The Worrell Family

Where has the time gone?

2008-09-18T19:06:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that the summer is almost over and our blog has remained empty for the past 4 months or so. As much time as I spend reading other people's blogs - especially any of those polticial blogs on politico.com or washingtonpost.com, you'd think that I'd update our every once in a while. Oh well... I'm doing it now.

The summer has been rather busy and it's supposed to be the one time during the year where we actually get a break from coaching and leading our Awana group. I've spent most of the summer at work with little or no play, while Jen and the kids spent a lot of the summer at the pool getting tan and having fun. But I'm not bitter or anything.... Emily had lots of fun with a nice group of kids and Matthew just loves the water. It's so funny even now when he hears the water running in the tub... he comes to the bathroom as fast as he can crawl.

We've started back with coaching soccer, playing church coed softball and Awanas so that takes care of Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Jen plays soccer and I play volleyball on Tuesday... getting done just in time to make it to Nerd Bowl a.k.a Trivia over at the Glory Days Grill. We won the league title last year and made it to the state finals where we promptly got destroyed by teams even nerdier than ours. Our secret weapon Mikapedia decided that he'd rather go to Maine and take pictures of rocks and ferns than help us win $2,000 in the finals so we knew we were toast. It was fun anyway and we've started back up with Season 21 - maybe Mike will plan his vacations a little better this time.

Matthew turned 1 year old on August 18th and we had a small family party here in Maryland. He was spoiled to death of course and was the first baby I've seen who wasn't interested in putting his face and hands into his cake. He wouldn't even really eat it so that was kind of a bummer. I expected lots of pictures of him with it in his hair and down his shirt but no such luck.

Emily has started her freshman year at Annapolis Area Christian School and has started the year off doing very well. She seems to have found a very nice group of friends and has a part in the upcoming school production of Narnia. She plays the Big Bad Wolf - forget his real name - and is working hard to be ready for November's performances. She is also doing well playing soccer and scored 2 goals this past Saturday in our first game.

Well that's all for now.... promise that I'll write more in the future. Here is Matthew's 10 month old picture. Will post more pics later.

Stan

Father/Daughter Banquet

2008-05-30T07:05:00.000-07:00

This was a banquet on Friday night that some parents put on for all the 6th-8th grade girls and their fathers at Annapolis Area Christian School. It was a night of fun and bonding. I was able to do Emily's hair for the banquet and it was a very special time for us to enjoy together. She was very excited about this night. It was a special night and I am thankful that Emily and Stan had the opportunity to have this night together as Father and Daughter.

Pictures!

2008-05-30T06:34:00.001-07:00

These are all the pictures from Matthew's dedication.

These are the pictures from Matthew's first baseball game!

These are just pictures throughout his 8 month of life. The messy ones are when he had his first biter biscuit.

Here is his 8 month picture. It is our personal favorite. The arm on the bench he was sitting on was all him. He sat down and put his arm right up there. Our little man!

Nine Months Today

2008-05-18T19:14:00.000-07:00

Today, Matthew celebrated his 9 month birthday - hard to believe that he's been with us for nearly a year. We started the day at church with Nana Major and Grandma and Grandpa Kemmerer to witness the "first of six" baby dedications. Even though he was fighting a cold, the little guy was still all smiles today and we had a good time visiting with everyone.

Last night, Matthew went to his first ballgame down in Waldorf to see the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. The game was pretty boring but he ended up on the big screen with beef macaroni all over his face. Pretty cool stuff.

Emily - "Big Sis" - has been involved in all kinds of things since we last wrote. She's finishing up the last two weeks of school and has worked really hard this last semester. All of the hard work has paid off though and we're all really proud of her efforts. We can't believe that she'll be starting high school next year. It doesn't seem all that long ago that Jen had her in 2nd grade. Emily will be finishing up her spring soccer season in 2 weeks and then having fun over the summer. Lots of days at the pool with the little guy....

