stevenandkeri

Moving to wordpress!

2012-02-03T22:48:00.002-06:00

To our 19 followers! :)

We have decided to move to stevenandkeri.wordpress.com

This blog will still be kept; however we will be updating wordpress from now on. All previous posts from this blog are on wordpress.

Hope to see you as a follower of www.stevenandkeri.wordpress.com very soon!

MANcation 2011

2011-12-27T23:05:00.002-06:00

My community group guys, brother - in - law, and another friend camped out on the Buffalo River this December. It was a great start to Christmas break! We comsumed more brauts, burgers and bacon than should be legal. We hiked on a beautiful, December day and created gargantuous MANfires. It was a glorious MANweekend with great friends. I am blessed to have friends like these guys to share life with. The only thing that could change for MANcation 2012 is my sleeping bag. 28 degrees can get quite cold!

the simple pleasures of life.

2011-12-24T23:00:00.002-06:00

A free strawberry shake from Chick - Fil - A to share with my girl. Does it get any better. (It was gone in less than 5)

Catching up during the holidays

2011-12-24T22:55:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving was a great time off with the family. Emma was just beginning to learn about the first Thanksgiving with her "handmade" Native American outfit. How fun!

"Baby it's cold outside!"

Happy birthday Dad!

This smile never gets old!

Hogs, Hugs, Haircuts, and Hollywood!

2011-09-17T15:12:00.001-05:00

It is that time of the year! Football season is upon us and the Helmicks are ready to call those Hogs!

Emma is loving it. Every Saturday she wants to wear her "Pig Sooie" shirt. Wonder where that desire came from? :)

Drew's first haircut!

Counting our blessings

2011-09-17T14:58:00.002-05:00

Our pediatrician wanted to have Drew tested for Cystic Fibrosis and he also wanted us to get a heart murmur checked out so we took the little guy to Arkansas Children's Hospital. The first couple of photos are Drew having his sweat test done for cystic fibrosis. Thankfully, everything came back negative!

Drew all hooked up for his echo cardiogram and electrocardiogram. Everything is ok!

Life is good

2011-09-17T14:38:00.001-05:00

Isn't it great to reflect on God's goodness through photos of your family? I am so grateful Keri and our two awesome kids. God is so good.

Icee time at Target. :)

St. Louis Zoo with Friends!

2011-09-17T14:25:00.000-05:00

The Helmicks are huge fans of the St. Louis Zoo. It is the coolest zoo that we have ever been to and it is FREE! Emma loved hanging out with her friends for a fun - filled day. We spent the week with the Detwilers. It was a great weekend to get away and hang out with some great friends.

The kiddos are about the height of a koala bear.

Emma, Mark, and Braden

Drew had a GREAT time. :)

While the kiddos and ladies went to the Wonderplace in St. Louis, Mark and I toured the Anhauser Bush Brewing Factory. IT was a fantastic tour that was very interesting and informative.

The Land of Lincoln

2011-09-13T22:27:00.000-05:00

This summer I had the fantastic opportunity to participate in a week long seminar/workshop with the National Endowment of the Humanities that focused on Lincoln and the forging of America. It was an excellent blend of scholarly lectures, discussions and excursions through New Salem and Springfield, Illinois. We toured New Salem, Lincoln's home in Springfield, his presidential library/museum, and tomb. I love teaching history and this workshop was a perfect way to grow my knowledge on our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln.

Many more photos were taken but to not bore you I included only a few!

The Lincoln Home - Springfield, Illinois

The rotunda of the Lincoln Museum

The following pictures are from an evening that we spent at Lincoln's tomb.

This building in New Salem is where Abraham Lincoln studied law for hours upon hours beside the fireside.

The Old State Capital - Springfield, Illinois

Lincoln worked here while in congress and President Obama declared his intentions for running for president on these steps.... Coincidence? I think not!

Lincoln was a well respected lawyer in Springfield for close to 20 years.

The Old Statehouse is where Lincoln served and where his body lie in state after his assassination.

History fan or not, I would highly recommend visiting the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. It was fantastic and ages 7 - 97 would find something to enjoy!

Iowa! The final leg of our Summer Journey!

2011-09-13T21:50:00.001-05:00

Emma and her new friend! The two kept Don and Mary busy for the long weekend that we were together!

The Helmicks love the Kalona cheese factory! Keri and I used to come here when we were first married so it has been fun to introduce our children to cheese curds and excellent cheese.

"Is this heaven? No it's Iowa." - Field of Dreams

The Smokies!

2011-08-03T23:39:00.010-05:00

As we enter the school year you all will start to see posts of what has taken place with stevenandkeri this summer! Keri and I have been talking about how behind we constantly feel. We just can't seem to catch up after being gone this summer. We hope you enjoy! :)

Every two years, Keri's Dads side of the family gets together at various locations. Keri and I have yet to make one in the seven years since we've been married so we thought it would be good to make the effort to travel to Gatlinburg with the kiddos! We are glad we did.

Emma did NOT enjoy this ride!
She did enjoy the merry - go - round though!

We were traveling to hike a waterfall and all of the sudden the cars in front of us stopped on the one lane road. At first I was really bothered by their "rudeness" until I realized they had stopped to view a black bear and her two cubs! Needles to say we stopped as well to enjoy the unbelievable sight. After a hour hike we made it to this fantastic waterfall where we ate lunch with Ross, Amber and their kiddos.

The Martins!

A well deserved lunch.

Did we mention that there were 24 adults and 21 kids 8 and under!

Helmicks Having Fun!

2011-07-21T12:13:00.005-05:00

Keri and I got Emma a tricycle for her 2nd birthday! Hard to believe our little girl is already the big 2. This picture has Emma written all over it! She loves swimming, playing outside, riding her trike, and wearing her "wellow" shoes. :)

Drew loves bath time and Emma has done a great job helping this summer. She absolutely loves being the "big" sister that gives Drew baths.

My two most favorite girls in the entire world!

Awesome.... Just plain awesome.....

Drew is beginning to hold his head up well. Yeah Drew Man!

