The Richins

Are Mormons Christian?

2011-10-11T16:13:00.004-04:00

I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes referred to as the "Mormon" church. Recently, the Church has been in the spotlight in the media, and as such, many find themselves sifting through the many things that others say we believe. I write today to shed some light on those beliefs and declare that we unequivocally declare that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.

Growing up, I have always felt welcomed by my Christian friends despite the variances in the doctrines of our respective churches, and was interested to discover that among Christians, there is a wide range of beliefs on countless subjects. It wasn't until I was in grad school, however, that an acquaintance confronted me with claims that I was not really Christian. It was difficult and alarming for me to understand these claims. Since then, I have learned that there are spokemen within the Christian community teaching that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are not Christian.

If you would like to know whether members of my faith are truly Christians, here are some things you can do:

1) The Church declined to make a statement about the accusations recently made for matters of political neutrality, rather they direct those who want to know more to visit mormon.org and decide for themselves.

2) Find your LDS friends and ask them any questions you may have. You never have to feel embarrassed about asking questions. I assure you most of us answer a lot of questions, and we are happy to do so.

3) Read the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus Christ. We claim that it is the "stick of Ephraim" as was prophesied in the Old Testament. From a verse in the Book of Mormon: "O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men." If you would like a copy of the Book of Mormon, one can be delivered to your door free of charge.

4) Watch the following video. It is spoken by one of the Twelve Apostles living today. He addresses many of the doctrinal differences that cause many to claim the non-Christianity of Mormons.

Birth Story

2011-07-11T10:54:00.004-04:00

It has been such a busy month that I never got to share the exciting news: Audrey Michelle Eichins was born June 2 at 12:26am. She weighed 7lbs 4oz and measured 20 3/4 inches. I thought I'd share a few details about how the birth went.

I had been planning to have a natural birth after doing a lot of research about how to avoid another 4th degree tear (if you or someone you know has had one during childbirth, you'll understand my concerns. . .). I had spent time preparing mentally for how I would cope during the various stages of labor and anticipating possible conflicts that may arise if doctors or nurses tried to interfere with my plans. I was also prepared at 36 weeks with the gear I'd be hauling to the hospital.

Now that I had been through early labor once, I was anticipating a six-hour labor (last time was 12, and the nurse-midwife said it was usually half that in subsequent deliveries), the first few hours at home until contractions were close enough to call the doctor. I had been having regular contractions for a few days, but they were never close enough to make the call. Then a couple days of nothing. I was sure this baby would never be coming.

Wednesday night, June 1st, David came home from cub scouts with some ice cream. As we started to eat some, Natalie became rather irritable (it was past her bedtime, after all). I lefy David to deal with it as I was starting to feel sick. For those of you who have not had a baby (or a wife who had a baby), you have to understand that late pregnancy is REALLY uncomfortable in a number of ways. In this case, I had been dealing with gastro-intestinal issues for weeks and the resulting cramps. So I immediately recognized this sick feeling and headed off to the bathroom.

In a matter of minutes (perhaps even seconds), the cramps were unbearable! This was certainly the worst gas cramp of my life. I took some breaks laying down hoping relaxing would help, and it did a little bit. David was patient and kind enough to take care of Natalie's bedtime routine and reassure Natalie that I was okay. I, on the other hand, was sure something was wrong. I even said to David in a moment of agony, "If labor feels anything like this, I don't think I can handle it."

After an hour and a half, we called the doctor who so helpfully said, "If it's labor, go to the hospital. If it's gas, stay home." The pain was intensifying, especially if I sat down. That gave me my first clue that I was actually in labor since my friend had said it was too painful for her to sit on the toilet during labor. I decided we needed to go right away.

We got Natalie up and called my parents so my mom could come help watch Natalie. (Actually, David did both of those things while I grabbed my bag and went straight to the car.) I knelt backwards in the front seat (too painful to sit, remember?) and David drove us to the hospital which was about 20 minutes away. Om the way, I said, "David, this is definitely labor." He said, "Is there anything I can do to help?" I said, "Yes. Don't talk to me."

