Saturday Afternoon

A few of us went up to Sussex to have a shower for Brayden who is looking very cute relaxing with Krista on the couch. And here he is again in his mommy's arms! Thanks for letting us come over, we had a great time :)
~Love, Ruth & Simeon.

Watch That First Step

found in an alley off Sydney Street.

Volleyball is fun. Mostly.

On Wednesday night Sean's sister was kind enough to babysit Simeon so we could go to sports night at the church. Sean's been going once in a while but it was my first night and I was pretty excited because I've always loved sports and games even though I'm not the best athlete (at all!). Anyway, we had a great time playing volleyball but at the end of the night my arms were pretty red and I knew that I would have a few red spots where the capillaries had broken. Fairly routine for me when I haven't played in a while. What I didn't expect was this:
Today all the red spots have turned a lovely shade of green and the bruise on my thumb has extended around the back. So basically.....here's hoping we play basketball next week. :)

I love Easter!

Friday night our church choir held a Tenebrae service which I was able to take part in. It's the second time I've sung in it but until now I didn't know what the word meant. Here's the definition for anyone else who isn't familiar:

–noun (used with a sing. or pl. verb) Roman Catholic Church.

the office of matins and lauds for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of Holy Week, sung respectively on the afternoon of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of that week, at which the Crucifixion is commemorated by the gradual extinguishment of candles.

[Origin: 1645–55; literally: darkness]

It closes in complete darkness and the people are asked to exit in silence; I find it very meaningful and a lovely time of meditation.

Sunday we went to Sean's parents' and stayed until 10:30 pm when we realized that we (ahem, Sean) forgot to bring our overnight bag - so it was back to Saint John and a return in the morning. We got to visit with the whole family and even had a trip to his aunt and uncle's farm. They have a beautiful old farmhouse with a lot of handmade pieces in it. In fact, his aunt just started up an Etsy shop that you can check out here to see some of her work.
After a great visit indoors we headed for the barn where they keep their sheep and cows. I was curious to see how Simeon would like the animals and didn't have to wait long for my answer. As soon as the first lamb was taken from its pen the sheep started bleating and Simeon started screaming. He wasn't too impressed with the cows either as you can see here - I was trying to reassure him but he remained pretty skeptical.
I hope you all had a happy Easter and got to spend it with family. There's no better thing :)

So-and-So and What's-His-Face

Saturday, March 15th, 2008.

So Mark, Caitlin, Simeon, Ruth and I all packed ourselves into our miniature automobile to attend the wedding of some girl and this guy she met. It was a good time, and the car - which is meant for two people really - only complained a little bit during the three-hour drive to that place there.

Daddy does the 'do

"Daaaadd, are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"No way, they'll think it's a toupe!

(Still, I am a handsome devil, aren't I?)"

"I think this is the one; Wolverine meets Ace Ventura. Nice."


"Team Carroll, lookin' good!"

{Narrated by Simeon D. Carroll}

Trained Responses

Here's one for you: this morning in church I was walking down a hall with an unoccupied baby carrier - Ruth and Simeon were elsewhere. I had a coat and a shoulder bag in the carrier. I passed an elderly lady who looked down into the carrier and went, "Awwwwww."

I didn't stop... just smiled and kept on walking. It got me thinking.

Tumble

Yeah... tubing at Mom and Dad's. That last bit? That was a stream. Ruth landed safely on the other side. I landed in it. Brr.

Asparagus sandwiches and clean kitchens..

...make us happy! Sean: asparagus, Ruth: kitchen. We've had a wonderful March break so far! Today was especially nice, after doing some work around the house we left for a doctor's appointment for little Simeon, who apparently isn't so little for his age - between the 75th and 90th for height and weight. After he calmed down and decided to forgive us for letting the mean lady give him his shots we headed over to Nougatine et Chocolat; an amazing café with decadent desserts. MMMMM! Conveniently located next door is a second hand bookstore that had to be perused, and with great success, as we left with a few volumes to enjoy. On the drive home I was looking out the window and noticed the frozen waterfalls clinging to the rocks and smiled. Since I was a little girl I've always loved the NB highway. Our forests are beautiful and varied, you can't help but want to hug a tree. Enjoy the simple pleasures and smile; it makes your face look better. Happy March Break.

Last Weekend

It was fantastic to get out in the fresh air again; before last weekend it had been an unacceptably long time since we were by the sea. This was our last outing with Beth before she left for Korea. What a beautiful day! Ruth picked up five yards of fabric a little while ago, with which she now very effectively transports Simeon.
This is how it looks from the front...
... and from the back.
I haven't tried carrying him like this yet, but she says it's extremely comfortable, and it makes being outdoors infinitely easier and more enjoyable. (We're getting positive reviews from the passenger too:)
**Note: we are not on a real road in this picture (if you're wondering what Simeon's doing out of his car seat). We were simply moving the car down the shore a little ways.