Listen up! Chase has an announcement!

Our now 19 month old has something he wants to say.

B&K: "What is it, Chase?"

K: "Don't be shy"

C: "I'm the BIG...."

B&K: "you're the BIG what?!"

Yep, you guessed it. Chase is gonna be the big brother!

Brian and I are proud to announce we are expecting baby#2! We weren't given an exact due date yet, but are pretty sure it will be a June baby. We are still pretty early and are just hoping to make it through the first trimester (nausea and all)! In fact, if you are reading, pray for me right now that the all-day sickness will go away and that I'll rely on God's strength to get me through each minute of it!

for every season...

There are so many things about fall that tug on my (Krisha's) heartstrings. I always think of hot apple cider, Appalachian music, drives along the parkway, hikes at the Peaks of Otter, horizons of fiery oranges, reds, and yellows and crunchy leaves that cover the green grass. Fall makes me feel nostalgic. I adore fall....because...well, it has a predictability that doesn't disappoint. It always comes and yet each year I await with great anticipation the peak of the colors. It is exciting and new every year. It never seems to get old and yet I know it's coming. Why can't all seasons be like fall?
It reminds me too that God created seasons with purpose. We (humans) seem to need refreshment and change and yet we find security in knowing what is coming next. It also doesn't take long for our hearts to grow bored and ungrateful, desiring the next season. I'm convinced that we wouldn't appreciate fall if it lasted all year. Nor would we love spring if it wasn't preceded by cold and dark winters. I'm learning a lot about seasons of life. There are just so many facets: seasons of marriage, of parenthood, of relationships with friends, seasons of changing indentities (for me: single missionary, working newlywed, what I like to call the "sugar momma"-putting B through seminary, and now full-time mommy). This season appears to be a season of blessing. Even on the days I feel worst, I look outside and it can't be ignored. The beauty literally overflows all the way up our doorstep. Seems to be the theme of my life right now.

The previous owners even planted mums that bloomed this fall. JMU colors- purple and gold!! Couldn't have been more fitting.

Fall reminds me that God is in the details and in every season. And though some seasons seem to allow us to enjoy Him more than others, He gives us all seasons (of rejoicing, of birth and new beginnings, of sadness, true struggle, and even grief) to push us to Himself. It's true we don't welcome the tougher seasons. I admittedly do not. And often we pray for friends or family to just have their circumstances change so that they would not have to go through such a season. But still the greater prayer should not be avoidance of pain or suffering. It should be prayer for strength to draw near to Him. Prayer that something greater, and deeper is accomplished amidst the pain. Something that couldn't have happened any other way. Something that -had God given us the choice-we would've taken the easy way out and forsaken the Greater reward of knowing Him more deeply. Something so great that we won't fully understand it this side of heaven. I'm convinced that those seasons that give us a clearer picture of the hope we are living with and for.

Road trip

So we decided that since Brian never took any vacation days, we'd spend Friday creating some family memories: apple-picking with Chase and Zoe!

I had predicted that the bigger adventure would be having these two in the car together. They actually did much better in the car than they did at the orchard. You can tell Chase got all muddy by the knees of his jeans. Here are some car pix.

Chase reading his animal book which at the moment was more interesting than the live beast sitting beside him.

Looks like he's kicking Zoe but really he's grabbing her with his toes which he loves to do while making a high pitched squeel.

Out like a light.

Here is a video of what we heard the whole ride down in the car. Zoe is breathing loudly (as usual) and Chase is snoozing a way. The video was just shy of capturing Chase smiling as he heard Zoe's snorts in his dream. It was the cutest thing how he was asleep but smiled in his sleep when Zoe snorted in his face, almost like he was thinking "that's my snorty bully.........zzzzzzzz"

We headed for F'burg to visit "grandma," "grandpa" and aunty Catherine. We got to see Catherine all dolled up and I even got to help with makeup! And we got to meet Dillon, her date too. Doesn't she look stunning?!

Chase spent some quality time with grandpa & grandma and the dogs. Zoe didn't exactly get along with Kenna, the female Collie... maybe it's true that dogs are moody too when it's that time of the month! (Yep that's right; we have two in diapers!)

Brian and I were glad to get some time alone; we went on a "date." Yep, we actually walked around, ate lunch together w/o the kiddo! Here are some pix from our lunch at a really cute diner downtown F'burg.

aww, he thinks I'm sweet

you're pretty cute yourself!

On our way out of town, we watched Catherine's travel soccer game which was a really good match. I know she'd say she was disappointed at missing some shots, but I thought she played very aggressively. It reminded me of my soccer days (though I was never at the level Catherine is. Still it was fun! ) And of course Zoe was a hit! She drew many a fan at the soccer field.

