ability he has given doctors to spur us on toward health, and Praise the Lord for the complexity of our bodies to use sleep and vitamins automatically for health!

“Therefore, if anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says,

‘Awake, O sleeper,
arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.’

Look carefully, then, how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

(Ephesians 5:13-17)

Mm'mm Good!

2009-02-09T20:07:00.004-05:00

As you know, if you've visited here before, I LOVE to experiment with food. I'm not sure where it came from, but since getting married, it's just a hobby I've embraced with both hands.

The other day, I learned that you can cook fruit. Since trying it once for myself and then serving it to Kevin to rave reviews, I'm inclined to share my new-found favorite sweet treat, super simple, super cheap, and super tasty!

1. Cut a nectarine in slices.

2. Coat each slice in honey (we prefer the organic, home-grown honey provided to us by our wonderful sister and brother from Nebraska--no joke, they own the bees it came from).

3. Cook on low-med heat until tender.

4. Just before finished, or even after done cooking, sprinkle with cinnamon.

5. Enjoy!

The One Minute Rule

2009-02-05T16:42:00.003-05:00

I can take no credit for the following advice. It wasn't mine, and I didn't ask for it, but it has revolutionized the last few months of my life in a big way...okay, so that's a little melodramatic. But I am grateful for it.

Ready? Here goes:

During the course of the day, if you encounter a task that will take less than a minute to do, do it right then and don't wait.

Sound pretty basic? Well, it is, but I don't know how many shoes I trip over, coats I move over, and dishes I stack because I'm too lazy to take care of them right when I take them off or right when I'm done using them.

There is little reason to put off the inevitable. It only takes a minute--precious little time comparatively--and it saves precious much hassle down the road.

Want more of these great hints, tips, tricks, and ideas?

Check out Real Simple's website (http://www.realsimple.com) for lots and lots of practical advice--FREE!!!! Gotta love that!

Knarnia in Knoxville

2009-02-02T20:19:00.005-05:00

If I go out there and approach slowly, do you think Mr. Tumnas will pop out from behind a tree?

The Winds of Change Are in the Air...

2009-01-24T20:04:00.003-05:00

And, no, I'm not talking about Obama.

Ladies, I've got some bragging to do. My husband just spent two and a half hours in West Town Mall with me--shopping. I know what you're thinking, "well, duh! what else do you do at the mall?" Well, if you're Kevin, you go there to drool in the Mac store, not to shop. He hates to shop.

But he did it. He walked with me through several stores as I searched for some new work pants. We did eventually part ways--he to the Mac store; me in further pursuit of pants, which I did find.

Then we went to Wal-Mart for some more shopping, and then we went to Sam's for more shopping! I know--he's phenomenal. That's all there is to it.

And did I find pants? Why, yes, I did, along with some socks. And since socks are those things that you never know you need more of until you're almost completely out (just where do they go, anyway?), I went all out and bought three packs.

So, that's what I'll leave you with, because, though I'm excited about my new pants, I'm really stoked about simply having socks that match and don't have holes in them.

A Little of This and That

2009-01-20T20:36:00.003-05:00

For such a historic day, I've got seemingly nothing to talk about. But I do enjoy my own slice of history as I live it out in good ol' Knoxville, Tennessee. As such, that's what you get today. :0)

We bought a new comforter for our bed, and this time, I went for the entire set!

You probably can't appreciate this unless you saw what we had before: a teal bed skirt, red bed sheets, and a purple comforter that didn't quite cover the mattress--at all.

After a couple of months passed, and we'd earned a little extra cash, I dove in, and am quite pleased by the result. It's chocolate brown with embroidered ivory flowers. And it's warm, too! None of this synthetic stuff! This one's the real deal--we love it!

I'm not quite sure why the next picture is black and white. I don't recall setting it to be that way, but it is, and it looks kind of nice. :)
Next, we've (finally!) set up and started using some of our Christmas gifts. I learned only a couple days ago how to use the Bluetooth Kevin bought me, and just yesterday, I opened the candle and candle holder Kevin's cousins, Elisha, and his wife, Casey, got for us. It's the taller one.
And last, we returned to an old faithful tonight: Scrabble!!!! Neither one of us are too horribly good, but we do enjoy the game. It went much faster since we've imposed a time limit per turn.

I think he was getting ready to move in for the kill.

And that's all for now. Knox County schools were closed, so Kevin did get to stay home and be political all day. UT doesn't close for anything, so I was sent off to brave the ice and snow. But it wasn't a bad day.

The snow does give a calm, quietness to everything that is generally lacking in our hectic, fast-paced lives.

Ah, may we learn to live as though a fresh-fallen snow has always just fallen.

"Peace I leave with you;

My peace I give to you..."

(John 14:27)

I'm Dreaming of a White Inauguration Day

2009-01-19T10:55:00.003-05:00

You know--white--like snow. :-)

Such was the song that exited Kevin's lips as he pines for the weather to continue just a few more hours--long enough for school to be canceled so he can stay home and drool over the inauguration all day. Such does not seem the case, as the snow is already slowing, but he can hope, right? :-)

Celebrate Good Times, Come On!

2009-01-17T11:41:00.007-05:00

After much blood, sweat, toil, and tears, I am officially trained as a TypeWell Transcriber. I---

“But, what is a transcriber?”

Well, I’m glad you asked. A transcriber, according to Google, is someone who makes a written version of spoken material. Have you ever seen the person in the court room sitting off to the side typing every word that is spoken? That’s a transcriber.

