Nativity

After three Christmases in Japan without any nativities and not seeing any out and around or for sale, I started collecting miniature nativities during after-Christmas sales the next time I was in the States.

As collections tend to do, it quickly multiplied as word got out.

Other than candles and a tree, that was my only Christmas decor.  And even the candle holder (below) was a nativity.  And many (most?) of my tree ornaments were nativities.

It definitely was a conversation starter when friends came to my home around Christmas.

And sometimes when I received duplicates, we gave them away as doorprizes at Christmas parties, thus giving even our non-believing friends a reminder of the real reason we celebrate Christmas!

::pictures from 5-10 years ago::

If a toddler Mom wants to decorate for Christmas

If a toddler Mom wants to decorate for Christmas, she will want to put away her pumpkins and fall decor first.

If she tries to find time to put away her pumpkins, it will never happen.

If she goes to a concert with her in-laws the Saturday night after Thanksgiving, her husband will surprise her and put up the pre-lit tree (sans ornaments).

If the tree is up, she'll need to put on the ornaments.  So, over the next 2-4 days, she will slowly add the ornaments.

If she enjoys the ambience of a tree-lit evening, she will want Christmas music.  So she'll (show her technological antiquity and) bring her iPod speaker dock to the kitchen and put her Christmas playlist on shuffle for hours and hours.

If she listens to Christmas music all day, she'll bake a triple batch of cranberry bread in mini-loaves to give as gifts.

If she makes cranberry bread (six days after the tree was put up), she'll want to put them in treat bags.

If she looks through the (still-in-the-basement) Christmas boxes for treat bags, she will bring up a few candles and mini-nativities. 

If she brings out some of the candles and mini-nativities, maybe someday she'll also put away her pumpkins.



With appreciation to "If you give a mouse a cookie" ... and thanks to the cousins who gave the book to Little Guy as a baby gift

Moments in our day

Playing hide-and-seek with our cousin.  Heard a commotion on the garage side of the laundry room door.  Opened it, wondering why she would be hiding in such a cold spot.  And found the UPS man and a stack of boxes.  You know it's the week after Black Friday/Cyber Monday when ... !  :)

Cooking a REAL meal.  Two 9x13s in the oven ... with loads of colorful vegetables ... make me feel like quite the happy homemaker today. (Of course, it's thanks to the cousin being here and keeping a certain little boy occupied.) :)

Bedtime routine ... open today's book in our 25 Days of Christmas Books,

sit on Daddy's lap and read it, bath (we aim for once a week), "play with the puppy" (aka - use the nebulizer), pray, (cry), and sleep.

My happy hour!!!  Clothes dryer almost finished. Dishwasher finished.  A little after-dinner banana bread.

Studying the different health insurance plans available to us next year and trying to decide what fits our health needs and our budget.  Grrr.

Trying to ignore thoughts of how crowded the next few weeks are and wishing I had been proactive to get my colonoscopy scheduled in early November rather than mid-December (for that will take 1 1/2 days out of an already busy month).

Living with this scene on our kitchen island in between yesterday's baking session (double batch banana bread & double batch cranberry bread) and tomorrow's hopeful baking session (triple batch cranberry bread). 

The Day after Thanksgiving

It's the day after Thanksgiving and all through the house the Mommy & Daddy are hustling to ready the house.

Yesterday we traveled over the blacktop and through the next town to Grandma & Grandpa's house.

We stuffed (ourselves, not the turkey) and we sat and we talked and we ate (again).

The kitchen counters are laden with the remains of preparing food to take to the feast. 

The dishwasher is full, as are the washer and dryer.

The living room floor is almost wall to wall toys, as the Mommy has not had a moment in days to focus on singing, "Clean up, clean up, everybody, everywhere. Clean up, clean up, Little Guy do your share."

And so, what we are most thankful for this Day After Thanksgiving Morn, is that Little Guy went to spend two hours with his cousins. :) 

With the crockpot and freezer aisle of the grocery store doing most of the cooking for tonight's family feast part two (at our home), these two morning hours (plus a we-can-only-hope 2-3 hour afternoon nap) will mean that when the family comes for supper tonight, not only will they be able to walk without tripping and falling on toys, but also there will be a clean surface on which to set a table and serve and eat our dinner!

I Surrender All

::from the archives about a year ago::

::good reminder::

"All to Jesus I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me."

26 hours into a 34 hour getaway sans baby, I stood and sang this hymn with a new-to-me congregation.  Worshiping anonymously usually helps me ponder the hymns and Scripture and sermon better.

In addition, the change of place and pace, not to mention the respite from 24/7 mothering, had given space in my brain and led to some reflection.

I also was in the middle of reading Lisa-Jo Baker's refreshing Surprised by Motherhood.

The words to this familiar hymn were very fresh in that context, and became a renewed prayer of surrender.  A prayer that my mothering would be a surrender of my heart, that my mothering would be to Jesus, that my mothering would be by His love & power, and that His blessing would be on it.

Nothing wasted

Some years back, an honorary aunt told me:

God doesn't waste anything in our life experience. 

This week when Little Guy's aural rehab therapist was here, she was working on the /p/ sound, specifically the initial /p/ sound in two-syllable words. 

I reached over and found a purple screwdriver from his Little Tikes set.  After she did some therapy with that, I asked Little Guy to find his pillow.  He brought it over, and the therapist did some therapy using it.  Then I mentioned his orange pumpkin, and he went to retrieve it.

The therapist interjected with, "You're GOOD at this!" and I commented, "Well, teaching English for years helps."  She had never known that I taught conversational English in Japan for years, and said, "Oh, that explains a lot!  I keep thinking it's not natural for a mom to be this good at language."

Indeed God does not waste anything in our life experience:

• Modern English Grammar class in college, where we spent each hour of class diagramming sentences on the chalkboard (yes, they had chalkboards then!). 

• Spending a year in a foreign country without formal language training, trying to figure out what the sounds meant and how they fit together. 

• Continuing (for years) to learn that language with some formal training, but also with lots & lots of listening and analyzing.

• Teaching conversational English classes for a dozen years, trying to discern why my students had trouble with certain grammatical constructs, and seeking to help them understand and learn how English works.  

And now, I am entrusted with the at-risk language needs of our son.  Every week I get to observe and analyze the language of our toddler, in order to report to his therapists, so they know best how to help him.

God doesn't waste anything in our life experience.

Toys of the week

Grandma always asks me, "What does he play with the most?"

