James' 1st time shooting

James got to go shooting with his Dad and Papa on Friday at a shooting range in Dundee. He got to shoot a .40 and a 410. He had a lot of fun except he said the guns pushed him back. Here are a few pictures.



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Haydee Mahal Everett

Welcome Haydee Mahal! Born March 9th (on her daddy's birthday) at 9:32 pm. 8 lbs. 3 oz., 19" tall, bright-eyed and alert with beautiful dark hair and eyes.

James & Ronnie were so excited to meet their new little sister, and the whole family is well! Thank you for your prayers and support. God bless!
Some people wonder where the name came from... Haydee is a character in The Count of Monte Cristo (book, not movie) who symbolizes the epitomy of love and God's grace. In fact, her unconditional and devoted affection for him is ultimately a source of Dantes' salvation, which I will not detail so the book is not spoiled too much for you. We also discovered that Haydee (spelled Haidee) was a character used by Lord Byron (one of Jesse's favorite poets) in his poem Don Juan - also a picture of a devoted and loving woman. Her middle name "Mahal" means "love" in Tagolog - a main Philippine language. It was a name that we both liked, but we also wanted to convey a sense of Frankie's family heritage.

Baby Update

Well, I'm still pregnant...

We went to the doctor yesterday, and I am at 3 cm and 60%. If I don't go into labor naturally by the end of the week, I am scheduled to be induced on Monday, March 9th - which makes Jesse absolutely ecstatic since that's his birthday.

So, stay tuned via Blogger, Facebook, or Myspace.
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Today's Lesson: Patience

God gave me a lesson on patience today. I went to the post office (Lesson #1), and hit traffic due to construction on 102nd Avenue (Lesson #2)... just to follow a student driver all the way back to campus (Lesson #3).

Funny how God knows what we need when we need it. Thankfully, His lesson also opened up a good parking spot when I got back to work.

God is so good!
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The Gospel According to James: Attention Everyone!

...at least that was the way this announcement was made by James over lunch yesterday. We went to lunch with the Neil Family - although we scheduled the lunch a month ago, it ended up being a celebration for Jon's new job which he just found out about a few days earlier.

Part way through the meal & good conversation, James put his hand (with one index finger extended) in the air, and said:

"Just remember... (long, dramatic silence)... Jesus is not a sinner."

Well, there you have it folks. The Gospel according to James.
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Courtesy

I was in the bathroom this morning getting ready for work when...

(knock, knock, knock)
Frankie: "Yes?"
James: "Are you decent?"
Frankie: "Yes. Come in."
James: "Thank you. Just making sure."

...and in other news, Ronnie is expanding his vocabulary (outside of "tuh-duh" = touchdown). We now hear words like "baby", "puppy", and "stinky". Ronnie loves to lift my shirt up, poke my belly button and say "baby". If he only knew what is to come in the next month...
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...because He is Good.

James & I watched Prince of Egypt today. Afterwards, James sat for a minute.

James: "Mommy, guess what character on the movie I like the best?"
Frankie: "Who?" thinking Moses since he is the hero.
James: "God. Because He is good."

Proud parent moment. *sigh*
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