Elijah Graduates!

I mentioned when Elijah turned two that we were doing early intervention with him. His pediatrician had some development concerns, especially in the area of communication delays, so beginning in March or April of last year, we had a teacher coming to the house once a week to work with him.

Last month, it was time for his annual review, to look at our goals for him and see how he was doing. His teacher and I decided that it would be good to get a new evaluation done, so a few weeks ago, a developmental specialist came and took him through the same testing that we did a year ago.

We were delighted to hear that he has made so much progress, he is no longer eligible for early intervention services! Our little man has grown SO much in the last year. He still has a delay in communication, but it's not enough to qualify for ongoing help. So, it was with gratitude and some sadness that we recently said goodbye to Miss Holly, Elijah's teacher, who has become a sweet friend over the past twelve months. Elijah enjoyed her visits so much that I had to be sure not to mention she was coming until I saw her car in the driveway!

We're certainly thankful that some of the early questions/concerns are no longer on the table, and glad to see Elijah growing and talking more and more. Yet it seems appropriate to revisit the words I wrote last August about this subject:

...more and more I'm inclined to think our little guy is simply a late bloomer, but the questions remain the same: Is my hope in my son being "normal" (or even "exceptionally bright"), or is my hope in God? Is Christ my greatest treasure? Do I believe that He is sovereign, good, and loving, regardless of whatever challenges my son may or may not face? Will I let my fearful heart run away with "what-ifs," or will I choose to put my trust in the Lord?

I'm reminded of a conversation Steve and I had over a year ago, in which he drew a comparison between two men we know: one brilliant, but obnoxiously so; the other simple, yet loving and wise. Steve remarked that while of course he’d love to have a bright, intelligent child, comparing these two men showed him that intelligence isn’t the best or most important thing to hope for. Wouldn’t we rather have a wise son, one who is devoted to God and trusts Him, than a brilliant son, when brilliance is so often a stumbling block (both in relationships with other people and in submission to God)?

Rather than hoping that Elijah would be smart or being disappointed if he’s not, rather than worrying about all his milestones and whether he’s developmentally behind other children, our job is to nurture and enjoy him for who he is—not who we might foolishly think we want him to be.

Multitude Monday, Take 153

The practice of gratitude was put to the test for me last Thursday night.

I didn't put up a thankful list last Monday, but I had plenty to be thankful for. Steve left last Sunday night for a business trip, so rather than spend the weekend alone, Elijah and I headed to Memphis to spend a few days with one of my favorite families. We drove home on Thursday, expecting to joyfully (if tiredly) greet Steve around midnight after a late flight.

I don't know how single moms do it, honestly...I do not handle single parenting well. Even surrounded by dear friends, I struggled. My patience was near nonexistent, my frustration high, my joy definitely missing. By Thursday afternoon, I was counting down the hours until Steve got home--not only because I missed him, but also (selfishly) because I looked forward to dumping Elijah on him Friday and taking a break.

So you can imagine how I felt when Steve called to say that the flight out of New York was delayed, and they might miss their connection in D.C. And how I felt a few hours later when he called again to say that not only was he definitely stuck in D.C. for the night, but that he was only on standby for Friday flights home.

I wanted to whine and complain. I wanted to wallow in bitterness and resentment and self-pity. Even now with a few days' perspective, it seems such a foolish, petty thing. But at the time, it was a battle. And I did wallow, for a while.

But by the grace of God, some words from sweet, wise Ann came to mind. I remembered her Monday gratitude post, in which she said:

The only way to live in the joy of the Lord... is to believe that the Lord only gives life for joy. That's the real reality I realize, fight wild to cling to on a Friday...when it seems just a matter of time until I have my mothering license revoked...That's the truth I whisper when I look in the mirror on a Monday morning.

That our Creator God passionately wraps each moment different but He's actually the most predictable of gift givers. God gives only one kind of gift: All is for joy. I remember it again: In the midst of the ugly, there's always a window through to the joy beauty.

Never be deceived by ugly wrapping paper. When I believe that God gives every moment always for ultimate joy, every moment becomes a gift. And I can always unwrap any ugly to discover the beauty of joy.

