Compassion in suffering

Recently, my almost one-year-old daughter had to have a procedure done at the doctor's office. She was wide awake, and, although not in pain, she was terrified. I, on the other hand, just had to watch.

As parents, we hate to see our children suffering through anything, even something that lasts only a minute or two and leaves no lasting effects. But as I was watching this procedure, I began thinking about compassion.

I really wanted to get away. I wanted to stop her suffering, of course. I wished I could take it on myself for her. But mostly, at that moment, I just didn't want to see her suffer. I felt like I was trying to distance myself from it so as not to be moved. I fought the tears and refused to allow myself to really feel for her. I told myself that it would be over soon and that she would be just fine. And it was. And she is.

But then I began to think about the Lord's compassion for us, for those who fear Him. He doesn't feel the urge to get away or wish that we would just "buck up" and deal with it. He loves His people and, as our Shepherd, feels every hurt and heartache as His own.

Praise God for a Saviour who knows our frail frame and who knows our suffering! How I long to have compassion for others like Jesus has for us!

Back to School

Mr. Blue-Eyes is doing 1st grade this year. We started a few weeks ago, but I've been a BIT lazy about the blogging, so I'm finally putting up a picture. Here he is doing his math wearing his new pirate costume. (We found these in the Halloween section at Costco, and we don't even do Halloween around here, but I know I'll get my money's worth out of these!)


Mr. Blue-Eyes is also receiving piano lessons this year from Yours Truly. He's been wanting to learn for a while, so I finally got the books and we're giving it a go. In the picture, Miss Cupcake is "helping" him with his practice. She LOVES the piano and is drawn toward it like a magnet when anyone sits down to play....including me, which means I'm not practicing much these days. At least, not without wrestling a baby in my lap at the same time...or listening to her screech from her Jumperoo.
















Boo-Boo decides to "do school" with us every few days and pulls out either the coloring books or his own Pre-K workbook to dabble a bit. He doesn't usually last too long, but he enjoys the feeling of belonging, I guess.

He's the one with the huge imagination, though. Last night, he gave us a rather lengthy run-down on his family. Not us. HIS family. His wife - Elizabeth. His children - Sarah, Claudia, Caleb and Zachary. His cat - Jasper. And a couple of dogs, I think. Oh, and this morning, there was a baby in the mix as well. I guess Elizabeth gave birth during the night? Or he just forgot about the baby last night? Not sure about that one.

Not to be outdone, his older brother invented a family for himself as well and informed us of all their names. Hmm, can I remember?
Wife - Caroline
Son - Jack (nicknamed Mike) ??!??!?
Daughter - oh man, I just can't remember

Anyway, it was rather amusing. I realize that you might not find it so amusing or even interesting at all. But maybe it's good for a laugh?

Not Goodbye

We are currenly in northeast Pennsylvania for the funeral of Stephen's grandfather. He lived to be 96 years old and was in good health his entire life. His life was a testimony to God's work in his heart, and we rejoice to know that he is now with the LORD. So we are able to rejoice even as we mourn, knowing that we will someday join him in glory.

It's been a great time for teaching the boys about death and about how life is fleeting. We've had a number of good conversations about the separation of the body and soul at death. Last night we attended the viewing, and both boys wanted to see Great-Grandpa. The little guy was rather intimidated when it came time to view the body, but I'm so glad that they wanted to see him and that they actually did.

I don't want them to shrink from death. I want them to know that it is always near. I want them to live in light of Jesus' death. I want them to live to serve Him, knowing that when their time comes to pass from this life to the next, they will go to be with Him in the place that He is preparing for them. I want them to understand that we aren't here to say "goodbye" to Great-Grandpa...just "we'll see you soon."

Check it out!

Since our move nearly a year ago, we have known that we would eventually leave Capitol Hill Baptist Church (CHBC) for a church closer to our new home. We put off the decision for as long as was practical...and even when it wasn't practical anymore! We had been so blessed by the preaching, singing, fellowship and friendships there that we hated to leave. But with a 50 minute drive each way and - now - three small children, we couldn't manage it anymore.

