KR Coffee Bean

4th of July in PA

2011-07-14T10:55:00.000-07:00

Harper making a cake with Grandpa for the 4th of July

Having fun with the sprinkles afterwards

This is some good stuff....

2010-10-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

I wanted to pass along this great recipe, now that the weather is getting cooler. Our friends, The Bailes, have it posted below.

White Chicken Chili:

http://thebailesfam.blogspot.com/2009/12/white-chili-recipe.html

Raborn Update

2010-10-19T16:03:00.000-07:00

We've been having some fun the last couple of weeks seeing family and hanging out with friends...

The Carter Mountain Orchard with our friends Jen, Mike, and Owen....and our friends Jessie and Adam from Georgia.
http://www.cartermountainorchard.com/

Jessie is 8 months along!

The apple cider was great!

The next weekend my dad came to visit from Pennsylvania and we took him out to the Chesterfield Berry Farm to pick out some pumpkins. My Aunt Jeanette also visited from Raleigh, NC. We took them both to picnic at Holiday Lake.

Fresh Apple Cider from the Mennonite Store in Farmville

Harper's fishing pole from Grandpa

Her Barbie Pole can really cast far!

Train ride at the pumpkin patch


There were so many good ones that we had a hard time picking one.

And now...
We are "enjoying" Harper walking and getting into EVERYTHING!

A couple hours later from the first video....

2010-10-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

Harper's First Steps

2010-10-13T06:08:00.000-07:00

Last night before bed, Harper was playing with her farm animals from a train set and took 4 steps towards Rob and I! We're so proud! Yay Harper! This is a video from this morning.

Harper 11 months 016.MP4

2010-08-10T14:13:00.000-07:00

2010-08-09T15:20:00.000-07:00

We just had our four year anniversary on August 4th! Rob had to work, but we were able to get out for the evening, thanks to our friend, Dan for babysitting. There was a beautiful scenic drive out to the restaurant named Maxine's Fine Dining. Because it was a Wednesday night around 8pm, we were the only ones there after one couple left at the beginning. It was great! And then, a severe storm hit the area during dessert and we both thought we were going to get hit by lightning while getting to the car. Of course I wore my highest black heels and tried my best to walk without falling in the rain....so ROMANTIC! Dinner was such a treat and we can't wait to go back. Especially during the Fall on the deck while the trees are changing colors.

Yay for Monday

2010-07-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

Harper and I went to Michigan for about a week and traveled back with my mom. She was here for the last week and just left yesterday. I'm trying to get over a cold from being worn down and get back to a routine after about a month. When things started to settle down and I had a moment to pause, I felt like the Lord started to flood my thoughts with all the things I had been missing, not listening to, and too busy to recognize.

Pheeewwww! Now all I have to do is get over this sore throat and refocus and re-prioritize. Do you have those wake up calls? Especially when I get sick and everything has to stop. When I have no chose but to be sick. I'm reminded that I can't do anything if I'm not taking care of my health.

Raborn B & B

2010-06-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

When Rob and I moved to Kentucky and then to Virginia, it was important for us to find a place with a second bedroom and then third when Harper was born, for any guests that would stop by. We definitely love having people visit us and getting to love on them by cookin' up some good food and showing them hospitality the best way we know how! A little banana pancakes, bacon, and french-pressed coffee....

So, this summer is starting out very similar to last summer in Wilmore. My brother (Paul) and sister-in-law (Annette) are visiting this weekend and then my sister (Margie) will be staying with us for the first week in July....followed by Rob's Ema and brother (Trevor) for a couple of days and our friends the Boyds for a night, then my mom is visiting the 3rd week of July for her birthday. Phewww....then, we will have Rob's mom come in August. Love, love, love the fam and friends...keep it coming!

Holliday Lake State Park

2010-06-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

We've been making day trips to the state parks near Farmville and today we ventured out to Holliday Lake that was pretty amazing! They had a beach area, lots of picnic areas, and paddle boats.

Professional Mover!

