Birthday thoughts...

I have always been someone who is cautious. It is probably part of what God has used to keep me from "getting into trouble". I tend to not like change. I like routine and constancy. In fact I get frustrated when I am not consistent…which more than I would like to admit. Yet I am entering a new season and instead of looking at it as if there were a sign that said "CAUTION ADVENTURE AHEAD". I want have a sense of adventure. I want a curiosity to learn. I want to not be fearful. I need to relax and be able to laugh at myself more while being diligent about what is important. I can't go into all the details right now but I am in the midst of LOTS of changes. This birthday…I pray I will learn to be BOLD for the kingdom and FULL of faith. I want to be more adventurous and be able to laugh at myself. I want to love deeply, feel strongly and yet be grounded in what is true.

Gabriel Peter

On January 30, a 7lb 13oz; 20 inches long little boy entered our lives. He already made his distinction from his sister by taking a long 28 hours of labor to make his appearance. So far, like his sister, he has been a content and happy baby. We are loving being his parents. Charis can't get enough of him.

A couple nights ago as I held him and stared in his sweet face, I was overcome with tears. What a precious gift from God! I know I will probably bore people the rest of my life talking about how I didn't think I would ever have children, but I still find it unbelievable that I was blessed with Charis. So to be holding Gabriel, it is overwhelming. TO GOD be the Glory!

Our prayer for him is that he will follow the Lord all the days of his life. That he will be a like Gabriel the angel and be a messenger for God and proclaim Jesus as savior. Joshua made a picture book of Gabriel's first days and put this verse as our prayer for him: Psalm 22:10 "On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God."

Our little Lollipop

Our little girl is now TWO!

For her birthday I did a lollipop theme because of her love for lollipops (see blog entry on 10.7.10). I had lots of fun with with this theme and even found some ideas online. I enjoyed getting to use the rusty creative side of my brain. I kind of wish I didn't have to try to fit in her birthday during such a busy time (Christmas parties, anniversary, Christmas...) because I had plenty of ideas that I didn't get to do. Here are a few things I had fun making...

I know every parent feels this way, but I still can't believe she is already two. After her birthday, I went back and looked at old videos of her first birthday and I couldn't believe how much she had changed. Even though at one, she said a lot of words and she didn't feel like a baby...NOW she talks in phrases, tries to recount events and communicates emotions (total girl!). As my first time going through this as a parent, I find myself staring at her in disbelief. How is she growing up so fast?

Since she has turned two she has gone to sleeping in a "big girl" bed and wanting to drink from "big girl"cups. Some days I feel like she wants to do all the growing up at once. Tonight she asked to go on the potty (not successful but hey I'll take her being interested) and wanted to wear big girl undies. She reminded me to get my phone as we walked out the door and later spelled her name. My baby girl is slipping through my fingers!

No Greater Joy...

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth" John 1:4

During breakfast I have been reading to Charis a Children's One Year Bible that her Uncle Steven and Aunt Cameron gave her. It is a little old for her age but she has even started to ask for me to read it if I get distracted with other things. This morning she wanted me to go back to the story of the "snake". While finger painting later today, Charis began talking to herself. I love listening to what is running through her little mind. She began to quote her memory verse "Children obey" and then paused "...Adam, snake, apple...obey". My heart jumped with joy. To the mother heart in me, this was thrilling. I desire nothing more than Charis learn to WALK in The TRUTH. Here she had made on her own the connection between two Bible lessons. She was meditating on them. Oh how I pray that this takes deep root in her heart and produces eternal fruit.

"Blessed is the man....his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law he mediates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither..." Ps 1

Fleming Flamenco

My cousin, Jamie, who is a missionary in Spain sent this to Charis.

(Check out her blog on my blog list)

Charis' Fall Pictures

My little pumpkin - I love being her mommy!

Candy Land Walks

Charis has been introduced to the world of lollipops. It hasn't taken her long to figure out that these wonderful sticky treats can be found at drive thrus at banks and when we visit her Nee Nee at work. There was even some at "Daddy's" work the other day! She calls them "pops" and has learned to make the exaggerated *slurping* sound of licking a lollipop.

Another love that has grown over the past few months is going for walks. Long gone are my sweaty workouts around the neighborhood with her in a stroller. These walks can hardly be considered exercise for me, but I am sure they are great for her. She wants to be out and about. This passion for walking grew beyond control when my family was visiting this summer because there were plenty of hands to hold and coax to go with her on a walk. As we walk she likes to use her words and tell me everything she sees or wants to see.

The other day while we were on one of these walks, she excitedly pointed and tugged hard on my hand. I was confused by what she was saying "pop, pop, pop!!!" What did she mean by "pops"? I tried to keep her walking but she was winning this tug of war. Then I focused in on this "POP". It was a shinny red reflector by a mailbox. To any connoisseur of lollipops, this one must be sampled! I burst into laughter and tried explaining that it wasn't a lollipop, and it wasn't ours (a word she has learned on our walks). She was sure I was wrong on this one, but finally gave into her mothers desire keep walking. This happened several days on our walks. Finally I decided to let her give it a try. *Crunch* I heard the sound of her teeth against the hard plastic. She looked at me in disbelief. *Crunch* Maybe she hadn't bitten hard enough?... Sadly she moved on with her walk...no longer a candy land walk.