Emma, Elephant, Dad. Yes, in that order....no big nose jokes. :)

Mom and Emma at the new African Penguin exhibit at the Little Rock Zoo. Um, there really are penguins despite the lack thereof in the picture. :)

It was $1 day at the zoo. We were excited to take advantage of this money saving opportunity so we went despite the 100+ temps. Only stayed 45 minutes! The benefits of paying $3. I would like to take this opportunity to brag on the St. Louis Zoo. There will be a posting later on our adventures to this zoo. Fabulous! Free! Fun! Little Rock's Zoo could really take some pointers.

We love Summer!

2011-07-20T22:05:00.007-05:00

Emma is a chip off the old block sometimes! We woke up one morning this summer to Emma covered in chocolate chips! She opened the fridge, grabbed the chocolate chips, opened them and proceeded to devour as many as she could before we woke up! They were everywhere. When I asked her if she was ready for breakfast, she informed me that she was "done." I'm sure she was....She probably ate a couple candy bars that morning. Oh, Emma!

A rare moment where they are both playing and Emma is not smashing Drew!

Going on a run with Dad!

Drew loves his thumb. I don't know what it is with our kiddos and their thumbs!
Walking in Mommies shoes.

The good life....

Paint time!

Going to the carwash!

Lunch with Lolly at her work!

Summer Days

2011-07-18T06:55:00.006-05:00

It has been forever since we blogged last! The Helmicks have been a busy crew this summer. Steven has worked quite a bit and Keri has picked up some extra shifts as well. Our summer has taken us to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and St. Louis Missouri! We are also traveling to Central Illinois and Iowa to round out the summer tour. We hope you enjoy pictures from our adventures!

Rainy days!

2011-05-24T22:15:00.003-05:00

3 things Emma loves all packed into one fun day......Her swimming suit, her rainboots (thanks Lolly!) and her umbrella (thanks GiGi!).

Drew's a growing!

2011-05-24T22:08:00.001-05:00

Drew and Mom

Drew with Grandpa

That's my boy!

2011-05-24T21:57:00.002-05:00

Yard work with kids!

2011-05-24T21:24:00.004-05:00

The day started with learning that mud does not taste good!

One of the few pictures of "work" happening. :)

We're still working on remembering that the mulch stays in the landscape.

What a teammate!

A much deserved break!

Refreshments for the crew!

The neighbor's cows were a huge distraction.... I mean we enjoyed visiting our friends across the street throughout the day!

Returning from the cows.

A day with my daughter - Man, life is so good!

Bath + Popsicle = Pure Joy!

2011-05-24T21:12:00.001-05:00

Newborn and Family Pics!

2011-05-21T22:12:00.019-05:00

Psalm 127:3

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.

Our friend, Gretchen Davis, took these photos of Drew and our family. She has done a fabulous job capturing our family grow through photos the past two years. As she moves on to Portland, we will miss her work, but will always be greatful for the great photos that she has done for us!

Yogurt with Cinderella

2011-04-02T16:34:00.003-05:00

What a fun date with my little girl!

Right before we both dug into the delicious cheesecake yogurt with sprinkles, chocolate chips, blueberries, and more sprinkles! All Emma's choices (with a little help from Dad.) :) " More... More.... More....," Emma's way of saying this is awesome!

spring break fun

2011-03-26T23:30:00.004-05:00

Our little man is growing up everyday!

Keri and I love our kids! Jesus has given us tremendous blessings in our new little one and his older sibling who adores her little bro.

Papa and Emma
Lolly and Drew Man.

Phototherapy Deux!

2011-03-20T09:58:00.004-05:00

Welcome to being parents of two! Emma has strep throat and is staying with Grandma and Grandpa.

Two kids.... two experiences with positive coombs due to ABO incompatibility. Keri's and my blood types don't mix well and both our kids have my blood type. Emma spent significant time in the hospital due to high bilirubin counts and so the doctors have been very proactive with Drew. He has been under the lights for the past couple of days and we are seeing positive results -- thankfully, his counts have been stable. We are glad they are being proactive, but look forward to going home with our little guy!

Chillin in the bili shades!

The isolette keeps him warm and toasty under the phototherapy lights. He has been very content the past couple of days.

"Brew" has reached rock star status.... at least in his big sister's eyes!

(for those curious -- this was before the strep diagnosis...)

Lolly and Papa with their second grandchild

Andrew James Helmick!

2011-03-17T21:29:00.004-05:00

Keri, Emma, and I are so excited to welcome Drew to our family!

Andrew James Helmick

7 lbs 10 oz

20 inches

Emma loves her little "Brew!"

What a doctor! Dr. Breniman has been a huge blessing to our family.

The Helmicks!

"This big sister stuff is pretty cool!"

(Maybe not in those exact words, but I think that's what she meant...)

More photos in the days to come! Continue to check us out!

March Madness is here!

2011-03-15T23:18:00.002-05:00

All the Helmicks filled out their brackets. Yep, Emma filled out her own bracket this year and the process was quite fun! For each matchup, I picked a crayon that represented the colors of each team. Whichever crayon she picked, that team would advance to the next round. Needless to say, I loved it and Emma's bracket is crazy! She must be an SEC fan at heart because she has Georgia winning it all. Everytime I mentioned their name she responded with.... Worshaaa!

Best of luck in the tournament Worshaaa!

Enjoying the last few nights as the only child!

2011-03-15T23:02:00.002-05:00

Being a dad is fantastic! I really love it and can't wait to meet our next child on Thursday; however I'm trying to soak up these last few days in which I don't have to divide my time quite as much.

Homemade Pizza!

2011-03-15T22:48:00.003-05:00

The Helmick's love homemade pizza. The other night, we thought it would be fun to have Emma join in on the fun. The pictures look like WE had a blast.... Emma definitely had fun, but I on the other hand was a little stressed out! I didn't realize how difficult making pizza could be when someone is eating the ingredients faster than you can put them on. :)

Daddy - Daughter Pancake Date!

2011-02-15T21:11:00.004-06:00

Fellowship had a daddy and daughter pancake party for girls ages 2 - 12. We fudged a bit on the age and it was well worth it. It was so fun! We ate pancakes, participated in the candy walk (a version of a cake walk) and made a valentine's day craft.

snow days

2011-02-11T23:07:00.003-06:00

Facts about snow days:

1. We have had over 11 inches in less than a month.... Must be a record for Little Rock!

2. Our daughter loves snowmen and eating snow.

3. Having to make up a snow day is totally worth it!

BFF?!

Some guy is going to be really lucky someday....

