Searcy Family

This weekend we drove to Searcy, AR to visit my parents. Abby had a good time playing with my Mom and touching my Dad's beard.

We also visited my paternal Grandparents two doors down the street. My Grandmother is healing from surgery that she had about a week ago. Please keep her in your prayers while she is recovering.

On Sundy we drove to Melbourne where my Dad preaches. The members of the church were very excited to see Abby for the first time.

For more pictures go to my 2006 Searcy Family Yahoo! Photo Album.

Abby @ 8 Months

Abby is now 8 months old.

She has started to creep on all fours, pull herself to a standing position, and eat finger foods!

Andrea and I have enjoyed walking with Abby to our neighborhood playground and watching her swing. Abby seems to really enjoy being outside.

It's a good feeling when I come home and watch Abby's reaction when she first sees me. Her legs start kicking for joy! She has started doing that when she gets excited or happy about something.

For more pictures go to my Abby @ 8 Months Yahoo! Photo Album.

Easter

Like many other firsts, this was Abby's first Easter.

Western Hills Church of Christ had an Easter Egg Hunt after services on Sunday morning. They let the youngest children go first before letting all the other kids. Abby isn't old enough yet to walk so she sat down and played with the eggs around her.

We invited Pawi & Moni Hall, Carole McDonald, and Andrew Stewart over for our first official lunch guests. After we ate we passed around Resurrection Eggs and told about Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. The exercise was good to focus our mind's on the True Meaning of Easter ( which often gets overpowered by a bunny and lots of candy ).

For more pictures go to my Easter 2006 Yahoo! Photo Album.

Washington DC

Andrea and Abby went to Washington, DC for a week to visit her older sister and family. Andrea's parents went to visit at the same time so that made traveling with Abby much easier and more enjoyable.

During their trip they experienced the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, went to the National Cherry Blossom Festival at the Title Basin, our nephews flew a kite, they all went to a pottery store and made platters with Abby's footprint and our nephew's handprints, and much more.

It is good to have Andrea and Abby back home, but I am glad they had a good time. I surely did miss them both.

For more pictures go to my Washington DC 2006 Yahoo! Photo Album.

Home Sweet Home

Hooray! Our house has been built, we have closed, and we have moved in!

We are very excited to be out of the apartment and in a much roomier space! It was difficult going from a house in Little Rock back to an apartment, however, it did make the move into this house that much sweeter.

I would like to thank our family, Andrew Stewart, and the Western Hills Church of Christ for helping us move in and unpack. You all were life savers!

Also a special thanks goes out to our realtor, Molly Edmondson. I highly recommend her services for anyone selling or buying a house in the Nashville area. She is great at what she does!

Impromptu Hall Family Reunion

We had a unexpected Hall family reunion in Nashville.

Clayton & Cara Sedberry, Heath Parnell & Caitlin, Paul & Megan Mitchell, and John & Freda Hall all showed up in Nashville at the same time.

We had such a crew together that we had our own services on Sunday morning at Carole's house.

While we were together some practiced the piano and/or sang songs as seen in this picture and others in the following photo album.


For more pictures go to my Impromptu Hall Family Reunion Yahoo! Photo Album.

Abby @ 7 Months

Abby is now 7 months old.

She is to the point where she is reaching for whoever she wants. Its a good feeling when you are the target of her reach.

Her crawling capabilities are much better than the last crawling video I posted. She can now move across the room at a pretty good rate of speed.

She is not able to creep yet, but she does get on all fours and rocks back and forth.

Also, she is almost able to get in the sitting position from her belly. I imagine she will be able to master this skill in the near future.

Abby is recovering from a slight sickness. Its not as bad as the full out Flu a while back, but its still uncomfortable and disrupting.

We also think that she is starting to go through some seperation anxiety that is common in babies this age.

For more pictures go to my Abby @ 7 Months Yahoo! Photo Album.

