Independence Day, Birthday Cake, and The Plague

We headed to Lake City this past weekend to celebrate the 4th and Jack-Jack's first birthday! 15 of us at my parent's house made for a fantastic time (and quick showers)! My wonderful in-laws were with us, and we joined up with Andrew and Diana, and the Frevert family from California. We hiked, played games, swatted mosquitos, ate great food, shopped, hung out around the campfire (lots of mosquito swatting there), jeeped, sung around the piano, and celebrated the 4th of July in grand Lake City style: an outdoor church service, a parade (with lots of candy throwing!), games in the park, ice cream, BBQ, and fireworks. We had a little party for my sweet baby, and generally just enjoyed fellowship with a lot of dear people. Also, on our last day THE PLAGUE (also known as the stomach flu) hit us - taking down 10 out of 15. Ugh. To see more photos of the fabulous weekend - we have hundreds, I think - see facebook in a day or two!


I want to praise God for Jack's first year!! He is a special boy. Content, active, snuggly, happy, funny, verbal. He has 6 teeth, stands well on his own, and "walks" by pushing anything he can find around the house! He loves the pool, and baths with his brother and sister. He says a number of words - Dada, Mama, sssss (sister), MMMMM! (food), puffs, muh - muh (mr. monkey), dog, off, light, honk-honk, fish, balloon or ball. He calls his blankie, which he loves DEARLY, "tz". He does sounds for fish, and for things that go - cars, trucks,trikes, planes, trains! He points everywhere and wants to know what things are called. Mostly what he eats is table food. He rolls with the punches and puts up with plenty. He is sweet, sweet, sweet!!! Jack adds so much to our family. I love you, Buddy!!

Father's Day

A few days late, but I want to express my deep love and thankfulness for my husband, my dad, and my father-in-law - three men who have had and are having eternal impact in and through the lives of their children! Praise God!


"My daddy
Is a very, very, very good man.

He reads the very best books
And sings the very best songs.

He tells the very best jokes.
And rights the very worst wrongs.

My daddy
Is a very, very, very good man."
~Steven Layne

this, that and the other

If you are looking at this photo, I probably don't need to tell you that pipe cleaners have been a big hit with Eleanor!!

Also, a few mornings ago I was turning on a Curious Geroge episode for the kids, and Rachel Ray happened to be on and she was saying something like "delicious 5 ingredient meal in 15 minutes" or something like that, so of course I had to listen! And in the 1 minute I did I got a good meal idea: bring a couple boxes of your favortie broth/stock to a boil. Add refridgerated tortellini. After that cooks, wilt in some fresh spinach leaves for a minute. Once in individual bowls, top with fresh grated parmesan/romano and some lemon zest. Voila! I made it tonight and it was great. Will even ate some spinach!!! (it's like I hear the sound of angels singing when I say that!)

Also, Todd took Eleanor to a baseball game tonight. Isn't that sweet?!! Her favorite song of late has been "Take me out to the ballgame" so it was very appropriate!

Also, a young woman from church was here today discussing wedding music with me, when Eleanor was having some tummy problems and Will ran yelling and crying through the house, "I want to see the diarrhea!! I want to see the diarrhea!!" Hhhmm. I'm quite sure I've never had that thought in my life, much less screamed it in the presence of a houseguest!

Also, Jack is still the sweetest baby ever.

bedtime talk

So, I listened outside the door of Eleanor and Will's room last night when I noticed they were still talking loudly a while after I had put them to bed. They were talking about cows, there was a cow in the room, and they were calling the farmer to get it. Eleanor said she had called that farmer NINE times and he still hadn't come. And Will said the cow was being naughty and saying "MOO!" Will also said he was going to California to see Aunt Polly. Then he said that he was sick but there were no doctor's offices. Eleanor replied that she would call 911, and she and Daddy would ride with him to the hospital. Will said he caught the hospital with a string. Hmm. When I went in a few minutes later to tell them to quiet down, Will had taken his pants - and diaper - off. "They had throw-up on them, for pretend," he said. These kids, what a pair!!!

