The Cutest Bee in Town

Happy Halloween
Originally uploaded by Matt and Carrie.

Yes...I'm a bit biased...she is my daughter...half me and half the man I chose to spend the rest of my life with. But, even you have to admit...Grace Madelyn Flener is the cutest bee in town! She looked so cute I even made her wear the costume all day (which she didn't seem to mind because it's snuggly). Matt and I kept smiling and saying, "She is just TOO CUTE!"

I'm one of those people who hates when parents brag about their kids all the time and talk about them non-stop...I mean...there are other things going on in the world around them. However, I've managed to fit myself in that category. I love Grace. She is the best baby ever (don't tell our subsequent children that!) and I can't get enough of her. I want to be around her all the time because she is so much fun to be with...she laughs when I dance around the room or sing a silly song...she reaches out her arms to me and lays her head on my shoulder...she wants to be with me just as much as I want to be with her. For that, I am thankful.

I love this Mom-gig. It's the best, most rewarding thing I've ever done in my life. I'm looking forward to doing it again...but not any time too soon! :-D

Last night our lives changed forever...I sat Grace on our bed (for some reason she LOVES to be on our bed - it makes her so happy) while I was cleaning and putting laundry away. As long as she sits, she immobile. If you put her on her tummy, she scoots all over the place. So, I thought by putting her in the sitting position that I was safe. I put a stuffed animal and some blocks in her lap to entertain her along with my singing and dancing around the room. All was well.

Until...I turned around and there she was...working her way from the sitting position to being on her belly. This couldn't be!! Not my baby! She's a baby! Cooper is the one who's all over the place and needs to be monitored...not Grace! Oh contrare, my dear! Not anymore! Now Grace is mobile from every position. We can no longer leave her in a room, go do something in another room, and come back to find her in the same position. My project for tomorrow is to add posts and a gate to our stairway because Grace is on the move!!

I realized tonight...Grace is a chick magnet...and a dude magnet. People love to be around her...people are drawn to her. That has been my prayer for her. I pray that God would bless her with a sweet spirit and one that draws people to her...not because of anything she does, but because of Who lives in her.

We are blessed. Thank you, God. Thank you that Your plan is better than ours. Thank you that Grace was not our plan, but Yours. I was somewhat dreading this fall with the start of the school year. I kept trying to figure out how we were going to do college ministry with a baby. What about her bed time? What about her crying? Would she be a distraction? YES! She is a distraction! But, the best distraction ever!! Grace is making ministry easy. Because people are drawn to her, it gives Matt and I an opportunity to talk to the people that want to play with her. Plus, it gives us an instant connection with people...everyone LOVES babies!

I can't imagine our life without her...I don't want to. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me...to us. She is so fun to be around and when she smiles, it makes my heart skip a beat. I can't believe she wasn't in our plan. Why couldn't we have thought of something so great?! I'm glad we didn't...it's better this way. God has big plans for her and I can't wait to see what it is! I can't even stop to think about what our lives would be without her...I wouldn't want it any other way!

Thank you, Jesus, for blessing us with the most beautiful baby! Thank you for blessing us with a baby who is doing ministry with us. Thank you, Jesus, that You know best and You have given us a wonderful ministry opportunity. Thank you, Jesus, for showing me that my doubt and unbelief are rubbish. Thank you for giving me a real life picture of what it means for you to be my Dad and me to be Your daughter. If you feel half the amount of love for me that I feel for Grace, You must be bursting at the seems! Thank you that because of Grace, I love Matt more. Thank you for Your Grace...both of them!!

Our baby is growing up...

Hanging out...watching the Cards
Originally uploaded by Matt and Carrie.

