Look at me!

After several minutes of struggling to pull himself up to this position, I had mercy on my poor child and helped him up - he just couldn't get his feet planted right. He stood here on his own playing with Jack for about 30 minutes. That's a long time for those little legs. He was not happy when he fell down and I wouldn't help him back up. Watch out, Jack. Here comes Wesley!

Small Wonders

I sometimes forget how much my children have to learn and experience before I send them off into the world on their own. A few weeks ago we visited a park near our house that has a fountain in it (it's really the main attraction). Each time we drive by in the summer Jack says, "The fountain is working today," and each time we drive by in the winter Jack says "The fountain isn't working today." Same conversation on average three times each week. I digress. There were some pretty peonies blooming and since I can still make Wesley do basically whatever I want him to, I thought I'd take some pictures of him by the flowers. Now I'm not naive enough to think that he was just going to sit there, smile and not touch the flowers. I just didn't think that he would want to devour the flowers the second I set him on the bench. I managed to get a couple good pictures, but more importantly, realized in the process that the smallest things (peonies blooming in the spring) are brand new and amazing to my little guys.

Finally!

This picture probably needs some interpretation. On Jack's head is a fire chief hat that my dad picked up at a garage sale. On the bottom, printed in black permanent marker, is the name "Jessie" (my only assumption is that this was the original owner). Jack wears it proudly, but he always wears it backwards, hence the necessary explanation because you can't see the fire chief symbol on the front. The "shoes" on his feet are actually my dad's enormous (well, enormous for a 2-year-old) slippers that Jack calls his "fire shoes." Apparently he can only put out fires while wearing these shoes (at least that was the story this particular day).

So now that you fully understand the picture, I'll get to the real subject of the post. I will go out on a limb (hopefully I don't have to eat my words) and say that Jack is finally potty trained...whew! WARNING: For readers that do not have children and/or are not comfortable openly discussing the bodily functions of children, stop reading now. Everyone else...read on. He mastered peeing on the potty long ago, but would only poop in his underwear or on the off chance that the stars aligned, Jupiter was 100 light years to the west of Saturn while the sun was shining here on Earth and we caught him almost in the act and forced him to sit on the potty, crying the whole time (Jack, I mean. ...although there were times I could have joined in). We tried everything. Toys, candy, bribes, threats, you name it. Then one day Sean came home and told me that his coworker, who happens to be a volunteer fire fighter, said we could bring Jack to the fire station sometime and he could climb up in to a real fire engine. Of course I couldn't just let this be a fun privilege for Jack. Nope, he had to earn it. And how would he earn it? By pooping on the potty all the time, just like real fire men do. So over the course of several weeks we talked frequently about how real fire men only poop on the potty, never in their underpants and didn't Jack want to be just like a real fire man. I'm not sure if it was the incentive or just that it was the right time, but he finally has it mastered. In fact, he went from pooping every two or three days to pooping almost every time he goes to the bathroom. By the way, if Jack was older I'm sure he would be incredibly embarrassed that I'm sharing this, however, because he's two he is VERY proud every time he poops or pees on the potty and will announce it to anyone who will listen so, "share on," I say. And by the time he's old enough to be embarrassed, this post will be long gone.

So back to the picture, which doesn't really have anything to do with the post, but is a great representation of Jack's accomplishment. The smile on his face, which mirrors the smile on my face, is there every time he is successful on the potty. Jack has finally earned his reward and we can make our trip to the fire station. He sure can bring the hat along, but I think he'll need to leave the shoes at home.

The Meat (Meal) Offering

And when any will offer a meat offering unto the Lord,

his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil

upon it, and put frankincense thereon.

Leviticus 2:1

Perfect communion with our God as shown in the "Meat Offering" was in many senses the highest pattern which our Savior set for men. Shall we not make it the chiefest plan of every day to have a time when we enter into such worship with Him that we may truly say, "There is nothing between Thee and me, dear Lord," and then carry the sweetness of that deep communion unmarred and uninterrupted through all the hours. Most Holy Meal Offering, El Elyon, as Thou didst pour upon the fine meal of Thy perfect life the Holy Oil of Thy most Holy Spirit, and the frankincense of Thy perfect adoration, and offer all for me, so I, accepting Thine which only hallows mine, pour forth my soul, my blood-cleansed soul, in worship. Holy! Holy! Holy! is the Lord. Amen.

Daily communion. Bread that feeds us, blood that saves us. Doesn't God deserve our daily worship and adoration? He is willing to feed us each day (when we seek Him) and He saves us each day. But He doesn't want our leftovers. He wants - deserves - the finest we have to offer. In return, think of the relationship that could be, a place where you could honestly say "There is nothing between Thee and me, dear Lord," anytime of the day or night.

