Well we are at least winding down with the summer craziness, although we're not quite done yet. Dale returned from his 3rd week away on Friday and we were all ready for that! Hannah has begun to really feel and be affected by all the comings and goings of him and family over the past few weeks, not to mention still getting adjusted to her baby sister. We had some tough times last week, but we made it. I will say though, I think I would have absolutely gone nutso if it hadn't been for the Lord! I just don't know how you can do this thing called parenting without Him.
Anyway...... on a better note, I had a great opportunity today to take Hannah out for some one-on-one Mommy time and it was so much fun! She is such a fun little girl, when she's not being temperamental. So full of joy and spunk! The plan was to go to Opry Mills b/c I had an errand to run there anyway and then have some ice cream from Marble Slab. It was her first Marble Slab experience and I think she chose well. She had strawberry ice cream w/ chocolate chips mixed in. Really the only reason she chose strawberry is b/c it's pink! I had chocolate swiss w/ Butterfinger and hot caramel - OH YEAH!! A heavenly combo.
That was supposed to be the extent of our date, but she really wanted to ride the carousel that we passed that is a part of Stingray Reef. Then when she saw the sting rays she really wanted to go touch them. So, in my moment of weakness I paid for an all-day pass, just so we could go pet the sting rays for a minute and ride a 2-minute long carousel ride! She couldn't get enough of the sting rays, so we ended up spending about an hour in there and rode the carousel twice. I must admit it was quite fun having the sting rays come up to us and hearing her squeal with delight as she got to touch them. In the end I'm glad I did it. 2 passes to Stingray Reef plus ice cream - $$; enjoying a special treat w/ my 3-yr old daughter - priceless!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Kaitlyn
For all the family out there that reads this and likes to know these things ....... Kaitlyn had her 4 month check-up yesterday, and more shots. Not fun! But she is doing well and definitely growing. She's up to 13 lbs 8 oz and is about 27 inches long. She'll begin eating cereal just whenever we're ready, which will be after all the summer craziness is over! We're very thankful to have a healthy little girl!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Blog Tag
It looks like I'm playing my first game of Blog Tag. I've been tagged to let people know what I dig about Jesus. Here are the rules:
1. those tagged will share 5 things they dig about Jesus…
2. those tagged will tag 5 other bloggers…
3. those tagged will post a comment here with their name and a link to their “dig” Jesus list…
So, here's my list of 5 things I dig about Jesus:
1) I dig that Jesus never changes. He's reliable. Hebrews 13:8 - "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." James 1:17 - "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." In a world that changes constantly, it is a comfort to know that He is my constant, my Rock. He won't be my friend one day and blow me off the next. He will always be present with me, when others are far away. He won't ever be anything but what He tells us He is through His Word. What I learn about Him today will be true of Him a million years into eternity. He NEVER changes and this gives stability to my ever-changing life!
2) I dig that Jesus is TRUTH. John 14:6 - "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." He is the way to salvation - the ONLY way, and He can be trusted to save anyone who would simply ask in faith. Because He is truth He can be trusted. He will not lie. He is The Standard I can base my life upon and know that I will not falter as long as I am following Him. When differing views about how to live life bombard us every day, we can look to Jesus to show us the way. When I need to know how to parent, how to respond to a disappointment or frustration, how to be a godly wife, etc, etc, Jesus brings clarity. I am thankful that He is THE truth!
3) I dig that Jesus pursues intimate relationships with sinful people. Ephesians 1:4-5 - "For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ..." He chose me. He sought me out. I am His daughter, the church is His bride. Psalm 139 indicates His intimate knowledge of me. And He still pursues me to love and know Him more. And not because I'm somehow worthy of it. But because He's God and this is what He does. The gospels are clear that Christ came to seek and to save the lost - He didn't come to hang out with "church people" - He hung out with the prostitutes, the tax collectors, the drug dealers, the murderers, the gossipers......those in need of grace. I am glad for His intimate pursuit of me!
4) I dig that Jesus is patient. Exodus 34:6- "The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness..." He is slow to express His anger. There will be a "day of God's wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed" (Romans 2:5). But for now He waits patiently as the world spirals deeper into moral decay, lovingly waiting for the salvation of those who have yet to be saved. He is patient with ME. When I stumble over the same sin again and again and again....... Romans 8:1 - "There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." When I fail Him, when I don't obey Him, when I don't reflect Him adequately to others.... He continues to love me, waiting patiently on my growth in Him.
5) I dig that Jesus suffered to bear my sin. 1 Peter 2:21-24 - "...because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps. 'He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.' When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed." Beautiful. God Almighty, the creator of all, left the riches, the comfort, the perfectness of Heaven to become a man, Jesus. He entered into the pain of humanity. He endured separation from the Father. Even though He had never sinned, He took the punishment - a humiliating and barbaric death on a cross. All of this so that we, who are the reasons He went through this in the first place, could have a relationship with Him. Amazing. I love Jesus for bearing my sin!
