Sonoma

It has been crazy rainy off and on here for the past few weeks so when we see the sun we try and head outdoors even if its just on the front porch. A few weeks ago it was a sunny Saturday and we made a run for it.

We had a family outing to Sonoma and ate lunch at our favorite Sunflower Café on the back patio! Sonoma also has a huge park in the middle of town and so Hallel walked the majority of it all by herself! She chased the geese and tried out all the slides.

Josh would put her up on top of the slide and she would scoot her cute little bottom to the edge and go down. About half way down the twisty slide she would close her eyes tight and smile. It was the cutest thing! I hope she stays unafraid and adventurous about life (with some caution:)).

February 10th

I love the fact that Josh and I were married right before Valentines Day. It feels like all of the stores are getting festive for our Anniversary! Josh and I celebrated our 4th anniversary this February and I still can't believe that we have been married that long! It was a special day to just stop and remember. I think with the new year and the baby coming our minds have been elsewhere and it seemed like the clock just slowed for one day and we took time to remember who we are and where we have come from. Basically, how there is no way that we would be married if it were not for the Lord! He has been so kind and so gracious and we are excited about what He is doing in our marriage for the long haul. We both reflected on how marriage is one of the hardest things that either of us have ever worked on and yet at the same time one of the most rewarding and worthwhile. I can see why God invented it and knows how to do it best!

Enough philosophizing here is what made it special! We both had busy mornings and then our sweet friends came over and watched Hallel while Josh and I saw The Book of Eli (Josh got movie tickets for $2, good job!) It is not one that we would recommend to our families, lots of violence. But we both really liked it and have liked talking about it for days after. Really inspiring thoughts about the Bible and faith. Then we came home and took our little sweetie pie to one of our favorite places, the Macaroni Grill thanks to gifts cards from Sara!

Unfortunately we only have one picture from the day when we are all tired putting Hallel to bed. But we will always have the memories!

The Mathews

Beautiful pictures by a beautiful friend!!!!! Thanks Shan for making us look so good and filling our albums with timeless memories!

want to see more go to shannoncphoto.blogspot.com

the four of us

WOW! Thank you for all the comments to the last blog. I was overwhelmed with sweet encouraging words from you all! So, thanks! Here is more of a normal blog and update on the four of us.

Josh has submitted his prospectus for his dissertation. So it just has to go through the approval process and then he can fully and officially research and write! It is so amazing to be at this long awaited point in the schooling journey. This is why we came here and what he has wanted to do. Yes, it is a daunting task but also exhilarating to be able to dive in with both feet. Thank you for your prayers and please keep him on your heart!

Here's a kinda comical story that I had to share. Just last week I was getting my hair cut from a training school (yeah $10 haircuts) when suddenly the world turned black after I had been standing for a very long time while the stylist cut the bottom layer. Thankfully, she caught me and let me sit down for the rest of the (3 hr) haircut. Yikes!

Hallel is as cute as ever and keeps us laughing and on our toes. She can empty a drawer in seconds and comes speed walking to the kitchen any time we open the fridge. She has been working on walking backwards this week and it is so cute to watch her concentrate. This morning she was giggling as she was giving her baby a hot wheelie (2 wheels off the ground) ride in her stroller.

Simeon is growing and active. We can't wait to see the little face that matches his active personality in utero.

That's the update on the four of us.

baby bellies

Baby bellies have a definite upside and downside to them.

The upside of having a baby belly is that you have a special connection with a lot of other moms. There are so many wonderful women where we live that either just had a baby or just found out they are pregnant. It is so fun to always have pregnant people bringing new life to our campus.

It has been special to be due a week and a half later than my good friend and recent co-worker Aubrey. We still hope that we will deliver at similar times and be down the hall from each other in the hospital.

Another belly bond is with Josh's sister Christy who is due about 2 weeks after us in March. We hope that these little bro cousins end up being good friends.

The down side is that people suddenly feel the need to say anything and everything that comes to their minds about you and your belly. I am not surprised by the comments any more but still bothered by them. Just today I was in line at the store and the cashier said that I looked like I was ready to pop today. What am I supposed to say to that? Thanks, I feel better now about the 5 weeks that I have left. Then I walked a few feet outside of the store and was greeted with another woman yelling to me, "I have to ask when you are due because it looks like any minute now" Thanks again. Yes, I did look in the mirror today and I am aware that I look like a hippo. And I do feel an oddly proportioned sized watermelon attached to my stomach. But I really didn't need that gasp and the emphatic reminder that I am not going to make it to my due date according to my size.

Ya know I have heard that it works both ways from my friends who do not show very much and people insist that they don't even look pregnant. I could go on with statements of things that people have said to me but I will stop with a gentle reminder. If you see someone who is pregnant please just smile at them and pretend like you think they have that mommy glow even if they look awful. Thanks.

December 25th, 2009

While most of you were celebrating Christmas and Jesus' birth (we were too) we also had a big girl one year old birthday for Hallel. The celebration actually started on Christmas Eve in Medford (with Stacy's family)and then continued on Christmas Day in Gresham (with Josh's family). We now know that Hallel likes chocolate cake and frosting, she can open presents without almost any help, and she likes being sung to. The proof is in the pictures!

It's funny, now that Hallel has turned one she looks so much older to us. It's like it happened over night!

Hair

I think that Josh and I are overly intrigued by the idea of Hallel growing hair on her head. Maybe its because people still call her a boy sometimes. (The barret above stayed in just long enough to take some pictures before falling out:))

Anyways, I am so excited about the progress but you can only tell right after bath time when it is sticking up all over the place. As soon as it dries the fine little pieces of beauty go back to their resting place. I know that I will regret this blog someday when it is a tangled mess. But for now this is our update ... more later!