Of course, it's always changing, but this week's favorites are:

Melissa & Doug Pound-a-Peg
Melissa & Doug Nesting/ Stacking A-B-C tower
Fisher Price garage
simple puzzles

and, always, books, musical instruments, and his kitchen.

Almost everything came from a garage sale.  For instance, the nesting/stacking A-B-C tower is the best 50 cents I ever spent!  His kitchen is similar to this, except white and not hardwood but particle board, and the front doors are missing, but we keep bins of play food in the bottom of the cupboards. It was $7 on an online garage sale!

Pushing?

Recently someone said, "I hope you won't push him academically."

I discussed it with one of Little Guy's therapists and said, "I don't think I'm pushing him." They immediately confirmed that I'm just trying to keep up with him!

This morning, on the first snow day of the season, he is occupying himself (for 2.5 minutes at least!) with bringing me magnets. 

"Uncle Scott!" he declared, and handed me the "S."

"Mommy!" as he gave me the "M."

"Grace!" as he gave me the "G."

And so on.

Whenever we see the first letter of our last name (in a store, on the spine of a library book as he walks through the Junior section, on a yogurt package), he shouts our last name! 

Piggies

(As Jim leaves for the morning:)

Where's Daddy going?

Tractor. 

I don't know what he's doing today. It may be the tractor. Or it may be piggies. Did you know Daddy works with the piggies?

Yeah. 

Piggies need a lot of care.

Lot of care. 

Do you need a lot of care?

Care.  (Translated: yes!)

Bye-bye, paci

In my last post, Little Guy expressed that he loves bedtime because of his paci.

And in the post before that, you might have noticed a library book titled, "No More Pacifier, Duck."

WE the parents are the reason that the paci still was in our lives, yea, even ruled our lives.  For many months the paci had been reserved for the car and the crib.  But one providential day I forgot to make sure we had a paci in the diaper bag, and so when we got into the car after church at 12 noon and Little Guy was ready for his paci & a nap, reality hit ... and BIT!

Once we had endured that 25 minute tantrum, there was no going back.  The next day's car tantrum was only about 20 minutes.  And by the end of the week, the car was not a problem.

We read aforementioned library book about a jillion times and repeated the mantra, "Only in bed, sleepyhead."  One day I even prayed with Little Guy that Jesus would help him say, "Bye-bye, paci."  After we said, "Amen," he looked up at me with furrowed brow and asked, "Bye-bye, paci?!?" 

And then one day, just like in the library book, we said, "Not even in bed, sleepyhead." And sure enough, just like Duck said, "Qua-a-a-a-a-a-ck!!!!" we heard quite a bit of crying from the crib.  But within a few days, it was over. 

Next up: "Jesus, please help Little Guy to say, 'Bye-bye, diapers!'"  :)

Q&A

Little Guy:  Sleepy.

Me:  Are you sleepy?

LG:  Yeah.

Me:  It's not bedtime.  Do you like bedtime?

LG:  Yeah.

Me:  Why do you like bedtime?

LG:  Buh-BUH. [His word for pacifier.]

:) 

What's on my nightstand

Not exactly on my nightstand, but on the end table and in the library basket and other places. These are the books (and DVD) currently checked out of the library. You'll see a couple themes. :)

Just because we checked them out from the library doesn't mean we endorse them. :)  But we do love "No More Pacifier, Duck!"  and we love that Little Guy is learning a Bible verse with "Give Thanks to the Lord."

	Choices in deafness : a parents' guide to communication options
	Let's talk together : home activities for early speech & language development
		Snow Stojic, Manya.
	Potty power for boys and girls [videorecording] : say goodbye to diapers!
		The potty book for boys Capucilli, Alyssa Satin,
		The no-cry potty training solution : gentle ways to help your child say good-bye to diapers Pantley, Elizabeth.
		Even firefighters go to the potty : a potty training lift-the-flap story Wax, Wendy (Wendy Anne)
		1-2-3 magic for Christian parents : [effective discipline for children 2-12] Phelan, Thomas W., 1943-
		No More Pacifier, Duck Dahl, Michael
		Thirty million words : building a child's brain, tune in, talk more, take turns Suskind, Dana, author.
		Give thanks to the Lord : celebrating Psalm 92 Wilson, Karma.
		Flaptastic farm Gardner, Charlie.
		Flaptastic numbers Gardner, Charlie.

Ordinary Bins

Harvest 2015 is finished!  

A few days ago I gave my husband a ride out to the farm where these bins are, so he could drive the combine home.   While these may look like run-of-the-mill grain bins, these bins are more.  You might think these bins are just like every other bin that you see dotting the landscape as you drive through the midwest, and they are, but they are also more.  These are holy bins on holy ground. 

I never met the people who owned this farm.  They went to heaven before I came here as a farmer’s wife.  But I know they loved the gospel of Jesus Christ and they loved children.  I know they viewed their land as a stewardship entrusted to them by the Lord.  And I know that they left the land in a trust to benefit a certain ministry, so that children could know the gospel of Jesus. 

These bins are filled with corn & beans, yes, but the grain in these bins will be sold to profit their chosen ministry.  The grain in these bins will be transformed into house parents and cooks and teachers and horses and carpentry supplies and food and school books and electric bill payments.  The grain in these bins will be turned into love and grace and training and structure and vocational experience and devotions and education. 

Lord willing, this grain will become another harvest: a harvest of souls, a harvest of young men who meet the Master and grow in grace, a harvest of a new generation of godly men loving their wives and training their children in the gospel of Christ.  These bins are holy, set apart for God. 

How many children will greet this couple in heaven to say, “Thank you for giving to the Lord?” 

What ordinary thing can I give to the Lord?  What ordinary thing can I set apart for God?

Who made raspberries?

While eating delicious raspberries at breakfast this morning, I spontaneously asked, "Who made raspberries?"

Little Guy:  "God."

So I asked a few other questions.

Who made dogs?
God

Who made peaches?
God did.

Who made Little Guy?
GOD DID! (said with much glee)

The question is an adaptation of question 1 of the Catechism for Young Children.   A few times last fall, as I struggled to find topics to keep giving our son a language-rich environment during our stroller walks around and around our block, I asked (and answered) the first five questions.  I have not been consistent in repeating it, except for periodically (less than once a month) asking the first one.

But he knows the answer! And can transfer the concept.