What a great thing to reflect on attributes of Jesus! I can't wait to read more from others.
1. those tagged will share 5 things they dig about Jesus…
2. those tagged will tag 5 other bloggers…
3. those tagged will post a comment here with their name and a link to their “dig” Jesus list…
So, here's my list of 5 things I dig about Jesus:
1) I dig that Jesus never changes. He's reliable. Hebrews 13:8 - "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." James 1:17 - "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." In a world that changes constantly, it is a comfort to know that He is my constant, my Rock. He won't be my friend one day and blow me off the next. He will always be present with me, when others are far away. He won't ever be anything but what He tells us He is through His Word. What I learn about Him today will be true of Him a million years into eternity. He NEVER changes and this gives stability to my ever-changing life!
2) I dig that Jesus is TRUTH. John 14:6 - "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." He is the way to salvation - the ONLY way, and He can be trusted to save anyone who would simply ask in faith. Because He is truth He can be trusted. He will not lie. He is The Standard I can base my life upon and know that I will not falter as long as I am following Him. When differing views about how to live life bombard us every day, we can look to Jesus to show us the way. When I need to know how to parent, how to respond to a disappointment or frustration, how to be a godly wife, etc, etc, Jesus brings clarity. I am thankful that He is THE truth!
3) I dig that Jesus pursues intimate relationships with sinful people. Ephesians 1:4-5 - "For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ..." He chose me. He sought me out. I am His daughter, the church is His bride. Psalm 139 indicates His intimate knowledge of me. And He still pursues me to love and know Him more. And not because I'm somehow worthy of it. But because He's God and this is what He does. The gospels are clear that Christ came to seek and to save the lost - He didn't come to hang out with "church people" - He hung out with the prostitutes, the tax collectors, the drug dealers, the murderers, the gossipers......those in need of grace. I am glad for His intimate pursuit of me!
4) I dig that Jesus is patient. Exodus 34:6- "The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness..." He is slow to express His anger. There will be a "day of God's wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed" (Romans 2:5). But for now He waits patiently as the world spirals deeper into moral decay, lovingly waiting for the salvation of those who have yet to be saved. He is patient with ME. When I stumble over the same sin again and again and again....... Romans 8:1 - "There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." When I fail Him, when I don't obey Him, when I don't reflect Him adequately to others.... He continues to love me, waiting patiently on my growth in Him.
5) I dig that Jesus suffered to bear my sin. 1 Peter 2:21-24 - "...because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps. 'He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.' When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed." Beautiful. God Almighty, the creator of all, left the riches, the comfort, the perfectness of Heaven to become a man, Jesus. He entered into the pain of humanity. He endured separation from the Father. Even though He had never sinned, He took the punishment - a humiliating and barbaric death on a cross. All of this so that we, who are the reasons He went through this in the first place, could have a relationship with Him. Amazing. I love Jesus for bearing my sin!
What a great thing to reflect on attributes of Jesus! I can't wait to read more from others.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Family and Fun
The past 2 weeks have been filled with family. They all helped Hannah celebrate her birthday and we were blessed to reap the rewards of their labor for us around the house. My dad was especially helpful as he and Dale completed some things our contractor left undone. Yea!!
Here are some pics of the girls w/ Grammie and Pawpaw.
We spent a lot of time GRILLING and the 4th was no different. We grilled my dad's awesome spare ribs and took it easy most of the day. That evening we enjoyed a refreshing, cool breeze as we sat at a local park to watch Nashville's famous downtown fireworks.
Here is Hannah "fixing" Grandma's head. She received a toolbox full of tools for her b-day so she can work alongside Daddy now. She loves them! Although, the pliers have become styling scissors as she goes around wanting to cut everyone's hair with them. :)
Kaitlyn getting kisses from Grandma!
Hannah playing in her "Mega Fort". It is really cool! You can use combinations of the pieces to build literally hundreds of differently shaped "forts", which is perfect for this child who wants to use whatever possible to build "houses". This can be used indoors or outdoors. You can tell she's excited!
Kaitlyn's wide eyes. She is becoming known for her big eyes!
Here are some pics of the girls w/ Grammie and Pawpaw.
We spent a lot of time GRILLING and the 4th was no different. We grilled my dad's awesome spare ribs and took it easy most of the day. That evening we enjoyed a refreshing, cool breeze as we sat at a local park to watch Nashville's famous downtown fireworks.
