1 Year 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 Calvin,

How did this happen? You are 1! No more tiny baby...

Here are our big milestones of late:

- Summer has come! Your first application of sunscreen was pretty cute. You gave the biggest grin at funny mommy tickling your face all over.

- You have some little pegs you love holding. You don't let go of them for anything, so when you go crawling along, it sounds like a peg leg. Super cute.

- You'll still hang out happily on my back in the Ergo pretty much indefinitely if we're outside. Inside, I'd better be moving around or you get bored fairly fast. But it is easy to take you shopping or trek around church or go on walks since you're still such a happy little papoose on my back.

- You made it through the 4-day retreat without me! Wouldn't take a bottle (you silly goose), but you just ate a big bowl of oatmeal and milk and baby food whenever hungry, and that seemed to work out fine. (I, on the other hand, had a horrible case of plugged ducts while we were gone. But it was still worth it for a lovely and refreshing retreat!)

- In the midst of some recent teething, you developed a really troubling tendency to bite while nursing. I didn't know if I would pull through, but thank the Lord you're doing much better now and I didn't get any infections or anything. This prompted a move toward whole milk (which you love mixed in cereal), adding meat to your diet, and cutting down to 2 feedings a day. Good work!

- You are a bright-eyed sweetie pie, cheerfully heading into the nursery, and giving me big smiles and happy all-body bounces when I pick you up again. You love exploring things (and can find your way into many quiet little corners full of chokables) and love being outside.

- Your very own riddle: How is it that someone who is not a year old yet has been alive to celebrate (outside the womb) not one but two Father's Days? Bonus fun trivia: You share that very notable distinction with Isaiah Lee, another Father's Day baby!

- To celebrate your birthday today, you pulled yourself up to standing for the first time! You look huge standing up...

 - You are not altogether blown away by the experience of cake. Curious, but all in all you prefer Cheerios.

I'm quietly grieving a significant friend and mentor from when I was in high school. So many hard things in saying an unexpected good-bye, but here are the thoughts that came flooding to mind when I paused to write some memories to the family:

One of the biggest orienting truths in my life is that God is an Author. Hebrews 12:2 says, “…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith…” Being an English major myself, I love that image, but also I find it helps when life feels like it has spun out of control and I’m disoriented, can’t make heads or tails of things.

An author does things in a story that don’t make sense until the end. Many twists and turns, moments of heartbreak and despair, even grievous wrongs, in the hand of a good author still may lead to a beautiful conclusion. A most happy ending....

I grieve with you, wonder at God’s ways, wait to see the end of the story one day. But I am confident, God is not finished yet. May His nearness be your good.

My son, we serve a great God, one whose "thoughts are not our thoughts and ways are not our ways" (Isaiah 55:8-9). But in His kindness He has decisively settled the question, "Does God really love us?"

He answered that question by doing the unthinkable: giving His own Son so that He could make us His own children. 1 John 3:1 says, "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." So we are, little man, through faith in Jesus alone as the payment for our sin and gift of righteousness for our account. And in Him, no matter what comes in life, we may bank on the everlasting love of God, that He is for us, that He will carry us, that He will bring our story to its beautiful good ending one day.

My big 1-year-old, how we pray that this will be your eternal hope and joy. Christ in you, the hope of glory.

I love you, sweet Calvin,
Your momma

11 Months Old!

 11 months old!

Note: This shot captured shortly after the shot I missed because I had to catch the baby falling headfirst off the blue chair...

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 Calvin,

You are 11 months old! So close to completing your first year! What ever happened to my tiny little baby in the scrawny white onesie?

This month's news:

- You crawl! And it is the sweetest little shuffling crawl you ever did see. You might not stay right where I put you, but if you're going to venture somewhere, it likely will be to come find me. I love it that you still want to hang out with me. Let's keep it that way for a good long while, hmm?

- I haven't noticed any new teeth popping through, but you are drooling, cranky, ill-sleeping, drippy-nosed, and diaper-rashed this week, so perhaps you're working on some good ones.

- Happy places are typically 1) in the Ergo on my back, 2) in your booster seat eating Cheerios, 3) sitting on the floor playing with toys, or 4) exploring all the non-baby-toy articles that are far more fascinating scattered all around. Your brothers continue to be cheerful and persuasive distractions for you, even in your cranky stretches.

- Your favorite words are mamama and dat. Dat. Dat. It's just a chatty, conversational term.

- After crawling, falling over, or flopping onto your belly, you are able to get back to sitting again. Strong boy.

- Remember how mad you used to get at me when I plotted and pushed to get you to take a bottle? Right. Well, a couple weeks ago when I had to take Josiah to the urgency room I couldn't get home by bedtime. So I told Daddy to try warming up a bottle for you, just on a whim. And you slurped the whole thing down with a grin! So how bout that. (I hope that this bodes well for next week when Momma and Dad go away on our retreat!)

