karaspeak

Nathan has this book on the shelf in our office called, Letters to Philip. While I've never read the book, it is actually a collection of letters from a father to his son before he gets married. It's a fairly old book, but still finds its place on our shelves among some other great books. Anyway, the point is that one day while I was holding Aiden at my desk, it occurred to me to do start my own letters to Aiden. There's not much thought to this yet and I'm not sure exactly what my vision is, but my idea is to kid of collect my thoughts (and whoever else's) in the form of letters to Aiden as he grows up.

I've just been struck with the fact that he changes so much every day. It hit me so much more after I returned from Arizona and after being away from him for only three days, he had changed SO MUCH. But while I was gone, I thought about all the things that are so "Aiden" about him and I want him to know those things from my perspective, as his mom, when he gets older. I started doing this when he was a few weeks old, mostly because I had so much going on in my head about him as this new thing in my world, my thoughts, feelings, emotions. And not only me, but what he was doing, what his expressions were, what he laughed at, all those little things that we forget within 24 hours because in 24 hours it's something different they are doing, or thinking, or laughing at. There's not really any method to my madness, and not necessarily any particular topics come to mind, but I'm just writing him notes, letters, comments, thoughts, etc. as they strike me. It's not even a daily thing as much as it is an emotional thing.

I want him to know all I see in him from now until he is old and grey and while I may not even ever give him this collection (while I'm alive at least!) at least I'll have my memories kept in a place so I never forget how he changed my world forever. With Christmas right around the corner and a six-month milestone not far beyond that, I realize how much time has already passed and how fast it will only go from here. I don't want to miss a thing and I want him to know how very loved he is for every second of it.

In recalling my Christmas memories in the questionnaire, I failed to mention my dear old Dad in the lis of memories. And while these memories number themselves far to many to recount in detail, one of the memories that comes to mind most clearly is the Christmas we had when I was about nine in Michigan. We had flown from Texas to Michigan (I think!), to spend Christmas with my Dad's family....actually it might have been California to Michigan...regardless, it was a long flight. We all felt a little jet-lagged from the trip and it took more than a few hours to recover from our travels, so it was an interesting start to our visit. While this sort of a trip could be memorable enough for any child of a young age, there's more to make it a true Christmas memory. I, being the busy kitchen helper I always have been, was working with Dad in the kitchen on a lovely breakfast for the fam.  Dad was busy makin' bacon on the stove and I was making eggs. And I'll just add that I was making eggs in the microwave. Why? To this day, I am still not sure.  Regardless, as I pressed the buttons to continue the cooking, I began to feel dizzy and told Dad, "I feel dizzy." The next thing I know I'm waking up in the living room with an audience of ten or so hovering over me like I'd just died. Apparently I'd just fallen flat on my back and passed right out in the kitchen. My mom, the ever-calm woman that she is, was freaking out and hyperventilating and they almost had to resuscitate her, not me! My dad, the humorist, was calming her down, and telling everyone I was just fine. Always the hero, there to save the day. I'll never forget making breakfast that day, and how he saved my life (joking!). A fond Christmas memory to be sure...and to this day I will NOT eat eggs from a microwave. Seriously. Ask anyone. Never. 

I was checking out Beth Moore's blog and her daughter had posted this Christmas questionnaire. I decided it would be a nice way to get into the Christmas spirit a little early and also share a few of my favorite things.

1. Fresh Tree or Fake Tree
Fresh...there is nothing like the smell of a North Carolina Frasier Fir in my home at Christmas. Nothing in me could live with a fake tree. Nothing. Nathan could not pay me enough money to have a fake tree instead of a fresh, messy, sap covered, water drinking tree. There is something about it that makes it Christmas.

2. Favorite Ornament
I love the bee my mom gave me a few years ago. In high school I had this nickname from a good friend of mine at the time: "Kara Bee" and she found this beautiful bee ornament that stands out in the background of the tree. While I don't keep up with the friend anymore, it reminds me of the simple times in life and the joy those memories will always hold in my mind and heart.

3. Favorite Christmas Song
Oh, this one is so hard, but I have always loved, "Emmanuel, God With Us" by Amy Grant. It still gives me chills every time I hear it. Not sure why. I remember singing this at church when I was in middle school...just me in front of every one...and I just have that sacred memory burned in me and can't seem to let it go every time I hear the song.

4. Favorite Tradition
Three things...that make Christmas "CHRISTMAS" at our house:
1) Opening our gifts from the Poage grandparents on Christmas Eve
2) Mom's homemade Cinnamon Rolls on Christmas morning
3) Going to the movies after we're stuffed to the brim on Christmas afternoon (though I am thinking that one will get a bye this year due to our little addition, Aiden...we'll see!)

5. Favorite Gift Ever Received
Oh wow. Not sure I know quite how to answer this one. If we're talking about Christmas gifts, I'd have to say my marriage. The first year we were married, we hit a rough patch right before Christmas and it looked like we might not even be spending Christmas together as husband and wife. After some amazing intervention and a re-uniting that can only be described as God-ordained, we spent our first Christmas together and it was the most perfect day I've experienced on any Christmas.

