At the end of September, we left our church family of over 3 years.  We began our search for a new home and weren’t very optomistic.  We knew the denomination that we were wanting but even in that denomination it was luck of the draw to get a church that actually followed the confession in which it claimed.   The first week we tried a church but knew it wasn’t the place for us.  We then tried an ARP church (Associate Reformed Presbyterian).  We’ve been going there for over a month and are very excited to announce that next week we will be calling this place our new church home. It’s a small congragation of about 60 people.  But, the spiritual maturity of the church is outstanding.  There is so much hunger for the word and also taking what they’ve learned to do alot of outreach for a church that size.  We are very excited to see what the Lord has planned for us and our little brood!

http://www.scotskirkarp.org

Recently, Richard and I have decided to join Netflix.  We don’t have any tv stations that come into our tv so on weekends when we just want to hang out and watch something we either turn on Hulu or go rent something.  Since, the movies on Hulu are either really lame or really vulgar and renting is expensive we decided to spend the little amount on Netflix each month.  So far, we have been very fortunate to watch some really great movies.  This  week we received Disney Pixar’s Cars.  I was very excited to watch it because I think the characters were so cute!  I had heard some bad things about language and content for children but we decided to proof watch before showing it to our children.  I am VERY glad that God laid that on our hearts to watch it first.  I first watched it by myself on Friday night.  As I watched, my stomach would tighten up as I could imagine myself watching this with my children.  Words like Moron, idiot, calling the car “sexy”, talking about pissing in a cup, and holy shoot.  Also, the references to being “lit”.  NO WAY!  definitely, not age appropriate for my children and I probably won’t be able to let them watch this EVER!  I don’t even know how this was at all intended for children.  I came to the conclusion that just because it’s a cartoon doesn’t mean it’s meant for children.  I am NOT promoting Dr. Dobson’s work but I do like the movie review that he provides on his site.  http://www.pluggedin.com

I think that they take EVERYTHING that may be questionable and write about it and you take it and decide what you think.  At first I thought some of the stuff was over the top but I realized that not everything that doesn’t offend me won’t offend someone else.  We’ve really enjoyed choosing movies based on the reviews on this site.

We desire for our own lives and for our children…

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Hello out there?   I really need to start this back up so if anyone reads this I’d like to know.  Wow, I haven’t done this since October.  Josiah turns 2 1/2 this month.  So, exciting.  every time he turns half a year there usually a major stepping stone. Hopefully, this year is a enjoyable change.  He is getting so verbal.  We can communicate with him alot.  It’s so fun to be able to have a full conversation with him.  He loves to read.  We’ve been getting elementary children books from the library and he loves them.  He likes to read them all at one time.  This kid will even sit through a chapter in a chapter book or even daddy reading him straight from the Bible.  Some of his favorite things right now are puddles the bigger the better, Diego, honey, lasagna, and flying in airplanes.  We are using the chain countdown for when we go to Las Vegas.  We are on 9 days now.   He is so excited to ride on an airplane!!!

Katarina is now 8 1/2 months old.  This time is so fast I can’t believe I will have another toddler on my hands.  But, we’re excited. She has her daddy totaly wrapped around her finger.  She just loves him so much and no one can make her laugh like Josiah.  She is crawling well, pulling herself up, cruising, and CLIMBING!!!   I’ve got my hands full with this one.  She likes to let out high pitched screams if she wants something or just to hear her self, I think.  (I hear someone else she’s related to likes to do that too)   You reap what you sow.  She likes to eat big girl food and is so over the mushed up veggies.

We are looking forward to our 2 weeks on the west coast.  Rich is only going for one.  We’re heading out there for Rich’s brother’s wedding.  I think this will be the last trip for a while.  2 times in 3 months is craziness on our part.

Rich’s work is doing suprisingly well.  We had a rough month or 2 but he almost has too much work at the lighting company which is weird for even this time of year.  But, we are SOOOOO grateful to God because it’s an answer to our prayers.  We recieved a free 3  month gym membership and have enjoyed going to that.  Rich is managing going several times a week.  I’m enjoying the results   We’re hoping Rich will start back to school in the Fall and prayerfully only have UPS.