I hadn't learned beforehand what entrance we were supposed to enter, so we went to the ER entrance as was the procedure where I delivered last time. I walked in, holding myself up with a wheelchair, and then knelt down burying my head in the seat. A young man at the desk looked up with a concerned look and asked, "Can I help you?" "I'm in labor and I'm really far along," I managed to say through gritted teeth. A nurse was sent to take me to the right place, and my registration was greatly expedited to ensure I made it to the delivery room in time. They took me straight to my room and checked to see how dialated I was. I was ten centimeters.

A nurse told me not to push. I asked, "Why not?" "The doctor isn't here yet." Hah! I couldn't have not pushed if I tried! Luckily he was there a few seconds later because I was involuntarily pushing. A strong popping feeling suggested we had skipped right over the baby maneuvering through the birth canal phase, and David said, "I see the head!" It was not, however. Just a bulging amniotic sac. They broke my water, and we worked on pushing the baby out. I could not get her out, though. The doctor started testing to gauge the need for an episiotomy, and I started begging him not to do anything. I was so worried I would have another bad tear. However, he assessed it was needed and went ahead with the procedure. Audrey was out a few pushes later, and I didn't really tear beyond the incision the doctor made (considered a 2nd degree tear). Turns out the second degree tear hurts less on the first day than a fourth degree after several weeks!

For a few minutes, I held Audrey, who looked rather green (meconium stained vernix). She had a perfectly shaped head since labor had been an exciting three minutes total, apparently not enough time to give her a cone head. (I also have noticed she has a tiny, hard-to-find fontanelle which could have been the reason why I couldn't push her out?) She was quite pale which turned out to be due to extremely low red blood count (anemia) as a result of a fetal-maternal hemmorhage that occurred over the last few weeks of the pregnancy. After a blood transfusion and a week+ at Children's Hospital, she is safe and home!

We love our little Audrey and are so glad she came to our family!

Good Things Happen to Those with Cameras

2011-05-08T14:19:00.005-04:00

Saturday morning, we decided to take Natalie to the park to play with the new soccer ball we recently purchased. (It has become one of Natalie's most prized possessions, often accompanying us on trips to the store . . .) David grabbed the camera so we could capture her enthusiasm on camera. Here are some of my favorites:

David noticed a softball laying out on a baseball field along with a bat, so he tried to teach Natalie how to throw and hit the ball. She preferred to use the bat as a golf club:

After a short time, the dirt looked more interesting than playing ball:

When we stopped at the store, we happened to have the camera in my bag still, so I caught a picture of a couple of the youth who made a stop there as well before heading off to prom, I guess.

On the way home, David mentioned he and Natalie saw a deer earlier that day. I mentioned I'd never seen deer near our apartment, and David gestured nearby, saying he had once seen a deer that direction. There happened to be a deer right there, and we happened to have a camera.

Just Like Me

2011-05-08T14:03:00.002-04:00

It always catches me off gurad when Natalie says something that I have been known to say, and it causes me to wish I were more careful about the example I am to her.

Today, Natalie wanted something to be done and, while pushing David aside, told him, "No, I'll do it." I realized this is the phrase I've been using this last week when Natalie needed her runny nose wiped but would try to do it herself, in the process smearing it across her face. "No, no, Natalie, I'll do it."

It reminds me of the old song Cats in the Cradle where the father keeps putting off doing things with his growing son and realizes that his son, now an adult, has become just like him. I hope I can be a good example to Natalie since my example is going to be the most persuasive teaching device I have.

Natalie is Three!

2011-03-31T09:32:00.009-04:00

Today is Natalie's birthday! This morning, I took some time to reflect on what these last three years have meant to me. Hopefully I can share some of those thoughts here.

It's hard to put into words the changes that have occurred in me since becoming a mother. The joys and challenges of motherhood have been a catalyst in the refining of my ideas and character. Some days, I feel like I am failing miserably, but when I compare my thoughts and attitudes to those of three years ago, I feel grateful for the things that I am learning as I strive to be a better mother to Natalie.

Here are some snapshots of Natalie since birth with some of my thoughts about her and the little lady she is becoming.

This is Natalie only a few days old at the hospital. David is likely trying to burp her (which was not one of her favorite things to do. . .)
Natalie's first week was a challenge for us as parents as she was kept in the NICU to moniter her feedings. We were so happy when we were finally able to take her home!

Natalie's first birthday won her a trip to Chicago to have cleft palate surgery. Here she is relaxing on Daddy's lap at the Ronald McDonald House.