Wye Mountain

For a larger version of this video go to Google Video

Note: Since this is video, you may have to wait some for your computer to start the clip. Also, you may be prompted to install Macromedia Flash if you do not already have it installed on your web browser.

This weekend we went on our yearly trek to Wye Mountain in Arkansas. This is our 3rd year to visit the dandelion field and it was Abby's first time to visit ( not including when Andrea was pregnant ). We took pictures with our good friends the Siegels and Chapins.

The Siegels graciously let us stay with them while we were in Little Rock and baby-sat Abby while we went to watch Tuesdays with Morrie at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre.

On Sunday, we worshiped at CrossWalk Family of God. It was so good to be among our friends and family at CrossWalk again. We have a very special bond with the people in that church and they hold a dear place in our hearts.

Unfortunately we were unable to visit my parents. They were out of town visiting my sister and her family in California. We missed seeing them, but we look forward to seeing them in the near future.

For more pictures go to my Wye Mountain 2006 Yahoo! Photo Album.

Abby Crawling

I have caught some good footage of Abby's first crawling experiences in the above video. Now that she is mobile, we are in the process of child proofing our home. She is sure growing up quickly!

For a larger version of this video go to Google Video

Note: Since this is video, you may have to wait some for your computer to start the clip. Also, you may be prompted to install Macromedia Flash if you do not already have it installed on your web browser.

Abby's First Solid Food

Abby just started eating solid foods. Her first food is homemade brown rice cereal. As you will see, she is very eager to eat. Share this experience with us as Abby eats on her first day of solid foods.

For a larger version of this video go to Google Video

Note: Since this is video, you may have to wait some for your computer to start the clip. Also, you may be prompted to install Macromedia Flash if you do not already have it installed on your web browser.

Abby Blows Raspberries

Abby just turned 6 months old and she has learned a new trick... blowing raspberries. She and I exchange raspberries in this video.

For a larger version of this video go to Google Video

Note: Since this is video, you may have to wait some for your computer to start the clip. Also, you may be prompted to install Macromedia Flash if you do not already have it installed on your web browser.

Abby @ 6 Months

Abby is now 6 months old.

In addition to getting bigger, she is getting much more mobile. She isn't quite crawling yet, but she can roll over and over again and spin around in circles.

This past month Abby got the flu. She no longer has a fever and is almost over her cough. It has been tough seeing her uncomfortable and being unable to do much to help her.

Abby has learned a new skill this month. She can now blow a raspberry! I have a video that I will post soon demonstrating this cute talent... stay tuned.

For more pictures go to my Abby @ 6 Months Yahoo! Photo Album.

Abby @ 5 Months

Abby is 5 months old now.

We think she is going through a growth spurt because she is starting to eat much more than she used to. As a result, she is getting so much bigger.

She has had some troubles with her digestive system, but things are starting to clear up.

Abby isn't crawling yet, but she is sitting up like a pro!

She is also starting to demonstrate a strong attachment to us. My heart melts when she turns from her crib and makes a huge smile when she recognizes my face.

Abby Sits Up: Video

Abby Sits Up

Abby is now sitting up... and she isn't even 5 months old yet!

I was about to take some pictures of her tripoding ( sitting forward propping herself up with her arms ), but to our amazement she started sitting upright by herself for about 2 minutes!

I captured the moment on my video camera as well ( check back here for the video in the near future ).

Since this initial moment she has been regularly sitting up. I guess she is raring to reach the next developmental marker.

She is growing up so fast. Before you know it she will be crawling and walking all over the apartment! We have some baby proofing to do before that happens :)

Abby Meets Great Granny

Today Abby met her Great Granny ( Andrea's Maternal Grandmother )!

Granny lives in an assisted living facility in Columbia, TN.

We met Andrea's parents near Columbia and then we all went to visit Granny. Granny was in good spirits today. She appeared to enjoy meeting and interacting with Abby. The sight of Abby brought many smiles not only to Granny, but also to many of her neighbors.

After visiting Granny we all went back to Carmack and Nancy Skelton's house ( Andrea's Maternal Uncle and Aunt ) to eat lunch. It is always good to see Carmack and Nancy.