2011-02-11T23:02:00.001-06:00

Diaper Shower

2011-02-11T22:50:00.002-06:00

Keri's sisters held a diaper shower for baby H before Kelli headed off to Thailand. Snow kept many people from coming, but it was a good time for the girls to connect.

Keri and her Mom

Kelli and Keri

The Kitchen!

2011-02-11T22:43:00.005-06:00

Keri and I gave E this kitchen for Christmas. Our friends, the Walchshausers, gave us the kitchen and I repainted it. She absolutely loves it! Have I told you that she makes great chocolate chip cookies. :)

here and there.....

2011-02-11T22:22:00.005-06:00

She is beginning to really enjoy books! Yeah!
Papa hanging out with Lil' E.

Wicked came to Little Rock! It was a fantastic evening.

Oh, the joys of being a dad!

Two Rivers Park - Gretchen Davis Photography

2011-02-11T21:59:00.004-06:00

Two Rivers Park was the site for this years family Christmas photo that we sent out to our friends and family. If you didn't get one, let us know and we will add you to the list for next year! We absolutely love the work that Gretchen has done for us. Oh, and these photos were taken 5 days after Steven got his galbladder taken out! That's another story for another day.

Scott Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-29T21:38:00.010-05:00

She was fearless with all the animals!

Off to the.... pig races!

She loved her pony ride.

The Scott Pumpkin Patch is a great place to take your kids!

So many pumpkins to chose from!

State Fair

2010-10-17T15:41:00.004-05:00

Enjoying the "combine simulation" ride. Boy am I glad we don't have to do this every morning!

Dumbo did not bring the excitement we had hoped for! One decided to cry before the ride (not Keri), another decided to cry during the ride (not Keri), and another decided to cry again after the ride (nope, not Keri!)

FSM Traks

2010-10-17T15:37:00.002-05:00

A great bonding opportunity for Steven and his small group of 9th grade guys. Not every guy showed up; however those that were there made themselves known in our "black out" uni's!

Competition included: obstacle courses, pictionary, puzzle races, dodgeball, jungle pong, jenga, and the big freeze!

Yummy!

2010-10-08T22:35:00.004-05:00

Keri shared her love of clown cones tonight. It was worth every penny of the $1.83 and was a great way to celebrate Keri's first week of enjoying food again as she is 16 weeks pregnant with our second, due in March!

YAY!

First 100!

2010-10-08T22:25:00.003-05:00

Whenever a Chick-fil-A opens they have their "First 100" event. The whole fam' camped out at Chick-fil-A with Gary and Cindy for 24 hours to receive Free Chick-fil-A for a year

(basically - 104 Free Value Meal Coupons to use by next September)!

5:30 in the morning after a "great night's sleep"!

Razorbacks in the Rock

2010-10-08T22:14:00.004-05:00

Mom and Dad got us great tickets for the first game in the Rock this season. It was great!

Oklahoma City

2010-10-08T21:43:00.006-05:00

Kelli works for Spero, a very cool non-profit, in OKC. They were hosting their first Refugee Run and we all traveled up for the weekend to spend time with them. The following pictures are of our time in OKC (though the first one is out of order). We had a great time!

The first 5k for the little one! She was the first girl to cross the finish line (go Dad!).

Our little boxer....

2010-10-08T21:37:00.002-05:00

So we've been working on taking away the blanket and thumb sucking the past couple of weeks and nothing worked at first. We tried 7 tape jobs with 3 kinds of tape and our little Houdini found a way to take the tape off everytime. Our next attempt was to dip the thumb in vinegar, but we've got a child who sucked the thumb like it was a lollipop! We resorted to the mittens and so far they have worked! She looks like a little boxer, but she doesn't seem to mind them. She actually thinks that they are her little puppets. She will move them and talk to us. So cute!

What fun!

2010-10-08T21:32:00.004-05:00

Little Orphan Annie!

2010-10-08T21:22:00.002-05:00

What a fun night! Murray's Dinner Theatre was performing "Annie"! Food was sub par, but the play was a lot of fun!

Eating is so much fun!

2010-08-15T16:46:00.002-05:00

Mommy and me

2010-08-15T16:43:00.001-05:00

Senior Send Off

2010-08-15T16:22:00.002-05:00

Keri spent the past couple years mentoring and discipling her small group girls from FSM. They are headed off to college this week. What a blessing it was for Keri to be able to pour into these girls and point them to Jesus!

a cheerful heart is good medicine....

2010-07-28T19:40:00.002-05:00

what a woman!

2010-07-28T18:54:00.005-05:00

Happy birthday babe!

"Many women do noble things, but you surpase them all. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Prov. 31:29-30

the tandem!

2010-07-26T17:33:00.005-05:00

Tandeming with dad!

She definitely has the best seat in the house!

Just Chillin'

2010-07-26T17:33:00.003-05:00

Oh, the joys of parenthood and summer!

The Firecracker Fast 5K 2010

2010-07-26T15:33:00.004-05:00

Gary, Kelli, Keri and Cindy before the 5K on the 3rd of July. This was Cindy's first 5k. The crew all did a fantastic job. I had dad duty. We ate breakfast, watched dogs and cheered on the runners as they approached the end of the race!

Kelli brought her friends Htoo and Thay from OKC with her for the weekend. It was their first time to run a 5k and they did a fantastic job!

Birthday Time!

2010-07-06T21:40:00.004-05:00

For the big 1st birthday, Keri decorated cupcakes for the farm theme. They turned out great! It was a fantastic day in which we were able to praise God for the many blessings during the first year of our daughter's life.

Chic!

Steven's personal favorite!

She did not like all the attention. She does LOVE cupcakes.....just not when an onslaught of people are watching!

She was very thankful for a great celebration!

Catch up time!

2010-06-13T17:32:00.016-05:00

March 26th! That was the last time we posted. Wow, it has been a LONG time. The following photos and videos are snapshots of our lives during the past couple months. God is so good. Steven is in summer school taking 12 hours. He will graduate in August (and all the Helmicks took a big sigh of relief)! Keri is loving staying at home while maintaining her skills at ACH one day a week. Our little girl has done a lot of cool things (at least her parents think they're cool) -- saying "bye-bye", giving high fives, blowing kissess and even giving Eskimo kisses! We hope you enjoy your summer and soak in the joys that summertime offers.

Are we blessed or what?!