Natalie's cleft palate has meant that her ability to make most consonants has been near impossible, even after surgery. But we have been amazed as she has made progress in her speech at the complexity of her thoughts that we previously had not been aware of. Everyone who works with Natalie closely remarks on how smart she is!

Natalie loves to read! Here you can see that even sleep isn't a good enough reason to put down a good book. . .

Lately when we read, Natalie interrupts to comment on some aspect of the story or picture. In real life, she is very sensitive to the emotions experienced by others, and she likes to point out in stories what emotion the characters' faces reflect. She also shows incredible memory. In one picture, she said the character was mad because of his downward eyebrows. I said, "No, he's just working very hard because he's lifting something heavy." A few days later when she pointed to that picture, she said, "He's working hard!"

If I were a better mom who doesn't despise hot and cold weather, we would spend more time at Natalie's favorite place: the park! I've been grateful that she is old enough now to be understanding when we drive by and I tell her it's too cold to play. Hopefully we'll figure out a way to get her to the park more often this season.

Natalie is very observant, and she wants to be exactly like us. Here, she really wants to play with the computer, something we don't really let her do yet.

She also seems to be rather particular about many of the same things that I am. One day Natalie noticed a hole in her sock that was nearly big enough for her big toe to fit through. She pointed to it and whined. David said, "What are you teaching her?" I, too, am notorious for my lack of tolerance of holes in my socks, even since childhood. Here, Natalie is unable to continue reading a story because her toe has found it's way through the footies in her pajamas. . .

Natalie loves animals. We take trips to the pet store from time to time, and she enjoys looking at the many varieties of fish, the bunnies, parakeets, and rodents. If you ask her, she'll likely tell you her favorite animal at the pet store are the mice. If you ask for a description, she'll tell you they are white with pink tails.

Natalie also enjoys the cats at both grandparents' homes (though the cats do not reciprocate her feelings). We also enjoy pointing out the birds and stray cats that frequent our back porch. Here is Natalie in her cat Halloween costume during a wagon ride at a local pumpkin patch.

We love our beautiful little girl. Her sweet, tender nature fills our hearts with gratitude for the responsibility we have as parents to help her learn and grow. I look forward to seeing her become a big sister. She is "mommy's big helper," but she'll always be my little baby. I love you, Natalie!

Surgery

2009-08-10T18:50:00.010-04:00

It's been almost a year since our last post, mostly because I use facebook to keep up with friends and family, but blogs allow for more details and stories, I suppose.

Here's Natalie Last winter in the hat I made for her using the Nifty Knitter loom.

One of the biggest events this year was Natalie's surgery. We drove to Chicago on her birthday, March 31st, where we stayed at the beautiful Ronald McDonald House. Her surgery took place April 2nd at the Shriners Hospital for Children. The surgeon said everything went well, though Natalie was still pretty cranky for several days. She wore elbow immobilizers for two weeks so that she would not touch her mouth and injure her surgical site. She still managed to smile for the camera!
At the end of July, the Cleveland Shriners who sponsored Natalie's surgery held a picnic for patients. Natalie was scared of the clowns and strangers that greeted her, but she eventually enjoyed running around the picnic pavilion, watch kites flying, and play toss with Daddy.

And here's a picture of Natalie and I on Easter, I think. She's wearing the pretty dress her Aunt Laura made for her!

New apartment, Nauvoo, Natalie

2008-09-25T09:41:00.004-04:00

I've taken a break from updating our blog mostly because it's easier to use facebook to keep intouch, and I don't have to write long narratives there. But a lot has happened since our last post.

After our year long lease ended, we decided we'd like an apartment that's a bit nicer and roomier. We're only two or three miles from our old apartment, but it's a big improvement. There's room to let Natalie play on the floor and a lot more sunlight! The kitchen is big and open, and the dishwasher is most welcome after three years of the archaic practice of washing dishes by hand. There are still a few spiders, but no more ants and fewer fuzzy centipedes (though the addition of the occasional earwig-type beetle).
We took a vacation the first weekend of August, driving across miles of cornfields to Nauvoo, Illinois. It was a nice experience to hear the stories and see the places where those early Saints lived. Iwas surprised by how few people were there considering it was still pageant season. We didn't have to wait for tours, and often we were the only ones on the tour so we could ask lots of questions about things that are not usually in the tour. It is really a beautiful place, even in the intense humidity there along the Mississippi River.

