Newborn humor

"Sigh... life is good... my Auntie's are the best..."

"But why do I have to wait so long for them to come visit?!?!"

Home on high

A sweet story that I need to preserve...

When we put our boys to bed we've established the routine of singing and praying with them. At night we let them pray and we usually sing Psalm 127. The boys have put the psalm to memory and it is wonderful and humbling to hear them sing.

In the afternoons at naptime, I sing with them the classic, "Jesus Loves Me" and offer a short prayer. The song, Jesus Loves Me has quickly become a favorite as well. Especially when we sing the verse that says,

"Jesus loves me, He will stay

Close beside me All the way

If I love Him when I die,

He will take me home on high"

As a child this was one of my favorite verses too. A simple promise and glorious blessing; perfect for a young one to grasp. This verse led Isaiah to ask many questions about "home on high" and incited conversations about the wonders the Lord has prepared for us in heaven.

One afternoon, after we had sung Jesus Loves Me, Isaiah asked, "Mom, is Jesus going to need a ladder when He takes us home on high?"

It just about brought tears to my eyes. Is it too much for me to imagine that in his own childlike way, he is pondering heaven, Jesus' second coming, and the miraculous process by which we shall be gathered together to live with Him... in our home on high?

Just a few weeks in paradise

It seems like its been forever since I've written. Time has a way of standing still while actually flying by... hmmm... perhaps a better way to describe it is that time has flown by, but I haven't made much progress...

Here we are at the beginning of May, my newborn now 3 weeks old, and instead of telling you that I've started cooking gourmet meals again... I'm still cooking at a bare minimum and emptying out the freezer meals I prepared before #3's arrival. I haven't made too much progress in packing and prepping for our next move (only 5 weeks away now!!) either.

Instead the last 3 weeks have been spent making the biggest adjustment yet in learning to parent and care for THREE little boys. There are some horrifying stories I could tell (like the time I thought I should just lie down for a nap, because I had all 3 boys napping too, only to wake up with a nagging feeling and find that my 3 1/2 year old was not napping like I thought... and had let himself OUTSIDE on his own... and was riding his tricycle next to our busy street...unprotected and alone. Ahh! I'm still feeling guilty about that one) and also many amusing ones (like Joshua reciting the "Yord's Prayer")but I'll keep it short...

Here's our last few weeks:

The boys, of course, spent their time very productively. While mom was busy trying to stay afloat, running a house, errands and the like... the boys kept hard at work. Building roads and houses, I presume. I do love my hard-working men.

This gorgeous gal (also known as "mom" and "Grandma) (my mother) came to visit and get her "baby fix" with her only grandkids. My mom helped me catch up on sleep (nap-time!!) and entertained the boys with countless stories. We didn't get much done around the house, BUT... we spent hours talking, playing, and generally enjoying ourselves. It was kind of like a vacation while still being at home.

During the week Grandma was here (she left this morning) we spent time laughing at the park. Yay Josh!


We also posed for some great family pictures. I still find it hard to believe that we're a family of five. Wow.

Aren't the pictures nice? There's nothing like having a professional photographer give you multiple photo shoots and access to all the pictures without a single charge or fee... Yay Mom!

On to other news, Noah keeps growing like crazy and has now successfully gained both a mid forearm crease to join his mid upper arm crease. (look closely at that arm!!) Oh, I just love baby fat rolls.

And I'll end with a picture, much like the first, my boys... on their way to work... which is where I need to go... to make dinner and start working on all the things I need to work on. On the agenda for tonight: nailing down a rental home for us at our next duty station, sorting mail and paperwork that has been adding up... and maybe a glass of red wine to go with it.

April Books

Can you tell that I had a baby in the month of April? And that I've been able to take advantage of the time I spend nursing the baby to read a little extra? It's nice to have the excuse to sit still and read... despite all the other busy things I need to be doing. :)
So... in April I read

• Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Nick has been reading the "Laura" series to the boys each evening at bedtime, and after catching bits and snipits while listening in (and also seeing our boys delight in these stories) I decided to read them myself. These books were childhood favorites and Newberry Award Winners--and I think I'm finding them even more enjoyable as an adult. I've been amazed by the Ingalls Family, their endurance, the challenges they faced, and the incredible amount of work they did EACH DAY! We live close to one of the Ingalls/Wilder homes right now, so hopefully we'll take a visit before we move.

• Don't Waste your Life by John Piper

What a great and inspiring book!! I have been convicted and encouraged in every chapter. I will say the book is a little repetitive in its theme, but still an excellent read and Piper hammers it home-- Don't WASTE your life!! Live every day for Christ and His glory!!

• Babywise by Ezzo
• The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by Le Leche League
• What to Expect when You're Expecting

Another obvious indicator that I had a baby this month! And I know what all you moms are wondering: Babywise AND Le Leche League??? On the same blog post??? What??? :) I think the two combined create a great balance. They both need to be taken/read with a grain of salt and a bit of discernment, but I'll tell you... Babywise gave me SLEEP at night and happy, cheerful, well-rested children... and Le Leche League is a TREMENDOUS resource for moms and is probably the BEST breastfeeding go-to book out there.

• Institutes of Christian Religion by John Calvin--- not read in its entirety of course, but touching on topics such as the Church.
• The Bible-- The Books of 1&2 Samuel and 1&2 Kings-- Obviously dealing with Old Testament Kings, God's dealings with His Chosen People, and numerous accounts of God's faithfulness to them.

Comment Moderation

I've put up comment moderation for the time being and apologize for the inconvenience.

For those of you that comment, please keep commenting!!! I love reading and hearing your thoughts about my posts!