Still learning how to move around without causing these types of injuries!

Playing with our neice!

Yummy, yummy, pancakes!

Bathtime!

Her favorite thing to do in the tub... is to crawl out of it.

Ok, so I look tired. I promise the kiddie pool is cool.... a great way to connect in the summer sun!

Friends!

Our first pool picture as a family.

Keri and I right before we headed to Daniel and Lauren Ostendorff's wedding! It was so cool to be able to celebrate with a couple that loves the Lord!

Hi! I love blueberries!

The $1 pool. Great hang out time with the cousins. Chillin' in the pool.

A break from swimming.

The Zoo!

Cindy with the grandkids! Keri, Cindy, and the 5 kiddos spent the day at the zoo. They had a lot of fun, can't you tell?! :)

I still love blueberries!

Happy Mother's day Mom!

Keri and I spent Memorial day weekend with the Walchshausers in Texas. Troy and Kari were in Dallas so we got to spend the afternoon with them,too.

All such great friends, too bad they don't live closer!

In open fields of wild flowers

2010-03-26T21:28:00.007-05:00

Our little E at the daffodil field on top of Wye Mountain. There is a tiny church in a small town that has 7 acres full of daffodils for families to enjoy every spring. We went with her Lolly and Papa (Steven's parents). It was a beautiful day and E enjoyed all the flowers around her. We hope you enjoy the following pictures!

The newest happenings in the life of our little girl

2010-01-31T17:14:00.007-06:00

"I have teeth! They are bigger now, but I had to show them off right when they arrived!"
- E

Our girl in her jump-up. She is growing every day. What a wonderful blessing she is to our life. She enjoys jumping in her jump up, but many times we find her waiting for us to look at her before she begins jumping. She loves the attention!

We are having so much fun with our girl in her new baby jogger that Steven's parents got us for Christmas. She loves riding in the jogger. We will be running with her while she laughs and laughs. The greatest is when we hit a bump. She goes crazy! We can't wait until it gets warmer this spring and summer so we can go on many more runs together. Pictured below is her on a PJ run!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-29T14:55:00.004-06:00

The following photos are of our morning together. I have not been copied on any of the rest from our adventures to Grampa Jimmy and Nana Tammy's house. I will post those later if I get them. Our first Christmas as parents and E's first Christmas ever! God is so good to us. Keri and I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to be parents. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

We were both so excited for the presents!

My two girls. It doesn't get any better than this.

E's Grampa Gary and Grama Cindy try to maintain sanity while they pose with their 5 grandchildren (Will, Jack, Emma, Corinne, and Baden).

What a fun bunch of kiddos!

E's first Christmas present! She loved the paper. We love the books. :)

Chicago Marathon 2009!

2009-11-29T22:26:00.007-06:00

October 11, 2009 was a celebration day! My buddy, Aaron Williams, and I completed the 26.2 miles of the Chicago Marathon. What a great experience with a great friend.

This photo is of a portion of a huge mural that included every marathoners name. It was located outside of Nike Town on Chicago's Magnificent Mile.

These photos of Aaron, Mallory, Keri, Emma, and I are at the Marathon's expo the night before the race.

I had to snap a photo of the reminder that awaited us outside the transit system! Job and Bethany were life savers and were generous by letting us stay at their place in Evanston. They also helped us navigate busy Chicago.

We got together with our friends, Mark and Angie, on our way up to the marathon. Their son, Braden, was born earlier this summer.

Chinatown!

I wouldn't want to compete against these salty marathoners. They look ready!

14 hours, 40 minutes, and 54 seconds before the start of the race.

This photo was taken the night before the race....Little did I know that the phrase would be so true! The first 20 miles felt great. The last 6.2 were the hardest of my life. The last 6.2 began in Chinatown.... :)

So excited!

The leaders..... I'm still looking for my orange jersey.

Out of 1.5 million spectators, we had the greatest fans!

I was so excited to see Keri.

What an experience.

The Family Update

2009-11-28T19:21:00.007-06:00

Keri, Emma, and I are enjoying a fantastic Thanksgiving break. Keri and I are so thankful for Emma and the blessing that she is to our life. We serve an amazing God!

Wooo Pig Sooie! This photo was taken during half - time of the Hogs vs Tigers of LSU. Arkansas lost 33 to 30 in overtime. Bummer.

My two favorite Hog fans together in one picture! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Who is the main star of this photo? :)

Keri loves her Emma Kate.

Brrr baby it's cold outside!

We began feeding Emma rice cereal a couple of weeks ago. She seems to be enjoying it!

More Please.

Emma's preferred sleeping position.

As you can tell, Emma is really excited about the family pumpkin!

Dad and Emma!

Keri's Debut

2009-09-14T21:29:00.004-05:00

Believe it or not, this is my first post on this blog.

It's true; this is all Steven's hard work...

except for these next three posts, that is.

I decided to chip in for Chris and Jenn who

cannot see many pictures of E

and for Steven who is super busy with

his little fourth graders.

Who knows, you may see more of me!

Emma's Dedication

2009-09-14T21:14:00.003-05:00

Our family at Emma's dedication at church.

This was our opportunity to publicly declare our

desire to raise Emma to serve the Lord.

Our community group leaders, Tracy and Renee, stood up front

with usand several of our friends and family prayed with us;

it wassuch a special time. Thanks to all who were a part of it!

More of Emma (Could you ever get enough?)

2009-09-14T20:38:00.006-05:00

Emma's favorite place to play -- her play gym.

Thanks Walchshausers!

Oh yeah.

Woo Pig Sooie!

Dad's little Razorback.

A little smile for you.

Troy and Kari's visit!

Emma in her car seat, which she likes much better
now that we've raised the straps a notch.
I guess we'd been squashing her. Oops.

Chillin' with dad.

Bath time! She loves it!

Reading bedtime stories with dad.

Can you tell she likes to do things with her dad? :)

Emma's Baby Shower

2009-09-14T17:41:00.007-05:00

Our community group from church

threw us a baby shower after Emma was born

so everyone could meet her.

It was really fun!

This was Emma's amazing cake that Stephanie made --

she hasn't even taken any cake decorating classes. Ever.

(It tasted good too, by the way)

Emma and I by all the decorations.

Almost half of the community group girls.
Thanks for making this so special!