At UT, there are some students whose hearing loss is not so profound as to warrant a sign language interpreter (and many of them don’t know sign language). There are times, however, that background noise in the room or lively discussion makes discerning every word or sound difficult. That’s where a transcriber comes in. He/she sits in the room and types a meaning-for-meaning written account of what goes on during the discussion. It then appears in real time on a PDA or laptop on the student’s desk. It’s really quite cool.

To do this, we use a system called TypeWell. It’s a computer software system designed to recognize words based on the order of their consonants. In essence, the transcriber types out the consonants and the TypeWell system fills in the vowels on the student’s linked device.

I’ve been training in this method since I started at UT, and just yesterday, I received my final passing grade! I can officially start transcribing classes.

It is indeed a neat skill to be able to tuck into my tool belt.

Kevin told me that when I finished training he’d take me out to dinner. After learning of an hour-and-a-half wait at P.F.Changs, we headed to Rafferty’s (talk abut polar opposites!). It was a delightful experience as neither of us had ever been, and we’d highly recommend it to any and all.

And here's a blast from the archives of Kevin and Lydia. I was impressed that three full years later, we're still dressing the same. Is that a good thing or bad? :-)

Our Little Part

2009-01-15T15:43:00.002-05:00

Maybe it's because I'm living during the "green" movement...

Maybe it's because my mom is from the North, and up there it's law...

Maybe it's because it's a prudent thing to do...

Maybe it's because we got sick of taking out the trash every other day...

Whatever the reason, we recycle.

That's right! Living in our coat closet is a five dollar pink bin from Wal-Mart that holds our plastic, cardboard, aluminum, and glass until we take it a couple blocks down the street to the nearest drop-off location.

Now, don't get me wrong. We're not environmentalists (though we do think the Earth is ours to take care of) and we aren't going to protest eating cows (believe me--Kevin loves his meat!).

We do, however, believe the Psalmist when he said, "The Earth is the LORD'S and the fullness thereof..." (Psalm 24:1). Is it in the best interest of the planet over which we've been given charge to dispose of items that will never biodegrade?

I'm not getting on a soap box, and it's certainly up to your conscience how you handle your own trash. :-) But humor me one moment and consider: it's free (sometimes they'll even pay you!); it's practical (we only take out our trash once a week now); it's fun (or at least the nerd within me seems to think so).

One would never guess what lurks beneath the coats of our closet...

Just look at all those treasures just waiting to be made into something useful!

Sincerely,

Lydia, The Environmentalist (who isn't)

The Dice Have It.

2009-01-14T08:03:00.004-05:00

One of the things I love so much about marriage (and there are many things I love about it) is the sharing of who we are. I am daily amazed that, though I knew Kevin well when we got married, I know him a hundred times better today. At times, I think I've reached the depths of who he is. Then little things come out and I stop and think, "I didn't know that was a part of who you are. And to think I'll know him better in five years or ten years or twenty years! :)

There's a lot we bring with us from how we grew up...okay, so most we bring with us is from how we grew up. I learned that in the first week of being married! Last night, he ushered me into a Fowler family past time: we played Yahtzee.

I'd never played it before--the game of choice in our home was generally Scrabble--and, though I was tired, I think I've got a knack for rolling those dice. :) Watch out, Vegas! ;-)

First Roll.

Kevin, the strategist.

Lydia, not quite sure what she's doing, but having fun doing it.

Yes, folks. There you have it. My very first Yahtzee.

For the sake of my husband, I won't share the final scores. Let's just say, I think it had more to do with the luck of the die than with experience.

Any games that your family wore a beaten path to? :-)

We are (MAC) Family...

2009-01-04T21:16:00.006-05:00

You may be under the impression that any time I post on the blog it is to blabber on about gadgets. Well, this isn't entirely true, here is a link to all of my other posts. We both figured that it would be important to point out the major technological change that has happened in this family over the Christmas break.

As the above picture confirms, with the purchase of a new computer for Lydia, we are 100% Macintosh in this household. We have both been using PCs for decades and last week we are officially standing behind Apple computers. This just goes to show how quickly that we've been swept up by not only the Macintosh computers, but the company itself. Let me explain what we are holding.

Kevin: iPod Touch/MacBook
I of course wrote this post dedicated to my love to these two products.

Lydia: mac mini/Time Capsule

In Lydia's right hand is Time Capsule. Time Capsule not only serves as our wireless Internet base but it is also a highly sophisticated external hard drive. The Time Capsule connects with the OSX program "Time Machine." Time Capsule sits in a corner in our office and updates our computers wirelessly without us having to do a single thing. If we delete an important file, all we have to do is take a trip in our Macintosh Time Machine through the Time Capsule and we can find the file with ease.

Now to the newest member of our family...Believe it or not, Lydia is holding her brand new desktop computer in her left hand. Below is another picture of the mini. These machines were introduced back in 2005, so we are a little slow jumping on the band wagon, but we are very excited about the potentiality in this machine.

Want to know more about mac mini? Below is a video of Steve Jobs introducing the machine to the world. Why am I posting this on our blog? Well, this is the video that sold Lydia and myself to the product. Enjoy!

All in a Day's...Something!

2009-01-03T15:07:00.003-05:00

This morning, I took some friends to the airport and then, after indulging in a McDonald's breakfast burrito, took myself to Kroger's for some much-needed food shopping. Shopping for food is a chore I've enjoyed since getting married. It's much easier to shop for two than for one, and I enjoy seeing what new, exciting experiences are waiting to be brought to our kitchen.

I spent more than normal, but that's to be expected, because our refrigerator recently ran out of meat, one of the more expensive items on the list. I enjoy stock-piling food--seeing just how much ground beef I can cut up and freeze, knowing that should the world's food market suddenly collapse, we've got enough to last at least a couple months.

