Chismville

I’m still playing around with my new iPhone 4…and created a quick family video while on a walk last night. Pretty amazing how quick and easy it is to make videos these days. By the time we got home, my video was done (all with out a computer). I love the BIG smiles from Chalice and Aria’s personality in this clip.

Thanks to Esther Ramsey for shooting this photo of my mom and Hailey during our recent visit for Curt’s wedding. What an amazing picture!

I recently bought something I really did not need: the new iPhone 4. After I got the device, I played with the new App from Apple: iMovie. I made up this video with all the photos I had saved on my phone.

Hope you all enjoy it. Chism Family Year in Review

This week, I returned from a 2 1/2 day trip to New York to visit two painting clients. I traveled with business consultant, Brian Nolan. What a blast the two of us had. I really enjoy spending time with Brian. He is such an incredible businessman, and I’ve learned so much since I started working with him. When I say “working with him” I am an affiliate of his business: Summit Services. He recommends me to work with his clients to help them on marketing and technology for their painting businesses. We thought it was a good idea to go see two of his top clients in New York and spend some time with them. Each company was SO different yet so much fun to be around. I enjoyed ever minute of the trip. It was a long trip though. I felt like from the moment I left my house on Monday til when I returned late Wednesday night I did not stop! I love being busy and productive though…felt good.
I returned home to enjoy two days working on getting caught up on business and trying to spend time with the family. Joli and I went on a date Thursday evening and an hour-long walk around a park near our home. I got to carry Hailey in our Baby Wrap (cool invention by the way). Friday, Joli made healthy but the best homemade pizza in the world followed by a 50 minute family walk near our home. We ended the day with a brief visit from Mom Howard.
Today was a nice and quiet Saturday. I started to mow our lawn, but my mower began to act up…again. I think the piston is bad. I’ve had a terrible experience with mowers and weed wackers since moving to Maryland. I’ve spent a lot of money fixing these beast all for the sake of cutting grass! But that is another story. We are trying to find a babysitter so Joli and I can buzz out to a b-day party tonight…so far…no luck, so either we will both stay home or I will and Joli will get to go.
Not sure what Sunday holds for Father’s Day. I heard there was a crab feast at the Howard’s house in Silver Spring, but after traveling a lot this week, I’m ready to sit back and relax at home! Monday morning I leave for San Francisco to visit 3 painting clients. Although I don’t like traveling and leaving my wonderful family, I do enjoy the trips. This trip will be very very busy and yet will also be a real blast. I can’t wait!
July will be full of activity! My dear friend, Patrick Crais, will be joining my family for a 5 day visit the first of July. Then we’ll head out as a family to Massanutten VA for a family reunion with the Howards. 4-5 Days after we return home, Joli and I have to race to California for my brother’s wedding to Liz Summerville. It will be a fun yet short 3-4 day trip.

We welcomed our fourth child into the world this morning at 2:25AM. We had a baby girl named “Hailey McKayla Chism.”

The birthing experience was amazing. As many of you knew, Joli had a breached baby most of the second half of her pregnancy. It was a “Frank” breach, which is typically the safer of the breach positions. Well our midwife has delivered a number of footlings and frank breached babies, so we prayed and continued to trust God to help us deliver a healthy baby. An hour or so before she delivered, the midwife said that the baby had moved from a “frank” position to a footling position. The feet first is rare and not typically the best way to come out. We discussed our options but the staff was still confident (if we were willing) to continue to deliver naturally. At around 2:15 the action started. This little baby came out so fast with no problems whatsoever. No one could believe it. Truly God blessed every detail of this day and event. Praise the Lord. Joli and baby are doing fantastic!

Within a couple hours, the house was quiet as we tried to rest before our 3 kids (who stayed home…sound asleep) woke up to see their new baby sister. At around 7 or 7:30 this morning, Joel and Chalice were the first to enter our room and see Hailey. They were so excited and kind to her. Aria joined them just minutes later and was hoping she could have some cuddle time with her new little sister! That did not happen!

We’ll keep posting photos as we get them. In the mean time, here are the latest… View Photos Here

The Chism Family enjoyed this past winter but are all quite excited during the early spring days we’ve been enjoying. Spring has arrived and the trees are beginning to bud. The Cherry trees are in full blossom too! The snow has stopped and rain has visited our neighborhood on a number of occasions: today being one of them.

David’s marketing business is going well. He is up to around 17-18 monthly clients and takes on a number of one-time and/or small clients. He is enjoying his new line of work in the field of marketing and consulting. Most of his clients are painting contractors, and he is quite comfortable continuing to pursue that industry! He works from home so is able to take a break now and then to enjoy lunch with the family or even sneak a quick walk around our beautiful country roads or the nearby Autobon. He just returned from his 3rd trip in a month. He has traveled to Philly, Los Angeles, San Diego and Grand Rapids for business. It seems like he travels a lot but in reality, he does not! Besides two weddings this summer, his next business trip is not until October. Oh and David might be able to take Joli on the October trip, which will be on a cruise! We’ll see how that plays out.

