Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus Concert Tickets!!!!!!

Hannah and Kathryn showing off their new Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus dolls.


On Thanksgiving, we gave Kathryn and her cousin Hannah one of their Christmas presents, since Kathryn won't be here for Christmas this year. Their Aunt Magdee was able to secure four tickets (one for each of the girls, one for me and one for my sister Amanda) to the Hannah Montana concert, which will also have the Jonas Brothers (another favorite) at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore on January 8. The girls were very excited to open their gifts. First, a Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus doll and then a personalized invitation to come to the concert from Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus herself. Excited doesn't even begin to describe how they reacted once they realized what the present really was. They went back into Hannah's bedroom afterwards and could be heard talking all about the concert.

Casey's 5K Turkey Trot in Laurel

Chris and Kathryn before the race...all ready to go!



Chris crossing the finish line in 33:40...not too bad for his first 5K! We were very proud of him!



Kathryn heading to the finish line in 44:26...a good time for her first 5K! We were all very proud of her too!



Chris, Judy Law (the Director of Music at First Church) and Kathryn after the race.


On Thanksgiving morning, Chris and Kathryn ran in their first 5K which raised money to benefit LARS (the Laurel Advocacy and Resource Center, which helps the homeless in Laurel). As you can see from the pictures above, they both had a great time and are looking forward to next year. Quite a few people from First Church ran in the race (see the picture above of Judy with Chris and Kathryn who also ran in her first 5K).

Chris has been training for several months by getting up every morning and walking/running with Penny. He enjoys that time in the morning and enjoyed getting ready for the race. He is already talking about next year and maybe even some other races.

Kathryn also trained for the race, but not for as long as Daddy, although she does have P.E. twice a week in school and had soccer twice a week this fall. She even got some size 6.5 women's running shoes to wear, which she says really helped. She is also looking forward to next year. She has realized that she can't sprint (which is her forte') because then she gets a cramp after about a mile and she has to walk for a while. She is already planning her strategy for next year.

As for me, I walked in the 1 mile fun walk as the sweeper. I brought up the rear to make sure that not one got lost. That was a lot of fun and I got to meet some new people as well. It was a great morning...70 degrees and sunny with a little breeze. My goal for next year is to run in the 5K with Chris and Kathryn.

Baby Owens

Baby Owens in 3-D



Baby Owens waving for the camera.


Chris and I went for the baby's first sonogram on November 15. It is amazing how modern technology can enable you to see the smallest details of the baby! It was a great experience that we were both glad to share together. The reason for this sonogram was to measure the Nuchal Space (in the neck) to test for Down's Syndrome. Everything looks fine. The baby did not want to cooperate at first. He/She wouldn't turn over and we could see was her rear-end. After my moving from side to side and then finally getting up and doing some jumping jacks, the baby cooperated and we were able to get the measurements needed. We will go again on December 21 for another sonogram. Kathryn is very excited about that sonogram because she is off of school and will be able to come and be there with us. Stay tuned for an update after December 21st.

Kathryn's 9th Birthday Party

Kathryn and her friends



Kathryn - the 9 year old



Kathryn getting ready to blow out her candles.


Kathryn had a great birthday party at the JumpZone in Columbia. She was able to have friends from all parts of her life...Arnold Elementary, Asbury Arnold United Methodist Church, Laurel Elementary, and First United Methodist Church, as well as family, join her for her party. She had a great time.

Halloween

Kathryn - The Mummy

Laurel Elementary has a Halloween Parade each Halloween that starts at the school, heads down to Main Street and then back around to the school...about a mile loop altogether. Chris and I really enjoyed getting to see all of the kids and their costumes!

The evening didn't turn out as we had planned. We were supposed to trick-or-treat in Edgewater because we had Grace for a couple of hours. However, traffic had other ideas and Kathryn and I didn't make it there. Instead, we did our trick-or-treating in Laurel. It was amazing the number of people that were out that night! We only travelled a few blocks and Kathryn three-quarters filled a king-sized pillow case. Here in Laurel, many go all out with decorating their houses and yards. Then while trick-or-treating they are in costumes as they hand out candy. Everyone really gets into it! Kathryn and I had a really nice time and got to meet some more of our neighbors.

Article about Chris in the Laurel Leader

The Laurel Leader which is one of the local papers in Laurel wrote a really nice article about Chris this past week. Be sure to click on the link below to check it out.

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpid=810&show=localnews&newsid=844967

Kathryn Page Hawes is 9 years old

Kathryn drinking some water before heading off for her soccer game on her birthday. Notice the beautiful roses behind her to the left...her Aunt Magdee gave those to her.




Kathryn playing defense for her soccer team, the Laurel Boys and Girls Club 10 and under Purple Dragons.