Natalie is growing so fast! She gets around quickly by rolling around. I can't leave her alone on the floor or else I find her playing with the DVDs or under the table. She likes playing in her excersaucer, though nothing keeps her attention long. She is very curious and needs a lot of attention to keep her entertained!

Lessons

2008-05-25T19:15:00.002-04:00

We want to make sure Natalie gets a head start in her exposure to the arts. Here's a glimpse into how we both entertain and educate little Natalie.

Smiles

2008-05-23T13:38:00.008-04:00

Our little Natalie is growing up fast! For a few weeks now, she has been making attempts to smile, attempts which are sometimes difficult to discern if they really indicate happiness since they are often promptly followed by crying. But she's getting the hang of it, and she almost seemed to laugh once! Here's a few of her smiles I caught on camera:

Natalie is getting very strong! She can hold her head up for a few minutes, and she is getting difficult to burp. We usually burp her by leaning her forward while she is seated in our lap, but in her impatience to continue eating, she flings her head back before I can even get in one pat on her back. It makes me laugh!

Before I went to the grocery store one Saturday morning, I found Natalie sleeping, and she looked angelic:
Here's a picture of Natalie in the beautiful dress Grandma Richins made. Unfortunately we waited until Natalie was hungry before we took pictures, so this is the only one where she isn't too fussy:
A cute wake-up day:
Once I figure out how to get the videos on the computer, I'll post some videos of Natalie smiling in response to my goofiness. . .

Baby pictures

2008-04-26T10:06:00.000-04:00

Natalie Jane Richins

2008-04-24T09:07:00.010-04:00

This post is long overdue. . .

David and I welcomed Natalie Jane Richins to the world on March 31st at 1:05pm. She weighed 7lbs and measured 19 1/4 inches. She is such a beautiful and sweet baby, and we are honored she is ours!

Natalie spent the first week in the NICU because she was born with a cleft palate, and they had to be sure she could eat well enough. She was probably one of the biggest babies there since most babies there were preemies. It was sad not to bring her home with us, but as I look back, it was nice to be able to spend my time recovering after a rough delivery. It was also sad that the one day I wore my wedding ring was a day I didn't have a pocket, and I set it on the ledge of the scrub-in sink of the NICU. No one ever turned it in.

Here is Natalie when she finally came home!
Natalie loves to nap on Daddy!
David makes fun videos of Natalie! My favorite video about Natalie's cultural arts training cannot be featured here because it is too large, so check it out on facebook! This one's pretty cute, though.

Baby shower, bathroom shower, and Valentine's Day

2008-02-19T11:22:00.007-05:00

I haven't been as good as many of you at keeping the blog updated mostly because not a lot has been happening and/or we haven't many pictures, and I think pictures make it so much more interesting! Here's a few things that are worth mentioning:

Earlier this month, a few of the women from church threw a baby shower for me! They did an amazing job with the decorations and treats. Mindy Baker made this adorable Pampers cake (though when I heard she'd be making this, I thought it was going to be an edible cake. Thank goodness I was wrong. . .)
Who would have thought 120 diapers could look so great!?! We kept it on display in our living room for a week before I dismantled it and put all the diapers in a trash bag to be kept fresh for use on our little one's rear end. They planned some great games, the most amusing of which was a race to see who could drink water from a bottle the fastest. It tuned out to be more difficult than they thought. Everyone's sucking muscles were getting very tired. . . It turned out to be a marvelous shower, and I was astonished at the many thoughtful and generous gifts we were given, including numerous handmade blankets and adorable outfits. David's parents bought us a great travel system, and his sister, Laura made this fantastic blanket:
Sadly, I wasn't home very much the week the Pampers cake was displayed in our living room as we were experiencing some severe maintenance issues in the apartment. Friday night, while mixing some muffins, I noticed my sock was getting wet. The carpet under the table was drenched. We had alread noticed the floor in the bathroom had small amounts of water seeping up between the linoleum tiles, but now water seemed to be spreading at an increased rate. The apartment maintencance couldn't do much over the weekend, so they came in early Monday making it necessary for poor, pregnant me to have to get up early and keep myself occupied by hanging out with the preschool moms from church. When we got home that night, the carpet was ripped and folded over with a fan blowing and our dehumidifier running to dry it up. The sight was not as unpleasant as the smell. . .