I’m doing good.  Just trying to stay busy.   Just enjoying my babies.  I’m going to the gym at night and have reached my goal of pre Katarina weight so I”m ready for summer with a one piece or tankini this year.  I am enjoying this economic crisis because it’s fun to see how I can help save my family money.  Well, I suppose that’s it on updates.  Pictures are better I guess.

Well, it’s been a long time since I have posted anything at all because we didn’t have internet for 3 weeks.  We couldn’t survive so we got it back.  Lots of little things have happened in the last couple months.  Josiah is using the potty everyday.  I got off my back side and take him even if he says he doesn’t have to go.  He’s gone #2 several time and it’s a very exciting time in our house.  I’m hoping by 6 months we’ll be done training.  He does tell me sometimes but not enough.  He’s getting very talkative and is saying sentences.  I’m so exited to know what he wants or what is wrong with him now.  He occasionally will call his daddy “Richud!!!”  or me “baby” (don’t know where he gets that.  Also, if someone is not wearing an article of clothing he says “OWWW OwWW!!!”  We are about to start doing a little bit of schools during the day.  My friend Adina has done a program with her son which is free online.  It’s at www.letteroftheweek.com.  I’m so very excited to start it.  I went out this week and bought a whole bunch of art supplies with our homeschool money.  So, we will start that as soon as I get the reading books for the first couple of weeks from the library.  Josiah is such a sponge lately and I’m enjoying teaching him just the everday things. 

Katarina is now 3 months old and is a big girl.  She’s been sleeping in her own bed and through the night since she was 2 months old.  She’s rolled over several times and is lifting her head up very well.  At her last appointment she was almost 15 lbs I can’t even imagine what next month she’ll be.  She loves her daddy and loves to bat her eyes at him.  She is such a girly girl already.  I’m really loving it.  We recently have switched to cloth diapers with her.  I’m really appreciating the cost of cloth!  Ask me when the stool is big girl.  ICK!!!  So, once I potty train Josiah I won’t have that money sucker to deal with. 

Rich is doing well.  He still is waiting on his actual promotion.  We’re just continually trusting in God.  We know that He is “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice” Deut. 32:4.  God is so good and always provides for us at just the right time.  Rich has had a great couple months at UPS he has opportunity to meet fellow Christians and to have godly conversations in the middle of work.  Please pray that he continues to be a bold witness and to live a godly life at home, work, and church. 

I am doing well.  I am back in the swing of things.  I love having 2 children.  I actually think it’s easier than one.  I’m trying to keep my household together and do give my husband a well tended house to come home to after a hard and long work day.  Alongside my personal Bible time I have been participating in a Bible study at church Knowin the God of Jonah by Kristie Gant.  I really reccomend her studies if you are looking for a deep study that actually is about the Bible and not just our own thoughts.  http://www.athomestudies.com/index.html  This is the 3rd study I’ve participated in and I just can’t get enough.  It goes beyond what I catch when I read.  It compares and connects all those verses that you’ve read a million times so you see the big picture.  Right now, we are in the process of planning a reformation party for October 31st.  So, look forward to those pictures next weekend and also the birth of Little boy Caskey.  Adina, my good friend is 37 weeks today and her husband just came back from Iraq.  She is #2 of the 6 ladies in our Sunday School that are having babies. 

Since I haven’t posted in forever I’m just going to put a couple pics of our last couple months.

Josiah seems to be such a little sponge these days.  He just soaks EVERYTHING in.  This is definately the time if you have some habits that you don’t want your kids to pick up to STOP!!!  Josiah has been counting to 3 now.  He’s not only just saying something he’s memorized but he’ll line up animals and count them.  He’s also shown alot more love for Katarina lately.  He has stopped biting her pretty much.  He is so concerened with her and if we are going to walk the dog he gets mad if I don’t take her with us.  He’s still depraved and selfish sometimes but I’m so glad he’s starting to care about her more.  Last night he had several of his animals and a truck in this toy he calls there “howf” (house) I looked over and he had laid all the toys over including the truck and he said they were going “night night”  It was cool to see that he realized that animals need to lay down to go to sleep. 

