The Hare Family

Finally... you've been waiting for a new post!!!

2008-07-31T21:56:00.000-07:00

Well it's certainly been ages since my last update and I'm sure some of you have given up checking back to see if we've changed pages from the UNC / USC game.... I decided to take the plunge and give you a peak at what life with our ONE year old is like... yes - Jonathan turned one on April 16 and he's growing more and more every day. Once I give my picture update, I'll do another post with all the happenings of the summer.

I made Jonathan's birthday cake(s) and we had a party at my parent's house. We had tons of friends and family there to celebrate Jonathan's life and it was definitely a very special time.
Although I must say that Jonathan is beginning to exert quite the independent/stubborn streak, he is almost always a joyful child! It doesn't take much to make him happy! So, since I'm SO far behind in giving an update, I'll just give you a (possibly lengthy) photo journal of some of the things Jonathan loves. First on the list : Jonathan loves smiling!

"Baaaaaawwwwl" Need I say more????

He also loves playing in the water and getting dirty! Jonathan loves his friends.... especially the GIRLS (if you can't tell!) I think Kayleigh's (yes... another girl friend) too quick for the camera - all the pictures i have of her are hair flipping as she runs away :) !!!
And Jonathan LOVES his family! He is able to look at pictures and either point out family members or call their names - His favorite names are Gabe... or "Gayyyyyyyye!" and "Ca-cee"
And finally, for your viewing pleasure... every day if full of laughter around our house! Jonathan finds joy in pretty much anything and loves to laugh. It's such a blessing to hear his laughter that I thought I'd share some that I caught on video. He was actually laughing at Casey playing in the water: (oh and PS... I sometimes forget that I can't turn my camera vertical ways and then my video is sideways. Oh well - you can still get the picture!)

The Big Game...The Battle of the Carolinas

2007-10-13T17:57:00.000-07:00

UNC TARHEELS

VS:

USC SHAMECOCKS

I don't have any pictures of us decked out in our Tarheel gear b/c Jonathan (a.k.a. Niagra Falls) spit up on his cool uniform before I could pull the camera out! Guess I'll be quicker next time... I'll be sure to post some more pictures of our Tarheel family soon.

I will be honest in my post... UNC lost the game. But we put up a good fight and only lost by 6 points! My USC fans out there... You know who you are (hmmm Julie and David) - be very afraid for next year! :)

Visit to Erskine College

2007-10-13T16:43:00.000-07:00

October 6, 2007

Adam and I were able to take a day trip to our Alma-mater, Erskine College, for homecoming. Erskine doesn't have a football team so our homecomings are out at the soccer games. Although it's October, the weather felt like mid-July... it was quite warm! Jonathan did great traveling and enjoyed the fun times outdoors. It was really great to get to visit w/ our friends from Due West.

In the midst of the good times, I came to the realization that change is inevitable...

New Construction on Memorial Hall The good ol' BP has closed down and Due West has moved on to bigger and better... the Dollar General :)

And new monuments and stone things taking up green space around campus... but then again.... some things never change.

The Due West ARP Church continues to welcome new students to come inside to find their church home while at college.

The Due West Hardware Store still leaves plants and other merchandise outside... rain or shine - whether the store is open or closed!

Erskine continues to try to recruit new members to the Flying Fleet Club

And Adam will continue to tolerate my love of taking pictures wherever we go :)

Football and Homecoming

2007-10-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

October 5, 2007
We went to our second Lancaster High School football game - I took my camera in this time. LHS played at South Pointe High but it was also special b/c one of our youth group members was on South Pointe's 1st ever homecoming court! Jonathan enjoyed the football game - he LOVES when there is stuff going on and couldn't take his eyes off the field. Adam enjoyed being able to show Jonathan off to several of his co-workers but the evening didn't turn out in Lancaster's favor. We went home after the half-time show but LHS lost the game to South Pointe. We had a great evening but had to head home for a busy day tomorrow... see next post for more exciting times for our family!

Just for laughs...

2007-10-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

I'm actually getting 2 new posts in w/in a week! So - Jonathan is taking a nap and I wanted to share some more pictures w/ you...