Here is Hannah "fixing" Grandma's head. She received a toolbox full of tools for her b-day so she can work alongside Daddy now. She loves them! Although, the pliers have become styling scissors as she goes around wanting to cut everyone's hair with them. :)
Kaitlyn getting kisses from Grandma!
Hannah playing in her "Mega Fort". It is really cool! You can use combinations of the pieces to build literally hundreds of differently shaped "forts", which is perfect for this child who wants to use whatever possible to build "houses". This can be used indoors or outdoors. You can tell she's excited!
Kaitlyn's wide eyes. She is becoming known for her big eyes!
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Ordinary and Uneventful
I recently read Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God by Noel Piper. GREAT book! In it she examines the lives of 5 women in history. One of them is Esther Ahn Kim, a Korean woman, who refused to bow to the Japanese idols that were imposed on the Koreans when Japan ruled the Korean government. As she faced imminent imprisonment, she prepared herself to die a martyr's death. She said that what she faced for the sake of Christ was far greater than living "an ordinary and uneventful life".
That phrase jumped out at me and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind since - "ordinary and uneventful". I don't believe Christians are called to be ordinary. Scripture is clear that we are set apart - called to be holy, to love as Christ has loved us, to walk in humility, to joyfully persevere through hardship, to be grateful rather than a complainer, to fellowship with Christ in His sufferings..... The list could go on. None of this is ordinary. Neither does Scripture depict our lives as uneventful. Jesus came that we might have abundant life, eternally AND presently.
Yet how many of us yield to the ordinary and uneventful? It's so easy to become self-absorbed; materialistic; to settle for the status quo; to think "I can't possibly make a difference."..... I find that my standard often becomes people around me. And even though I am blessed to be in some pretty great company at times, no one is a match for Christ. He is our standard. And if we're not being imitators of Him, as He calls us to be, then we're just living ordinary, uneventful lives. If we're not being obedient to the things He is calling us to, we're submitting to the ordinary and uneventful.
As I read the above mentioned book, I was confronted by women who passionately followed Christ no matter where it led them, to the mission field, to prison, and even to the home. One, Sarah Edwards, wife of Jonathan Edwards, was a faithful wife and mother leaving a godly legacy for generations to come and allowing God to use her husband mightily. No matter what station of life we find ourselves in, may we not allow societal norms to conform us to the pattern of this world. Let's let our God who is "able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us" lead us to greater things, whatever that may mean. (Eph. 3: 20)
That phrase jumped out at me and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind since - "ordinary and uneventful". I don't believe Christians are called to be ordinary. Scripture is clear that we are set apart - called to be holy, to love as Christ has loved us, to walk in humility, to joyfully persevere through hardship, to be grateful rather than a complainer, to fellowship with Christ in His sufferings..... The list could go on. None of this is ordinary. Neither does Scripture depict our lives as uneventful. Jesus came that we might have abundant life, eternally AND presently.
Yet how many of us yield to the ordinary and uneventful? It's so easy to become self-absorbed; materialistic; to settle for the status quo; to think "I can't possibly make a difference."..... I find that my standard often becomes people around me. And even though I am blessed to be in some pretty great company at times, no one is a match for Christ. He is our standard. And if we're not being imitators of Him, as He calls us to be, then we're just living ordinary, uneventful lives. If we're not being obedient to the things He is calling us to, we're submitting to the ordinary and uneventful.
As I read the above mentioned book, I was confronted by women who passionately followed Christ no matter where it led them, to the mission field, to prison, and even to the home. One, Sarah Edwards, wife of Jonathan Edwards, was a faithful wife and mother leaving a godly legacy for generations to come and allowing God to use her husband mightily. No matter what station of life we find ourselves in, may we not allow societal norms to conform us to the pattern of this world. Let's let our God who is "able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us" lead us to greater things, whatever that may mean. (Eph. 3: 20)
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Transforming Experience
I got major points for promising to take Dale to the first showing of Transformers for Father's Day. To say that Dale is a Transformers fan is an understatement. He has been looking forward to this movie for a very long time. Then I surprised him by buying I-Max tickets and last night was the night. I'll be honest. I was more excited for Dale to see the movie than for myself. I just wanted to watch the happiness burst out of him, which it did! But, I found myself quickly being taken in by the very impressive special effects and the intriguing story line. It really is a great movie and I'm actually looking forward to the sequel.
Growing Girls
Okay. I actually started this one a couple of weeks ago. And even more has happened, so I'm glad I never finished. Just thought I'd share how our girls are growing!