Kathryn turned 9 on Thursday, October 11. She had a great day, despite the Math Benchmark testing that she had in school that day. She thinks that she actually did better because it was her birthday.

As you can see from the pictures above, she had a soccer game on her birthday. It was a great game and her team won 1-0. She has become a very good defensive player playing either sweeper or center-back. Her team sang "Happy Birthday" to her after the game which was really sweet. After the game, Chris and I, Aunt Magdee and her dad Matthew took her out to dinner at Red Hot and Blue which she really enjoyed.

She had a great day and got some wonderful presents: books, matchbox cars, Hannah Montana hair, roses, a basketball hoop for the driveway, a savings bond and money. On Friday, she spent some of her birthday money on some very nice books at the Book Fair at school.

On Saturday, we had a family lunch for her at our house. It was a lot of fun. Then Kathryn, Hannah, Mom-Mom and Granddad went to IKEA and Chucky Cheese. Then Mom-Mom and Hannah spent the night as Chris and I went to a birthday party and a wedding. Then they got to hear Kathryn's choir sing this morning at church.

Kathryn said that she had a great birthday and a great weekend!

New Addition To Our Family

Yup...that's right, we are expecting. We are all overjoyed! Sometime around May 25, 2008, the newest member of the Owens Family will be making his/her appearance. Chris and I feel very blessed that God has chosen us to bring a new little one into the world.

When we told Kathryn, she was a little scared, worrying about how I would do have a baby, but we reminded her that I have already had a baby, her, and then she was and continues to be very happy. Each night when I go into her room to tuck her in, in addition to giving me a hug and kiss, the baby gets one too. She keeps an eye on what I eat and doesn't let me carry heavy things. She already can tell you all of the things that she will be able to help with when the baby comes. I found a website that shows daily sonogram pictures of what the baby looks like and Kathryn enjoys looking at those pictures and asks really good scientific questions...Mr. Cavanaugh her Science teacher would be proud.

Grace is very excited about the baby. She has realized that she will finally be a big sister and have a brother or sister to boss around. It is going to be hard for her to wait until May for the baby to come. She, like Kathryn, asks a lot of really good questions.

So far, the pregnancy has been ok. I am 7 weeks along right now. I have been quite tired in the afternoons and evenings and have been quite nauseous (something that I wasn't at all with Kathryn), but I am coping well. My pants are starting to get quite tight so I will probably be getting some maternity pants soon. Chris and the girls have been great. They pamper me and make sure that I am feeling ok.

Our first doctor's visit is October 25. At that visit, we should be able to hear the baby's heartbeat which will be awesome! We are going a Midwifery practice associated with Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis. After the horrible labor and delivery experience I had with the military, I am really looking forward to having someone listen to how I am feeling and be there for me. A friend (thanks Casey!) told me about her experience with a midwife when she gave birth to her son and I knew that working with a midwife would be the best thing for us.

Sisters

Kathryn (4th Grade) and Grace (Kindergarten)


Kathryn and Grace are becoming very close! They truly look forward to the time they get to spend together. Kathryn can't wait on Friday afternoon when it is our weekend for Grace to spend with us. Then they spend their time together listening to music, singing along, playing with the cats and dog and just enjoying each others company. Sure they get on each others nerves as all sisters do, but those instances seem to be few and far between. Chris and I truly feel blessed that they have each other to hang out and do things with. They have both wished for a long time that they could have a sister and now they have one and they appreciate each other.

Grace's First Day of Kindergarten

Grace Elizabeth Owens

1st Day of Kindergarten

The Calverton School

September 4, 2007

Grace is very excited about kindergarten. Each Tuesday when Chris picks her up for the evening and when she spends every other weekend with us, she is able to tell us all about what she is learning. Right now, they are learning about dinosaurs and she can tell you all about each type of dinosaur. I spoke with her on the phone last Tuesday and she spent several minutes telling me all about the Tyrannosaurus Rex. She is like a sponge and soaks up everything that she is exposed to.

Wedding Pictures

Chris, Grace, Kathryn, and Hannah



Blairlee and Kathryn



The new cousins - Hannah and Grace



In front - Grace and Kathryn
Back row - Courtney (cousin from SC), Blairlee and Morgan (aunt from CA)



Our family

Front row - Grace, Kathryn, Hannah
Middle row - Karen (Chris' mom), Chris, Blairlee, Judylee (Blairlee's mom), Amanda (Blairlee's sister)
Back row - David (Chris' dad), Katie (Chris' sister), J.D. (Chris' brother), Bruce (Blairlee's dad) and Woody (Amanda's husband)



Praying with Rev. DeLong before the ceremony



Hannah and Grace - the flower girls



Kathryn and Blairlee walking down the aisle



Rev. and Mrs. Christopher D. Owens



Chris, Blairlee and Rev. Ed DeLong

The End of Summer :-(

Well, another summer has come to a close and what a summer it has been for us...marriage, new church, new house, new school...wow! All in all, it was a great summer.

