2011 Christmas Update - no video this year....

After one crazy year- We were lucky to get our Christmas cards to the post office before 2012! Though many of our family and friends will receive them in 2012! Oops - well maybe next year....

S- Sometimes it's more important to be in the moment than document it on facebook or blogspot. With a 1 yr old I am getting a post or two up on the blog when he goes to sleep.

K- Kuddos to Wyatt who has become a seasoned traveler flying to Wichita, KS in Dec 2010 and May 2011, a flight to Florida in March and then to Chicago in November! He also started his acting career as baby Jesus at the Christmas Eve service in 2010 and made an appearance this year with his mom and dad.

Baby Jesus - 2010

The telling of the "Night Before Christmas" - New Testament style, 2011

I- I have had fun with my new sewing machine making a few baby blankets, stockings, and pillowcases - on the few occasions that I have some free time - hence the limited on time blog posts.



L- Looking back on the past we thank God for the blessings he has bestowed upon us: our healthy child, our jobs ( Dr. Matt at Elizabethtown College and Rebekah is working full time as a mom. After 10 years of working full time she was able to work part time as a RN and moved from the Emergency Dept to the Medical Intermediate Care Unit), our health, our family, and our friends who are like family.



L- Looking to the future we thank God for his mercy, instruction, grace, and hope as He guides us in this next year.



E- Elated to have celebrated 10 years of marriage with an actual dinner date & Wyatt at home with a babysitter!

12/15/2001- 12/15/2011 and beyond!

N- Never a dull moment is had in this Skillen household with 2 cats, a dog, a momma, a daddy, and a very smart, silly, and sweet little boy!

At first Wyatt wasn't to sure about this event...

Then he got his "cool" look on.

P.S. his photo was taken BEFORE Christmas- I took the photo of the photos with my camera tonight- :)

2011 Christmas Update

Every year seems to go by so fast, yet this last year seems to have literally flown by at cyber speed!  Everyone warned us that having a baby makes the years go by so fast, we believed them but didn't realize how fast, fast was!

Dr. Matt continues to work at Elizabethtown College in the English dept and overseeing student teachers in secondary education. He also serves on multiple committees as well as attending and presenting at conferences throughout the year. Annually he attends and has presented at NCTE. In 2011 Wyatt and I went along and had some fun in Chicago. We hope to continue this tradition as a family. Fingers crossed they pick some warmer climates in the next years, as it is always in November.

After maternity leave ended in February 2011, I (Rebekah) returned to the hospital in a new unit and new position. After 10 years of working full time as a nurse I am thrilled to be a full time mom and a part time RN. I work 2- 12 hr night shifts/week in the Medical Intermediate Care Unit (MIMCU).  Matt is so wonderful caring for Wyatt while I work and when I get home so I can sleep. Thankfully on the rare occasion when Matt's wonderful schedule doesn't allow for him to be home I have a great friend who cares for Wyatt.

Matt continues to play guitar at our church, though I have taken a break singing with the group to focus on my lil' worshiper who loves to watch his daddy play but seems enthralled by the drums. I (Rebekah) have been tinkering around with sewing and quilting since last spring with a dear friend. Right around my birthday I got my own sewing machine so I am able to work on projects during nap time (if I'm not taking a nap) or after Wyatt goes to bed. I have made 2 baby quilts, a handful of pillowcases, and for my nieces and nephew - Christmas stockings. It's has been truly enjoyable to take fabric and turn it into something special.

I (Rebekah) am thoroughly enjoying motherhood (though I haven't taken time to do much blogging about it). I love being a mom, though it can be very exhausting at times; every smile, laugh, happy dance, kiss, etc is so worth it! I am so happy to be Wyatt's mom!

Wyatt is a seasoned traveller!

Christmas Eve 2010 Wyatt had his first acting debut as baby Jesus at our church. The next day, at 2 months old he took his first flight. We flew to Kansas on Dec 25, 2010 and surprised our extended family. In March 2011, he flew to Florida to dip his feet in the Atlantic Ocean and to his Florida Gp Lynn, Gm Roch, Uncle Steve, and Aunts Lindsey and Lauren. In May he was a pro as he flew back to Kansas for some summer fun, but with a cold front we only had 2 days of normal Kansas summer heat! In November on our trip to Chicago we realized that this would be our last trip with Wyatt flying free on our laps- he wants to move! We have 3 more flights planned before Wyatt is 2, but trying to keep him entertained on our laps is no longer an option!

