His Name ~ Hudson Arthit

The very first thing we learned about our son was his name.  His name "Arthit" in Thai, means "Sun", and that is his current "play name" which most Thai kids have, like a nickname.  

We did not know if we would give him a new name or not, but after learning he is so young, we decided we will.  We have had some possible names in the mix for the past couple of years, so we revisited those first.  And after learning his play name is "Sun", we definitely wanted to incorporate that.  But we also love names ending with "s-o-n" because we want his name to be a reminder of his identity.  (And it sounds the same at the end so hopefully will be an easier adjustment for him.) 

We all loved "Hudson" the best and thought it fit him the most compared to others we like.  We also like the meaning and immediately thought of Hudson Taylor, a pioneering missionary to China.  And because it is the name his first mother gave him, we will keep his Thai name as his middle name.
So, he will be Hudson Arthit Flagler.  

Meaning of Hudson: The name Hudson is the transferred use of an Anglo-Scottish surname originating from a medieval personal name “Hudde” which itself has three possible origins. One, it’s widely thought to be a pet form of the Old Saxon name Hugh which comes from a Germanic word “hug” meaning ‘heart, mind, spirit.’ Secondly, Hudde is also thought to have formed as a nickname for Richard which also has Germanic origins meaning ‘power, strong, hardy.’ Lastly, it could be derived from the Olde English personal name “Hūda” with uncertain origin but which gave its name to places like Huddington in Worcestershire. The surname dates back to the 13th century in Scotland and England. 

Tyndall's name is also an Anglo-Scottish surname.
And Hudson Taylor's name is actually James Hudson Taylor, so there's another brotherly connection with the name.
On other websites, we read that Hudson can mean "power" which is a strong family connection with Matt's "Powers" family--and middle name.  
Tyndall James's name reminds us of William Tyndale who translated the Bible into English, and Hudson Taylor translated most of the New Testament into Chinese.  

So, it all seemed to fit, and as we decided throughout the rest of the day, it stuck. 

A verse we are associating with his name is 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

Funny side note:  As I was researching multiple websites about the meaning of names, I read that Hudson was mostly used as a surname.  It took me a minute to make the connection that my best friend Ginger married a Hudson in 2015, so it's now the last name of my dearest friend.  So, even though it was not the reason we chose the name, it definitely was not a deterrent.  And she promised me it wasn't too weird.  

Hudson Arthit, you are loved! 

Easter Weekend 2013

We had a great Easter weekend...

Friday night, Aunt Valerie came and stayed with us.  

Saturday morning, we went to the Easter Egg Hunt at Friendship Baptist.  But I thought it started at 10, and it didn't start until 11.  So to kill time, I went to the outlets and picked out a special outfit for him to wear for Easter. (Isn't that what you're supposed to do with kids?) I also got to see a sweet friend!  Then, I made it to Friendship for the egg hunt.  Tyndall was given two eggs. :) 
 

 He certainly got plenty of attention.

 I enjoyed watching Hailey find and collect eggs... especially the one's in other people's baskets. ;) 

After the egg hunt, Tyndall and I went and hung out with Morgan, who we hadn't seen in over a year and a half!  In the evening, when Matt got home from work, he announced that he had ALSO bought an Easter outfit for Tyndall.  :)  And we settled in to watch Sound of Music.  

Sunday morning, we gathered with our River Church family for the first time since Tyndall came home.  We were advised to wait until April, but 3/31 was close enough, and it was Easter Sunday!  We wanted to celebrate the risen Savior as a family.  I'm so glad we did, and Ginger joined us too, so it was extra special! 

Matt saw this kind of tie knot on Pinterest and watched a YouTube video to learn how to do it.  He was very proud of his special Easter tie.

 Matt had to go to work after church, but Ginger and I joined the family for Easter dinner at Steph and Mark's.  I was supposed to make mashed potatoes but didn't leave myself enough time.  Thank goodness for KFC. ;)

 Ginger, however, made this awesome 'bunny brownie'.  She's pretty talented at the baking thing.

This basket was made by Matt's Mom when he was younger.  Steph had an Easter basket for Tyndall and used Matt's basket, which was very special.  After we went through the basket, we decided to put Tyndall in it.  And he even smiled for some pictures. :)  

 He met Cousin Noah. And Shared some smiles with GiGi.

It's so fun to have kiddos around for family holidays. :)

St. Patrick's Day Adventure

It really didn't have anything to do with St. Patty's Day, but I guess it does make it a little more memorable. 