Thanks Susan/Brian/Catherine for having us!!

My 18 month old!

Chase is 18 months old!!! This post is a little late as you'd think it would be easier to remember Chase's age since he was born on the first of the month. But no. Somehow I barely keep up with the month changing and seem to forget that my baby is now a month older.

He loves standing on the couch!

Being silly!

Sitting on daddy's lap

Reading a book.... only it's upside down.

I can hardly believe that my little Chase Alexander is 1 and 1/2 years old!!! He is definitely a little ham that knows how to make us laugh and be silly. He's always full of silly expressions, winks, eyebrow raises and big teethy smiles.

Chase has come a long way! This little guy went from being a picky eater (refusing most solids) to now enjoying many adult foods. He went from being under 50th percentile in weight to being 26 lbs which is now a little above average I think. He used to be terrified every time I cut his nails and he didn't enjoy bathtime and now he doesn't mind nailcutting and LOVES bath time. He can use a fork (with a little bit of help stabbing the food) and even enjoys drinking out of a regular cup right after we brush his teeth. He is doing better at handholding when we walk and usually follows directions. Just the other day I asked him to bring me the "Brown Bear" book and he looked through his mountain of books and brought me the right one! He babbles tons but has started to pick up more signs like: please & thank you (along with his already mastered "all done," "more" and his crossed hand for when we bless the food). He has been able to pick up more body parts as well and point to them when I ask (assuming he's not distracted with something else).

His latest obsession is spinning in circles. But not just spinning... he looks to the bottom left with both of his eyes which he figured out makes him more dizzy which = more fun!! By the video you'd think we gave him sugar right before bed!

Chase's Summit

Whenever we get the chance, Brian and I like to expose our son to the great outdoors. When fall was just starting, we made our annual trip to the Peaks of Otter. Upon returning to VA last year, we decided to go to enjoy the leaves and the beauty right here near the Roanoke Valley. It left such an impact that I wanted to ensure that this is a fall family tradition.

So this year, rather than being in the baby Bjorn, Chase ventured up to Sharp Top (the top of the Peaks of Otter) in a hike pack on his daddy's back.

He got to enjoy the view, take in his surroundings, sleep a little,

and even climb a little at the very top.

He even had his pocket bib on so he could have snacks along the way! Many a passersby made the comment the Chase had "the best seat in the house." But I know Brian looks forward to the day that Chase can hike alongside us! (Check out that Elvis lip. "uuhuuuh!")

Chase touching a horse for the first time. There's something about how soft their noses are that makes me happy! I think Chase liked the horse once he got over his big his nostrils and mouth!

these are a few of his favorite words

So Brian and I have this ongoing joke of how our (almost 18 month old) son likes to say expressions "Oh no you Didn't!", "Up the stairs", "start over", "yellow" and "doh!"

You might wonder why I didn't ever mention him saying the basics like "dog", "cat", "hi", etc. Well, that's because he didn't. He went straight into saying the BIG words... or at least Brian likes to think so.

"On no you didn't!!!": The other day, in the car, Chase was protesting and he blurted out what sounded like "No you DIT- ENNNNT" and I had that exact thought in my head and as I was turning towards Brian to ask him if he heard what I just heard, Brian proudly mocked "Oh No you didn't!" We both laughed hysterically! After that I was seriously contemplating teaching Chase "aww snap" just for effect.

"yellow": Brian will work on a BIG word like "yellow" for a day and then Chase will say something that sounds like "ye-ow" which sends Brian into grin-mode. I laugh b/c I don't think Chase actually means yellow. I say this because I have worked on basic words and signs with Chase since he was about 6 months old and just this month he signs "more." When Brian asked, where did he learn more from, I explain in my faux humility that "oh I had worked on it with him" (while in my head thinking "FOR 11 MONTHS!!") haha!

"DOH": I promise we don't let him watch the Simpsons. He sounds like he's saying "no" with a stuffed up nose so it comes out like a "d" and he elongates the "ohhhh" which equals "dohhhhh"

"start over": The other day I was getting aggravated while at the computer and Brian joked that Chase said "start over" b/c whatever came out of his mouth sounded just like that!

"up the stairs:" Last night, Brian swears to me that as he was taking Chase upstairs for his bath that Chase said "upppfffstawers". I just laughed and thought, "that's funny b/c sometimes he gets his teeth and his nose mixed up and I'm impressed he's already moved on to 3-word-phrases."

What can I say, he must be a genius. :) We are so proud.

