8 Years Old!

8 years old! 

 

 7 years old

 

6 years old

 

5 years old

(4 year blue chair picture ???)

3 years old

2 1/2 years old

2 years old

18 months old

1 year old

11 months old

10 months old

9 months old

 8 months old

7 months old

6 months old

5 months old

4 months old

3 months old

2 months old

1 month old

2 weeks old

Dear Josiah,

 

Happy birthday, my son! 

 

It is a wonderful thing to celebrate God's mercy in bringing you to our family and marking 8 years of your life! 

 

You are a funny and inquisitive fellow, full of energy and yet sensitive to others. Tonight at supper Dad had everyone pray and thank God for something about you. Here's what they said:

• Dad: Thank You, Lord, that Josiah is a very thankful boy.
• Elliot: Thank You that Josiah is always kind and says "please don't" when we're playing.
• Victor: Thank You that Josiah is very kind.
• Calvin: Thank You that Josiah plays kindly. (or something like that...)
• Mom: Thank You that Josiah loves Your word and that he prays for others.
  

There are many things we thank God for in your life!

You are gentle and kind to your little sister. And you're big enough to carry her around when she needs a change of scenery. You and your brothers take such good care of Jemima, entertaining her, making sure she does not eat tiny things, and protecting her from falling down stairs.

You continue to grow in strength and stamina. You are learning so many things in school. You love science, wildlife, and studying animals. You bike like a pro, do monkey bars like crazy, and love to run and jump.

You have a protective, caring spirit. Often you will tell me, "Mom, you shouldn't work so hard," or "Mom, you should have something to eat." You carry the heavy bag of library books for me. And you are not too big to give me a hug in the hallway at homeschool co-op.

This weekend you kids and Dad went to a park (it was a blustery 30-something day). When I asked if there were other kids playing there, you said no. "But I don't know why. It was just like summer, only colder." Funny guy!

When I look back at this school year, I can see how much you have grown in reading, math, and spelling. You trace an amazing Africa, and you enjoy cursive handwriting. You have also taken it upon yourself to try to learn some verses by heart. Love it.

You are very generous and thoughtful. Several days ago you pulled me aside privately, to ask if you could buy the brothers a little gift as a thank you for celebrating your birthday. I love to see that reflection of our generous Savior in you.

I am reminded of a verse that is one of my favorites: 

For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth, that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. (2 Chronicles 16:9a)

What a beautiful picture this is, of our great and mighty God scanning the hearts of all His creatures, with a special bent to uphold, help, and work on behalf of one whose heart is undivided, fully submitted to Him. I am keenly aware of how far short I fall ... my heart is often fragmented in desires, impressed by humans, forgetful of God's greatness. 

This is the very reason Jesus came, because we are unable to fully pursue the LORD, unable even to want the things that He wants for us. The law that was written on stones showed us the beautiful will and ways of God, but it couldn't give us power to do them. It couldn't bring those words to life in our hearts. 

But how great it is that God sent into the world One whose heart was indeed completely His. One who obeyed the will of the Father to the uttermost. This was the One that was commended, "This is my beloved Son; listen to Him!" And when He died on the cross, He not only satisfied the wrath of God for our sin but opened the door for a great exchange--He paid our debt of sin, and now God, looking on us, would see the perfect heart of His Son. And not only would that righteousness be externally applied, but He would also send His own Spirit to dwell in our hearts and bear true fruit of righteousness from the inside out.

What a Savior! I pray that you are indeed incrementally shaped and refined to be one whose heart is completely His.