Tyndall is finally big enough to fit in a carrier + it's beautiful these days in Charleston + I was craving some outdoors time = we headed out on an 'adventure' to Caw Caw Interpretive Center. 


Ginger, Laura, another Matthew, and the three of us piled into Laura's new Dodge Journey Sunday morning.  We made a stop at the grocery store to pick up some stuff for a picnic lunch.  After our eclectic picnic, we were off to the walking trails! 

 You may or may not know that I have a fascination with alligators.  I love them.  I especially love seeing them in their natural habitats, but not-too-close.  So, Caw-Caw was perfect.  Not too far into our walk, we spotted our first gator... the first of 11!

Ginger with our first gator-sighting!

 Not too long after our first gator sighting, we had our second snake-sighting.  But, this one wasn't a little baby black rat snake like the first, this was a Cottonmouth. Very poisonous.  In the middle of the walking path.  Thankfully, we spotted it a few yards before we got to it.  We attempted to startle it so it would move out of the path-- it didn't.  And it seemed way too interested in us when we tried to take the skirt of the trail and leave it be.  So, we just waited.  And waited.  And we let it move off to the side before we walked by.  Well, we QUICKLY walked by, on the opposite side of the trail.  And the adventure continued. 

It was soaking up the sunshine too.
Can you see it in the middle of the pic?

Matt was a trooper to carry Tyndall the whole 2+ hours of walking. 

The biggest gator we saw... from a distance!  Probably 12ish feet but can't be sure. 

Enjoying more of the beautiful day before we headed home!

My thirst for alligators and sunshine and quality time with family and friends was satisfied.  I also can't wait to go back!  We are truly blessed to be able to live in such a beautiful place with such fun, free things to do!

30.

Yep, I've entered into a new decade. 

Lots of people have asked me if 30 was a big deal for me, and I can honestly say no.  I can understand how it is for some people, but it hasn't been for me.  

I've actually felt 30 for awhile. ;) 

Celebrating 30 was fun, and my friends and family helped make it very special.  We had our housewarming/birthday party on the 20th.  During that weekend, I had some quality time with my sisters, best friend who came to town from West Virginia, Mom who came down from North Carolina, my husband, and everyone else who came to our party.

With my honey at movie night.

On my actual birthday, I got to worship with Matt and Ginger at our church.  It had been about 2 months since I had been able to be in the service, so it was extra-special.  (Though I probably should have stayed and helped fill in all the gaps in the children's area... but that's another post.)  After the church gathering, we had family dinner at Grandma's with homemade birthday cake, cards and presents from family. My mom even joined us which was a treat!  

Thanks for birthing me 30 years ago, Momma!

Then, we ran some errands and spent some of the gift cards I'd gotten.  I'm not really much of a shopper, but I do like using gift cards.  Got some clothes and some stuff for the house.  Then we went home and watch The Interpreter which I had been wanting to watch. After that movie, we packed up leftovers from the party and took them to Mark & Steph's for movie night.  Mom met us over there again which was wonderful.  We watched World Trade Center and used their internet to check for Facebook wishes.  Birthdays definitely have changed since Facebook. :)  Ginger also made a fruit pizza which we had with the party leftovers at movie night.  It was delicious! 

After movie night, I enjoyed being able to go home and not worry about having to get up early for work.  Ginger and I had a breakfast date at Bear E Patch the next day then ran some errands before she had to leave town.  But it was a great way to end a wonderful weekend. 

Wild and Wonderful Weekend

Labor Day weekend (which already seems like forever ago!), I drove up to Charlotte and picked up Ginger at the airport, then we drove to her home in West Virginia. 

Mrs. Kathy in her kitchen... making homemade sweet rolls.... yum!

It was mostly a rainy weekend, and I had the 'crud', but it was still wonderful.  The first morning, we lazed around the house with her sister, Beth who is expecting her first baby.  We enjoyed homemade yummies from her mom.  We caught up on pictures one morning then ventured into the back'yard' and went swimming walking in the creek.  It was fun just walking in the water taking it all in.  Later, we lay on our towels on the bank, watched the clouds and watched the cows cross the creek.  Beth and Ginger kept making fun of my excitement over the little things, but it was all so different than my normal weekend fun.

This was our view from dinner.  Henry backyard.