So with a deep breath, I pulled my angry, disappointed self off the futon. I didn't want to do it. I certainly didn't feel grateful. But I had to admit that wallowing wasn't going to make me feel better, wasn't going to help at all. By grace I picked up my pen and my journal, reread and copied Ann's words, and then started counting blessings. Things like:

381. a toddler who loves Mama so much that he is distraught when she disappears for ten seconds
382. Diane, who loves me in spite of my being a mess
383. a toddler who loves music so much he asks for it incessantly
384. having to leave Memphis three hours later than planned, which meant I got spaghetti for dinner instead of snacks in the car
385. truth blaring through car speakers in song when I am too weak to preach to myself

386. a smooth transfer from carseat to bed, with little crying
387. Steve being one step closer to home
388. Steve having his luggage, since he carried on and didn't check his bag
389. grace to remember Ann's blog post and start this list

Then, in God's lavish, ridiculous grace, I got to thank Him again on Friday when...

390. Steve was one of two guys who got on the first flight out of D.C.
391. Steve walked in the door around 10AM and wrapped me up in a huge hug
392. we got to spend the entire day together, since he didn't have to go to work after that ordeal

Slowly, I am learning that because all things pass through His sovereign, wise, loving hands, all things are gifts, no matter how they look to me at first. I am learning to choose gratitude.

Multitude Monday, Take 152

Thanking God this week for...

349. safe travels home and back
350. the opportunity to see Steve's little brother in his last high school musical
351. memories of all the musicals we did way back when
352. breakfast out with old friends
353. the fun of seeing Elijah and his cousin run around together

354. time with both families
355. good conversations
356. the new (to us--a refinished antique) chair we brought back, a gift from Steve's parents
357. tiny buds on trees
358. the privilege of staying home with Elijah

359. opportunity to break out the flip-flops!
360. long walks
361. a nice park near our house
362. Elijah swinging: "higher pwease!"
363. fresh pineapple, cheap at Aldi

364. requests for snuggles
365. dear friends' willingness to share their struggles with me
366. sunshine, when the forecast called for rain
367. Steve getting home unexpectedly early, two days in a row
368. grace to preach to myself and let Truth have the last word

369. time with friends and their kids
370. the ways parenting humbles me
371. a chiropractor I trust
372. the way Elijah is so concerned about his mama getting hurt by the chiropractor
373. use of a friend's washing machine when ours is broken

374. Steve's ability to tear apart our washing machine, diagnose the problem, order parts to fix it
375. grace to get up early
376. dinner and great conversation with friends
377. starting marriage with no financial baggage
378. a church we hate to be away from and miss when we're gone

379. providing comfort and encouragement when I need it
380. not treating me as my sins deserve

Elijah and the Lion: 30 Months

I realized this morning that I never posted the lion pictures I promised you a month ago. Oops.

I bought this gigantic stuffed lion with some gift money when Elijah was just a couple of months old, stealing a friend's idea to take Elijah's picture with it every so often as he grows up. We took monthly pictures the first year, then about every three months the second year, and now we're down to every six months. Since he turned two and a half in February, it was time for new pictures with "Wonnie." The lion doesn't actually have a name; "wonnie" is just how Elijah mangles the word "lion"--but I think it's so adorable that we'll probably forever call this lion "Wonnie."

This round of lion photos was a pleasant surprise after the last several photo shoots. For a while there it was a crazy wrestling match trying to get a good picture in between keeping Elijah from climbing all over the couch or simply getting down and running away. Suddenly this time he sat still and grinned at the camera on command! Wow!

So without further ado, here's my little man with his lion.

...And if you want to see how he's grown, here's an old post with photos from 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 months.

Who Gets the Last Word?

So often my inner monologue goes something like this:

"Lord, I know Your Word says children are a blessing, but this sure doesn't feel like a blessing right now--I am not enjoying it."

"I know we're not supposed to complain about the weather, but I sure am sick of this cold and ready for spring."

"Getting this Mac was a huge blessing, I know, but right now I hate it; I'm so annoyed with learning something new."

Notice a pattern? My emotions get the last word. "Truth, BUT...emotions that drown out that truth."