2010-06-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

Today we said goodbye to our friends, The Boyds, that left this morning for Winston Salem. We met them about 5 months ago, shortly after we moved to Farmville. They were our welcoming crew...you know those people that are just really good at making people feel like they made the right decision to move and a provide a big sigh of relief that the Lord has yet again provided people that you connect with!! He is so good and keeps providing those relationships for Rob and I. And let me tell you, we don't take that for granted and really feel so blessed that the Lord cares about those small things He knows will make us so happy.

So to the Boyds, Strebecks, and Mostroms...we are praying for you and your transitions. That the Lord will provide those people again to your family to be life-giving, encouraging, and community that helps you continue serving the Lord.

2010-04-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

This morning went by too quickly. I needed to take it off from exercising because I felt like my hips were going to give out. (Wow do I sound old!) I just wanted to spend a little more time with Rob before he went to work....And so, Rob and I have been talking about going to the fish market and making some fish tacos from a seemingly yummy recipe I found. We got there and had to wait too long and then Rob got called into a staff meeting earlier than planned. Back up plan....go to Kroger and grabbed some groceries for dinner, etc. and get home. I dropped my coupon binder in the parking lot from being flustered and in a hurry and then just thought..."Could I please just start the day over again?" Of course all that was going on was wildly exaggerated in my head and the morning really wasn't that bad. But, you know!, those times that if you could push the rewind button than maybe you would have more patience the second time around!!! Anyway, I ended up with some free stuff at Kroger thanks to my coupons and made in home in time with only 15 minutes to spare for Rob to get back out of the door. PHeewww!

2010-04-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

Harper has been using her new high chair in attempt to get her interested in food. We haven't been too successful so far. She really doesn't want anything we've tried...baby rice cereal, sweet potatoes, peas, green beans, banana, pear. She is 7 months old now, but maybe she's not ready. ??? Do you guys have any advice?

2010-04-13T15:33:00.000-07:00

Rob and I have been trying to make the most out of our mornings since he works in the evenings, so we tried to fit in a workout together and head out to get some flowers. We had about an hour before we had to get back to the house so our mission was to get a couple of pots and possibly a window basket. Just a week or so ago we started our seeds in the kitchen window for tomatoes, basil, and marigolds. They have finally sprouted and we can transfer them to pots soon.

One month later

2010-03-29T16:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, so much for blogging more often....it's only been a month :)

Goals:
I'm still working on my previous list of goals and trying to take small steps. I've been trying to fit my workouts in during Harper's first morning nap and that has been so far a success. I think it's been over a month now and it's been surprisingly easier now than I ever imagined. Certain days I struggle when my energy is zapped or I'm feeling under the weather. I increased my strength workout up to 10 lbs. and an extra set. There is a 5Krace coming up in May that I would like to run with Rob, so we have to get our registration in soon! It's part of the Heart of Virginia Fair in Farmville.

Harper:
I think our little wiggle worm is starting to teeth. She is sleeping well still, but drooling and gnawing on everything! She is also starting to get a lot stronger with her arms and legs, but has not started to crawl yet. If you want a sneak peek, just check out my facebook page or Rob's.

Today:
So, today as I was getting some tissue paper from upstairs, I was coming back down the stairs (in no hurry) and slipped. After landing on my back and hitting my head, I proceeding to slide down skipping about 8 steps with my butt! Man was that fun. I'm ok, but still can't believe I slipped just carrying tissue paper and really with no other reason than I must be getting a bit clumsy.

2010-02-18T09:09:00.000-08:00

Check out this blog: www.southernsavers.com
This site has been so helpful with saving money before I go and buy the Sunday paper for the coupons (I mean I actually read the entire paper for the news). And although I'm not at obsessed with coupons yet, I did get one of those looks at the grocery store for carrying a binder. More to laugh at myself about.

Harper:
I'm still working on it.....a superwoman cape for Harper that is light pink and green with an H on the back...pictures will be posted soon. And she sat up from laying down on her own this morning! I cracked up, because I didn't expect to turn around and see her sitting up and laughing at me.

