Summers @ Asbury

closing down

2007-04-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

I am closing this blog down. It's all I can do to maintain one blog, much less two.

So - if you'd like to see summers family updates go to my other blog...

andreasummers.blogspot.com

Beachtime

2006-05-31T19:20:00.000-07:00

We just returned from vacation with Jeremy's family in Sarasota, FL

We enjoyed walks along the beach

We enjoyed the sand

We enjoyed the pool

We enjoyed great seafood

But Macy loved drinking salty ocean water most of all

Gulfcoast Pictures

2006-05-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and I are doing an internship with World Hope International this summer - gathering inspiring stories of spiritual growth and encouragement in the midst of the Gulf Coast disaster relief process. You can see a blog we've created for discussion here. We were able to visit three WHI sites (Bayou La Batre, AL - Gulfport, MS - New Orleans, LA) over Spring Break and catch a glimpse of the amazing things happening in these areas despite the unimaginable devestation.

Jeremy on the coast of Alabama

Shrimper's livlihoods washed up on the shores of Bayou La Batre

A New Orlean's home whose occupant escaped drowning through this attic hole

Devastated businesses along the Gulf Coast

Scenic Mississippi River from the French Quarter

Easter

2006-05-18T21:32:00.000-07:00

We went to a great easter gathering Sunday morning, lunch with good friends and then introduced Macy to the somewhat spiritual but mostly commercialized tradition of an easter egg hunt. Didn't take her long to catch on - especially when she learned her eggs had teddy grahams inside!

hungry little girl

2006-05-18T21:18:00.000-07:00

the other day I walked around the corner to find Macy on the floor doing this...

Aparently the sandwich, banana, cheese and goldfish crackers she had eaten for lunch weren't enough. So she fished this lonely hamburger bun out (small enough to fit through the crack left by the safety latch) and was gobbling it down like she hadn't eaten for days.

See what I can do?

2006-05-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

Macy seems to enjoy climbing in anything that she can fit her little fanny into...

and putting on anything she can get her noggin into.

Some cute pictures

2006-05-18T21:06:00.000-07:00

Macy's first skinned knee

2006-05-18T20:59:00.000-07:00

and she didn't even cry... too busy running after 'birdees'.

Rainy Day

2006-03-13T20:27:00.000-08:00

It was a warmish, rainy day today. So Macy and I played in the rain. Highlights were:

splashing in puddles (with feet and hands)
chasing down birds
picking up pine-cones and leaves
watching a train roar by

She's learning to TP early!

2006-02-17T14:24:00.000-08:00

When things get quiet, I start to get nervous. And Macy had climbed up the stairs and gotten very quiet. So, I put down the book I was reading and followed her up there to find...

A Dog's Best Friend

2006-02-12T23:06:00.000-08:00

"Puppy? Puppy? Puppy?" It was all we heard from Macy for the first fifteen minutes at Kristin and Darrell's Saturday night. Their miniature schnauzer (I had to look up the spelling for that one), Emmitt, kept Macy ocupied for the next two and a half hours. And I dare say Macy held Emmitt's attention just as well. Each had to know where the other was at all times. If Macy had a toy... Emmitt wanted it. If Emmitt had a toy... Macy wanted it. They took turns chasing each other, jumping on each other, and stealing toys. Interestingly, puppy toys and baby toys are really not that different - Fisher Price would be wise to open up their marketing to pet owners as well. Emmitt was the hands down winner of the jumping, stealing and chasing... but Macy didn't mind. Her constant squeals and giggles of delight gave her away.

At one point all four adults were sitting at the table talking and we heard Macy giggling around the corner. She was laughing hysterically for such a long time that we finally got up to see what was going on. Macy was flat on her back with Emmit hovering over her licking her face and nipping at her pantlegs. Sheer joy for this one-year-old.

She woke up this morning saying, "puppy? puppy?"

Winter Wonderland

2006-02-12T22:42:00.000-08:00

Waking up to a beautiful snow covering Saturday motivated us to walk about a mile to Solomon's Porch for a warm Chai Tea.

We picked up some friends along the way - Newlyweds Keith and Eve Jagger.

Macy's favorite thing about the snow (or as she says, "shshshshshsh")... eating it! By the handful!

