Snow!

Kaleb and Joshua this picture is for you. we have been surviving the cold here and enjoying the pretty snow. It has snowed a few times. I think people look at us funny because we are so bundled up. We are really floridians now it seems. Zion bundled up for a shopping trip at Grove City Outlets. We all got new nikes. Usually Zion kicks off all blankets but not on this day.
Decorating the tree. Travis my dad and Tim went and cut it down. They picked a good one.
Zion had a bad cold but she is feeling great now and walking a lot more. She is enjoying her aunts and her grandma and grandpa. Travis and I spent the night at a bed and breakfast on Monday night and went out for dinner. It was our first night away from Zion and we missed her but we had a great time. The city was really pretty in the evening and then we went to a see Christmas lights that you drive through in a park. I do have to say that it seems a lot more Christmasy to me here than in Florida with the snow, cold, real tree and our family but we are looking forward to seeing all of our Florida friends soon. We miss you!

This is where we stayed. It was awesome.
http://www.theinnsonnegley.com/

This is where we ate. I had this pasta with a sage and goat cheese cream sauce, grilled chicken and cranberries. It was seriously one of the best things I have ever had. So if you live in the Burgh you should go there.

http://www.bigburrito.com/casbah/

Happy Thanksgiving!

On our trip Zion enjoyed playing computer games with her Aunt Bethany. Now she thinks every computer belongs to her.
Zion Mackenzie Schenk World traveler Part II. Last year it was Pittsburgh, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh. This year it is New Mexico and Pittsburgh. Zion ran all over the airport and made a lot of friends. We had to take too planes and switched in Orlando. From Orlando from Albuquerque was four hours but she did great. We kept feeding her snacks and brought lots of toys.
Things have been busy the past few weeks which is why you have not heard much from us. We made a trip to New Mexico to be with Trav's family for Thanksgiving. All his siblings were able to be there so we enjoyed spending time together. Zion enjoyed her first Thanksgiving meal and ate lots and lots. She got spoiled by her aunts, uncles, grandparents and great grandparents and practiced her walking skills. She enjoyed walking there because the house had carpet.
It snowed right after we got there and her Grandma took her out on the snow. She cried I think because she was cold and in need of a nap. But she looked cute.

The family after church on Sunday. I danced to a song along with Bethany singing and Erin playing the piano. We enjoyed getting to see the church and meet everyone. It is very pretty there with views of the mountains and big open spaces.

First Steps

Travis got home from a long day of work and studying and came to greet Zion and I as we were playing on the floor. She then decided it was time to take her first steps. It was so exciting and we both got to see it. She now wants to try walking all over all of a sudden and she keeps laughing. How delightful!

Visit from Friends!

We had a great few days having fun with our visitors my dear friend Leslie and her cutie Landon. Zion and Landon met once before but only briefly. They had a blast together. We were able to see the girl boy distinctions which was very interesting. Landon was climbing things and doing boy stuff and Zion was clapping for him, smiling at him and following him around. It was great to have them here. Landon has such a wonderful demeanor. It was very special to spend time together and we can't wait to see them again in December when we got up to Pittsburgh.
We took Landon on his first trip to the beach and he totaly loved it. Zion is always not too sure about getting covered with sand but he did not seem to care.
After a day at the beach and ice cream on the way home.
Learning how to share. Zion shared her drink and they fed each other french fries at the restaurant when we went out to eat which I thought was hilarious.

A visit to Flamingo gardens. They both were disturbed when the peacock decided to join their lunch. It tried to peck food right of Zion's stroller.
Watching the animal show.
First kiss!
On the tram ride looking at plants!
Mr. Flamingo himself!

Thanks for coming to visit guys we had a great time. Can't wait to see you soon!

Humility?

I know I don't usually post much, but after reading my wife's last post I just had to say something. For those that know Reba, she doesn't need a lesson in humility. There are really only a few reasons Reba was at the spot of her sudden slippery slope. 1) She works with students because she has a real desire to help people obtain their full potential. She knows that these students have the opportunity to provide light for those that live in darkness, so she has decided to help the students help others. 2) She works because I don't bring home enough money to pay the bills. She would much rather be home to shape the life of our dear child, but she knows that Z would probably be shaped in an adverse manner if we were homeless. Reba is very encouraging to me in our financial dilemma and is very humble in her approach. One thing I have learned in life is that we often have the wrong perspective of what we deserve.