You see, I don't plan what we're having, and then shop for what I need. I shop for what's cheap and in bulk and then see what can come of it. What can I say? I live on the wild side, and we've not starved yet. :-)

Our apartment got vacuumed--a relatively new phenomenon, as most of you know. ;-) We're constantly amazed by what our little sucker sucks up (quite literally!). We're still pulling out dog hair from the previous tenant--and did we mention that I went through the entire apartment with clear tape to remedy that situation?

I took a short nap during which I daydreamed about recipes I could make and didn't sleep at all and then headed to work at Sorenson. I've learned I can do video relay in small doses. I'm very grateful for my new job at UT and even more grateful that I can work part time at Sorenson in hopes of some extra cash. Those student loans better watch out!

So, I'm at work and, in between calls, flipping through a new cookbook Len bought me. It's got some really good looking "Quick Food" (hence the name), and some really interesting stuff (baby octopus, anyone?). In any case, we like to experiment, and a couple recipes have already made it on the calendar (Salmon/Dill Potato cakes!).

And the night is not over when I'm off at 5. We're heading down to Vonore to bid goodbye to the sons of Wilker who've been in the area recently. It's sad to see them go, but it only means they'll make it back sooner. Right, Kim and Josh!? :)

Sorry for the lack of pictures, but it's just been that kind of day.

Ya know?

Christmas with the Fowlers

2008-12-27T14:35:00.009-05:00

It was a very different Christmas for both of us this year. First off, it was my first Christmas without my parents. As you may remember, last year, my parents came to visit us the day AFTER Christmas. This year, however, such was not the case, and though I was saddened to not have them with me, it did force me to lean on my extended family in a way I had not before.

Let me explain...

I think it's quit normal to not have an automatic familial love for one's family by marriage. After all, they are strangers at first. And in the beginning, they are not family, and then, just like that, they're of relation. I suppose in the beginning, it's a choice to love them--as it can be oftentimes with anyone. :)

Then, as life is lived and shared, the love becomes less of a requirement and more of an obvious outpouring from the developing relationship. All this to say, that I have loved my in-laws from their inception as my in-laws, but I am now starting to love them as my family.

For various reasons, not all could be there this Christmas--that's why it was not the typical Christmas for Kevin. With that, I'd like to introduce you to them.

It seems only right to start with the most senior of our bunch (and, no, I'm not talking about Santa Clause ;). This is Mamaw Ersie, otherwise known as Granny. As Kevin is always trying to set her up with someone, Santa's visit made a prime opportunity. She wasn't impressed.

Next, we have Kevin's mom, Lovonda. Ersie is her mother. She is one of the most genuinely sweet women I've known in my life, and I'm very blessed to have her as my mother.

Next to her is Melinda, Kevin's brother's wife. I've very much enjoyed getting to know her.
This is my wonderful father-in-law, Jim. He's a Vietnam Vet who turns into a mush ball any time a baby is around. It's great! :-) I'm very excited about the possibility of giving both Jim and Lovonda grandchildren one day.
Below are Kim and Josh. Kim is Kevin's sister (how did you know, right? :). They recently (well, a year ago) moved to Nebraska so Josh could farm and stay home with the family more. We've got their blog link on the right hand side of the page. Kim is diligent about updating it frequently, and it's fun to see their family grow, both in maturity and numbers.

Speaking of numbers, this is their number one: Ashlynne, commonly referred to as "Ashy."

Here's number two, Rachel. She's a natural mother (but not yet!) and a mini-me of Kim (or so I'm told).
And this is Lauren, otherwise known as Laurie. My first memory of her is from the first time I came with Kevin to have dinner with the Wilkerson's. Lauren, at the age of three, came out to the car to meet us, with one cow/moon sock on and one striped sock on. It was absolutely precious.
Last in the line of female Wilkersons is Kate. I took this picture (as I'm sure you can tell), and, well, Kate's not really fond of the camera (as I'm sure you can also tell). She is however, the most expressive of the bunch.
Last is Caleb. We must admit, we've got a special place in our hearts for this little guy, if for no other reason that he was a member of our bridal party (as the age of negative one day). He was born the very next day. We will measure the maturity of our marriage by his maturity...okay maybe not. ;)

He's just started crawling on the stairs, and Mom and Dad Fowler have great ones to practice on. I think that's all he did the whole time we were there.......
Pretty proud of yourself, aren't you, Caleb?And of course, Uncle Kevin can't help but join him on the floor....things just look so much better from this angle. He doesn't seem to mind, though.

Next, we travel back to the Fowler surname, but this time, it's Greg and Melinda's kiddos.

The oldest is Marysa. She's in Junior High, and we're pretty amazed at how much of a young lady she's becoming. Not because it surprises us, but because Kevin held her as a baby and reveled in the new-found uncle status she gave him. She was a "really pretty baby," and she's becoming a beautiful young lady.

This is her younger sister, Myranda. She's recently lost a lot of weight due to the recent detection of a thyroid problem. She's always been cute, but she's adorable now, and we're also enjoying watching her grow into a young lady.

This is their younger brother, Austin. He's a spitfire and loves anything having to do with Cars, the movie or that actual. He's a little mini-me of Greg. :)

We dearly love both sides of our family. This side being locationally closer, we're grateful for the time we get to spend with them, and we hope you've enjoyed meeting them!

Tune in next time to learn about the new baby, we just brought home.