Jeremy

2006-02-12T21:54:00.000-08:00

To see a recent picture of Jeremy go here. Turn on your volume and get into the groove.

Let Jeremy know what you think of his new look!

Macy gives a 'shout out' to the Buckles

2006-02-11T06:25:00.000-08:00

FROM MACY...

thank you great grandma and grandpa Buckles for the valentines day present. daddy said I could go ahead and open it early. i pointed at my picture on the string of hearts and said, "bebe!" then I pointed at your picture on the string of hearts and said, "puppy!"

Mommy thinks I recognized you (and she's right) because we look at your picture all the time and mommy says your names to me. But I can't say them yet, so when I don't know a word for something... I just say "puppy". It's my catchall.

Mommy let me take my morning nap with the new monkey you sent me. I can repeat the word 'monkey' after my mom and dad, but I think it sounds more like "mowmee" for right now until I get a little better at speaking.

Well, I'm tired now and ready for my nap... but I just wanted to say thank you (I can repeat that word too, but it sounds more like 'tattoo'!!)

Love,

Macy

What have I done?!

2006-02-09T14:16:00.000-08:00

I waited as long as I could, but finally cut Macy's bangs. It seemed pointless to pay for a haircut when it was just a few small hairs. But what I wasn't ready for was a squirmy little girl - making even a few small hairs tricky to get. It's the new toddler style... the "I cut it myself" look. Jeremy isn't back from class so we'll see what his reaction is.

BEFORE

AFTER

WITH A LITTLE STYLE

Baby Sign Language

2006-02-06T21:16:00.000-08:00

Macy's unsatiable appetite to interact and communicate is limited to about 15 words and... now... about five signs. Many of them her own personal interpretation of American Sign Language, she has mastered six signs now (night-night, water, food, all-done, more, thankyou).

Macy's sign for water...

(looks like an Indian whoop complete with the actual 'whoop')

Macy's request is fulfilled...

Macy's sign for thankyou.

Macy is Walking...

2006-02-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

in our limited apartment space Macy manages to keep herself busy walking...

to and fro....

Nosy Neighbor

2006-02-01T09:09:00.000-08:00

You know. The ones you catch out of the corner of your eye peeking through the curtains.

And in apartment living, there is always something to see; which is better than prime time television to Macy. She's the nosiest neighbor in the hood, climbing on her stool by the kitchen window to see what everyone is up to. Next thing you know, she's busy chattering away to the harried mom leaving for work, the single guy taking out his trash, and the young couple getting their mail. They can't hear her, of course, but that doesn't stop her.

And then there's the thrill of seeing the neighborhood cat wandering around, brushing itself up against car tires and front porches - which elicits from Macy a pointing finger and wild screams of delight punctuated by her word for cat, "maow, maow."

Macy Update

2006-02-01T08:41:00.000-08:00

She's talking...

She's walking...

She's loving...

Growing more affectionate each day, she periodically pauses her nonstop activity for a quick cuddle. Here she leans in for a kiss from her daddy.

(pictures taken at Shaker Village where we were treated to a birthday breakfast by my [Andrea's] dad)

Learning to Talk

2006-01-24T08:24:00.000-08:00

This is Macy's typical expression as she studies lips. It is generally followed by her own attempt at the same sounds. And always topped off with a personal round of applause and a big smile (see below).

Macy's newest word.... "woooohoooo!"

Macy approves of Christmas

2006-01-24T08:13:00.000-08:00

Cousins

2006-01-24T08:10:00.000-08:00

From left to right -
bottom row: Macy Summers, Bailey Parsons
top row: Bryce, Thomas, and Becca Parsons

Macy's Ever Expanding Vocabulary:

2005-12-20T20:00:00.000-08:00

ball: "buaw"
candle: "dahdoh"
mama: "mimimimi"
daddy: "dah"
baby: "beebee"
uhoh: "uh...a0000h"
lights: "tststs"

While you may not understand her language just yet - there is no denying that this little girl has something to say!

Christmas in Wilmore

2005-12-16T20:06:00.000-08:00

We went with a group of friends to "Christmas in Wilmore"; a unique experience that words can't quite do justice to. Macy enjoyed the free apple cider and sugar cookies!

Spontaneous birthday party

2005-12-16T19:14:00.000-08:00

We threw together a last minute birthday party for Macy on her actual birth-day (her first party was during Thanksgiving when we were in Indiana with family).