It strikes me that our combine conversation (which now includes another line with the answer, "Auger") is actually a combine catechism-! :)

These little minds really are sponges.  (Hopeful post coming soon on the book Thirty Million Words and the importance of a language rich environment.)

Do/did you teach the catechism?

Geography Lessons

Little Guy has a cousin whom he absolutely adores.  At the end of the school year in May, said cousin received a beach ball from her teacher.  Every time, LG goes to his cousin's home, he walks in the door and starts saying (in present continuous tense), "Big ball!"

So, he was delighted when he received a package in the mail with a beach ball for me to inflate.  This is no ordinary beach ball, though!  It is a simple globe (one color for land, one for water).  After a while of playing with it, I realized there was a hidden educational opportunity. :) And so, I pointed to where Ana & Papa live, and where we live, and then I pointed to the North Pole and said, "Grandpa went here," and then to the South Pole, and said, "Grandpa & Grandma went here," (taking a little editorial liberty to express Antarctica).

Today, he was showing Daddy all the places on the globe that he knows.  And Jim made an astute observation, "Not every little boy is pointing to the North Pole to say Grandpa went there!"

:)

Continuing with the geography lessons, he looked at a picture of the solar system and accidentally found a true object for his favorite "big ball" description - the sun!!

So, what should our next geography lesson be?!

Combine

The word of the day fall for Little Guy is "Combine!"

We look on Facebook at cousins' pictures with their Daddy and of a grown-up friend's pictures of her Dad's harvest.  We repeatedly read tractor board books and point out the combine.  We watch YouTube videos.  We spy them in fields and implement dealership lots as we drive by.  If I had a quarter for every time I've heard the word, "combine," I'd have a LOT of quarters. :)

On two VERY special days this fall we were able to go and RIDE the combine with Daddy!!!!

Little Guy is good at telling the story. 

LG: "Combine!" {sometimes followed by "Daddy."}

Me:  How does the farmer get in the combine?

LG: "Up, up."

Me: What does the combine do?

LG: "Round and round."

Me: Where does Daddy put the grain?

LG: "Dump in wagon." "Auger."

Me: Who drives the wagon?

LG: "Grandpa!"

 

When Daddy says, "Sometimes Daddy drives the wagon or sometimes Uncle S- drives the combine. We take turns," LG says the name of the little boy next door, because that is who HE takes turns with (on his toys). :) 

1000 Gifts, Vol. 5, #3

21.  good sleep for all for several nights in a row (Aaah!)

22.  very, VERY encouraging reports from both the speech therapist and the aural rehab therapist this week!

23.  Little Guy finally getting used to our Tuesday schedule (Read: a Tuesday without tears) (For reference, we leave at 8.10, go to BSF 9.10-11 and to music therapy 11.45-12.45, which pushes his nap late, and arrive home at 1.20-ish.  Ideally his 30 minute nap in the car continues when I transfer him to his crib.)

24.  all that he is learning in his BSF class - in addition to his prayer life changes, this week he will tell you that Jesus is coming "down on the clouds."

25.  encouragement from reading a book review about Thirty Million Words

26.  computer repairs so that now both photos & iTunes are back off the external drive & onto my computer WITH more space found

27.  the card reader Jim ordered me so I could & can upload photos from the camera

28.  teeny tiny baby steps forward in the arduous task of sending 80-100 photos and 16 lengthy answers to our profile designer (current hold-up in becoming an active waiting family with Faithful Adoption Consultants)

29.  deep face-to-face encouragement from 3 or 4 people this past week about the current hold-up

30.  harvest is almost over - HURRAH!

A morning in our life

After a middle-of-the-night cry session (by the youngest; not by me! Mine was mid-afternoon yesterday!), we all were eager to sleep in, but the farmer had to heed the alarm and drive 45 minutes to pick up a part as soon as the shop was open, so he could get back to the farm and install it and get to work.

Little Guy slept in until 8! (Cue the happy music, and wonder why we didn't introduce blankets to his crib earlier?!)  While he ate, I finished packing the red lunch box with two meals to get the Farmer through the day.

Then we spent a little while leisurely watching YouTube videos of combines, last year's photos of Little Guy in the combine, and a friend's photos posted on Facebook of her dad's harvest operation.  Alas, all good things must come to an end, and eventually we had to stop and get dressed... in layers, and a fleece, and a hat.

Play group was fun for all!  The stream of tractors, semis, and grain trucks has slowed down quite a bit, but one little boy brought some toy diggers and dump trucks which added to the fun.  The youngest one there just took off walking this past week, so watching him was fun.  A newcomer decided to venture forth from his grandma and entered into the fray.  The more, the merrier!  LOTS of energy was expended, running and climbing, and generally being outside.

Then off to the post office, where the post office box did not disappoint, and Little Guy had a green package slip to place on the counter, though, sadly, neither of the packages were thin enough for him to carry. 

More play in the living room, some books, some bloodshed (from Little Guy's mouth - not sure at all how that happened, but I have the stain on my nice khakis to prove it), several graham crackers.  And then off for a nap, under two fuzzy blankets!!

Midweek Check-in

Some of our activities (so far) this week:

Playing with the puppy (Read: having a nebulizer treatment - the nebulizer looks like a puppy).

Watching seemingly endless youtube videos of "tractor" and "bus" and "up" (all videos on the Barefoot Books channel).  Screen time is pretty nonexistent in Little Guy's life, so getting to watch something while "playing with the puppy" is a highlight!

Days of tantrums.

Many cans of caffeine-free Coke (for Mom!). (See previous line.)

Filling out almost 20 pages of paperwork for my new allergist. (LOVE my former one, but had to drive to her main office 60 miles away one too many times *while* sick.  The new one is only 24 miles away, but in a direction I go multiple times a week.)

Watering a tree that was planted to replace the one that died this summer.  Hoping that this one survives.

Inhaling Kate McCord's new book, "Why God Calls us to Dangerous Places."

Doing the happy dance (inside) when Jan Karon's new book, "Come Rain or Come Shine," arrived ia InterLibrary Loan after I'd put my name on hold months ago.

Wrapping 25 Christmas books so that we're ready for our Advent project.  Maybe someday I'll blog about what books I included.

Listening to a chatterbox toddler who is going through a language explosion. (NICE problem!!!  Thank you, Lord!  And thank you, speech therapists!)