More and more I'm realizing the need to practice exactly the opposite:

"Lord, I'm really struggling to enjoy and appreciate this blessing, but You have indeed blessed me with a son to raise for Your glory. Through him I can have an impact on places I will never go, people I will never meet, in a time I will not live to see. Through him You are refining me, teaching me patience, exposing my sin, giving me glimpses of my helplessness and Your Father-heart. You have chosen such a kind, gentle, beautiful way to refine me. You love me and are committed to making me holy! You are using motherhood and all its difficulties to glorify Your name and remake me in the image of Your Son. You are graciously teaching me humility and dependence on You; You are tearing down the idols in my heart because You are jealous for my affections. This is hard, but You are with me and I have every reason to praise You!"

"Lord, I definitely like warm weather better than cold, but you are sovereign over everything, including weather, and You know what's best. You wisely send both rain and sunshine; the cold days make me appreciate the warm all the more."

"I'm feeling frustrated with change and it's hard to learn something new--but thank You for the blessing of having a computer at all, let alone a brand-new one!"

Same content...totally different perspective. Who gets the last word? The fact is, my emotions are untrustworthy and God's Word is true, not vice versa. Rather than letting my fickle feelings about my circumstances trump what is eternally true, I need to submit my emotions to the Truth.

I'm not saying it's wrong to be honest about how I feel. The emotions are real, and it's better to acknowledge them than to bury them and pretend they don't exist. But I don't want to let myself be ruled by them. Emotions make terrible masters. My heart can only be ruled by one Master--and how much better to be ruled by the wise, loving, sovereign, NEVER-changing King...than my foolish, self-centered, limited-perspective, constantly-shifting emotions?

Two of the most beautiful words I have memorized over the last few months are "BUT God." Horrible truth about who we were in our sin and the hopelessness of our condition...But God, being rich in mercy, trumped that hopelessness. Reality was bleak--but God was bigger.

This week I'm trying to "...But God" my emotions. I'm learning to let the King have the last word.

Multitude Monday, Take 151

Ack...another week goes by with no blog posts other than the gratitude list. Better than nothing, I suppose, but I hope to get some other posts up this week. Thanks for your patience.

Meanwhile, thanking God this week for...

316. phone calls with beloved women who live too far away
317. headset so I can talk while doing dishes or changing diapers
318. dental care
319. no cavities
320. a new hygienist, who was MUCH gentler on my teeth than the old one

321. ability to mail packages cross-country in a matter of days
322. long, refreshing naps
323. free babysitting from my sweet friend Jessie Rae
324. date with friends, awesome food and conversation
325. the look on Elijah's face when we got home

326. magnesium
327. pretty brown & blue journal
328. pearl earrings
329. provocative quotes from books & blogs
330. lunch dates with dear friends

331. refrigerator completely covered with updated photos of friends & family
332. news that Steve's work trip will be shorter than we thought
333. grilled cheese and homemade tomato soup
334. music from the ministry team I traveled with in 2002--blast from the past
335. the amazing opportunity I had to travel with that group for two years

336. the little parenting triumphs: being able to figure out what's wrong at 2 AM and fix it quickly
337. handmade soap from a friend
338. opportunities for Elijah to play outside
339. satisfaction of seeing a disaster of a kitchen transformed as I clean
340. old videos of Elijah, who has grown SO much already

341. Elijah's delight in watching said videos and giggling at himself
342. iMovie, the one (so far) redeeming thing about switching to Mac
343. friends I can be 100% honest with
344. challenging teaching at church yesterday
345. ending the long, full week with dinner at our pastor's home last night

346. patiently, gently teaching and leading me
347. loving me first, when I was still dead
348. circumcising my heart so that I could love Him

Multitude Monday, Take 150

Thanking God this week for...

292. new music that arrived on my porch this afternoon!
293. my handy husband, who's downstairs attempting to fix our washing machine
294. grace to get up with the alarm
295. the fresh start of Monday mornings
296. Steve's cooking skills, and the way he puts them to use every Sunday breakfast (and often in between!)