Grace is almost 6 months old and I (Carrie) am already feeling the anxiety of my baby growing up too fast. She's sitting up, rolling over, trying to crawl, and not being swaddled! OK...I know, most babies don't want to be swaddled after a few weeks. But, being swaddled was my baby's trademark. She LOVED it! She would smile when we layed her on the blanket. Matt would wrap her so tightly it appeared that her head would pop...but she was happy. Well, she's getting so big that her feet would stick out the bottom of the blanket. Then, starting September 11th, she started rolling over while being swaddled. Instead of her getting stuck on her belly with no arms, we unswaddled her. What a tragedy! I know that most babies don't want to be swaddled for as long as she did...we ran on borrowed time. But, because she is no longer swaddled, I feel like my baby is growing up! As I'm writing this, she's scooting herself across the floor. Well, my sweet little dependent baby is no longer dependent. She's now a strong-willed independent little girl...on the move and making her own decisions about how she sleeps. I'm excited for her. This is the beginning of a life of exploring. I'm thankful that God has blessed me with getting to see which way she goes...

Grace - 5 Months

Grace - 5 Months
Originally uploaded by Matt and Carrie.

Yep...that's right...the 5 month birthday has come and gone already. We can't believe it! Our little baby is growing up so quickly before our eyes. She's at such a fun age right now, though. She LOVES to play pick-a-boo and her favorite thing is to sit on our deck and watch the cars drive down Old Highway 63. What a joy to watch her grow, learn, and discover new things.

Being a parent is the best...although, I can tell it's going to get harder. Matt and I are already dreading the day when we have to discipline her. But, how can a girl so sweet need disciplined?! Ha! The first time we had to tell her "no, Grace" about killed us. She does this thing when she's done eating her cereal or vegetables...she starts blowing raspberries in them...what a mess! So, we said, "No, Gracie." (not that she understands) After saying it one time, Matt looked down at the floor, slumped his shoulders, and said, "I'm dreading disciplining her!" I agree. That discipline will define her character and ours as well...that's good.

In the meantime...we're enjoying our sweet baby girl...in all her sweetness!

Explosion

Explosion
Originally uploaded by Matt and Carrie.

Last night we had a root beer kegger for our first Canvas Group event. We met on top of the Virginia Parking Garage and had close to 50 people there! It was amazing and totally blessed by God!! This is a picture of us making the root beer...yeah, that's right...homemade root beer! It was AMAZING!! Although, you have to be careful...when you put the dry ice in the mixture, it can and will explode if you don't get the lid on fast enough (notice explosion in picture!). Needless to say, we had a great time. Grace slept through the making of the root beer, but was wide awake to watch everyone drink their root beer floats. Her eyes were locked in and ready to try it for herself! Soon, Grace, you can have some too!!

"Open Wide Grace - It's Squash"
Carrie and I fed Grace her first vegetable today - squash. She's sitting on my lap right now as I type this - happy as a NASA astronaut after his first meal back on earth. It honestly was a new world for her. Her eyes lit up. She craned her neck toward the spoon. She craved every bite. And then there was mom and dad. You can see we tried to eat for her. I always used to hate it when my mom would open her mouth as she fed us, or gave us medicine, or when she would put her arm across my chest when she had to slam on the brakes. Well Grace, I'm sorry to say, today is the start of that chapter in your life. 

Ruth - The Audio Movie

Here is the final creation from a bible study I led this summer on the book of Ruth. Each of the people involved in the study read part of the Book of Ruth. I used images from works of art, and other places to piece together what I saw. We read the book this summer, imagining the characters as they might act in a movie. It really brough alive our reading and drew us closer to the character of God. The dedication Ruth showed to stay with Naomi, inspires me anew to remain dedicated to many things...the word of God, my friends, my wife, and my child.

Pujols.mp3
Ever wonder how that perfect song comes on before Albert Pujols Comes up to bat? It's done from a computer in the press box of Busch Stadium. My friend Scott Schaefer plays the organ at Busch when Ernie Hays is off. He invited us up to the press box. I thought this was so cool to see where all the technical stuff happens.  

My Friend Ben Lewton and I decided to take on a project during the past week. Actually, it wasn't supposed to last a week. I thought it would take an afternoon. Really, who were we kidding? Anyway, we installed laminate flooring on our main level. It looks great, and it really taught us a lot about doing projects together. Having Ben's steady hands and calming influence really helped the project go smoothly. Not once did he complain. He took on a great load, and saw it too completion. Thanks Ben.
 

