Pregnancy Diet: Candy and BBQ

Ken says our blog needs "help" so here I am to help it :-) On Thursday night, our new church held a very nice baby shower for me. I was especially impressed with these candies, which were part of the refreshments and were homemade! Extremely cute and they also tasted great.

I got a lot of very nice gifts at the shower (and lots of very meaningful advice). We are just about all set with TBA's bedroom and his "supplies." I feel like I have entered a whole new world of consumer goods... it's amazing how much stuff there is to get for a baby.

While I'm at it, here are some photos Ken took of some of the participants at the church's 2nd annual "BBQ Throwdown" which took place last night. It's a BBQ contest where you vote on the best BBQ with your $$... and all the proceeds going to missions. It was a lot of fun and very tasty -- I have really missed good BBQ!


I see Ken also felt the need to take a photo of my plate. Hey, gotta eat like this while you can...


Actually, I must confess that what I have most enjoyed down here in VA on my "pregnancy diet" is soft-serve vanilla ice cream cones from Chik-fil-A. I could suck these down one after another... they are soooooo good. I keep telling myself I must need the calcium :-)

Cheryl

Pull Up the Roots

The other day I had to pull up some weeds around the yard. I also dug up some slightly larger predatory growths. It is such a great feeling when, as you pull, the long roots come sliding out from deep underground; at that moment you know you've truly defeated the enemy!

There's something about landscaping that really gets the biblical metaphors going in my head. As I was pulling out these roots, I was thinking about how God views our lives. He doesn't want to merely snip the sins off the surface of our lives, instead he aims for that which is anchored deeper inside us.

This same thing happened a few weeks ago, when our church spent a week working at a nearby mission. Our tasks were primarily landscaping, and one day I was trimming the heck out of some bushes. It felt good. And metaphors were everywhere. I was thinking in particular about how God must feel when he prunes (the heck out of) us... If it's something he chooses to do, and something we need, it pleases him; he doesn't delight in our distress, but he delights in a job well done nevertheless!

Speaking of work. Judah, your dad is fond of saying "if something's worth doing, it's worth doing right." I need to add a clarifying clause to this. The saying, in its entirety, should be, "if something's worth doing, it's worth doing right; where 'right' is defined both by method and time allocation." I learned this lesson when I was pressure washing some trash cans today... at what point do you decide that, you know, it's a trash can, and perhaps another hour spent pressure washing the goo on the bottom isn't really worth it.

I admit I have no idea how this fits into those cool theological lessons. But I hope someone can make it fit, because I couldn't bear to use any more gas on that goo! Incidentally, I felt pretty disgusting afterward.

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More Shomo News

Tomorrow I go up to Richmond for a presbytery meeting, where I will meet many of the area pastors. I will be examined on a few topics, and if all goes well they will allow my ordination to be transferred from Metro New York to the James River Presbytery (as it's called).

On a lighter note, I'm quite excited about the return of purple sunsets. Didn't see many in New Jersey. Can't recall the sunset situation in St. Louis, though I think there were some nice ones. But the San Diego sunsets were unbeatable. Anyway, they're back, and I'm glad.

Cheryl is in her final month, with TBA's due date set at August 20! I hear that several things in our lives will change. I'll get back to you on this.

Doing it Over or Overdoing it?

Above is another picture taken on our sixth anniversary. As a wedding present, we received a book in which you insert a picture each year along with highlights of the year. So, this will serve for this year.

And below is a proof that Cheryl sometimes overdoes it. In this instance, she was following behind the "professionals" who "painted" our home.


I know, I know... And believe me, I tried, but she would have none of it. Actually, painting for brief periods of time is not a problem for pregnancy (for a nuanced explanation, click here). Sniffing paint is a problem, as is spraypainting or other activities that involve increased exposure to paint fumes. It may be that babies exposed to smaller doses of paint have more colorful hair or arrive more slippery; we'll have to consult Dr. Tell to know for sure.

For further proof that Cheryl sometimes overdoes it, try this simple observable experiment:

1) Get to know Cheryl

Yes, it's that simple: a one-step experiment. She's very industrious. My role is to provide balance... especially when she pulls out that step stool.

Sixth Anniversary

A couple simple pictures celebrating our sixth anniversary.

Williamsburg

Yesterday and today provided a much needed break. It seems like a while since I've had two full days off in a row, and certainly it's been a while since we've taken a day trip.

So we tripped to Williamsburg, which is about one hour from us (it took two to get back, though!). Famous tourist destination, American history, and peanuts.

Virginia is known for its peanuts and they are, indeed, quite tasty. But you need to visit this shop to get the full effect. You can try all sorts of peanuts, including my favorite - chocolate covered peanut brittle. Mmm. If you visit, we'll let you take us here!



You can also visit this rather pleasant cheese shop. David and Namewithheld G, we'll meet you here:


Also, one of the oldest churches in the nation is in Williamsburg:



One interesting aspect of the American Revolution was that many churches had to close their doors - namely, those associated with the Church of England, whose liturgy affirmed the English crown (I forget if it contained a prayer for the king and/or pledged allegiance, perhaps a friend can clarify). Those that did not close their doors adjusted the liturgy and became the Episcopalian Church.

I don't have a picture of the used bookstore or the coffee shop, but those were first class indeed...

Anyway, Happy Fourth of July!