Home Sweet Home

Yesterday we bought a house. Our first.

It feels like one of those pillars to remember, of God's kindness and generosity, so much beyond expectation. A tale of God's surprising provision, and the evidence of so much grace in our lives!

We are rounding the bend in Ben's seminary, last semester underway (just one class). What a significant season! I can hardly believe we are nearing the end of this long road of preparation and getting ready to invest all that training in a fuller focus on ministry.

We are loving this little home. But the thing that really makes it sweet is being here with all the promises of God to bank on and the anticipation of His hand behind and before us and resting upon us in all the days to come.

And if you happen to be near Lexington, MN, you should drop on by to see us!

9 Months Old!

9 months old!

8 months old

7 months old

6 months old

5 months

 4 months

3 months

2 months

 1 month

 2 weeks old

Dear Elliot,

Here we are, celebrating 9 months of your life!

Congratulations, little man, on being "out" as long as you were "in"! It is perhaps fitting to celebrate this mark of your life by Daddy going to the March for Life at the state capitol, praying and protesting the vast numbers of tiny unborn babies killed through abortion. May your lifetime see the end of that horror, my son, if God would grant that grace.

Here at 9 months, you are:

- Thoroughly done with 12 month clothes, and really finding the 18 month clothes none too roomy. You continue to attract the attention of friendly folks with the size of your cheeks, the rolls at your wrists, and your general rotund physique. You are very adorable, Mr. Chunker.

- Much more of a sitter now. I still plop a big pillow behind you (and you still throw yourself backward and generally roll around when you're tired of sitting up), but you are certainly strong enough to stay upright.

- On the move. You don't crawl, scootch, or walk, but you can roll! It was with a considerable measure of consternation that we discovered you last night, having rolled your way over to the potty chair (currently in residence in the center of our living room for training purposes). You were distinctly pleased with yourself, having grabbed the seat out of the potty, dumped its contents on yourself, and were happily gumming away at it. Gross, my son. Gross.

- A chatty fellow. You croon, complain, and chat much of the time.

- Eating a big bowl of cereal and baby food fruits and veggies three times a day, except when we are out and about and Mom forgets to bring some. You aren't picky about what is in the mix, and you are also a big fan of sipping water from a sippy cup and eating Cheerio halves. You also love grabbing the tablecloth and pulling everything onto the floor.

- Are getting a little restless with the exersaucer, but still enjoying the jumperoo.


- Keep an hour or so morning nap and normally also 1:30-3:45pm as well. Bedtime is around 7:15pm, and you get up in the morning around 7am. Still one middle of the night feeding (when you're not sick), although I hope we're getting ready to wrap that up soon.

- Love Shaun the Sheep and most of the other shows your big brothers watch during neb treatments.

You are growing and changing, and we love it!

Today I was reading in Romans 4, and my prayer for you and your brothers is that you, like Abraham, will be those who believe God and have it counted for you as righteousness, because of the redeeming work of Jesus. May you lay aside all efforts to be good enough in your own strength and receive the gift of grace that comes to those who trust in Jesus. Then it will be true, the meaning of your name: "The LORD is my God." That is our great heart's desire for you, my son.

We love you and are so thankful that you are here!

Hugs and snuggles,
Momma

Victor's Birthday Celebrations

An early January birthday can sometimes get lost in the shuffle, and adding in a move was a bit of extra excitement, but this birthday boy still enjoyed all the ways special people helped us celebrate!

A "January birthday party" at Grammy and Grandad's

Birthday gifts at our new home (with moving boxes as accessories :) )

A fun time with friends at the Lebanon Hills Visitor Center 

(while Daddy finished spackling and painting at our old apartment)

Special treats with the Katterson cousins

5 Years Old!

5 years old!

4 years old

3 years old

2 years old

18 months

One year old

11 months

10 months

9 months

 
8 months

7 months

6 months

5 months old

4 months old

3 months old

2 months old

1 month old

2 weeks old

Dear Victor,

What a marvelous thing, to celebrate 5 years of life! I am so thankful that God gave me my best and biggest job of being a mom when He gave me you! And what a big boy you’re growing to be.

God has given you a very good mind, and this year we’ve been doing a lot of learning with our school time at home. You have greatly grown in your understanding of letters and their sounds and do a good job sounding out many words. You have a very orderly, systematic way of thinking, and you thrive with a regular routine and knowing what to expect.

You are really loving games right now. Zingo, Rush Hour, and the Richard Scarry game are some of your favorites, and you can sit for (probably) hours engrossed in playing them. You also still love trucks and cars, Thomas the train, playing hide and seek, and doing workbooks.

You are definitely a member of the clean plate club, and you will normally eat whatever is given you.

You have a good memory and frequently help me remember things. You also have a good sense of direction (which you did not get from me!) and are very observant about where we are going.

You’re normally very social and enjoy when we can meet up with friends to play or get together with our cousins. You are also good buddies with your younger brothers, and you have a very strong sense of how you want to do certain things with them. We are working on using peacemaking words and having flexibility to enjoy others playing a different way than we are.

You’ve started to enjoy singing and playing with our musical instruments, and one of our favorite verses to review is James 4:7-8, which we do with enthusiastic musical accompaniment. You are bright and inquisitive and funny and determined.

I love having you in church with us. Often when we are singing, I think of you and pray for you. When we sing about Jesus, “Victor, over sin and death You triumphed,” I choke up. It has been our great prayer ever since we chose your name that you would be hidden in Christ, the Great Victor over sin and death, the One who has ransomed for Himself a people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

I remember again the verses we chose for you when you were born:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

“O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:54b-57)

May God give you grace to see your sin and need for Jesus, turn to Him in faith, and receive His perfect covering of righteousness. What a great gift!

We love you, Mr. Victor,

Momma

Interview with Victor at 5 years old (1.7.17)

1.      What is your favorite color? Orange and blue

2.      What is your favorite toy? Games

3.      What is your favorite fruit? Apple

4.      What is your favorite video to watch? Shaun the Sheep

5.      What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? The things that we got from church (??)

6.      What is your favorite thing to wear? Shorts and a t-shirt

7.      What is your favorite game? I have lots of favorite games

8.      What is your favorite snack? Chips

9.      What is your favorite animal? Skunk

10.   What is your favorite song? Away in the Manger

11.   What is your favorite verse? The one with the stop sign (James 4:7-8)

12.   What is your favorite book? High Five magazine

13.   Who is your best friend? Jocelyn

14.   What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play hide and seek

15.   What is your favorite drink? Juice

16.   What do you like to sleep with at night? Ducky

17.   What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Cereal

18.   What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Pizza

19.   What do you want to be when you grow up? An airport worker

20.   What was one of your favorite things that you did this year? Playing games

21.   What is your favorite place to go? That’s a hard one, because I like going lots of places, Sam and Jocelyn’s house