The Pate Family

We're pregnant!

2009-09-22T12:14:00.000-07:00

Micah is going to be a big brother! Baby #2 is due in May! We are super excited. Micah and this baby will be about 26 months apart. Another boy would be great for practical reasons, but we'd definitely love a girl. We'll find out in early December. I'm not feeling so great right now. Hopefully only a few more weeks of the "queasies."

Beach trip

2009-09-22T10:52:00.001-07:00

We had a great time in Orange Beach. School had already started so it was pretty empty. We got to spend a whole week there, which we have not done since our honeymoon!

Micah pretty much hates the ocean, so we spent most of the time in the pool.

But he had a blast chasing seagulls and that's about the only thing that kept him on the beach.

Some of the family joined us half way through the week. We had a great time with them. This is Aunt Lynn.

My English Class

2009-04-06T18:52:00.001-07:00

Huiqin is one of my English students from China. God has a special plan for this baby, Lillian. Huiqin did not know she was pregnant when she arrived in the US. Her husband and first daughter stayed behind in Beijing while she studied here in Auburn. If she would have stayed in China much longer, she would have been forced to abort this baby because of the "one child policy." Huiqin decided to follow Christ just a couple of weeks before Lillian was born!!! It makes me think of Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know that plans I have for you, to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future."

The rest of my class - Sona and Sangmi (S. Korea), Gao (China) and Wunmi (my co-teacher from Nigeria).

We had a little get-together at my house.

Mini vay-cay

2009-04-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Nashville was a lot of fun! Todd wanted to go to a drywall conference up there.

The Opryland Hotel is beautiful!

How you can pray for us...

2009-03-12T18:48:00.000-07:00

- That our house in Orlando will sell quickly
- That we would yield ourselves to the Lord's direction in parenting
- That we would be consumed with things that truly matter - the souls of God's people, God's Word and God Himself

Thank you! Please let us know how we can pray for you! God is faithful. God is good. Your faith is pleasing the Lord.

Our Birthday Boy

2009-03-12T18:33:00.001-07:00

Granny came in town and we ended the weekend with hundreds more pictures, as usual. We can always count on Granny. We had a great time. We had all the Auburn family over for spaghetti (homemade spaghetti c/o chef Todd) and cupcakes. The happy birthday song ended with tears because Micah got burned by the candle :( He got curious and decided to reach for it.

Snow in March!

2009-03-02T18:17:00.000-08:00

We woke up to snow on Sunday morning! I think this is only the 4th time I've seen snow. It was sooo cold, but we went out to "play" for a few minutes. Micah and Todd were catching snowflakes with their tongues.

The latest in the Pate house

2009-02-25T14:28:00.001-08:00

Micah is almost walking

Micah loves flipping through books

So, there's not much new going on in the Pate house. We put our house in Orlando on the market, so we've been praying for it to sell soon. Micah is almost 1...we can't believe it. Granny is coming in town this weekend and we're having a little party with family. He's been so much fun. He keeps us laughing. He has learned what makes us laugh, so he takes full advantage of it. He has perfected the pig and monkey sounds. It's awesome to see him learn so many things. I'm so thankful that I can stay home with him and experience it all first hand. "Mr. Independent" eats everything by himself now. I've met some other Mom's with babies close to his age and we've scheduled some play dates which has been a lot of fun.

I've decided to be a Mary Kay girl. I've had 1 party so far. It's nice to be able to work a few hours a week when Micah is napping. I have a website which makes me feel very official. (www.marykay.com/kimpate)

I've been teaching English to Internationals in the community at our church on Wed. nights. One of my students decided to be a Christ-follower recently. This has been very exciting for me. She began coming to my class the first day in the Fall. She's from China and discovered she was pregnant right after she got here. Her husband and 4 year old daughter are still in China. I'll put a picture of my class on here soon.

Micah's First Christmas

2008-12-23T14:29:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!!!

Granny's house

ahhh palm trees

Gotta love the reindeer antlers

Waving "bye"

Micah did good with Santa-just stared at him and pulled his beard

We visited my (Kim's) Mom and some friends in FL last week. We spent a whole week there. It was wonderful. I've forgotten how much I enjoy warm weather. I was actually comfortable without 3 layers of clothes. We saw her new house and love it. One reason we love seeing Granny is that we always leave with hundreds of good pictures. I don't have the patience. It was great catching up with everyone. I miss everyone so much.