In addition, the trip to and from Columbia was nice. We took the very scenic Natchez Trace Parkway. I imagine its even more beautiful during the spring or fall!

For more pictures go to my Abby Meets Great Granny Yahoo! Photo Album.

Puzzling New Birth Year

As of December 29th I am now officially 29 years of age.

For my birthday and New Years we went to Andrea's parents house in Jackson, TN.

We had a very relaxing time putting together a puzzle ( Children on the Beach (1884) by Mary Cassatt ), watching The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at the theatre, and sleeping in!!!

As you can tell from the bottom picture, Andrea's parents are always thrilled to see Abby when we come to visit.

Lipscomb Reunion

Andrea attended Lipscomb High School and one year of Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN before she transferred to Harding University in Searcy, AR.

Now that we are in Nashville, some of Andrea's friends from highschool decided to come together during the holidays for a reunion.

The original core group (plus their families) that came together consisted of Carrie McLean (Moss), Gere Acevedo (Shaw), Andrea Manor (Hall), Emily Choate, and Garrison Strickland.

Although I was not part of this initial group, I had a great time and enjoyed getting to know these individuals and hear stories of old times.

A Manor Christmas

This was the year to spend Christmas with the Manors. Andrea and I swap Thanksgiving and Christmas between our families from year to year.

Since we moved so quickly after Abby's birth, this was actually the first time for my Grandparents and Uncle to see Abby. We brought tons of pictures of Abby to give away and she was available for new pictures too :)

My Mom out did herself again with a vast array of food and goodies. In addition, we had a fun time decorating ginger bread men and houses.

For more pictures go to my 2005 Christmas Yahoo! Photo Album.

Beauty and the Beast

Andrea and I went to see Beauty and the Beast at The Arkansas Repertory Theatre in Little Rock, AR while we were visiting my family over the Christmas vacation.

My parents were happy to babysit Abby while we were gone for the night.

This show, was actually one of the best ones I have seen there. Outstanding! The costumes and actors were extraordinary!

Since we have season tickets, I look forward to going back to see the next play in a few months.

While we were at the show we ran into the Alan family from CrossWalk Family of God where we attended Church in Little Rock. It was good to catch up with them and see how things are going at CrossWalk.

Harding Reunion

On the way to see my family in Searcy, AR we stopped in Memphis, TN to meet with some good friends, the Wrights and the Livingstons.

We first met these couples at Harding University and have had many fond memories with them since our first introduction.

Actually, Alison Wright was the one who introduced Andrea and me together.

We hadn't seen them in several years, so it was a great treat to meet up with them. We hope that the time between our meetings will be shorter in the future.

Abby @ 4 Months

Abby is now 4 months old.

We went to her pediatrician appointment the other day and Abby weighed in at 12 lb, 8 oz and her height was 23 1/4 inches.

Abby is starting to roll over much more frequently ( especially after she wakes up from a nap ).

She is also drooling quite a bit ( as seen in this photo ). This apparently means that she is about to begin teething. She seems to put almost anything she can get her hands on in her mouth.

For more pictures go to my Abby @ 4 Months Yahoo! Photo Album.

Abby's Pretalk

In addition to laughing, Abby has recently started talking up a storm. Actually, I’m not sure if it’s called talking. It might be more defined as a type of mumbling, pretalk, or cooing. I guess it doesn’t matter what it’s called. It’s just neat to hear Abby making new sounds and trying to communicate with us.

We captured some of this pretalk on our camcorder. Take a look at the video to share in this experience.

Note: The video is uploaded on Google Video. I have noticed sometimes the link does not find the video. If not, please try it again later. Also, you may be prompted to install Macromedia Flash if you do not already have it installed on your web browser.

Abby & Santa

This weekend we went to the Gaylord Opryland Resort to see the ICE! display. Besides being veerrRRYY cold the ice sculptures were impressive and amazing.

