Let's Try This Again, Shall We?

I came to a rather freeing realization yesterday.  I was laying in bed, thinking about how I'd like to travel more.  I wasn't thinking this with any kind of bitterness that I don't get to travel much; I was just thinking about all the incredible places in the world and how I would love to see them all, be they the Himalayas or the Amazon Rainforest or the steppes of (former) Russia or whatever.
And then I realized:  compared with previous generations, I have already traveled enough for three lifetimes.  I've been to Mexico, England, Ireland, Canada, and any number of our united States from the West Coast to the East, from the extreme North to the sultry South.  As Johnny Cash so famously put it, I've been everywhere, man.
And so it is with extreme contentedness that I place before you just a few captured moments of the experiences of the past few months.  Life has been full, and although there are thousands more instances that I would like to (and may some day) share with you, these few should tide you over for a bit.  For those involved (or not), love to you and yours!

                         Here, Jack is simultaneously delighted and grossed out by pumpkin guts.

 Just plain happy to have his own.

I did the grunt work.

I don't know who enjoyed dressing up more.

From left to right:  Jack's Iron Man, Julia's beginner pumpkin, my Pac-Man Ghost, and Chelsea's Panic the Cat.

Julia adored the owl costume that Chelsea made for her.

The hood was pretty cute, too.

Owl: Check.  Dinosaur child:  Check.  Hot Pirate:  Check.

On Matt's porch prior to trick-or-treating.

This boy is FINALLY getting used to having his picture taken!

We got to visit Memommy in the fall, and these two matching birthday girls got together like old friends.

Julia refused to stay in one spot on Byron's lap.  He handled it pretty well. 

I'm afraid she seems to have inherited some of my seriousness.

Moments like these, amirite?

This is what Grandma calls her "Darla face."  Those who have seen Finding Nemo will understand.

Or maybe she was just excited about her first birthday!

NOMNOMNOMNOM

These girls actually shared a birthday party, since it was only two days apart!

Nice picture, huh?  Only took 13 tries.

Rocky and Diana hosted us!  Their home was like Munchkinland, and about as much fun!

We call this "wrangling the kids." 

He and Eve had a blast, too.  Baltimore Fehskens reunited!

He cared nothing at all for how cold it was.  This was the place to be.

Rocky is honestly better with baby girls than I am.  He was the preferred daddy on this trip.

We also got to go to a Christmas parade in Elizabethton!

Not to mention a nature park, with Unca Matt and Aunt Isabel. 

I Fall to Pieces

Oh MAN!  So this is the first time I've even been able to pull up the blog page in two months, due to Internet shenanigans (hint: if you like fast Internet, don't move to east Tennessee).  On top of that, as most of you know, we've been up to our necks in new-home, new-job, new-life stuff.  So I hope you'll forgive the hiatus in posting; it just hasn't been feasible up until now.
That being said, we have had some beautiful times adjusting to life here in the South.  There's lots more to share but I thought I would start with our most recent experience.  Yesterday we went to Fender's Farm with Uncle Matt (Un' Ma') and Aunt Isabel (IZZZ?) to enjoy the fall weather.  It was supremely beautiful and a great way to spend a few hours on a day off.  I must admit, it was one of the few corn mazes that has bested me; by the end, we had been walking for over an hour and the exit was just inches away but through a barrier of corn; we simply stepped through.  I still feel guilty about it.
The kids had a wonderful time, as you will see.  We love you all and hope to talk to you soon.  Until then, enjoy the post.

A Change Is A-Gonna Come

Hello, everyone!  As you all know, it has been the most incredibly busy and stressful time in recent memory in our household.  So much is changing that it seems impossible to even hope for stability at times, even if that stability is just over the horizon.  One thing we've found, however, is that love and family tend not to change.  They are always there for you.  And we've been blessed enough to enjoy those things more than usual recently, as our loved ones come together in support and just plain old fun.
We saw Mom and Dad on a quick visit, and even managed to get all three Fehskens groups together to go to the zoo.
Eve and Jack had fun as usual.  Julia was delighted with Mom and Dad.  Ted continued showcasing his amazing talent at photo bombing (I mean that honestly; it's not easy to do well).  Everyone had a good time.
So below, enjoy pics from that day and our recent activity.

Summer Daze

Ahh, can you feel it?  Summer is here!  School is out and all kinds of things are changing.  We're going to Tennessee for goodness' sakes!  It's sunny outside and all is well.
That's not to say that it hasn't been chaotic (I love properly placed double negatives).  We're already packing, and let me tell you, house-hunting is not that fun when you have less than 6 weeks to do it.  Here's praying that it turns out well.
I thought you'd like some new pix of the kiddies having fun.  They love each other, and it shows.  Plus, you get to see Julia's new "hat," as Jack calls it.  That'll be her new look until about August to adjust cranial growth.  Maybe it's just me, but I think she's pretty darn cute either way.
Enjoy!

Click here for the YouTube video

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Your eyes, they shine like the sun.