"Workin' on my fitness, he's my witness":
So, I felt like it was time to start on some type of routine to work out again. I've been getting more sleep and Harper is taking a nap every morning, so I thought I would start slow on something whether it was a walk, a dvd, or lift some light weights. Going on week 3, I have been alternating 30 minutes of cardio and 10 minutes of Yoga, with a basic upper/lower body routine and 10 minutes of pilates on every other day.

Pheww, I can't officially say that I'm actually doing pilates or yoga yet (by the look of things), but I'm trying. My core hasn't been worked out in over a year, so right now I'm huffing and buffing and getting slight headaches afterwards.

Goal list update:
I met with the director of the MBA program at Longwood University last week and went over the details and discussed what I could use the degree for and what program may be the way to go. It was very helpful, but some bad news...I have to wait 12 months to become a Virginia resident. That means if I were to start the 6 credit hour class this summer, it would be like $800 a credit hour...aka rip off!!!! Good news...it will give me time to study and take the GMAT.

Some Fresh Air

2010-02-10T07:23:00.000-08:00

A blog can be a hard task to keep up with if you are an all-or-nothing kind of person like myself. Do I have time to write here and there?...Yes. Do I? No! Because I have the thought that if I don't have time to edit it and get all of my thoughts out perfectly, than I can't do it at all. I think of my friend Amberly when I get to thinking about this time thing, because she talked to me and others about community and investing ourselves with what time we do have (even if it's not perfect, convenient, and PLANNED ahead of time!). Yes....PLANNED ahead of time. Arggg.

I struggle with community being spontaneous, so of course I struggle with blogging and status updates in the same way. Could I just write something without it being perfect or feeling like it's going out being judged? Will I get over my insecurities long enough to actually write and become a better writer for doing it?!! Possibly sharing my thoughts that it might help someone else?

So now that I've gotten that out of the way, unto blogging about the good things going on in my life!

Yesterday I talked with an old friend and felt completely refreshed and energized after I got off the phone with her. Those kind of calls are the encouragement that I love and definitely reminds me why community and accountability are so important. That we do have people rooting for us and want to support us regardless of our imperfections or the season of life that we may currently be in. Thank you friend!! It really was a fresh breath of air for me!!

Here's to many more blogs!

2010-02-06T17:30:00.000-08:00

Better late then never....right?

Top Things I want to do before I turn 31:

Go back to school (Take the GMAT first)
Be featured in Self magazine
Organize a 5k race for a local food pantry
To have a heart healthy lifestyle

Ok, so now that I have written it down...will I be able to do it?

Christmas morning in VA

2009-12-28T18:31:00.000-08:00

Rob after drinking his morning coffee.
Harper in her Christmas robe...very happy in the morning!!
About to chew on some shiny red paper :)

Christmas was really special this year, having family with us in a new town after only a week and of course getting to spend it with our little Harpsichord. She loved the shiny Christmas paper and tried to eat the corners of the book she got from Bma. Little did we think that we would even get the boxes unpack, let alone put up any decorations, but we did...and a little table-top Christmas tree that my mom sent me my first year away a college to put in my room at the time. As things got unpacked, I kept thinking "wow, we are so blessed to have each other and to have our family with us."
Backing up to the night before, our Christmas dinner will certainly go down in my memory as the best way to sum up our move only days before Christmas. It may even end up being a tradition of funny sorts...a table full of KFC popcorn chicken, 6 pieces of original recipe chicken, coleslaw, and potato wedges. This is what Rob and his brother Trevor could get when we all decided that we were hungry and the place would be closing in 10 minutes from our house. They were the last ones to get in the restaurant and then only because of fate that the lady in front of them changed her mind, did they end up getting what was leftover. We laughed and enjoyed our dinner after thanking Jesus that the time was about him and not about the decorations or a fancy dinner.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T18:41:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that it's already the end of November. Harper is 3 months old and we are coming to an end with our time in Wilmore. After we moved here, 3 years ago, I struggled with the small town feel and now I'm sad to say goodbye. Thanksgiving dinner this year really summed up our relationships and the "family" we have grown so close to. There were 25 of us, including children, at the clubhouse in the back neighbor where we live. Here are some pictures taken by the Strebecks and the Brooks.

