2448 miles...

During the month of June we traveled 2448 miles as a family!

We took Stephen to a Brave's Game for Father's Day as he was missing his Braves' this summer! :-)  We thought Caileigh would like it a lot - it was too hot!  She preferred playing in the fun play areas.  Emma on the other hand LOVED it!  I thought she would be the one we would have to entertain.... Caileigh and Stephen were able to run the bases with the other dads and their children after the game.  Caileigh enjoyed that but maybe not quite as much as her daddy! :-)  She is very proud of her "I ran the bases at Turner field T-shirt!"

Happy Father's Day!

Stripes, is the sweet kitten who adopted our family this summer.  Sadly we had to say good-bye to him.  We pray that one day he will find a family that will love him and take good care of him.  We certainly enjoyed the time we had to play with him and love him!  If some of us weren't allergic to cats, and if we owned our own home and had a yard and if we weren't about to be traveling more than we will be at home for the rest of the summer we would certainly have kept him!  It was simply not meant to be.

The girls LOVED Stripes aka Kitty!  They loved feeding him and petting him.  They loved playing with him and would run around with strings for him to chase them.  Which always included adorable giggles!  Caileigh loved sitting on the back porch just holding Stripes!  Emma loved waking up and peeking out the back door to see if Kitty was out there. We hope to one day be able to allow them to have a pet.  Until then, we will certainly remember the sweet time we had with Stripes!

Caileigh was able to take swim lessons this summer!  She loved her teacher, Mrs. Danielle! At her last day, they let the parents stay and watch the kids swim.  We were amazed at all she had learned!  She's quite the little fish and already a better swimmer than her mom! :-)  I think she prefers being under water than out of it!  If asked, she will tell you her favorite part was the hot tub - and she makes sure you know it wasn't hot, just warm! :-)  Every day after lessons they got to sit in the hot tub until parents came to pick them up.  She's always been a fish and has had very little fear of the water.  I was excited for her to really learn how to swim.  She is diving for dive sticks, jumping off of the diving board, swimming all over the pool!  She wants to be called Ariel now... I suppose it would be fitting as she stays under the water more than she does above, however, we have told her we like Caileigh better. :-)

I enjoyed my time with just Emma while Caileigh was at lessons.  Although she missed "Cai-ee" terribly - especially the first day I think she enjoyed the attention too! :-)  Most days we sought air conditioning in nearby stores where I allowed Emma to walk through the aisles and "look" at all sorts of things.  Her favorite and mine too was the fabric store!  I only allowed us to go in there one day.  :-)  She loved feeling the different textures and looking at the different colors.  I started making BIG dreams for different projects - hence why we didn't go back.  I need to finish the ones I have already! :-)  Another favorite was reading books at the nearby Goodwill bookstore.  We tried to walk in the neighborhood one day and find birds and squirrels, some of her favorites!  It got too hot and we ended up waiting out the rest of the time in the van. I don't often get one on one time with Emma and she is getting to be such a BIG girl!  She thinks she wants to potty train... During the summer I would let her try when she wanted to, but didn't push it since we were going to be traveling more than we would be home.  I still wonder if I am a bad mom... I really don't think she'll go to school in diapers... and I think it's ok not to rush my baby to grow up too fast!  Trying to enjoy what "baby-ness" there still is and at the same time learn how to handle the toddler that is quickly emerging! :-)

I am thankful for the opportunity Caileigh had to take swim lessons and that she learned and enjoyed it so much!  It's fun to see her getting to do such BIG girl things now.  I am also equally thankful for the time I had with Emma one on one.  She is becoming quite the talker and is such a joy to have around!