Micah is crawling all over the house and pulling up on everything. He is Mr. Independent at the dinner table. He prefers feeding himself. He is saying "da da da da" and Todd just thinks it's the greatest thing. He's getting good at waving "hi" and "bye."At the 8 1/2 to 9 month mark, it seemed like he was doing something new everyday. He's been the sweetest baby-always smiling and giggling and has a sweet disposition. We are so blessed.

We will stay in town for Christmas with Todd's family. We're probably doing some house projects, which is usually what we do when Todd is off work. We'll be celebrating the New Year with the Europeans! We'll be in bed by 9:00 probably.

The Farm

2008-11-03T13:28:00.000-08:00

We had a great time this weekend in north Alabama. Todd's aunt grew up on a farm up there and let us go for the weekend. I've never seen autumn leaves as beautiful as the ones up there. My Mom came with us and took care of Micah for a few hours so we could explore the land and go out for a nice dinner. We had a blast!

Micah would not smile

Micah's latest

2008-10-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

Micah has new-found freedom. He is scooting all over the living room. I often find him stirring through a basket of magazines and paper. His newest endeavour is feeding himself. He got mad at dinner last night because I didn't give him anything to feed himself with.

2 years! I can't believe it's been 2 years since we've gotten married. We are excited to head north this weekend to the farm!

I Have A Dream

2008-10-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

A recent addition to my "bucket list" is to be apart of a law-changing movement. For those of you who have never seen the movie, "The Bucket List" is a list of things you want to do before you kick the bucket. So I've decided I'm on a mission to see abortion become illegal before I kick the bucket. For those of you who are reading this and are thinking right now that I'm crazy and it could never happen, just hear me out. It is a legitimate argument (although my reasoning is not to argue). I'm not usually a very opinionated person, or even a political person. I don't even like politics in fact. It is just something that has been heavy on my heart and mind lately.

First of all, I just want to say that I am not judging anyone and I have no right to look down my nose at anyone. I am not perfect. I'm not saying that I think I have all the answers. I do understand to some extent. I've been without hope and without any answers. I've been afraid and have had no clue what to do. I understand that desperate times call for desperate measures, but there are so many other options to abortion.

Second of all, think about slavery. No one ever thought it would be illegal. In fact many politicians voted for slavery to continue during the civil rights movements. Whites could do whatever they wanted to blacks, without any consequences. Blacks didn't have rights or a voice, much like babies today. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream and a vision and look at how far African Americans have come.

Thirdly, I am not against women having rights and being able to make choices. I just think that we don't have the right to make that kind of choice. At the moment of conception, it is no longer "your body," it is another human being. If I decided that I no longer wanted to be a parent, or could not be a parent, I could not kill him. I would go straight to jail if I did. So why is it any different for an infant in the womb? Although it is a small life, it is still a life.

Fourthly, I do believe that there are some crazy circumstances people go through that would call for an emergency abortion. But I think that they should be performed in a hospital setting with regular OB/GYN's. Abortion clinics should be permanently closed. From the research that has been done, only 2% of abortions are because of rape or incest and 6% due to the mother or baby's health being at risk. So that leaves 92% of abortions due to the thought that children are an inconvenience, shame on the Mother's part, financial burden or just a lack of desire to be a parent.

And last of all, and most importantly, I believe that abortion should be illegal because it is God's design. It is His perfect creation. He breathed life in us from the beginning. Our culture has taught us to think of ourselves first and then of others. Unfortunately, we have it all backwards. We think about our career, our body, our money and our life without giving any consideration to others around us. On the contrary, so much blessing comes when we think of others first. Life is beautiful. If God decides to put a baby in your womb, He will help you take care of it. In the bible, God even speaks of babies in the womb. He says He formed them.

There are many programs, agencies and churches that are more than willing to help women going through this tough decision-making process. And not to mention adoption, or considering keeping the baby.

These pictures speak for themselves. The cut-off time for abortion is much later than these pictures...

7 weeks...The heart beats steadily

11 weeks... vital organs — including kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver are in place

17 weeks...I could feel Micah kicking well by this point. We also saw that he was a boy at this stage.

