What a great Christmas!

Well, Christmas continued to be wonderful for our household (we hope yours was as well!). On the morning of Christmas Eve, Meredith and I had the adventure of making cookies for Santa--Meredith ate more sprinkles than she put on the cookies. We were also able to attend service at Emerywood Baptist where John had a solo in the Cantata. The service was especially reflective and intimate even with the sanctuary packed full! After, the service, we went back to Ben and Elaine's house to enjoy breakfast for dinner and open gifts with the Partin side. Meredith got some wonderful and thoughtful gifts such as a new table and chairs hand-made by a local carpenter as well as a great Leapfrog reading system that she plays with on her new table. We finally made it home in time for Meredith to quickly go to sleep before Santa visited our home.

On Christmas morning, Meredith gave us a gift by sleeping until 9AM. When she awoke, we opened "pesents" that were under the tree. Santa gave her a new percussion instrument set and her very first soccer ball and "Meredith-size" goal. We then went to Ben and Elaines for lunch and a quiet afternoon with the family adding Uncle Wayne and Nanny. I am so thankful that Meredith has been able to spend some quality time with her great-grandmother. We then returned home for nap-time. John and I decided that it would be special to watch "The Nativity" so we turned it on and reflected on the story of the birth of Jesus while our little gift slept. We are so thankful for the birth of our Savior and for the yearly reminder of the incredible story of his birth. Our church has been reflecting a lot on Mary this past month and I have been really pondering what it must have been like to be her! Can you imagine how she really felt when the Holy Spirit came upon her to tell her she would be a virgin pregnant with a child and that he is the long-awaited Savior? It blows my mind and I just pray that I would be so willing when God calls on me--in fact, I hope that I haven't missed his calling in any way!

Today, we took down decorations and spent quality time as a family. Meredith is at such a fun age and through the last couple weeks, it blows my mind how much she is absorbing and immitating! We find that we laugh all of the time at the wonderfully cute new things she is saying and learning! It is such a blessing to be a parent! As far as our angel baby #2, things are still progressing perfectly as I can tell. I am having a lot of braxton hicks contractions but am in close contact with my doctors office on how to manage them. We are anxiously waiting for January 8th when we find the sex. :-D

P.S. Kenny, I need your pictures from Christmas at our house for the blog!!!!

Christmas Early and Asheville

This past weekend was full and great! We spent time with my (Melissa's) family celebrating Christmas which happened to be white thanks to about 4 inches of snow on Friday and Saturday. It was such a wonderful celebration to the point that my abs and face hurt from laughing so much. We had a wonderful time with my mother and brothers as we ate great food and opened very thoughtful presents. Meredith really loves spending time with family and especially LOVED her new kitchen that she received. Once Meredith went to bed, my brothers, John and I had a very hilarious time playing Super Mario Brothers on Wii. I am not a huge fan of video games but between the game allowing us to all four play simultaneously (really brings out your ability to work as a team) and the hilarious remarks by my brother, Greg, it was a night of laughs and fun! Thanks Mom, Kenny, Michael and Greg for making it a great holiday thus far for us! :)

As for the celebration of John and my 5th anniversary, we were able to get away on Sunday night to Asheville (which received about 14 inches of snow). John made reservations at the Princess Anne Hotel which is an approximately 30-room Historic Bed and Breakfast. It was beautiful and special with accomodations that spoiled us. On Sunday evening, John made reservations at a trendy restaurant in Biltmore Village called "The Corner Kitchen" which was really yummy. We then had tickets to the Candelight Tour at Biltmore Estate where we were able to tour the "largest house in America" with the accompaniment of carolers, dramatic readers, harp players, and dancers. It was romantic, magical, and definitely something that pushed us a little further into the Christmas spirit. Today, on our way home, we stopped and watched Avatar--now, I resisted the idea of watching the movie, however, I really wanted to watch a movie (we don't get out to watch movies very often). Just my luck, the only movie playing at the time we arrived was Avatar. John really wanted to see the movie so we watched the movie. I want you all to know that the number of times I turned to John and said, "this is a really great movie and I am so glad we are watching it" was countless. I highly recommend it to both the girls that love a love story and the men that love a good war/epic movie! By the way, thank you so much to Ben and Elaine for caring for our angel baby and allowing us to go out of town. We are so thankful to have family close and willing to spend time with our sweet girl allowing us to recharge as a couple and giving Meredith invaluable memories with her grandparents.


We are glad to be home and have a few days to relax before the holidays sweep us away again later this week. I will say that upon my return we received many sweet cards from friends and family including a sweet note from my Great Aunt Marilyn. Aunt Marilyn, your words were kind and your prayers are sincerely appreciated! We love you! Pictures to be posted soon of Christmas with my family!

It's the Holiday Season....

