Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Exploring Silverdale!

Today we explored a little bit of Silverdale! We took our first "Kitsap Transit" busride to the mall area, then walked a mile to the library to check out some books. After the library, we walked back to the mall and had some lunch, then played in the "Periscope Place: An Under the Sea Play Land." Jeremiah had a blast climbing around on everything! Afterwards, we walked back to our condo/apartment. We could have taken the bus again, but I thought I'd try walking, since it was only a mile away. It was a little freaky, seeing as how there were no sidewalks between Kitsap Mall and Quail Hollow, but God kept us safe! When Jeremy gets home from work this afternoon, I hope to actually have a meal prepared and on the table for him! I'm thinking shrimp and corn on the cob----YUM! Then hopefully we'll all get to relax down by the pool. We love this place!

Monday, June 29, 2009

"Move In" Day!!!






We moved into our condo/apartment today!!! It's in a complex called Quail Hollow, owned by Zack Properties. The beginning of the day was kind of stressful, as we lost our rental car keys. But we found them! Praise the Lord! Jeremy was able to help me load the car up during his lunch break. Then I spent all afternoon moving into our new place. It's a one bedroom condo/apartment with a kitchen, dining room, living room, bathroom (with washer/dryer in closet), and patio. We have access to the club house, which has a pool, hot tub, big deck overlooking the mountains, and a fitness room. There is also a nice little playground for Jeremiah to play in. We can't wait to go swimming tomorrow! After we picked Jeremy up from work, we went grocery shopping and set up the rest of the apartment. What a busy day! We are just one mile from the Kitsap Mall and other strip malls, and about two miles from the library. If we feel like going to Seattle, we can either take a 15-minute bus to take the ferry across, or we can drive "down and around" (South of the Puget Sound). We still have yet to meet up with our new friends. We need to do that soon, too! We have so many fun things ahead of us!

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Silverdale Baptist Church

Today, we visited Silverdale Baptist Church. We enjoyed a great sermon on the "Inerrancy of God." Jeremy worked another 12-hour overtime shift today, but was able to "tweak" his lunch schedule to be able to attend church with us. We still haven't been to Seattle yet, because Jeremy was too tired to go last night, and we were too busy packing today. We get to move into the condo tomorrow! Yay!! Hopefully, by the next time I post, I'll be able to put up some pics of our new place!!!

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Jeremiah's First Drive-In Movie Theatre

Last night we went to the Rodeo Drive-In Movie Theatre and saw a double feature: "Up" and "The Proposal." Both movies were really good and Jeremiah slept almost the whole time, since it was so late at night. :)

Today has been a nice, relaxing day. Jeremiah and I were able to sleep in this morning, after a very late night last night. Unfortunately Jeremy had to work all day. :( But at least we got to meet him for lunch. :) Saturdays are always laundry days for our family, so I appreciated being able to use the hotel's laundry room.

Right now, we are waiting for Jeremy to be done with his 12-hour shift for today. We are sad that we didn't get to spend the day with him, but at least he will have 12 hours of overtime pay on his paycheck, which will be nice! We talked about possibly taking the ferry over to Seattle tonight. We'll see!

Jeremy is also scheduled to work another 12-hour overtime shift tomorrow (Sunday), so I think we may visit Silverdale Baptist Church, which is just minutes away. One of these Sundays, we would like to check out Haller Lake Baptist Church, which is led by Pastor Don Horrell. Pastor Horrell is Jeremy's former childhood pastor from Augusta, WI. So we are looking forward to fellowshiping with the Horrell family!

Friday, June 26, 2009

Third Time's the Charm!






Today, we finally got to go to the Library! We have been waiting to go since Wednesday. But when when we tried to go Wednesday afternoon, there was a bomb threat (which turned out to be nothing), so we couldn't get in. When we tried to go again yesterday (Thursday), we got there five minutes after it closed. Bummer! So, today (Friday), we actually got to go! We checked out all kinds of books and picked up a schedule for different kinds of events (puppet shows, readings, clowns, etc.).

This morning, we explored Evergreen Park, where Jeremiah enjoyed swinging on the baby swing and climbing the mini rock wall. Maybe he'll be a climber like his Uncle Caleb someday?! While we were at the park, we met a cute little family, who we later exchanged numbers with, and will be setting up a playdate with soon. Isn't it cool how God provides us with people to hang out with? First the family from the airport, and now this family. God is good!