(hint: it's little and square)

10 Tech Tools That Have Changed My Life

2008-12-22T16:07:00.009-05:00

Many of you consider me a pretty tech-savvy person, so please allow me to turn fully geeky in the confines of this blog post. I want to share with you 10 tools that have truly made my life easier. These tools are not only for tech-nerds, they can be easily incorporated into anyone's life.

10. del.icio.us

You come across a page that is really cool and you know that you would like to see it tomorrow, a week from now, or even a decade from now. What are your options? Some of you will argue that you simply add it to your ever-growing favorites folder on your computer. But do you only use one computer? What if you want to access it from work? The average life of a PC is about four years...are you sure that your bookmarks are going to follow you forever?

del.icio.us takes care of that.

1. Visit a website that you deem cool and would like to keep for reference.

2. Click "Save To My del.icio.us" on the website's provided browser toolbar.

3. "Tag" your webpage with a word to help you organize it.

4. It is yours forever!

It can be accessed from anywhere. Want to give it a test drive? Where can you find this service? Well I already mentioned the URL multiple times. Type "del.icio.us" into your web browser and you are there!

Cost: Free!

9. Blogger

Leave it to Google to create a blog program that anyone can use. Whether you are a meager school teacher and his sign language interpreting wife, the former Secretary of Labor under the Clinton administration, or just a dude that wants to share everyone's secret, everyone is using Blogger.

In literally 5 minutes you too can be publishing your family, hobby, classroom, or life to the world's largest audience.

Cost: Free

8. YouTube

I bet you've never heard of this one, eh? Well, we in the Fowler household use YouTube more than just a replay of a funny clip you've seen on television--YouTube is our television. It is also an easy forum to create a clip in iMovie and send a silly e-birthday card to a family that lives thousands of miles away.

Cost: Free!

7. Podcasts/iTunes

What does John Piper, NPR, Dr. Phil, Rush Limbaugh, and Barack Obama all have in common? Pretty much nothing at all, except for the fact that they all Podcast. A podcast is in essence a blog of audio recordings that you can go back and listen to at your leisure. Whether you are driving in the car and want to catch up on the sermon you missed last Sunday, or whether you missed the latest episode of This American Life, podcasts can get you updated at any time.

The best program to manage your podcasts is iTunes--a free program by Mac that is on many PCs. iTunes can automatically download your podcast episodes (and even automatically sync them to your iPod if you own one). For a guy that is working for about 14 hours everyday (and is standing in front of a classroom when many radio programs and press conferences occur) this is a Godsend

Cost: Free!

6. Gmail
If you receive more than two e-mails in a day, you need Gmail. Say that you and Bob Smith and Jane Patterson at work are in a conversation about the latest project. Your inbox over at Hotmail or Yahoo! may look like this.

Smith, Bob Re: Project
Smith, Bob Re: Project
Smith, Bob Re: Project
Patterson, Jane Re: Project
Smith, Bob Re: Project
Smith, Bob Re: Project
Patterson, Jane Re: Project
Patterson, Jane Re: Project

But in Gmail, it looks this:

Bob, Jane, Kevin (10) Subject: Project

It has all the e-mails in that given "conversation" on one page. Very convenient!

If you are saying, "Well, I only use my work address" then don't let that stop you. That is the very reason that I have fallen in love with Gmail. I have rerouted my work address of fowlerk1[at]k12tn.net through my personal address at kevinlfowler[at]gmail.com I get all of my mail (on average about 30 messages a day) on one screen and it is conveniently organized in different mailboxes.

Better yet, Gmail gives you so much storage space that you "never have to delete another e-mail again." Plus, Google is coming out with little innovations that you can easily add to your e-mail experience if you choose to. Whether it be a sleek theme, a view of your Google Calendar, or even Mail Goggles--a program that makes you second guess sending a nasty e-mail--Google has got you covered.

Cost: Free!

5. Google Reader

With almost every organization and human being online, you could waste a lot of time going through your bookmarks to see who has updated his/her/their page. This is why Google Reader (and other feed aggregators) were created. I have subscribed up to 60 websites and thanks to Google Reader, I do not need to visit each of these sites to see if there is an update. This video explains the usefulness of Reader:

Cost: Free!

4. SmartTime+
Imagine a tool where you input your schedule (either manually or through Google Calendar/iCal) and then throw in your to-do list for the day. Then imagine this tool giving you an at-a-glance look at your schedule for the day and a "Smart" list of the recommended order in which to do these tasks. Now, imagine this list conveniently in your pocket.

That tool is here. It is called SmartTime from Left Coast Logic and it has completely revolutionized the way that I get things done. If the above paragraph makes no sense, perhaps this 13 second video can enlighten you in the usefulness of this program:

As the clip suggests, this is only a program for iPod Touch/iPhone users. There is a "Lite" version for Free in the iTunes apps store, but the recommended version here is $9.99 but well worth it!

Cost: SmartTime Lite | Free!
SmartTime 2.0 | $9.99

3. Apple MacBook
My first laptop. My first Macintosh. I am in love. With its beautiful design, reliability, and overall 'smart' approach, the MacBook has made me never look back to PCs--a machine that I have been using regularly for a decade. Why are Macs so much better than Microsoft? Well, let's ask the founder...

Cost:$999

2. iPod Touch
When you hear 'iPod' you probably think of music. Even though that isn't too far off the mark, today's iPod Touch is hardly used for music. For instance my iPod Touch serves as my PDA. It has my e-mail, internet, calendar, (the aforementioned) SmartTime, directions, photos, Bible, pocket U.S. Constitution, games, movie info, YouTube, and even serves as a remote control to my MacBook.