"GET THAT BABY OUT!"

2009-09-07T16:35:00.003-07:00

Guest blogger: Rob Raborn

Anticipation is met with trepidation as Katherine and I seek new ways to get this little gal to come out and play! As you may know, we live near the holler in 'ole Kentucky. Being so, we have access to Appalachian literature, including works on pregnancy in the hills. Chapter eight in the hill-people medical works "Chillin with your Chillen" is all about inducing labor. Heeding the book's wisdom, Katherine quickly took to mowing our lawn at a mere 39 and a half weeks preggo. After a while, we thought her water broke! However, she was just sweating from the hard work.

I guess hard labor on Labor Day Weekend doesn't always end in hard labor.

Anyway, I took a picture to document our unsuccessful attempt at meeting our little girl sooner than we hoped.

We are very much looking forward to sharing our newest miracle with all of you! -Rob

Let's Get Started

2009-08-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

Bassinet 101: Strebeck Patent Design

An amazing quilted bassinet made by Hannah:

Tomorrow or 3 weeks from now?

2009-08-18T14:46:00.001-07:00

We get to see our second ultrasound tomorrow morning! I can't wait to see how big she is and hear if our due date will get changed or not. Last time we were able to see her suck her thumb :) This Saturday is our birthing class at the hospital that will include a tour of the place, etc.

Sooo....how do women do this? How can I possibly go 3 more weeks? I can't hardly walk with my toes stuffed like little sausages and so hot/swollen that I can't feel my skin anymore. She is still kicking all day (and night), which I'm surprised since there is very little room left. My goal?...To walk once around the block everyday til she comes. Today was a success, but pretty tough making it up the hill.

2009-07-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

33 weeks already!

Today B-ma and Ema will be getting here from Knoxville. We have plenty planned for the weekend: Cincinnati Saturday, Jungle Jim's, and other places plotted out on our road trip...should be lots of fun. They may need a wheelchair for me this time :)

Also, Amberly is leaving to come back today with her mom. Can't wait to see her and the kids. Good luck on the 16 hour road trip!!!!

What's been going on in July

2009-07-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

1. Great 4th of July! Parade, fireworks, watermelon, and sparklers. Also, Grilling out (thanks dad for the purchase!) with the amazing veggies that are coming up in the garden.
Ok...I wasn't feeling too hungry for dinner, so this is a pic from just Rob's dinner :)

2. Trip to Georgia to see great friends at a lake house (about 2 weeks ago)....Facebook has all the group pics and shared albums.

3. Redesigning the living room all thanks to Charlie! Bamboo shades, white curtains, white paper lanterns, and couch cover....let the nesting begin.

4. Baby room projects and painting
Sewing the changing pad

I'll work on the other letters once we decide for sure on the first name...

3 mirrors to hang on the wall with glass knobs and a canvas (you can see in the mirror) to hang over the dresser.
Still have to sew ribbon on the valance to match the bedding.

Soon to come....
1. Mom-in-law and Ema are coming to visit this week
2. Fun trip to Cincinnati

Can't wait!

Don't give Rob the gun!

2009-07-03T13:47:00.001-07:00

So, we decided that we were ready and geared up to venture into Babies R Us yesterday afternoon. The first time we went (just to scope out the place), we were really overwhelmed and never wanted to return. But yesterday wasn't so bad, because we went in with a game plan...knowing what items we needed, where they were in the store, and to not to take too long deciding on the big items.

The girl helping us set up the account said, "It's ok to register for 250 items or something...that's average." WHAT?!!! We walked out with around 30 and thought that was too much. Here are a couple of pictures after the pressure was off and we felt good about keeping our time under an hour....

I just couldn't pass up this little dress.

30 Weeks

My leg almost fell off!