Katarina is 6 weeks yesterday and growing so big.  I don’t know how much longer she’ll be in her 3 month clothes.  I think she’s bigger than Josiah was at this point.  Which shouldn’t be a suprise because she was a bit bigger than he was at birth.  She is now so attentive and will just stare at me.  She has started having true smiles as opposed to gas smiles.  She has the most biggest and most beautiful smiles ever.  I love it!  Katarina has also started moving her arms around touching her face and coos.  It’s so much fun to see her develope.

Richard and I haven’t had a real date since our last anniverary in September.  When his parents came we asked them to watch the kids so we could go out.  We went to dinner at Mustard Seed which is an eclcletic reastaraunt here in Charleston.  Richard had fettucini carbonera and I had shrimp and lemon linguini.  We shared thai lettuce wraps for appetizer.  Afterward we grabbed some Starbucks and headed to the beach and laid under the stars.  This date was so special for us.  We just talked and talked uninterrupted and enjoyed each others company.  Very nice.

On August 21st Josiah, Katarina and I went to the Charleston airport to pick up Grannie and Grandpapa (rich’s parents).  They arrived bearing candy which is a tradition for them whenever we meet at the airports. 

Rich was able to get off for 3 days of their 5 day visit.  These are a couple pics from their visit.

Grannie picking out Katarina’s outfit.  She has 3 sons and 3 grandsons and finally after 27 years gets a girlie! 

On one of their many walks around the condos.

It rained practically their whole visit this is the market downtown flooded.  But, it didn’t keep tourists or vendors out. 

Lunch at Andolinis.  The boys trying to be patient!  Not a trait partial to Coronado men!

We have other ways of keeping ourselves entertained

Close up of beautiful

Daddy and Josiah playing “tars”

So, pretty much I’ve started a fad.  Besides the mass amounts of girls that I know that were pregnant with me.  It turns out that of our 8 married women of childbearing age in our church 5 of us were pregnant at the same time.  Mind you 2 conceived just 2-3 week before I had my baby.  But, we were still all pregnant together!  First pic is of us girls.  Then the “it was all your fault” men minus jeremy who is in iraq.

Please!  BEWARE!!! If you have no desire to become pregnant do not come near my vicinity!

Katarina Ann Coronado

7/18/08

6:23 a.m.

8 lbs 11 oz

21 1/2 inches long.

Well, I woke up at 2:30 am to Rich’s first alarm.  I felt like I needed to go to the bathroom.  Well, I guess I didn’t they were actually contractions.  I continued to time my contractions and they were 2-3 minutes apart.  Rich was about to leave for work so I called my dr. and he said to go to the hospital.  I figured if I wasn’t in labor then we’d come back home.  So, we took our time packing and got to the hospital and walked all the way around because it was all locked up (didn’t realize they have door bells)  We were all checked in my 5:00 am and was 5 cm dialated already.  Then the dr. arrived 45 min later and said I was 8 cm dialated and he broke my water.  I labored for a while and told them I felt like I had to push.  They checked and I was 10.  So, she said to push and I let out a push to get all the fluids out.  She then yelled for the dr. who was hanging out at the nurses station debating a shower.  He took his nice and fine time putting on all his gear.  They said you can push a little.  So, I let out a push and when I felt like her head was breaking through I went for the full push and all the nurses and dr. yelled “NOOOOO!!”  The dr.  rushed to me and I finished my push and there she was Miss Katarina Ann.  We are so blessed by God and feel that our family is now complete.  Lets pray God thinks so too! 

Well, all day on the 4th of July and all day today I have been contracting.  I really thought I might be in labor.  But, it was false labor.  It did get Richard active in helping me get some things out that I still needed to get.  I like contractions they’re like motivaters!