We were able to go as a family one week to Camp Grace.  I finally was able to put faces to the names of the boys Stephen mentors and tutors at school during their lunch breaks.  That was my highlight.  There are so many kids that come to New Town and I am in the younger group or chasing Emma that I often have no idea who the older kids are except for the few boys who are in a Bible study that meets at our house Mondays. That for me has been the hardest part of being here in Augusta, the feeling that I don't know even a fraction of the kids we minister to as a whole.  After this summer I feel like I am starting to finally get to know them better and putting faces and names together!  Another highlight for me was being able to go to Camp Grace with Stephen's boss and his wife and two kids.  It was fun to get to know them better as well!  I also enjoyed Emma's 3 hour daily nap inside the air conditioned apartment we were staying in and being able to spend the majority of that time in the Word and just resting!  Caileigh's highlights were playing with Riley, Cooper and the kitty cats, swimming, sliding down the giant water slide and riding the horses.  Emma's highlights were "Riwe," "Pooper," "meows," and "neigh-neighs."  The girls did great despite it being the teen boys week of camp.  Having Riley and Cooper there as well was certainly a BIG plus as well as water to swim in to escape the heat! :-)

Enjoying morning cartoons with Riley and Cooper

Teen Boys week

We left Camp Grace, dropped kids off in Augusta, drove to Carrollton, spent the night and then drove with my parents, John and Laura to Kansas.  The drive is LONG, but so worth it!  The girls did great - of course they rode most of the time with Grandpa and Grandma! :-)  I had come up with some new games or activities I had made while at Camp Grace like "fishing" and making pictures or animals with pipe-cleaners that helped to keep little ones busy.  Movies helped too! :-) We all enjoyed visiting with cousins, aunts, uncles and Grandpa!  The animals on the farm were a huge hit for my animal lover girls!  Caileigh and Emma loved playing with my cousins and all their horses!  Caileigh LOVED singing hymns with my Grandpa and other family members one morning.  She's asked several times if we could do it again.  I sure hope so!  I caught Emma several times with her hands on my sleeping Grandpa's knees "asking" him if he was "K?" (Ok?)  and then walking away saying "shhh!" As rough as she can be sometimes, she sure has a sweet sensitive side at times! :-)

Playing the "Ultimate Rope Game"

Cooling off

Trying to figure out the game...

Helping Aunt Ruth bring treats to the horses!

She knows she just got caught squirting her Daddy with water! :-)

Taking a ride

Grandpa Zimmerman with most of his grandkids and his 2 greats

Our little "Cowgirl"

We got to participate in a cattle drive. 

Oh, you know... just shucking corn for dinner.

Giving my youngest cousin a perm..

We enjoyed lots of games indoors with A/C!

The Restaurant in the Sky

Two weekends ago, the girls and I were able to go with John and Laura to Atlanta to meet my extended family on the Dent side for my Aunt's birthday.  We ate at the Westin's Restaurant on the 72nd floor for lunch.  This restaurant rotates, so you get a 360* view of Atlanta.  The girls thought it was pretty cool.  Caileigh kept telling everyone we were going to eat at the "restaurant in the sky!" I think one of her favorite parts was the glass elevator ride up and down - unlike most of the adults.  Her other favorite part was sitting with and playing with my cousins Baxter and Virginia, whom are 10 and 8.  (Pictures are from my Grandpa - thanks Grandpa!)

Most of the "Dents" - missing Stephen and Katie

Great-Grandma and Emma sharing dessert

Great Grandpa and the girls

After enjoy a delicious meal and an incredible view we went back down to earth with somewhat "sea legs" and enjoyed a couple hours at Centennial Park playing in the cold fountain with cousins and watching the water show put to music.

We always enjoy time with Baxter and Virginia!

We spent the night with my parents and enjoyed some swim time with my dad in the neighborhood pool.  Caileigh had been dying to show him how she has learned to swim under water and for him to teach her how to use her snorkeling set and flippers they gave her almost a year ago.

Another highlight was being able to see some friends at KCP on Sunday morning.  Caileigh still talks about playing with her Carrollton friends after church.

May Update

May 1st was the Hope for Augusta Banquet.  It was a great dinner and $16,000 was raised for Hope for Augusta's programs.  Here is the link to a video slideshow from the past year that was shown at the banquet.

http://firstpresaugusta.org/hfa-update

We found time one weekend to go hiking as a family.  It was so good to be outdoors and to spend that time together!

Emma says, "Picnic is over, let's go!"

After-school tutoring ended for the year.  Celebrated Mother's Day with a day of rest and lunch at John and Laura's.

So thankful to be the mom to these two cuties!

We all had the stomach bug at some point during 48 hours!  Thankfully it was short-lived!