It took them a few days to figure out the problem, so I ended up having to stay out of our apartment everyday through Friday. I spent Tuesday shopping (which I hate doing. . .), Wednesday and Thursday at friends' houses, and Friday at an Enrichment activity and more shopping. . . Coming home Wednesday night was the most distressing. They had removed the tub and could not replace it so as to allow the area to dry (Turns out there were two pipes that had corroded and were leaking, one of which was the pipe containing the neighbors' sewage). While we've been relatively pleased with how friendly the management and maintenance workers have been, we are not pleased about the issues we've had with the apartment, and I'm looking forward to finding a nicer, newer apartment in the near future.

For Valentine's Day, we decided we'd stay in for the night. The restaurants here in Canton tend to have very long waits when it's not a holiday, and that can be rough for a pregnant lady if you aren't one of the lucky few who gets to sit down during that wait. I know this from experience. . . Instead, David treated me to an amazing homecooked dinner: chicken parmesan on angel hair pasta with garlic bread and fruit salad. It was one of the best meals I've ever had! During a movie, we dipped strawberries, bananas, and pound cake in chocolate fondue. David gave me some candles and a game, two things I love! It was the best Valentine's Day ever! I am so blessed to have a husband that loves me and shows me he cares. Thank you, David! I love you.

Progress on our Projects

2008-01-15T12:18:00.000-05:00

We've made progress on our online projects! (Well, actually David has made most of the progress, but I plan to help more in the near future. . .) The online publication looks great and has some excellent articles. You can find it at www.principledleader.org. We invite you to sign up for email subscriptions to the publication so you can be alerted when new articles are added, and feel free to submit an article so your voice can be heard!

Link to The Principled Leader

The website for my mom's music is under construction but getting there. David did a great job making it look very professional. It can be viewed at www.mariemacy.com. My job now is to work on getting the music into our Finale music publishing software so it can be downloaded. Tell your friends and family!

I decided to take Elder Ballard's latest urgings regarding missionary work, and I created a blog to address issues that I've seen in the media regarding the Church. I don't know if anyone will read it, but at the least it will give me more motivation for further personal study and pondering.

Websites!!

2007-12-21T15:35:00.000-05:00

I've never met anyone with as much creativity, initiative, and drive to get the hard work finished as David! In less than a week, he has set up two websites for some business ventures we are pursuing. One is an online periodical designed to feature moral ideas to shape business and public policy. Topics can be varied, ranging from the role of religion in society and government, foreign policy, capitalism vs. communism, and the Constitution. We very much enjoy discussing these important topics, especially as we approach a very important presidential election year. We hope this can become a meaningful platform to discuss the foundations of morality, leadership, and freedom and to find common ground among all people who claim such values.

The second website David created will feature compositions and arrangements that my Mom, Marie Macy, has written over the years which have blessed the lives of all who have heard them. We also hope it can serve as a motivation for me to pursue my arranging and other musical endeavors that I have had on my mind lately. My mom had made some attempts many years ago at publishing, but for the most part, LDS publishing companies prefer what I would call the "pop" style made popular by Janice Kapp Perry and perpetuated in EFY music and other LDS compositions. (Just for the record, there are songs by Janice Kapp Perry, particularly children's song, that are quite lovely. My frustration is that the culture of LDS music has become very short-sighted and limited by not recognizing music like my mom's.) For an example of my mom's music, see our earlier post with music recordings.

We will provide links to our new projects once we have made more progress! In the mean time, check back to our recordings post for updated recordings we plan to make this Christmas!

It's a Girl!

2007-12-13T14:29:00.000-05:00

We found out two weeks ago that we are having a girl! We had been telling people we probably wouldn't find out since our insurance would only cover the ultrasound if there was a medical need for it. But we wanted to see our little one and paid for it ourself. She was very wiggly during the whole thing! We already have a first name for her, but we will tell you what it is after she is born.

David and I had a chance to visit with my family this weekend in Milford. We both sang with my family in church Sunday, and we performed a few instrumental numbers and vocal pieces in the Stake Music Fireside on Sunday evening. David even joined us for the last number, Sing With the Angels. For me, it never feels like Christmas until we've sung together. Wendy was even able to make a trip out here so we could all be together at some point this Christmas season.

