Some New Things in March

Luke has received some new things during the month of March.

The first thing is somewhat exciting for him. We got rid of the infant tub (long overdue on that one). I was wanting a bath seat or something that would be a little bit more stable for him in the tub since he's only recently become very good at sitting up on his own. So, after a search on the internet, I found and purchased this....



It looks a little like a boat for the bathtub. It does float if there's enough water in the tub. Otherwise, it's just something for which he is able to sit in a stable manner. It is not inflateable. It is filled with little beads. It is supposed to be mold and mildew resistant (we'll see on that one). And, it hangs up on the shower curtain rod to dry -- fairly simple :) He seems to enjoy it.

Here's the serious look in the tub :)



The second thing I think he could actually care less about, at least at this point. He now has the opportunity (without choice) to sleep lower in his crib. After reading about little Julia Ekeland (link to the "The Ekelands" on the side of this blog) falling out of her crib, we decided to go on ahead and lower Luke's mattress even though he's not pulling himself up yet (Julia and Luke are only 9 days apart).

So, here's a photo of Marc lowering Luke's crib mattress.



In the book, "Bringing Up Boys," author James Dobson talks about how infant boys tend to cling to their mothers until about 18 months. Then, at 18 months, little boys will begin to observe and copy their fathers. While Luke does definitely have some "Hypermommyitis," (Mama's Boy), we definitely already see signs of him really watching his Daddy. It's extremely interesting for us to watch. So, here's a photo of Luke intently watching Marc lower his crib mattress (he could've cared less that I was in the room or that there were toys in front of him).



Lastly, before Luke was born, when we were figuring out all of the "stuff" we needed for him, I opted out of registering for or purchasing myself for Luke a bumper for his crib. "What, no bumper," you might say? Nope, no bumper for us. I read numerous articles about recommendations of taking out bumpers to avoid risk of SIDS. I didn't feel that we or anybody else needed to spend the money (they are expensive for what they are). And third, other parents had warned me against them as it's more difficult to change the sheets. So, I do know that MOST of you reading this blog would think that I'm possibly nuts or just against sheer cuteness for not having a bumper (as I know they're popular), but we didn't have one.

It's all been fine up until somewhat recently. Luke's been getting his little feet caught in the crib slats. So, I found a "breathable" netting to work as a bumper (sort of). We finally received it today, and Marc installed it tonight.

Luke didn't even notice. So, here's a photo of his crib now -- complete with a crib sheet with cars on it that my mom made.

This was MUCH cheaper than a normal bumper, but it's not that I'm extremely frugal or anything.



That's all I have for now. I hope all of you locals spent some time outside today. It was nice. Luke and I walked to Kindermusik this evening, and we both enjoyed it.

Until next time....

Various Things Since I Haven't Blogged in a Few Days....

This past Wednesday evening, we took Luke swimming again at our neighbors' house. It was a cold evening, and so, to get there, I had a jacket on him with his hat. Rather than taking him there in pants, I took him there in his swimming trunks and wrapped him in two blankets. As you can see from this photo, he didn't much care for the look. Once we got in the pool, though, he did just fine.



Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. Psalm 147:5

Last night (Friday) and throughout a good portion of today, it snowed here -- quite a bit. Some scientists and others who are convinced that we're experiencing a catastrophic climate change thanks to all of the bad carbon emissions we're putting into the atmosphere might suspect that this winter storm this late in the season here in Kansas is a sign of dramatic climate change. I, on the other hand, think that it could possibly be God showing us or reminding us of his power. We serve a very powerful God, a very mighty God, and nothing is beneath Him.

Here's a photo from this morning, on our deck. I LOVE how snow collects on top of our table.



My wonderful husband kept us VERY warm (almost too warm) with a fire in our fireplace.



Thanks to the storm, I ended up not working yesterday. Therefore, Luke and I have had probably too much "indoor time." Fortunately today, Marc was home with us, so Luke got to have some "Daddy Time" -- which he LOVES.



We did get out this evening for Ollie's birthday party. Luke did well until a little after 8:00 P.M. He because suddenly very fussy, and I could tell by the "type" of fussiness that there wasn't going to be too much to calm him down. So, we left. Of course, as soon as we got in the car and subsequently home, he was happy as can be :) (I don't think it was your house, Smith's -- it was Luke being PICKY Luke).

This past Thursday evening, I suddenly, out of the blue, had a scratchy throat. I told Marc, "This feels like a cold coming on. Where did this come from?" I was at the grocery store that evening, and I was so sure that it was a cold that I even picked up some cold medication.