Emily and we have finished up Awanas until the fall and while we miss working with the kids every Sunday, it truly is a needed break. We've also finished up with our girls soccer season last weekend, but will begin tryouts for the fall in a couple of weeks. Just when things look like they're going to be a little less busy, we always have other things on our plate as coed softball has begun on Friday nights and Jen is playing soccer several nights a week.

Hope all is well with all of the readers out there.... will add some pictures tomorrow.

Stan and Jen

Seven Month Picture

2008-04-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

Updated Pictures

2008-04-22T07:11:00.000-07:00

2008-04-22T06:57:00.001-07:00

We did not fall off the face of the earth, just have been very busy.

Matthew just turned 8 months on Friday. We cannot believe how fast he is growing. He is rolling around everywhere. He sits up by himself. He is a good eater and sleeper, which we are very thankful for. He has his two top and bottom teeth. He is not crawling yet, but I am sure that will come and when it does we will always be on the move I am sure. It is so neat to finally see his personality coming out. He has started to have fun with his vocal cords. He loves to just scream at the top of his lungs in a fun way, not mad. It is so hard not to laugh. He is just a riot. He really loves his family too. He just brightens up whenever he sees his Daddy or his sister. He adores Emily. If anyone can get him to laugh she can. She gets him going and the laughing is just contagious. She is very good with him and they both love each other to death. Matthew is so loving and fun to have around. He is a very happy and good baby.

Emily just started her fourth quarter in school. She is working really hard and is doing very well. We are proud of how hard she has worked and the grades she has gotten because of that. Almost time for high school. We went to a course selection meeting a week ago so she could pick out what courses she is going to take in high school next year. We can't believe how time flies. She is excited, but scared at the same time. She also is in the beginning of her soccer season. She enjoys playing soccer and the social aspect of the team as well.

Stan and I are keeping busy playing and coaching sports. Our girls team is having its struggles but we are working at it. I fractured my wrist playing soccer and sprained my ankle as well. My wrist is in a cast for 3 weeks, which makes life interesting. My ankle is almost all the way healed, ,but it does not bother me. Yes, I am still playing and I love it. Stan, myself, and Emily are getting ready to finish our ministry with Awana at church. It something we all enjoy very much. It is just so wonderful that God has allowed all of us to work with these children and be a part of their lives and teach them about Jesus. We have two more weeks till next year.

Well, I think that about sums it up. Life is good and GOD is GREAT!!

6 Months!

2008-02-25T07:03:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to follow through on the update of Matthew's height and weight. He is a healthy boy. At his 6 month appointment he weighed 16 lb. 3.5 ounces and was 26 1/2" long.

Worrell Update Finally!

2008-02-19T08:50:00.000-08:00

Well, it doesn't seem like almost two months have passed since we have posted an update. Sorry!

What have we done since Christmas. Well, Stan and I have been coaching a U13 girls team. Our girls always play inside during the winter and this year instead of indoor we chose to do futsol which is similar. The girls have done well and enjoyed it. We took a little break from it and one of the fathers who is very good at soccer filled in for us and we are very thankful. We will be starting up our outdoor season with the girls the second weekend of March. It is still too cold and a little early in our opinion, but not much we can do. We are looking forward to a good season with they girls. We have a great group of them. Since right before Christmas Stan and I have been involved in the Upward Basketball program with our church. We have been coaching a group of 3rd and 4th grade boys. We have 9 wonderful boys and families on our team. They are a joy to work with. We have two more weeks and then that is complete. It is a wonderful outreach opportunity to bring a lot of unchurched unsaved families in to hear God's Word being presented everyweek. We have practice once a week and at the end of each practice we have a devotional and the kids memorized a verse of scripture. There is also a game every Saturday and during halftime there is a testimony given to all the family and friends who come to watch the game. This year the program has over 450 1rst through 8th graders, male and female. Stan is also involved in playing in a bball league with his work and he is just starting the playoff with that this weekend and that will be complete. He has started his volleyball games also with work. I am involved in soccer and play indoor every Friday night in a mom's league. It is fun and gives me some exercise. So good to be back. Stan and I also do Awana with our church on Sunday nights and love it. Our church choir which I am involved in is getting prepared for our Easter pageant coming up in March. I think that covers all of our activites. Now, on to the kids.