We are so looking forward to "moving in" (for only four weeks) to the condo in Silverdale on Monday! Only a few more days to go! I will post pics when I can. We have been to the pool here at the hotel a couple of times, but Jeremiah doesn't enjoy it too much, since the water is so cold. Hopefully the condo's pool will be warmer!! We'll see!!!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

5-mile Walk with LOTS of Hills!!!

Today, we spent most of our morning exploring Bremerton. We walked across the Mannette Bridge, which was a little scary, because it was soooooo high up! Then we walked over to the Dollar Store and Safeway Grocery Store to pick up diapers, toys, and other odds and ends. Bremerton is extremely hilly, so I got quite a good workout. When we got back to the hotel, I "google mapped" the route we took and found out that we had gone a total of about five miles. No wonder my legs were throbbing by lunchtime! After lunch, we both took a nice, long two-hour nap, which felt great. :) After our nap we went back downtown, where we discovered an amazing six-year-old boy with a great voice, singing on a little stage. While we were there, Jeremy called to say he was off work. We were pleasantly suprised because he finished work hours before he thought he would! So he picked us up and we all went up to Silverdale, which is a 10-15 minute drive away, and also where we will soon be staying. We stopped by the Zack Properties (condo) office and they gave us the good news that we will be able to move into the condo this coming Monday (the 29th)! Yay!! This condo is about one mile away from the mall. It has an indoor pool, and we also have access to the outdoor pools and jacuzzis, located on the other Zack properties, just down the street. We all enjoyed a yummy seafood dinner together, some shopping, ice cream, and a quick dip in the hotel pool. Now it's time for bed. What a fun day!

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Let the summer adventures begin: Washington, 5 weeks!!!






Well, we're here! Jeremiah and I left yesterday (Tuesday) to join Jeremy in Bremerton, Washington, for the next five weeks. We had quite a day of traveling. Here's our story:

My amazing friend Karen came to pick us up at 4:30am to take us to the airport, where we would fly out at 6:30am. Because of the new, ridiculous baggage charge, I didn't want to have to check any bags, or items, so I decided to just pack a HUGE backpack (to carry on) with all of our clothes, a portable DVD player to keep Jeremiah occupied, and a few very small toys. I called Delta ahead of time, and they told me that I would be able to take my stroller, carseat, and pack n play all the way through the airport, and that I could check it at the gate (where they put it under the plane for you during the trip, and then have it waiting at the next gate for you when you get off the plane). So that's what I did! I took all of my junk through the airport with me. (See the picture below.) I carried my huge backpack on my back. I used the stroller as a "cart" and put the seat all the way down so that I could push my pack n play and carseat in it. Of course, there was no room for Jeremiah in the stroller, so I carried him in my Snugli (baby backpack) on the front of my body. I was so sore by the end of the day!

I was able to get through the long security check line and to the gate with about 15 minutes to spare. We loaded the plane....and waited....and waited...and waited...they had to "check" something, so we were almost 20 minutes late leaving. By the time we left, I was sort of freaking out because I knew that I only had 30 minutes from the time this plane landed until the my next plane left (at JFK Airport in New York). So of course, you can probably guess what happened next, right?! Right as my first plane was landing at 8:30am in New York, my next plane was leaving for Seattle, so we missed it. :( I was so frustrated because the flight attendant told me that they would probably hold the plane, since there were nine other people (besides us) coming from our flight to the plane headed for Seattle. But she was wrong. They left without us. Oh well! God had other plans!

By the grace of God (and a miracle, says my dad, who travels all the time), I was able to get on another plane, which could get me to Minneapolis, where I could take another plane to get me to Seattle. So I had two hours to take Jeremiah (and all of our stuff!) on a shuttle bus, over to another terminal, where this time, I would be flying through Northwest. So this gave us time to take a bathroom break, do a diaper change, get some snacks, have Jeremiah walk around, etc. (I'm sure you're wondering how Jeremiah did through all three flights. Well he slept most of the time on our flights, since he wasn't feeling well/running a low grade fever from teething. I'm assuming all of the tylenol/motrin that I was giving him for the teething, coupled with the lulling hum of the plane, probably made for some good sleep.)