The reward! Micah just a few hours old.

After experiencing pregnancy, childbirth and parenting, my perspective on life has completely changed. I cannot imagine life without Micah now. I have a new respect for life and death. What will it take for abortion to become illegal?

Micah the moooo cow

2008-10-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween y'all!

Life in Alabama

2008-09-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

I am slowly getting used to being a "southerner." Yesterday I learned what the annual Syrup Slop is (I think that's what he said anyway, with the accent it sounded like "sip sop"). I am LOVING the season change here. I've discovered that biscuits, lima beans and anything fried are the main staples, and not to mention the beloved glass of sweet tea, which is really a glass of sugar water with a little tea added. We often have a visitor that brings some brownies or a homemade loaf of bread. It is quite difficult to find anything healthy in this town, but it is all so yummy. Auburn football is a way of life here. The mascot is officially the tiger, but everyone says "war eagle" instead of "go tigers" and I'm not exactly sure why. I've learned not to question a loyal fan about this phenomena or he will get offended.

Micah's latest ... He's about 6 1/2 months old now. He is becoming much more curious. He will not stay in one position very long. He longs for the day when he can jump out of my arms and run from me. I can see the look of determination in his eyes when he sees something he wants. He's not crawling yet, but getting closer. My favorite time with him is tickling him. He just laughs and laughs and it's just precious. Feeding him solid foods has been fun. He makes the funniest faces when he swallows. I usually find dried oatmeal in strange places hours after I fed him.

Micah is 4 months!

2008-07-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

Micah is now 4 months old!! He's eating well and sleeping through the night. He will grab anything and everything that is in front of him and then it eventually ends up in his mouth. He laughs when we tickle him, and he's very attentive. He likes eating, books, walks in the stroller, ceiling fans and lights, anything with music, his Auburn mobile and hanging out with Mom and Dad. He has been such a bundle of joy.

Our move to Auburn

2008-07-16T10:11:00.001-07:00

Wow, I didn't realize how long it's been since I've been on here. It's been a whirlwind of a time since we got here 2 months ago. My first Mother's Day was spent moving 8 hours away from sunny Florida, the only place I've ever known as home. I never thought I'd be considered a "southerner" but here I am in Auburn, AL.

In case you are wondering how we ended up here, here's the story.....About a year ago, we started praying about where God wanted us in the future. We were pretty sure that God was leading us in a different direction, as far as working with Campus Outreach. But we just were not sure where that new direction was. So we prayed and waited and prayed and waited some more and still were not sure. So we finally decided, at about the time Micah was born, that we needed to step out in faith and just see what would happen. With all the change that comes along with having a new little one, I wanted to stay put, but Todd was sure that God wanted us elsewhere. Todd grew up here in Auburn, and all of his family is here. We jokingly considered moving here but never really thought it would actually happen. In a matter of weeks, God opened many doors and made it very clear that this is where He wanted us. These are our praises...Todd got a job with a family construction business and the salary they offered was exactly (within $1000!) what we had budgeted and were trusting God for. Some friends are renting our house in Orlando. We found a house in Auburn and closed on it quickly (I, Kim, didn't see it until the day we moved in). Some money was given by a family member to help us with the down payment, which was also exactly what we needed. All of the family has showered us with love and help. The church here, Lakeview Baptist (yes, I'm now a Baptist) has been a huge blessing as far encouragement and fellowship.

I read Romans 8:32 today which says "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" and it just reminded me of how good God has been to me. I have a Savior! What more do I need? Praise Him that He graciously and abundantly gives us everything that He knows we need at the right time.

Some other cute stuff

2008-04-18T13:49:00.001-07:00

Micah is 6 weeks old this week. We've been having so much with him! He likes looking around at the lights and fans. He's been holding his head up really well. He loves his mornings with Daddy. Daddy has been such a big help. Micah slept 2 four hour stretches last night. Hoorray!

Some of Micah's 1st's

2008-04-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

First trip to the beach was windy and cold, so we only stayed a few minutes. First bath was successful. And I don't think he knew we even left the house for his first walk. He's been a great baby. He slept 6 hours straight only 1 time so far. We are praying for more nights like that.