Sure enough -- Friday morning -- very congested. I fought it all day on Friday (thankfully, I was off work). Last night, I really didn't feel well, and I haven't felt the greatest today.

I'm hoping that neither Luke nor Marc catch this. It's really not fun. So, here's my cold paraphernalia that's been very important to me for the last two days.



Until I blog again....Tootles!

Marriage....

Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me. Ruth 1:16b-17

Those verses were read at our wedding. In the book of Ruth, those verses don't even pertain to marriage -- they pertain to Ruth and Naomi (a woman and her daughter-in-law). But, I've always liked those verses. In college, I was in a women's Bible Study where we studied the books of Ruth and Esther. It was at that time where I decided those verses would be read at my wedding. Of course, that was long before I met Marc. So, when I told Marc I wanted those read at our wedding, I was very pleased he didn't object :)

BUT, this blog post isn't directly about our marriage. It's about our parents' marriages.

Here is a photo of Marc's parents -- it's actually about 10 years old, but they don't look too different now.



And, here is a photo of my parents. It's several years old, but again, they don't look too different now.



Back on February 18, Marc's parents celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary (they were married in 1962). Tomorrow (March 25), my parents will celebrate their 37th wedding anniversary (they were married in 1972).

Marriage, and the sanctity of it, has definitely come under attack in this nation. It's way too easy to get married, and it's definitely way too easy to get divorced. Marc and I strongly believe in keeping God at the very center of our marriage. We realize that it will not always be easy, but we also know that we both have made the marriage commitment for life.

We are so very thankful that both of our parents have remained married. We're happy to be able to wish them Happy Anniversary each and every year.

So, the main purpose of this post is to wish both of our parents "Happy Anniverary!"

**Note: In three years, we'll be most likely, Lord willing, throwing two different anniversary parties -- one in February (Marc's parents' 50th) and one in March (my parents' 40th). If you have any good suggestions, please let us know.

All the Creatures of the Earth....

And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let BIRDS fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged BIRD according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the BIRDS increase on the earth." Genesis 1:20-22

Believe it or not, I really don't have too much to blog about. However, the other day (Saturday), I did capture a couple of photos that I deem worth sharing.

We live fairly close to a creek (Slate Creek for all of you locals). On Saturday, I was in the kitchen, preparing some food because my family was coming over in the evening. All of a sudden, Marc said, "Get the camera. There are some wild turkeys in the yard. They're from near the creek."

So, I did grab the camera. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get them photographed in our yard -- only walking toward our neighbors' yard and actually in our neighbors' yard.

But, how interesting is that to get five wild turkeys walking through our yard here in town?

If you look closely at this pic, you can see the turkeys through the trees. This is right after they left our yard, heading toward our neighbors' yard.



This pic shows them in our neighbors' yard. About an hour after this photo was taken, Luke and I were out walking. One of them flew over me. I didn't even realize they could fly.



And (please don't read this if you're an animal lover), Marc had actually seen these wild turkeys near our yard before they crossed our yard. He immediately went and grabbed his BB gun. There he was, on our deck, shooting at the wild turkeys. He did hit both of them. NO, they were not hurt at all. In fact, Marc said they were hardly even phased a bit.

Eight Months and More Stuff....

Yesterday, Marc's parents came over to see Luke. For quite some time now, Marc has been meaning to get a "3-generation of Friesens" photo -- one of his dad, himself, and Luke. Finally, we remembered to get that done. Here it is....



For those of you who don't know, Marc's dad was 50 years old when Marc was born. Marc is an only child. So, Luke is his first grandchild -- at age 84. Luke was born just 3 days after his birthday. That had to have been a nice birthday present for him.

Today (Saturday, the 21st), Luke is eight months old. Wow! How time flies. Like each month, we took a photo of him in his chair. But first, a recap...

At two months....



At four months....



At six months....



And Voila! Today, at eight months....



What a little man!

This evening, my family was over to celebrate my birthday (belated) and my brother's birthday (his birthday is April 8). We did manage to get a photo of Luke with his only two cousins. Of course, it's virtually impossible to get three small children to all look at the camera. Oh well! It's still a keeper photo.



Then, Luke got a "horsey" ride from his Grandpa Koehn. He did smile during this ride, but I was unable to get that smile on camera. That's his Grandma in the background, holding him up.



Have a great rest of the weekend.

Community....