We walked through a huge castle made out of ice and then I slid down an ice slide! There was even an ice nativity scene. It was quite beautiful.

At the end of the display we were pleased to purchase two hot caramel apple ciders. The apple cider was a nice treat after almost freezing among the sculptures.

After the ICE! show we headed over to the Gaylord Opryland Hotel to see the lights and decorations. I particularly enjoyed watching the Island Fountain at the Delta.

While we were in the hotel we ran into Santa. We got a picture of Abby sitting in his lap ( as seen in this blog entry ). She behaved herself like a little princess in Santa's lap. Santa was very patient and friendly with her.

It was a long day in traffic, waiting in lines, and walking around, but it was a very memorable and fun outing.

For pictures of the ICE! diplay go to my ICE! Yahoo! Photo Album.

Abby's First Laughs

As I mentioned in my previous Abby @ 3 Months blog posting, she is beginning to laugh. I missed her first few laughing episodes while I was away from Andrea and Abby, but I have come to experience many more occasions of laughter.

We were able to record some of her laughter with our new Sony DCR-HC21 video camera, so now you can experience it too. Take a look at the video.

Note: The video is uploaded on Google Video. I have noticed sometimes the link does not find the video. If not, please try it again later. Also, you may be prompted to install Macromedia Flash if you do not already have it installed on your web browser.

Family Back Together

After being apart for about a month ( minus weekends and Thanksgiving break ) Andrea, Abby, and myself are back together again!

As you can see from the moving truck, our furniture has arrived! Apartment living is not so rough now that it is furnished :)

We are still in the unpacking stage; however, we don't want to unpack too much since we are supposed to move into our house in the near future ( Marchish ).

Although we are very excited about moving into our new house, we intend to make the most of this temporary apartment stay and enjoy ourselves.

Workout Bandwagon

Well, I am back on the workout bandwagon. Basically, ever since Abby has been born I have forgone my exercise and diet plan.

I just joined The Club at Green Hills located right next door to my first Compuware contract with American Healthways.

The facilities at the gym are very nice. I can also workout at their other gym in town, The Club at Westside, which is close to our apartment.

Camping Out Inside

Our apartment is finally ready to be lived in!

I stayed with the Stricklands for the past week and a half. They were very kind to let me crash with them for a while.

Although I have a roof over my head our furniture has not arrived yet, so I'm basically camping out indoors.

It’s really not as bad as this picture indicates. Since I don't have my camera with me this picture will just have to do to capture the camping feel. Don't worry; there is a heater in the apartment... I don't have to make my own fire ;)

I have an air mattress, a lamp, a towel, some pots, and other odds and ends to accommodate me until our furniture is delivered.

Although it’s not a lot right now, it is sufficient. Mainly, I miss Andrea and Abby most of all. It has been hard being away from them.

The Rockettes

This Thanksgiving break we watched the Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry House.

My favorite parts of the show where an interesting tap rendition of the "12 Days of Christmas" by the Rockettes, an impressive feat in marching by the "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers", and an awe-inspiring "Living Nativity" telling the story of Jesus' birth ( with camels, sheep, etc... ).

I want to give a special thanks to Alisa Brandon for putting together this event. She did much of the legwork getting the tickets and organizing the evening.

Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving this year at my In-Law's new house in Jackson, TN.

The above picture was taken moments before we all dove into a smorgasbord of tempting food laid out before us. Unfortunately you will not find Abby in the picture. At that time it was taken she was sound asleep taking a nap upstairs. Before we filled our plates Pawi ( Andrea's Paternal Grandfather ) gave us all a history overview of how Thanksgiving started and how it came to be observed today. It was an informative and special moment. Thank you Pawi.

Not only did we have tons of tasty food, but we also had loads of fun playing games such as dominos, spoons, nine hole, etc...

In one way or another everyone made a contribution to why this Thanksgiving was so memorable. So, my thanks goes out to everyone, however, special thanks goes out to my In-Laws ( John and Freda Hall ). Their contribution to the success of this event was unmatched! Thank you again.