The middle of May we started watching a very sweet 3 month old baby girl in the mornings during the week.  The girls both love her and look forward to every morning when she comes!  Caileigh likes to help feed her her bottles and Emma is most concerned if the baby doesn't have her "papi."  We are often rewarded with very sweet smiles and coos.  I thought Emma might get jealous - but so far she seems to love having the sweet baby here!  We're are so thankful for this opportunity to help another family out and to love on another little one! :-)

We enjoyed a trip to the Columbia Riverbanks Zoo with Stephen's brother, Jason and his family and we were able to celebrate our nephew, Thad's 7th birthday with him!  We always have a good time with them and the girls absolutely LOVE playing with their cousins.  We are thankful we are just an hour away from them now!

Picnic at the Zoo by the river with cousins!

John Carter, Caileigh and Emma (asleep in stroller)

Caileigh and her buddy, John Carter

May 21st the Summer Reading Program - Reaching Higher started.

Over Memorial Day weekend we camped near Charlotte with Stephen's parents and enjoyed a weekend by the lake, in the lake and on the lake!  Jason and Lori and kids joined us Saturday.  We all enjoyed turns on the jet ski.  I thought Caileigh would like it but I was wrong - she LOVED it!!!  If only I had a picture of her face to share with you.  She rode in between Stephen and I and she would yell - "Faster Daddy, faster! Go as fast as you want Daddy!  Make it bump us up high!  Make it splash us again!  Go faster Daddy! This is fun!"  I have the bruises to prove that we were bounced around a lot and were only staying on by my knees gripping the sides of the seat!  :-) Emma woke up from her nap in time to have a turn.  I was nervous about her going as she isn't known to sit still nor to really like "rides."  She seemed to like it - maybe not quite as much as her big sister.  She would smile at times and when we would ask her if she liked it she would nod her head with absolutely no expression on her face.  When her turn was over and her Papa asked her if she liked it she yelled - "Yeah!"

Another highlight of the weekend was a visit with our dear friend, Blair and her two girls!  We were sad to miss Micah, as he was out of the country but hopefully we'll get to see them again before the summer is over!  It has been a little over a year since we last saw them and all 4 girls have changed so much!  They thoroughly enjoyed each other and spend over 3 hours swimming together in the pool!  I'm glad Stephen had his phone so we could snap a picture of these sweet friends!

The warmer weather has brought lots of fun activities like swimming, playing with the water table, picnics outside along the Riverwalk and lots of time indoors! :-)  We have lots of fun things and trips planned for the rest of our summer so I apologize but it may be awhile before I get back on and update. Maybe I will try to at least do it once a month instead of three months at a time!  Hope everyone enjoys a safe and fun summer!

April Update

April started with us at Disney.  We had left our SUV at an auto repair shop, rented a van and were more than ready for some rest!  Our nephew who is Emma's age had broken his arm on their trip down to Disney.  So the Pittman family had had quite the adventures before vacation had really even started!  We had a great week playing and swimming and visiting "Mickey's house" as Caileigh called it.  She got to see "Tangled" from a distance - which she still talks about.  She rode her first roller coaster and loved every minute with her cousins!  Emma was a trooper - she slept in a tent like a pro and decided she did like swimming after all but still hates baths!  She enjoyed a few rides but seemed to prefer watching the others enjoy them from a distance.  For someone who is typically a little daredevil she sure was timid about rides.  I think its because she couldn't control them and how they moved.  Despite the rocky start - I believe we are all in agreement that that was the best trip yet!

It's A Small World ride at Magic Kingdom

We came back to Augusta in time to celebrate Easter and my dad's birthday.

Easter 2012

The second weekend Stephen and Rick and two other guys took the Junior High and Hgh school guys who are in mentoring groups with Hope for Augusta to the Man Up! Conference in Atlanta.  It sounds like it was a great conference!

Some of the guys Stephen disciples at Man Up!

Emma had her 6 month follow up ENT appointment.  Everything looked great and her hearing was still good.  She did scare as at first as they thought there was a foreign object in her ear - which with her - there's no telling what it could have been.  Thankfully it turned out to be just some dried blood.  We will go back in 6 months for another check up.  Since the tubes last September, we have yet to have an ear infection - so I would say that it is working!