Inwardly being very glad when our speech therapist cancelled for Wednesday because I got to vacuum all the carpet, clean off the guest bed which had become a catch-all (We're ready for any guests, now!), and generally do some housecleaning.  Sadly, I could use about a month of cancelled therapy. :)

Going to the dentist to see about Little Guy's front teeth after they had an encounter with the patio that led to much blood. Thankfully, HE did great sitting in my lap, AND she didn't see anything to worry about.

Week 3 of BSF ... slowly getting accustomed to the culture of BSF (it has not been without some culture shock) ... first week of discussion group and happy to be back in such a setting and connecting with a few of the women ... confirming with Little Guy's teacher that the things he started adding to his "prayer life" are what she taught him (sit down, fold hands, "head down!") ... running into my fellow mom-of-an-almost-2-year-old-adopted-&-hearing-impaired-boy (so much mutual encouragement and not only are they in the same class at BSF, but they MAY be in the same preschool class in 14 months when they age out of Early Intervention!).

A meltdown during music therapy.  (Read: 99% uncooperative, and we all went home early.)

Too many interrupted naps!

One night of 12 hours of sleep (for Little Guy).

Only one day (so far) of playing at the elevator park. (Last week we went 3 or 4 days, just to break up the long days with Jim gone 7.30 AM - 10 PM six out of seven days.)  We go more to watch the trucks and tractors hauling grain to the elevator, than to play on the playground equipment. :)

So, that's what WE have been up to.  What about you?

Play date

One hour on an early fall morning.

Two moms. One grandma. One babysitter.

Six boys and one girl (between 10 months and 3 years 10 months).

One slide, four swings, two bouncy ride-on animals, one play fire truck.

One bench facing the grain elevator scales.

A steady stream of tractors, wagons, grain trucks, and semis.

Learning to walk.

Learning to climb.

Learning to share.

Learning to identify tractors (John Deere, Case, New Holland, White, ...).


And the crawlers and toddlers went home to a good morning nap!! :)

Stay at home mom

"How do you like staying at home?" asked a lady I hadn't seen in awhile. 

{Long pause.}

The pause did not mean that I'm not sure how I like it. The pause meant that I was confused. :)

Yes, technically I am a stay-at-home mom.  But let's look at a typical week:

Monday morning - Play date at the park 3/4 mile away with two other moms and their combined five kiddos

Tuesday  - Leave home around 11 AM for 11.45 - 12.45 music therapy

Wednesday morning - Leave home around 7.45 AM for 8.30-9.30 speech therapy.  Leave again at 6 PM for 6.45-7.45 prayer meeting.  Every 6 weeks or so, Wednesday afternoon is our time to travel 70 miles to the pediatric hearing clinic (and skip prayer meeting).

Thursday - Until mid-September we left home around 9.30 AM every other week for 10.15-11.15 aural rehab therapy followed by 11.30-12.30 developmental play group.  Starting late-September, the therapist will hopefully travel to our home and we will stop attending the play group.   On alternate weeks, Thursday is my day to add in special events, such as meeting a friend at the pumpkin farm. 

One afternoon a week usually finds Little Guy and I in the car line at the local grade school (3/4 mile away), so we can bring his cousin home to play with him for a few hours.

And this does not include well visits with the pediatrician, sick visits for Little Guy (or me), hair appointments, dental appointments, etc. ~ much less grocery shopping (!). 

So, how do I answer the question, "Are you enjoying staying at home?" :)  

Rhythm

This mama who has no musical talent or rhythmic ability has a music-lover on her hands.

A multi-level 8-week Kindermusik class last fall was no doubt the beginning, as Little Guy sat on my lap and I tried to follow the instructor and lift my legs up and down to the beat.  Then there was the day we played a drum!  And the following week when he turned a toy basket upside down in front of the fireplace, and watched his reflection in the glass as he "played his drum."

Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb is a favorite book, and lived in my purse for awhile. 

As we waited in line at the Walmart cash register one day and I read it, he thumped out the beat on the handle of the shopping cart, causing the African-American cashier to stop and watch in wonder.  

Hats Off for the Fourth of July! was our summer favorite from the library and has been a repeat borrow.  "Rhythm and boom! Rhythm and boom!"  The final spread is of fireworks above the town,

and I made up my own words, "Boom! ... Boom! ... BOOM! ... Boom.Boom.BOOM!" :)

Summer Reading Program's theme was "Read to the Rhythm," and the only program we were able to go to was, fortuitously, the high school drum line!  50 minutes of instruction from the band director about reading music, highlights of different instruments playing, especially the drum line, and then several instruments together WITH the druml ine left Little Guy mesmerized!!

Boom Bah! is our current favorite library book.

Each of these books can be read "to the rhythm," which is fun, but makes it hard when someone else reads the book to him normally, without using the pronounced beat that I use when reading them. 

If you were here, Little Guy would say, "Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Do you have any other "Boom! Boom!" books to recommend?

Sunday dinner

Sunday dinners of my childhood were something special: my mother's china, my grandmother's silver, and some ancestor's mismatched goblets spread out on a rickety old table that could expand to feed what seemed like a couple dozen hungry souls.

We were not always sure when we left for church who might be sharing that table with us, but more often than not, someone did.  The meal was an event, and we sat for a long while, listening to conversation, passing the rolls one more time, waiting until everyone finished and the plates & food were cleared before dessert was served.  We often were still sitting mid-afternoon.  And then the cleanup ensued. :)

The past five years I have eaten only a handful of Sunday dinners at home or at someone else's home.  But that all changed (for once) last weekend, and I am glad.

Staying home with a sick boy meant that my husband (and house guests) who would be delayed in leaving church due to a congregational meeting would be delayed even further if they stopped to bring food home.  And we did all want to eat together.

So, at the last minute, without having grocery shopped for such an occasion, I came up with a plan.  Into the crockpot went some chicken with some bottled barbecue sauce.  Into another crockpot I dumped two bags of frozen corn (and seven more ingredients) to make Baked Corn.  Some prepared slaw dressing went over a bag of ready-made slaw. And at the last minute I whipped up some instant mashed potatoes, and put some brown & serve rolls in the oven.

We just ate at the scarred & battered kitchen table, but I did pull out the china.  All the food was convenience food (which was never part of my childhood), but the conversation & fellowship took me back to the days gone by. 

Accidental Chef

Hankering for quiche the other night, I pulled out a pie crust and a carton of eggs, pre-heated the oven and took down my trusty Better Homes & Garden cookbook from the cupboard.

Only then did I realize that we were out of ham.  On to the vegetarian quiche recipe.  Only to realize the only veggies I had were carrots & cucumbers. Oh, no!

