Eli's first sleep-over

Eli had his first sleep-over Monday night. Mrs. Linda called and asked if he could stay the night with her and her family. He had a blast. He loves being with all the Daughtery's. While he was playing, Dad and Mom had their first night of dinner and a movie since his birth. What a treat. We are so blessed to have this beautiful family as a part of ours.

YUCK!

Eli is learning a new law of nature: what goes in may also come out. He has developed preferences with his food and will simply stick his tongue out and pull the food off. He has never minded eating anything we have put in front of him. Not even bell peppers! He has always eaten his vegetables, fruits, carbs, and proteins very well. Until we introduced hot-dogs (turkey-dogs). He loves them! He never leaves any crumbs and he can't get enough. We've learned to feed him the hot-dog last, after he has eaten his vegetables. But there are times that he will simply spit out whatever he has in his mouth, if it is not hot-dog.

Eli's third tooth made its debut today. His top, right front tooth came in! Woo-Hoo. He is a much happier baby (until the next one comes). Pictures to follow soon....

There's No Place Like Home

We love our home. Not the building, though we like that too, but the place. Our home is a place of peace and rest for us to simply enjoy living. It is also a place where we do our thought-processing. While we go and go all day long, we're able to come home and place our thoughts in order through discussion or further study.

We're not sure what God's plans are. We always say: we'd love to stay, but we're willing to go. For right now, it's a perfect fit.

Teething-yuck!

It has been a while since Eli has shown the symptoms of teething, but they are now back in full force. I think I even forgot how yucky it is when a baby's body is sprouting those pearly whites. All I can say is, "Yuck, this too shall pass."

On a side note: I was playing with Eli the other day. Well actually, I was there for moral support. He was climbing all over me, slapping me, biting me, drooling on me (teething-yuck), and pulling my hair. As I lay there wishing I could catch up on some reading, I had a fleeting thought that this will not last forever. In a few short months, he may not even want to play with me. He'll be on to his next mission. That helped me savor this time in life, when I don't feel like I get much "accomplished" while raising a baby. I remember that I am building bridges and laying a foundation that he will rely on his entire life.

P. S. I am currently reading this, this, and this.

Eli's Latest

A growing boy hardly stops! Eli has been learning new tricks left and right. First, his language development is growing out of the raspberry communication phase. For about a month, the only way he would communicate to us, whether it be joy or saddness, was through spitting his tongue out of his mouth and showering us with love! Unfortunately, I never captured this on video camera. Next, he is crawling like a madman. When we visited with family in Gulf Shores, they nick-named him "flash" because he was gone in a flash when he was going. He has even learned, that when he is holding something and he wants to travel with it, he sticks it in his mouth while he crawls at lightning speed. Lastly, some of his favorite toys right now are balls and tubes. Any size ball he loves! He practices throwing it, too. He'll watch Elliott or Suzi toss the ball in the air and catch it, then follow suit by throwing it with all his might straight down. He'll practice this for a solid ten mintues at times.He also loves tubes. Any kind of tube: medicine, mascara, etc. Anything small enough for him to grasp well, he holds on for dear life and brings his buddies everywhere. Seriously, he chews on his Baby Orajel tube while he's teething more than he takes the orajel on his gums!

He says "mama-mama" and is playing more now with his voice and sounds. He is also using his tongue differently to make noises and experiment. He pulls up on things, falls down, stands unassissted for a few seconds, the normal baby stuff.

He is fast approaching one year old, and it is hard to believe that he has been a part of our lives for an entire year. Of all our years of marriage to date, this one has gone by quickest.

Adult Life

Sorry for the influx of posts, but much has transpired since our last post of Eli. As for Elliott and Suzi, our lives are much more boring than the life of a rapidly growing boy. However, Elliott is getting experience with his internship in counseling. He is getting face-to-face time with clients, so this is fun and exciting for him. He is also taking an Ethics in Counseling course, which brings to light many talking points. These have served as discussions over many evening meals! Suzi is delving even deeper into the world of education; considering the history and current practices of what we do and why we do it. This is also fun and exciting. We both love what we do. Thank you, Jesus, for guiding us in Your love.

Check out those pearly whites!

We are officially on table foods now, with those incisors. Eli is showing a preference for chunky foods, as oppossed to his usual blend of smooth vegetables. Go ahead, baby!

Fun Times with Mrs. Linda

Mrs. Linda is such a wonderful teacher for our little one. She gives him many exciting opportunities to learn new skills and use old ones. Her daughter, Kelly, is also a loving care-giver to Eli. The whole Daughtery family is becoming more like a second family to the Kahn's. Eli loves to laugh with Levi and Isabelle. We are so glad he gets to spend time with such a beautiful family. Thank you, Daughtery's, for being you!

Bathtime is Still Fun!