Emily is in the 3rd quarter of her 8th grade year at Annapolis Area Christian School. She is having a great school year. Her grades are very good and she is working hard. She is a little nervous about going to the high school next year, but with God's help she will do great we are sure. Emily is involved in the choir and the Honors chorale at her school and loves it. She just finished up her Basketball season at school. They had an ok season. She improved in her shooting and her running which is very good. We are very proud of her and all she has accomplished this year in middle school. Outside of school she is very involved in church. She is also involved in the Upward program. She is very aggressive in this league and works hard. Her team is a very good team and has beaten up on all the other teams. This league is less competitive than school, so she enjoyed it much more. Emily is also a leader in the Cubbies program of Awana on Sunday nights. That is 2-4 year olds. She loves children and enjoys working and playing with them. She is a very good worker and helper. She is involved with the youth group at church as well. She is doing the puppet program they have and it has been a great ministry opportunity for her. She enjoys that a lot. To sum it up with Emily she is loving being a big sister and is a good help with her little brother. Everytime he sees her he lights up. It is so neat to see. We are very happy to have Emily around and very proud of all she is doing at school and church.

Matthew is growing, growing, growing. He just turned 6 months yesterday. He will be going to the Dr. on Wednesday for 6 mo. shots and we will also find out his height and weight and will let you know that later. In the past two months he has accomplished a few things. We are just finishing up the first stage baby foods. He has enjoyed everyone including prunes. YUCK!! We can't wait to start the second stage foods. There are so many different kinds. He had his first taste of apple juice and seemed to like it. We tried it with a sippy cup so he has not gotten a big taste of it. He is eating well though. I am worried that he is not getting enough fluid though. He is working on sitting up on his own. It is coming. He can last about 30 seconds give or take before teetering to the side, but he keeps getting better and we are very excited. He is such a good baby and full of smiles and giggles. He just brightens up all of our days. How you be sad around a baby who always does something to make you smile. He is very good at rolling from his stomach to his back. I have been trying to do more tummy time to help with his flat head in the back, but everytime I put him on his tummy, not even 30 seconds later he is on his back. Hmmm! He also has his two bottom teeth and we think he is working on his top ones. He got his first one the day before he turned 4 months. Matthew loves to stand. He has very strong legs. His newest thing is eating his toes and making noises with his lips together. He is a joy.

Well, I have not been too good about taking pictures since Christmas, so I will just post Matthew's 5 month picture.

More Christmas Pictures!

2008-02-19T08:39:00.000-08:00

Christmas with Mom, Jamie, Hali, and Dilynn; and then we celebrated Christmas with the Heffernan Family! They were both celebrated after the fact.

CHRISTMAS!

2008-01-02T10:37:00.000-08:00

Well, our first Christmas with Matthew was a little weird, but fun. We flew to Florida for Christmas to be with my in-laws. It was weird, but fun swimming on Christmas day!. The weather was beautiful, mostly high 70's and 80's. We enjoyed spending time with family and friends at the pool, beach, and key west. We enjoyed eating out at some very good restaurants and enjoyed the taste of some new foods. We spent a week there. We were a little nervous about Matthew's first flight, but he did so well. He made not a peep both there and back. He slept most of the flight there, and the whole flight back. He was such a good boy. He realy enjoyed the pool. It was his first time in water and he loved to kick his feet and splash his hands. He even put his face in the water and didn't cry a bit. He didn't mind going under the water. It was a lot of fun. We did not take all of our presents down because we didn't have room, but we bought two presents for the each of the kids so they could open something. It was neat and just amazing to watch Matthew tear the paper at only 4 months. He had such a look of concentration and determination on his face while tearing the paper. Amazingly, it did not go to the mouth all the time either. It was a very enjoyable time.

