Here he is

Newest edition: William Chadrick Ketcherside

Will was born at 2:45 pm, January 29, 2010. He weighed in at 8 lbs 9 oz, 21" long, and head is 14" circumference. My camera is at home and I am at the hospital ergo the pictures will be posted tomorrow. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayer.

Ketcherside's

Dishwasher.

As I write the only sound I hear is the gentle rhythmic hum of the dishwasher. I can't even begin to describe how thankful I am for it. Joey and I decided that it was time to purchase a dishwasher. It seemed like we were doing dishes all the time. Joey mentioned this to my grandparents, and they stepped in and purchased it for us for Christmas. It has made life so much easier, and I know it will be a huge help once Baby K arrives.
We just had a very nice evening with our friends. Once they left, I saw that the kitchen was in need of some attention because we made Austrian potato salad and Schnitzl. Both of which are awesome but can be messy. Usually, I would be overwhelmed by the mess, but just having the dishwasher made me want to clean up the kitchen so I wouldn't have that sinking feeling in the morning. You know, you wake up ready to start your new day. You are ready to tackle whatever the day holds, and then you walk into a kitchen that is in desperate need of some tender love and care.
So what is the point of this little glimpse into a mundane aspect of my life? I am thankful for the simple things in life. This evening we had great company, great food, a great brother who helped clean up the house, and a great dishwasher. I feel very blessed.

Cramps

Cramps, cramps and more cramps. Hmm, I can't wait to have this little guy finally come. He is due Jan. 30, so we are considered to be full term already. I have been having cramps ever since Friday. Some are Braxton Hicks, others are just the ones that make you feel gross and yucky, and then again others make my lower back tighten up. At this point I am choosing to believe that my body is getting ready to have this baby. I go to the midwife tomorrow, and it would be awesome to find out if things are already in the works. More to come later.

Christmas at the Beach

This year we were at Pawleys Island for Christmas. It was a special time because mom, dad and Mike are in the country and Gma and Gpa Zuch live there. It was so relaxing to get out of Columbia and spend the afternoons walking on the beach, feeling the cold wind nibble at your face. (It didn't really bite. This is South Carolina!) I was so relaxed, that had the baby decided he wanted out then and there, I would not have complained. I couldn't think of anything more beautiful and amazing than giving birth right there on the beach. Crazy, I know...
We were surprised by the amount of shells on the beach. The first few days we were there, it was covered with hundreds of star fish. More pictures of the holidays to come. I figured I get these ones posted while I was thinking about it.

"Women Preparing for the Promised One"

The Visitation- Jacopo Da Pontormo

Last weekend I was in a Christmas drama. It seems like it has been ages since I was any kind of dramatic performance (with the exception of when I am trying to explain something to my ESL students). The drama was called "Women Preparing for the Promised One." It was written by a very talented couple in our church, Walter and Bonnie Aebi. Basically, the play brought Old and New Testament women to life who either are directly in the line of Jesus, or were used in very intimate ways to help prepare for his coming. What struck me was how God met them in their sorrows and redeemed the heartache by using them for the coming of the Messiah. Sarah was barren and had to leave home and family for an unknown location. Was she afraid? I'm sure she was, but she chose to trust the God who had spoken to her husband. The result: a son and the beginning of a nation that would bring blessing to the rest of the world. Leah was the unloved wife who tried to win the affection and approval of her husband by the many children she had. Finally, after already having three boys, she looked to the Lord for blessing, and Judah was born, the father of the tribe that would produce King David, and then Jesus. Ruth was a foreigner, a childless widow and destitute. Yet she entrusted herself to the God of Israel and saw how God provided for every single need she had. In the end, she was a wife and a mother, fully taken care of. (Not to mention that she was the Great-Grandmother of King David.) Anna was the old woman, who spent every day in the temple praying, praising God and awaiting the arrival of the Promised One. She was married to her husband for only seven years, and then he died. After that her entire life was completely devoted to God. She saw and prophesied over the baby Messiah. Elizabeth was the old barren wife of the priest who had an encounter with Gabriel in the temple. Soon after, she became pregnant and had a son like the angel had said. John (the Baptist) grew up to prepare the way for Jesus. He was the one who called Jesus the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. Finally, Mary was the teenager chosen by God to be the mother of his son. Although her future was unclear, and she knew she would face slander, probably isolation from community and even the possibility of death, she willingly put herself into the hands of God. Not too long after all this took place Immanuel arrived. God with us! And that makes all the difference in this broken and bleeding world we live in.

Our advent retreat ended with the following benediction, written by Bonnie:

"May the Lord bless you as He has blessed his daughters through the ages.

May God give you
Anna's heart for worship
Sarah's joy at seeing that nothing is too difficult for God
Leah's courage to praise Him no matter what happens
Ruth's loyalty and sacrificial love
Elizabeth's faith to take God at His word
and Mary's readiness to serve Him no matter what the cost.

May His word and His promises dwell in your heart richly,
and may you believe that what the Lord has said to you will be accomplished.
Amen."