These photos were all taken in one night! Can you imagine every night as exciting as this one? They are for Eli James Kahn, who LOVES his baths! (The first two photos were taken as Elliott walked in the room. Eli definitely loves his Dad.)

Eli Growing

It seems as though Eli's growth lately has been rapidly developing. The first few months, something here and there would be new, but we seem to be at an age of discovery. He is learning more about his environment, his body, and other people with every passing day. It is so fun to learn more about him. We are constantly trying to imagine what the world looks like through his brand new eyes. It keeps us ever-mindful of this quote by C.S. Lewis. Thank you, Jesus, for letting us pour our lives into this new life.

New Skills

There's nothing like learning a new skill to keep you ever-mindful of the life of a child. Having an authority judge your performance. Having to practice every day, because the only one cheated without it is you. Experiencing such joy at accomplishing a difficult task. Finding amazement in your own abilities after making so many mistakes. I've learned through taking piano classes, that it takes many practice runs and many mistakes to play a piece of music. Such is life- there will be stumbles we take/make, but we're all the better for it! Thank you, Jesus.

When I grow up...

I want to perform ballet on someone's head. Another example of the human potential. With just the right amount of hard work and dedication, amazing things can happen. Thanks to Jenny, I was able to watch a similar performance at the Heymann Theatre in Lafayette, LA. We watched a gentleman stack chairs 6-high on a stand and perform a hand stand. Too bad the ceiling was too low, he couldn't straighten his legs, but kept them perfectly straight and pointed nonetheless.

Our attempts at a Tooth Shot

FINALLY! And still only the tip of the iceberg. His biting is no longer cute. (Click the last picture for the full size image.)

Eli's Latest

His intrigue with the camera shows in his face!

Eli has mastered the "Army shuffle" on his belly and is making progress with crawling on his hands and knees.

Eli has become quite the explorer. It seems like we keep saying, "I like this stage best." Parenthood keeps getting better and better. We enjoy seeing our love grow with him.

Eli is big enough for his high chair now. He practices his drumming lessons that he gets from Mrs. Linda :)

Eli loves bathtime so much, it has even become a part of his daily playtime without the water!

Our Little Drummer Boy!

Have we mentioned we LOVE Mrs. Linda? She provides so many exciting opportunities for our little boy. We are so thankful for her!

"The Well-Educated Mind"

Reading a book about reading books. Would that be termed "meta-literacy"?!?! Anyway, according to its subtitle, it is "A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had." I (Suzi) am remarkably FOR classical education in this technological age (or ANY age for that matter). That is only one branch in the tree of education that is in my thoughts. One bit of encouragement I found in this text, was that serious, thought-provoking and mind enlarging reading is not an easy task for anyone. It can be practiced over time and become easier, but it is not an in-born talent of sorts. It also solidified some of my views on the self-education process: 1. Read a text through, even if you have questions. It is better to have a small grasp on the author's purpose and understanding than no grasp at all. Make note of questions, but keep reading. You may find the answers later on in the grand scheme of things. 2. Keep a journal. "You remember what you write." Scientists track their experiments/studies through written word, history is recorded through written word, etc, etc. And the list could continue. Great reading!

Eli is sitting up!

Eli's latest tricks. School has begun around the Kahn house! Eli is learning sign language with Mrs. Linda. Suzi is gearing up for a different kind of school year, and Elliott is starting his practicum for his Masters of Psychology program. Oh the joys of living...

Free Music?

Check it out

A Little Bit of Everything = A Whole Lot of Nothing

Surely we've heard this truth somewhere, from someone. But recently, we've seen it played out in the development of our son. Children will grow in stages, often focusing on mastering one skill at a time. It may even seem like they digress from already learned skills, while mastering the one in focus. Why then, in our education system, do we give students a little bit of everything all the time? Is there an age at which humans learn better by getting bits and pieces of topics over years of instruction? Surely, this has been thought of and discussed before. So where's the information? Starting search now.

We Miss You!

We love Granmere and Papa Ted! Lots of love from Louisiana to Texas!

Still Learning

We haven't posted our latest information on the history of the church yet because, unfortunately, we couldn't meet with the Donhams (WE MISSED YOU) this weekend. Hopefully we'll pick back up this week. Although, we have continued discussing random thoughts and ideas about the organization of the church (the body of Christ). "There is nothing new under the sun," so that is why we look back into the books (and The Book) to find what others have done before us. Now that spurs more thought...new technologies, a new means to the same (old) end (i.e. communication, monetary profit, increase efficiency, etc.). The thoughts and discussions continue..... more to come.

Through the Eyes of a Child

You might be asking, "Now what in the world could be causing this child of only 6 months to be so happy?" Could it be the Daddy making silly noises and faces in the background? No. Could it be the Mommy providing a nourishing meal? No. Could it be a bag of toys hanging within reach? No. So what is it? Why, none other than the bathtub faucet, of course. Aren't you excited too? Oh, to see the world through the eyes of a child!