In the evening, her Dad made dinner, and we ate outside with Ginger's aunt and her boyfriend, Roger.  It was great to be able to meet more of the family and to be fully immersed in their normal lives.  Also, there's just something about being in the country.  It's so peaceful and relaxing. 

After dinner, we prepped for the campfire in the back'yard'.  Way behind the barn in this picture.  Even though storms were around us, we didn't get soaked.  Just a few sprinkles.  Hearing stories of Ginger's cross-country trip, s'mores, baby names.  Perfect campfire evening.  After the campfire, it was back to the house for Phase 10 and introducing me to the Netti-Pot.  Verdict is still out on my experience with it.  :) 
 

The next morning, we lazed around a little then went on a tour of their hometown/county.  I got to see the Henry high school (complete with a siloh and multiple tractors!), and the Herold farm where I met multiple dogs, kitties, and goats.  Pure joy, right here. 

Price of admission to the Corn Maze?
A canned food donation.  Thanks for the Refried Beans, Herolds.

After the Corn Maze, we played volleyball, which is something I hadn't done in a very long time.  But it was hysterically fun with the comments and antics of Beth, Lisa, Hallie, Ginger, and Sam.  Oh, and I picked the right team. ;) 

Being silly in the corn maze. :)

So after the hometown tour and corn maze, it was time to go (way too soon!).  Sometime over the weekend, we had discovered that Blacksburg, VA was only 2 hours(ish) away, and I really wanted to go and see my Dad's house.  Hadn't been there since he died in 2001.  Ginger went with me, and I actually remembered how to get to his house.  Brought back lots of sweet memories.  I even visited his landlords.  It was a quick visit, and I'm glad I went, though it was definitely closer to 3 hours, and Ginger had to get back home soon after dinner.  Next time, I'll stick to West Virginia.  But it was fun to be in Blacksburg on Game Day... Go Hokies!  thought about the Seamans and Taltons! :)

 

Me in front of Dad's house.

Left way too late, got a ticket on the way home (which was definitely a blessing considering the State Trooper pointed out I was on the wrong highway and saved me from being stuck on the interstate behind a wreck for several hours).  Got reaaaaalllly tired after being in the car for over 12 hours, so I stopped and stayed with Valeried & Zebediah in Columbia.  I just couldn't drive the remaining 2 hours.  Got into their house at almost 1 am, and they were extremely hospitable.  Nyquil, tissues, cough drops and water all waiting in the guest bedroom.  All that without much notice.  Thanks y'all!  

So, it was really a wonderful weekend... not too wild.  Can't wait to go back again!  

Happy Birthday, Ginger!

Happy 30th Birthday!

Words can truly not describe how much Ginger Henry means to me.  We met in June of 2002 and shared a couch bed for 5 weeks and then graduated up to sharing a king bed for 5 weeks on a Summer Project with Cru.  I don't think either of us knew at that point how much our friendship would mean. 

There have been adventures: road-tripping to Colorado, road-trips between WV&SC, Bahamas, Tanzania, London, Disney, para sailing, and mountain-hiking.  

There have been inside jokes: Boobmonster, Puddles, SIR, pirates

There have been practical jokes played, crafts made, games played, and walks taken.  

There have been boyfriends, fiances, broken hearts and weddings.  

There have been LOTS of goodbyes and moving to & from Charleston, SC especially. 

There have been encouraging talks, challenging talks, awkward talks, and silly talks.  

We have joked for years that if one of us had been a boy, I would not be married to Matt Flagler.  She is THAT special of a friend.  

The last 4 years have been harder being apart way more than we are together... and not having as many adventures to strengthen our bond.  But God has truly given us a special friendship, and we know it is one that will always bring us closer to Him.  

If you don't have the pleasure of knowing Ginger, then I hope you will get to at least meet her someday.  Even just a few minutes around this girl will allow you to see the treasure that she is.  If you want to get a better idea of the lives she has impacted and continues to impact, you can visit her blog or the special blog that I created for her birthday.  This is one LOVED lady.  

Honestly, GR, thank you for being YOU.  You are being celebrated today all around the world!  

Love you and miss you so much, 

Tricia

P.S.  If anyone else would like to add to her birthday blog, please let me know!

Bridal Brunch Memories

4 years ago today was one of the funnest days of my life.  It started off with the Bridal Brunch that was thrown by all of my aunts... thank you Aunt Ann, Aunt Betsy, Aunt Karen and Aunt Kim!

