Andrew's pictures

I took Andrew to get his pictures taken in his dedication outfit. We also got some diaper shots.
I thought they turned out cute!

Hippy Goes to School

Hippy Goes to School from Stephanie Whittington on Vimeo.

She is just a tad excited.

In honor of Valentine's Day...

We got out the Valentine books today, so I thought I'd give the old blog an updated look for the "holiday". For the record, I'm not a big fan of Valentine's Day and we don't make a big deal of it, but Abby sure does like reading the books!

Out with the old, in with the new....

Our old, cherished recliner finally had to retire after years of comfortable sitting, rocking, and relaxing. For the last few years it had to endure a lot of standing, jumping, and plopping from Abby, and it was just time for it to give up. Never fear, though, because we got a new one to love....

Inauguration Thoughts

Tuesday was a big day. Although Obama was not my choice (neither was McCain, really), I still love the pomp and circumstance of Inauguration Day. I thought Michelle looked awesome in her yellow suit, and the Obama girls were so sweet in their outfits! I also thought George and Laura looked very happy, relaxed, and relieved to be going home to Texas. I hope that one day folks will remember what a strong leader he was during the aftermath of 9/11 instead of the mistakes at the end of his presidency. I wish them peace, health, and happiness as they continue their lives.

I was struck by how emotional folks were toward Obama. If it is because he is the first African-American president, that's great. If it is because he is promising hope and change, I'm not so sure that's a good thing. I think what people are seeking right now is something that a man cannot provide. It isn't fair to put him under those kind of expectations. True hope comes only from Jesus. Only He can really change hearts. And real freedom only comes in knowing and trusting the Almighty. I had my cd player on random in the van on Tuesday, and this came on (emphasis are mine):


Lord, the light of your love is shining
In the midst of the darkness, shining
Jesus, LIGHT OF THE WORLD, shine upon us
Set us FREE with the TRUTH you now bring us
Shine on me
Shine on me

Shine, Jesus, shine
FILL THIS LAND WITH THE FATHER'S GLORY
Blaze, spirit, blaze
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
FLOOD THE NATIONS WITH GRACE AND MERCY
Send forth your word
Lord, and LET THERE BE LIGHT!

Andrew chasing a ball

Andrew chasing a ball from Stephanie Whittington on Vimeo.

Bible Lessons from Abby

On the way home from church yesterday, I asked Abby what she learned in Sunday School. She said, "Jesus got baptized by that man, the Baptist."

Later that afternoon, she was looking through my Bible. I asked her tell me about Moses, since that's what we've been talking about when we do our family Bible story. She said, "Moses was a baby floating down the river. A girl got him out and he was in a basket. She took him to the royal house. God kept him safe. Fifty years later, Jesus was born."

Well, at least she's getting SOME of it right.