We began searching more seriously for a closer church back in February. After visiting five churches - some of them very close to us - we ruled all of them out! And in this process, I must say, we realized what a lack of good, healthy churches there are out there. That's not to say that all five were unhealthy churches...but several definitely were.

In the end, we have joined a church plant in Arlington. Nearly all of the members are former members of CHBC, so we knew a good number of them. But with only about 30 or so adults, we are better able to get to know these individuals now that we're in a smaller group.

It has been a real joy to be part of this body of believers. It's been especially encouraging for Stephen to be part of a men's Bible study that meets every other week. And I'm glad to be able to serve as a pianist once again. The boys are enjoying their new "old" friends (kids they were in class with at CHBC but never got to know really well). Miss Cupcake has some new friends too - a few little girls who seemingly adore her. There are lots of young children in this congregation, and more on the way, too.

If you're interested in checking out the church's website, give it a go at Grace Baptist Church of Arlington. There are even sermons available for online listening.

Lastly, please pray for us. It's often easy to be rather gung-ho at the beginning of a new undertaking and then fade as the newness wears off, but we pray that the Lord will continue to strengthen and build this church and that our enthusiasm and joy will not diminish but grow more and more as we serve Him and reach out to the community around us.

Here we go!

Well, she's a mover and a shaker now! Miss Cupcake is officially crawling on all fours, sitting up, and pulling herself up onto anything she can reach whether it's stable or not!

It was exciting to watch her reach these milestones, but now I'm taking it all back. It was so much easier to keep track of her when all she could do was roll.

Both of her brothers were early movers too. Mr. Blue-Eyes started walking the day he turned 9 months, and Boo-Boo wasn't too far behind at 10 months or so. But Cupcake is only a little over 7 months, and she's scaring me!! I'm not sure I can withstand one that walks even earlier than that. Couldn't she just be content to sit on her little tushy for a few more months?

She's also cut 2 teeth in the last couple of weeks. Ugh. I praise God that she is a wonderful sleeper, and I'm so thankful that this teething business has only affected her daytime sleep. (Mommy struggles mightily when her nighttime sleep is interrupted!)

On another note, we are getting ready to GO with school again. I've decided to ease back into it a little instead of just dropping a bomb one week. We're working on phonics again to start with, and we'll add in math and handwriting again before going full steam with everything.

We're doing 1st grade this year, and I'm excited about it. I hope Mr. Blue-Eyes will be too. He seemed to be pretty excited to check out the new books we got in the mail a few weeks back. And he's been enjoying some read-alouds in the recent weeks (Treasure Island, Homer Price, Charlotte's Web), so hopefully he'll enjoy the new ones too. Boo-Boo would still rather play than do any school, and he doesn't even really know his letters yet. But he's only 3.5, so we'll get there one of these days. I'm thinking our biggest challenge this year will be keeping Cupcake occupied during school time!!

Hmmm, been a while...

Well, it has certainly been a while since I've posted anything here...yikes! It seems like life has been quite busy lately between Tee-ball and dentist visits and birthday parties and I'm not sure what else. But Tee-ball is over now for this spring, and I'm hoping we'll settle down a bit for the summer.

Work has been very busy for Stephen, and it will get even busier over the next few weeks. He might as well sleep at the office! Seriously. :-) But it's a good sort of busy, and we are very thankful for his job, especially during this rather tenuous job market.

Mr. Blue-Eyes loved Tee-ball and did quite well. He caught two fly balls this season and did well enough fielding that the coach even put him at the pitcher position. He had a lot of fun, and we enjoyed watching his games.

Boo-Boo hasn't been up to too much these days...mostly tagging along to the Tee-ball games and just playing at home. He did have his first dentist visit today, and thankfully, that went well.