Before my Thanksgiving break ended Andrea, Abby, and I met up with my parents for a while and we showed them our new apartment and our house under construction. I am glad we were able to meet up with them and share our new experiences. They are special to me and I love them very much.

For more pictures of our Thanksgiving break ( which include pictures of Abby ) go to my Thanksgiving 2005 Yahoo! Photo Album.

Strickland Hospitality

Garrison and Annie Strickland welcomed me in their home for the past week and a half while I waited for our apartment to become available.

The Stricklands made me feel very comfortable during my stay and I am extremely grateful for their generosity.

Several evenings we just sat around and chatted. I found this refreshing and as a result I got to know them much better. I accompanied the Stricklands to their Wednesday night bible class at the West End Church of Christ. I enjoyed the class and was glad to meet some of the people there. Garrison and I played several games of Dance Dance Revolution ( DDR ) on his PlayStation. On a side note, I prefer to regard a score of "E" in DDR to stand for "Elijah", instead the bottom of the dancing curve.

Abby @ 3 Months

Abby is now 3 months old. She is getting much bigger and is smiling a lot more.

However, the big news is that she is starting to LAUGH! Ha ha ha ha. Andrea has witnessed her laughing twice now. Unfortunately, I have missed these laughing episodes since I am away from them in Nashville, but I look forward to experience Abby’s laugh firsthand during the Thanksgiving break.

She is still sleeping through the night pretty well. Some nights we don't need to attend to her at all until about 7:00am! Other times we may need to attend to her maybe once during the night. Either way, that’s much better sleep for all of us!

For more pictures visit my Abby @ 3 Months Yahoo! Photo Album.

CrossWalk Farewell Potluck

The YAMs ( Young Adult Marrieds ) at CrossWalk Family of God gave us a send off potluck at the Church building. After the main course, other non-YAMs came to join the event. We appreciate all the people who were able to come and wanted to come, but could not.

Andrea and I have very fond memories from CrossWalk and the relationships we formed with the members there. I can still remember how friendly everyone was to us on our first Sunday visiting the Church. Ever since then, our experience continued to be wonderful. We are particularly thankful for how well the Church took care of us during and after Abby's birth. Many people helped provide us with food and babysitting!

CrossWalk will always hold a special place in our hearts. We will miss seeing our Church family there on a regular basis. We hope to keep in touch with many of them through this blog, e-mails, visits, etc...

Upgrades & Mortgage

With the help of some very talented and patient individuals we were able to complete the upgrade process on our new house and start our mortgage paperwork.

We have been very impressed with our realtor Molly Edmondson ( with Fridrich & Clark Realty ). She has and continues to work very hard with us. Not only is she very sweet and kind, but she has our best interests in mind and helps to protect us when we need it. I highly recommend Molly to anyone buying or selling real estate in the Nashville area!

We have also interacted a lot with Greg Standifer ( with Prestige Homes ). He has been very helpful and honest as we have been talking and brain storming about building our house. Not only does he know what he is doing, but I enjoy his sense of humor and his easygoingness.

We just met up with Pete Zaft this weekend ( with Countrywide Home Loans ). He was able to get us started on our mortgage paperwork for our new house. Pete graciously met us on a warm Sunday afternoon to walk us through the financial paperwork.

A Tribute to the Generations

This weekend Andrea's Paternal Grandparents, affectionately called Pawi and Moni, were honored at the Harpeth Hills Church of Christ for celebrating 50 or more years of marriage ( 65 years to be exact ). Out of all of the other couples they took 1st place for the longest marriage!

I think they also broke some kind of record because including themselves they had 4 generations represented at this special luncheon ( the youngest being Abby ). We were all sitting around the table pictured above.

We were pleased to be witnesses to this special honor. Pawi and Moni are great examples of Christian servants for not only our family, but to many other families as well. We look forward to living near them and having Abby grow up knowing them.

Found Apartment

One of our goals this weekend was to find an apartment to stay in while our house is being built. Our house should be completed sometime in March.