297. leftover oatmeal pancakes for breakfast today
298. two long phone calls with beloved friends this afternoon
299. a headset, so I could do dishes while I chatted
300. girls' night out on Saturday
301. fellowship and games on Friday

302. lunch with a friend on Thursday
303. Elijah's hysterical giggles, over the simplest things
304. hearing him say, "Jesus yoves me, this I know..."
305. singing "Splish Splash" with him during a Saturday morning bath
306. dinner + lunch leftovers at Qdoba for $1.98

307. a church that practices biblical church discipline
308. bringing that process to fruition with reconciliation/restoration
309. going to the far country to find His lost sheep
310. helpful customer service reps with our health insurance company
311. little white undershirts, just like Daddy's but in size 2T/3T (E has finally outgrown onesies :)

312. knowledge to understand the flaws in our food system and make better choices
313. being so much more patient with me than I can manage to be with Elijah
314. the helpful TULIP study Steve and I just finished
315. His power and willingness to change hearts like mine

Don't Miss This Music Sale

All month long I've been meaning to blog about Sovereign Grace's crazy February sale, and keep forgetting/procrastinating...now here we are at the end of the month and you've got a day and a half left!

Sovereign Grace has been running this sale the last couple of years--all their CDs marked down to $6 (and shipping is free on orders over $15), or downloadable albums for only $5. Many of their books are on sale for only $7 or less, too. This is a perfect opportunity to pick up some fantastic, gospel-centered, Christ-exalting music. I can personally recommend (very highly!) all of the following albums:

Savior: Celebrating the Mystery of God Become Man (full review)
Psalms
Fuse
Come Weary Saints
Together for the Gospel Live
To Be Like Jesus (full review)
Worship God Live (full review)
Songs for the Cross Centered Life (full review)
Sons and Daughters
Valley of Vision

I placed my order last week--eagerly stalking the mailbox for some new music :) Hope this post isn't too late for you to take advantage of this awesome sale!

Use It or Lose It

So many of my struggles have nothing to do with not knowing the truth, and everything to do with believing, living, what I know. Can I get an amen?

I've seen this dynamic most recently as I think about Scripture memorization, having just come off of Mega Memory Month not long ago. By the grace of God, I have finished memorizing Ephesians 1-2. He has also enabled me to hide much more of His Word in my heart over the last few years, from Romans 8 to the gospel narrative to scattered comforting verses from Habakkuk to Revelation, Genesis to Luke.

But I'm finding that although I have all this Scripture in my head, it does me no good.

At least, these memorized Words of Life are useless when buried deep in the recesses of my brain. If I don't rehearse them frequently, the problem isn't simply that I'll forget them. Even before they slip from my memory, the problem is that they aren't helping me. You see, memorized Words of Life are useful only when I stop passively listening to my inner monologue and make the effort, take the time, to recite them.

Paul uses fightin' words to talk about the life of the mind: take every thought captive to obey Christ, he urges us. Yet I stumble through each day passive and lazy, content to be carried along by every whim of my inner monologue. My default mode is listening--to thoughts that are unhelpful at best and seductive lies at worst; to emotions that are fickle and untrustworthy.

But God has not left me defenseless in the face of these thoughts that wage war against my soul. He has gone far beyond even giving me a copy of His Word to read. He has given me the ability to commit these Words to my memory, to have them ready at any moment, in any place. He has graciously equipped me for battle--will I stand up and FIGHT?

I have to ask myself: What good is memorizing for the sake of memorizing? Have I learned these Scriptures so that others will be impressed with me, so that I can be impressed with myself? Or have I learned them "that I might not sin against You", so that I am equipped for battle? A sword is completely useless if it never comes out of its sheath!

It takes effort to move from passive listening to dialogue with the living God--to preach to yourself nourishing, inspiring, empowering, beautiful Truth. It's hard to discipline yourself to think through and speak through the words of Scripture, easier instead to let your mind drift wherever it may.

But the hardest part of the effort has already been accomplished. I don't have to go find a Bible or read a verse posted on the wall; it's already in my mind! All I have to do is USE it. And in using it, I demonstrate trust. I look to God's unchanging Word and character, not my always-shifting emotions, to interpret reality. I display the conquering power of the sword He has given me.

