Daniel's Life Lesson

Daniel has been struggling with his handwriting at school. He likes to rush through things to get them done quickly and because of that most of what he writes is not legible. Every Friday he has a spelling test and we work throughout the week to make sure he is ready for his test. This past Monday Daniel brought home his test from last Friday. He got three answers wrong, all because his teacher could not read what letters he was putting. I as very disappointed and we had a long talk about this, and I told Daniel he would need to practice at home.

So the practicing began. I got him several tools to help him and every night he has been sitting down to write. Last night he was very upset with me because his friends wanted him to come and play, but instead it was time for him to practice his handwriting. He cried and cried and told me I was mean. He said that it was not fair that "I always make him do whatever I want him to do." It was hard to hear him be so upset with me, but I continued to explain my reasoning and made him finish his task.

Today Daniel came home and said 'I have a surprise for you." He pulled out of his back pack his writing paper for the day. He got three smiley faces and and star. His teacher said that she could tell he had been practicing and she was very proud of him. He was smiling from ear to ear. I praised him and gave him a mini reese's peanut butter cup, and hung his work on the fridge. At dinner tonight Daniel said "Mommy thank you so much for making me practice my handwriting. When you were doing that I did not like it, but you were right, my handwriting is getting better. I want to practice every night." I love that he understood that I was not being mean and hateful, but instead I was doing what was best for him. I know that there are many more moments like this to come.

I love you Danny Boy!!!!!

We love to play pretend...

Around this house we love to play pretend. One minute we are super heroes saving the world, and the next we are mommies feeding our babies bottles and getting them ready for bed. Monica has a great imagination and I love watching her play pretend. This morning I had two little bunnies hopping around my house. Well one hopping and one crawling behind. All that hopping made for some very hungry bunnies, so we stopped and had a bunnies favorite snack, carrots. Even baby bunny had some carrots. After awhile bunny got hot in her bunny suit and decided that being a mommy was a better game. And just like that my little bunny transformed herself into a mommy who was going for a walk her her baby and her dogie. I wonder where our imaginations will take us next?


*bunny hop hop hopping*



*Yummy Carrots!*
*Little Mommy*

Dr. Seuss describes my life...

Reading the books "Oh the Places You'll go" by Dr. Seuss made me ponder our lives over the past few months. We are now "in the waiting place."


"You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting."

Monica counting her "Monies"

Monica decided she wanted to count her money. She always calls them her monies. Here she counts them 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,8,6,etc. She is so cute! Enjoy the video.

God's Amazing Love...

Recently astronomers has estimated that there are at least one hundred billion galaxies in our universe. The Hubble Telescope has only been able to detect about 3,000 of these. When you sit outside and look up the sky, the stars you see are just a few of the billions that spread across the sky. I don't think in all of human history we will ever truly know how big the universe is, and how many different planets and galaxies their are. And in the midst of all that, there is a tiny speck, a dot in the middle of many dots. A planet that God decided that he loved so much that he sent his son to it to save the sinful people that inhabit it. God sent his son to our microscopic piece of the universe to save YOU. Feel special today? You should!

My Daniel

It is always a joy as a parent to see the Lord working in the life of your child. I have seen God working in Daniel's life over the past couple of years. He seems to have a desire to know more about the bible and loves learning his scripture verses. The last couple of weeks Daniel has had a real problem with complaining and back talking. It has been hard on me having him complain so much at every little thing I ask him to do. A couple of days ago I sat him down and read to him out of Philippians 2 where is says "therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or questioning," After I read it I looked at my son and he was looking down at his lap with tears in his eyes. He said to me "mom I did not know that the bible said that about complaining. I think that I should pray and ask God to forgive me and help me not complain anymore." His conviction to this passage also convicted my heart and we both prayed together asking God to help us be continent and not complain. What a sweet moment!

Daniel's New Look

Can you tell he is pleased? That is because when we moved here there was a family of 5 boys at the end of the block and 3 of them had mohawks. One of the boys is in 1st grade at the same school as Daniel, his name is Conner. He and Daniel have become very good friends. Yesterday I told Daniel it was time for a hair cut and he asked if he could have a mohawk. I decided to let him have one, but I did not promise he could keep it. He was SO EXCITED! He went off to school today with a HUGE smile on his face.

Olivia scares herself

Monica and Daniel love watching videos of themselves after I take them. This afternoon I decided to see if Olivia would enjoy watching the video of her that I posted on the blog last post. The result was not pure delight, instead the "baby" in the video scares Olivia. It was sad, but kind of funny too. See the following clip to see what I mean.

Olivia Leigh

After school...

it is time for all the neighborhood kids to come out and play. Here is a taste of what Daniel does everyday. You can see him over on the left in red shorts riding his bike with all the kids. There are 2 others that were not in the picture.