Know that there are photos at the end of this post. However, to get to the photos, you must humor me, and read the post first.

Everyday they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:46-47

The other day, Luke and I were out walking with a new friend of mine. We had great conversation about various topics (none in detail that I'm going to mention on this post). I was so very glad for this opportunity the other day.

Since this walk and as a result of our conversation, I have been reaffirmed with the idea that everybody longs and desires to be a part of a community. Think about it. Members of gangs are longing for that sense of community (though this would be an example of a community with a negative impact). The sitcoms "Friends" and "Seinfeld" both illustrate groups of 6 and 4 people respectively who are part of a community, though those communities weren't exactly God-honoring either.

At our church, many people in the church body belong to a "Community Life Group" (a.k.a. small groups, Bible Study group, or care group). Marc and I have been a part of two different Community Life Groups for almost four years now.

Throughout those four years, we have both grown in our relationship with Christ. We have also grown closer to one another. We have met people whom we hope are lifelong friends. We have now become parents with other couples. I know I love and learn from the community of young wives and moms that I am around.

The verses at the beginning of this post are from Acts -- the book of the Bible where the early church was formed. At that time, many "groups" met in peoples' homes, growing and learning more about Christ.

Since the Bible is a living, breathing work, these verses show that God cleary wants us to continue meeting in homes, forming communities with which we can grow in our relationship with Him.

What do I believe is the ulimate goal of Community Life Groups?

-- To grow in our own relationships with Christ
-- To lift each other up and encourage one another just as Christ would
-- To life each other up in prayer
-- To bring glory to Christ through conversation, actions, prayer, and teachings/studies
-- To support one another as friends

Throughout my 33 years of life, I have had a few friends and even a family member tell me that they do not need to go to church or be in a Bible Study to be a Christian or to go to heaven. While it is true to be saved, you must merely "confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead" (see Romans 10:9) and not have to go or belong to a church, people who are not a part of a community of believers are missing out on many things -- spiritual growth in Christ, the loving support of other believers, the prayer of other believers, and the sheer and utter joy of bringing glory to Christ with other believers.

Have I convinced you yet that if you don't have a community of believers with which you belong, you really should?

If you're a local and want more information about our Community Life Groups, leave me a comment with an e-mail address....

Anyways, Marc and I are currently leading a Community Life Group. Including us, there are 10 people (5 couples) in our group. At least once a month, we have a "fun night" or a "game night." This past Sunday evening was our "game night."

We did a town scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunt clues were given to us by none other than Aaron and Shannon (their group did this same scavenger hunt, I believe, back in the fall). I think Aaron's parents are the ones who actually wrote the clues in this scavenger hunt (Correct me if I'm wrong on this one).

The guys were on a team, and the girls were on a team. We allowed ourselves 70 minutes to complete the scavenger hunt.

Here's a photo of Sarah H. in front of a gorilla in somebody's yard (Note -- this photo was incorrect for the clue given. We should've taken a photo of a gorilla statue in front of a school).



Here's a photo of Johannah in front of our local hospital. This answer was correct for the clue given -- "Infirmary."



This photo was purely funny to us girls. The clue was, "Mexico's most popular religious cultural image." We knew it was the Virgin Mary. None of us could remember where the church was where there was a statue. So, we happened to find one in somebody's yard. Sarah H. quickly ran in somebody's yard while Lisa snapped the photo. If this is your house and you're reading this, we apologize :)

Is this terrible or what?



The last photo is of Sam in front of an owl statue. This was a correct photo for the clue given.



In the end, the girls actually tied with the guys. However, WE feel we actually won because our photos all had people in them. The guys merely drove by and snapped a photo. I'm not sure they ever took the time to get out of the car.

Thanks again Aaron and Shannon for the clues. We had A LOT of fun that evening!

Basketball Mania....

For well over a year now, Marc has been planning to take off work two 1/2 days to watch some basketball games of the NCAA tournament with Luke -- a Father/Son Event --even though Luke is only 8 months old. So, today (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday), Marc has been and will be home during the afternoons with Luke.

Since Thursday is one of my normal days at home, I was here as well once I got home from the Thursday morning Bible Study that I'm in.

We first took Luke to have him weighed -- he now weighs 20 lb. 3 oz. Then, we stopped to get....



And, Marc even shared with me.

Of course, to go along with pizza, you must have, at least in this household....



Then, you can sit back and watch....



This game was the Purdue/Northern Iowa game. Purdue won, and Marc was happy because that's who he had winning on his bracket.