6. Favorite Christmas Meal
Love the turkey and dressing (only mom's cornbread dressing will do), homemade rolls, green bean casserole is a must, sweet potatoes, and of course, PIE: cranberry nut & fudge. All these things = the perfect storm and a very happy belly.

7. Favorite Christmas Cookie
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my mom's Sandtarts. It is not Christmas without a few staple Christmas cookies, but this one is the most favorite of all because the recipe dates back several generations and it makes me feel like home no matter where I am.

8. Favorite Place To Be
Home. This year we have the luxury of waking up on Christmas morning in our first home. In the nearly five Christmases we have shared only one has been spent in our "abode," and that was a 700 square foot condo at the time. So, needless to say, it has been a joy to decorate our house this year and I cannot wait to wake up on Christmas morning in our home. I've always loved being at home for Christmas...no matter what city that is.

9. Favorite Memory
Up until now, my favorite memory was probably the Christmas we spent in Dallas with the entire Poage clan and getting to share with everyone that the first great-grandbaby was on the way the following year. Seeing the joy and elation on everyone's faces, getting to share in the family times (good and bad) and seeing all of my cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. deep in the heart of Texas was really good for my soul. Something I won't soon forget. And while that was a great memory, somehow I think seeing my Baby Aiden on Christmas morning will somehow top it. Though he doesn't quite get Christmas and was super scared of Santa, just seeing him...my little miracle...will impress a deep memory I'm sure. We'll see.

10. Favorite Christmas Movie
ELF. Without a doubt. Hands down. Best Christmas movie ever. I love it because it makes everyone laugh and without a good laugh, what is Christmas.

Enjoy...your turn. Take and share!

Thanksgiving has come and gone. All the build-up, all the prep-work, all the eating...and then it's over before you can blink twice. This year Thanksgiving was so different for us than last year, when we were in the throws of moving from Charlotte to Nashville. We celebrated one year in our house on November 19 and were thrilled to be hosting our first holiday in Nashvegas. And even better, we were actually in one city for longer than 10 days at a time during the month of November, which was even more amazing.

My brother was home from college for the day on Tuesday, and though he had to work on Thanksgiving and couldn't stay to eat with us, we still had such a great time with him. He was finally able to meet his little nephew and Aiden really enjoyed trying to figure out who this new person was. My mom was thrilled to have him home since he hadn't been home since last Christmas. It was a nice time...and I think he enjoyed the home time.

Mom and I prepared as much of the food we could in advance of Thursday's feast and had quite a spread by the time we got to the day. Had I not had her help we would have had a very dismal dinner! It's a challenge to care for a newborn, clean and decorate a house, and cook a huge meal...probably the most challenging thing I've done in a long time. Mostly because Aiden requires so much hands-on time right now. But oh so worth it. And oh so helpful to have many hands!

Thursday morning, Nate and I ran our annual Turkey Trot. And even though this year it was only a 5k (since Nashville doesn't do an 8k) it was well worth the effort. Nate ran his best time ever and placed in the top four of his age group. I matched my PR, finished in the top 10 women overall, and placed first in my age group! It was fun. I walked away with a lovely red level and a runner's high (the race was sponsored by Habitat for Humanity so all the awards were tools).

Back to the house for cinnamon rolls and recovery. Then to the rest of the cooking. Our biggest adventure in cooking this year was attempting to smoke our turkey instead of cooking it in the oven as we have eaten in the past. Since Mom and Dad always do the meal, it was fun to get to host and do something unique, like smoke a turkey. Nate did a phenomenal job with the turkey and it tasted absolutely scrumptious! We have instituted a new tradition for ourselves and will now be enjoying various renditions of smoked turkeys each holiday we host! I didn't get any pictures of him cooking it, so we'll have to do that at Christmas.


All in all we have so much to be thankful for and as we gathered around the table to eat, we took part in our tradition to share what we are most thankful for. I won't share them all, though they were quite good, but I will share mine, or at least those I shared with the fam:

MIRACLES - I am thankful for the miracles I have seen take place in our lives over the past year. Together, Nate and I have seen some amazing things take place in our lives, and am so grateful to have been a part of watching God work these little miracles in our lives. Being a part of our rapid and God-ordained move from Charlotte to Nashville. Having a baby, Aiden, after being told we would never bear our own. Selling our house in a declining market. Seeing God move my parents out of a situation that seemed hopeless into one filled with more hope than seemed possible. And that's just the begninning. It was an amazing year.

HEALTH - I am so thankful we are all healthy, alive, active, and young. My family all runs, or does somethig to keep them healthy and going and I am so grateful for our health when so many families are facing diseases and painful loss.