I love you, dear Josiah,

Momma

Josiah (3.31.22) 8 years old

 

1.       What is your favorite color? red

2.       What is your favorite fruit? apples

3.       What is your favorite video to watch? Cheetah

4.       What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? pizza

5.       What is your favorite thing to wear? new t-shirt

6.       What is your favorite game? super powers

7.       What is your favorite snack? teddy grahams

8.       What is your favorite animal? peregrine falcon

9.       What is your favorite song? Away in a Manger

10.   What is your favorite verse? Psalm 56:3-4

11.   What is your favorite book? Adventures in Odyssey or the Imagination Station

12.   Who is your best friend? Benaiah

13.   What is your favorite thing to do outside? swing on the ropeswing

14.   What is your favorite drink? Root beer

15.   What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? cinnamon rolls

16.   What do you want for dinner on your birthday? pizza

17.   What do you want to be when you grow up? a zoologist

18.   What was one of your favorite things that you did this year? go to the zoo

19.   Where is your favorite place to go? the zoo

20.   Do you have a goal or something you’d like to work on this year? learning about animal tracks

21.   Is there anything you hope will happen this year? to see the Banowetzes

My 4-Loaf Sourdough Schedule (i.e. how I make sourdough bread without going crazy)

 

I have been dabbling in sourdough for a little over a year now, and much of that time has been spent in the mild angst of these kinds of weeks:

• This would be the perfect day to bake sourdough bread, but my starter is not strong enough, nor did I mix up the dough last night.
• I have a strong starter, but no time to mix up bread tonight.
  
• I could mix up bread tonight, but I will not be home tomorrow morning to bake it. 
• My starter is not strong, but because I have time tonight to mix up dough and time tomorrow to bake it, I will just try anyway (naive optimism = super-sad-hockey-puck loaf of bread) 
• All of these days of failure to make sourdough bread have left me with jars of sourdough discard which require my time to bake into something. (*stressed*)
  
• Repeat.

After too many of these kinds of weeks and a little advice and experimentation, I have landed on a happy rhythm! I now only have to feed my starter three days a week, bake once, and get four lovely loaves of sourdough on a regular basis (plus a bonus batch of excellent pancakes made with the discard).

None of this is "the one right way" to do sourdough, but it has proven a very helpful and workable routine for our family. Feel free to take it and make it your own.

My Weekly Schedule

Friday (anytime): 

Take sourdough starter out of the fridge. Remove some discard (quantity varies depending on how much I have and how much discard I need for pancakes, see below) to leave about 1/3 cup starter. Feed with 60 g warm water and 60 g unbleached flour. Stir well and leave lightly covered on the counter. (Refrigerate discard.)

Optional but our weekly tradition: 

Friday night: 

Mix 1 1/2 batches of Classic Sourdough Pancakes. Leave on counter overnight. Cook pancakes Saturday morning according to recipe. (Note: This will require 340 g -- 1 1/2 cups -- sourdough discard, and if needed you can just add extra to your equal parts of warm water and unbleached flour when you feed your starter so that you'll have enough extra on hand for the pancakes.)

Saturday (anytime):

Remove 120 g starter as discard. Feed with 60 g warm water and 60 g unbleached flour. Stir well and leave lightly covered on the counter. (Refrigerate discard.)

Sunday:

After church, ideally no later than 2pm: 

Remove 120 g starter as discard. Feed with 100 g warm water and 100 g unbleached flour. (The extra amount will provide enough starter for 4 loaves of bread.) Stir well and leave lightly covered on the counter. (Refrigerate discard.)

Between 6-8pm (once starter has doubled in volume on the counter): 

Mix up dough.

To mix dough, use food scale to combine:

• 200 g sourdough starter, doubled in volume from when it was fed earlier in the day
• 1400 g warm water
• 36 g salt

Use a fork to whisk all this together well. Then add:

• 2000 g bread flour

Using the skinny end of a wooden spoon, combine and cut together all the ingredients until you have a shaggy dough and no flour pockets or soupy, watery areas. 

 

Cover (I flip another bowl upside down on top) and leave overnight.

 

Monday:

Dough looks like this in the morning:

 

Between 7:30-8:30am: 

Lightly flour counter. Dump the dough onto the counter and fold each side inward on itself. 

 Flip upside down. Cut into 4 even pieces and gently stretch and tuck the ends underneath to form a smooth ball. Set on floured counter and leave for 30-60 minutes.

 

After 30 minutes: 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. (Optional: Put Dutch oven in the oven to preheat as well.)