Looking further into the fridge, I saw some deli roast beef that Jim hadn't liked.  Recipes for beef quiche suggested cheddar cheese, but I had none and was about to grate some mozzarella when I spied a tub of grated cheese farther back.  Weeks ago I had purchased this tub instead of the grated parmesan because this tub of a 3-cheese blend of parmesan, romano, and asiago was on sale.

And that is how I accidentally made up a new (and yummy) recipe of roast beef & asiago quiche with one green pepper slice chopped up and a splash of Worcestershire sauce.  I am not the only one who likes it.  A certain 20-month-old is inhaling it!

Second round

We are well into the second (or third) round of company in Little Guy's life.  Multiple times in the past few months, I've opened a photo album, shown him a picture of him with this uncle and aunt or that cousin, and then role-played.

Our doorbell is going to ring.  And we're going to run to the door and open it and say, "Hi, Uncle x and Aunt y!"  And they're going to say, "Little Guy!  You've grown so much!  We love you!  We've been waiting to see you."  And we're going to say, "Come in."  And they're going to play with us, and eat supper with us, and you'll see them the next morning, too.

He's just entered a stage where he's saying people's names, so even though he had only seen Andrew once in his life (and that 9 months ago), by the time Andrew rang our doorbell, Little Guy had his name down pat! 

We are so thankful that so many of our friends & family have traveled (out of their way in some cases) to come visit us here on the edge of the cornfields.  It's extra fun for me when some of my honorary aunts and uncles, who have known me from infancy, are now Little Guy's honorary aunts and uncles, visiting him, sending him birthday cards, praying for him, etc. 

Mimicking

20 months old must be when the mimicking stage really takes off?

These have all happened in the past few days:

1 - One night we had Girls' Night at a local pizza place.  Little Guy was ecstatic to be with Grandma, an aunt, and four girl cousins.  We ordered, and then started visiting.  He bowed his head, started mumbling, and then raised it and said, "'Men!"  And repeated it multiple times.  Finally we all prayed.  While we were happy that he's catching on to praying before meals, he was NOT happy that food did not instantly appear in front of him after we prayed. :)

2 - One morning Jim overslept two alarms. I was already downstairs, and when I realized what time it was, I went to the bottom of the stairs and called his name (loudly).  I think it's the first time I've ever done it, and it certainly made an impression on Little Guy!  All day long, he kept going to the bottom of the stairs and yelling, "BIM!  BIM!  Daddy!"  (Jam is bam, and Jim is bim apparently.) 

3 - We are fortunate to have a "magic spot" on our car, i.e., it opens with a fob, so if the fob is in my purse, I just have to wave my hand near the front handle, and the doors unlock.  (Sure made things a LOT easier when I was toting an infant seat!)  Anyway, lately when Little Guy is walking in front of me to the car, he always stops by the front door, waves his hand, and then goes to the back door and waits for me to open it.  :)

1000 Gifts, Vol. 5, #2

11.  17 pines that stand sentinel along two sides of our yard

12.  7 colorful Step 2 & Little Tikes outdoor toys scattered around our backyard (all ~ except one gift ~ via yard sales or Craigslist, etc.)

13.  4 toddlers (23, 22, 21, & 20 months old) in four consecutive houses on our (what I thought was mostly retired people's) street

14.  6 pre-schoolers in our weekday playgroup at the park -- Little Guy, his 2nd cousins, and their 1st cousins on their other side

15.  3rd Friday free day at the local gym/ pool (and local means 5 miles away - truly local!)

16.  college-age cousins to look up to

17.  8 months of this year that have sped by and through which we have DAILY experienced our Heavenly Father's keeping power

18.  2 new words -- moon & sticky

19.  over 100 nursery volunteers in our church who rotate weekly to care so well for Little Guy and his peers

20.  6 years and one week since our first date.  He says he's still mesmerized.  I say he's still too good for me. :)  Looks like I got the better end of the deal!

Sing-a-long Book

Our music therapist introduced us to this yesterday:



I like that it includes repetition and colors.  Barefoot Books has an entire series of these books with CDs.  I haven't looked them all up, but I imagine several are available from our library system.  And, if they come without CDs, Barefoot Books has them on YouTube for free.  The You Tube videos are the same illustrations as the book pages; they just have some motion.

Have you found any fun, new children's books lately?

Pleasant Customer Service

A missionary friend recently posted on Facebook a photo of an airport employee in Japan drying off suitcases as they entered the luggage carousel, since it was a rainy day.

I miss that type of customer service!

Yesterday I used a pharmacy I had never used, at a Kroger location I have only been to a few times, in a city of 14,000 people.

Upon attempting to pick up my prescription, I realized that I did not have my insurance card with me.  The very kind pharmacist offered to call my insurance company while I grocery shopped, even though all she had was my name and date of birth.

After buying my groceries, once again I appeared at the pharmacy counter, to learn that she was successful in procuring all the information she needed, the purchase was approved by insurance and I owed $0.00, saving me $36.00, AND gaining me 100 fuel points (10 cents off each gallon of gas in a tank).

I could have paid full price and then tackled the red tape to file by paper with the insurance company, but it's such a relief to know that I do not have to attempt one more step.

Customer service is not entirely a lost art in this country!

Questions

I have questions.  Do you have answers? :)

1 - What do you keep under your kitchen sink? And where do you keep your cleaning supplies that stereotypically live under there?

We are required to have no dangerous substances under our sink while we have an active home study.  So our soap & cleansers are on the other side of the kitchen in the high cupboard next to the fridge.  I guess I could put them in the upper cupboards next to the sink, but I prefer having dishes there.

2 - What do you do with your wet washcloths, dirty dishtowels, etc. between using them and washing them?

3 - Do you have a smart phone? (No doubt you do!)  What do you absolutely love about it? And is it really worth the cost?  Or can you tell me about a great deal you found? :)

4 -What sort of housecleaning schedule works for you?

5 - Where in your house do you store games & puzzles?

6 - I've read that a carpet should be vacuumed once a week if one person uses that room, twice a week if two people use it, etc.  Do you vacuum that often?

1000 Gifts, Vol. 5, #1

1.  秋晴れ　~  a clear, autumn day (early autumn)

2.  playdate at the park

3.  a boy who fell asleep in the stroller on the way home

4.  AND slept through the transition from stroller to crib!

5.  a care package

6. ... that arrived on just the day I needed it

7.  lakeside picnic at dusk with our small group

8.  a weekday with nothing scheduled (except playgroup)

9.  open windows!