Of course, Luke didn't get too much into basketball -- perhaps some day, Marc. When he wasn't napping, he was more interested in....



Later this afternoon, however, Luke and I did go outside for our obligatory walk. It was a nice day. A very nice elderly woman, however, did "chew" me out (nicely) about not having Luke's ears covered. He did have a hat, a jacket, and a blanket. He was also wearing a seasonable shirt and jeans. So, I'm thinking he was fine. Oh well -- she meant very well, and she was indeed a very pleasant person overall to talk with.

After the walk, Marc and Luke did a first....



And now, this evening, Marc and I just got finished watching Joel and Jess on TV. Wow! What a wonderful job -- especially for being out of Jessica's "comfort zone." I was especially pleased that "Jesus" was left in as part of the interview. You so often don't get to hear about Jesus on TV!

What a great story about Cora!

That was our day! Happy Friday to you all -- enjoy the last of your Spring Break -- for those of you who get a Spring Break. I will be working tomorrow.

A Little Joy at Work....

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. Psalm 28:7

One thing that Marc and I have really started thanking God for each and every day is our jobs. I think many people often don't think of thanking Him for our jobs. But, besides a source of income to make a living, it is an opportunity to bring glory to God.

I currently am spending 15 hours each week at a Dairy Queen, not only helping customers and making ice cream products but also working with employees on organization, training, and a little marketing. I am very thankful for this opportunity, and though I know that our ultimate goal is for me to stay home full-time with Luke, I want to make the most out of this short time I have at this job.

One joyful thing I get to see on a weekly basis is people smiling because of ice cream. It normally puts most people in a good mood. It's fun to be around them. I have been taking some photos of happy customers for a "bulletin board" at the restaurant called, "The Sweet Life." I'd like to share some of the photos I've collected.

First, an older couple who was more than happy to pose with their treats....



This gentleman came in by himself just the other day with all of these kids. He said that only one of them was his. The others were nieces and nephews. He had his hands full, but all of the kids were so excited to pose for this photo. They were also very well behaved. But, it take awhile to have everybody decide what they want. It was a long ordering process :)



These three kids all had certificates for a free ice cream cone. They received them from a local dentist who hands out DQ certificates for a job well done in the "dental chair."



This last photo is my new favorite photo from work. These two girls, along with their mother, came in just today (Wednesday) to pick out an ice cream cake for their daddy's birthday. They were so excited and did have a hard time agreeing on which cake to get. They had to check out each cake, and they even had me go to the back to see if we had any more to look at. With all of the fancy decorations, they ultimately picked out a cake with balloons on it (they were originally looking at a girly flower cake). Then, they had me write "Happy Birthday Daddy" on the cake.

I bet their Daddy had a very happy birthday this evening!



That's all for now! Have a wonderful day tomorrow (Thursday).

Happy Birthday Tammy!

Today (March 17) is Tammy's birthday. She is a very close friend of mine. We met in the dorm bathroom (Haury Hall) at Bethel College during our freshmen year. I believe it was late in the evening. I was using the furthest sink from the door, washing my face and brushing my teeth. Tammy likes to remind me that I was using a hot pink hair clip to hold my bangs back from the face washing. Fortunately, I DO NOT have a photo to post of that ordeal. Just use your imagination.

During college, we were friends, but I wouldn't say close friends. It wasn't until after college that our friendship blossomed. It's funny because during college, we lived very close togther. Since college, we've always lived a distance from each other. Perhaps that's how we've become so close. A bit strange, isn't it?

We have so many memories: traveling to Ireland together with two other girls from college (probably will do a post someday on that trip), hanging out in Chicago several times, cooking together at a kids' camp in Ontario, talking about boys, talking about the future, sharing hopes and dreams....etc., etc., etc.

Here are a few photos....

When Tammy met Reynold (her husband), he was director of "Silver Lake Mennonite Camp." This camp is located in Ontario. Tammy took a summer and served as the head cook. So I, spent my week's vacation up in Ontario, cooking for a bunch of 8-12 year olds. It actually was a lot of fun, and I would love to do it again someday. In this photo, we're in the camp kitchen, preparing something. Tammy's on the left, and I, of course, am in the middle.



Tammy's family is Canadian, though she had lived in the states for a number of years because her father was teaching at a seminary in northern Indiana. When she met Reynold (also Canadian), she moved back up north. So now, she's in Manitoba. If we want to see each other, one of our families must cross the border :)

**As a side note, though, Tammy was actually born in this nice little town we live in :)

In May, 2007, I was up in Minneapolis on business (of course). Tammy and Reynold, along with their 8-month old son, Caleb, were kind enough to come down for a visit. So, here's Tammy, Caleb, and me in Minneapolis.



