Batman- The White Knight

Our silly photo shoot:

"Want to go steady for life?"

"Well...since you're so cute...I'd love to!"

His dad actually wore this jacket in the 70's!Our fun friends and familyWhat could it be?The BatmobileToys R' Us has the coolest birthday stuff!Batman goodies from the last two birthdaysHe bought this shirt when he came to The Rock of NYC in 2002!

I can hardly believe he was right there in our church six years ago

and I never even met him on that trip.

You just never know the timing of God!

Nick has never seen a Batman movie but based on the traditional idea of Batman saving the day, he proved why he got his nickname (before my time). A few weeks ago, his parents were here and we were in the kitchen. He was looking out the window as usual and I said something like, “He likes to protect the neighborhood…” and the next thing I know, he’s running out the door. It turns out he saw a child in our neighborhood steal a purse out of a car and went running after him. The child tried to pretend it was his, but when Nick confronted him, he dropped the purse and ran. So Nick knocked on doors to find the owner, return her purse and warn her to be careful. This was the same child that Nick saw in a neighbor’s car but the child didn’t take anything that time. Nick had yesterday off and around 3 pm, he saw the same child walk out of a townhouse that was not his own with a Play Station. Then the child went in again and came out with a CD! So Nick called the police. They took him seriously, brought in a K-9 unit, found the child, called his mom home from work and returned the stuff to the owner, a single mom of four. The mom of the child who stole the things had no idea what was going on. She was a little upset at Nick for not telling her first but Nick has never met her and she was not home. This was the third time Nick caught the child and he was not playing games. He has a heart for little kids to be reached while they are young because if they are not dealt with, things will only get worse. The child was only 8! Maybe that is just the wake-up call that the child needs to have to let him know that people care about him enough to hold him accountable for his actions. I read once how an author got in trouble with the police as a boy but his parents did nothing. He was devastated that no one cared enough to even tell him what was right. So our hope is that this child will change now before it gets worse and our neighborhood will be safe. I’ve been seeing some verses in Proverbs about disciplining your children properly if you really love them so maybe this is just preparation. So here are some birthday pictures. I gave my Batman a remote control batmobile to race around the neighborhood as he keeps it safe. When his parents and a few friends came over, we ended up having a silly “photo shoot” out of a box of old clothes Nick dug up. Never a dull moment in the batcave!

Quick Update

I have pictures and stories that I can't seem to get the time to post but I'm excited today because we finally got a date to find out if it's baby Nick or Nicole :). September 8th! My mom is in a serious hurry to buy some baby clothes so she really needs to know! Sometimes I get tired or forget there's an actual human hanging out with me but when I go the the appointments, it's kind of exciting. I went to the beach alone last week (finally! Lauren, it took me all summer!) but realized I wasn't alone, and probably won't be for a long time! I will have to get used to this little person all the time but what an amazing gift. So anyway, pictures to come, I miss you New Yorkers! We're coming in November so I'll be in touch!

Christmas in July

Merry Christmas in July! Turns out Nick was a July Christmas present- so Happy Birthday, Nick! And soon there will be another Nick/Nicole running around! Just kidding, those aren't the first names we have picked out! I have to give my friend Kim credit for that, actually she said a little Victor or Nicole...anyway... I've always loved these verses, especially on birthdays when it’s normal to reflect on our lives, and especially when I can't see God's purpose for me: "For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” -Psalm 139:13-16 So if anyone is in that place today, be encouraged! All your days are written in God's book. As Theresa once wisely pointed out, the Word is a lamp to our feet so sometimes all we can see is the next step. But God can see the whole path so sometimes all we can do is trust. A friend recently reminded me that God made part of a song I wrote come true for me recently so maybe it could encourage you. I wrote it at a time when I was 30 and nothing seem to be happening in the natural; not a great ministry, career or family but I knew in my heart the character of my God. He was building faith inside of me. I knew He wasn't done yet. The story wasn't over, I just had to wait and not lose heart. There's no happy ending without suspense. There's no victory without a battle. If you want to be a winner, you can't give up like a loser. You have to fight for what you know to be true. The song has never made it to actual music but maybe it will work as a poem: Beyond These Eyes @2006 Victoria Babinetz When you first called to me, the vision was so clear I dropped everything and followed with no fear Now years have come and gone and I can't see the light But I will trust in You and walk by faith, not by sight For I know that my times are in Your hands And I know You will take me to promised lands And I know that Your purpose for me Lies beyond what these eyes can see Now You still call to me, Your voice is crystal clear Your Word says “Stay the course, be strong and have no fear” I will delight in You, stand in Your holy fire And in Your perfect time, I'll see my dreams, see my desire For I know that You set my heart free And I know You will bless me abundantly And I know that Your purpose for me Lies beyond what these eyes can see And someday Your purpose for me Will be where these eyes can see So if your purpose isn't clear right now, just keep walking by faith, and you will see it. "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living." - Psalm 27:13