So I'd ask you today if you're still following through with your 100 days of reinforcement, if you've retained what you worked so hard to memorize in January. But the more important question is, are you using what you learned? Are you seizing that sword and fighting?

Multitude Monday, Take 149

Thanking God this week for...

270. giant icicles
271. brown sugar & fig lotion
272. tons of laughs at old church camp photos and memories
273. coffee with a sweet girl from church last Monday
274. Steve's phone call at bedtime that night so Elijah could say night-night to Mama :)

275. evidence of His grace at work even in the midst of hard stuff
276. coming home from that girl time to an empty sink and clean dishes
277. Brita filters gifted from a friend, just when I needed to buy some new ones
278. mercy not dependent on my performance
279. grace to be compassionate with E in the middle of the night

280. sunshine
281. playdates with friends and their kids
282. recordings of the ministry team I used to sing with in college
283. Elijah, recently on a The Little Engine That Could kick, wandering through the kitchen: "I fink I can, I fink I can!"
284. Steve's willingness to do the dirty jobs around the house, without complaint

285. walks outside for the first time in ages
286. experimental lasagna (improvising with what I had on hand) that got great reviews from my guys
287. clean laundry
288. the gift of conviction from the Holy Spirit
289. long, thoughtful emails from friends

290. Monday mornings, opportunities for fresh starts to new weeks
291. mercy that doesn't wait for Monday mornings to make me new

Multitude Monday, Take 148

Thanking God this week for...

246. giant snowflakes whirling in the air
247. handmade gifts at Etsy.com
248. new library books to read
249. prayer time with Steve
250. His sovereignty

251. the beauty of Christ
252. Elijah's energy and enthusiasm
253. pistachios
254. inscriptions in books
255. more people I want to have over than days in the week...what a great problem to have!

256. journals as remembrances of God's faithful care
257. clean, soft sheets
258. the Psalms, a bottomless well of comfort
259. long naps
260. the Facebook group someone just started for my old church camp

261. the color pink
262. clean, kissable toddler toes
263. books strewn everywhere--because they're being read
264. fun stamping and conversation with my friend Melissa
265. refrigerator full of leftovers

266. children's Tylenol
267. cuddling up with my hubby and a movie, twice, on a quiet weekend
268. courage to speak hard words
269. our church family

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~ 2.12.10

So much for regaining my blogging groove, eh? I thought life was going to settle down a little after the holidays...apparently not so much. If nothing else, a little Simple Woman's Daybook...

Outside my window...
snow! Nothing compared to the East Coast, but still, more than we've ever seen since moving to Tennessee almost five years ago. Enough to make a crazy driver plow through our front yard on Monday night and completely take out our mailbox, which is still lying destroyed in the yard, meaning we've gotten no mail in four days.

I am thinking...
nothing profound, just several scattered, random things come to mind: how badly I need to reorganize the files on our computer, like I reorganized our paper files--and how long that's going to take...how I need and want to get back into the habit of writing/blogging...of fun plans coming up in the next few months...where I can get some Girl Scout cookies...

I am thankful for...
Steve's arrival home early today (he worked a little late last night)--meaning I got to run errands before places closed *without* having to take the little man out in the cold and get him in and out of his carseat four thousand times. It's the little things...

From the kitchen...
I'm in the midst of a pantry/freezer grocery challenge this month, trying to keep spending WAAAAY down and use up what we've got on hand. My original spending goal has proven to be completely unrealistic, but I'm still spending tons less than the monthly budget, which is nice. We'll be cleaning out the refrigerator for dinner tonight--but having steak tomorrow to make up for it. Haystack cookies (chocolate and butterscotch chips melted together and coating chow mein noodles) cooling in the fridge. Otherwise, nothing too exciting. Actually the next thing I need to make isn't food at all, but rather, homemade diaper rash cream.

I am wearing...
jeans, a silk long-sleeved undershirt (for warmth), a white t-shirt, a purple and gray zip-cardigan sweater, socks and slippers.

I am creating...
stamped cards--my friend Melissa came over last night (yay!) and got me going, so now my supplies are spread all over the dining room table. Since we aren't having any guests this weekend, I'm leaving it all out for a few days and hoping to get lots more cards made (we did more talking than stamping last night).

