ERNESTO

Over the past six years living on the east coast, 2 things always happen when a big Tropical Storm/Hurricane gets near....1) We come down to Wrightsville Beach to stay with the Rippy's..watch the storm...eat lots of food...play games..and tie up the boats on the pier etc. #2) Jim Cantore gets swept along the beach on the Weather Channel near Wilmington and every friend or relative we have ever met , calls to ask us if we are alive or not and when are they going to put us in a FEMA trailer.

I LOVE IT.

It is kind of scary due to the raw power of the ocean and a hurricane ...but there is something pretty fun about it as well Tonight we have had over 11 inches of rain and it's supposed to get to 15 inches. We have had gusts of wind tonight over 75mph. The ocean is super high at low tide (not good....when high tide comes and we get a 5 ft surge...piers,docks, and boats are toast) and having said all that....this is mild.

It's a good excuse to come down here and eat some local shrimp,okra, brussels, and cornbread.

We'll keep you posted!

Kim is still getting sick quite often, but she is being a real trooper. Cousin Timm came down 2 days ago with his www.roadtripmcdonalds.com crew and we had a good time. Youth group stuff started big last week and we had more kids there and in SS than I had ever seen.

To God be the Glory great things He hath done-
nate

FRUITY

I felt a little artsyfartsy one day at the Rippy's
house and decided to take photos of
their fruit. The name of this photo is
"fruitopian galaxy". It tells me that I can be
bumpy like a lemon peel or distant like a
tomato on a ledge.....yet I still am
worth something. Maybe bananas don't taste as
good in a salad like a tomato, but that
banana is VITAL to "nanner pudding".
We all have our place in the galaxy,
hence the name "fruitopian galaxy"

Nancy and I dressed up for the annual
6th grade "Wakey Wakey" event.
I am featured here in a pink, cashmire
"ONESY" with attatched footsies at the bottom.

Darryll Wayne Stratman's 1st photo shoot

Got Daddy's lips and beard.
Got Momma's head.

The Girly Doctor

(this is not ours...but it is a 9week old lil' feller)

Kim and I went to the girly doctor today, which was more painful for me than it was for Kim. Every man in that place was as nervous as I was. I was doing ok until we walked in the room to wait on the Doc...and there they were......the dreaded stirrups. Googily Moogily they gave me the willies....but I hunkered down and took one for the team.
When things got too intense for me I went back into the lobby to wait on Kim. The nurse ran and got me because they found the baby's heartbeat which sounded like a rabbit's heart. It was a pretty neat experience and it has finally sunk in that Kim has a living gift from God inside of her.

This is the first of many stories about the birth of "Darryl Wayne Stratman".

God is Good
nate

Mommy don't feel good

This is one of the many pieces of art
we have hung recently in our new youth

building, The Hub. This is a 4ft tall, glazed
canvas photo on a box frame. This head of
Christ is an actual clay sculpture that sits
in our main building and was made by a man
in about one hour with clay from his backyard.

Go to www.foldier.blogspot.com for the rest of the stuff.

Mommy Report-
Kim has been feeling pretty bad every day.
She is being a trooper through all of this.
Keep her in your prayers.

Peeved about Ricky Blobby

Dang
Shoot

Saw Talladega Nights last night on the opening night.(that's a ton of nights)
What a let down. I was so jacked up to watch some Ricky Bobby and it didn't deliver.
There were a couple of funny parts...but those were all on the trailers and previews I have been watching for 8 months. Wait till it comes out on DVD!!!
..while i'm not a prude or wound tight...I do question the PG-13 rating on this flick...
some of the humor was definitely "R'ish".

under construction,
young nathan

Quit Hatin' !!!

I have recieved many comments that Kim doesn't have any pictures on our bloggy thing or that I put random pics of large Asian men in tu-tu's or militant groundhogs.
#1- Kim hates Cameras #2- Kim thinks that if her picture is on the site that someone will steal her identity.

so...............
I am posting a picture from 2 years ago for tha' hatas!
ps... Kim is about 7 or 8 weeks pregnant and we have discussed several names: Darryl, Jimmy, Angel Dawn, and Cougar.
She isn't barfing....but feels a lil' queezy!
Keep her in your prayers.
word to ya momma,
the namtarts