Although I don't have any pictures (I didn't know if they'd let me take my bag in)- Jonathan got to go to his first football game. It was high school... Lancaster at Northwestern. He loved the game but I think he liked watching the cheerleaders better - their bright yellow uniforms were eye-catching I guess. :) We'll be going to another Lancaster football game this Friday night, so I'll have to get some more pictures at that. Next is just a few random pictures of Jonathan w/ his daddy... When daddy is home, he's the only person Jonathan wants to see :) Mommy is invisible!

And finally... my dad - Jonathan's paw-paw - is working LOTS of hours at Duke Power but still has time to squeeze in for his favorite little man! He and Gramma came over to our house for a brief visit... just long enough to take a few pictures and get a few smiles and giggles :)

So - that's our update. We're busy as always but hoping to have some good family time coming up... We're going to Erskine homecoming this weekend (Oct. 6) and possibly a beach trip coming up first of November. Adam and I will also be taking Jonathan on the youth group trip at the end of November but the location is top secret so I can't tell you that yet! Until next time...

A september to remember!

2007-09-29T22:50:00.000-07:00

I realize that I'm not as quick w/ the updates and Jonathan is growing SO quickly - someday I'll figure out a good balance of everything going on in my life! :) I love staying at home and feel blessed that the Lord is allowing this in our life! There have definitely been adjustments and sacrifices though - all 100% worth it! Some other moms and friends in the area get together weekly to spend time and encourage one another - this has been a huge positive thing for me and Jonathan - it's hard getting things together and getting out of the house sometimes - but it's all worth it when I feel "Refreshed" at the end of the day - Refresh being the key word! These ladies - along w/ our ongoing couples' Bible study through church - help me to keep my focus where it needs to be... spending time w/ the Lord and taking things slowly in order to fully enjoy this special time in my life!

There have been several other things going on for us - An important first.... which will definitely balance out this blog... Jonathan watched his first UNC Tarheel football game on TV - and loved every minute... well - he didn't love the score - but that's ok - we're biding our time and waiting for basketball season! :)

So - you can tell - Jonathan loves to smile and loves to watch Tarheel football... also - notice... I definitely have my husband - for everyone to see - wearing a UNC T-shirt! :) I'm slowly converting him!

I have more pictures... but will have to add them later b/c the blogger website is messing up on me - that's ok b/c I posted the most important ones... Jonathan's big smiles in his UNC clothes!

Another FIRST!

2007-09-29T22:26:00.000-07:00

So - Adam is coaching cross county at Lancaster High School again this year and they've had three meets. The team has some pretty hard competition w/ the other York County schools but they are improving! Jonathan LOVES to be outside - so he definitely had a great time watching everything going on. He's definitely a curious little man... likes to know what's going on ALL the time! Adam enjoyed having us at the meet as well - most of all so he could show of Jonathan :) It's ok - I know where I stand! ;)

Honestly - Adam loves coaching and I'm looking forward to being able to go to a majority of the games and stuff since I'm no longer working. I know that Adam is looking forward to getting Jonathan a good start in the world of sports! The next picture cracks me up - Jonathan loves playing w/ these linky rings - he's especially fond of putting them in his mouth! I also must add... if you notice - and I didn't really think it'd be any other way - but his eyes are definitely brown... there's no doubt about that - He didn't really stand a chance w/ both Adam and I having dark brown eyes. :)

Ok - so this picture isn't from the cross country meet- but I figured I'd add it here b/c it was another first... Jonathan wasn't too sure what to think about the exer-saucer but quickly got the hang of moving and twisting to see all the different toys. I was enjoying the different tools on the camera to make the picture look brown! Looks to me like another toy getting ready to fall victim to Jonathan's mouth! :)

PS: Look out... there's more to come - more pictures and more updates!

Photo Essay:

2007-09-03T20:01:00.000-07:00

Jonathan's baptism, Grandfather Mountain, and our "hike" to King's Mountain.

We had fun doing a "photo shoot" after church this past Sunday!

So - I definitely am getting the hang of this blogging stuff and realize now that if I have been doing a lot of work w/ uploading pictures and such - I will do more of saving the draft. It is late and I lost 1/2 of my post - I'll have to do it all over again another time. Hope you enjoy the few pictures that didn't get lost somewhere in the blogspot world.