Jack's new thing

4 years ago

4 years ago, my life changed in a big and precious way...my first child was born! Eleanor's birthday was the 29th, and we had a wonderful few days of celebration. This past year Eleanor has become such a wonderful helper. She demonstrates kindness to and affection for her brothers, has grown greatly in obedience to Todd and I, shows a great sense of humor, and has a tender heart towards the Lord. She is sensitive and has remarkable insight. She loves pink as much as ever, loves doing crafts, and enjoys being outdoors. She makes us laugh often! She can be incredibly silly and loves to laugh herself. She has an amazing vocabulary and is good with letters and numbers.

For her celebration on Saturday she chose cinnamon rolls for breakfast, hot dogs for lunch, and pizza for dinner (actually she wanted pizza for lunch AND dinner but settled for hot dogs!). She asked for a pink cake with purple m&m's, which is what she got! Todd decorated with pink crepe paper and everyone showered her with gifts. She has been excited about her birthday for at least 2 months, asking about it most days! The anticipation was so fun. And she was not disappointed! She remained sweet even with all the attention, and after opening her gifts gave everyone a big thank you and a hug. "Thank you all for everything, I love all my presents so much!" she said when she was done. On Sunday her 3's class sang to her and she told me it made her feel very happy. On Monday, her actual birthday, we sang again and she opened one more gift. On Tuesday she got to go the zoo and invite a friend (anf of course grampa and gramma) along for viewing animals, riding the carousel, and eating cupcakes! Will was such a trooper. He did ask at one point, "Mommy, when is my birthday coming up?"

Just last week Eleanor and I had an amazing half hour conversation about salvation. She asked where people go when they die and do not know Jesus. I told her they go to Hell, which is a real place, the opposite of Heaven, where there is sadness and hurting and separation from God and His Son. She disolved into tears and cried that she did not want to go there. I reminded her that if she loves Jesus and trusts Him to save her from her sin, then she has nothing to worry about! That God's words are true and that He has promised earthly joy and a home in Heaven to those who love and trust in Jesus. I read to her John 3:16, and Romans 10:9. She interjected during Romans - "Yes, I confess Jesus is Lord! Yes, I believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead!" She had so many questions, some that made me cry and some that made me laugh inside! What a precious thing to see her responding in this way to what she knows about the Lord.

Eleanor enriches my life in countless ways. Happy Birthday, Eleanor, I love you!

a conversation

I went to pick Eleanor up from Cubbbies a couple of Sunday nights ago. She usually bounces out with a big smile and lots to tell me, but this time she was standing against a wall with a quivering lower lip. In the hall I asked her if something was wrong. Holding my hand, "I'll tell you when we get home, Mommy. I don't want the other kids to hear me." My heart went out to her! I had never heard say something that would indicate self-consciousness in that way. I took her down the back stairs and asked if she wanted to tell me, since no one else was there. She looked at me with big eyes and in a trembling voice said, "Mommy, is it true? Is it true that wicked men put Jesus on the cross and killed Him?? Did that really happen?" My eyes filled up with tears! That was the last thing I had expected her to say right then. I realized that although I talk almost every day about "Jesus dying to save us," I have never talked about Him being KILLED. "Yes, Eleanor, that is true" I told her, and she began to cry, like a friend had died. She asked, "Is that going to happen to me?" I told her that she would not be killed on a cross, but that her body would die someday, because everyone dies someday. And most likely that it would not be until she was very old, but that we never know when we will leave this earth - only the Lord knows. And I reminded her as we have talked about before, that those who trust in Jesus Christ to save them from their sinfulness will spend eternity in Heaven with Jesus. "I don't want to die and go to Heaven, I want to stay here and live in my home forever!" *sigh* Sometimes I feel like that, too, I told her. But we have to trust what God says, that Heaven is so much more wonderful than anything we can even imagine here. No more sin, no more hurting, no more sadness or tears! Being with Jesus! I told her, "Eleanor, Jesus died for your sins so that you would not have to. " "But Mommy, He didn't do anything wrong!!" That's right, He didn't, but you did! I did! We talked about one of her Awana verses, "While we were sinners, Christ died for us." And I reminded her that Jesus didn't stay dead! He rose up from the grave! He is alive now! Then we were back in the church gym, surrounded by people, walking out to the van to sobbing, tired brothers. It was a conversation I'll always remember! I was so touched, and reminded in a precious way of the sadness and enormity of our sins, of Christ's death in our place. I was reminded to pray earnestly for tender hearts for all my children, for the seeds of the gospel to find fertile soil in them. I am so thankful for the tender heart of Eleanor!