Monica Playing "Little Einsteins"

Do you know what the best part of mommy making cookies is?

Licking the batter of course!

A beautiful day to ponder goodbyes

Today was a beautiful day in the city of Grand Rapids. It was a high of 87, and the sun was beating down upon us. We have lived here 4 years now and it has never been 87 degrees in May. As a matter of fact I remember the second year we lived here it snowed in May. I am thankful for the warm weather, as it helps to lift a weary spirit.

My kids also enjoy the warm weather. Daniel ran off to school today in shorts and sandals, although he insisted on wearing socks with his sandals. That was a fight I was not willing to pursue, so off he went to kindergarten dressed like an 80 year old man, wearing shorts with his socks pulled up and sandals. I love this kid!

Monica had a chance to play in a small kiddie pool with her friend Leah. They took turns pouring buckets of water over each other heads. It was really amusing to watch. Leah would take the bucket and pour it on Monica and then gently hand the bucket over and the Monica would do the same. They splashed and played for almost an hour and a half.

Olivia sat on the side lines chewing on her lady bug toy and just watching the commotion. I know that she enjoyed being outdoors as well. We all got some much needed vitamin D, which holds many benefits, including curing the common cabin fever.

Besides that we did not do much today. I have been putting off the need to pack and clean. I am not sure how much longer I can use the excuse "I need some boxes" for my lack of productivity around the house. Honestly I just don't feel like packing up.

As much as this little 2 bedroom apartment has driven me nuts, all 5 of us cramped into such a small space, this has been my home for the past 4 years, and it is hard to think about moving from it. A lot has happened since we moved here. We have added two beautiful daughters to our family, we have cried through three family deaths, we have seen our little boy grow from a non talking 2 year old into a intelligent know it all kindergartner, we have made wonderful friends, and well, what I guess what I am trying to say is I am going to miss seminary life. I know shocking right? I think so too. After all the last 4 years I have used terms like "seminary widow" as I struggled at times to manage life without my husband as he worked to meet the requirements of his degree. I have complained about my apartment being small and cramped. I have often wondered if we were ever going to be done with this part of our lives and move on into careers like everyone else our age.

But somehow looking back, it does not seem all that bad. The small apartment has taught us all that things are not that important. The lack of finances has taught us to be reliant on God and his people for help. The times where I was alone showed that I am a strong woman who can take care of my family. So really even though I have spent years complaining about one thing or another, the truth is, I will miss all of this. I will miss friends being 2 feet from my door who are always willing to have a cup of tea, or listen to my whining. I will miss taking my kids outside to play and before I know it 10 kids and all the parents are out there too, and we spend a couple of hours in conversation. I will miss the community of seminary. Soon we will be thrown into the "big bad world" where people are not as willing to get to know you, and not all neighbors are good and trustworthy.

So I guess what I am trying to say is, I will miss you small 700 square foot apartment. I will miss you great friends and neighbors who have helped carry me through the good and the bad times. I will miss you tiny court yard with no grass where my children played day after day laughing and giggling with others. I will miss you Calvin Seminary. Thanks for a wonderful 4 years.
Cheers!

"...Impress them on your children..."

"Hear O Israel" The Lord our God, The LORD is one. Love the LORD your GOd with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your homes and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Monica and her best friend Leah

Across the hall from us are our good friend Kristin and Roelof. They have a little girl that is about 6 months younger than Monica. Kristin and I joke that they have a "love hate relationship". Whenever one sees the other they get super excited and want to play together, but after awhile of being together they fight like sisters. I captured this picture of Monica and Leah fighting during their daddies' hockey game. I LOVE THIS PICTURE.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Monica LOVES Mickey Mouse. She got a HUGE minnie mouse from Aunt Richell for Christmas and she sleep with Minnie every night. Here Monica is about to watch her favorite thing in the whole world, "Mickey Mouse Club House." And of course her "best friend" Minnie wanted to watch as well.




PS. As adorable as this picture is the end of the story is not as cute. I was sitting in the living room feeding Olivia, and I hear Monica call very calmly saying "mommy mommy." I told her to wait just a minute I was feeding Olivia. So after I fed the baby I went in and Monica looks away from her show for a minute and was all calm as if it was no big deal said "mommy I peed in the chair." And then she turned and continued watching the show! I guess she did not want to miss even one second of her favorite movie and the chair seemed like a "good enough" potty. Needless to say I was not pleased so I turned off her movie and took her to the bathroom to get her cleaned up. Her not being able to finish her movie was punishment enough for her.

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday and when I ponder what Christ has done for me, I cannot say it better than Charles Wesley has in his hymn "Depth of Mercy".

Depth of mercy! Can there be
Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God His wrath forbear,
Me, the chief of sinners, spare?