Cupcake is now 6 months old! It's hard to believe that she's so big already...sitting on her own, trying to crawl, putting everything into her mouth. She ADORES her big brothers, and they feel the same way about her. They rush to join Mom when it's time to get her up from naps, and they love to sit and hold her. She even had her first real photo shoot last week and posed prettily for some pictures.

Here's one:

Our funny boy

Boo-Boo is definitely the clown in this family. You might label it "middle-child syndrome" or something else. I don't know what it is, but he is one of a kind! Lately, he's been coming out with things that make me laugh! and laugh! I wish I were better about writing them down right away because I know I have forgotten several things that he said just within the last few days. But I did manage to remember two things, so here they are:

I was getting Elsa ready for her bath and had her sitting on my knee wearing only her diaper. She started spitting up and it was dribbling down her belly and down my pantleg onto the floor. Boo-Boo stood watching and then said, "That is so gross!!" with a very disgusted look on his face.

Yesterday we were looking at some pictures of his grandfather who passed away before the boys were born. Boo-Boo said, "We're going to die?" (Earlier in the day, we had been talking about how everybody will die unless Jesus returns to the earth first.) So I said, "Yes, we're all going to die someday." Boo-Boo looked at me with a puzzled, slightly horrified look on his face and said, "Why are we all going to die on Sunday?"

He also seems to have a hearing problem. Well, he'd like us to think so, I believe. One of his most commonly uttered words is: "Say?" which is short for "What did you say?" And he asks this even when he knows very well what we've said...which is very obvious when he can repeat what we've said when asked to do so.

Three is such a fun age, and I'm really enjoying the opportunities for learning (him and me!!). Now that Mr. Blue-Eyes has started T-ball, I've been realizing how little one-on-one time I get to spend with Boo-Boo. It's been so fun to have uninterrupted conversations with him during practice times and games. What an imagination he's got! We were using 6" long sticks to shoot deer during the game last evening. I can tell that he really likes having Mom all to himself (well, mostly) during these times too. And he's happy to cheer on his big brother...content to wait another few years before wanting to be part of the team too.

Lovin' this girl!

What a doll she is!

I know I've mentioned before that the "infant stage" is just not my favorite time, but I have to say that since Cupcake (aka Bubbles) has found her thumb, I am one happy mom!

We were told while I was in labor that she was sucking her thumb. Puzzled, we asked how the nurse could know that. She explained that it was determined from a pattern on the fetal monitor. She said that particular pattern indicated one of three things - either the baby had a very rare disease, she was addicted to drugs or she was sucking her thumb. She ruled out the first two possibilities, and that left us with a thumb-sucker.

Neither Mr. Blue-Eyes nor Boo-Boo sucked their thumbs, so this is a new phenomenon for us. And we love it!

It took Cupcake a few months to remember where her thumbs are located, but now that she's found them again, she is one happy, contented girl. No more crying when it's time for naps or bed. She just pops that thumb in there and sucks herself into sleepy-time!

Apple Rosemary Couscous

This is my favorite couscous recipe and I've decided to share it - because it is just so good! A perfect blend of sweet and savory!

2 T. olive oil
3/4 c. chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 13.75oz can chicken broth
1 t. dried rosemary OR 2 t. fresh rosemary
1/4 t. black pepper
1 c. plain couscous (I like to substitute a box of Pine Nut couscous)
1/3 c. currants or raisins (again, I like to substitute Craisins)
2 medium tart red apples, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, unpeeled

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 2 or 3 minutes, stirring constantly, or until onion is translucent.
Add broth, rosemary and pepper (and couscous seasoning packet, if using); bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes.
Stir in couscous and Craisins; cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes.
Fluff couscous lightly with a fork. Gently stir in apples; cover and let stand for 3 minutes.

YUM!!

Nine Years!

Well, tomorrow is our ninth wedding anniversary - wow! It's hard to believe that we've been married that long...but on the other hand, I can hardly remember life without Stephen.