Grace - 4 Months

Grace - 4 Months
Originally uploaded by Matt and Carrie.

She's a happy baby, isn't she? Today is Carrie and my two year anniversary. I can't believe it's been two years already. We watched our wedding video today with Grace sleeping on me. Compared to last year....well...there is no comparison, our lives are changed. It is so much for the better though.

I looked at Riley, our flower girl in our wedding, and I see how much she's changed since the video. My dad had a beard, Grandma Hatfill looked different. Can you imagine when we watch our wedding video in 5-10 years?

Though, I'm reminded this weekend, that 5 to 10 years will be a gift from God. Our good friend, and fellow Christ servant Tyler Downey died in a head-on collision on I-70 near St. Louis, Saturday. Tyler was a passionate man. He had a heart for people that didn't know about Jesus Christ. Our sovreign God has reminded us all once again that life is a vapor...we are like the Casting Crowns song says...a wave crashing in the ocean. Tyler, we will miss you...but you are the blessed one right now, singing with so many in heaven.

Grace - 2 Months

Grace - 2 Months
Originally uploaded by Matt and Carrie.

Can you believe it? Grace is two months old. Yesterday was her official two month birthday. We celebrated by taking pictures.

Hello World!

Hello World!
Originally uploaded by Matt and Carrie.

Our little Grace turned one month old Saturday, April 22nd. We took her to the pediatrician the day before and she weighed in at a whopping 9 lbs. 11 oz.! That is 3 pounds heavier than her birth weight! The doctor was very pleased and confirmed that Grace is a good eater!! Mom can testify to that.

A picture for the ages...

A picture for the ages...
Originally uploaded by Matt and Carrie.

This is a picture of Grace and her Great Great Grandma Hatfill. I wanted to show the contrast of age between the two, and show that life is beautiful at any age. Grandma Hatfill loves Grace a ton! And she won't let anyone forget it.

A view from our seats

A view from our seats
Originally uploaded by Matt and Carrie.

Sometimes you wonder why God blesses you so much. That's what I say about our friends Megan and Zach. Megan called me up Friday and told Zach had an extra ticket to the Cards game. "Do you want to go?" she said. Ummm...let's see. If anyone knows me, they know I've been a Cardinals fan my whole life, but even more so after the past couple of years. Carrie and I went to Game Four of the World Series where the Cards lost to the Boston Red Sox.

So anyway, yes...I went. And how exciting. In a new ballpark, with great fans. And a great friend right next to me. It was a great day at the ballpark.

Five Generations

Five Generations 2
Originally uploaded by Matt and Carrie.

We went to Girard, IL over the weekend to see the Grandmas. This picture represents Five Generations from the Hatfill/Richardson/Flener Family. Pictured from Left Carrie's Dad Dave Richardson, Carrie, Great Grandma Betty Richardson, Great Great Grandma Nina Hatfill, and Grace. What a beautiful family!

Gracie Getting Weighed

Gracie Getting Weighed
Originally uploaded by Matt and Carrie.

I guess I should backtrack a little bit. This is Grace Madelyn Flener. She was born at 11:22 Central Time, March 22, 2006. She weighed in at 6'11 and was 19 3/4 inches long. Mom was in labor for 15 hours, and all went well with the delivery. We are so glad to introduce Grace Madelyn...Formerly Flip...to you.

The Great Grandparents first look

The Great Grandparents first look
Originally uploaded by Matt and Carrie.

So the great grandparents came today. They traveled all the way back from Melbourne Florida to see Grace. It's weird to call them great grandparents now. All my life they've been grandparents. They fell in love with Grace right away. It meant a TON for them to be here to meet Grace

Gangsta' Grace

Gangsta' Grace
Originally uploaded by Baby Grace.

Yo yo yo...It's gansta Grace

Grace's sunbath

Grace's sunbath
Originally uploaded by Baby Grace.

I wanted to see what I could do to create an artistic image with Grace. This was her first sunbath, and I used the light to catch her in a beautiful pose.