The third weekend God provided us with a van!  It was what we were looking for and more and for what we could afford!  Never thought we would fight over who gets to drive a van - but it is pretty nice!  Definitely the nicest vehicle either of us have ever owned! :-)  Stephen would even offer to go to the store after the girls were in bed just so he could drive it!  The newness has worn of some but it sure has been a welcomed addition and come in handy quite a bit!

We celebrated Caileigh's 4th birthday with birthday ice cream with Grandpa and Grandma, a "Tangled" themed party with friends, a 4 year check up at the doctor's office and shots (not a fun experience for sure!), a date with Daddy, homemade pizza (her favorite), playtime at Chuck E Cheese, dessert at Tutti Fruitti, an evening with Uncle John and Aunt Laura, and lunch with Papa and Nana.  I'd say this little 4 year old knows how to party all week long!

Our personal "Tangled" and her cake.

Caileigh is growing up way too fast!  She has turned my life into a living musical.  She sings all day long.  Loves to sing any song she knows as well as make up songs and often words.  She loves to "read." Has an incredible memory - which can be both good and bad! :-)  She is a super-sweet and loving big sister!  She loves to help with laundry from sorting to loading to folding and putting away of the clothes.  She does a great job and as Stephen told her, she folds way better than him!  She has learned to snap her fingers and to swim under the water.  She is my little craft buddy and has recently amazed me at her coloring skills!  She LOVED planning her party and helping me with all of the decorations and food!  Thanks to Pinterest we were able to make her ideas a reality! :-) FYI she already has plans for her 5th birthday and 8th birthday, and my guess all the ones in between - I just haven't been told yet! :-)  I think I might see party planning in her future.

At Caileigh's 4 year check up she weighed 31 lbs, was 42 inches tall and had to get 4 shots! :-( As soon as I said that it wasn't just Emma seeing the doctor but her as well, she burst into tears and became very over dramatic about everything from getting weighed to answering questions to getting the shots. The nurses and doctor were all great and very patient with her.  Our doctor even prayed with her before she had to get the shots.  However, she holds no hard feelings towards the nurse who gave her the shots as we see her every week at New Town and she LOVES Mrs. Karissa, our doctor, who also happens to be our neighbor.  

Some recent Caileigh funnies and favorites...

• headfore - (forehead)
• Kenya-garden - (kindergarten)
• One day she said, "Mommy, look how big Emma is, she's all the way up to her head!"
• She is learning to write all the letters in her name.  (It is kind of long - we didn't think about that when naming her, that and how close it sounds to Aunt Katie.)
• She has surprised me with how well she can cut around pictures.  We're still working on holding the scissors the right way. :-)
• She loves to put together puzzles!
• She is a logo reader - recognizes Disney, Kroger, Moe's and several others.
• She dreams of painting our house purple because of the big purple house on the corner and of being an octopus when she grows up so she can swim away from the sharks or maybe just a mom.
• ... and she will make sure you know that she remembers seeing the elephants holding trunks at the circus back in February.

Caileigh - almost 4 - Easter 2012

Emma's 18 month check up was at the same time as Caileigh's.  Which was both good and bad - she was very eager to step on the scale just like big sister etc and was for the first time unfazed by them checking her ears.  She too did not like her 2 shots but was nowhere near as dramatic about it.  Emma weighed 27 lbs and was 32 inches tall.  

Emma is growing way too fast as well!  She does everything down to the way she crosses her legs and holds her baby dolls just like Caileigh!  If Caileigh goes potty - Emma has to go potty.  If Caileigh puts on a article of dress up - Emma has to put on the exact same article of dress up.  When Caileigh sings - Emma sings too - unfortunately right now it sounds like two completely different songs. :-( If Caileigh's baby is crying - so is Emma's!  They play so well together.  I love watching their relationship grow.  They have conversations where Emma will respond - typically with a "yeah" or a "no-ah!"  Emma LOVES to fix my hair or Caileigh's - if she'll let her.  She likes to read books too, but not quite like Caileigh did at her age.  She's finally getting hair and wants us to fix it but that lasts for about 10 minutes before she pulls it out!

Some recent Emma funnies and favorites...