Some of you may be itching for an iPhone but are hesitant to pick one up because of the high data plan prices. I'm with 'ya, but I urge you to see the iPod Touch the little brother of the iPhone. In fact, the iPod touch can do everything that the iPhone can except call, take pictures, and access the Internet sans wi-fi. Everything else is the same.

Cost: $250

1. iCal/Gcal
These two programs have revolutionized not only my life, but our marriage. These programs are in essence exactly the same and have the same features, except iCal can only be used on Macs. Gcal is an abbreviation of Google Calendar and can be accessed on all operating systems. The beauty of these programs is that they will not only allow you to organize your life but they also have a "shared calenders" option.

With the shared calendars I can import Lydia's calendar and see what her schedule is like for the weekend. At one glance, we know where each other are and can even have reminders of events sent to our cell phones via text message. Both calendars are aesthetically appealling, but Macs interface looks much better. Below is a screenshot of our calendars as seen from iCal.

Cost: Free

It's the Little Things in Life

2008-12-16T21:27:00.004-05:00

Like...

A clean tank. Doesn't he look appreciative?

New Vaccuum Filters.

(For the sake of my pride, I will not tell you how long it's been since our last vaccuum. Needless to say, I learned that our vaccuum actually needed a filter, and I ordered them on Amazon. They arrived yesterday. Rejoicing in the land!)

Folded Laundry--'nuff said.

Our own little bit of Christmas.

May you find joy where you least expect it this Christmas season!

A Christmas Song

2008-12-14T21:19:00.002-05:00

Lydia and I fell in love with this tune when we saw it in movie theaters. We hope that there is enough joy to go 'round at your house this Christmas.

Saturday IS Coming!

2008-12-12T14:23:00.003-05:00

...And none too soon!

Last week, you know, the one after Thanksgiving, FLEW by, so I had some high hoped for this one. It, however, wasn't to be. I'm sitting at my desk, nose running from my lunch of Taco Bell nachos with jalapenos (which were actually spicy this time!), grateful for my job. And grateful that it's Friday.

Why am I so anxious for the weekend, you ask? Well, aside from the obvious reasons, I leave tomorrow to spend the night with some of the coolest, dearest girls I know!

That's right: It's roommate time in Tennessee!!!!!!!

It started out with Len, me, and Laura in Carenegie Hall during our Junior year.

(the picture is from graduation Senior year, but you get the idea.)

Senior year, we added Anne to our bunch. Anne and I were both RA's the year before and so went from having our own rooms to having a roommate. We were both nervous, but managed nicely, and I wouldn't trade that year with her for anything!

(I especially love the picture. That was the general state of our relationship: I was eating; Anne was just staring--haha!)

...And then there were four!

We all graduated last May and have managed to get back together a couple times since then. I'm super excited about this weekend, as we're doing a mini-vacation to Asheville, NC. Staying in a hotel overnight, going to a gingerbread exhibit during the day, hanging out....

College would not have been the wonderful experience that it was without these young ladies! We're each in our own path right now: Anne is living at home, working; Len is at Princeton Theological Seminary (yes, that Princeton); Laura is at Columbia Seminary in Atlanta; and I'm married working at UT.

The Lord has been gracious, and we can still come back together and share in each other's lives!

May we never lose that!

kitchen (un)essentials!

2008-12-03T20:29:00.008-05:00

So, it's the holiday season. We've passed Thanksgiving and now on to Christmas and New Year's. For most of us that means extra time in the kitchen. I've come to enjoy the kitchen, and I thought I'd pass on a few things that make my time there more productive and, well, just more fun! :)

I cannot take credit for this first one:

A dear friend of mine uses her olive oil jars (I'm not sure of the specific name) for liquid dish soap. It's easier, cleaner, and it just looks cuter!

This is my most recent purchase: A Salad Spinner (WalMart, $10)

I stopped buying bagged salad and began purchasing heads of lettuce, but wasn't sure how to get ALL that water off to store it without it becoming slimy. Presto! (Kevin even likes this one!)

Next up we have: My Food Processor!

It makes slicing and dicing a snap! It's not easy to clean, so sometimes it's easier to just do it by hand, but I used it recently to cut up a whole onion--fabulous!

And what's a kitchen without some mixing bowls!? But these aren't just any mixing bowls--these are colorful mixing bowls! They make me want to cook just so I can play with them! :)

And where there are mixing bowls, there are measuring spoons! But these aren't just any measuring spoons...these are MAGNETIC measuring spoons! There's a tiny magnet in the middle of them, so they stick, stack, and are easy to find in the drawer. There are also two sides to each, so no need to rinse of when measuring two ingredients any more.

Excessive, you say? For only $8 at Target, you can have some of your own! Go ahead--indulge yourself!

This last picture has a story with it...

Back in January, I helped my sister-in-law pack for her and her family's trek west. :'-( I got all of two whole boxes packed for them, BUT one box I packed contained her spices. The truck was heading out a little before them and as Kim pondered which ones to keep for their last few days in Tennessee and which ones to send ahead, she said, "I just don't know--they're like my friends."

I've thought of that comment many times since then, especially as my own cooking and spicing ventures have expanded, and I think I now know how she feels.

So here are my friends, in their cozy little home:

Holiday Budget Crunch? Nah!!!

2008-12-02T09:48:00.002-05:00

I have learned from the best!

We used to tease my mom about her Christmas shopping habits: she literally starts shopping the day after Christmas for the next Christmas, and then she buys gifts all year long so that when Christmas rolls around, she's done.