When we returned from Florida we spent time with my side of the family. It was a lot of fun and we enjoyed every minute of it. On Friday the 28th we celebrated Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa Kemmerer, Uncle Justin and Aunt Allie, and Uncle Jeremy and soon to be Aunt Jill. It was neat to see Matthew tear open presents again. He has enjoyed playing with his toys.

Here are pictures from our Florida trip and Christmas for you to enjoy!

Four Months!

2008-01-02T09:21:00.000-08:00

Matthew is 25 1/3" long and weighs 14 lb 14 1/2 oz. He is a growing boy. He got his second set of four shots at his appointment. Mom did better this time. He is so fun to watch and play with. He has a lot of different, fun facial expression we are enjoying. He is laughing and smiling a lot. He rolled over for the first time from his belly to his back this week. The first time he did it mommy missed it. Matthew was on a blanket on his belly and mommy was watching him while talking on the phone to grandma and then mommy looked away while she was talking to e-mail daddy and all of the sudden looked at Matthew and he was on his back. It was so cool, but mommy was mad. I put him back on his tummy, but he didn't do it again. We tried later that night and both mommy and daddy got see Matthew roll over for the first time. So cool! Matthew has also started eating cereal and baby food and is a very good eater. He seems to enjoy everyone we have tried so far. He has had sweet potatoes, pears, peaches, applesauce, and butternut squash. He also is blowing bubbles and drooling a lot. Everything goes into the mouth and he naws on things pretty good. We think he is teething, but no evidence of any teeth cutting through. Here is his four month picture and others. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving!

2007-11-26T08:11:00.000-08:00

Our first Thanksgiving with our wonderful new blessing! God is so good.

We were able to spend Thanksgiving with my parents, my brother Jeremy, and my mother-in-law. We had a wonderful time and all enjoyed little Matthew. It was a time spent talking and playing games and eating lots of turkey and the fixings that go with it. My dad and Stan spent a lot of time in the kitchen making our wonderful dinner and Jeremy did his specialty of the pies for dessert. Everything was wonderful. We had a great time together as a family. Here are some pictures. Hope you enjoy!

Three months a lot late!

2007-11-26T07:58:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the late post and the recent pictures being all of his sleeping.

Matthew turned 3 months on the 18th of November. We can't believe how time flies. He is getting bigger by the minute it seems sometimes. He is filling out in the cheeks, but other than that is thin and long. He is a good eater for the most part, and is sleeping 8-9 hours at night. It is wonderful. He is talking so much and is so fun and entertaining for all of us. It has been so neat to have this little guy around and see the way God uses even the little one to minister to our hearts. It is so amazing how when you are not feeling well, frustrated, or upset, God uses Matthew to just talk to me and put the cutest smile on his face for me that it just makes me smile and laugh and he just brings so much joy even in the midst of hard times. God is great! He has also become fascinated with the tv. It is so funny to watch him watch the television. He gets so fixed on it. Daddy loves the fact that he will sit and watch football with him. It is so cute.

Just for a heads up his four month update will be a fun one, but will be late. We are going to Florida for Christmas this year, so it will be his first Christmas and first flight. It should be an exciting update.

Cranberry Festival in Chatsworth, NJ

2007-10-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to my in-laws house for the annual Cranberry Festival. We left Friday after getting Emily from school. It was not a bad ride. The last 1/2 hour was a little hard. Matthew had his 2 month Dr. appointment that afternoon and received 3 shots. He slept most of the ride until the end. He was not happy. We felt so bad for him. He was fussy that night and we gave him some Tyenol. It seemed to help and by the morning he was in great spirits. At the festival my in-laws sell cranberries and all kinds of jam and jellies and other things in front of their house. Mo spends a lot of time making these things and decorating out front of the house. The festival contains crafts, antiques, clothes, and much more including food and rides for the kids. There is a lot to do. We had beautiful weather which made it nice. Here are some pictures to show you! Enjoy!