....and we are LOVING it at the Partin household! We think it is even going to get better once this weekend comes and Meredith and I can spend a couple weeks at home! Meredith is truly loving dancing to all of the christmas music, watching the fun christmas specials (that we record and play for her later), and savoring the joy of the season! I hope to post lots of pictures and updates as we go through this season enjoying friends and family!

In addition, John and my 5th anniversary is Friday which just blows my mind! It feels like I just walked down the aisle! John seems to have plans to whisk me away this weekend yet I have no idea where we are going! I guess that will be an update as well to look forward to!

Finally, we set the date for Baby's ultrasound! We will be finding out if our cutie is a boy or girl on January 8th! Stay tuned for all of the excitement of the next month!

Go Pack!

Well, this weekend marked a first for Meredith! We finally took her to a NCSU game and this week it was against Clemson. Although we lost, our little girl never noticed! The people that normally sit beside us just happened to not show up to the game until half time so our little wolfpacker was able to occupy herself with climbing in and out of the two open seats, clap and yell "Go Pack!", eat pizza, and watch her daddy yell and scream for his team! Once half time came, however, she was ready for a nap (luckily we brought all of the nap essentials), and she cuddled into her daddy's arms and slept through the whole second half of the game (no, I'm not lying!). She woke up just in time to see us make one final touchdown. We were so proud of how she did and I think that she can see many games in her future!

As for our other little wolfpacker, I guess this is just as good of a time as any to give an update! We had our 11 week appointment and the little "bean" had a heart rate of 150 beats per minute...it was healthy and strong! I have been extremely nauseated all day every day for the past 6 weeks and per my sister-in-law's demand for me to stop dealing with it and ask for some drugs, I did so. I am finally on a medication that makes me want to eat rather than hide from food! What a relief! I am growing and Meredith likes to point at my tummy and say "baby!" or "baby is sleeping...shhhh!" What fun! Keep praying for us as we progress!

Ooops! We did it again!

Baby Partin #2 coming to the Partin household on or around June 3, 2010! We are extremely excited and things are progressing well! Keep us in your prayers!

SHOES!!!

So, John says I am creating an expensive but fashionable monster! Meredith is absolutely infatuated with shoes! Our closet is off of our bathroom and so when I get ready in the morning, her favorite thing to do is play with all of my shoes in the closet. Also, if my shoes come off at any point, you can expect that Meredith will soon have them on! Her favorite thing to say to me lately is "Shoe on?" Enjoy the cute pictures!

Also, Granna and Papa bought Meredith her own chair for the living room! She LOVES it!

Wheatmore High School has opened!

Well, 5 months ago, I was informed that I was assigned to teach at Wheatmore High School upon the split of Trinity High to eleviate overcrowding. Today (finally), the school opened and it was glorious and as seen in some kind of movie. After putting in about 30 hours this weekend, my classroom was in tip-top shape and is clean, pretty, and has all of the highest-end and latest technology (72" Smartboard, Document Camera, Air Liner, SmartBoard Clicker Gaming System, and various probes to conduct labs). I will need to take more pictures of my classroom but for now, check out this link and read the article on News 14 Carolina-Triad. They used my classroom for all of their classroom shots which was exciting! They also interviewed one of my students being that she is the Vice President of Student Council. What an exciting Day!

http://news14.com/content/top_stories/614650/wheatmore-high-school-opens--alleviates-crowding/?RegionCookie=94

Also, to view a slideshow of WHS, go to http://www.randolph.k12.nc.us/Schools/whs/default.html

Seriously, so exciting! :-D

End of Summer Fun!

I have to return to work next Monday so these past couple weeks have been full of trying to live it up before school hits! We have spent many days at the pool with the Saunders family, celebrated Julianna's birthday, playing with our toys and new toys Nana gave us, and last minute cleaning and shopping. Meredith has really enjoyed helping with laundry--she goes into the bedrooms and drags clothes from my sorted piles to me in the laundry room. She just thrives on the praises I give her and just looks for new ways to please John and I. It seems like she has grown so much this summer and her vocabulary is just exploding.

Some other new things she learned this summer are:

*the color yellow

*she loves to pretend read to herself

*she can point various objects in books and tell me what they are (dog, cat, sheep, fly, ball, banana, milk, flower, seat, etc.)

*she knows how to say her name

*she answers the question of "Meredith, how old are you" by putting up her pointer finger and saying "One".

*she can make animal sounds such as baa, ruff, and meow as well as tell us that a train goes "choo choo"

*she points to pictures of family members and tells me who they are...our favorite is when she points to our Auntie Melissa and calls her "Hey Baby" because that is what Auntie always says to her.

*she asks us "what did you do?", "where did it go?", "who's that?", and "what's that?"