4th of July

Gainesville fireworks are orange and blue- Go Gators! Lunch with Heather Larry and Ruby visiting Purple flowers, my favorite! For the 4th, we watched fireworks at the University of Florida on July 3rd. And who do we run into? Larry and Ruby! They were visiting for his grandmother's 80th birthday. We had them over Saturday to watch our wedding video. We hung out with friends at their pool on the 4th, I love pools. I still haven't been feeling super so I haven't been good with pictures. But I finished the first trimester today (3 months) so they say I should start feeling better. I hope so! I heard the heartbeat on Monday! So I guess it's really happening!

More Hilton Head...

Hilton Head, South Carolina

Nick nedeed some of this for me...read on That's why he's my... Maybe someday this could be me with a little one... I've always wanted to ride one of these but in the water!Look at all those people! We didn't stay that day...Christian putt-putt golf! Hole in one!Church in Hilton Head, they were so nice!NYC, never far from our thoughts! A beautiful park For Elijah and Raina... Brandon and Lauren will be seeing this soon...

(Those are flip flops for traveling, I didn't wear them to church :) )

Hitlon Head, SC and Savannah, GA

Savannah, GeorgiaJohn Wesley preached here I didn't know the Lucas owned a movie theatre... Brandon and Lauren, someone took my name! Georgia was founded on February 12th,

hundreds of years before my birthday! For Phil and Gina, everyone has New Orleans' food!Who knew there was a Rock of Savannah :)?In Hilton Head...Theresa, maybe this is Jake's cousin! For Memorial Day weekend, we drove up to Hilton Head, SC for our first trip out of state together. We had stayed in FLA for the honeymoon. It's hard to believe I have not been on a plane since I flew home from NYC for the last time last March. I used to fly at least twice a year! I love to fly but I've loved being in driving distance to family much better! Nick had gone to Hilton Head right before we got engaged so I wanted to check it out. It is very beautiful with amazing houses and a few nice beaches but is mainly a golf/boating community with a few tourist type things. You could access the beach and then walk past the amazing houses on private property but I didn't get a lot of shots of the houses. The pregnancy thing was starting to hit me. Nick got to experience my first time of getting nauseous in the car or needing to eat NOW! I guess Jenny Craig taught me to try to wait to eat until I am really hungry but Baby Babinetz isn't having it! I have to eat more often now. I am trying to find the balance. If anyone has some good menus/suggestions for eating balanced pregnant(enough, but not too much), please let me know! Well back to Hilton Head, we also played putt-putt golf, walked on the beach a couple times and went to a really sweet church. We also stopped in Savannah, GA on the way which was pretty neat. It seems like part Williamsburg, VA and part New York City! One minutes, you're walking past a horse-drawn carriage by houses built in the 1800's, the next you're ducking traffic! Juliette Lowe created the Girl Scouts there and John Wesley had a church there for a little while. Pretty cool, huh? We liked it. And there were plenty of things on the trip to remind us of you...

Random Things

Thought the ladies might appreciate this...one of my former bosses in NYC sent us a beautiful wedding present of a crystal bowl from Tiffany's! I don't know if you ever received something from Tiffany's but I don't think I ever even went in! The closest I got was seeing the movie, "Sweet Home Alabama"! I do like the movie, "Breakfast at Tiffany's" but now life is more like "Breakfast at the Babinetz's" (well, when Nick cooks, I haven't gotten to breakfast yet!) I don't know if I'll ever have the guts to use it (you know what happens to pots/bowls around here) but it sure looks nice on my shelf with the vases from Theresa and Sofia.

New porch and patio furniture

We decided life was a little too crowded on a queen, so we got a king-sized bed! Great deal at Sam's Club if you're ever looking. It was almost impossible to get upstairs but once again, Nick's friend Damien came to save the day. This pregnant lady wasn't super helpful so we needed him! He always answers the call (or knock at the door) when we're in the middle of some project. It was so hard, we might just sell the bed with the place someday...or toss it out the window to move. Luckily Nick was thinking ahead for a family and got a truck for things like kind-size beds and patio furniture. And it's even a 4-door so we can fit Baby Babinetz's carseat back there. Now if only I would have thought ahead and learned to cook...

Shirley Temple lived here

Nick's uncle took us on a boat ride when we were in New Port Richey. I was falling asleep most of the time (man, this baby is tiring me out, he/she must be growing a lot!) so I didn't take a lot of pictures but I got a few shots.