Everything was going so smoothly....then....as I was checking in at the Northwest counter, the rude Northwest lady said, "Why on earth did Delta let you check a pack n play and carseat at the gate?! We don't allow that here! Give me your carseat and pack n play, and you'll get 'em back when you land in Seattle! I'll still let you check the stroller at the gate, though." In my mind, I was thinking, "Oh, how nice of you, crazy Northwest lady." So we left JFK-New York at 11:30am, headed for Minneapolis. God blessed me big time, because there was a seat open next to me, so I didn't feel like we were in anyone's way, and we could kind of spread out too. Again, Jeremiah slept most of the 3 hour flight.

We got to Minneapolis in just enough time for me to walk the 15 minutes to the next gate (this time, with a much lighter load at least, since we didn't have the carseat and pack n play), as they were loading the next plane. I was thinking, "Oh, thank you, God! Just enough time!" And then...(yes, there's even more!)....

As they were checking my ticket at the gate, they said they could not accept it. What?!!! When the crazy Northwest lady back in New York gave me the ticket, it had the information for both flights (New York to Minneapolis, Minneapolis to Seattle). She told me the ticket would be used for both flights, so I just believed her. Well she was wrong! I DID need two seperate tickets (just like I thought)! This time, the Northwest attendant, was a "sort of" nice gentleman, and he only rolled his eyes a couple of times, when he had to check the computer, call his supervisor, print out another ticket, etc. for me and another lady who was also in my same situation.

We finally got on our last plane of the day, at 2:15pm Minneapolis time (3:15 VA time). Again, God blessed us! He is so good! This plane was a much bigger plane than the other two, and we were seated toward the middle doors, where there was TONS of leg room. The 82-year-old woman on my left was so kind (and talkative, which made the four-hour flight zoom by!), and through talking to her, I found out that she was from a small town in Michigan, just minutes away from my grandparents' cottage on Crystal Lake. How cool! Of course, she reminded me A LOT of my grandparents, since she is their age. The man on my right was from Eau Claire, Wisconsin! What a small world! That's not only where I went to college, but also where Jeremy grew up! Cool! Through talking to him, I found out that he is an attorney and knows a family that I used to babysit for! He told us all about his three kids, one of which is Jeremiah's age. When Jeremiah started to get fussy, he offered to walk him around, play with him, etc. How nice! A much needed little "break" for me!

We arrived at around 4:00pm, Seattle time (7:00pm VA time). Jeremiah did an incredible job, seeing as how we started the whole process at 4:00am! As we landed and were getting off the plane, I met a couple, who have twins the same age as Jeremiah (12 days older). So they gave me their information and invited me to join them on a play date or two in the near future. Wow! I'm also looking forward to hanging out with one of my friend's sisters, who lives near here, and has a one year old. I also may get to hook up with Val, a friend from college, who now lives in Seattle with her fiance! We also are going to attend a church in Seattle, which is lead by one of Jeremy's former, childhood pastors. So many fun things to look forward to already!

We were so excited to see Jeremy!!! He was shocked at the weight of my backpack. Mamas are strong! Thankfully our carseat and pack n play did end up making it to the baggage claim, as promised by the crazy Northwest lady (from the JFK-New York airport). We ate dinner together, ran a few errands, drove the 45-minutes back to the hotel (we took the non-ferry route), and headed to bed early. We were exhausted! What a day!