*she recognizes when her daddy gets home and squeals with excitement

*she comes up to us and gives us hugs and kisses as well as shows love to her "babies"

*she can put puzzle pieces in the correct spot but can't quite turn them right yet

*she loves to chase us around and go "tickle tickle"

*she now recognizes the camera and says "cheese"

*she loves loves loves fruit and when she gets excited and wants it now, she yells "bee-bop!!!" which we can only figure means "I want it!!!!"

*she loves corn on the cob and prefers corn that way...good thing we have some frozen from Papa's farm!

Meredith will be 18 months this week.....it is hard to believe! She moves out of the church nursery this month and it just breaks my heart that she is heading to the toddler room. Our little girl is growing up.

A-las-ka!

We're back! What a cruise what a cruise! First thing, we would like to thank Ben and Elaine (mom and dad/granna and papa) for taking us on the cruise through the inside passage of Alaska! There are so many memories and things to tell you about the cruise, so, I will go through each day and post pictures that depict that day (CLICK ON PHOTO FOR LARGER VIEW). Should you want to see all of our pictures, check out my facebook page!

Day 1: Travel to Vancouver, Canada

We left very early in the morning (4AM) to be at the airport on time to fly out. We were nervous of how Meredith would do, but she did great! She took a nap, colored, read books, and played with her toys. It also didn't hurt that she had her entire extended family on John's side with her to look to for entertainment! We arrived, were herded around by Carnival staff, got settled in our room, learned about our Muster station, ate dinner, and crashed.

Day 2: Day at Sea

We had a great time sleeping in and then letting Meredith run around on her new "sea legs" on the top decks of the Carnival Spirit. This also allowed for me to learn about this whole cruise culture--WOW! I mean, what a great idea for a vacation! Why did it take me so long? We also enjoyed our first formal night and relaxed on our balcony taking in the beautiful landscapes that surrounded us. The big excitement were our first whale sightings which was soon to become "normal" and expected.

Day 3: Ketchikan, AK

At Ketchikan, it was pouring in the morning which stressed this momma out since we were to head out in the town with Meredith. We had an excursion called the "Semi-Submersion Wildlife Excursion". We got into a semi-submarine where we were able to see the marine life below the ship through windows down below, and the wildlife that lived on land and above the water from the top deck of the ship. It was really neat! We saw lots of jellyfish, starfish, sea urchins, and bald eagles. We enjoyed a restful afternoon letting Meredith again just play. That evening, we were reaching an area that whales were likely to be seen so we congregated in the freezing cold and high winds to whale watch in the front of the ship at sunset. We saw a couple whales and it was all worth it!

Day 4: Juneau, AK

In Juneau, we were able to jump on a bus that took us to Mendenhall Glacier. On the trails around the glacier, we were able to see a momma bear and her two cubs as well as spawning salmon. However, the glacier was enough to visit by itself without being disappointed. It was gorgeous! That afternoon, after Mer's nap, we went up a tram to the top of a mountain where we saw a rehabilitated bald eagle and took a nice hike further up the mountain. We finished up with some great shopping and a great dinner!

Day 5: Skagway, AK

In Skagway, we went on the White Pass and Yukon Railway Excursion which was a 3 hour trainride through the very rugged and gorgeous trails travelled by many in the past during the Alaskan Gold Rush. It was again GORGEOUS and relaxing. We then took in some shopping and relaxed that afternoon followed by another great formal night in the dining room.

Day 6: Sitka, AK

In Sitka, we went on the "Sea Otter and Wildlife Boat Excursion" which had a rough start but by the end was the best excursion of the trip. Meredith and I both got sick on the way out to see but felt much better when we saw tons of sea otters and were able to see 4 whales or so. One humpback whale surfaced and slapped its tail consecutively 5-6 times. It was incredible. Meredith kept yelling "Whale! Whale!"

Day 7: Last day at Sea

On this day, we relaxed and packed anticipating a busy travel day the following day. At dinner, the pilot of the ship stopped at a glacier and allowed the ship to just be anchored there for a couple hours. It provided a great view at dinner!

Day 8: Whittier/Anchorage, AK and Departure for Home

We arrived in Whittier and were bused to Anchorage. The busride was great even if I had been up the whole night before sick in the bathroom and was still feeling and looking quite green. John's parents and Anna Ruth were able to take Meredith to a Science Children's Museum (I can't believe I missed out) while I collapsed and tried to get over the nausea on a couch in the town's convention center. We had a red-eye out and arrived back to NC on Thursday morning at approximately 10AM.

My favorite memories are just the laughs at the kids during dinner, spending lots of time with Anna Ruth and Baylee (we don't get to see them much since they live in FL), reading LOTS on the balcony overlooking the beautiful landscapes, and taking a great break from summer. We are forever indebted to Ben and Elaine for the great opportunity and blessed we were able to travel there as well as take Meredith. I strongly recommend the vacation!

Hello and Good-Bye, Wonderful July!

Whew! What a July! It has been a while since we have posted and my what an update to give you!

