Mommy's Day

Happy Mother's Day to our moms in Colorado!

I had a very relaxing Mother's Day. I resolved to do nothing related to work, and discovered that in my recent months of "nesting," I think I've forgotten how to relax. I do know how to collapse at the end of the day - I just don't remember how to forget about the big "to do before the baby" list! But I did my best to kick back today.

Kevin and the kids helped by getting me a comfy deck rocking chair. I look forward to watching the kids play outside while rocking the baby this summer. They also grilled a yummy dinner and made ice cream sundaes which we enjoyed in the back yard.

The Fire Station Bedroom

We've been building up Johnathan's move to his new "fire station bedroom" for a while now... for the most part he's been excited, but since he's not the biggest fan of change, we weren't sure how he'd respond when it became a reality.

The wall is up...

This is the point at which Johnathan was campaigning pretty hard to stay in his old room. He told me repeatedly, "I can't sleep in here. There's too much boxes!" Can't blame him - it did look like a messy storage unit at this stage.

The big unveiling...

He loves it! We have a few more finishing touches to add, but Johnathan loves his new room and fire truck bed. He actually had to kick the family out so he could have it to himself for his afternoon rest time. The room is very peaceful and has a great view of the playground behind the house.

Now it's time to get the nursery finished!

James 1:9-11

These verses seem a little out of place in this passage in James, teaching about trials, then suddenly jumping to taking pride in both "humble circumstances" and in a "high position". Kevin explained that it is more relevant in this spot that we might realize at first glance. For so many, financial issues are a trial that comes often in life. And both positions, rich and poor, can cause us to fall away from faithfulness to Jesus.

These verses remind us that whether we find ourselves in humble circumstances or a high position, the goal of our life must be a passionate love for Christ, because we all end up the same way, and it won't matter in the end how rich or poor we were in this life.

Kevin also reminded us that for nearly all of us in the United States, in the perspective of all nations, we fall in the category of the richest in the world - even if it feels like we personally don't have as much as we would like. That fact is easy to forget in the materialistic focus of our culture.

My Little Reader

One evening a few months ago our power went out, sending Naomi and Johnathan into a panic. Once we found the flashlights and lit some candles, they discovered that no lights can be pretty fun! On a whim, I pulled out a well-worn copy of Little House in the Big Woods from my childhood and snuggled with the kids on the sofa under a big blanket. I wasn't sure if they'd go for a book with few pictures to look at, but to my surprise, they loved listening, and they actually got upset when the electricity came back on an hour later. I had to show them how easy it was to just turn the lights back off and enjoy the candlelight again!

Anyway, since then Naomi has really latched on to the Little House series. Most nights she and I snuggle in bed and read a chapter or two. We've now finished Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prarie, and we're now working on On the Banks of Plum Creek. Naomi really understands what she's hearing and always asks when she doesn't know a word. I hear her in her bedroom in the evening after she's been tucked in and is having her "reading time," retelling the story to her dolls as she turns the pages of the book.

I remember my mom reading the books to me when I was little. How precious to share this with my daughter!

Mighty Men at Work

A few pictures of the men of Zion doing a service project, painting a home in our community.

They made quick work of it, with lots of help and a couple sprayers!

Expansions

What a busy month this has been! We've been furiously preparing for our newest addition, so here are a few updates on our progress:

As you can see from the picture, Baby Boaz is rapidly growing. In fact, the doctor did some ultrasound measurements an announced that he is averaging at least four to five weeks larger than his age. I'm now 33 weeks, and in about a week, I've been given the go-ahead to walk, excercise, or do whatever I want to do to gently "encourage" him to come out a little sooner. I know he'll come when he's ready, but I'm definitely feeling almost ready to get him out!

In other "expansion" news, the very handy trustees at Zion have blessed us with a new room for our expanding family. They put up a wall at the end of the really long back room, and when it is all done, Johnathan will move into his new fire station room and his old bedroom will become the baby's nursery.

James 1:5-8 Wisdom

We were encouraged this morning to walk the path of wisdom by:

Asking God (this not a one-time event; the tense of "ask" in James 1:5 indicated continually asking)

Believing in God

Responding to God's Word

Living a Christ-centered life

Walking the path of wisdom together with others who want to follow God, too.