- I finally pulled out the 18 month clothes bin. They are not too big.

- You are a Cheerios monster. You'll sit in your chair happily, munching Cheerios for an indeterminate amount of time.



I'm digging into Galatians now, trying to wrap my mind around the thread of insights and arguments that Paul lays out here.

This rings out like a bell:

We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 2:16a)

Do you know what that means? It means something huge, something monumental. When we stand before God, we will never find acceptance based on a list of good things that we have done. No, indeed. Instead, we point to Jesus. He's the perfect One! He did all the good, and He paid for all my bad. I trust in Him alone to come to You, Father! Thank You, Jesus, for making the way for me to be with You forever!

Little son, how we pray that you will find Jesus to be your greatest treasure, the One who covers over your sin, the One who gives you a new good heart to walk in His ways.

I love you, Mr. Calvin, my big "two-armsful-of-baby,"
Your momma

What Is God Doing?

God rules over all. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above. He holds all things together by the word of His power. There are no rogue molecules, acting out of order from His purpose or plan. Of course, these truths are the deepest bedrock of joy in all the beautiful moments and gifts of each day.

But sometimes in our weakness, in our suffering and pain, the reality that God is in charge .... that He could change this in a second if He chose ... that He is the hand giving the hardship ... it brings its own temptation to question and wonder. What is God doing, anyway? He says He loves us. He calls us to pray and promises to answer. He says He cares about our cares. So why isn't He doing anything? The suffering itself gets layered with the weight of hopelessness, cynicism, despair.


The enemy would just love for us to take the lie, hook, line, and sinker: This is all totally pointless.

There are plenty of times when we can't actually see what God is up to in the middle of our trial. So let's build an arsenal of evidence, a smorgasbord of possibilities, a pile of reasons to stand in confidence in the middle of the pain.

What might God be doing in your difficulty, your pain and loss, your suffering? Here is a sampling of 31 possibilities from God's word (one for every day of the month!):

1. Starting a new church (Galatians 4:13)
2. Giving an opportunity for someone else to love you like Jesus Christ Himself (Galatians 4:14)
3. Blessing others (Galatians 4:15)
4. Filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of His body, the church (Colossians 1: 24)
5. Producing even greater progress of the gospel (Philippians 1:12)
6. Giving others far more courage to speak the word of God without fear (Philippians 1:14)
7. Multiplying thanks to God by joining together many peoples' prayers for your help and deliverance (2 Corinthians 1:10-11)
8. Comforting and saving others (2 Corinthians 1:6)
9. Helping you learn God's statutes (Psalm 119:71)
10. Helping you keep God's word (Psalm 119:67)
11. Proving that God is with you in trouble (Psalm 91:15)
12. Perfecting you (1 Peter 5:10)
13. Confirming you (1 Peter 5:10)
14. Strengthening you (1 Peter 5:10)
15. Establishing you (1 Peter 5:10)
16. Giving you the opportunity to entrust your soul to a faithful Creator in doing what is right (1 Peter 4:19) 
17. Testing you (1 Peter 4:12)
18. Producing for you an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison (2 Corinthians 4:17)
19. Granting approval so that you may receive the crown of life (James 1:12)
20. Giving endurance (James 1:3)
21. Making you perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:4)
22. Protecting you from friendship with the world that would make you an enemy of God (James 4:4)
23. Leading you to prayer (James 5:13)
24. Giving a blessing (James 5:11)
25. Giving you great reward in heaven (Matthew 5:12)
26. Saving many, many lives (Genesis 50:20)
27. Allowing you to receive comfort so that you may give comfort to others in their suffering (2 Corinthians 1:4)
28. Proving the foundation of your life (Matthew 7:25)
29. Disciplining you as His own precious child (Hebrews 12:7)
30.  Demonstrating to the watching world that you have a hope that is not based on circumstances or comfort (1 Peter 3:15)
31. Overcoming the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:11)

Stand firm in faith. God is for you. He is working. His hand is writing your specific story in a way that will one day bring our hearts to wonder and worship. One day we will see.

John Teaching

A couple weeks ago, one of our "icebreaker questions" in my middle school small group was, What is the happiest day of your life?

When it was my turn, I found it surprisingly hard to answer. Of course, there are the regular suspects... wedding day, birth of a child (but which one?). But when it comes right down to it, I told the girls, those were all major milestones that ushered in deep joys. But I don't know if I actually felt the joy of it most deeply right then.

It came to me that I think the happiest days I can remember have been either preparing or teaching Bible study.

So, from some of the happiest days of my life:

John 4
John 10
John 13:1-30
John 18

Funny Boys

Josiah: Mom, do you know what cleans off boys and dads?
Me: What?
Josiah, laughing: Water. Because we have bugs on us!