10.  more names in our guestbook  :)

The other side

A few years ago we made a special trip to Arizona.  We saw saguaro cacti.  We tried to see Sedona (fog & clouds obscured it).  We gave up on our plans to see the Grand Canyon (due to a springtime snow storm that made driving treacherous).  We visited relatives. We relaxed in the sun.  We ate good food.  But our main purpose was to visit the couple who played a large part in Jim's spiritual upbringing.

Staying in their home was a delight.  We were refreshed by their warm hospitality.  They reminisced (and I learned a lot).  We watched home videos of days gone by.  I went to Bible study with her and heard her teach God's Word.  We were affirmed in our hopes of adopting (and assured of their prayers).  We were inspired by their active and effective ministry even in their so-called retirement.  We received practical counsel, and even received a treasure (an audio recording of Jim's grandfather ~ Little Guy's namesake ~ singing, "The Longer I Serve Him, the Sweeter He Grows").

The morning we left their home, we took pictures and prayed.  Last month, when we received word of the husband's entrance to heaven, Jim recalled the words of this retired minister's parting prayer that morning:

"If we don't meet again until the other side, ..."

We cannot wait to worship the King of Kings in heaven alongside this spiritual father, when we meet again on the other side!  

1000 Gifts, Vol. 4, #98

991.  $2 garage sale find of a $38 product I'd been searching for!

992.   Varage Sale to the rescue again -- finding a water table that is providing hours of enjoyment!

993.   a young grandma from church who was happy to watch Little Guy when I asked her

994.   an aunt, uncle and cousins who watch him regularly ... and also on special occasions like our anniversary overnight or so I can have my annual summer lunch with two friends

995.   another aunt, uncle and cousin who were happy to watch him when we "happened" to be at an event near their house

996. visiting out-of-state relatives (both our act of visiting relatives and their act of visiting us)

997.  safety during tornadic weather

998.  AMAZING weather ... highs in the 70's, humidity in the 30% range

999.  a friend who drove 20-25 miles to visit me, so I could have a day without driving 20-25 miles one-way to town

1000.  four houses in a row on our street with little ones who like to play together

The bath

As I sat on the floor next to the bathtub, reaching in and pouring water into and out of little plastic cups, while Little Guy played, my mind went back to the first time I saw this room.

On day three of our 3-day second date (when I stayed in a friend's guestroom & Jim camped out in his sister's den 25 miles away), we took a day trip about an hour and a half away.

We have fond memories of our lunch by the window of a lakeside restaurant and our walk along the shoreline and our drive down a scenic byway.  For our last stop, before he dropped me off at my friend's, we pulled up to a small, white, one-story home on a tree-lined street.  The car outside indicated that his parents were there.  His mom (?eagerly?) greeted us at the door of a 19' x 17' room with picture windows, where we sat and visited with his parents and longtime family friends. 

The two couples were at the house for a few days' vacation, continuing a tradition that Jim's mother had been part of for eight decades ... and Jim for his whole life.

Besides being my introduction to Jim's parents, it was also my introduction to what would become our frequent getaway spot.  And now Little Guy is well into his second summer of enjoying frequent weekends there. 

Breezes blowing in the open windows ...
   ... freedom from central air ...
      ... the whir of the box fans ...
         ... looking out the picture windows, watching the dogs and bicycles and lawnmowers and strollers go by ...
            ... blowing bubbles and running back and forth on the back deck that is almost the length of the house.

It's a treat to have a rustic place to make memories year after year ~ memories he can share with his dad ~ who shares them with his mother!

Summer

My ideal summer ....

... sitting outside in the early evening eating frozen yogurt ...

... standing in the front yard with neighbors while we watch 5 toddlers/ preschoolers from 3 families play ...

...  furiously inhaling reading books for the summer reading program at the library ...

...  water ... swim lessons ...water table ... beach at the lake ... watching boats on the river ...

...  road construction ... (a necessary evil)

...  taking trips ...

...  overnight company as friends & relatives take trips that take them to or through our town ...

...  strawberries, blueberries, melon! ...

...  cousins playing together ...

NOT my ideal summer ...

...  high electric bills because the sump pump has run non-stop since whenever the rains started (which was definitely more than 40 days and 40 nights ago!) ...

...  watching farm kids swim in a corn field ...

...  seeing a picture of a farmer jet-skiing in his corn field ...

...  mosquitoes who love the water ...

...  ear problems, root canals, and friends with cancer ...

The Long Hallway

When we first visited the church we now call home, I found it interesting that the announcement time often included remarks such as, "You can find more information on the table in The Long Hallway." 

The Long Hallway is indeed long.  It goes from the gym (which is the main parking lot entrance/exit) to the sanctuary, with the classroom space situated on one side of The Long Hallway. One side of The Long Hallway is lined with windows, and the other with narrow tables covered in floor-length black tablecloths like one might see used in an exhibit hall. 

The Long Hallway includes tables for Women's Ministry, Children's Ministry, Evangelistic Materials, Adopt-a-School, and whatever other special events are coming up, e.g., sign-ups for Summer Book Discussion, tags for Angel Tree, drop-off for Foster Child Backpacks, etc.

Once in a great while, the Adult Bible Fellowship (Sunday School) class I attend has a time when each person introduces himself.  Many of us said things like, "I'm so-and-so, and my husband (or wife) is with the 3rd graders (or pre-schoolers) this hour."  One man said, "... and my wife is doing her Hallway Ministry."  Indeed, The Long Hallway is the place to run into people!

The nursery area is on the opposite side of the sanctuary from The Long Hallway.  In the name of efficiency, we often exit through the door right by the nursery, thereby skipping The (crowded) Long Hallway.  But efficiency has a cost, and so recently, in order to take every opportunity for community, we have been exiting via The Long Hallway. 

To be sure, it takes time, but Little Guy loves The Long Hallway because: one - it's like a runway where he literally RUNS to the gym, and two - it leads to the gym where he can run around with the big kids and call out, "Ball!  Ball!  Ball!"  I like exiting via The Long Hallway because it's the only time that our church family (other than nursery workers) sees Little Guy & thus sees us as a threesome. 

Just yesterday, while Jim was speaking for The Gideons at another church, Little Guy and I walked/ran down The Long Hallway.  We had snippets of conversation with various people, and one young grandpa stopped to play games with him like he does with his grandkids.  As I stood in the middle of the gym, while he ran circles around me, I mentioned to another parent who was doing the same thing, "We're running off energy."  He totally understood. 