The 'day of' we called some friends, made a cake, hung up some decorations and celebrated. It was great to party with a few of Macy's friends and a few of our friends too.

mmmmm. tastes like chicken!

the gerber equivalent of red bull

macy shares a book with her friend James

One is Fun!

2005-12-16T12:19:00.000-08:00

Macy is ONE YEAR OLD!

Go HERE for more Macy birthday pictures.

Say Uncle!!!!

2005-11-06T06:44:00.000-08:00

Sup Uncle Paul!?!

So thankful to have Paul visiting from South Dakota. When asked what we did while he and my (Andrea's) parents were here... I couldn't offer a whole lot. We mostly just hung out. Of course, we were able to fit in a reminiscent trip to Sim's Drug Store and enjoyed the company of Keith and Eve. Chocolate Malt Shake... mmmmmm.

And while it was a collaborative effort, Paul was instrumental in teaching Macy her newest trick - instilling in her values of respect, honor and dignity.

Material Girl?

2005-11-06T06:01:00.000-08:00

Nevermind the cash in daddy's wallet. With no time to waste on paper, this little girl goes staright for the plastic!

Bee Happy.

2005-11-06T05:39:00.000-08:00

Ok. I'll confess. Jeremy and I exploited our child. We got her dressed up in a halloween outfit... took her to downtown Wilmore where candy was being given away... and lined our pockets. Name brand candy only, please!

HOW BIG IS MACY?????

2005-10-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

Even in the midst of her mid-morning banana snack Macy responds

to the question without hesitation...

Soooooo Big!!!!!

Look what I can do!

2005-10-22T21:32:00.000-07:00

Rather than her usual greeting of rocking back in forth in ecstatic relief to be rescued from her nap, I walked in to find Macy...

Staring down intently...

"Look what I can do!" her expression seemed to say.

So I followed her gaze...

... to two socks so purposefully pulled off and pointedly placed.

"Who says nap time has to be boring?!?"

Mother of Four!

2005-10-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

I was the mother of four this past weekend. Jeremy and I childsat and housesat for the family of Dr. Tory Baucam (professor at Asbury's Beason Program) while he and his wife were in England. Three girls and two dachshunds.

We played games, watched movies, made cookies, visited an apple orchard, created our own movies, cleaned... and in general had a blast!

After a weekend of endless attention and

constant commotion... poor Macy is back to boring old Mom and Dad.

Macy's Mount Elbert

2005-10-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

It's not getting to the top of the stairs that's a problem, it's getting back down again. While Macy has mastered the stairs, she has yet to learn the hard lesson of gravity.

Her expression says, "Hurry up and snap it mom.. the summit is calling!"

Tupperware Party, Anyone?

2005-09-30T23:32:00.000-07:00

Things got quiet this morning. I rounded the corner to see this.

Looks like Macy figured out how to open cupboard doors :)

Macy Update

2005-09-30T23:21:00.000-07:00

She's crawling, she's pulling herself up, she's shuffling around - holding on to furniture. Her curiosity is boundless. "No, no" has become a regular part of our language. She has a lot to say, we just don't have a clue what it is yet. But her words are always punctuated by laughter and smiles.

Back to School!

2005-09-30T23:17:00.000-07:00

With backpacks over our shoulders and coffee in hand - it's our first day of school and we're off to our first class. Inductive Bible Study: Mark with Dr. Joe Dongell.

(picture was taken 7:45am, Sept. 6)

Cutco has competition

2005-09-30T23:10:00.000-07:00

Amazing how sharp a baby's teeth are! And she's definitely experimenting with them. Ask the lady at the ice-cream social the other week who had two central incisors make contact with her lower calf! Well - that's one way to meet people... "Hi, I'm sorry my daughter bit you..."

Sleeping Beauties

2005-09-30T22:59:00.000-07:00

When we said we'd wed, I remember one thing in particular that family members and college roommates felt it necessary to warn me about. "Good luck," they'd say, "getting him out of bed in the morning!" They were right.

Five years of marriage and I have been largely unsuccessful at getting him out of bed in under four alarm soundings.

Until just recently. It seems that Macy has a unique power to lure Jeremy out of slumber that no other person or machine has. She often ends up in bed with us early in the morning and inevitably crawls over to him and starts patting his face, sucking on his face... whatever it takes to get that smile out of her dad that makes her giggle.