Now that I am married and living on a budget as well, I see the wisdom in this. About a week ago (just before Thanksgiving), I sat down with my husband to talk over the budget. He mentioned that we'd have to start shopping soon for Christmas, and I said, "Well, I've got it almost all done."

Of our four parents, three brothers, three sisters, six neices, and two nephews, we've only got one nephew left to go!

The only hard part is actually remembering that we've already bought them gifts! :-)

An Historic Day

2008-12-01T08:52:00.005-05:00

It was an historic day yesterday for the Skidmore side of me. For the first time ever, I made my grandmother's salad dressing that I've been enjoying since I was a girl. When I was young, my mom would mix the ingredients and hand me the jar, and then I would perform the ceremonious task of shaking the contents to perfect consistency (I'd literally wait by her side until I could shake them up).

The recipe came from my mom's mom (so, it's probably actually a Patterson recipe, which is my grandmother's maiden name, passed to the Freggens, my mom's maiden name, passed to the Skidmores, my maiden name, and now it's in the Fowlers, which will Lord-willing be my daughter's maiden name someday :).

Anyway, the ingredients you see in the photo above and are very simple. It's sort of a whatever feels good recipe, but there are a few measurements to be had.

Grandma's French Dressing:
Wesson Veg. Oil
Vinegar (any kind will do. When my mom made it for me back in Sept., she used Apple Cider because that's what I had on hand. Last night, I used Balsamic Vinegar because that's all I had.)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
a few dashes of paprika
fresh, finely chopped onion
a few dashes pepper (optional)
a jar

1) In jar, add 3 tbsp. of oil for ever 1 tbsp. of vinegar. (i.e. 9 tbsp. of oil to 3 tbsp. of vinegar)
2) Add remaining ingredients.
3) Shake well.
4) For best taste, let sit overnight before serving.

Gets better with age. :-)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2008-11-30T17:17:00.009-05:00

My new office-mate (for that's what they call the woman I share an office with), Tammy, gave me two tickets to "Fantasy of Trees" in Knoxville, so Kevin and I went today. To learn more about the actual event go here.

I couldn't help but comment to Kevin that my mother would have LOVED it--she loves Christmas, especially the Christmas trees. The only problem would have been we never would have left, for she would have wanted a picture of every tree!!! Though I didn't quite get every tree, this post is for you, Momma!

We took several splendid pictures that we hope you enjoy!

This was one of the first trees we came across. The trees are decorated to be sold, and the proceeds are given to charity, and there were several peacock-themed trees. Having always loved peacocks, I like the idea--even if the feathers on top were a little odd. :)

REAL peacock feathers on it! Such amazing colors!

Me standing in front of the peacock tree. After Kevin took this picture, he said, "You look like you're wearing a hat!" Thanks, hon...

Of course, hundreds of magnificent trees, dripping with decorations!

Some that were just cute. (Notice the "It's a boy" and "It's a girl" signs on them....)

A display of miniature trees.

There were some pretty cool ornaments, too.

I've always been fond of Snow Men.

...and snow flakes, too, for that matter!

One of those For-Posterity pictures.

And then there were all the usual players...

Some ballerinas (who were absolutely adorable!):

A guardian angel (who looked surprisingly like Angelina Jolie, we decided) with her reindeer (we're still trying to figure that one out)...

Santa Clause...

(I think we decided how we're going to broach this topic with our children...ask if you want to know. :)

Last...a garage band of penguins?

Kevin assured me it's their mascot, but I'm not entirely convinced....

This one's also for Mom. She likes lambs, and I thought she'd get a kick out of these little guys...

And there you have it! Knoxville Fantasy of Trees, 2008.

It was enjoyable, crowded, pretty, consumerist, relaxing, and costly....

But it was free (to us) and at this stage in the game, that's really what we're all about.

So, Merry Christmas! From us to you. May your Christmas season be a celebration of what the season is truly about...

Thanksgiving, 2008

2008-11-29T17:29:00.005-05:00

We were incredibly blessed to celebrate Thanksgiving twice this year!

We don't have any pictures from our first celebration, on Wednesday, with the Fowlers (darn those rechargeable batteries that haven't been recharged!).

On Thursday, we went to some dear (newly-married) friend's house to celebrate. It was quite the experience--neither one of us had ever made a Thanksgiving meal on our own. So, we divided the menu and conquered! And aside from a couple forgotten dishes (like the mashed potatoes! how does one just forget mashed potatoes in the Thanksgiving meal!?!? yes...that was my doing...), we did just fine!

The dining room table:

Da Boyz: Thomas holding Indy (as in Indiana Jones) and Kevin.

Thomas cutting the Turkey...which was absolutely amazing! Not bad for a first time!

Steph showing off the giraffe oven mitt Thomas's grandmother bought them.

And then, after dinner, the real party started...as in Guitar Hero.

Steph and Kevin getting down with their bad selves.

And where there is music (or something like it), there must be dancing (or something like it).

Kevin and Me attempting a hoe-down.

It was a wonderful evening of time with friends, and we are very grateful to have them in our lives.

One lat pic for the road:

All About Kevin!

2008-11-25T08:12:00.003-05:00

Sooo....I'm a fan of a couple blogs, and I was reading Jessica's today, and she had this really cool post about her husband (which she copied from some other people's blogs, so I don't feel so bad!).

And, as you all know, it's Kevin's birthday week (because that's the REAL way to celebrate a birthday--ALLLLLL weeeeeeek!). So, I thought, why not give him another tribute!?

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? MarioKart, and he's looking like a little boy. And Matt or Josh are next to him, also looking like little boys.

