We went to Opryland Hotel for a night with mom and dad and saw this beautiful moving tree. Actually, her name was DaVine...clever, don't you think? She was lovely and actually put her chin on dad's bald head; I wasn't fast enough to get it on film. If you look closely, you can see her face on the second picture, she is upside down. We had a great time seeing the hotel and hanging out with Rodney's older brother, Richard. He was even cool enough to sing "Celebration" with us by Cool and the Gang. We were in the sound booth in Opry Mills Mall (kind of like Ontario Mills for those of you in CA). They put our microphones over the loud speakers so everyone could hear, it was like a dream come true for me, but Rodney and Richard weren't quite so happy about it. Unfortunately, Richard's daughter, Briana, did not come into the booth to sing with us, so I had to make sure that I embarressed her as much as possible. I told everyone over the loud speaker how she didn't want to come in to sing with us and if they wanted to meet her she was the one in the yellow shirt (it was awesome). Something about me and microphones, they just turn me into another person! I think I am like Elsie, I want to learn how to play the microphone too!
Well, Selah won't stop growing despite my best efforts. She is holding her head up a LOT and LAUGHED for the first time last week, at a stranger, of course. Since then, she has laughed at Opa (don't we all), but has yet to laugh for her beloved parents, who, might I add, feed her, cloth her, change her poopy diapers and love her more than life. Is it too much to ask for a little chuckle from your 3 month old? I mean really. Well, hopefully I will have more to report on that in the next month.
In other news, I have been cooking a LOT(quite well I might add). I wrote many of you for recipes and you were gracious enough to actually respond. I have set menus for the week, shopped for the ingredients and have made some delicious delectables. Hence, the picture of the cooking chicken...it tasted better than it looks, I promise. I also have been preparing to have guests over and want to make our place a little more welcoming. What could be more welcoming than a bed sheet on your table with a cut up scarf for placemats. Eat your heart out Divine Design. Hey, it was free and doesn't look half bad, I just hope my guests don't ask questions at what I put on the toilet paper roll. We live on a tight budget, emphasis on tight. It's been pretty fun rumaging through old clothes and boxes to see what I can use for things, I feel so resourceful. Rodney is getting a little irritated about not using detergent for laundry anymore, but I think he will get over it (just kidding, now that is just going too far, or is it).
I tried to get some cute pics of Selah in her pretty purple dress (that is size 6 months, mind you), but it was to no avail...well, one turned out ok. She has started talking really LOUD so I have been putting my hand over her mouth and patting it so she sounds very silly. Needless to say, it doesn't help. I can't tell if she is trying to sing or if she is just trying to tell me that she needs her cloth diaper changed. I think I will figure it out by the time she is thirteen.
The last picture I will put on is one that Rodney took on his hike (yes, I said hike). He and a friend went hiking up to Laurel Falls, a beautifully remote area 1.3 miles into the Great Smokey Mountains. However, they took more pictures of trees and water than I know what to do with. Apparently his friend is Ansel Adams; he knew how to use my camera better than I did.
The Coe life seems to be moving faster and faster, I wake up on Monday and I swear Friday comes along and hits me in the back of the head (I've gotta find a helmet). Our newest prayer request are nice chairs for cheap, so when we invite guests over they don't have to stand at our table. And I already asked Rodney if we could just cut the sofa in half and he said no. However, God did provide for us recently when Rodney realized that he was driving illegally. His birthday just passed which meant his license expired. With literally $23 in the bank we went to the bureau praying for favor. After I wrote the check for $16 I thanked God for being gracious and going before us like always.
"You are the God of the broken, the friend of the weak. You wash the feet of the weary, embrace the ones in need. I want to be like you, Jesus, to have this heart in me. You are the God of the humble, You are the Humble King."