Just in time for the end of summer, we have gotten our grill up and running. Chris is quite the Grill Master. Last night we have steak on the grill and tonight it was chicken. How I love the smell of meat on the grill!

We spent today lounging at the West Laurel Swim Club with friends of ours from church. This is the swim club nearest to our house. It is a large pool with a diving board and slide, all pluses in Kathryn's book. Everyone there was very friendly and welcoming. They have an awesome swim team, the West Laurel Wahoos, and they want us to join the pool next year so that they can have Kathryn on their swim team.

It is hard to believe that we will finally start our fall routine tomorrow. Our fall will be a busy one. I will be taking Disciple II Bible Study on Tuesday nights at church and Chris will be taking Disciple I on Wednesdays. Both Kathryn and I are joining the choir at church and will have rehearsals on Wednesdays. Kathryn will be playing soccer this fall for the Laurel Boys and Girls Club 10U team and will have practices on Thursdays. Tuesday afternoons and every other weekend, we will have Grace with us which will make those times even more special. And, of course we have season tickets to the Navy football games, so you will know where to find us on Saturdays when they are home games.

We will be busy, but we are all looking forward to it. I am looking forward to getting back into formal Bible Study again after a long hiatus. Chris is looking forward to talking Disciple I, finally! Kathryn is happy that she will be able to continue singing in a choir and I am happy to be able to be in choir regularly again after spending the past few years playing the piano in the Praise Band at Asbury Arnold UMC.

Until next time...through Christ who makes all things possible.

Our Bird Dog

This morning, Penny proved herself to be a very talented bird dog. She and Chris go for a walk each morning. This morning, while on their walk, as a bird flew by in front of her, she caught it. When Chris came in the door with her, I could hardly believe it when he told me. I knew that she was talented, but I didn't know how much! Chris did get her to drop the bird and they finished their walk. I would imagine that she was quite proud of herself. She did seem happier then usual when they got home. Each day she likes to sit at both the front door and the back door and watch the birds, as do both our cats. I can only imagine the story that she had to tell them when we left for work this morning.

Kathryn's First Day of 4th Grade

Kathryn had a great first day of school! She got up this morning and ate breakfast and got ready in record time. She had both Chris and I walk her to school, which is 1.5 blocks from our house. When we got there, I did get a quick hug, but no kiss as she didn't want me to embarrass her in front of her new friends. She just got in line with the other 4th graders and headed off into school without ever looking back.

Her homeroom teacher and the teacher that she will have for Reading is Miss Barber. Mr. Cavanaugh will be her Science teacher and she will have Mr. Buckingham (or Mr. Buck as he is called) for Math. She has another male teacher for Social Studies and Health whose name we aren't sure of right now. Kathryn was very impressed with the Media Center, which is at the center of school because they have all of the "Junie B. Jones" and "Magic Tree House" series books, some of Kathyrn's favorites.

She came home from school very happy about her day and the new friends that she made. Laurel Elementary has a very diverse population and Kathryn says that she likes that. She has several classmates who have English as their second language and she thinks that is neat.

The only "hiccup" in Kathryn's day came at recess during a game of kickball. She tripped and skinned both knees, both elbows (one quite nicely) and one wrist and hand. The school nurse called us to let us know that Kathryn had come to the Health Room and then patched her up and sent her back to class. When Chris and I picked her up from school at the end of the day, she took off all of the bandaids and gauze to proudly showed us her wounds. All in all, she said, it was a good day.

She was funny on the way home as she remarked that although she had homework, we had more then she did with all of the forms that we had to fill out. She was right. However, her homework was a lot more fun. She came home with a paper bag that she decorated in class to place five things from home that describe who she is and what she likes to do and will take it back to school tomorrow to present to her class. She spent a lot of time carefully selecting her five items...

1. High School Musical 2 magazine
2. Swim Team trophy
3. Softball
4. Stuffed animal
5. Snowglobe from the Outer Banks

She can't wait to get to school tomorrow to show off the treasures in her bag.

Kathryn's School

Laurel Elementary School where Kathryn will start 4th grade on August 20. It is about 1.5 blocks from our house.

First United Methodist Church of Laurel

Here is a view of First Church as you pull into the parking lot.




Here is a side view, and you can also see the historic front of the church, too.



And here's the sign. As you can see, we have two worship times with Sunday School hour in between. We also have a very active Youth Group.