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Ranch. We're out at the moment, and the other night, he almost did Cesar, but I cautioned that it was not for the faint at heart. He relented and took Buttermilk (which I mistakenly bought thinking it was Ranch the other day....)

3. What's one food he doesn't like? All the AMAZING dips and spread that i LOVE like hummus and guacamole!

4. You go out to the bar. What does he order? We don't go out to a bar. And he doesn't drink. Problem solved.

5. Where did he go to high school? He was home schooled, but he attended a Knoxville co-op through Berean Christian High School (did i get that right, babe? i always get so confused with his schooling!).

6. What size shoe does he wear? 8.5 or 9--small for his height--and yes, we are the same size, and we share shoes on occasion (namely because I wear men's shoes at times).

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? Political campaign posters. You think I'm joking, don't you?

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? the edible kind. :)

9. What would he eat every day if he could? BBQ

10. What is his favorite cereal? Golden Grahams, i think. But he's got an easy cereal pallet to please, as well. :)

11. What would he never wear? Anything with the name-brand on it. He has one Abercrombie shirt that was given to him and he wears it sometimes, but I think it's painful for him.

12. What is his favorite sports team? I don't think he has one, but he'd like to go to a Vols game at some point--does that count?

13. Who did he vote for? You're not serious, are you?

14. Who is his best friend? me. :)

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do? burp, probably.

16. How many states has he lived in? one.

17. What is his heritage? ...European....?

18. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what would it be? chocolate cake with chocolate icing with chocolate sprinkles on top with chocolate chips in the cake itself. That boy is a chocolate fiend!

19. Did he play sports in high school? Nope.

20. What could he spend hours doing? Surfing the net reading about politics.

21. What's something cool about him? He absolutely adores me. I feel so secure in the love of my husband. I'm not deserving of it, but he truly does seek to love me and cherish me as Christ loves and cherishes the church.

My New Digs

2008-11-24T11:50:00.005-05:00

It wasn't quite three months ago that I started expressing to Kevin that I was wearing out at my job. Yes, it paid the bills. Yes, I worked with wonderful people. Yes, I could set my own hours. But, I was finding joy in my calling hard to come by. I was--and am--very grateful for that job--it allowed Kevin to finish college without having to work simultaneously.

Mere days after I expressed my feelings to Kevin, I met the director of interpreters for the University of Tennessee. She mentioned a full-time position she had open. I applied (what could it hurt?) and got the job.

What a blessing! It is a full-time, full-benefits position with vacation and sick time. I have a set schedule, and I don't have to worry about finding hours at all times of the day--they're already there for me. I am so grateful!

So....here's my office:

I share my office with another staff interpreter. She is the sweetest Christian lady, and I am so grateful to share our little space together. I think we were both a little nervous about being with each other (What will she be like? Will I annoy her? Is she clean?). It's almost like having a roommate! :-)

In the bottom right corner of the picture, you can see the small laptop with headphones on top that I use to train as a transcriptionist. It's quite the process--a little frustrating at times, but I'm so excited to use this service for Deaf/HoH students as well.

On the wall is my CERTIFICATION! But just in case your eagle eyes can't see that far:

I can even see the Sunsphere from my window, but it's kind of a yucky day outside, so I'll not post a picture of that just yet. :-)

Stay dry out there! :)

What Does a 23-year-old get for his birthday? Why, clothes of course!

2008-11-24T08:38:00.007-05:00

For Kevin's college graduation, my mother made him a t-shirt quilt. It's a wonderful way to preserve t-shirts, it's incredibly warm, and it will be cherished for years to come...however, Kevin had no t-shirts left afterward. :-) So.....

For his birthday, I bought him a couple new ones. Behold....

Strong Bad. Granted, I do not understand the fascination with this Internet phenom; however, I'm trying to not buy Kevin things I think he should wear, but things he thinks he should wear (imagine that!). And this one was a winner! :)

Our next selections are from Randomshirts.com. (heard of them? if you haven't: gohere.) Lots of fun thrift-store-like t-shirts for very cheap--it's run by former college guys--what can you say?

This shirt says: "TREES: the real case of forest fires".

And, well, you can see this one. heehee! :-)

And, last, my parents sent me a check which I took and purchased some nice khaki dress pants for my little professional! He wore them today--they look fab! :-D

And that's all for now, but I have a feeling the gifts will keep rolling in as we journey to Vonore for Thanksgiving on Wednesday (yes, yes, I know Thanksgiving is on Thursday--we celebrate the eve of in the Fowler home :). We'll letcha know how that goes!

Happy Monday, y'all! :)

23 Things I Appreciate About My 23 Year Old Husband on November 23, His 23rd Birthday!

2008-11-23T00:02:00.006-05:00

Phew! That's sure a title, huh? But it's true! Kevin is the big 2-3! Ah, to be young again! Haha—I joke.

But in light of this, his golden birthday (or "star" birthday, according to Wikipedia), I thought I'd offer a tribute to the neatest guy I know.

So, strap on your light sabers, cuz here goes (in no particular order):

23) He likes to play board games. The first things we bought with our wedding Target gift cards were Monopoly and Scrabble.

22) He appreciates my creativity. I inherited the love of artistic, creative expression from my mother, and it manifests itself in varied hobbies, such as scrap booking, experimenting with clothing combinations, and arranging the furniture in different ways.. Kevin has said many times, he's not creative (which isn't entirely true), but creative outlets also needs appreciators of the art itself, and he has a great eye for beautiful things.

21) He has an easy-to-please pallet. I like to experiment when I cook, and sometimes it turns REALLY well, but sometimes not so much. No matter what, though, he always thanks me.