KAITLYN
She is so good about going with the flow with our crazy schedule. She's either sleeping or smiling at everyone. She smiles when people talk and sing to her and chuckles when she's kissed or tickled around her neck. She loves it when Hannah talks and sings to her, as she does often, and has proven pretty tough against the not-so-gentle ways Hannah will attempt to "play" with her.... She is rolling over now! But then she doesn't know quite what to do once she's on her tummy. Thank goodness! I'm not ready for a crawler! Although she wiggles a lot as if she is wanting to get up and move, just like her sister. She also tries to sit up occasionally when she's lying on her back. It looks like she's trying to do a sit-up.... She was already growing into the 3-6 month clothing before she was 3 months old. If she continues this pattern, her big sister's hand-me-downs just aren't going to last as long as we were hoping! Yikes!.... She enjoys reaching for objects of interest, including my hair lately. My hair is still a source of comfort for Hannah as she still holds onto it when she's being rocked or when she's tired. It looks like Kaitlyn may follow that pattern! I'll never be able to get my hair cut short! AND, it looks like she's already getting a tooth! This child is growing fast in every way! Too fast in my opinion!
HANNAH
Sometimes I feel like I have a 15-yr-old trapped in a 3-yr-old body. She changes clothes many times a day and is very particular about what she is wearing. If it doesn't somehow qualify as a "ballerina dress" it just won't do. The only way I could get her to wear a pair of shorts the other day was to point out the ruffles that were on it.... She's improving slowly in the potty department. The only poop that's gone in however was the one I mentioned a few posts ago. But she's being more consistent, so I'm grateful and trying to be patient. She has memorized this mantra and states it often as she sits on the potty, "Big girls don't wear diapers, they wear panties." I'm trusting that one day this will take..... One of Hannah's latest sayings that has us cracking up is, "I want to jump over you. You're the moon, I'm the cow." She definitely pays attention to the nursery rhymes! And her favorite game at the moment seems to be Hide and Go Seek, since she wants to play it ALL the time. But she still doesn't really get it. She'll either hide in the same exact spot I just hid in as I'm watching her, or she'll yell out from her spot, "Come find me!" which is a dead give-away. It's quite entertaining actually.... She figured out several weeks ago how to write the letter "H" without any coaching from us, so we're working with her on other letters, since according to her "H" is her name. :) .... She has become quite sensitive to others' feelings and is often concerned if someone appears sad, unless she's caused the sadness by taking away a toy or something - she does have her moments!
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17) We thank God for our girls and pray that we are good stewards during the time they have been entrusted to us!
KAITLYN
She is so good about going with the flow with our crazy schedule. She's either sleeping or smiling at everyone. She smiles when people talk and sing to her and chuckles when she's kissed or tickled around her neck. She loves it when Hannah talks and sings to her, as she does often, and has proven pretty tough against the not-so-gentle ways Hannah will attempt to "play" with her.... She is rolling over now! But then she doesn't know quite what to do once she's on her tummy. Thank goodness! I'm not ready for a crawler! Although she wiggles a lot as if she is wanting to get up and move, just like her sister. She also tries to sit up occasionally when she's lying on her back. It looks like she's trying to do a sit-up.... She was already growing into the 3-6 month clothing before she was 3 months old. If she continues this pattern, her big sister's hand-me-downs just aren't going to last as long as we were hoping! Yikes!.... She enjoys reaching for objects of interest, including my hair lately. My hair is still a source of comfort for Hannah as she still holds onto it when she's being rocked or when she's tired. It looks like Kaitlyn may follow that pattern! I'll never be able to get my hair cut short! AND, it looks like she's already getting a tooth! This child is growing fast in every way! Too fast in my opinion!
HANNAH
Sometimes I feel like I have a 15-yr-old trapped in a 3-yr-old body. She changes clothes many times a day and is very particular about what she is wearing. If it doesn't somehow qualify as a "ballerina dress" it just won't do. The only way I could get her to wear a pair of shorts the other day was to point out the ruffles that were on it.... She's improving slowly in the potty department. The only poop that's gone in however was the one I mentioned a few posts ago. But she's being more consistent, so I'm grateful and trying to be patient. She has memorized this mantra and states it often as she sits on the potty, "Big girls don't wear diapers, they wear panties." I'm trusting that one day this will take..... One of Hannah's latest sayings that has us cracking up is, "I want to jump over you. You're the moon, I'm the cow." She definitely pays attention to the nursery rhymes! And her favorite game at the moment seems to be Hide and Go Seek, since she wants to play it ALL the time. But she still doesn't really get it. She'll either hide in the same exact spot I just hid in as I'm watching her, or she'll yell out from her spot, "Come find me!" which is a dead give-away. It's quite entertaining actually.... She figured out several weeks ago how to write the letter "H" without any coaching from us, so we're working with her on other letters, since according to her "H" is her name. :) .... She has become quite sensitive to others' feelings and is often concerned if someone appears sad, unless she's caused the sadness by taking away a toy or something - she does have her moments!
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17) We thank God for our girls and pray that we are good stewards during the time they have been entrusted to us!
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