Emma Kate Helmick

2009-07-04T04:32:00.016-05:00

EMMA KATE HELMICK

6.27.2009

Keri two days before Emma was born!

Mom and Coach making it through contractions.

Right after Emma arrived! When we arrived to the hospital Keri was already dilated to 9cm. She was simply amazing! I was so proud.

Dr. Kevin Brenimen, Steven, Emma, and Keri. Emma Kate Helmick was born at 3:14am, Saturday June 27, 2009. She weighed in at 7 lbs 10 oz and was 20 1/2 inches long.

Gotta love it... My two girls. I'm blessed.

Nothin' like being a dad....

One of the few mornings that we were at home so far was very enjoyable! We spent time cuddling in Mommy and Daddy's bed.

We love your hair Emma Kate!

Emma was readmitted to the hospital because of a high billirubin count. She tested positive coombs (a result of Keri and Emma having blood types that didn't like each other. The red blood cells in Emma's body got into Keri's system by passing through the placenta. Since Keri is O+ her blood created antibodies to fight off Emma's B+ red blood cells. Once they were all gone, Keri's antibodies got "bored" and headed back towards Emma's body. Well Emma has a sea of red blood cells that Keri's antibodies wanted to attack. There is a finite number of antibodies that were created so eventually they died off, but Emma's red blood cells that were attacked released billirubin in her system.) All babies have billirubin in their system; however with the positive coombs testing and Emma's bruising from birth (which also caused red blood cells to burst which in turn created more billirubin) Emma's count was high enough to put her back in the hospital.

The UV lights break down the billirubin so it can pass through Emma's stool.

Check out our cool California beach bum daughter!

We had to feed her through a syringe because we wanted to imitate breast feeding as much as possible. When Emma sucked my finger, I gave her some of the milk. When she stopped sucking I stopped pushing the syringe. She needs to learn how to work for the milk.

Steven burping Emma after a syringe feed in her isolette.

Keri and Emma chillin' out at the hospital. The circle on Emma's face is velcro for her sunglasses that she wears when she is under the UV lights.

The World!

2009-06-08T17:30:00.004-05:00

So I've always wanted the world painted on Keri's belly when she was pregnant....I was granted my wish when Jenn and Chris came to visit this spring. I loved it! Thanks so much Jenn. This is priceless. :)

We were all playing settlers and wanted to watch the world evolve so we had Keri prop herself up on the island in the kitchen. What a woman!

Our 5th Anniversary!

2009-05-24T16:19:00.006-05:00

BIG CEDAR LODGE

I suprised Keri with a trip to Big Cedar Lodge for our 5 year anniversary/Last trip before the baby comes trip! We had a fabulous time relaxing and hanging out together!

Our community group leaders, Tracy and Renee, took us out to eat at Bone Fish Grill for our anniversary!

Keri suprised me with a 40 inch flat screen LCD TV! It is awesome! She worked a couple Saturday shifts to cover most the cost. She is the coolest wife ever!

Chocolate covered strawberries awaited us in our room! They were awesome.

They gave us a cake for our anniversary.

Keri and I loved this coffee shop called the Truman House. It had the greatest cream cheese danish I've ever tasted. For real....

I suprised Keri with an hour long mom-to-be message. She loved it!

The paddle boat trip left us burnt to a crisp once we were done.

We loved laying out by the pool while eating snow cones!

This is a shadow of the man guiding our carriage ride. I thought the shadow was kinda cool.

Me and the belgian horse named "Willie."

Our time was great. We loved our getaway!

Bye Bye Acxiom!

2009-05-19T13:36:00.003-05:00

After 2 years and 205 days my Acxiom days are over! (Who's counting...) God has been good in giving me great people to work with as well as a flexible schedule; however I am so excited to start teaching in the Fall. I will miss my running on the river trail and basketball games during lunch though!

The picture below is of some of my co-workers at Juanita's for my going away lunch.

Closer and Closer....

2009-05-13T10:42:00.002-05:00

When this picture was taken we had about 9 weeks to go! Lil' Helmick should be making his/her arrival in about 8 weeks!

Kari's Visit and Kelli's Graduation!

2009-05-13T10:25:00.008-05:00

Our good friend Kari came to visit Keri and me for the weekend. Troy is still deployed with about a month to go which is why he wasn't able to make it. We had a fantastic time with Kari . We got to talk to Troy on Skype which was pretty cool. It was so good to see that he is doing well.

Keri and I after Kelli's graduation.

The Graduate! Stephen graduated on the same day at MTSU so Kelli and Stephen were unable to be at each others graduation. Bummer.

The entire gang that were able to make it...minus Kari.

Jenn, the following pictures are for you....These are the flowers that you got Kelli for graduation and your mom for Mother's Day. Kelli's are the pink ones and your Mom's flowers are the yellow roses.

Mark and Angie's visit

2009-05-13T10:19:00.002-05:00

Our friends Mark and Angie from Illinois spent a Sunday with us while they were down in Missouri for vacation. Angie and Keri are about 2 weeks apart in their pregnancy.

Our Newest Nephew: John (JACK) Oliver Breitenstein!

2009-04-28T14:02:00.007-05:00

Acxiom Baby Shower

2009-04-28T13:52:00.009-05:00

My coworkers put on a baby shower for Keri and I. It was really cool to have all the people that I work with celebrate our little one with us....especially considering that I am only going to be there for about 3 more weeks. They got us a lot of great stuff. We got some clothing, diapers, sippees, a monitor, tub, and diaper trashcan. They were very generous.

Veronica hosted the shower for Keri and I. She is one of my fellow associates who works in Conway.

Sisters Pregnant together!

2009-04-23T09:42:00.006-05:00

Janel and Keri sporting the pregnant belly together! Janel is delivering Jack tomorrow and Keri has 11 weeks to go!

Lovin' that belly!

2009-04-13T11:56:00.000-05:00

I love Keri's belly and our baby!

Hilarious

2009-04-13T11:52:00.004-05:00

Our great friends, Jeff and Anjanette's, children on Easter morning. This might be one of the greatest photos ever! Just plain awesome!

We love you Walchshausers!

Easter Eggs 2009

2009-04-13T11:46:00.007-05:00

I think our egg dying skills get more impressive every year....What do you guys think!

Dad and Mom showing off their eggs along with Justin's. He had to leave early and we forgot to get a picture before he left.