I am going...
to have to hide some of Elijah's books again soon. He has a handful of favorites that I don't think I can stand to read very many more times without a break :)

I am reading...
endless piles of children's books--and daily fighting to be grateful, not annoyed, when I'm interrupted with pleas of "read! read!" and a book thrust in my face :) Bible-wise, started the book of Deuteronomy this week (one of my favorite OT books), and I'm loving the first couple of chapters. Look for some blog posts soon, hopefully.

I just finished The House of Mirth this morning, and enjoyed it. Still in Soul Survivor and recently picked up Practicing Hospitality. Hoping to get into Nourishing Traditions soon. Also going through Love to Eat, Hate to Eat a third time, this time with my best friend. Aaand...I picked up Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era at the library this afternoon...not realizing it was going to be 800+ pages. Oy.

I am hoping...
that God will give me grace to talk to Him more and listen to myself less--to preach the gospel to myself and trust what I know is true, rather than letting my fickle emotions dictate my interpretation of reality.

I am hearing...
Shane & Shane's Psalms CD. That album never gets old!

Around the house...
finishing this up several hours after I started it, so these answers are a little jumbled. Just a quiet Friday evening, waiting for the little man's bedtime so we can watch a movie. Steve is in the living room trying to read--but not getting much done because Elijah has started taking him books instead of me :)

One of my favorite things...
cuddling with Elijah and his "wonnie" (lion) for a few minutes after he wakes up. For a while, the routine was to give the lion (who is huge--bigger than Elijah) a hug and a kiss before coming downstairs. Now the routine is to take his blanket out of his crib and go snuggle up with the lion. He sometimes lets me come snuggle too :)

A few plans for the rest of the week...
anticipating a quiet weekend at home with my hubby, after three busy and full weekends in a row. We've just started a two-week free trial of Netflix--we've been members in the past but have no intention of renewing past this trial; I simply wanted to be able to watch a few documentaries that we can't get through Redbox. So at some point we'll probably end up watching Food Inc, King Corn, and/or The Business of Being Born.

I hope that next week's plans will include coffee with a friend, a playdate with a friend I haven't seen since before Christmas, and maybe one or two other hospitality opportunities.

A picture thought I am sharing...
none today, unfortunately...I don't have pics on this computer. I tried to take a new picture of Elijah and the lion this afternoon (we've been taking them periodically to show how he's growing), but discovered my camera battery was dead. If I think of it, I'll come back and post that once I take it. It's time for a new one--my little man is officially two and a half. Wow.

Happy weekend, everyone!

Multitude Monday, Take 147

Thanking God this week for...

219. Steve's patience, bravery, servanthood and utter lack of scorn or condescension in dealing with me and with last week's unwelcome intruder
220. the capture and death of said intruder, less than 24 hours after discovery
221. no further evidence of companion intruders
222. our new computer
223. grace to rise early

224. Steve's freshly shaved face
225. anticipation
226. old photographs
227. Samaritan's Purse's Children's Heart Project and their video series
228. hospitality from friends

229. Elijah's good behavior far, far past his bedtime when we're at our friends' home
230. phone call with a dear friend
231. the way our pastor makes much of Christ week after week
232. getting to hear others' testimonies of God's spiritual and financial provision
233. husbands who are protective of their wives

234. clementine peels
235. moments spent snuggling my little boy in the mornings
236. his ridiculous eyelashes, the chubby curve of his cheek, his little hands
237. the way he scrunches up his entire face into a charming grin
238. Duplos all over the living room floor

239. unexpected gifts in the mail
240. fresh air on a walk, despite the cold
241. more snow on the ground
242. handmade gifts at Etsy.com
243. finding out that our library actually has, shockingly enough, the next book I want to read

244. His sovereignty, wisdom, goodness and love
245. friends who faithfully remind me of these truths

Snowed In

The other part of last week's busyness and blessings was a visit from my parents! Diane and the girls left on Thursday morning and my parents arrived Friday afternoon--so it was a bit of a whirlwind around here (hence the lack of blogging). With the winter storm warning, it was looking questionable as to whether Mom and Dad would be able to come, but they made it just before the snow started...and then they got to experience a snowstorm, Tennessee-style. It wouldn't have been much to talk about back home, but here it was front-page news; we were snowed in all weekend!

