roll over

Yeah for rolling over! She has still only done it a few time but so fun to see. 

 Of course she is much happer sitting up and playing the on her tummy. I think the only reason she rolls is to get off her tummy and picked up.  The first time Grace rolled over Jackie screamed "Baby wobble, baby wobble!" She was very concerned. Now she is used to it.

The fashionista picked out her own clothes today, can you tell.  We played dress up for a while today since it was raining but this outfit she refused to take off.

Lydia

So most of the time I post what I write but I must admit typing has a calming effect on me somedays so sometimes when I need to pray or talk to someone I will write a post but hide it so only I can see it, today I thought I should come back to one of those and make it public.  This is about Lydia.  I wrote it November 7, 2012. "Sometimes I have a tendency to get weighed down by the insignificant.  To worry about troubles that will eventually take care of themselves. Why?  I don't know.  I tend to blame it on genetics, gram worried, mom worries so I worry but that is a horrible answer.  I know that worry is a symptom of not tusting in God enough.  And I know I don't worry about the big things that matter I worry about the everyday.  Yesterday, a little girl from my church went in for an MRI only to discover that the tumor in her head is twice the size they thought it was and is not in a good location (as if any brain tumor is in a good location.)  My worries pale in comparison.  I can not fathom what her mother is going through.  Merely thinking of her makes me cry.  I really don't even want to think about it, it's too scary, to painful and too real. She needs my prayers not the little worries of the day, but this little girl and her family.  They need my concern.  I wonder what we as a community of Christ could do if we could all put aside our petty little worries, our insignificant concerns and focus on prayers for this little girl. Could we heal her? The lord says And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:15-16 
Could we heal her? I want to have enough faith to believe that my prayers could heal her. I want to believe in these words.  I want to see this little girl be ok. "  

On April 22, 2013 Lydia's family posted,
"Lydia had another great day of doctor visits.  Today she saw theneuro-opthamologist. He confirmed that yes the tumor was about half the size. He proceeded to share this is not the expected result, it is much better and certainly and answer to prayers."

Lydia is proof that God answers prayers, she is currently half way though chemo treatments so its still a long road to go, but there is HOPE.  The shirt Jackie is wearing is a Hope for Lydia shirt and when she out it on this morning she told me "Momma pay Lydia strong."  So we stopped to pray that God gives her and her family strength.  Jacqueline I pray you never loose your compassionate heart and that you continue to lift up others in prayer, because God loves to hear you speak and your prayers are powerful and effective. I will also continue to pray for Lydia and her family if you read this and you don't know Lydia I ask you to pray for her and her family too. 

Grace 3 month photo

My smily girl!

So I when I was posting the photos Jacqueline wanted to go play bubbles so I didn't write much, but now that she is napping let me tell you about bubbles. Jackie loves bubbles but today was the first time Grace showed an interest in them.  Grace was loving batting at the bubbles when Jackie turns and says " idea, you help pop." And she took Graces hand and helped her pop bubbles.  

If you guys are like my sisters and I am sorry to say but somedays there will be fights, when that happens I want you to remember how much you both have always loved each other. Grace I want you to remember your big sister is looking out for you, she wants to help you and she loves you.

Tulip Time

I wish we were able to enjoy more of tulip time but this year the timing just did not work out well, the parades fall right at nap time and the dancing on the road happens at 7:30 which is getting a little late for the dance to start.  So we waited till Friday night to see the dancing so that we would not have to worry about a late night.  Jackie loved the dancing she really wanted them to dance "mo more time".  She also loved the carmel corn, and tried an elephant ear.   

In other news this week Jacqueline has been into questions all week.  I am constantly answering the questions "name?" (her way of asking what something is called and "doing?" what am I doing or what is that thing we just gave a name designed to do.  All day long over and over name, name name.  She is really becoming quite inquisitive. 

Grace has been really fun this week, she is sleeping better at night and very playful during the day.  She has loved playing with Jackie, especially when Jacqueline sings and dose motions to the songs with her.  Grace also has been cooing at Jackie, and giving big smiles.  Grace is getting so big so fast.  She is loving sitting up and standing, although she still doesn't have great trunk control.  She is really showing her personality more and more all the time so fun to see.

Beginning down the path

Grace your baptism was Sunday and I could tell lots of stories about Jackie calling another baby whiny or not liking the idea of papa getting you wet but I have a different memory in mind for you today. I am going to tell you about the path to get to now... Grandma and papa got you a baptism bowl and put the verse "trust in The Lord with all you heart lean not on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight" on it. It's a family verse and I have talked about it before but want to remind you today that God says if we trust him he will make the path straight. Not that he will help us down our path but that if we trust him and we choose to walk his path it will be straight.

A long time ago when I was a junior in high school I knew I wanted a career in art, papa thought that could maybe be in architecture so he encouraged me to take drafting, at first I was not sure but then I found out it could be my computer credit and I was all for it. I hated computer class typing and programming were not for me, (remember what I said about Gods path being different from our own, now a days I teach computers.) Anyway I signed up for and took drafting. The drafting teacher convinced me that if I joined the first team I could gain art experience designing tee shirts and buttons and the I would learn to weld and could paint the robot. So I joined. Welding was taught by a loud annoying senior who thought he ran the team, I did my best to avoid him, but the two of us kept getting stuck on joint projects, ( I never would have thought when I met him that someday I would marry him.) like I said your dad was a senior and hated school he was ready to graduate and go get a job, at the start of his senior year he had no plans of going to college. An internship/scholarship at transmatic convinced him to get an associates degree in machine tooling. At that time in life I very clearly remember your father saying that he could never work a desk job ( or course now he does and he loves his work, in fact his two year degree became a four and he is talking about getting a masters). When we started dating in high school, I assumed the relationship would die out when Adam headed off to college, and no one expected it to last though me working summers at camp, but some how it did.

Do you get it Grace... What I am saying is that the paths your dad and I would have chosen for ourselves are not the road we are on, we have had to let go and trust God to lead us down his path.  And trust me we could not be happier with where we are today. God has great things in store for you if you will let him lead you, but you must be willing to give God control of where you are going. That's hard for me I like to be in control, I want to know the path ahead, and I can be a little stubborn about it. I am sometime frustrated when God doesn't let me do or have what I want, but when I look back it is clear to see he always has a plan and his plan is always better than mine. " for I know the plans I have for you declares The Lord plans to give you hope and a future." I don't know Gods plan for your life but I take comfort in knowing he has a plan for you, I can say with confidence that he loves you and he will guide you down the right path if you will allow him too. Baptism is this first step of your relationship with God.

As I hold you sleeping in my arms I pray that you come to know God, as a father, a savior and a friend. I pray the you trust his guidance even when it is hard and you want to go another way. I pray that you are reassured by his love for you each and every day and you you find refuge in his compassion and forgiveness. I ask that He protect you with his strength cover you with his abundant mercy and joy. Finally I pray that he helps me be a better mom and a better christian tomorrow then I am today so that I can be an example to you and Jacqueline.

I love you Grace.

3 mini updates

The playset that Jackie got for her birthday is together, thanks to some hard work by Daddy and OPa.  So I thought I should quick post a photo of all the fun that Jackie has been having on her swingset.  If I let her she would live in the fort and stay out there forever.  

 Grace got to meet Ross this weekend for the first time, so that too seemed like it should get posted here.  Also she gets baptized this upcoming sunday.

Today is my first day back at work.  So far so good, I miss the girls but it is good to get out of the house too.  The photo is of my birthday present,  I got a few apple trees for the back yard.  Hopefully I can add more every year for a while till we have a mini orchard.  But one project at a time.