I've always heard how many pregnant women really hate how people feel they can touch your tummy since it's sticking out, and it really bugs them. I've had a couple of friends do that which didn't bother me too much, but I was a little startled when our waitress at a mexican restaurant asked if I was pregnant and, upon my confirmation that I am, walked over and patted my tummy! I can't say that I liked that very much. . .

Beaks, Beck and Birthday

2007-11-25T23:57:00.000-05:00

This Thanksgiving holiday was very good to us. We spent Thursday with David's family. As usual, I spent a good amount of time teasing the cats who were already annoyed that they were not allowed to join our delicious turkey dinner. After a marvelous feast, we went to see the movie Enchanted and then went home for pie and another movie, The Hudsucker Proxy. David's parents made sure we didn't leave without plenty of leftovers, to which we say "Thank You!"

Friday's highlight was a trip to Barnes and Noble in Akron where Glenn Beck made a stop on his book tour to sign the newly purchased books of hundreds of fans! I had been trying to think of something clever to say to him all day. I wanted to see if he remembered meeting my sister, Wendy, who was a backstage escort at BYU's Stadium of Fire this summer and had conversed with him. However, once I got there, I got the impression that they wanted to keep the line moving, so when Glenn thanked me for coming and hoped it was worth the wait, all I managed to say was "Thank YOU." I may have tried to mumble something else but it was inaudible. So much for being clever! My mom managed to give him a CD of our family Christmas concert as a Christmas present when he was in Cincinnati the next day. Haha! I hope he and his family enjoy it. I was overall very impressed with how kind and genuine he is, and I'm enjoying reading the book!

Saturday was my birthday! I slept in while David cleaned the house I neglected to clean all week. What a guy! I owe him! I was in the mood for carrot cake, so David went to the store to buy a mix, and after looking in every aisle for the baking goods (there is no logic to how the store is organized!), they didn't even have carrot cake mix. So he got me one of the ones at the bakery with the cute carrots iced on the top. He also surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers! I spent most of the day doing what I love to do: nothing! We rented a couple movies (since there's nothing worthwhile showing in theatres these days!) and then had dinner at the Olive Garden. Upon learning it was my birthday, our server tried to make some joke about the fact I look old enough to able to drive and whether I was feeling well. It took me awhile to figure out she was talking about having an alcoholic beverage. My looks of dumbfounded confusion and emphatic response that we don't drink hopefully didn't make her feel too bad.

When we got home, David topped the cake with a candle that was supposed to play "Happy Birthday." We were skeptical whether it would work, especially since David managed to sing the whole song to me without the candle joining in. However, it finally began to play, and after a few verses, I blew it out. The candle kept singing while we sliced our pieces of cake and ate them. We were ready to watch the movie, but the candle wouldn't stop playing, and we couldn't stop laughing! We finally just pulled the candle out of the plastic base where the electronic device was housed, and it finally stopped. I was about ready to get out a hammer to make it stop! It is by far the most memorable candle I have ever had on a birthday cake!

Monterey, CA

2007-11-19T12:05:00.001-05:00

Back in March, David had to travel to Monterey, California for a conference that he helped organize on globalization. Since it was during my spring break, I came along, too, and we turned it into a vacation!

One of the first things we did was visit the lighthouse at Pacific Grove.

Our second day started with a drive down Highway 1 through Big Sur. Sara thought it would be fun to dive off the edge of the cliff into the ocean. David said it was a bad idea because the water is cold.

We stopped at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and took a hike among the Redwood trees. Sara wouldn't go inside the trees because of possible critters. Perhaps you are starting to see a theme that Sara likes the outdoors minus the animals.

In between conference sessions we drove along the 17-mile-drive. It took us by some fancy homes, Pebble Beach golf course, and the beautiful ocean scenery.

Other things we did to get the full California experience include stopping at the In-N-Out Burger in Gilroy and eating at an Italian restaurant in Carmel. We also took a walk along Carmel beach, but it wasn't a long walk due to severe, cold wind and sand getting in our eyes. We spent an afternoon at Cannery Row, spotted a few seals, got a caramel apple, and ate dinner with the conference speakers at the Charthouse restaurant.