With Sean out of town, I definitely miss our daily "communion." We talk on the phone once a day and we can email for the short time we're both working (time zone difference), but it isn't the same as having him here acutely involved in the details of daily life. The same is true of my relationship with the Lord: I can talk to Him once a day, send quick prayers/thoughts while I'm doing something else, but it isn't the same as having Him acutely involved in the details of my daily life. For me, this depth of relationship only comes through uninterrupted daily time with God. I admit that it has been hard for me to make time for this and it's something I struggle with every week.

I would love to hear how other people experience daily quiet time with the Lord. I would especially like to hear from other moms and dads who manage to schedule kids and other household responsibilities around their daily "communion."

A Weekend of Firsts

This was Wesley's first trip ever to the cabin. He was a little scared by the unfamiliarity of it when we got there Friday night, but he settled down and had a great time the rest of the weekend. He really liked the swing. No, he's not related to Aunt Jemima - I forgot his hat (bad mom) so he had to wear a rag on his head to protect his little scalp.

Okay, so this wasn't a first, but I had to include it since Jack spent the majority of his cabin time (he literally spent three hours on the beach Saturday morning) directing the construction crew you see below.

The crew chief: he takes his job very seriously.

There were a lot of firsts for Jack (he just didn't spend much time doing them). He got an actual ride on the buggy (the 4-wheeler for those of you who aren't intimately familiar with Jack's world). Up until this point he had to just get on and pretend. This year he actually got to go on a ride with Sean. He also went fishing for the first time. He didn't catch anything and got bored with it pretty fast. He liked the worms. He got to drive the boat by himself for the first time too (maybe because his arms are finally long enough to reach the steering wheel when he sits in the captain's chair). Also a job he took very seriously.
It was our first experience with sleeping in the back bedroom with 4 people. It was a little crowded, but manageable. I know how to pack for next time now. Aunt Linda and Uncle Bob were in MN for a couple weeks and wanted to spend some time at the lake. We headed up their first weekend there to visit, celebrate my mom's birthday and celebrate Father's Day. We had a fun time and are looking forward to their next visit.

Cincinnati

I know it's a little late, but we've been really busy this June. Here are some pictures from Cincinnati.

The highlights:

• We drove (I know, I know...) to Cincinnati with the Phillips at the beginning of June
• Two days down, four days there, two days back
• 2 families, 9 people (whenever we walked in to a restaurant and told them we needed a table for 9 with 2 highchairs, the hostess's eyes got wide)

Creation Museum: Very interesting. I would recommend a visit, but be prepared to read a lot. And make sure the people you go with (not a 2-year-old) are prepared to read (or be read to) a lot too. I'd love to go back in a few years when the kids are older.

Cincinnati Zoo: A great zoo, although it rained on the day we chose to go. It just made it that much more exciting. Despite wearing ponchos, we still ended up VERY wet.

Cincinnati Fire Museum: This was by far the highlight for Jack. He got to "drive" a fire engine (it was really just the top front 1/4 of the cab, but it had a steering wheel and some switches so he didn't care - who needs wheels?). We had to have some lessons about sharing because as soon as Sam and Caleb even stepped near the fire engine, Jack began to scream.

Parky's Ark Water Park: Mid 90s and humid is perfect weather to spend an hour or so at a water park. Jack was apprehensive at first, but by the time we had to leave he was begging (by begging I mean freaking out and crying at the mere mention of getting in the car) to stay. He just stood under the rainbow and said, "It's like a shower" over and over.

Riverboat "Cruise": After the water park, we headed to downtown Cincinnati to take a paddle boat tour of the city. There had been a lot of rain so the current in the Ohio river was strong and the paddles weren't strong enough to get us upstream. Instead, we were pushed by a tug boat. A very different experience than what I expected. Nonetheless, it was an interesting history and city and we got to ride on a boat.

A Sceptre

A Sceptre shall rise out of Israel.

Numbers 24:17

There is a view of Jeses which men are slow to see, but some day all the world shall know that "A Sceptre" shall rise out of Israel, and evil will be destroyed before His righteousness more swiftly than ice must melt before the glowing sun. It is in the very nature of things that sin must be consumed before His glorious holiness. Can it be other than the love of sin that blinds the eyes of men to His consuming righteousness? "Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." Amen.

I am often apprehensive to ask God to search my heart because of the sin that lives there. It's comforting to know that the Lord has authority over all my sin and by His power I can overcome it.