so we're going semi-annual now

Welcome!  Other than the need to update my blog, I have no exciting information.  All the good stuff is over at my wife's blog, where she tells about our baby to be experiences on a much more frequent basis.  However, for all you short attention span peoples, here goes:

Baby is boy

Baby is wonderfully active (which worries us for our future...)

Baby name is Josiah Robert Lobaugh!!!  We have looked through numerous baby books and found no other names that we like (Naunie wouldn't go for "James Logan,""Bruce Wayne,""Hal Jordan" or "Peter Parker,"...I'm not sure why)

School is going steady.  We have our performance of Rutter's "Gloria" in a week and a half...hopefully we'll have all the music learned by then!!!

Church is also going well.  I will probably make some adjustments about our music after the holiday season, but I'll share more on that when the time comes!

I'm publishing now, so in case I forget for another two months there's something here.  But Grammy has made a wonderful breakfast, so I'm going to eat!

School's in session

In case anyone reading this is curious, Naunie and I have both been spending time on Facebook. It's not nearly as informative as a blog (provided said blog is updated), but it's lots more addictive!

Naunie is doing well - we're still several weeks away from knowing the sex of the baby, but all is well. We're both very busy with school. I feel like I am running to catch up with my tail, but the year is going well so far. Round one auditions are this saturday - I'm hopeful that a few of my students will make it on to Round two. I've got a great group of kids this year. I'm very excited about the sound of my beginning girls and my select women - there is lots of potential for the future in those two groups! As long as my Chorale can control their talking, they will have a very good tone and I think a good chance at improving from last years UIL scores, and generally making some exciting music this year! We're still trying to work out the details, but I hope that we will be travelling to Chicago this spring.

We went down to visit my Mom this past weekend, and to give her some company after the hurricane. Hopefully we didn't annoy her too much! If any of you have connections with State Farm, feel free to send them her way - the house has a little bit of fixing up to be done. We are grateful that they do have the house still though! there are many that weren't so lucky.

Naunie's at the Women of Faith conference.  I'm sitting at home not being productive...trying to decide if I'm going to go to work or a movie.  You'd think that would be an easy decision.  ;-)  Not really anything new to say - Naunie's doing well.  She's updating her babyblog fairly regularly.  We both start school on Monday, and we both have LOTS to get done before kids come on Monday.  At any rate, I thought it would be good for me to write, so that you knew I hadn't forgotten already!  Have a great Saturday, Sunday, and school week.  And Pa - eat your food and get well soon!  Love to everyone,

Jermaine

One other bit of news...

I missed the first day of registration at school today, but I think you'll agree that it was for a good reason... 

He/she is an active sucker!  And unlike Ross and Rachel, Naunie and I were both able to very clearly see Baby Lobaugh!  

So...what are you all doing on or about March 13th?

You can find much more information on a regular basis by going to Naunie's blog (she's making it as we speak...er, type):  naunielobaugh.blogspot.com.  I think the plan is to update weekly so that all of the family will be kept in the know.

Finished a book!

So my plan of a book a month took a few months off...  ;-)

However, I just finished the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan.  If you are a Christian, you have to read this book.  Period.  It is a powerful call to what it means to be truly, completely committed to Christ.  I wish that I could say I'm ready to do all this book says, but I can't.  It is almost embarrassing to call ourselves followers of Christ when we live in what would be considered grotesque opulence by most of the rest of the world.  

I was first introduced to Chan last year at the National Worship Leaders Conference and was impressed by his honesty and his call to basically live better than we do.  Not better/richer, but better/like Christ.  This book continues that philosophy.  Very good stuff.  Check it out.  You can also check out Francis Chan's video podcast on itunes.  Gotta love the free stuff!

Watchin' the Olympics right now.  Swimmers, bikers, and gymnasts are incredible.   I'm also working on the Bowie Choir Handbook for this year.  Naunie is off pedicuring and enjoying not having any classwork to deal with.  I believe that she is taking the semester off from Master's work.  Not that she'll be bored dealing with being ESL chair!  

Apparently You Do Read

I have been bombarded with concerns/complaints/requests wondering why it's been 7 MONTHS since my last blog entry.  Well, I'll tell you.  Mars is a very cold place.  And it's far away.  

Yep.  That's the best reason I have.  Well that, and the fact that I was locked out.  Hopefully I've got that issue resolved.  

So school is just around the corner.  It's been an incredibly busy summer.  Naunie has been taking two classes for her Masters in addition to teaching summer school.  We went to New York (hopefully the link works) right after school was out for the summer and had a wonderful trip.  I actually got Naunie up to the top of the Empire State Building!  We also saw some great Broadway Theatre in "Rent," "Mary Poppins," and "In The Heights."  If you get the chance, you HAVE to go see "In The Heights."  What an awesome show!

Naunie and I came back from New York and I took a quick trip up to see Grammy and Pa in Wichita.  Following that, I went to Lake Tahoe for IB Music training (yeah, it was as rough as it sounds).  While at the lake, I did go swimming in the coldest water ever.  

Got back from Tahoe just in time for Rock Camp at church, which was immediately followed with Adventure Week - our answer to Vacation Bible School.  Immediately after Adventure Week, Mike (the fearless leader), Drew (the intern - heh heh), Rick (the bass player), Naunie (the lovely wife) and I all went down to Austin, TX for the National Worship Leaders Conference.  We returned on a Friday afternoon and Naunie and I left on Saturday to go up to Omaha to visit the Mead clan, including a 6-day old Kaelyn Kess and three other very energetic toddling nieces! 

Finally home, Naunie is rapidly working on her final paper for the summer classes, I have updated the Bowie Choir website (huge thanks to former Disney Cast Mate and still great friend Lon Davis for designing our new logo!), and we are both frequenting our schools to hopefully be prepared for the coming school year!  

In my next post - which will NOT be 7 months from now - I will let you all in on the books I've been reading, the music we'll be working on, and how tired my brain is from thinking!  Until then, do as Monty Python says, and "always look on the bright side of life!"

Blessings,

Jermaine

Holiday Cheer

Merry Christmas everyone! I apologize for the long break between blogs. It hasn't COMPLETELY been my fault. when I changed emails, I thought that I could change this over as well. I messed some stuff up, and today is the first day that I've been able to get back in to the site. Dunno why - guess I hit a technological wall!

Thursday night we had our winter concert at Bowie. Overall, it went very well - always some stuff that we can do better, but I was pleased and enjoyed seeing the students' energy and hard work pay off. Pictures are available on the Bowie Choir website.

We're mostly done with our Christmas shopping! Yes, it's all Naunie's doing. I have no doubt that I would not have started yet if not for her. Nothing is wrapped yet though (I can't have her wrap her own gifts...). It looks like we're going to go down to visit Mom and Dad (Lobaugh side)in Houston over Christmas. It will be good to get to spend a few days relaxing instead of running around! Loni and Ben are coming down too. I can't remember if they have a chimney though (I doubt they do - it's southern Texas), so I don't know if Santa will be able to make it in. :-(

It was also great to see not only Grammy and Pa over Thanksgiving, but to see Mom, Dad, and Emma (Mead side)! They came down for a couple of days, which gave us all an opportunity to catch up, visit, and generally get to be together.

Naunie finished her class Thursday, and is now working a few days at the Scholastic Book Warehouse for their seasonal book sale. Yeah, it doesn't sound like much fun, but she's getting paid in books, so she is very excited! Of course, she came home this afternoon and is now in bed...

I guess that about catches us up. If I don't check in before, have a very safe and Merry Christmas!