I have long withstood His grace,
Long provoked Him to His face,
Would not hearken to His calls,
Grieved Him by a thousand falls.

I have spilt His precious blood,
Trampled on the Son of God,
Filled with pangs unspeakable,
I, who yet am not in hell!

I my Master have denied,
I afresh have crucified,
And profaned His hallowed Name,
Put Him to an open shame.

Whence to me this waste of love?
Ask my Advocate above!
See the cause in Jesus' face,
Now before the throne of grace.

Jesus, answer from above,
Is not all Thy nature love?
Wilt Thou not the wrong forget,
Permit me to kiss Thy feet?

If I rightly read Thy heart,
If Thou all compassion art,
Bow Thine ear, in mercy bow,
Pardon and accept me now.

Jesus speaks, and pleads His blood!
He disarms the wrath of God;
Now my Father's mercies move,
Justice lingers into love.

Kindled His relentings are,
Me He now delights to spare,
Cries, 'How shall I give thee up?'
Lets the lifted thunder drop.

Lo! I still walk on the ground:
Lo! an Advocate is found:
'Hasten not to cut Him down,
Let this barren soul alone.'

There for me the Savior stands,
Shows His wounds and spreads His hands.
God is love! I know, I feel;
Jesus weeps and loves me still.

Pity from Thine eye let fall,
By a look my soul recall;
Now the stone to flesh convert,
Cast a look, and break my heart.

Now incline me to repent,
Let me now my sins lament,
Now my foul revolt deplore,
Weep, believe, and sin no more.

If you give a 2 year old a small book...

If there is 12 inches of snow on the ground and it is 12 degrees outside you might think it a good idea to go to the library...

If you go to the library you will begin reading books to your children...

After reading a few books you might think it is a good idea to go and look at the books on CD....

While looking at the books on CD you might notice "if you give a mouse a cookie" which is one of the kids favorite....

While looking at the book you might quickly realize that the book is only 2 inches by 2 inches big....

The size of the book should probably persuade you from getting the book, but it does not...

Because you got the book the kids love to listen to it and look at the pictures....

After listening to the book and looking at the pictures they might be asked to put it back in the library bag...

After putting it back in the library bag, and then playing for awhile they might realize they want to listen to the book again and so they get it back out of the bag...

After getting it out of the bag the kids listen to the story and look at the book again...

After listening to the story they might remember this "super cool toy" that is in their room and forget to put the book back in the library bag...

After forgetting to put the book back in the bag the book somehow gets lost...

After the books gets lost the mother has to spend hours looking in every corner of the house, tearing apart every toy shelf, and book shelf, since the book is only 2x2 inches...

While looking for the book you might realize how dumb it was to allow your children to check out a book that is not much bigger than the palm of their hand...

Then you might also realize that you might just have to start searching online for a replacement book to give back to the library!

Giving Something Up for Lent

This coming Wednesday is the beginning of Lent. Lent is a season in which we consider the death of Christ. For 40 days prior to Easter, we contemplate the price that was paid for our freedom. We consider our sin that made Christ's death necessary. We allow sinful patterns to become entrenched. Lent gives us reason to pause.

The Lenten season was formally established in the 4th century. Athanasius was a church leader in Alexandria, North Africa. He was concerned with the cheap grace of his day. People were quick to join with Christ in his life. But far fewer were willing to join with Christ in his suffering (Phil. 3:10-11). It was easy for the significance of Good Friday to be lost in the celebration of Resurrection Sunday.

One common Lenten practice is fasting. Fasting is a way of removing our dependance on other things and reasserting our dependance on God. Fasting has a way of revealing how much we look to other things for satisfaction. We might skip a meal inadvertently. But when we consciously decide to skip a meal, it consumes our thinking. We realize how important food is in our lives.

A fast can be full (i.e no food) or partial (i.e no meat or sweets). And of course the principle can apply to more than food. There are many things that have a potential to be controlling influences in our lives (i.e computer games, coffee, facebook, ect.). The common practice of "giving something up for Lent" has its roots in the discipline of fasting.

-Pastor Jeff Burr- Forest Hills Baptist Church

Valentine's Day

Daniel is very excited about Valentine's day. This is the first year that he has really been excited about it. He is having a party at school tomorrow. He took great care in writing his name on each valentine card and putting a sucker in each one. It was cute that while he was writing his name he said "Mom do I have to write Daniel or can I just write Dan?" I told him he can write whatever he wants.

Tonight he got out a different box of cards and made one for each one of our neighbors. Monica got her box (my little pony) out and did the same. Then my darling little children walked around to each door in the two buildings here handing out valentines to everyone who was home. They came back with huge smiles on their faces, and a snickers bar each. I guess someone decided to give them a little valentines gift as well!