The Parsonage

Front of the parsonage

We are really enjoying living in the parsonage. It is in the Historic District of Laurel and you can walk to many things nearby, including Red Hot & Blue which we have already visited several times. The parsonage has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and a finished basement...just the right size for us!




Back of the parsonage




Our backyard from the back door.

The brick building in the back left of the picture is the back of the church, so you can see that Chris has a really long commute to work everyday!

If you ever want to come by, just give us a call. We would love you have you visit.

Happy Birthday Penny!

Penny & Kathryn - Best Buddies

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY PENNY!!!!!!!



Thursday, August 9 was Penny's 1st birthday. Penny is Kathyrn's puppy that was her 8th birthday present last October. She is a wonderful dog who is a Border Collie and English Pointer mix. She seems to really like the new house, especially all of the birds that populate the back yard! She also enjoys the daily morning walks that she and Chris take down by the river and back. Penny loves Kathryn! Kathryn is with her father this week and Penny has really missed her. She keeps going up to Kathryn's room to look for her. She will be happy when Kathryn comes home tomorrow! Kathryn talked to her on the phone the other day and Penny really seemed to be listening and enjoying the conversation.

Pictures from Nags Head

Kathryn and her cousin Hannah...



The Owens family!



The cousins: Grace, Kathryn, and Hannah



Kathryn hitting the waves!



Grace is working hard, building the perfect sand castle...



Kathryn strikes a pose...

Nags Head was a great time away for our family! We spent a lot of time on the beach and in the ocean. We also visited the North Carolina Aquarium in Manteo. While there we got to touch sting rays and horseshoe crabs as well as watch two divers in the big tank who were able to talk to us and answer questions. There were some big sharks in that tank!

Welcome to our blog...

As many of you know, Blairlee and Chris got married on June 29, 2007, although we had originally planned to marry on September 8 of this year. That was until Chris got an unexpected phone call one May day while in Florida recording his first album with his brother J.D. He found out that he was being appointed to First United Methodist Church in Laurel, Maryland (http://www.fumcl.org/). Needless to say, this totally changed our wedding plans, living plans, school plans, etc. We decided to move up the wedding date in order to allow us to start at First Church on our first Sunday as a family and so that we could move into the parsonage and settle into our new family routine before Kathryn started school in the fall. That set into motion a few busy days for us. We got married on Friday, June 29 at Blairlee's home church, Asbury Arnold United Methodist Church by Rev. Ed DeLong who was the pastor at Asbury when Blairlee was younger and has been one of Chris' mentors. We then started at First Church on Sunday, July 1 and moved into the parsonage on Tuesday, July 3. Our first few days of married life were very busy, but exciting as well.

First Church is a vibrant and special congregation! They have welcomed us with open arms. When we arrived at the parsonage, the refrigerator and pantry were stocked for us and we had a wonderful meal prepared for us that first night. We have all jumped right into church life. Kathryn is enjoying her Sunday School class and enjoyed Vacation Bible School that Chris and I helped with. She has already made several friends and has had play dates and a sleep over which was great for her! Grace is enjoying her Sunday School class when she is with us. They both love WOW Worship, which is offered for children up to 5th grade during the church service. I have joined the Koineonia Sunday School class where we just finished a study of I Corinthians and will be starting a study of II Corinthians this coming Sunday. It is nice after several years of teaching Sunday School to be able go to my own class! In September, Blairlee will be attending the New Member Class. It will be weird to have my membership transferred from a church that I have attended for 33 years. But I am excited about formally becoming a member of First Church! I also plan on joining that Chancel Choir and hope to take Disciple II as well.

Kathryn is enjoying her new home! She especially likes "her" bathroom. She also likes being able to walk out the back door, through the back yard and be at church. She will begin 4th grade at Laurel Elementary on August 20. She will be attending Orientation next week and is looking forward to meeting new friends and is even excited about wearing a uniform to school. Another plus in her book is being able to walk to school. Her school is 1.5 blocks away from our house. She went to her first sleep away camp at West River Church Camp this summer with her friend Aley and had a blast. She also had a great swim team season this summer and qualified for the Gold Meet. She is becoming quite the swimmer! She will be playing soccer this fall for the Laurel Boys and Girls Club. She likes having a sister and a new daddy.

Grace spends every other weekend and Tuesday evenings with us and we cherish these times with her. She loves having her own room and especially loves having a big sister and two dogs and two cats. She will begin Kindergarten in September at the Calverton School.

We just returned from a week at Nags Head on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with Blairlee's parents and sister and her family. It was a relaxing and fun-filled vacation and just what we needed to recharge and bond as a family.


Stay tuned for updates and pictures in the coming days and weeks...