On July 4th weekend, we went to the beach with my mother and brothers and had a great holiday weekend! We spent mornings at the pool, afternoons reading or relaxing during Meredith's naptime, late afternoons at the beach, and evenings eating good food and playing board/card games while watching movies! It had been a really long time since all three of us kids were able to be together for a vacation and I sure was glad that we were able to do it in celebration of the 4th as well as my mother's 50th birthday. We went and had a photo taken of all of us kids, John, and Meredith and presented it to her framed for her birthday!

Following that holiday weekend, I was in a 3 week whirlwind workshop in Raleigh that kept me away for most of those weeks. I was able to meet up with several friends and catch up as well as just enjoy being on my ol' stompin grounds of NCSU. The workshop should be fruitful for my students and I should I be able to catch on and implement the teaching methods effectively. I was thankful to also have received a nice little paycheck which covered us on our cruise to Alaska....

Ahh...Alaska. How I miss thee! With your cool days and your beautiful landscapes, why did we have to leave? I want to devote a posting just to Alaska, so stay tuned!

Funny Videos of Meredith

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all you fathers out there! It is so much fun to be able to celebrate my husband as the wonderful father that he is. He has so many incredible qualities that I believe were given to him by God and nurtured in him by his family. My favorite thing to sit back and watch is when he reads books to Meredith using funny voices, the way he scoops her up and nuzzles her, and the way he shows a patient and gentle firmness when it comes time to give her boundaries. He is an incredible husband and an even more incredible father. I am blessed that God helped us find each other because he brings such a balance to my life and is my earthly rock. I love you, John and look forward to watching you grow as a father as our children grow!

Fun at the Beach!

We just got back from the beach a couple days ago and what a great time Meredith had! We were there with John's family and Meredith really enjoyed getting a prolonged amount of time with them (but we missed Anna Ruth, Chad, and Baylee). IV and Meredith play really well together and he read Meredith lots of books which she LOVED. Meredith enjoyed the sand and playing in it but was a little hesitant when it came to the water. We pretty much spent each morning at the pool, followed by a nap, and finally a trip to the beach. The pool was a new experience and I think Meredith loved it and hated it all at the same time. She seemed to change her mind with each passing moment. By the end of our trip, though, she really enjoyed it. Our favorite evening with her, though, was a trip to the aquarium (pictures to come). She was completely in awe of the big "fishies" and even touched a horseshoe crab! We are looking forward to another trip soon! Here are some pictures!

Childhood is like a basket full of balls....

....yeah, I don't have an end to that thought but just a really cute picture!

Memorial Day Weekend

This past weekend, we had a jam-packed Memorial Day celebration. We began our weekend by visiting North Myrtle Beach and spending the weekend baby-free (Meredith spent the weekend with my mother) with our great friends Jim and Anne Marie as well as Matt and Maureen. It was so nice to just enjoy each other at the beach, have great conversation, and eat yummy food. We really loved spending quality time with them without the distractions that our daily lives usually provide.

We got home on Sunday evening so that we could have Monday with Meredith. I took Meredith to the park with some teacher friends and their children in the morning. Meredith played with all of the little girls and while it warmed my heart, it also broke it a little. She is getting so big and independent! She wanted to slide down all by herself. On Monday evening, we had hamburgers and hotdogs with John's family. It was great to watch Meredith spend time with her grandparents, Uncle Jimmy and Auntie Melissa.

Graduation and Mother's Day!

This weekend was quite special in that my brother, Michael, graduated with his BS in Technology Education (Graphics Communication Minor) from NC State University. It was so much fun to watch him experience graduation and was a total bonus that it was from our Alma Mater! Michael made us so proud and it was really cool to meet the professors who are essentially his second family. We had a great time....love you, Mike! We are proud of you!

Today, we enjoyed Mother's Day! When I woke up, John had just finished feeding Meredith and I was woken up by a giggly little girl crawling all over me in bed saying "Mommy! Mommy!". John then asked if I would like to come see what Meredith got me....so I walked out and on our back deck were two really really nice lounge chairs with nice comfy cushions! I am so excited! We then went to church and had Muffins with Mom, enjoyed Sunday School, and worshiped with Randall Atchenson (an incredibly talented visiting world-renowned pianist/organist). After church, we had a great Mexican feast with Anne Marie, Jim, and Cooper Trammell as well as Matt, Maureen, and Cadie McGee. When I arrived home, Meredith passed out until 4:45 while I went outside, layed in the sun, and read. When Meredith awoke, we took a nice long walk and let her run around. Today was incredibly relaxing and special. I am so thankful that God has given me the gift of motherhood and all of the special moments that come along with it.

I hope that all of you mothers in enjoyed your day and had special moments with your family! AND, Happy Mommies Day, Mom! Happy Mother's Day, Elaine!