What a blessed nine years it has been! We have lived in 3 different states since getting married. We've been members of 3 different churches. We went through 3 tough years of law school. We survived 3 major surgeries. We've added 3 children to our family. We've lived in 7 different homes, not counting extended stays in my parents' home!

Many changes.

Lots of growing.

Countless blessings.

The Lord has been so good to us in giving us each other. I pray for many more years together, raising our children for God's glory and hope to someday watch our children raise their children for Him.

I love you, Stephen!!

When will it end??

It started with a tired little boy Saturday night a week and a half ago. Boo-Boo was uncharacteristically tired in the early evening and felt rather warm. He had a slight fever but otherwise seemed ok. He seemed fine in the morning, so we went to church. But by Sunday night, he was cranky and irritable and feverish again.

By Monday night, he wasn't the only one. Mr. Blue-Eyes had caught the bug too. It seemed like they were just feeding off of each other all week. One day Boo-Boo was miserable, but Mr. Blue-Eyes wasn't so bad. The next day it was the reverse. The following day it was back to Boo-Boo...and so on.

I tried and tried to wash hands, cover coughs, keep them away from their sister. But by Wednesday night, she too wasn't doing so well. She's still not two months old yet, and it was awful to see her sick already. She had a horrible sounding cough, and she slept all the time...except for all night. Then she would wake crying whenever she coughed.

Mommy is now running on just fumes. After a week of interrupted sleep, I managed to catch the cold too! Thankfully, it doesn't seem like an awful one (yet?). I was so hoping for a good night's sleep last night since Cupcake was feeling better yesterday. And she did fairly well, waking only twice to eat (of course, she had been sleeping through the night before all of this came about!). But Mr. Blue-Eyes was up twice as well with earaches. So we're heading to the doctor's office this afternoon to check out his ears.

And I'm praying for a sleep-ful night tonight!!

Pictures

No Milk

Mr. Blue-Eyes has been allergic to milk since he was an infant, and although I've often commiserated with him about not being able to eat so many of the foods the rest of us enjoy, I've never been in the same boat. Well, now I am.

Cupcake seems to be sensitive, at least...if not allergic, to the cow's milk in my diet. So I've cut it out for the forseeable future. Ugh. Some of the foods that I love best are made from cow's milk...cheese and ice cream to be specific! There's not much to do about avoiding cheese. One must just avoid it. As to ice cream, we've found that "rice cream" isn't so bad. It's like ice cream, only made with rice milk. And ice cream made from coconut milk is pretty decent too. Mr. Blue-Eyes likes it anyway. (We're still avoiding soy products, so the soy cream is out.)

Anyway, it pretty much stinks. But I'm hopeful that this is only a sensitivity due to Cupcake's immature digestive system and not a true allergy. If that's the case, it should only be a matter of a few months before I can resume my normal diet. If not, I guess I'll have to avoid milk products until she's weaned. At any rate, she's much less fussy since I've changed my diet...and that's definitely a GOOD thing!

Look-alikes!

Can you guess which ones are Cupcake and which are Mr. Blue-Eyes?

Early Days with Cupcake

Cupcake will be 1 month old tomorrow! It's hard to believe that time is going so fast...or so slow. She is a good baby, although she has her fussy times with tummy troubles. But I will be transparent here and admit that I am not one who really enjoys the newborn stage. I much prefer getting a full night of sleep!!

Seriously, I've always struggled through this stage, and it seems like she may even be the easiest baby of my three. But I look forward to the days of regular naps and long nights of rest. It's not just the sleep, though. I'm also looking forward to her being interested in life going on around her. She has two big brothers who would love to entertain her, but other than a few smiles (and they ARE beautiful!), they don't gain much interest from her.

On another note, we had a visit from Grandma who was a great help and who thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her first granddaughter. She had a great time entertaining and playing with the boys too.

We are all looking forward to meeting Cupcake's cousin who was born just two and a half weeks before her. But that visit won't take place until the babies are a little older - and sleeping thru the night, hopefully! :-)