Today, after Jeremy went to work, we spent the morning exploring the area around our hotel, and downtown Bremerton. Right now, the shipyard is paying for us to stay at Hampton Inn and Suites. We have reservations for a condo in Silverdate (15 minutes north), which has an indoor and outdoor pool, that we are looking forward to using. But the people who were staying there before us (also a shipyard transfer), got their trip extended, so the condo isn't available yet. Hopefully we'll be able to check into the condo in about two weeks. I honestly don't mind being in the hotel right now. It's a really nice hotel, with a small pool. It's located right next to the ferry station/bus station, which makes for easy transportation to anywhere we want to go. There's a beautiful courtyard right out from our patio, which leads to a walkway down by a sailboat marina, tour ship, restaurants, etc. Jeremy was issued a rental car, which he shares with one other person, but doesn't need it right now, because we are right down the street from the shipyard. When we were out exploring today, we found a little mini mart and consignment store where I bought Jeremiah some cheap toys. Jeremiah is just waking up from his nap, and soon we will head to the library to check out some books. We are having a great time so far! Bremerton is beautiful, and surrounded by gorgeous snow-capped mountains. It is very hilly which makes for a nice power walk! I'll try to get a nice walk in every day!! It's a bit chillier than what I'm used to in VA, with temperatures in the 70s. Since I have so much time on my hands, I hope to post on this blog every day, if I can! So keep checking!!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Jeremiah's First Birthday and Dedication

Home Video, Jeremiah's First Birthday and Dedication from Jeremy Gerdes on Vimeo.



This is a Home Video of our boys First Birthday party and Dedication Child dedication is not the same as infant baptism. We believe that baptism is a public statement of faith that can be made only by someone who has personally believed in Christ. Infants cannot make a personal decision to believe in Jesus. A child is a God-given trust (Psalm 127:3). Our child dedication was a ceremony that signified a commitment to uphold that trust. It was an event that symbolized a pledge to raise our child in a Christian home and church where he can come to know, love, and serve Jesus. It also signifies a commitment by the people of our christian community to provide a loving, biblical community that supports and prays for our family.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

First Week of Summer






We sure did enjoy our first week of summer, this past week! Here's a little recap:

Monday
My last day at ASCS--bittersweet! That night we enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Kinstler's house (friends from church). After that, a friend watched Jeremiah for me so that I could attend my Moms 4 Christ Bible study, where we are studying the book, "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World."

Tuesday
We went to Busch Gardens with our friends, the Woods, and another friend, Bethany. Hopefully we'll be able to go again after we get back from our trips, since we have Fun Passes, which last through September 9th.

Wednesday
We had our Moms 4 Christ playgroup over to play in our backyard (slide, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, snacks, worship/music on the deck). Fun times!

Thursday
We went to the Zoo with our Moms 4 Christ playgroup. Jeremiah LOVED the train and the jumping monkeys! That night, we had macaroni and cheese for dinner, which Jeremiah loved! For the first time, he actually ate the macaroni and cheese instead of just playing with it, like he used to before. He even ate more than I did that night! He's growing up!

Friday
We played in the fountains at the Botanical Gardens with our Moms 4 Christ playgroup. I honestly wasn't sure what Jeremiah would think of the fountains, since he didn't like the ones at Busch Gardens, so I didn't bother even putting his bathing suit on. I just simply put his little swim diaper on, and thought he would be "done" after a few minutes. Boy, was I wrong! He LOVED it!

Saturday
We did some shopping at the Lynnhaven Mall with our friends Karen (my age) and Sierra (one month older than Jeremiah). We got some really great deals! While we were there, we played in the playland and also went on the Carousel. Jeremiah was a tad bit frightened, but still enjoyed himself!

Sunday
Tomorrow is Sunday, and we plan on hanging out with our friends, the Howards, after attending their church with them. I'm sure Wyatt and Jeremiah will have a blast together since they are just a few months apart in age!

(*The picture of Sierra and Jeremiah in their floaties was actually taken last week at Karen and Sierra's community pool. They have the exact same floaty, just in different colors. Cool, huh?!)

God blessed us with such a wonderful week with friends! We made sure to spend some quality time with everybody, since we are leaving on Tuesday, and will be gone through mid-August (5 weeks in Washington for Jeremy's work trip, 2 weeks in Wisconsin for my brother's wedding). We sure will miss our friends while we are gone. :(

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Jeremiah's 4th Haircut!!




Today, Jeremiah got his 4th haircut! This time, I decided to get it cut just a bit shorter than the last three times, so that we could spike it!! So cute! While I was taking pictures of his hair, I was also able to get a picture of him doing his new trick---standing/taking a few steps. We are very excited about this new accomplishment! He'll stand for about 5-20 seconds at a time, and usually likes to be holding something in his hands to keep him occupied. He'll take a few steps, get tired, then slowly squat down to crawl the rest of the way. How precious!