After doing quite a bit of internet research and visiting around the area, we decided upon Creekwood Apartment Homes.

This complex is close to where our house will be built and should give us a good feeling for the area we will be living.

The particular apartment we reserved will not be available until around Thanksgiving. Seeing that I start to work at Compuware on November 14th, I will be staying with someone else in the meantime.

4, 3, 2, 1, Sold!

In the time our house was on the market for 4 days, 3 people toured our house, and we received 2 offer letters. The next day we countered on one of the offers and they accepted it the day after! Amazing!

Our stay at 34 Pinedale Circle has been a warm and cozy 3 years. The house quickly became home to us and is the part of many fond memories we have. Here are some pictures of our house that our realtor captured to post on their website.

God has definitely been helping us during this transition period. I am taken aback by how fast things are transpiring. I notice how others are also surprised when they hear how fluidly things are unfolding.

I want to thank Gina Davison and Roddy McCaskill ( with Roddy McCaskill Realty ) who were instrumental in selling our house. I highly recommend their business to anyone buying or selling a home in the Little Rock area. They are both very knowledgeable at their business and are able to explain the process in a king and patient manner. Thank you both again!

Accepted Compuware's Offer

This might seem a shock to some of you, but yesterday I accepted a job offer with Compuware located in Nashville, TN. I will be doing contract work with other companies and Compuware will manage my work. The contract, with American Healthways, that I want needs me as soon as possible, so I put in my 2 week notice today and I will start on November 14th.

When we drove down to Nashville for my job interview, we also looked at houses in the area. As a result, we started paperwork on a house in the Riverwalk community that is being built and will be completed in March. The neighborhood has a pool and a neat walking path that parallels the river circling the community. Since it’s early in the building process we are able to upgrade some features of the plan to fit our needs. The house is actually in the same neighborhood as Andrea's Paternal Aunt and Grandparents. Since Andrea is a full-time mother, it will be nice to have family in the neighborhood as Abby grows up. My Paternal Uncle and Aunt ( John and Susan Manor ) also live in the Nashville area and Andrea's parents live 2 hours away in Jackson, TN.

Although this is exciting and great news, it is also scary and sad. Not only are these very big changes, but we are also leaving a lot of great family, friends, and our church here in Arkansas. We have grown to love you all so much on a personal and spiritual level. We will miss you all tremendously!

Remember to keep in touch and check out my blog on a regular basis! I plan to keep it up to date.

Chris Tomlin Indescribable Tour

Along with what seemed thousands of other people, Andrea and I attended the Chris Tomlin Indescribable Tour ( with Matt Redman and Louie Giglio ) at the Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock.

While we were there we ran into several people from our past ( member's from Coventant Fellowship and Little Rock Church ) and present ( member's from CrossWalk Family of God ).

The event was much more than a concert. All of the lyrics were displayed on the overhead screen which allowed for audience participation. It was really more of a worship time than anything else. I really enjoyed Louie Giglio's message during the middle of the night. He had a great way of expressing the vastness of God and how we are very tiny specks in comparison to Him. He had some great insights into that concept that I had not thought of before.

I want to thank BJ and Carina Arnold for taking care of Abby while we attended the Indescribable Tour. We have some very great and giving friends and the Arnolds are definitely on the top of the list. Thank you again!

Of Mice & Men

As the second installment in our season pass to The Rep Theatre, we saw Of Mice & Men.

Andrea's oldest sister, Alissa Brandon, babysat Abby while we went to the production. Our seats were much better this time.

The play was well performed and had a powerful ending. We enjoyed ourselves very much and we appreciate Alissa taking care of Abby while we were out.

Since we have seen several different plays, it is really neat to see some of the same actors perform. There are some very talented actors at The Rep Theatre and Murray's Dinner Playhouse.

Homemade Baby Food

Andrea's oldest sister, Alissa Brandon, came to visit for several days. She helped take care of Abby and made homemade baby food with Andrea ( as seen in the picture ).