On a more serious note, Chase does understand a lot:

• When I ask him to bring me his book or sign book, he'll go get me a book to read him.
• When I ask him to sit or even just "go get your shoes" he gets them and sits in the floor and waits for me to put them on. He'll often sit wherever he retrieves the shoes even if that isn't where I want to put them on.
• He knows gentle and strokes his or my face gently when I say that
• He knows how to give a hug (but still avidly opposes kisses)
• He knows (for the most part) where his teeth, ears, belly button, feet, toes, mouth are and for nose he always points to mine (I think he's convinced that only others have noses)
• He's figured out that keys go in a door to open it so he takes daddy's keys to the front door
• He knows how to sit on his rocker (at Grammy B's house) and rock himself
• He spins in circles when he gets excited (like when we let Zoe loose to play with him)
• He is currently very attached to men (including Brian, my dad, uncle Bry, Johnny, and some of the Sink's extended relatives in which we discovered he felt comfortable enough to sit in their laps!)
• He signs "all done" and "more" and still says his favorite word: "car"
• He definitely is developing his sense of humor as I notice him laugh at things that I didn't realize he understands are funny
• He's back into high fives... he took about a 4-5 month hiatus
• He waves whenever he hears the front door shut (usually 3-4 minutes after Brian has left)
• He holds things up to his ear like a telephone and waits for me to say "ring! ring!"
• He is eager to use his fork and spoon and loves his Nalgene sippy that doesn't have handles
• He is finally loving his baths and splashes water everywhere and stacking his cups (thanks Grandma Whited!)
  

MUD RUN!!!! Go team Whited!

So a dream of mine for more than 10 years has been to do the Annual Marine Mud Run in Roanoke which is hosted every September. (So .... ehhemmmm.... mark your calendars for next year!!!!) In high school I just thought it sounded like so much "clean" fun and the high school cross country team would always get teams together to compete. Only, EVERY year I had some kind of knee issue that would keep me out of it. After much recruiting and not a big response, my husband and I decided that our team of two would have to suffice. And BOY did we have a blast!!! I think it was the funnest thing in our marriage since.... I dunno?!!!

We began the run and headed for a tunnel that we had to squat under while moving forward. Then before we had much time to pick up the pace, we plunged into the river where Brian helped me trudge through the chest-high water. It felt like we were doing water aerobics and not getting anywhere! Then we headed for dry land up a gigantic hill (which was more like a mountain). And by that time everyone was walking. Brian and I started out jogging but when we realized we couldn't see the end of the mountain, we thought we'd save up our energy to run once we hit the top.

Then there was a field and a beautiful horizon of mountains where the hill rolled downward. It was an overwhelming sensation and reminded me of my many high school runs on the parkway where the beauty of the mountains was overwhelming. I am a very focused, driven and disciplined person. But when it comes to the mountains, I find that I easily lose myself and all the pain and anxiety melt away. In fact, my knees did not feel any pain during the entire run!!! And it inlcuded lots of uneven ground, holes, mud pits, a river, some muddy creeks, and a slick grassy hill! (For those that know me, that is a miracle; my knees (especially on asphalt) ache after the first mile or sometimes before. I felt so blessed to have a good run; my mind didn't even think about knee pain the entire time!!!

My dad was kind enough to get up early on his Saturday, drive all the way to Salem and come take pictures. He caught a photo of this guy as the first person (I think) to finish.

Notice how Brian looks ticked and seems to have more mud on his face than me? Well, check this out and you'll see why. Look for the splash. (Let's just say he wasn't the one who made the splash.)



Poor Brian.

Good thing I was able to cheer him up!

"We are the champions, my friend"

"We'll keep on fightin' till the end"

At the end, they had HUGE hoses which sprayed freezing cold water (as you can see by my expression). It didn't help much because we were soaked-head to toe- in mud!!

Hubby: I had so much fun playing in the mud together!!! I think we've just started a family tradition! Go Team Whited!

So the question is for all you blogstalkers is: Don't YOU want an excuse to get this dirty without leaving your house a mess?

Proud Aunt & Uncle

We would like to welcome to the world our new nephew: Asher Cade Musselwhite! He's so sweet and so precious and very attentive. He really seemed to focus in when Grammy B (my mom) was holding him! He has a pretty much a full head of brown hair and blue-gray eyes. He was born last Sunday and measured in at 8 lbs 1 oz and 21 inches long. He looks like a long, slender baby. I'm so proud of Renu and how well she did and how hard she labored. This little guy loves his mommy and daddy and boy do they LOVE him!

sleepy boy

Asher with his Grammy

Asher and his mommy

So glad you are home with your mommy & daddy where you belong!