Laura, Valerie, Lauryn, SaraBeth, Julianne, Jeannene

I loved the Bridal Brunch because it officially meant the start of the Tyndall/Flagler Wedding Extravaganza, but it also was a sweet time for me to honor a lot of special women in my life.  I have truly been blessed to have so many close friends, and the Bridal Brunch was a wonderful time to be able to share with so many women exactly what they meant to me. 

Lisa, Emily, Gail, Aunt Karen, Megan, (back of Debbie's head)

 The location was perfect: the Old Village Post House in Mt. Pleasant.
We had the upstairs room which felt just right for our group. 

Gifts for my bridesmaids were very fun: necklaces and earrings made by myself and my mom's friend Mrs. Judy. 
My friend Kristin helped me pick out the beads and make the prototypes. 
They also got nice flip flops and some body lotions and scents from Victoria's Secret.

After the brunch, most of us went to a nail salon for manicures and pedicures.  I love being pampered, so that was a really nice treat after the brunch, especially since I got to go with so many women I love! 

Valerie, Laura, Ginger, Stephani, Debbie, Emily, Megan, and Lisa: thank you again so much for being such a huge part of our wedding.  It still means so much that you would stand with us and support us on that day and in our marriage ever since.  Some of you I am much closer to now than I was then; others have drifted further away.  But you are and will always be so special to me! 

Ginger was Here!

It felt like Christmas all over again when Ginger rolled into town on January 4th. I love that lady, and there is truly no one like your best friend! Even though it has been almost a year to the day, it felt like it had been almost no time, and we always pick up right where we left off. (Though I can assure you the year in between felt like 10!)

Overview of her visit:
Day 1: She arrived late afternoon, and we helped her stretch her legs by playing frisbee with Nala for awhile. Then we worked on making a Mexican feast for dinner because Amber came over to join us for dinner! After dinner, the three of us ladies hung out on our bed while Matt & a couple guys from church had their discipleship group. After the guys & Amber left, Matt & Ginger participated in a regular tradition when they are together: watching Family Guy. Then, we went to sleep eventually.

Day 2: We slept in and took it easy in the morning. Ginger helped me organize my coupons (something you can really only do with true friends). We talked & caught up during the day and watched some episodes of Life (another thing Matt & Ginger typically do together is watch nature shows, but I like these too.) We ran a couple of errands then went over to my Mom's for dinner with her and Laura. Laura didn't know we would be there, so when she walked in and saw us and Ginger, her squeals of excitement were contagious! She's so cute! We had a yummy dinner (thanks, Momma) then played Dutch Blitz, a new game for most of us. Very much like Nertz and very fun. After that, Matt headed home because he had to work the next day, but Ginger and I stayed to watch the last 4 episodes of 24, season 4. My Mom and Laura have been completely addicted for the last month and have worked their way from Season 1. We left their house around 12:30 and drove the suburban home which brought back good memories of lots of our road trips. Then, we stayed up until almost 4 am looking through old pictures & videos together and sharing stories.

Day 3: We slept in later than we had planned and took it easy around the house again. Ginger spent the afternoon with another friend while Matt and I ran errands. We went out to eat that night at Wild Wing Cafe, at Ginger's request, with Mark & Steph, Steven, Amber and Michelle. After dinner, Ginger spent time with Michelle then Matt, Ging and I came back to our house and exchanged Christmas presents. Ginger's presents for me included gifts from Togo, South Africa, Wisconsin, Maine, and West Virginia, representing only some of the places she has been this last year! Crazy. Since it was our last evening together, Ging and I stayed up pretty late again, this time breaking in our new Christmas presents, some digital scrapbooking software. And we both committed to doing Project 365, which is where you take a picture each day of the year that is representative of your life. We made our first few pages together and ended up staying up way later than we intended.

Day 4: Again, we slept later than we had planned, but got up and got ready pretty quickly so we could do one more tradition: breakfast and quality time at Panera. I cannot even begin to imagine the amount of hours that Ging & I have spent at Panera! Sharing stories, planning adventures, crying over boys, giggling over boys, separately spending time with Jesus, listening to music, journaling and doing Bible studies. So, we made sure we got in about an hour that morning of encouraging one another. After our Panera date, I went off to work, and she met up with Amber to spend her last 24 hours in Charleston with her other friends here. It was a tearful goodbye, but at least this time, it looks like it will only be about 6 months until we see each other again.

Until next time, Ginger... Love you so much, best friend!