Two Months!

2007-10-24T09:59:00.001-07:00

I can't believe how time flies. Our baby boy is growing fast. He is now 12 pounds and 23 1/2 inches long. On Friday he got his first set of shots. Not fun!!. The first one he didn't cry at all and by the third one he screamed. Mommy cried too. It was hard to see my little boy get hurt. He was not feeling well that night, but the next day he was fine and back to himself. Matthew is now discovering his hands. He is very entertaining to watch as he just stares at his hands and then starts moving them. He ends up hitting himself in the head a lot with his hands. He is cooing, talking and smiling a lot to us. It is so neat to see his personality starting to show. He holds his head up pretty well too. He is a strong little guy. Mommy is still getting up with him in the night, but hopefully we will be sleeping through the night soon! That is all for now from the Worrell household. Enjoy the pictures!

Professional Pictures - One Month

2007-10-11T08:58:00.001-07:00

Matthew Update!

2007-10-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

Well, here is the update you all have been waiting for. Matthew is doing quite well. He is growing bigger and getting longer. We had a couple rough days with eating and sleeping, but are doing ok now. He is a good eater and sleeps pretty well. He is up about every 3 hours at night. Sometimes he will go 4-5, but not consistently. He is so fun to watch and play with now. He is constantly moving his hands and feet. We bought him a bouncer and a play mat and he absolutely adores both. He sits in his bouncer and just kicks away. Both of the toys have a setting where the music goes according to the babies movements. He gets very excited and moves a lot. He is smiling and talking a lot more. He is so fun. Hope you enjoy some pictures that I recently took. I am also posting his one month professional pictures of our handsome little man!

One Month Old, a day late!

2007-09-19T08:48:00.001-07:00

Where has the time gone? We cannot believe it has been a Month since Matthew was born. He is doing very well. Last night he slept in his crib in his own room for the first time. He did a great job. Mommy and Daddy were able to get some much needed extra sleep. Matthew is very alert when awake and starting to talk and smile a little bit. He is a joy to have around and he brightens up our life. He now weighs 9 lb. 8.5 ounces and is doing well. He is a very good baby. Pictures to come!

Baby Update

2007-09-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been an exciting, fun, and tiring couple of weeks. We are adjusting well though. It is a wonderful blessing to have such a precious little man in the house. Matthew is doing great. The doctor yesterday said he was perfect. He is a healthy boy. He is now 21" long and 8lb. 3 oz. Matthew has a lot of facial expressionswhich are very entertaining and neat to watch, especially when he is sleeping. The best is when he smiles real big while sleeping. He has even let out a laugh in his sleep. Well, here is what everyone is waiting for and wants to see. Pictures of our precious little Matthew! Enjoy!

More Baby News and Pics

2007-08-22T21:01:00.000-07:00

It's been an eventful soon-to-be five days since going into the hospital and welcoming our son into the world. We came home Monday afternoon and since then things have gone pretty smoothly. We've gotten lots of phone calls, flowers from our friends the Heffernans and Mr. Ray and a few visits. Justin and Allison visited Monday night before heading up to Buffalo and our friend Jen Samson visited on Tuesday morning with little Josh. She made us a wonderful dinner and dessert that we enjoyed later that evening. Our little man had his first visit to the pediatrician this afternoon and everything went well. We brought him to church later this evening and he slept throughout the entire service.. no Dr. Nichols wasn't preaching. We even went grocery shopping afterwards and he didn't move a muscle save for when Jen tried to run me over with the cart. She claims it was an accident.... Here are some more pictures, hope you enjoy....

Baby Arrives - FINALLY!