We had no place to go, really, so it made for a fun and cozy couple of days. We played games (more Settlers, more Ma Jiang); Dad helped Steve with a project downstairs; Mom read endless quantities of books to Elijah and entertained him while I got other things done. We won't mention the icky, unwelcome visitor who was discovered Saturday morning, eyewitnessed by yours truly on Saturday afternoon, then caught and disposed of by Steve on Sunday morning. *shiver*

For once, the snow forecast down here actually wasn't exaggerated, so we ended up with about six inches of snow! It was beautiful--and with hills readily available right across the street, we had to go sledding. Steve showed off his ingenuity with a big cardboard box and duct tape, and we took Elijah out for his first experience in the snow. We don't even have proper snow gear for him, so we had to improvise.

We were so bummed that church was cancelled on Sunday. But then Mom & Dad graciously watched Elijah for us so that we could go out on a date Sunday evening! We live on a main road and all the main roads were fine, so we got to experience Mongolian BBQ for the first time at Genghis Grill. I have to say I liked the concept and the process more than the actual taste of the food. Still, a date is a rare treat and I just enjoyed the quiet time with my hubby.

It is always so nice to have my parents come down for a visit. I love to see the way they delight in their grandson...and he likes them an awful lot, too :)

One of My Favorite Families Ever

The blog has been silent, and I've even missed the last two Multitude Mondays--but not for lack of things to be thankful for. Quite the opposite. The last two weeks have been filled with blessings, mostly due to visits from and with beloved people in my life.

We spent last weekend in Memphis with a family whom we have all grown to love. Diane was assigned to me as a mentor during my internship at Kingdom Building Ministries in 2003. It's one of the best arguments I know for the sovereignty of God: we were paired together by someone else, and in fact, I ran across a list that summer that indicated we weren't originally even supposed to be paired. We began in June as total strangers, and ended the summer as lifelong friends. I got to spend the following summer being mentored by Diane in person again, and ever since, we have continued to grow closer.

So, you can imagine my delight when Diane and her family moved from Denver to Memphis in 2007--only a four hour drive away, instead of a plane ride! Over the last couple of years, we've gotten to spend time together as families, which has been so fun. I had long enjoyed being part of her family, but now Steve has developed relationships with them, too, and he enjoys spending time with them *almost* as much as I do :)

We spent the weekend talking, eating, and playing games (mostly Settlers of Catan and Ma Jiang, with a few others thrown in). And then Diane and I got to go to Barnes & Noble Sunday afternoon for a few hours of uninterrupted, deeper conversation. What a blessing to my soul!

Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures of all eight of us...and we also didn't get an updated picture of me with all three of her kids. But this photo of the two of us seems light years away from us our first summer together (shoot, I don't have it on my computer...pre-digital camera), or even five years ago.

Anyway, before we left Sunday evening to come back home, a last-minute decision was made for us to bring their almost-eight-year-old daughter XinXin with us for a special visit! It was her first trip away from her family all by herself and she did great. I really enjoyed having a temporary older daughter, and learned a lot of lessons, including: 1) my life is going to change a LOT if we have another child; 2) I really do better with older kids; 3) having an 8-year-old around is good for the ego--sometimes because she makes you feel like a rockstar, and sometimes because her honesty knocks you down a peg or two :)

It was such a delight to have XinXin in our home! We worked on homeschool lessons, relaxed & had fun, and did lots of baking together:

Elijah alternated between being delighted to have a big sister and laughing hysterically at everything she did...and getting mad and trying to push her because he didn't want her playing with his toys. Sigh.

Then on Wednesday, Diane and her other daughter, HanYing, came here to pick XinXin up. So, not only did I get a bonus daughter, but I got 24 hours of extra unexpected time with Diane! (And, HanYing helped me win at Phase 10 :)

Here's me with both girls before they all left on Thursday morning:

These girls and their mama (as well as their dad and their big brother, who I unfortunately did not get pictures of) are so, so dear to my heart. Time with them last week was a HUGE blessing and my heart is still so thankful!