Howdy Gramee!!!

We had such a good time visiting Gramee at the Cadillac Ranch! Eli was given a new hat and loves it! He really enjoyed playing with the toys Gramee has on hand, for all her little loves! We also got to see Uncle "Stubbs," Nay Nay, Uncle Johnathan, Aunt Tamara, and cousin Wyatt. It was so good to see all of you and enjoy an afternoon together. Gramee, more pics are in the works. Giddy-up!

Our Prayer One Day

This reflects our hearts in the future of our family.

History of the Church, part 1

Thanks Denton Bible Church and pastor Tom Nelson for the series on church history. We met with the Donhams and had our first discussion on why many raised in one church would disperse out into other churches. It will take much more learning before we can come to a conclusion, if we ever do. Learning about the history of the Christian Church has been interesting. Fun facts we've learned:
1. 313 AD, edict passed by Constantine that Christians will no longer be persecuted or killed for their faith (because there were so many Christians willing to die for their faith) and this was the first time in history church and state became one.
2. Christians weren't persecuted because they worshipped Christ, but because they worshipped ONLY Christ.
3. Origin (a person's name that we have yet to confirm spelling) was tortured EVERYDAY for 3 years by the Roman empire, because it was thought that if he would deny his faith, Christianity would fail. He died shortly after his release from his captors.
4. Gerome, a Syrian Hermit, was the first to translate the Hebrew and Greek to Latin (the Latin Vulgate).

This only brings us to the year 590. There's lots more info, which we will spare here. Lots more to learn... This book includes many of the early figures mentioned in this series, but it has been helpful to have the audio lessons to connect the bits of information.

Eli James is 6 months old!

Eli is 6 months old today. He is growing and learning many new things. Every now and then he will pull out his bag of tricks and wow you with his magic. He can travel from one place to another in a matter of seconds without ever making a sound. He will have in his hands something you knew you put away, and when you do put it away, he's perfectly content with the awe and wonder of fingers moving and bending. His favorite times of day are mornings and bath-time. He's noticing the world around him and wants to take field trips to touch and explore new things. He likes silly faces and silly sounds. He smiles with his mouth wide open, even when he is eating! He is a blessing from God and we love helping him grow.

The picture of him sleeping is how he sleeps EVERY night. Assume the position! Turn on left side. Left thumb in mouth. Right hand holding left hand. Right leg over left leg. Okay, now I can sleep! And the picture of him dressed as "LL Cool Baby" is one from when his sitter and her family were having one of their many funny moments playing with Eli. We love the Doughtery's!

Sucked In

Do you ever find yourself being sucked into the world of (you fill in the blank). With so many things to do and learn about what interests us, we need to stay focused.

Shout out to Gretchen

Here are the links we talked about. Food for thought.
Seth Godin
Large Church? vs. "doctrinal excellence and moral purity" (can they be one in the same; if so, how?)
The heavens declare the glory of the Lord by Louie Giglio (cheapest I've found)
Check out his site, http://www.268generation.com/
Note the audience

This one's for the momma in you.
And this one's for the boys. Encore...

and one more that we didn't talk about, but may be helpful in our quest to learn more...

Overlooked

Have you ever felt overlooked? Check out this powerful sermon. CAUTION: It's 53 minutes long, not a short youtube clip, but worth every minute! http://www.elevationchurch.org/ click on "overlooked"

Church

So, our next discussion topic with the Donhams is the topic of church. What spurred this idea is the realization that of a certain group of friends, raised in the same church years ago, mostly everyone now attends a different church in the same city. What a thought! All remain good friends. Where to go with this...

History of Education

We have been thinking, lately, about the American education system, and how it is so tied into the success of or progression of our nation. We discussed with the Donhams problems, solutions, possibilities, and impossibilities which of course led to the history of the system we are a part of today. Surprisingly enough, there isn't much information out there on why we have chosen the system we have. Does anyone really know THE best way to educate the children of our nation, in our modern society? Something that others have mentioned when we bring up this topic is that educational authorities do not leave in place any policy/plan long enough to see if it actually works. They are constantly trying something new, instead of waiting out for the end result. Well, maybe that has to do with the high turn-over of teachers/professionals. Maybe someone has a plan, and before they can see it through, they are ready to move on to something bigger and better. Who's in it for the long-haul (and not just for retirement)?

Introductions

Well, as a first post, it seems there should be some introductions. Elliott is studying for a Master's in Psychology while working as a computer technician, Suzi is teaching 4th grade, both are raising Eli. We love God and we love people. We believe balance is the key to happy and healthy living (not to say we achieve it at all times). We are raising our first child, Eli, and loving it! It's so neat to learn through him.