Keri representing our eggs! Oh, yeah!

Dad was extremely proud of his eggs this year! Rightly so.....

March Madness!

2009-04-13T11:41:00.003-05:00

The past three years I have created the bracket for the NCAA tourney at work on my dry erase board! It gains a lot of attention around the office. This was the fifth year that Keri and I have done a bracket....making it the fifth year that my bracket beat hers! I'm not trying to brag here. I'm just stating the facts. :) We included friends and family as well and like always it was a lot of fun. Hopefully the Razorbacks will be relevant again sometime soon.

Belly Pics!

2009-04-10T07:34:00.008-05:00

Keri around 20 weeks

Keri around 24 weeks

Keri right around 27 weeks

Fort Worth and Abilene

2009-03-05T21:25:00.008-06:00

Keri and I spent 5 days in Texas over Super Bowl Weekend. Our friends Troy and Kari now live in Abilene. Troy flies C 130's for the Air Force and was just deployed a couple weeks ago. We wanted to spend time with Troy and Kari before Troy was deployed. We had a fantastic time with them. We thank God often for our friendship with the Smith's. Oh, their dog Max is pretty cool....so cool that he made Keri want to get a dog! Crazy.

MAX!
Not the greatest photo, but hey at least we got one before we left!

Celebrating Troy's birthday at Red Robbin. 27 I believe! What an old man.

Steven helped Troy coach his upward basketball team. The other coaches decided not to show. Steven loved every minute of it.

Coach Troy and Assitant Coach Steven in action.

We also spent a couple days with the Walchshauser's in Fort Worth. It was great spending time with such close friends. We spent one of our days at the Fort Worth Zoo. The rhino in the following videos was so fun to watch. I did feel a bit old when I realized I had over 4 videos of 1 rhino....he was really cool. I promise.

Anjanette and Keri

and Anika too!

Baden's first Soccer Match!

2009-02-28T23:03:00.004-06:00

Our oldest nephew, Baden, during a break from his first soccer match!

Part of Baden's "excited" fan club.
This section was a bit more excited. It might have to do with the fact that Kelli got engaged to Stephen Spurlock on Friday! We are very excited for them.

Baby Helmick at 19 weeks!

2009-02-13T11:37:00.010-06:00

Keri and I have decided to wait until the big day to find out if we will have a boy or girl. We can't wait to meet our lil' one. Baby H gave us quite a show yesterday at Keri's 19 week appointment! He or she was moving like crazy giving us a great video to watch. The woman performing the ultra sound was able to determine that our child looks to be healthy and growing great! She wrote the sex of our kid and placed it in an envelope. We look forward to opening it once Baby H is born to see if she was right! Our new due date is July 8th 2009 which is a day earlier than expected. No big deal there. At this point the baby is 10 ounces and 6.5 inches long. Thank you for praying for our child. We feel so blessed by God. He has truly blessed us beyond what could have imagined. Keri mentioned today that the love she felt for our child yesterday during the ultra sound made her so excited for the day we truly meet him/her face to face. She is going to be a great Mom!

Check out that profile!
Just chillin' out. Laying on the back. Notice the spine and head.

The color is the fluid that is going through the arteries in the umbilical chord.

Baby H decided to turn his/her head and show us his eyes!

Good looking spine!

The heart rate was 138 bpm yesterday.

Christmas is coming!

2008-12-08T11:11:00.023-06:00

Keri and I told my Grandparents about our Baby news by giving them their "Christmas Gift" early. We wrapped these new born Santa socks and gave it to them on Thanksgiving when my Mom's family got together. My grandparents love Santa stuff so it was a very fun way of letting them know our exciting news.

The Jingle Bell Jog was held on the 6th of December in the River Market District in Downtown Little Rock. Keri and I were a part of Robinson Elementary's team. Thanks for the registration discount Mom!

Keri and I spent the day before my birthday at my parents house. We had finger-lickin'-good wings, twice baked potatoes, and ice cream cake! It was a great afternoon with Justin and my folks. My parents bought me a Sony Dream Machine and got me this elephant book for my birthday. I really think elephants are cool and the book will be an excellent read for our new baby! The Sony Dream Machine (horrible name for a cool ipod sound system) is already getting a lot of use in our tiny apartment with Christmas music blaring from it's speakers.

BABY HELMICK!

2008-12-01T14:40:00.008-06:00

Baby Helmick is expected to arrive on July 9th 2009! He or she is 8 weeks 4 days old as of 12/1/08 and about the size of a large green olive!

Baby Helmick's heartbeat was around 169 beats per minute! Hearing that tiny heartbeat has brought so much joy into our lives. We can't wait to hold and love this little one in 7 months!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-04T14:22:00.012-06:00

Aunt Keri and Uncle Steven went with Gma Cindy, Grampa Gary, Baden, Will, and Corinne to Trunk or Treat!

Uncle Steven with Football Player Baden!

Our friends Carmen, Cecilia, and Mariah.

Aunt Keri and Fireman Will!

Cindy and Bumble Bee Corinne!

Steven and Keri at a Costume Party. Keri won the best girl costume award and $13.00

Sweet!

Yes, that is still Keri with her attractive husband!

Steven's Spinal Surgery 2008

2008-11-04T13:45:00.012-06:00

Due to my kyphosis I had a hump in my back that was getting worse. Back in high school I wore a back brace during my sophomore year for 23 hours a day in hopes of correcting the curvature. At that point my curve was at 57 degrees. Normal curvature of the spine in the thoracic region is 30 - 40 degrees. The back brace corrected the curve to 52 degrees.

Earlier this year, Keri and I went to my spine doctor to see how severe the curve had progressed. It had gone from 52 degrees to 75 degrees. My doctor stated that it wasn't a matter of if I would need surgery, but when. We opted for earlier since I'm young and we don't have any children. The following are pictures from the surgery and recovery. Notice the curvature in my back before surgery compared to post surgery!

Getting prepped for surgery!

On my happy drugs! No worry in world.

Yep, all that was for my poor back!

Prepping for surgery in the OR.

My spinal surgeon and his resident.

Sewing up my back. Ouch!

The morning after surgery. I was up and walking!

Look at the new and improved Steven!

I can bend over farther than this now; however I was still quite stiff when this photo was taken.

