2006 Highlights

The last sunset of 2006 was pink. It was a good end to a good year for the Skippers in Petal. As we drove home from our family vacation, we reflected on the highlights of 06 and the hopes for 07. We agreed that Lins would author this blog, but as 11:00pm approaches, we’re up for a team effort and then some sleep (we’re road weary from vacation).

First let me say that it has been a great year together. Lins has sported a cute short haircut the whole time and both dogs have gotten more rotten with each passing month. So here are the highlights.

January – Ben attended the Passion Conference in Nashville with some of our college students and I stayed home, with our little bun in the oven. The beginning of the year found me halfway through our pregnancy and beginning a new addition to our home. We broke ground on our new master bathroom addition.

February – We helped with a few Disciple Nows and my Granddaddy turned 85! My mom and dad also celebrated their 33rd anniversary. Way to go Pops and Kat!

March – We planned our last getaway before the baby came and headed to Natchez for a weekend to the pilgrimage. We stayed at a precious bed and breakfast – The Wensel House and really enjoyed the old homes. We worked hard on the bathroom and appreciate all of our friends who volunteered free labor. We couldn’t have done it without you!

April – The bathroom was finally finished, just in time to get everything set up and cleaned up for our little man to arrive! We also worked on the nursery and Lins and her mom made all the bedding, etc. CBC celebrated its 80th anniversary and Ben went to the Smokies with Paul & Charley Tynes and Austin “Fancy Pants” McMurry for a backpacking trip.

May – Ben went with our church to Nicaragua again and really enjoyed his trip. I prayed the whole time he was gone that the baby wouldn’t come without him! Curry was due on June 5th, but we had no idea that he would come a week and a half early! We celebrated our 5th anniversary on May 26th and while we were at a movie with our friend, Scott Norris, we timed contractions and headed to the hospital that night.

June – June was filled with lots of sleepless nights and getting used to having a newborn. Curry brought us so much joy and we got to dedicate him just a week after he was born! Ben had several church trips that kept him busy and we missed “daddy” a lot.

July – BEN TURNED 30! He got to celebrate his birthday in Belize on a mission trip that was really a blessing to him. Jody Hawkins was married to our friend, Julie Adams and we were really glad to be a part of that.

August – More trips (Big 7, College Rafting Trip, & Believer’s Bash), and Curry is cuter than ever. At the end of the month we squeezed in a trip to Destin for several days with Pops and Kat and got to stay in a beautiful home thanks to Tom & Jackie Usry. Ben got to snorkel everyday we were there and it was really a wonderful vacation.

September – Lins went back to work at CCS. CBC had a Labor Day Retreat with several other churches in Petal and had a great time at Camp Garaywa in Clinton. This was also Curry’s first youth tirp and he really had a great time. Granddaddy Skipper passed away and his funeral was appropriately on Labor Day.

October – Curry’s first Halloween and the Skipper’s attended the annual CBC College Costume Party as a pumpkin patch. Curry continues to steal our hearts as he smiles and coos and grins his toothless grin.

November – Ben spent the first weekend hiking in the Smokies with Daniel, Trevor and Aaron. It was really cold but they are tough! Then came the month of weddings! Julie Roberts and Matt Fondren finally got married and it was beautiful! Curt and Felicia got married and all of the Skipper/Persons clan gathered to celebrate/help/cook, etc. The wedding was fun and the seeing the family was a great blessing. Curry celebrated his first Thanksgiving and went to his first National Youth Worker’s Convention in Charlotte, NC. Stroo & Robyn got engaged while we there and we were so glad they went with us! We also took our “Manny” along – we love you Carlos!

December – December is always filled with Christmas parties and an elf invades our home every year. I stay up late decorating and wrapping presents and Ben is always sure that I come from the North Pole. Curry was the cutest Santa ever and he loved it all, especially the lights. We celebrated Christmas in Shuqualak and Curry got a Radio Flyer Wagon from Granny and Granddad, lots of toys from Uncle Curt and Aunt Felicia, and a really cool backpack from Uncle Jim that we put to use on our vacation in the Smokies. Pops, Kat, Uncle John and Aunt Courtney joined us and we had a restful getaway.

Curry is Crawling (sort of)

Curry is starting to scoot around. This is not a new trick for him, just a development of some old skills. He was born a wiggle worm, and right off the bat he was bulldozing across his crib or our bed. He would dig his feet in and push his big ole head across the bed. Then, he learned the magical art of rolling. Stomach to back, back to side, anything anywhere...Curry could get it by rolling and stretching those chubby little arms. That was then. Now he is a big boy. Yep, on Christmas Vacation in Wears Valley, Tennessee in a cabin with Aunt Cokie, Uncle John, Pops and Kat Curry has begun to crawl. Welcome to the ranks of the four-legged rug rats little man. He can't wait to show Granny and Grandaddy. It's not much yet, and he won't crawl on command (he's not a circus baby), but you've gotta start somewhere.

Christmas Vacation

Curry is a mountain man. Curry has been hiking with us (sort of) in the Smoky Mountains this week on family vacation #2. He was a beach bum in August and now he is proving to be quite the explorer in the mountains. All is well and we are having a ball.