2009-06-16T06:17:00.000-07:00

As I tossed in bed last night and remember stretching a little, I could tell a calf cramp was coming on...but thought, "I will stretch it out a little more and save myself from a "charley horse." Well, WHAM!!!!!!!!!!! It was the worse Charley Horse of my life! I let out a yelp and woke Rob up (which he probably thought I was going into early labor). I couldn't believe how long it lasted. Next time....just punch me in the face.

28 weeks on Friday

Going on 26 weeks

2009-06-03T11:17:00.001-07:00

Yay for 25 weeks....26 on Friday. We have our next appointment June 10th

Saturday of fun and beautiful weather!

2009-05-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

The day started off at the Lexington Farmer's Market...

Kelly bought a kohlrobi that the woman at the stand told us it tastes like an apple...not so sure about that one.

Then off to Alfalfa's Restaurant on Main Street

Rob planting the banana pepper plant he bought at the farmer's market.

A stop at the Jacksons... little Cora

Project #3 Complete

2009-05-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

I just finished my 3rd sewing project that was part of my birthday present from Rob. It was so much fun sewing with Hannah and sadly she will be moving in 2 weeks to go back to Maine with her husband Jason and little girls Margo and Eloise.

Project #1 Diaper Bag

Project #2 Nursing Cape

Project #3 Ribbon Toy

Popping the Balloons

2009-05-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

This morning after stepping on slightly deflated balloons on the kitchen floor....we popped all of them to complete an exciting, busy couple of weeks. These balloons were from Rob's birthday party 2 weekends ago and added to the decorations from when we celebrated his graduation! I'm so proud of him and it was pretty great celebrating it with his mom, dad and brothers. We still have a graduation balloon and the birthday banner up in the living room with the tv unit displayed with cards. Our house really looks like a celebration!

Now, we are off to a great summer. My dad is coming in June and then my sister Margie a couple weeks later. Because this town is so quiet during the summer, I'm looking forward to going to the Lexington Farmers Market, breakfasts at Alfalfa's, and walks around wilmore.

Rob took a picture of us crammed into the car riding back from graduation and just happen to catch my face through the seat!

Sarah's Baby Shower

2009-03-25T13:10:00.001-07:00

This was last Saturday at Marilyn Elliott's House for our friend Sarah's Baby Shower. It was adorable and had an owl theme going. Definitely one the most adorable showers that I've been too.

Sarah is apart of our small group (left) that started out as a running group a little over a year ago and continued as a group after our training. It's been the best! These girls are amazing!

Let it grow, let it grow, let it grow!

2009-03-23T07:08:00.001-07:00

Planting seeds for the spring has officially begun! This is only the second year we have tried this, but I couldn't wait to start. I worked on the flower seeds for the front yard, which I think I'm going to try to put around the mailboxes and bushes.

Rob worked on all of the yummy vegetables. I think we have 2 types of squash and tomatoes, carrots, and green beans.

Sewing Lesson 101

2009-03-20T06:08:00.000-07:00

Thread, thread, thread, and that damn bobbin!!! PHheewww....I think I'm finally overcoming my frustrations with sewing! I started my first lesson with my friend Hannah last night and sucessfully completed 3 napkins. Let's just give it up for Hannah for her extraordinary talent and mad teaching skills.

My lessons are a gift from Rob for my birthday, because of how badly I have wanted to learn to sew. I had borrowed a sewing machine from Megan (months ago!) and have tried learning from my mom for years. I just want to throw the machine, material, and scissors across the room whenever I try. But yes, finally yesterday, I think I understand how to thread the machine and keep the needle threaded. Here we go!! This means pillows, baby stuff, and much more to come!

Wilmore Community Center

2009-03-20T05:55:00.000-07:00

I don't know how this happened, but we have lived here almost 3 years and finally just went to the Wilmore Commuity Center! Almost right across from our house, the parking lot I met in for 4 months every Saturday for our running group, and a place I have heard others talk about numerous times. How did this happen? Seriously! I love thrift stores!
Rob did find a treasure in the rough....a mint condition, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles story book from 1990 for $0.27!!!!!