I've achieved "rock star" status with my group of 7th grade boys that I mentor at church. The first week they thought my scar was so cool that they brought 3 friends to group the next week just to check out the "massive, most amazing, incredible" scar that they had ever seen!

England 2008

2008-10-28T11:17:00.038-05:00

Keri and I began our trip in England with a 12 hour layover before our plane took off to Rwanda. We decided to take a bike tour of the city of London instead of sitting in Heathrow Airport for 12 hours! It turned out to be a fabulous way to tour the city. We were able to get some "exercise" as well as seeing the city's hot spots in about 4 hours time. I was so glad that we did it. The tour guide was very informative and humorous. To top it off, we met Ricki Lake, the American talk show host, on our bike tour. I was going to ask for a photo with her but Keri stated that there was a reason she was wearing the sunglasses and large hat despite there being no sun out that day!

Chris and Jenn, We love you guys! Can't wait to see you again; you two mean so much to us.

Love you guys!

Steven and Keri

I had to get the "tourist" photo in. Nothing like having a photo in the famous phone booths of England.

Keri and I were able to navigate our way through London via the tube. We were quite impressed considering we are both bad at directions!

This is where Princess Diana lived after her divorce with Prince Charles. The gate might look familiar. It is famous because this is where all the flowers were placed after her tragic death.

The guards of Buckingham Palace.

Ok, so maybe we had quite a few tourist photos! I really like this one though. Oh, by the way, Keri and I did not plan on matching. After 24 hours in airports we happened to only have the same color clothing left in our carry on luggage!

The bike was almost too small for Keri, hence the reason why there is no photo of Steven! Did I say we looked like tourists? :)

Buckingham Palace. The Queen was not home.

Big Ben.

This is the site of the 2012 Olympic Beach Volleyball venue. Keep your eye out for it and remember that you heard it here (stevenandkeri.blogspot.com) first.

Chris, Jenn, Keri and I at a small farm's local brewery. It was very cool! I've got my own personal beer mug from there and Chris bought plenty of the local brew since it was his favorite and they were going to be moving to Sheffield soon which is about 4 hours drive away.

Yes, we were cramped! You can see Keri and Jenn if you look closely!

Paul and Sue's house. We stayed there for a couple nights. We had a great time hanging out with Chris' family. Looking back, I am so glad we were able to stay since it was the last time we were able to spend time with David.

The Angel of the North who watches over NewCastle.

Chris and Jenn's "posh" living area. They are house sitting for a friend until it sells. For there sake I hope it doesn't sell for a long time!

Yep, posh!

A very cool evening. Chris and Jenn had so many great things planned and this was one of them. We went to a National Trust mansion and then enjoyed a picnic dinner and outdoor play. It was fantastic. Just thinking about it now makes me want to do it all over again. Another thing that we did that was fabulous was go out to eat one night. Keri and I are still salivating over the food we had at this restaurant. It is called the Granger Rooms. It was by far the nicest meal I have ever had. Chris and Jenn were so generous to us. We are so greatful for our relationship with them. Oh, did I mention that I ate ox tongue!?!

I'm not sure who took this photo but it has a funny story behind it. We went to a palace and had a bad experience. Jenn and I wanted to get a refund; however Chris and Keri did not think that was necessary. Needless to say, Jenn and I (in photo below) expressed our concerns to an employee. No one else wanted to go with us; however it looks like they did want some blackmail maybe?!

Fullwood Church where Chris' family attends in Sheffield. Isnt' it beautiful? I'm amazed at the history in everything over in England.

Blenhiem Palace Gardens.

Blenheim Palace. Can you believe that this was a gift to a general for winning a war!?!

I'm in the wrong business!

We were trying to show how big the tree was.....BIG....

A video of the Buckingham Palace Guards. Enjoy.

Oh, and mind the horse!

RWANDA 2008

2008-10-13T15:24:00.055-05:00

Keri and I spent a week this summer in Rwanda meeting with various mission organizations to see if the Lord was leading us to serve him and his people there. The following are some pictures from our stay. Even though we feel that God is leading us to "wait" on moving to Rwanda; the Lord continues to grow our passion for the orphans of the world.

ENJOY!

Headed for the LONG journey.

This Umasambe, or African crane was the pet at our guest house!

Keri and I at the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Kigali Rwanda.

250,000 bodies are buried in the photo below under the cement block things.

1 Million people were brutally murdered in less than 1 month in 1994.

The country is still bearing the burden of this horrible genocide.

These are the coffins that those who lost their lives are buried in. Every year there is a mourning period of one hundred days for those who lost their lives.

This is when bodies that are still being found are buried.

They are currently trying to identify bodies. So far, only 1,000 of the 250,000 at this memorial have been identified.

The English-speaking church we attended on Sunday. In the villages this is how people sift the dirt to make cement.

One of the many hills that the city of Kigali sits on.

Rwandans carry everything on their head. When I say everything I mean everything!

Keri, Mark, and Angie near our guesthouse with local children. We "muzungoos" aka white people were instant hits with the kids!

I loved this kids shirt! "I hear voices..." Oh, do you? :)

Rwandan women dressed in their traditional clothing called "mushananas". Keri remembers it by thinking of "mush a banana. These women are widows who are celebrating a year in their new homes that World Relief gave to them. We were able to participate in the celebration dance and ceremony.

Note the baby on the back of the Mom.

The United States Embassy.

Just down the road from the Embassy are mud homes with large families living in one room.

Our guest house. World Relief owns it.

Faustin, the guard, for the guest house. He was always worried about us when we went out at night.

Rafiki was the organization out of the eight that we met with that seemed like the best fit for us. It is an orphanage which will eventually be the home of hundreds of Rwandan children. They are currently building the village.

Keri and I at the entrance to Rafiki Village Rwanda.

Keri and I had the pleasure of meeting Cricket in the states. She is South African and serves with Rafiki in Rwanda. She has such a heart for the children and does such a wonderful job of loving people. We enjoyed our time with her so much.

Keri and Angie with a Rwandan nurse. We were able to go and tour the entire hospital because Keri and Angie are nurses. Pretty amazing.

The entrance sign to Kibagabaga hospital located just outside of Kigali.

A gas station in Kigali. You pay the attendant at the pump in cash. There is not a convenience store.

Roughly translated...Gas was about $2 a liter. And we thought we had it bad.The server told us that one pizza would not feed two of us.