Today's Books

Three more weeks of summer reading program at the library.  Two more books to read before Little Guy reaches 90 & can have his name entered in the drawing (for what, I do not know).   Today the librarian mentioned that this rainy summer has been good for the summer reading program. :)

Today's books we read are:

Harvest by Kris Waldherr

Except for thanking the Earth for giving us food (rather than acknowledging God as the Giver of all good gifts & creator & sustainer of the earth), and the simplistic idea that harvest happens all in one day, I liked the story and loved the illustrations.


Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback

I liked the moral ... keep using what you have ... and Little Guy liked the cut-outs in the pages!  A win-win!


Summertime in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

How can you go wrong with Little House?!  This was the first one we have read, and it was just the experience I wanted.  The length was just right.  The story is gentle.  And Little Guy was enamored with the illustrations.


Prayer for a Child by Rachel Field

Found when I grabbed a bunch of books off the Caldecott shelf, this is an illustrated prayer.  We have lots of "My First Prayer" books, but this is nice to have a 2-page spread to illustrate each line or so.


The Happy Day by Ruth Krauss

I was surprised Little Guy liked this as much as he did, since it's 99.9% black & white illustrations.  But he loves bears, so that grabbed his attention.  And the story is obviously written in a way that appeals to the younger set, thus the Caldecott award. 

Summer Reading Program has been just the impetus I needed to graduate us from 100% board books to mostly picture books.  We've also used the library a lot more, as opposed to only using it for interlibrary loan requests of board books I hear about.

We've also been reading Crash, Bang, Boom by Peter Spier.  I can't really count it on our library log, though, because there is no way we have read every sound in the book!  If you haven't read it, check it out!

1000 Gifts ~ Vol. 4, #97

981.  fireworks over the lake

982.  a friendly rescue squad that flushed sand out of my eye, while I was waiting for said fireworks

983.  relaxing early morning alone time at a coffee shop alone while on vacation

984.  a generous husband who makes sure I have those two hours

985.  God's faithfulness to my in-laws for 60 years of keeping their vows

986.  standing in the front of the church where the vows were taken 60 years ago, singing "Blessed Assurance," and praying

987.  standing on the sidewalk in front of a family home, listening to the reminiscing

988.  standing in a cemetery singing the Doxology and praying, remembering the life & faith of those gone on before us

989.  the holy moment when we drove to the bank to get yet another form notarized, in hope that some time in the next year God might add another child to our family

990.  the holy moment standing at the FedEx counter in the hardware, sending that notarized form on its way to the people who pray for the children they match with families 

1000 Gifts, Vol. 4, #96

971.  summer reading program at the library - so many good, fun books we're reading!

972.  summer reading program at the library - Little Guy's name on a musical note on the wall, with stickers slowly added

973.  summer reading program at the library - special programs like reptiles and the drum line from the high school marching band

974.  stroller walks

975.  evening stroll with a friend

976.  summer playgroup at the park with friends

977.  a husband who is happy to do the diaper & wipes shopping

978.  friends who are interested in our hopes of a next adoption

979.  friends who write letters of reference every. year. for. four. years. now!

980.  a pastor who eagerly says, "yes," to writing a pastoral reference letter, stating that we are part of a pro-life church and that he supports our adoption

Toddler products we love

Bumkins bibs  - We have tried multiple bibs and ended up using these exclusively.  They wash - hand or machine - easily and air dry quickly, and pack in a purse or diaper bag really compactly.  The price varies quite a bit on Amazon.

media baskets - These are great for storing board books!  They may be called CD baskets. I found some at Meijer.

stove knob locks - As a first-time mom, when I spied these for 25 cents or a dollar at a garage sale, I grabbed them up, while half-way thinking, "How silly."  In fact, these have come in VERY handy

Dirt Devil Jr. - See this post.

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Phone - A Goodwill find.  Although it's "old-style," it teaches the alphabet, numbers, and common phone phrases. 

sun hat - I promise we do not have the pink one. :)  But with fair skin and fine hair, our Little Guy needs a sun hat. This one covers a lot, and has a velcro strap. 

Robeez - I didn't "get" these popular shoes, until I found a pair of soft soles at Goodwill (with bulldozers on them!) and a pair of Tredz at a garage sale --- both of which are two of the BEST pair of shoes (and best FIT of shoes) I've found for Little Guy.

NUK training spout - When sippy cups were just not happening for Little Guy, we discovered training spouts that fit our bottles.  It's the only way he drank for months. 

animal magnets - This was Little Guy's first birthday present from us and provided hours of entertainment.  (This is not the price we paid, and I've seen it frequently on online garage sales.)

LeapFrog - We had the farm animal set (a few dollars at a garage sale, not the $100+ price on Amazon!) and now have the letter set, with the word builder set (again, not the $100 Amazon price, a mere $4 garage sale price) ready for the next stage. 

Did she disciple you, too?

                              Elisabeth Elliot 

When passing through the gates of pearly splendor,
Victors, we rest with Thee, through endless days.

This past week, the one who wrote Through Gates of Splendor (based on the hymn quoted above & telling the story of the five Auca martyrs), passed through those gates herself. 

The articles and video below have helped me remember, celebrate, pause, thank God, grieve, and hopefully consecrate myself anew to the Savior to whom she pointed me and so many others. 

How did she most influence you?



Celebrating the Life of Elisabeth Elliot

video tribute by Christian leaders

10 Life-Changing things EE said

Classic Piper on EE

She Trusted and She Obeyed - a tribute

9 Things You Should Know About EE 

1000 Gifts, Vol. 4, #95

961.  velvety red roses peeking out through a New England-style picket fence

962.  48 hours of visiting with another mom of littles

963.  good report from - and improved communication with - the pediatric hearing clinic

964.  an overflowing page of Little Guy's new words in the past two weeks

965.  summer fruit!!!!!!!

966.  stroller walks to the park

967.  crossing small tasks off my weekly list - following up with a professional, finding out how to participate in early voting, purchasing a baby gift

968.  the special joys that summer affords

969.  summer reading program at the library

970.  a mini-vacation of just us three

Lazy Saturday

It's a lazy Saturday for all but Jim (I'm choosing to forget a deadline I face), and at least one of us is still in our pajamas (Ahem!). 