Joli is busy busy busy with 3 little kids buzzing around like an active bee hive. Joli is now 32 weeks pregnant and due the middle of May. Boy! Does time fly. She has begun simple reading and art projects with Joel and Chalice, both who truly enjoy learning. Next year, she will begin to home school the two of them. Joli still finds time to catch up with a few of her friends on email and facebook, connect with local moms at a nearby park, attend some of the women’s groups at church and have a daily workout session in our living room or on the new treadmill.

The spring has already caused us to spend more time outside. In another week or so, you’ll find David mowing the lawn and Joli attending to her veggie and flower garden. Also, in a few weeks, David’s parents will be joining us for just under a week. We are really excited by their visit. We also will be looking forward to the return of Joli’s sister Eden, who finishes up a year in Ohio…followed by the return of Heidi in July (who has been working as a Nanny in Colorado).

Stay tune for more updates and pictures. Also, here is our “updated” gallery link: Chism Gallery

I know this sounds really nerdy…but if you have an iPhone, iPod Touch or an Android phone (Droid, etc), you can view our blog quite easily now. There is a mobile plugin we installed to make viewing our post easy! If it does not automatically detect your mobile device, down at the bottom of your screen is an “on” and “off” switch. Make sure that is turned on!

The family is doing great! We just returned from San Diego for a two week vacation to see David’s family. Maryland was nice and cold when we returned: high 20s. This week it has been in the mid to upper 40s: feels like Summer!

If you wonder why we do not post as much as we use to, blame it on Facebook. David also writes blogs for a number of companies, so his time is limited and/or he is just plain burned out when it is time to update the family site. We both post updates on Facebook when we can.

The big news of this week was the passing of Joli’s Grandfather, Dick Hake. He went home to be with the Lord January 10th at around 10PM. A number of Joli’s relatives will be driving and/or flying into town tonight and tomorrow for Dick’s memorial service. The family has been strong and doing well.

David’s business is off to a good start in 2010. He is still providing marketing management and consulting services for service professionals: painters, electricians, locksmith, roofers, an irrigation company and so on. He is truly loving his job! His company website is: www.adavidcreation.com. One of the big blessings for his business was partnering with business consulting firm in Philadelphia, PA last October: Summit Services Inc. They deal primarily with painting contractors and have expanded to other service professionals too. They are a full service business management and consulting firm, and David is not helping with their marketing department and helping a select number of their clients around the U.S. The job requires little travel time and he can work from home too. David will begin a once a month meeting at the firm’s office near Philly starting this month. Although he does not like driving long distance, it is the perfect time to listen to books on tape!

Joli is working hard serving three little children while being pregnant with #4. She loves being a homemaker and enjoys teaching the kids. Joel and Chalice are already learning vowel sounds, letters, and much more!

That is the brief update! To learn more: send us an email or … we’ll catch you on Facebook now and then. Oh…and Go Chargers! David has NOT switched to becoming a Ravens Fan!

Just a brief good morning, hello and a Merry Christmas to all our friends and family scattered across this great nation!

We are gathering our final items and neatly organizing (he he) them into our suitcases as we fly out to San Diego this afternoon for a 2 week visit. We also have a foot of snow out front of our home…so we definitely have a White Christmas. This makes me sad that I’ll spend the remainder of this Christmas season without snow, wearing a t-shirt and flip flops. The positive side is I’m longing to see my dear Chism family!

I wanted to let you know that we HAVE recently upgraded our camera and have been quickly catching up on photos of our sweet kids. Please visit our “new” gallery. When I find more time, I’ll upload them to our website. However, this other site is 10x faster thanks to Apple and MobileMe. Enjoy: View our Photos

This morning, I read the interesting and short story of Jonah. I was amazed at how Jonah, a prophet of God is so much like me! I’m no prophet! But I do, at times question God’s plans and in a sense feel like I’m on the run from God! Jonah, who had direct conversations with the Lord still questioned the works of God and thought his (Jonah) plans were better!The other thing that was very interesting, once again to me, is to see how great are the mercies and grace of God. Jonah was upset at God for witholding his wrath upon Ninevah? Why? Because Jonah thought it was just punishment to destroy the evil and wicked people! Jonah was correct! It was just, and throughout the Old Testament we do see a lot of justice being done! However, Jonah also knew that God’s character was filled with mercy and grace and that He was slow to anger! Reminds me of James 1:20, “the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God!” The God of the Old and New Testament is the same God executing both justic. And mercy according to the good pleasure of His will. This is the God we worship and serve! Praise God His ways are higher than our ways!I wrote this post because my heart goes out to those who believe the God of the Old Testament was a mean and angry God and had little or no mercy! The book of Jonah gives us the best illustration of the Creator of all things!