• She loves to yell out "purple how" when we get to our block - this is what Caileigh does, as she's excited to see our purple landmark.  I'm still not sure if Emma knows she's talking about the purple house or if she just knows that this is the spot Caileigh likes to yell out "purple house"...?
• She says "notta baby" - apparently she's a BIG girl now - sadly her hair has taken awhile to come in so she still gets called a baby a lot.
• She "fixes" your hair than turns your head towards her to ask, "K?"- meaning do you like it?
• She says "cry" - telling us her baby is crying.
• She'll say "happy" - her baby is now happy or sometimes we've learned it means 'help me'
• "Potty" - she really wants to go - but this often means it's too late.
• She loves to play hide -n- seek and will stay really still and quiet until Stephen cheats and calls her name :-)
• Her favorite books are Llama, Llama, Red Pajama and Brown Bear, Brown Bear.
• Her favorite songs are Itsy Bitsy Spider and Happy Birthday.

A very sleepy Emma - 18 months - Easter 2012

"Kenya-garden"

"Mommy, when I go to Kenya-garden I think I'll like it because I'll know how to read and I can climb really good now but I will climb even better in Kenya-garden and I'll be 5, that's how old I can be when I can go to Kenya-garden!"  ~ Caileigh, sometime in March.

It's been awhile since I've sat down to write so we'll start with March and hopefully bring you up to date.

The first week of March was our church's Mission's Conference Service Project week.  It was super busy with a lot of extra events.  Stephen had two groups of church members who came to serve at tutoring both days and then as a family we went to a local housing project and played with the kids who live there and painted their faces while sharing the gospel.  My non-artistic husband even painted faces and did quite well - I was impressed! :-)

We celebrated Stephen's birthday with a date night out.  Uncle John and Aunt Laura kept the girls for us.

The second week was the actual Mission's Conference.  It was so good to hear from other missionaries of how God is at work all around the world and to worship with the body of Christ.  It was such an encouraging week and weekend!

The same week we were able to visit with my childhood friend, Hannah.  The last time I saw her was in Kenya, the summer after 5th grade.  We got to meet with Hannah, her husband and two little boys.  Caileigh was fascinated with the fact that she was my friend from when I was a little girl and that we used to live in Kenya!  She asked a lot of questions.  I think partly because we had just had our Mission's Conference at church and met lots of missionaries serving all over the world.  Anyway, it was a good visit and so much fun to catch up!  The kids enjoyed playing together on a local playground.

Here Hannah (in red) and I (in blue/purple) are with our friends from 5th grade in Kenya.
 Please excuse the bad taste in style on my part and yes at that time I was much taller than everyone else!

The girls and I with Hannah and her two boys - March 2012

I really want my girls to know about Africa since that is such a huge part of my life and who I am.  When Caileigh was one, I started writing a children's book about it.  Maybe it's time to pull that back out and finish it - even if it's just for her! :-)

The third weekend in March I was able to go with some other young moms on a weekend getaway near Asheville.  Our husbands decided to send us all away for some time of un-interrupted fellowship.  They planned it all which was nice, yet funny as we were all a little nervous about what it would be like.  We were able to rest, hike, eat out, shop and overall get to know each other better.  It was what I needed!  I am very thankful for these women and for our husbands who knew we needed the time!  I think for the most part the dads enjoyed the time with their kids as well - but I know Stephen was glad for me to be back.  One of the only texts he sent me while I was gone was, "Does she ever stop talking?"  :-)  I think the constant chatter and singing was a little too much at times.

The next two weeks were pretty normal as far as normal around here goes.  The last weekend in March we loaded up our SUV to head to Carrollton for KCP's Mission's Conference and then on to Disney to camp and spend a week with Stephen's family for Spring Break/Master's week.  About an hour and a half into a 3 hour trip our SUV started smoking.  We got off at an exit and after what seemed like a long time finally found a place to look at it.  Long story short the transmission was toast....  We were able to rent a van and made it just in time to Carrollton for us to join our dear friends for a pizza dinner and worship and for Stephen to share what God is doing in Augusta.  The next morning we drove to the Disney Campground.  

Remembering...

After last week of coughs, runny noses and general yuckiness I was hoping we would finally have a healthy week and get back to being around people and ultimately get out of the house - though we did get a lot done around the house last week.  But, apparently that was not meant to be... Caileigh had her first stomach bug this week.  It was rough and she was pretty miserable.  It seems that we are much better and thankfully it seems no one else was affected!