For instance, we say that "I'm a good person and I don't deserve that kind of treatment." I believe that the only thing that any of us deserve is death..."for the wages of sin is death"...and "we all fall short of the glory of God," but I also believe in the Good News that "For by grace we are saved through faith, not by works so that no person can boast." All this to say that I think Reba has the right perspective in that she never thinks she deserves more, but it is by grace that she possesses the gifts she has so that she can help others, including her family. I'm sorry that she had to endure the bruised knee and torn pants. I will do my best to make sure she gets them replaced. Her knee seems to be healing well.

Reba, I love you and I'm proud of you for all the things you do to help us. I speak on behalf of your friends and family and those whose names you'll never know.

Your husband and best friend,

Travis

Humility

I was having a good day and feeling pleased with myself when I arrived in Miami Beach for a site visit to meet with some students for my job at Barry. I had on a new jacket that I bought and pants that actually fit me (I have not been this skinny since high school so most of my clothes are too big) and I was wearing heels. I was feeling pretty good being dressed up, babyless and going to meet with adults in a professional setting. I had to park along the street and I proceeded to walk to my destination. On the way I passed some very strange characters dressed in costume which reminded me it was Halloween. I will not tell you what they were dressed as but if you know Halloween and Miami Beach the mixture is bound to be extra scary and odd.

I then proceeded to prepare to cross the street. I was caring a binder with all of my important information under my arm and my purse that so perfectly matched my outfit. It was a tad wet because it had just rained. I walked briskly across the street to get across before the oncoming car approached the cross walk. I looked at some picketers ahead of me at city hall and stepped on a slick spot.

For a moment time stood still as I knew I was falling. I tried to balance myself but I tripped over my other foot and SPLAT I fell on my face just barely preserving my face by catching myself with my knee and then my hand. My papers and the contents of my purse went flying all over the road. Traffic stopped as I frantically gathered what I could of my things and then tried to walk with some dignity out of traffics way. A cop approached me who had seen the incident from a distance to ask if I was okay and to say "you really should be more careful". Was that supposed to make me feel better? At first I laughed and then I fought back tears as I looked down at my only pair of fitting pants and saw that they were ruined, my organized binder was a disaster and I was now five minutes late for my meeting.

I walked hurriedly into my meeting thankful that I did not get run over and with a new sense of humility. When I walked back across the street to go home my mind was focused in a different way with the presence of a reminder that we can all be brought to our knees at any moment. I have a souvenir to continue reminding me for awhile in fact, a black and blue mark and skinned knee that is still healing several days later, and ruined pants.

First Birthday Highlight Video!

Check out the highlights including cupcake eating, having fun with friends, opening gifts, and enjoying new gifts.

Happy Pumpkin Day!

Love and Respect

Travis and I host a small group Bible study at our house every weekend. When we first started we did a study about growing together in Christ. Then our group decided that we were ready for a challenge. We added a new couple and we dove into a study of this book by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, Love and Respect. At first when Travis and I were preparing for the first week of the study I was rather skeptical. I was wondering what this psychologist could possibly have to say that was new about marriage. In a way I was right, in fact what he as to say is very old in fact it dates way back but he expresses it in new fresh ways that really drive home the truth that was right in front of us the whole time. The book is based on Ephesians 5: 33 "However each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband" . The biblical truths in this book are not for the faint of heart, and they are not easy to apply because they go against what is natural for us but the rewards are great as we and the other couples in our group are beginning to see.

I think that the reason that so many marriages fail is because we are not willing to do what does not feel natural, in fact we often just do what we feel. If we do not feel in love anymore and we think that gives us a reason to get out of our marriage rather than pushing through it. Really those that have this mind set are missing out. I think that it is after the pushing through when you rely not on your feelings but on your commitment, your will, and strength from God that you can push through to an even depper, more intimate, more fulfilling and more loving relationship. There are things in this book that make us laugh because they are so true when it comes to realtionships between men and women and there are things that are very challenging because it exposes your faults as an individual and things that you need to work on, or things that you are doing or thinking that are not in line with God's thoughts or plans for marriage. This is a perspective changing book based on biblical truth. All things in it may not apply to you but I think much of it does.

We have been going through the book and the workbook, searching the Bible, and watching a series of DVD's by the author. We have had our struggles with some of the material and content matter, we have had some struggles as couples and we have benefited from feedback from each other. We have four more sessions to go and we have made it through ten. I know for Travis and I we have learned to better deal with conflicts and to better understand how we can support and care for each other and communicate with each other. I learned that so much of the time i treat Travis the way I want to be treated with good intentions and that is not necessarily the way he most wants to be treated or communicated with.