GROWTH - I am so thankful for the growth God has brought to our lives over the past year. Not that we didn't grow before, but the move to Nashville has brough with it so much more growth than I ever thought possible. To me as an individual, as a wife, as a daughter, and as a mother; but also to my family. My faith has grown exponentially, not by being in a church pew every week, but by truly experiencing God in a real and present way. I have learned so much about myself and my relationships over the past year that it truly makes me marvel at how much I've changed, for the better as a product of stepping out in faith to move here and trusting He would do amaing things. Though I still do not know for what major purpose we are here, I am content in knowing so much has grown within me to know that if nothing else comes of our move, it served it's purpose.
There's a ton more for which I am thankful, but it's all pretty much inferred as a by-product of those three main things. I hope you all find yourselves thankful this year...there is so much.

So here I am again, not having written in quite awhile. Not to say things have not been abuzz in the Tabler house, it's just finding the time to sit and jot about them...

So as a follow-up to my last note, I mentioned we'd had some pictures taken with our friends Dan & Candice. They have a photography business that they just began working full-time and are amazing people, an incredible couple with a heart for God and his people. We really miss them! Anyway, they were going to come shoot Aiden when he was born, but things were so crazy and he was born in the middle of wedding season, so things were not ideal for that to happen, so this was our "make up" opportunity. And what a day it was. Despite the fact that we were really harried and crazy after driving in from Knoxville, dealing with a screaming baby whose ears popped all through the mountains, and visiting with friends upon our arrival (and trying to squeeze a nap in to get rid of tired eyes!), the pictures turned out amazing. Hopefully we got a Christmas card out of this, but even if we didn't, we were able to capture this significant time in Aiden's life with some beautiful images AND get some great shots of the two of us that manage to capture how in love we are. How they do this, I really don't know, but they do a great job!

For those of you who'd like to see a glimpse, they published a slide show for us to share with our family and friends. You can see it by clicking here.

They also wrote about us on their blog, and included some great shots as well as the slideshow.

Don't be surprised if you see one of these pictures in your mailbox in a few weeks! All suggestions welcome.

This Halloween was fairly unusual for us. While it would have been quite lovely, and even fun to be at home this year, we found ourselves on the road for the first time in a long time. Our neighborhood goes all out for holidays, and Halloween is no exception. The homes are decked out, they host a haunted trail in one of the walking trails, and on Halloween night, homes in the neighborhood are designated "cider homes" and "chili homes" (which basically just means food and drink houses; offering both the adult and child varieties). So while we were looking forward to introducing Aiden to his first Halloween adventure in Westhaven, we were off to Charlotte for what seemed like a simple weekend trip, but in reality served way too many purposes than seems humanly possible...

1) To introduce Aiden to his fan following at Charlotte Christian, my alma mater and my mom's place of connection to Charlotte;
2) To attend a family wedding - my cousin Casey was marrying his bride Heather;
3) To let Aiden meet his great-grandparents on the Down side (he's the first great-grandbaby and that's quite a special thing!);
4) To let Aiden meet his Grandpa Tabler, Nate's dad, whom he had not yet met; and
5) To take part in a little photo shoot with Dan and Candice, some friends of ours from Elevation who were taking pics of Aiden as well as some family pics for our Christmas card and home.

Needless to say, traveling with an infant at anytime poses it's fair share of challenges, but when that travel requires traveling through the mountains with a little dude who already has sensitive ears, it makes it that much more "fun". Friday was interesting, but he did get to meet his CCS family. You can see pictures here. They, of course, loved him. :)

Next, it was on to our little photo shoot, of which we'll have pictures to share later...and we can't wait. Candice and Dan are awesome people and we really miss their friendship here in Nashville, so it was great to see them. God has blessed them with an incredible gift to share together that they are now able to pursue full-time, which is really awesome.

Saturday we were off to lunch with some people at Cafe Monte followed by a visit with my grandparents at Cracker Barrel, which was fun! I hadn't seen them in several years, so it was great to have some one-on-one time with the two of them. They are so active and young for their age and I love to hear their stories and see their life come forth. Here's some pictures of our lunch. Then it was off to the wedding, which was lovely. Poor Aiden was wiped out, so we spent time with him asleep in the barn above the wedding, but dancing away regardless. :) It was quite lovely and we were so glad to be there.

Sunday we did the church thing (and oh how we miss Elevation in Nashville!)...and then we prepared to head on our way back home. Despite our plans, little Aiden didn't feel so hot, so I spent most of the morning consoling him and helping him nap so we could have a good trip back, but as we got into the day, it didn't look so good. At the last minute, we decided Aiden and I would fly home to Nashville and Nathan would drive home...I know, not fair for him, but it was what had to be done. So the little guy and I headed on a jet plane (and he did FABULOUSLY, sleeping the whole trip!) and got home a few hours before big daddy Nate. We LOVED coming home and I am 99% sure Aiden knew when he was here. It was so cute. It was a great trip, but long and tiring, so all in all a Halloween worth screaming about.