20) His height. I know, I know—he had no say in this. But I'm grateful the Lord gave me one with whom I can wear high heels (like 4 inches!) and I'm not towering over him.

19) He trusts me. As I trust him.

18) He's good with technology. I'm very much NOT, and it's nice to have him explain or figure out things that I would rather throw out the window.

17) We agree financially. As money is the number one cause of strife in marriages, I'm incredibly grateful for this.

16) His blue eyes! Bright and Beautiful! :-D

15) His work ethic—incredibly responsible and hard working.

14) His young-at-heart attitude. I take life pretty seriously most often, and God knew I needed someone to help me lighten up!

13) His family. I love my in-laws, and so often, that is not the case when one gets married.

12) His passion for the Word of God.

11) His sense of humor. In church the other day, we sang this song, and when we got home, Kevin said, "But Lydia, what about the penguins?" I had no clue what he was talking about until I read the lyrics…and he's right—they don't include penguins.

10) He always strives to live with me in an understanding way. This is not to say I am always easily understood or deserving of being understood, but my husband takes his God-given husbandly responsibilities very seriously.

9) He appreciates solitude.

8) We like each other. It's one thing to love someone (we are commanded to love even our enemies), but Kevin and I actually like spending time together. It's great to have a foundational friendship underlying our marriage.

7) He likes chick flicks. No joke. He brought Return to Me into our marriage, and the other night, he willingly watched Legally Blonde with me. What can I say? He's a keeper!

6) His music taste is very diverse. Despite my opinion on the OC Supertones, he'll also listen to Mozart, acoustic, a Capella, and a score of other genres!

5) He lets me cry. He doesn't like it when I do, but every once in a while when I have to have that good womanly cry, he's right there with the tissue.

4) He's inquisitive. We have wonderful conversations oftentimes lasting hours regarding all sort of topics from politics (imagine that! :) to theology to the economy to our respective jobs.

3) His Explorer. Does that sound odd? I've ALWAYS loved big trucks, and it's pretty much like a big truck with a covered bed... :-)

2) He plays the guitar, and now he's playing bass for Grace's worship team.

1) God chose him for me. (Jeremiah 29:11)

I love you, Kevin!!! Happy Birthday! :-)

Sweet Celebration

2008-11-22T10:07:00.003-05:00

There's a birthday boy in the house tomorrow!

...but in true Skidmore fashion (and as he's now married to me, he's part of our family, too), the celebrating has started a bit early.

Check out this chocolate chip cookie cake he got from some adoring (female) students....

Not too shabby, eh?

And just for good measure, the (soon-to-be) birthday boy himself:

Check back tomorrow for a birthday post by Mrs. Fowler in honor of Mr. Fowler, both of the land of Fowlerinia. :-)

Seven Things You Didn't Know About Me

2008-11-17T08:15:00.003-05:00

I read Kati Hurst's blog Here, and was inspired on this bright early Monday morning. So, here goes:

Seven Things You (Probably) Did Not Know About Me...

1. I had red hair when I was born (and then it all fell out and I was bald for three years...moving right along....)

2. I'm lactose intolerant. But Kevin drinks enough milk for the both of us. :-)

3. I'm a writer and would love nothing more than to sit at a computer for hours and create stories....I can dream, right?

4. I'm a homebody. This just dawned on me the other night, and when I expressed my new found insight to Kevin, he said, "Well, that's good. Because I am too." :)

5. I look forward to staying home to raise my children.

6. I am NOT a morning person, but this whole 8-5 job thing is working out rather nicely. It's nice to have a couple extra minutes to spend with Kevin in the am....

7. I am two years and one month older than my husband, but for a brief period of time, it looks as though I'm three years older than him--like right now. But his birthday's coming, so the lording-over is almost at an end...until next year! ;-)

New Job

2008-11-10T20:13:00.004-05:00

Good Evening!

I must admit that while I type this, my body protests. It will be short, but by way of update, I started a new job today at the University of Tennessee. I am now a staff Interpreter/Transcriber. :)

It's very exciting, but also presents a steep learning curve, as does any new experience of this nature. Orientation and a general overview of the Office of Disabilities was on the agenda today. The rest of the week is a variety of observing transcribing, observing life in the office, and generally settling in. I'm very excited about this new venture. We do feel it was providentially placed in my path, and the Lord will be faithful to reward our leap of faith.

In the meantime, I'm battling a head cold and/or sinuses, so please pray for that as it makes it difficult to be as enthusiastic about that as I would wish. I do get my own office, office phone, name plate, and email address. Pretty cool, huh?

I'll try to post some pictures before too long. :)

We Went to the Beach

2008-11-03T09:22:00.004-05:00

We've been back for a while, but, as you well know, after a vacation, one almost needs a vacation from the vacation just to catch up. With that said, while I'm working on this post, I'm also writing out a shopping list, eating breakfast, and trying to decide what we're having for dinner tonight...yay for multi-tasking!

With that said, I cannot at current find the pictures from our vacation, because I'm so smart with my computer, that I transferred them to somewhere I can't find...

(alright, done with breakfast--check that one off the list)

Suffice it to say that our vacation was everything a vacation should be. We relaxed, we saw some friends, Kevin met my grandparents, we did some sight-seeing, and we indulged the history nerds within both of us. (yes, yes--Kevin is the history teacher, but I love it just as much!)

So, as the computer performs a search to find those evasive vacation pictures, I'm going to post a picture that's not from vacation, but about a month ago. It's from a friend's wedding reception, and, well, I just love it. :)

Me and My Love:

p.s. For those who are interested, tonight, we're having Audrey's Beef Stew. ;-)