And, just for fun -- in June, 2006, Marc and I went up to Manitoba for a visit. Here's a photo of the two of us -- she was pregnant with Caleb at the time.



So Tammy, Happy 33rd Birthday! I hate to say it, but we're getting old! If you would've been down here today, you could've had an 80 degree birthday. But, since you're up there in Manitoba, you had to have a cold birthday with ice and snow barely melted. Perhaps some year, you can come down here for our birthdays....OR, we can travel somewhere for our birthdays -- like we talked about.

You're a wonderful friend. You're so very encouraging. You're a FANTASTIC listener. You're a great wife to Reynold, and you're a loving mother to Caleb and Jesse.

Have a great day!

"It's Lookin' Like a Boy...."

One year ago, on the 17th of March (St. Patrick's Day), we found out that the baby I was carrying was a boy -- Luke.

We were surprised because Marc claimed he "instinctively" knew this baby would be a girl. He even had my parents, some other family members, and a few friends also convinced Luke was a girl. Don't tell Luke this when he was older, but we even occasionally (before we knew) referred to him by the girl name we had picked out. We were that sure Luke was a girl, thanks to Marc's instincts.

So, when the sonogram tech said, "It's lookin' like a boy," Marc had to admit he was wrong.

It took us both a little bit to "accept" (for lack of a better term) that Luke was a boy. We didn't mind it AT ALL, but it still took a bit for us to change our mindset.

It's a little scary -- raising a boy. In "Bringing Up Boys," author James Dobson does not give good statistics about boys.

-- Boys are six times more likely than girls to have learning disabilities.
-- Boys are four times more likely than girls to be diagnosed as emotionally disturbed.
-- Their rate of death in car accidents is 50% higher than girls.
-- 77% of delinquency related court cases involve boys.

God obviously thought that we were equipped, with His help of course, to raise a boy. He gave us one.

Marc and I both feel privileged that God has entrusted us with Luke. We pray daily for wisdom and guidance in raising him to be a man of Godly character, a man who will one day become the leader and provider of his household, a man who will love his wife just as Christ loved the church, a man who will raise his own children in a Godly way....

When I was pregnant with Luke, many people would ask me if we were having a boy or a girl. When I excitedly responded, "a boy," I sometimes saw a look of disappointment, like he wouldn't be as much "fun" to raise as a girl. I sometimes overheard people talking to some other women I knew that were having girls. The response about a girl was amazingly more "chipper." I even had one woman say, "Oh, my boys were terrible to raise."

How is that encouraging?

I've always found "men jokes" to NOT be very funny. Now, I want to cry when I hear one. So often, they are so degrading toward men. I know that, as a mother, I can't protect Luke from everything wrong in this world. But, like all mothers, I want to so very badly. Some of the jokes and media criticism of men is only the beginning of what I want to protect him from.

How will I combat the criticism? I will pray to God for wisdom. I will pray for Luke's future wife now. I will pray that Marc and I do the best we can (with God's help) in raising Luke to be a Godly man.

All your sons will be taught by the Lord, and great will be your children's peace. Isaiah 54:13

Here's Luke at the beginning of this month....sitting there like a Little Man, looking up to his dad.

Friday....

Today was one of those days where a couple of different things happened that were not planned for. Fortunately, they were all very good things.

1) If you read our bio at the top of this blog, you'll notice that I work very parttime at a Dairy Queen. I LOVE waiting on and helping customers, and fortunately, at this particular location, we get some AWESOME customers. Very rarely do I have to deal with somebody rude. Today, a fairly large group of students came in for lunch. I asked one of their teachers where they were from. She told me they were from a small town near Topeka (sorry, but I don't remember the name).

These kids were very well behaved and organized. Many of them had their money in ziploc bags (too cute). They all wanted ice cream, but their teachers told them they needed to eat a decent lunch first. I went out to the dining area with my camera. Some of them were more than happy to pose.

The part of this "unplanned" event was that we normally don't get a bunch of kids all at once along with our normal business. The awesome employees got through it just fine.



The main thing I want to point out about this event was that these kids were so very polite. So often now, adults "gripe" and "complain" about kids. There's always such a negative attitude toward kids. These kids give me a lot of hope for the future.