Micah's 1st 2 weeks home

2008-03-17T18:52:00.000-07:00

We got home on the 7th. We've had lots of laughs, tears and sleepless nights. He still has his days and nights a little mixed up. He's been a great baby-very content and eats and sleeps a lot! We are proud parents. We still can't believe he belongs to us...forever. Daddy has been such a huge help cooking and serving us, and Grandma is here this week.

Micah's birth

2008-03-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

I went to the Doctor for my 37 week check-up and he said I was already 6cm dilated and we needed to head to the hospital ASAP. We got there at 1pm on March 5. They broke my water at 4pm. We labored ALL night long (Micah is a stubborn boy already) and he was born on March 6 at 6:39am. He was 7lbs, 7oz. He had jaundice for the first week, but he's better now. Our first drive home was a little nerve-wrecking. Daddy was very nervous :)

Baby shower

2008-03-03T19:47:00.000-08:00

Everyone was so sweet and generous to our little Micah. He is going to be one well-dressed kid!

A prayer for Micah

2008-01-26T17:32:00.000-08:00

Father, we thank you for this sweet blessing that is due to arrive in less than 2 months! We thank You that You are the author and perfector of life. You know life because are the creator of life and know one knows this child better than you do. You are the Parent of all parents. We pray that he would grow up falling in love with you and have much character-humility, love, compassion, honesty, thankfulness, integrity and respect. We pray that he would be "strong and courageous" but yet have a sensitive heart as well. We ask that You would be our Helper as we learn how to parent him. Please Lord save him while he is young and protect him from evil. I pray he would be healthy. Please take care of his little body. We pray that you would use him as your instrument of grace, even when he's young, to show the love of Christ to others. He needs you Lord, apart from You he can do nothing. We need you Lord to be successful parents. Thank you for your presence, that you will never leave us nor forsake us. You are truly wonderful. Amen.

31 weeks along

2008-01-26T17:15:00.000-08:00

31 weeks along...only 9 more to go!!

He is moving around all over the place. As I type right now, I can see his legs go back and forth across my stomach. It's pretty crazy looking. For the first time this week, I pushed on him and he pushed me back. I think he's gonna be a handful!

Matt and Eileen's Wedding

2007-11-20T11:23:00.000-08:00

Eileen is one of my best friends from college and Matt and I (and 15 others) spent summer '04 in South Africa on a missions trip. Fun times.

Our 1 year anniversary

2007-11-20T11:11:00.000-08:00

October 28, 2007...Hooray!!! In only 1 year, we have learned and experienced so much! We've spent a lot of time in the hospital and ER together - I had a seizure, had skin cancer removed from my arm, had a miscarriage scare, Todd broke his finger (and had to have surgery), and we got pregnant. We've learned about working together in ministry and so much about communication. I am amazed by the Lord's faithfulness to us to help us over and over again.

18 Weeks

2007-11-20T09:14:00.000-08:00

18 weeks along....He is kicking and moving a ton! I ended up in the ER because of some unexpected bleeding, but as soon as we got home and got into bed (at 2am...errr) I felt him move for the first time. It was his way of saying "Here I am Mommy, I'm o.k." Everything turned out to be o.k. This picture was taken on our 1 year anniversary at Callaway Gardens. It was beautiful!

Why we chose the names "Micah Heflin"

2007-09-26T08:43:00.000-07:00

We chose the name Micah because translated in the old Hebrew means "Who is like the Lord?" It's special to us because there is no one like the Lord!! What a good God we worship. "Heflin" is a family name. Todd, his Dad and Grandfather are Heflin's.

3 months

2007-09-26T08:23:00.001-07:00

3 months pregnant!!!! This is the last time I can wear this shirt for awhile! We found out it's a boy this month. He is already spoiled, especially by Grandma. He's already received 2 packages.

2 months

2007-09-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

Just 2 months pregnant!! At this point I was feeling pretty rough. Just eating mac & cheese and doing a lot of sleeping. And that's about it.

We're pregnant!

2007-09-26T08:13:00.001-07:00

We found out that we were pregnant in July. We were pretty surprised and shocked and excited all at the same time. We were trying, but not expecting for it to happen so soon. But God knew exactly what He was doing. We are a blessed family. We can't wait to meet him!