Today's entertainment for Little Guy is his booster chair. He found it on the floor (where I had placed it after unloading the car from several hours he spent with his cousins) and is practicing sitting in it, standing up, pulling it around, etc.  (Honestly, I'm enjoying the quiet.) :)  His other entertainment is a box of kleenex.  I figured (for the first time) that my sanity is worth the dollar of kleenex that will be wasted. :)


After a week that included:

• 24 hours of house guests, 
• a trip to the pediatric hearing clinic 70 miles away, 
• the stress (for me) of his hearing test, 
• mixed reports of the results, 
• hard conversations with both of his therapists regarding the possible trajectory of his hearing loss,
• emotional energy spent pondering "what ifs," 
• doing something new by starting developmental playgroup, 
• figuring out how to make our schedule work on that day, 
• and then throwing in my annual physical exam,

I'm very thankful for a lazy Saturday ... AND the surprise phone call that Jim will bring lunch AND a treat at noon.  He's speaking my love language!

Music therapy, speech therapy, vacuum therapy

We go to speech therapy once a week, aural rehab therapy twice a month, and will soon start music therapy, Lord willing.  You've probably heard of at least two of those.

But have you ever heard of vacuum therapy?  Neither had I, until we "happened" upon it.  I'm happy to report that it has been successful!

A few weeks ago while garage sale-ing, I found this toy vacuum for $4.  I thought $4 was highway robbery, but knew that if it solved Little Guy's fear of our vacuum, it would be worth that a hundredfold!

We brought it home.  He learned how to turn it on (but not off), how to bring the upright portion back to a comfortable degree for pushing, how to remove the handheld dustbuster-type cleaner and run it along the floor.  Basically, he has spent days playing with it, and we have spent days listening to the motor run. :)

Before, he would shake like a leaf when our vacuum was on, and would even exhibit fear when we were carrying him upstairs and the vacuum was sitting near the stairs. 

But today!!!!  Today I vacuumed the entire upstairs plus the living room while he was in each room with me, happy as a lark!

Vacuum therapy - it worked!

Moments

When you haven't done laundry in days, and so your son is dressed in a navy onesie with dozens of white elephants marching across it paired with gray and navy striped pants with a bear face appliqued on his bottom.

When you run out of mozzarella cheese and your only other option is sharp cheddar, and yesterday he grimaced at that and spit it out, but today he's desperate enough for his beloved cheese that he gobbles the sharp cheddar up!

When I question how bad the "owie" actually is, since the mere sight of the milk jug caused the tears to completely cease. 

When it rains for days, and your grass is finally mowed, and it looks like a hayfield with freshly cut hay.

When you get a sinus headache in the morning because the temps dropped 20 degrees overnight, but by midday you are having severe allergy symptoms from the pollen (and freshly cut grass - see above).

When you're glad that your circumstances don't have to dictate your joy, and for the perspective that comes from keeping your eyes fixed on The One who is unchanging and unchangeable!

Round and round ... and round and round ...

Our first day of Aural Rehab Therapy we came home with homework to practice saying, "round and round."

Who knew how many opportunities there are in daily life to do that?!?!

We spun balls round and round.

We turned the wheels on a toy bus round and round.

We drew circles and sang, "A circle's like a ball, a circle's like a ball. Round and round and round it goes. A circle's like a ball." (Tune: The Farmer in the Dell)

And it worked!!  Little Guy started saying, "ou ... ou" whenever he saw a tire, a ball, etc.  (And it stuck! He still does it.)

We also practiced by listening to, "Only a Boy Named David," ... and singing it ... and watching it on YouTube.  I liked this one especially (it's #23 in the playlist).

Now, weeks later and having acquired a miniature pop-up book of David, we sing the song again and again.  The other day, when we were riding in the car, he was looking through a recent garage sale find of a cloth Bible story book, and found the page spread about David ... and the picture of the sling that went round and round!

When we arrived home from our errands, I found others of his Bible story books, and of course each one includes the story of David and a picture of the slingshot.  So Little Guy can turn the pages in any of them until he finds a really tall guy and a slingshot and say, "Round and round."

Mother's Day

A mother's charge—an immortal creature.

A mother's duty—to train him up for God, heaven and eternity.

A mother's dignity—to educate the family of the Almighty Creator of the universe.

A mother's difficulty—to raise a fallen sinful creature to holiness and virtue.

A mother's encouragement—the promise of Divine grace to assist her in her momentous duties.

A mother's relief—to bear the burden of her cares to God in prayer.

A mother's hope—to meet her child in glory everlasting, and spend eternal ages of delight with him before the throne of God and the Lamb. 

Female Piety—The Young Woman's Guide Through Life to Immortality

John Angell James, (1785—1859)

 

One-anothering with special needs

How can a church minister to people and families affected by disability?  If you Google, "Ministering to Special Needs," scads of articles (and maybe books) will come up on your screen. I haven't read any of those, but I have experienced the reality of a church faithfully ministering to a family affected by a special need. 

While I don't think of Little Guy's hearing loss as a disability (because it's our normal), our church is indeed ministering to us!

The biggest way is through prayer.  One of ten (?) rotating teams of the Prayer Corps prays for the needs of the congregation during each service, and I keep the church secretary updated with Little Guy's hearing-related prayer needs.  We don't know who serves on the Prayer Corps, but we can sort of guess based on the individuals who follow up with us with specific questions.  Their questions always encourage us!  And it is no small thing to know that each Sunday his speech & hearing issues are being carried to the throne of grace!

This past week I had a conversation in passing with our pastor. When I mentioned how much we're enjoying his sermon series on Moses, he mentioned that he thought of us as he covered the passage that included these verses:

Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?  Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” (Ex. 4.11-12)

He offered to send us an article he found helpful, and, with heartfelt compassion and tears in his eyes, wondered aloud about how God's glory would be revealed in our son's life (John 9.2-3) and said he's praying for him and the issues he faces.

The loving care and genuine concern of our fellow church members and pastor lighten our load because we know that they are sharing in our burden ... and also in our delight as they rejoice at his growth & development. 

One very practical way that our church ministers to us is by allowing us to use the church nursery for an hour during the week for Little Guy's speech therapy.  Due to distance from the speech therapy clinic we have chosen, we needed to find a closer location which is a "natural environment" for our son.  He is right at home in the church nursery, and I'm not sure where else we could find a space like that to use. 

My heart is full as I think of how beautifully our church has come alongside us just in the first five months of this journey.  We are so thankful to God for our church family!