2) I decided on a whim (again, unplanned) after work to take a walk with Luke in the jogging stroller. It was a bit chilly, but I bundled him up. We both really enjoyed our walk, and we went a little over four miles. Luke was obviously warm enough because he fell asleep. Here's a photo of him all bundled up, still in our driveway.



3) Upon returning home from our walk, I noticed a strange car parked in front of our house. I walked up the driveway, and Marc was talking with Sarah B. She was a runner on Marc's cross-country team at Bethel College for a couple of years when he coached. We don't see her very often. She stopped by to say "Hi" and to meet Luke for the first time. We asked her to stay for dinner (unplanned and at the last minute), and fortunately, she said, "Yes." So, I put together a very quick dinner for the three of us. It was fun to catch up, and Luke was very sociable with her.



**A little fact about Sarah B. -- She LOVES the color green. We call her "Sarah Green." Her e-mail address has something about "green" in it. It's really quite humorous, but it's so very her personality. She brought Luke a pair of, none other than, green shorts to wear this summer. They'll be so cute once I get him a shirt to match.

4) This next event in my day was planned -- Tonight was the "Cora Paige" (playground) benefit concert at a local bookstore. The performing group was "Hearts 4 Him." You might remember a blog post back on February 21. This same group performed at a Community Life Leaders' Event. So, I got to hear them again.





There were a number of people from our church there. It's always fun to hang out with and catch up with our Young Marrieds' Group. From Young Marrieds' (the ones I saw) -- Dave & Amanda; Kelsey, Tami, & Ella; Jon & Lori; Allen & Debby; Rachel; Myself (Marc was gracious enough to miss this event to stay home since Luke was sleeping).



Toward the end of my stay at the bookstore, Lori, Amanda, Debby, and I were talking about some of the various comments that have been left on either the "Macs" blog or some other blogs around here. Many of these comments have been left by people that don't know us and are not from here, but they have been following Cora's story. It's amazing just how hungry people are for God. The reality is, however, that in this country, more and more, Christianity is being forced out of the public. We're told we need to be "tolerant" and "respectable" of all faiths. But again, people are clearly so very HUNGRY for Christ.

I can't imagine not having the hope of Jesus in our lives. Debby mentioned this verse. I'd like to share it....

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. Luke 19:10

Until my next post....Have a wonderful Saturday!

Our Thursday....

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. Psalm 8:1-2

I absolutely LOVE and CHERISH my Tuesdays and Thursdays. Those are the days, besides the weekends, that I am home with Luke. Though I only work five hours each day on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, they're not the same as my Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I thought I'd share a bit of my day. It really wasn't too busy, and it was just wonderful.

This morning, I went to my weekly Thursday morning Bible Study group with 7 other wonderful ladies. We're studying the Old Testament book of Daniel, a study written by Beth Moore. The first half of the study was more historical in nature. Now, it's moved on to prophecy. While I think we're all confused a bit (at least I am), I know that I have learned. I do also truly enjoy getting together on Thursday mornings with these ladies.

So, while I was there, Luke got to spend some time with his Grandma Koehn (my mom).

He didn't take a great nap for his Grandma, so he went down early for his afternoon nap. After that, he did some playing on the floor.



Then, he sat on a blanket in our living room and listened to me play piano.



During that time, he decided he wanted to once again try to crawl -- he's been getting almost into crawl position for several days now. It's now time to figure out the motions. And no, our house is not ready for that.



In the afternoon, I had commented on Rachel B.'s blog that we'd probably try to go outside. So, we did that. I realize it was a bit chilly, so we didn't use the jogging stroller. We used the "Chicco" travel system stroller where I could bundle up Luke in his carseat and attach it to the stroller. We walked in an area where many older people live. I was just waiting on some older woman to come out and tell me that I shouldn't have my baby outside. Trust me -- he was well bundled. He had a coat on, a hat on, and two blankets covering him. Plus, the carseat was surrounding his little body. I guarantee he was warmer than me.



Not too far into our walk, Luke fell asleep. He must still be catching up from Daylight Savings Time Change. I didn't think he would do that today.



I walked with the stroller a little over three miles. Just as we pulled back onto our street, Luke woke up. This photo is a classic "I'm still sleepy, Mom. Please don't bother me."



After supper and a brief fussy time, Luke perked up and became playful. Here's a photo of him, playing with his Daddy on the floor.



Luke went to bed at his normal 8:00 P.M. Now, Marc and I have time to get some things done as well as spend time together.

What a wonderful day!