It was nice to have Alissa around. Andrea and Alissa had fun together going on errands, getting massages, and other activities throughout the weekend.

I am thankful that Alissa was able to come. She was able to give Andrea the rest that she needed. Thank you very much Alissa, and you too Mike for letting her come and taking care of the boys while she was here!

Abby @ 2 Months

Believe it or not, Abby is 2 months old today.

She can lift her head up ( as seen in this picture ), she can stabilize her head when propped up, she smiles and coos, and she can even sleep through the night ( a huge plus )!

Abby has her 2 month pediatrician appointment tomorrow. I am going to take off work for the day. In addition to Abby's appointment it is also Andrea's birthday! When Cari Harris found out that it was Andrea's birthday, she offered to baby-sit so that we can go out on a date. Cari is very sweet for thinking of us and babysitting. Thank you Cari!

Father-in-Law's Award

On October 3rd, 2005 ( during Freed-Hardeman University's appreciation to Fine Arts Week ) John Hall, my Father-in-Law, was awarded the "Fine Arts Service Award".

John Hall was responsible for starting the Madrigal Singers ( later to be known as The A Cappella Singers ) in 1970. Over the years The A Cappella Singers broke ground by traveling around the United States and overseas ( Ireland, Scotland, England, Romania, Hungary, Belgium, France, and Italy ). Besides their global presence, they were invited to sing in Washington D.C. for the Cherry Blossom Festival, the National Christmas Pagent of Peace, the Fourth of July Celebration on the Mall.

In addition to The A Cappella Singers, John Hall pioneered the FHU radio station ( WFHU ), the Student Alumni Association, and produced FHU's very first Makin' Music show. All of these ventures are now a huge part of FHU's culture and identity.

John is blessed with having great vision and energy. He is able to clearly share his vision with others and get them excited too. In the words of his loving wife, "He has a great faith in the abilities of others to excel when they buy into a dream."

John has left very large footprints at FHU that will remain for generations to come. Not only has he impacted FHU, but more importantly, through his Christian service and servant leadership he has instilled a love of the Lord in his children and family.

Little Rock AFB Air Show

This weekend Andrea, Abby, and I had a blast at the Little Rock AFB Air Show.

We went with some friends ( Brandon, Hannah, and Will Siegel ) from Church, CrossWalk Family of God.
During that time we saw many different great performances by the Thunderbirds, the Red Baron Pizza Squadron, the 82nd Airborne Paratrooper Drop, and many more! We were able to see many of the aircraft displayed on the flight line such as the C-5 Glaxay, the F-16 Falcon, and the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber.

Overall, we stayed at the Airshow for about 5 hours. The weather was great and the Airshow was awesome! We had such a great time that we are looking forward to going again next year!

For more pictures visit my Little Rock AFB Air Show Yahoo! Photo Album.

Paternal Grandparents' Award

My paternal Grandparent's, Curtis and Nell Manor, were honored at Harding Unversity's 82nd Lectureship with the "Distinguished Christian Service Award".

The award reads, "In recognition of Curtis and Nell Manor for 61 years of marriage and for more than 60 years of full-time preaching; for Nell's work as a wife and mother, Bible school teacher, and speaker for women's groups; for Curtis' biblical scholarship and authorship of Christian prose and poetry; for his contributions as a song leader and storyteller; for his work in religious radio; for his support and encouragement of Christian education; and for his dedication to the unity of the body of Christ."

I am glad to have experienced this honor with my Grandparents. I am very proud of them both. They have set the standard very high and they are a great example for our family.

For more pictures visit my Paternal Grandparents' Award Yahoo! Photo Album.

Abby's First Smile

It finally happened... Abby smiled!

Yes, she has smiled previously, but it was more a result of a tummy issue rather than actual amusement. This time, however, it more was more than that!

Andrea and I took turns blowing on Abby's tummy, making funny noises, and zerberting her. Some combination of these things caused Abby to respond several times with a smile.