We have been aching for a break around here, and we finally got one.  When Eastertime hit, we packed up the car and sped away to the hill country of Virginia, where Chelsea's mother Robin lives, on a farm populated by her floral creations and hard work.  Seriously, that place is beautiful.  An enormous pond filled with fish, woods and rising hills, koi pond surrounded by bushes, flowers, and trees...it was rhapsodical.  We spent a relaxing few days there before jetting off to Tennessee for a day, where we got to hang out with Matthew and Isabel for a while.  They are so great, and their house is looking better than ever.  The last time we went there they had just moved in, so it was a little cluttered; you can imagine the difference a few months make.
Then it was back to Virginia to spend time not only with Robin but with Chelsea's brother Rocky as well, along with his crew (wife Diana and children Emma and Lily).  Easter egg hunts and all sorts of fun times.  Not to mention that we had awesome weather the whole way through--bright sun followed by impressive nighttime thunderstorms.  I loved it.  I hope you dig the pictures.

Click HERE to watch the YouTube video.

Click HERE to watch the Vimeo video.

No dusty relics here.

As part of Jack's fun birthday week, we took a trip on Saturday to Philadelphia (all thanks to the banking queen and travel guru, Chelsea Q. Fehskens).  She made the trip plans and it happened 'cause of her, so rock on!  The museum was a great time, an absolutely fantastic place to spend three or four hours (or more, if you don't have to crash for a nap).  You'll see in the video some of the amazing things they have for kids to play with there--wonderful themed areas and all kinds of activities.  If you're interested in more pictures, they have their own album on my Facebook page.
And then the zoo.  That was great too, because it was just drizzly and chilly enough that we had the place to ourselves.  Lots of the animals were out, too--I guess they liked not having a million sweaty freaks staring at them.  Just a few of us.  Hope you like the spectacle.

Click HERE to watch the YouTube video.

Click HERE to watch the Vimeo video.

Well it was two years ago in March...

We recently celebrated Jack's second birthday.  I know it's cliched to say, but it truly is hard to believe that it was only two years ago that he arrived in this world, wide-eyed and yelling (with a sizeable bump on his head).  The reason I say this is because he has impacted our lives so much, in so many ways, that I'm well beyond imagining a time when this boy wasn't part of my life.
I'm a better person because of him.  When I see the trust he has in me, the complete and utter trust, I feel incapable of making selfish decisions anymore.  Of course, I still do--part of my nature, and something I'm continuously praying and working on--but more and more, I think of him and the world I'm helping make for him and change my mind.
He is so sweet and loving and funny.  His eyes pierce my mind and I love playing with him.  I love reading to him and praying with him.  Baths are fun.  Walks are fun.  Writing down all the new words he knows is fun, and hearing him use them in life as he learns and discovers new things.  I'm flat-out in love with this boy.  He's my favorite person in the world, bar none.  And it's different--it doesn't mean I love Julia any less (I can't wait to devote an entire post to her as well, and soon) or that Chelsea is not also my favorite person--but this child, my first experience of eternally perpetuated responsibility--this child kills me.  And now he's two.  So how about that.
Below, find some stills from his party with tasteful musical accompaniment.

Click HERE to watch the YouTube video.

Click HERE to watch the Vimeo video.

Here Comes The Sun

The weather is starting to turn around here, and as a result, moods are going up incrementally.  I normally enjoy the brisk nip of fall and the quietude of a rainy morning, but these sunny warm days have pierced through my facade and I find myself enjoying the light as much as anyone.  Chelsea's pale skin has been kissed by a rose, and Jack can hardly wait for me to get in the door before he's leading me by the hand back out and saying, "C'mon."  Julia, meantime, smiles.  That's all she really cares to do.
We've been for a good many walks outside--feeding ducks, blowing bubbles, finding sticks to carry.  But even when stuck inside for lack of time or light or initiative, things have been rather happy.  As always, so much going on that I feel I'm living two or three lives instead of one, but nonetheless whenever I think of something to complain about I realize there are seven or eight blessings crowding to take its place.  Below, find some pictures to enjoy until our next tete-a-tete.

Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.

December has come and gone, January has shown its wintry head and passed on down the trail.  We are now in the ending throes of February and God continues to amaze us with His tender care.  Not beat-down-the-door camaraderie or ingratiating lies; no, He creeps into our lives like a parent checking on his sleeping child, and leaves blessings for us to discover as we slowly wake to the world around us.
This has been a tumultuous few months.  I am a year older, and in getting  my hair cut discovered a plethora of white--not gray, but white--hairs residing on my head's lower east side.  Reminded me of Holden Caulfield.  And the same week I receive my final work evaluation before they went ahead and gave me the thumbs-up; I'm set for tenure and a load is lifted off of my back.
All of these things occurring have finally given me pause to stop and take stock of what have become, truly, the most precious people in the world to me:  my brilliant lovely wife and our progeny, these wonder-filled children.  If every parent were to feel this way, I doubt there would be any more war or hatred; how could you harbor such feelings when your heart held so much love?
Jack is nigh approaching two, and Julia has passed her second month with aplomb.  There are kisses goodnight from big brother to little sister; there are calls for "Baby?" when I trundle him out to the car ahead of the ladies; and the first Sunday we took Julia to the infant care center before dropping Jack off with the toddlers, he pitched a royal fit of screaming and crying that would only be sated by another look at his sister, safe and sound.
I've uploaded some of the best pictures of this period and made a little music video with them; the links are embedded below.  For now, our love to you, and enjoy.

Click HERE for the YouTube video
Click HERE for the Vimeo video