Clemson VS. Florida State

2007-09-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

Jonathan decided to stay up late tonight for his first ever Clemson football game. Although his mommy wants him to like UNC Tarheels, there isn't much to cheer for or watch during football season. Adam and I have a deal that Jonathan can be a Clemson fan during football season and a Tarheel the rest of the year ;). As of right now, Jonathan is excited to know that Clemson is winning 24-3. It's almost 1/2-time so we'll see what happens the rest of the game. Jonathan may have to wait until tomorrow AM to see who wins the game.

Wow... Summertime update!

2007-09-03T08:37:00.000-07:00

So after several requests from folks to update our webpage, I am making myself take the time to give you all so details of what's been keeping us busy. Jonathan is now 4 1/2 months old. He'll be 5 months old on September 16. The picture to the right was taken yesterday - we can't believe how much he's growing and changing... every day! Adam and I think this past week was the biggest for him changing and doing new things... he started laughing, rolled over from back to stomach and stomach to back, sat up by himself, and learned how to kick water out of his bathtub (and get it all over the kitchen floor). His favorite thing to do is still nap in his swing - that's what he's doing right now which allows me to be working on the computer.

Yesterday, we took Casey (our dog) to Winthrop Lake to hang out and go for a walk. We met Aunt Julie, David, and Gabe and had a really fun day. Jonathan slept in the shade for a while but really enjoyed walking around the lake. Casey played in the water and Gabe also enjoyed playing soccer. The weather was beautiful... nothing like the 100degree days we have had in recnt weeks.

As you can tell, we had a really great time at the park and it's SO much fun seeing Jonathan laugh and smile! Casey had a good time also -- she LOVES the water - her favorite trick is to fetch the tennis ball out of the water. Adam and I have decided to take more frequent trips to Winthrop Lake since everyone had such a great time.

So - some other exciting events of the summer: We have attempted to take some mini-trips... however, Adam and I quickly learned that we can't just "throw everything in the truck and leave" anymore. :) Jonathan's things take up a lot of room but we're learning how to pack his things up. We went to Pinopolis, SC for a family reunion on July 4th. This was also Jonathan's Grandma's birthday so she was excited to be able to see how big he was. The next day, Adam, Jonathan, myself, and David went to Kentucky to surprise the folks in youth group on the Appalachia trip. This was hard for me not being on this trip - of all 12 years our group has gone, this was the first year I didn't go. However, the blessing of having our son definitely was a good trade-off.

At the end of July, we had several family and friends to our church (Ebenezer ARP) to celebrate and witness Jonathan's baptism. Jonathan cried the entire time, but it was our opportunity to recognize that Jonathan is a gift from God and that we want to raise him to know and love the Lord. We enjoyed having so many family and friends there with us.

Other exciting events: We've gone "hiking" at King's Mountain Park and took a trip to Banner Elk for a couple days to spend some time with Adam's parents. When we went to Banner Elk, we also went to Grandfather Mountain - we crossed the swinging bridge and Adam handled it like a pro :) He was only slightly terrified - but I will say that it was VERY high and easy to feel off balance.

After being a plumber for the summer with our friends Ben and Judah, Adam has gone back to his job of teaching P.E. This year he is making the adjustment to teaching P.E. at Lancaster High School instead of the middle school. He is coaching cross country right now and will have his first cross country meet on September 11th. Basketball season will start soon and our life will become even more busy than it currently is! I LOVE staying at home and enjoy being able to see Jonathan change every day! It is definitely a miracle to see him master something that he has been working on (i.e. rolling over) or learn how to use a new toy.

So - that's our summer in a nutshell. I promise that I will do a much better job of updating our family information as it happens. In efforts to save money for me staying at home, we have cancelled our internet so I will make more efforts to access a computer to keep you folks updated on all of Jonathan's changes!

PS: I am going to add another post with several pictures for you to enjoy watching Jonathan's changes throughout the months.