???

Anticipating Easter

Where we were the weeks leading up to Easter...

Children's choir on Palm Sunday (Victor is the plaid shirt just behind the pianist)

The boys each got to pick out a packet of seeds for us to plant. 

(Victor: watermelon, Josiah: wildflowers, Elliot: corn, plus quite a handful of others).

The first thrilling shoot!

Hot cross buns and handmade notes for our neighbors before Easter, 

praying that God will let the light of Christ shine on their hearts, even to new life!

This fine fellow, soaking in sunshine at a little backyard barbecue on the day before Easter

Our Easter "sugar cookie cake"

What a sweet season!

3 Years Old!

3 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

 4 months

3 months

2 months

 1 month

 2 weeks old

Dear Elliot,

My big 3 year old! It is a jolly gift to have you as a part of our family, and I'm enjoying so many ways your little personality is blossoming in these days.


- It is a total hoot to hear you when you wake up. Almost always, you awake with a cheery disposition, and you'll lay in your bed, happily singing, kicking your feet, playing little games with yourself for quite a long time!

- One of my very most favorite things is when you'll alert us in the most charming fashion that it is now time to get up:

- You can definitely pack away a meal, though your preferences are markedly weighted in the direction of pb&j, apple juice, fruit, corn, and treats and away from such things as broccoli, rice, potatoes, and carrot sticks. But really, you've grown in willingness to eat all that is given to you, when helped along.

- You enjoy reading books. It's pretty much irresistible when you ask, "Do you want to read a book with me?" and crawl in my lap somewhere for a good snuggle.

- Another of my favorite things is when you come over to give me a big hug and tell me you're going to "squeeze the jelly out of me."

- You love to sleep with your puppy and blanket. Normally you're on your tummy, puppy under one arm (sure to have the blanket snuggly tucked up to both of your chins). If in the course of falling asleep you will wrangle yourself out of position, you regularly request help getting your blanket back onto your back.

- You love helping in the kitchen and are a surprisingly careful assistant with pouring, measuring, and stirring things (most of the time). You can also wash your own hands now, which is a lovely advance in capabilities.

- You love your brothers... lying next to Calvin for a diaper change, putting together puzzles with Josiah, playing fort with Victor. I love seeing how you boys are becoming buddies.

- You have a musical ear and enjoy sitting on the piano bench, crooning out little melodies to your own accompaniment.

- You have an excellent arm, with great follow-through on your shot.You still love watching hockey or using a little plastic golf club to hit around a bottle cap as your hockey puck. And you have vastly superior eye-hand coordination to make contact with it than your momma!

- You are chock-full of personality. Making faces, striking poses, telling jokes, asking questions (with your cute little head tilted to one side). You can definitely exert your will, but we are learning to take God's help to say no to sin and instead say, "Help me, Jesus!" when it's hard to do what is right.


Your name means "The LORD is my God." When you belong to God, because you are trusting in His Son Jesus, everything changes. Everything you do can be an expression of your love and trust in Him. And as it is done in dependent trust in Him, it honors and delights Him! This morning I was reading in Colossians 3, and this verse stood out to me:

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24)

Can you even imagine how astounding that is? If you are putting away your plate after supper... you are serving the Lord Christ! If you are playing with Calvin to help him feel happy... you are serving the Lord Christ! As you study and learn and grow in school... you are serving the Lord Christ! When you work at home or work to earn a paycheck... you are serving the Lord Christ! I pray, Mr. Elliot, that all your days will be full of joyful, significant, satisfying service of our great Savior, the Lord Christ! He is worthy!

I love you, my precious pumpkin, Elliot James!

Momma

Elliot's birthday interview (4.26.19) 3 years old

1.      What is your favorite color? red

2.      What is your favorite toy? Cars with a light on top, like a police car

3.      What is your favorite fruit? Apple juice

4.      What is your favorite video to watch? Wild Kratts

5.      What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Macaroni and cheese

6.      What is your favorite thing to wear? Dinosaur shirt

7.      What is your favorite game? Tick-tac-toe

8.      What is your favorite snack? pretzels

9.      What is your favorite animal? doggies

10.   What is your favorite song? Hallelujah

11.   What is your favorite verse? When I am afraid I will put my trust in You, God.

12.   What is your favorite book? Clifford

13.   Who is your best friend? Zachary

14.   What is your favorite thing to do outside? Blow my own bubbles

15.   What is your favorite drink? Apple juice

16.   What do you like to sleep with at night? My doggy and my blanket

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

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

19.   What do you want to be when you grow up? I forget

20.   What was one of your favorite things that you did this year? Play at Grammy and Grandad’s house

21.   What is your favorite place to go? To the park with the Kattersons