Well it could have, but Steven ate his entire pizza plus half of Keri's!!

This shed behind our guest house was a hiding place for 50 Tutsi's during the genocide.

Not the safest scaffolding someone could create but I guess it'll do.

For those who have seen the movie Hotel Rwanda, this is the real Hotel Des Milles Coline.

Traveling was cramped!

A Rwandan women carrying one of the multiple varieties of bananas to the local market.

I thought this was a cool shot. While we were traveling between Kigali and Musanze these signs were scattered throughout the journey.

We were able to visit Shyra Hospital outside of Musanze.

Notice all the mosquito nets around the beds.

Any women care to give up the comforts of delivery in America for this comfy chair?

Keri only had to wear this hat to go into the OR to see a C-section!

This baby was born minutes before Keri entered the room.

This woman is carrying 30 bricks on her head. I asked a Rwandan who was in the bus with me if that would hurt. He responded by stating that "we in Rwanda have many neck problems." I wonder why!

This is a zoomed in photo of people farming the hill sides. They looked like ants from a distance. There were hundreds of them.

Mark and Angie leaving.

Keri and I at the sacred forest. Hundreds of years ago the Rwandan Monarchy would come here to become crowned King or Queen.

The Land of a Thousand Hills.

A child trying to sell me sugar cane while we were driving by.

I bought the sugar cane!

The chef at the guesthouse in Musanze teaching us how to prepare our sugar cane.

Baden and Corinne's Birthday Celebration!

2008-06-30T10:15:00.019-05:00

Janel helped Corinne open up the doll that Hope, Uncle Chris, Aunt Jenn, Aunt Kelli, Aunt Keri and Uncle Steven got for her.

Baden on his new bike!
Will was cheesin' for the camera. He had a great time celebrating his big brother and little sister!
An up close picture of Corinne's new baby doll.Baden is holding one of the many vegetables that Hope and his Aunt and Uncles gave him. We are told that he loves them! The vegetables looked real and there were all sorts as well as pots and pans for cooking. Maybe he could deliver us all a great meal on his new bike!

See, I told you Corinne liked her new doll.

The videos above should be viewed from bottom to top!

Visiting the Walchshausers!

2008-06-27T21:41:00.007-05:00

Keri and I had a fantastic time in Fort Worth visiting the Walchshausers. Keri and I constantly tell people that having Jeff and Anjanette mentor us during the first 2 years of our marriage was one of the greatest things that has ever happened to us. It has formed into a friendship that will last a lifetime. Beth and Anika have grown up so much in one year! They were a lot of fun to play with! We also spent some time with our good friends Troy and Kari Smith. They recently moved down to Abeliene TX. They have huge hearts and have been a blessing to get to know.

Jeff and Anika at the pool.

Anjanette and Keri at the pool.

Beth. She is swimming really well and is taking lessons this summer! How fun.

I laughed everytime Anika gave me this look.

Beth and Anika helped "Mr. Helmick" put the toppings on our homemade pizza. YUM!

The newest Walchshauser! Joseph Nathaniel Walchshauser.

Corinne showing off!

2008-06-17T14:37:00.001-05:00

Now that is what I call flexibility! Corinne, maybe you could teach your Uncle Steven how to do that kind of stuff....Then again, maybe I can just enjoy watching you grow up! Aunt Keri and I think you are very beautiful and special. We feel blessed to have you be a part of our lives. We love You!

Father's Day 2008

2008-06-17T14:29:00.002-05:00

Happy Dad's day Dad! What a fun day. I feel truly blessed to have a Dad in my life who loves
me deeply. He has taught me how to be a real man. Thanks Dad for teaching me how to treat women, how to work hard, how to never give up, how to be honest, truthful, and fair. You've sacrificed a lot for me over the years. For that I am greatful.

Happy Fathers Day. I love you.

Our New Tandem and the Tour de Rock

2008-06-17T10:32:00.015-05:00

Our tandem finally arrived from Chicago! It was came in 3 boxes and many parts!

Rob Smith has been a tremendous help in figuring out stuff about tandems. Rob and Teresa have been very gracious by letting us borrow their friends tandem on multiple occasions to make sure we enjoyed it and also to get us used to riding together. Thanks Rob for all of your help!

Keri and me getting ready to take off in the rain. We were not sure if we were going to ride or not. Our friends and Steven's mom backed out of the ride because of the rain... We were not sure if taking part in the ride was a bad decision or not... Since we didn't fall we will consider it a good decision! We have our biking jackets on because of the rain. One of the hard parts about the ride is that we don't have our speedometer/odometer on the bike yet so we can't tell our pace or how far we've gone. Every 15 miles or so people informed us of our progress.

Gotta love the neon green jerseys!

Steven's grandparents showed up at the Tour de Rock to enjoy some riding on their touring bikes. The also had a good time hanging out at the lunch that was provided. Papa and Grandmother have a "competition" going on between the two of them to see who can log the most miles between the two of them!

This photo is was taken after Keri and I finished our first "race" on our tandem. The Tour de Rock had a family fun ride and three advanced rides. There was a 62 miler, a 50 miler, and 30 miler. Keri and I did the 50 miler. It was fantastic except our butts hurt pretty bad! No pain, no gain.....right?! As of the end of the 50 mile ride, we have put more miles on the bike than what it started with. We are currently still waiting on a hitch for our car for the rack that Steven's parents are letting us borrow. We've also invested in some gel pads and handle bar tape to ease the pain on our hands. Our handle bars are bruttle right now!

Zoo Videos

2008-06-05T11:35:00.002-05:00

Arkansas Children's Hopital CVICU Zoo Day

2008-06-05T10:39:00.023-05:00

Will and Aunt Keri

Will, Baden, and Aunt Keri on the train.

Uncle Steven, Will, and Baden on the Zoo Train.
Trust me - He was having fun!

See - I told you!

Aunt Keri and Uncle Steven kept saying "Hey guys, look at the turtle!"

We were informed by Baden that we were wrong.

"No, Aunt Keri and Uncle Steven, it is a tortoise."

Well, he was right!

Some big bird.

We were all thirsty and hungry! The boys were great sports.

Hanging out with the sloth bear.

Even the bear was chillin' out.

Looking at a tarantula!

Touching a albino corn snake. Tony (left) told us he was non-poisoness. Let's hope so!

What a great day!