Wyatt is learning all the time!

In the last year Wyatt has gone from protesting tummy time, to rolling over, to crawling, to now walking and almost running! He loves to talk- he knows what fish, dogs, cats, cows, birds, and sheep say. He also says and understands mama, daddy, mimi (grandma), thank you, eat, yes, no, night night, and speaks his own language all the time. He knows how to sign- eat, more, dog, bird, mama, dada, grandma, and we are learning even more together!  He loves to give kisses, hugs, and dances to any type of music, even the sound of my sewing machine! He hasn't met any food he didn't like and is enjoying learning to feed himself. It is so much fun to watch him learn and grow everyday!

We have had a blast parenting Wyatt and learning more and more about ourselves as parents and spouses. It hasn't always been easy being so far away from family and raising a baby; but we are learning about our own strengths and weaknesses in this process.

At this time of the year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we look back on this year with thanksgiving for our son, our health, jobs, home, and hope.

Taken at Macy's Walnut Room under The Great Tree in Chicago Nov 2011 during Matt's NCTE conference

Matt, Rebekah, & Wyatt

Christmas Eve 2011

Wyatt was baby Jesus in 2010 at 8.5 wks old last Christmas, this year his participated in a family scene reading the REAL night before Christmas story.  We got to be part of the Christmas Eve service at the candlelight contemporary service.

Such a special time for us as a family. I am so happy and so blessed to have Christmas Eve and Christmas off this year from work. I really didn't expect to have this time off; but I will gladly enjoy it!

Wyatt has a new lovey- he absolutely loves his snoopy from Gm2 Jo (Great grandma Jo)

I actually really like this shot :)

Matt played during the service as well.

Christmas Stockings- a sewing project

My Christmas projects that I worked on this last fall...

I forgot to get a photo of Grant's stocking....oops!

Here are the others.... Wyatt's is in the center. My stocking and Matt's stocking were made by my Great Grandmother- she was my inspiration to make the following ones. 

My sister Sarah's for her own place, since her original stocking is at mom and dad's

For my sister Jojo's kiddos

For my SIL children

Hangin' out at the house

Wyatt and I have a lot of fun just hanging around the house, especially when it's cold outside. I also did some picking up around the house today in preparation for Matt's mom coming to visit. We are so excited to share this Christmas with her.

With Wyatt being so mobile now, it's is so much fun to grab the camera and capture some moments of him just exploring his domain. Enjoy!

He loves Regan's bed....dog hair is the newest fashion trend you know.

Love the curls!!!

Absolutely love his smiles. And look at those little long toes!

Just another day of fun at the Skillen house as our little boy proves he's not so little anymore!

Another post typed in Jan 2012.....

12/15/2001 and counting!

Another post typed in Jan 2012...

Wow, has it really been 10 yrs already? We have had our ups and downs, our highs and lows, our joys and sorrows, but we have made it through all of them together! I am so blessed to have my best friend and my lover in one person! I thank God everyday for such a wonderful husband and now father of our son.

Tonight (one day after our anniversary date) we actually had a babysitter "watch" Wyatt while we went out for dinner.  At this stage Wyatt is going down at 6:30 ish at night. We put him to bed and our babysitter was given the monitor and the remote to the TV.  Wyatt slept for 9 hrs straight that night! He didn't even know we had left for 3 hrs!

We spent our evening talking!  In the middle of our wonderful dinner I told Matt, "This feels weird, my right arm isn't trying to catch a sippy cup, food, or spoon!" We both had a good laugh at the fact of how much our lives have changed in the last year!

To the man I love,

You are such an awesome man and I am so happy to be your wife of 10 years and counting.

A walk down memory lane

10/2001- Engagement photos; 2 months before our wedding!

We both had just turned 21 and 22 in Sept 2001 - we were babies!

 December 15, 2001

Our 1 year anniversary!

10 years later.....it is such a blessing!

after dinner and sizing my new watch ( a replacement of the watch Matt bought me 12 yrs ago!) we stopped by Coldwater Creek to model the dress I bought there a week prior. 

A beautiful baby boy sleeping & a babysitter back to her home, means a little bit of celebrating for the happy couple with  a toast of Moet & Chandone, the same champagne we shared after our wedding!

The flutes are from our 7th Wedding anniversary when we left the ice world of Manhattan, KS and sought refuge back in Wichita in a hotel with heat/electricity. We had been surviving in our apt back in Manhattan for over 5 days without heat!