So thankful this cute girl is feeling much better!

This past weekend, thankfully in between the sicknesses, our Emma was baptized at church.  Our parent's and siblings were all able to make it and it was a very special day!  It's so hard to believe she is 17 months old now!  I found myself thinking a lot about our little bundle of energy and mischeif this past weekend. - mainly just remembering but also so thankful for God's gift to our family!

With the Dent Side

With the Pittman Side

It's been a crazy 17 + months with Emma.  She has certainly rocked our world and we have certainly been changed for the good! :-)

• At 14 weeks pregnant with Emma we thought we had lost her
• Before making her grand entrance her heart rate dropped twice - causing quite a scare
• Born with her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck
• Screamed all night for the first two weeks at home
• At 3 weeks we had to take her to have a sweat test done - thankfully she is just a carrier of the Cystic Fibrosis gene!
• At 2 1/2 months she was diagnosed with RSV and had to have breathing treatments for almost two weeks.
• Also at 2 1/2 months she had her first ear infection of 9 in 11 months! 
• Finally at 3 1/2 months she was sleeping 6-8 hours at night and was suddenly such a happy and content baby during the day! 
• 3 days before her 1st Birthday she had tubes put in her ears.
• The day after her 1st Birthday, Emma was walking everywhere on her own and hasn't slowed down since.

Who wouldn't love her...?

• Smile that will brighten any day
• Gorilla hugs
• Slobbery fish kisses

• Sense of style
• Silly Giggles
• Life loving attitude
• Curiosity

• Creativity
• Love for her Big Sister

Emma's favorites:

• Caileigh - anything Caileigh does, likes, wears, plays - Emma LOVES it too!
• Books - she loves to read!

Both my girls LOVE to read!

• Music - she will dance to any beat and tries to sing along
• Hide-n-Seek - every activity is turned into a game of hide-n-seek!
• Tickles - giving and receiving them
• Coloring
• Her teddy - can't leave him behind
• Cats and dogs - we have lots in our neighborhood
• Elephants - she really loved seeing them at the circus recently!

Daddy started this one rainy Saturday...

• Playing with baby dolls - she's a very sweet little mommy
• Climbing - anything is quickly turned into a climbing gym
• Making a mess - she gets this ornery look in her eye and you just know there's about to be a mess
• Tackling Caileigh - thankfully Caileigh still finds this funny...for now
• Pretending to be a Monster - she flexes her muscles, growls and chases after whoever :-)

So thankful for our little Monkey!

Please Pray...

Would you please pray for a girl who has been involved in Hope for Augusta's After-school Tutoring?

In the past 2 months there has been 2 fatal shootings at one of the housing projects close to our house.  This girl attended after-school tutoring at Oak Pointe (another nearby housing project), but lived in the housing project where these two shootings occurred.   The second and most recent shooting victim was her father!  She is in 2nd grade.  I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like to 1) lose your father to such violence, 2) live in fear of someone coming for your family member - as after the first shooting they moved - knowing that that one was supposedly intended for her dad and 3) what other things has she been exposed to in her short life?  

She is not coming to tutoring right now as they have moved.  The manager of the housing project told all of this to Stephen yesterday.  She said this little girl is taking it very hard!  I pray that she would be surrounded with people who love her and that she would know the comfort that only Christ can give!  Stephen is hoping to be able to get in contact with her and her mom.  

Please pray for all the kids we minister to.  Many of them have witnessed events like this.  Many live in this project or in the surrounding projects/neighborhood.  Some perhaps have been involved themselves in acts of violence.  The first Saturday of March we hope to go to this particular housing project with other members of our church to share the Gospel with the children who live there.  It has been a prayer to see doors open to get more involved in this particular housing project.  Pray for those of us who will be going - pray that we would boldly proclaim and show the love of Christ to these neighbors.  In fact, please pray for tonight as it is New Town - the neighborhood Bible Study.  Pray for the 110+ kids and youth that come to hear the Gospel, play, eat and receive the love of Christ.  Pray for the volunteers who have committed to come every Thursday and build into these kids lives.

Thank you!