When oven is hot: 

Place one piece of dough into Dutch oven, on a piece of parchment paper. Cut 3 slashes on top (I use kitchen shears). Cover with lid and put in oven. 

 

Place second piece of dough into 6" aluminum hotel pan, on a piece of parchment paper. Cut 3 slashes on top. Cover with lid and put in oven (both on top rack).

Bake 30 minutes. Remove lid from Dutch oven (I keep the hotel pan covered). 

Bake additional 30 minutes. Remove bread from both pans to wire rack. 

 

Put another piece of dough into Dutch oven and hotel pan, repeat process of slashing, covering, baking 30 min, uncovering Dutch oven, baking final 30 minutes.

Remove all bread to wire rack. Let cool at least one hour before slicing.

(To slice, I cut a loaf in half lengthwise, then set cut side down and slice into pieces through the crusty end.)

Any bread that is not eaten on the day it is baked, I put into a ziplock bag in the freezer. Thaw on counter overnight.

10 months old!

10 months old!

 

 

9 months old

8 months old

 

7 months old

 

6 months old

 

5 months old

 

4 months old

 

3 months old

 

2 months old

 

1 month old

 

2 weeks old

Dear Jemima, 

These days, you are acting more and more like a big kid.  

- You crawl! Actually, it's the sweetest little shuffle, shuffle, shuffle I have ever seen. But it gets you where you want to go!

- You have an incredibly keen eye for all the tiny things. Which you then grab in your precise little pincher grip so that you can eat them (i.e. gag yourself on them and puke on the carpet). #trouble

- You've begun pulling yourself to the edge of your crib with both little fists on the railing. In about two seconds, you'll be standing up, ready to throw a leg over the side and let yourself out. But for now, you're just taking in the view (and chewing on the railing a bit).

- You do very well on your cereal + veggies. I feed you a bowl 0-3 times a day, depending on the chaos of the given meal.

- You had a roaring cold for over a week. It was very sad to lose your happy smile, peaceful sleep, and serene countenance, but it makes us even gladder to see it return!

- Your teeth are getting bigger and bigger. I'm pretty sure you have some back teeth too, but I haven't fished around to find out exactly how many. It's dangerous in there.

- You're in 9-12 month clothes. P.S. I love your sweet chubs. 

This weekend I was studying in Exodus 31, where the LORD told Moses to speak to all the people of Israel and say, 'Above all, you shall keep My Sabbaths, for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you" (Exodus 31:13).

Sabbath. Stop your work on the 7th day. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. 

Does this seem a little extreme? Surely a "day off" is not such a big deal that it calls for the death penalty?

But picture our Redeemer, speaking to His newly-freed people, saying: 

On pain of death, do not return to ceaseless work. You forgetful people, do not slip back into your mindset as slaves who endlessly grind away, as though the burden lies on you to produce something, to earn God's favor. No more. You have been freed to rest. You belong to a new Master, One who is so generous and wise that He gives to His people sleep and every good gift.

Isn't this a lovely foreshadowing of salvation? Your covenant God calls you to rest, for He has done the greatest work on your behalf. Once a week, practice being still, because you have already been redeemed. You have a God who rescues, sets apart, adopts, transforms, and fills.

The Pharisees turned Sabbath into just the opposite. Instead of resting, they made it a new kind of "work" (Walk only so many steps! Don't lift such-and-such a weight! Don't make mud by spitting into the dirt and applying it to a man's eyes for his healing! Keep the rules, or else!) 

But Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, revealed the heart of God. He, the Worker on behalf of His people, would ceaselessly love, would keep the Law perfectly, and would pay the debt on behalf of sin's slaves so that His people could enter His eternal rest.

What a joy to belong to such a kind King and Lord. I pray that you find a heart of rest in Him, even on days that are crazy, intense, chaotic, perhaps even exhausting. May Jesus refresh your heart, enable your happy obedience, and give true peace because His perfect record covers our failures and sins.

How I love you, sweet Jem Jem,
Momma