May 18, 2007

2007-05-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

Adam and I were thankful for the opportunity to get out and take Jonathan to Landsford Canal State Park with Julie, David, and Gabe. The day was beautiful - the (rare) water lilies were in full bloom and Jonathan (although he slept majority of the time) seemed to really enjoy being outdoors. I enjoyed watching Gabe (3.5 years old) find joy in making big splashes in the water by throwing rocks... the big kids (Adam and David) also enjoyed throwing rocks in the water to see how many times they could make them skip... I think they may have gotten 3 skips - but they'll definitely blame it on the rocks!

Throughout the whole day, I - being a first time mom - was worried that I shouldn't be taking a 5 week old baby out roaming through the woods. When we got to the dock to look at the lilies, another family was there with an ELEVEN day old baby! I couldn't imagine 11 days post c-section doing any sort of nature walks... it was hard enough to walk to the mailbox! Thankfully, I feel like I had a great recovery and am looking forward to more fun days liket his with my family! I can't wait for Jonathan to enjoy God's creation as much as Adam and I do!

Pictures!

2007-05-17T17:25:00.001-07:00

Although it seems like it was yesterday, this picture was taken FIVE weeks ago on Jonathan's birthday. His friend Emma told her parents that she wanted to come to the hospital to visit. We were there for 4 days before coming home to begin our new life as parents... We're just now slightly getting the hang of it but enjoying every moment!

Pre and post bathtime... Jonathan hasn't learned to enjoy his baths yet so it is definitely a sad time around our house when it's bathtime. However, Adam and I love the cuddle time afterwards!

We've tried to take opportunities to get out of the house and were definitely thankful to be able to make it to our church's Homecoming. We only made it to lunch, but it was great being able to intruduce Jonathan to everyone and to be able to fellowship with our friends. Jonathan has since had several more outings and I'm looking forward to more opportunities to introduce Jonathan to the big world outside our house. :)

I have really learned so much about myself, Adam, and - most importantly - God's power in our lives - and have enjoyed seeing the many blessings we have been given. My first Mother's Day was one of those blessings and we enjoyed being able to celebrate it with family. Jonathan enjoyed his first trip to Hickory Grove and was very well-behaved! This picture is special to see 4 generations in one sitting. We'll have to get another picture taken next trip to see Granny and Pawpaw because Pawpaw was watching the Braves game when this picture was taken.

Family Update:

2007-05-17T12:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I got the blog started and have done nothing else to it. Life has been one adjustment after another but I wouldn't trade one single minute of it. We've had several fun times throughout the past few weeks and Jonathan has been out of the house to visit several different places... mine and Adam's work, Ebenezer ARP homecoming (we didn't make it to church but got there in time for lunch... you know Adam and his food), Granny and Pawpaw's for my FIRST mother's day, Gramma's work, and (most recently) his first ever Red Rose Banquet! We've had a bunch of firsts around here and it's been good for me to actually get out of the house b/c I've really been going stir crazy around here! Adam went back to work this week after being home for the first four weeks of Jonathan's life - this was the last week of school and he'll be moving to the high school next year so there were lots of loose ends to tie up. Next week, he'll be starting to work for a friend's plumbing service for his summer job. After attempting to figure out being a new parent, things drastically changed when Adam went back to work this week... however, each day has been considerably better than the one before - and I'm very thankful to God for the small blessings. For example: today... Jonathan ate for longer stretches and took longer naps and I was able to fold clothes, vacuum and mop the floors, make this addition to update you guys, and pay some bills... now I'm tired! :) So - that being said... the nights are either getting better or I'm just getting used to the sleep deprivation! Actually, we are getting some longer stretches here and there and that's been good for me.
So I know you want to see pictures and since I'm still new at this whole thing, I'm going to make an additional post with some recent pictures of the excitement around this place :) We're looking forward to keeping you all updated with everything going on and hope to be getting back into the swing of things soon! Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support as we learn how to be parents and look forward to letting Jonathan get to know you all!

Ta-Da... Welcome to the blogging world

2007-05-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

Our family has grown and I finally decided it was time to join the blogging world. Im still learning about all of his and hope to add pictures and links and stuff later... however - right now I'm doing good just to get this up and going. It'll be fun keeping everyone updated on me, Adam, and Jonathan's fun happenings. I'll be adding more later.