And while Macy usually wins this exchange by coaxing daddy awake and out of bed... every once and a while they both win -

Labor Days

2005-09-30T22:32:00.000-07:00

In my naive optimism I set out to repaint my china cabinet over labor day weekend - thinking it would just be a matter of slapping ona few coats of paint. It had been the Martha Steward Green you see on the hutch below. Thank goodness I didn't tackle the process alone. My mom-in-law (and eventually father-in-law and husband) all contributed.

(sanded hutch and primed buffet)

As these projects always are - it ended up being more than I'd bargained for. After having sanded, stripped and scraped the green paint off - it was finally time to paint. A coat of primer and two coats of paint later - this is our NEW china cabinet!

It certainly gives me a new perspective regarding the oft used expression, 'allowing God to strip me...' - not only how painful the process of stripping can be, but how ongoing - there are just so many layers. And even more significant; the commitment it requires on God's part.

Ending the Summer with the Summers

2005-09-30T22:12:00.000-07:00

Jeremy's parents and brother, Nathan, spent the last weekend of the summer with us.

We went to Shaker Village,

Took a paddle boat down the Kentucky River

Played tennis, ate well, and refinished a china cabinet (see next post).

Christmas in July

2005-09-30T21:19:00.000-07:00

In the heat of July our little family of three unwrapped a special present; about a month of no work, no school... it was wonderful.

What did we do? Mostly we spent time with family and spent time with each other.

I watched my favorite channel...

Jeremy got reacquainted with an old friend...

We visited family in Florida...
(Hemmingway's restaurant in Sarasota's St. Armand's Circle)

(Macy taking a break from shopping along St. Armand's Circle)

(Macy with her GREAT {insert wonderful, fantastic, etc. here} Grandma Buckles)

(Macy with her GREAT! uncle Bob)

(Macy with her double great aunt Mary)

And spent precious time with cousins

Camp Speaker

2005-09-30T14:38:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to be the speaker at a week-long children's camp in Michigan called Simpson Park at the end of June. I was a bit intimidated because I have very little experience speaking to kids! However, the week was amazing. We walked through the book of James together with teaching in the morning and preaching at night. God met with us in unique and life-changing ways.

Campers Mallory and Lauren

Camp director, Kurt.

A special thanks to my friend Lindsay who came along and took care of Macy while I was preparing, speaking, or hanging out with kids.

reunion

2005-09-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

At the end of June I(Andrea) spent a weekend in Holland, Michigan with two dear friends from College: Holly (Hontz) Ward and Amy Garrington

Holly's daughter, Ella (three months older than Macy) was also there and these two future college roomies did well keeping each other company.

Holly's Dad saved the day by rescuing both babies from their naps and bringing the heavy loads upstairs!

up and down memory lane

2005-08-29T21:19:00.000-07:00

It was great having Andrea's mom and dad here this weekend. Rather than us taking them sightseeing... the roles were reversed. The Kinds have lived in Wilmore a total of nine years; three as newlyweds and six sometime in the late '80's/early '90's. We saw Danville, Highbridge, Harrodsburg

Shakertown, Lexington... and of course Wilmore. And we have a greater appreciation for the beauty of central Kentucky, for password protected wireless internet, and for our parents.

Macy agrees as she gives them a round of applause.

Our last day as hoosiers

2005-08-29T20:46:00.000-07:00

It's 7am... you can tell by the coffee in Jeremy's hand and the look on Macy's face as we head to Asbury with our hopes high.

our new home

Macy surveys the damage

Wilmore or bust!

2005-08-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

We are scheduled to pack up the uhaul and head to Asbury on Monday. This means two things. It means that our sabatical is over. It also means the start of a new chapter.

I think I'm addicted to new beginnings. I remember a grieving process, of sorts, after college when I realized I couldn't "start over" with a clean slate every semester. New chapters bring in a certain idealism and optimism that is inspiring. And since college, I've realized that - while my clean slates are less scheduled (no academic calendar anymore) - life is still chuck full of them. They come in all kinds of shapes and sizes - situational, spiritual... So, here's to Wilmore. A whole new set of new. May our idealism and optimism be born out of an expectancy of what God is going to do in us - who He is going to help us become.