We decided that for fn our group would have a "Love & Respect" outing where the girls planne something special to show respect for the guys and the guys planned something special to show love to us.

All the girls got ready at Keishas house. We were ready and waiting for the guys to pick us up and we saw a limo drive by. Keisha said something to the effect that it would be funny if they picked us up in a limo and most of us just agreed not thinking it a real possibility. Then limo came back and pulled up in front of her house and quite a bit of screaming insued. I had never been in a limo so I was very excited. It was also a very nice limo, black inside with cool lights that changed colors.

We made a stop at the Diplomat hotel to give our guys their gifts. We sat outside by the pool overlooking the ocean by ourselves with our spouse and gave them our gifts. We had created a basket with different gifts one representing each letter of Respect. For example for P we all went to Sears and had our Picture taken and put in a frame for them. Then we read them a letter we had written them about what we respected about them at the end. The guys also suprised each of us with a special gift.

Travis gave me my favorite kind of candle and a plaque he made for me with a verse on it. I gave him the picture for P along with a gift for all the other letters including a Song for S which was a CD that had a special song that we liked when we were dating and that was played at our wedding.

Dinner was at the Melting Pot a fondu restaurant. It was very good. The waiter asked us what we were celebrating and then someone said marriage and someone said Love & Respect, he probably did not know what we were talking about but hey it is something to celebrate!!! If you have not been to the melting pot they have four courses, cheese for dipping, salad, meet that you cook yourself in the pot with different kinds of sauce, and then chocolate with fruits and cakes etc..for dipping for dessert.

The inside of the limo. Thanks guys it was a great night and ladies I think we did a great job dont you? Thanks also to Josh and Amy who watched Zion so we could go out. If you have not read this book I think you would find it beneficial no matter what stage you are at in your marriage, even if you feel you have a great one it could be even better. If you get the chance to read it let us know what you think! As for us we will be wrapping up our study soon but we will remember this date and hopefully what we have learned and we will move on to learning something new.

Post Birthday Birthday!

Zion sporting her new goods. She got nice new clothes which she needed.
Travis was able to take Monday Tuesday off and we got to spend some time together. We had a picnic for lunch in the park on Tuesday and took a little time to play.
Crumbs of a cinnamon scone.
Her newest trick, walking with one hand.
And that pretty much sums up the whole birthday. It was fun and a nice time to be with each other and friends and friends and family. Probably good that she will not remember it because then she might expect this every year.

The Party!

Zion invited her friends over for a fall party. Thanks to everyone who came and celebrated with us. This is some of the friends that came to her party.
I love this picture. I don't know what they were looking at but this is Zachariah otherwise known as BJ. He is a few months younger than Zion but you would not know it.
I made Zion this blanket for her birthday. It was my first sewing venture in years and it was not perfect but she seemed to like it.
ALRIGHT! Zion opened this present from her Grandma and Grandpa Schenk. It is a horse that bounces up and down and she was obviously excited about it.
Here it is after Travis put it together. She is also sporting some cute new pajamas that she got from Rose.

With Rose and Leila at the party.
Miss Leila
Zion's party had a fall theme. It was going to be outside but the weather was not friendly so we moved it in but it still turned out great. We had pumpkins, scarecrows and leaves for decorations. We also had some games including pin the hat on the turkey, a leaf craft and bobbing for apples. Kaleb was the first bobber and he did a great job. Nice action shot of Tammie!
Eating her birthday cupcake. She liked the icing the best. The food for the party included Chuckwagon stew with beef, sausage, and beans, macaroni and cheese, salad with apples, applesauce jigglers for the little kids, and pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting for dessert. The cupcakes were really good as was the rest of the food. Thanks to my mom becuase I could not have done the party with out her help. The favors were homemade popcorn balls and rubber ducks with birthday hats.

Pre Birthday Birthday!

My parents came into town to celebrate Zions first birthday with us and we had a great time. Zion enjoyed the extra attention and had fun playing with Grandpa who taught her to beep her nose.
They brough presents including these cute cars and this dress that my mom sewed for Zion.
Aunt Abbey sent a piggy bank that matches her room theme and now we can teach her to save!
Reading Mister Muster a gift from Aunt Beth a great book if you have not read it before!