I tried to capture some of her smiles with a camera, but the timing was difficult. However, after numerous pictures I managed to get a couple good shots and this is one of them.

Abby's Scrapbook

Andrea has been working on a mini scrapbook of Abby for both of our parents. I have been scanning the results of her pages as she completes them. I will continue to add pages to the online album as they get finished.

Andrea is a very talented Stampin' Up demonstrator and has made hundreds of cards and scrapbook pages over the past few years.

Andrea has the gift of encouragement, which can be seen through the meaningful cards and scrapbooks that she makes and gives away. I am very proud of her gift and talent to encourage.

First Church Service

We had our first Sunday morning Bible class and worship service at CrossWalk Family of God since Abby was born.

It was very good to be back among our Church family again and to study and worship alongside them.

As you can see in the picture, Abby got all dressed up ( with the help of Andrea ) for the occasion. I might be slightly biased, but I think she looks beautiful, don't you agree?

Steel Magnolias

Andrea and I had our first date since Abby's birth.

We ate lunch at Macaroni Grill in West Little Rock and then went to watch "Steel Magnolias" at the The Rep ( Arkansas Repertory Theatre ).

Andrea's parents are visiting in town this weekend so they were able to help baby-sit Abby, a task which they thoroughly enjoyed.

Andrea and I enjoyed our time so much that we bought a 2005-2006 Season Subscription for The Rep. We look forward to many more special dates in the future.

Men's Fraternity III

Men's Fraternity III has started again!

I have been to all three Men's Fraternity courses and they have all dramatically changed my life as a Christian man. As a result of these classes I have learned the definition of true manhood and how to be a better Christian man in my home and work.

To learn more about what Men's Fraternity is, please visit their website. There is a lot of great material available online.

I highly encourage any of you men who are in the Little Rock area to seriously consider joining the 500 or so men that meet on Wednesday mornings at the Fellowship Bible Church! The lesson material is only $10, which is a very small price to pay for a large return of investment.

If you are interested in going, let me know. It’s not too late to start. The semester has just begun!

Nephew Curtis

My sister, Cyndi, just had a baby boy!

His full name is Curtis Dale Alesso ( Curtis is my grandfather's name and Dale is my father's name ).

He was born September 15, 2005 at 2:35 A.M. weighting in at 6 pounds 3 ounces and laying 19 inches long.

This is Cyndi and Casey's third child, but their first baby boy. They are sooo excited.

For more pictures visit my Curtis Alesso Yahoo! Photo Album.

First Family Outing

We had our first family outing since Abby's arrival.

The Young Adult Marrieds ( YAMs ) from our Church met at the Caldwell's house for a Mexcian Fiesta. It felt good to get out of the house as a family and to be amoung a great group of friends. Dan and Lisa Caldwell hosted the event and they also facilitated a version of The Newlywed Game. We all had a blast eating and laughing the night away.

It was a lot more planning than I thought to take Abby out. In the end, most everything went smoothly. Abby slept most of the time on the way to and during the party. You won't see Andrea, Abby, or me in the picture. Andrea is holding Abby off to the left and I am taking the picture, but really... we were there :)

Abby's First Bottle

Last night was my first all night position on baby duty.

Up to this point, Andrea has been very sweet and understanding by taking care of night duty so that I can have ample sleep for my first work week at Perks.

Now that the weekend has approached I can take over the night duty for Friday and Saturday night. This not only should enable Andrea to get more uninterrupted sleep so that she can be better rested, but it is a great opportunity for me to have bonding time with Abby.

We were a little concerned that Abby might not take the bottle, but she latched on with ease and is eating like a pro.

After experiencing my first all night baby duty I want to brag on my wife for a minute. I am very impressed at Andrea's motherly skills. I am amazed at her patience with Abby. I am overjoyed to watch her sing songs and play with Abby. I am touched by how gentle she is with Abby. I am comforted that Abby is in great hands during the day. I am blessed to have a wonderful wife and beautiful daughter.