More music

2007-11-19T11:40:00.000-05:00

We're really grateful for music in our lives! Besides the recordings below, the Richins have been working on other music projects as well. David is famous in our ward for his piano playing skills. Our choir performed Rutter's "For the Beauty of the Earth" yesterday, and several of the youth were amazed at David's playing. I certainly am amazed everyday by his talents!

Lately I've been getting the hang of using our music publishing software, Finale Allegro. I arranged Once in Royal David's City (based on my mom's arrangement) for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and piano for our upcoming Christmas program at church. All those theory and orchestration classes I took are finally coming in handy in the real world! I also managed to write a piano part for one of our choir pieces so they wouldn't have to sing it acapella. Our Christmas in Space experiment is based on the last verse of the piece. We'll have to make a serious recording soon for the choir. The piece is neither major nor minor but is in Dorian mode (like minor but with a major 6th in the scale in case you're wondering).

Music

2007-11-17T18:34:00.001-05:00

These are some recordings we have made. We first started this for our choir so that they could become familiar with the pieces we are preparing. But we're finding it's really fun, so we'll probably continue recording music we think is fun! We don't use any fancy equipment; it's the Garage Band program that came with the computer. Since we recorded these with few takes, they're not perfect, but we hope you think it's as fun to listen to them as it was for us to make them! There's also a few recordings of our ward choir at our Christmas dress rehearsal.

http://mariemacy.com/canton-ward-choir/

Hocking Hills Honeymoon

2007-11-05T10:13:00.000-05:00

When we were married, David had just started a new job as a market analyst at an industrial manufacturing company in Canton called Timken. We didn't want to cause any conflicts at work by having a honeymoon right after our wedding, so we had our honeymoon early in July instead. We rented a cute, furnished cabin in beautiful Hocking Hills, OH.

First we visited Ash Cave. The huge rock overhang acts as a natural whisper gallery. David and I tested it by standing at opposite ends and talking in our normal speaking volume, and it worked!

The next day we hiked through Old Man's Cave, named so because a man lived there by himself during the early 1800's and is buried there.
Sara is somewhat intimidated to be in this tunnel in the Old Man's Cave gorge because the ceiling is covered with bugs. . .
We were glad to return to our cabin to rest our weary legs in a private hot tub and were only mildly disturbed while making s'mores by raccoons that have been fed by previous cabin occupants. Sara kept them at bay by stomping around and flailing her arms which David found rather entertaining.

Overall, we had a vary enjoyable trip which we finished off by taking a detour through Columbus to go to the temple with Sara's parents.

Introducing the Richins!

2007-10-30T15:02:00.000-04:00

We decided to start a blog so that we can stay connected with loved ones far and near. We hope you enjoy!

David and I met in the Young Single Adult branch of the Akron, Ohio Stake in September of 2006. David first noticed me, the cute girl playing organ in sacrament meeting, and I noticed David in Sunday school an hour later when he gave insightful comments. We discovered our common love of music when we chatted at linger longer after church, and within the next two weeks, we were playing duets before Institute, David on his violin and I on my oboe. By mid-October, David planned the best date I had ever had: a picnic dinner (focaccia sandwiches, potato salad, fruit-flavored bottled water, and jello) after which he introduced me to letterboxing. We followed some directions he found on the internet to the location of a hidden "letterbox" (it's actually in a plastic zip-lock bag) which David had to dig out of a hollow tree trunk. We signed our names along with our personal stamp and replaced the letterbox in the tree trunk. It was chilly, so we returned to my apartment for some hot chocolate which I had in large supplies. We saw a lot of each other from then on, and hot chocolate became a tradition while we were dating those cold months! We either saw one another or talked on the phone almost everyday since then.

David proposed on February 10, 2007 in my little apartment in Kent. He wrote me a loving letter highlighting the many adventures and memories we had had so far. Of course I said yes, and we celebrated with a picnic dinner in my dining room (it was too cold to have it outside) which consisted of the foods we had on our first date! We then went to a Cleveland Orchestra concert and finished the evening with a slice of cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. This picture was taken when we arrived at his parents house to share the wonderful news!

David and I were married May 19, 2007 in the Columbus Ohio Temple. It was the happiest day of our lives because we know we can be a family forever.

Already our family is growing. We are expecting our first child on April 5th, 2008! We are very excited to become parents!