2007-08-18T17:17:00.001-07:00

Well, after a couple of weeks hearing "any day now", the day of reckoning finally arrived. After a softball beatdown and dinner out with friends, we came home - only long enough to gather our things and head for the hospital. Jen went into labor starting at 1:45 a.m. and we made the 20 minute drive to Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, MD. After 4 hours of labor, Matthew Evan Worrell entered into the world at 19.5 inches and 6 pounds 7 ounces. Mother and baby are doing very well and all of the family is here to join in the celebration. Here are a few photos of our little man.....

Still Waiting!

2007-08-07T07:42:00.001-07:00

Well, we are still waiting the birth of our son. It is a hard waiting game, but God is in control, and it is His timing not ours. I know many of you are looking all the time and wondering if he is here, so I just wanted to let everyone no that, unfortunately he is not here yet.

My whole family will be here on Saturday of this weekend, so hopefully he decides to come soon. It has been in the upper 90's and 100's this week. I have been inside except for getting in the car to go to church for our VBS this week.

Anyway, we will keep you posted as things happen. Thank you for all your prayers during this time.

Baby's Room!

2007-07-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

I just wanted to give a little update. We just finished the baby's room yesterday afternoon after church. All I have to do is pack the bags for the hospital and get the car seat in the car. It is so exciting to see how the Lord has worked everything out and how everything has come together. All my worrying about getting everything done for nothing. God is good.

The baby's room is done. We ordered furniture a week ago from this past Thursday and were told 7 to 14 days till it came in. I was hoping it would be more on the 7 day end instead of 14. Well, Wednesday during the late afternoon I received a call from BabiesRUs telling me that our furniture was in. Most of it was in on Tuesday and the last piece came in on Wednesday. Needless to say I was very excited that it came in early. The one thing we have to figure out was how to get the furniture to our house. The only days you can pick up furniture is Tuesday through Thursday from 5 - 7 PM, or Saturday from 9:30 till 11:00 AM. Well, we didn't have it delivered because it cost over $100 to do that. So, we contacted one friend of ours who is finishing our basement to see if he could help us and he was busy. We contacted our neighbors to see about their help and they were busy. So, a little later our neighbors called up and worked somthing out and we were able to borrow their truck to go pick up our furniture Thursday night. We got home with the furniture and Stan and our neighbor unloaded everything and unpacked everything in the babies room. The fun thing was that every box had that white foam in it, so our house looked like Buffalo in the winter. Lots of white snow everywhere.

Anyway, on Friday night Stan, Emily and I put all the furniture together, dusted it and put it where we wanted it in the room. My dad is in Africa on a missions trip, so my mom came to spend the weekend with us here in Pasadena, MD. On Saturday my mom and I got all the clothes and everything washed, put away, and done. On Sunday afternoon after church before mom left to go home, we hung the wall hangings and now, the room is complete!!

Lastly, I just wanted to let you know I have posted more pictures of the completed room so you can see what our sons room looks like.

Thank you for all your prayers as we await the blessed arrival of our wonderful miracle.

2007-06-27T10:14:00.000-07:00

Well, many of you are saying it is about time. We have been busy finishing our basement and getting ready for the baby it has been hard to post anything. I just wanted to post a few things and pictures to update you with what is going on.
I have about 7 1/2 weeks left till our baby boy is born. We are anxiously awaiting his arrival. We are very excited about our new addition. It is a little stressful at this time with getting the room done, but God is in control and is working everything out. Hopefully the baby doesn't decide to come early. We have a lot of thing to purchase to get ready for our bundle of joy. Please pray that we are able to get the room done and get everything we need for when our son is born. God is good.
I will post some pictures of me during the earlier part of my pregnancy, and then hopefully I will be able to keep up with my posts and be regular at posting them with pictures.
Well, I will do my best to keep everyone updated on the progress of my pregnancy and keep you posted on what we are doing with our lives. This is a start. Thanks a bunch!