wrestling...carefully

Today during Evie's nap the boys had some wrestle time. Sort of. Terry was holding Samuel and Noah jumped on his back - Terry's back, that is. And he went with it.

Samuel seems a little confused...

Surprised. And oh so cute!

Action shot

Now Samuel looks quite concerned. "Help me mommy."

Smooch from the papa.

Now the real wrestling. No Samuels were hurt in this match.

And...nap time.

milestones

Samuel is just about three and a half months old. He's been sleeping through the night for a while, since like 10-12 weeks. I can't remember. He's doing well!

And we recently noticed that he's just starting to grab for things with his hands. He's been gumming up his hands too. Bring on the drool, baby.

Good job Samwell

mother's day

I'm thankful for Terry teaching the kids about such important things like remembering mommy on Mother's Day. I was downstairs on the computer when Terry brought the kids down to the dungeon to make cards for me, trying to be all sneaky about it. I could hear everything he said! So I turned on some music and tried not to listen. Then they went out to get some more secret things. They came back with the flowers and balloons. As soon as we were done with the pictures, they took off with my balloons.

on the hunt

I just read a blog post that seems to have been meant just for me. It was so encouraging.

So often I think that I have to be perfect. I have to understand everything now. I have to be like everyone else. If I can do all those things, then perhaps one day I will finally "arrive." I was talking to Terry about this last night and we agreed that God loves us right where we are. And yet I was/am so discouraged about not understanding God's love for me and what He truly thinks of me. Why can't I get everything now?

And then I read this from here:

An Adult Easter Egg Hunt

I did something last Sunday that I've never done before. When my adult children were here for dinner, we had two Easter Egg Hunts. The last one was for our grandchildren, but the first one was for our adult children. That's right, my adult kids participated in an Easter Egg Hunt their mother and I had planned. The odd thing was that I only hid one egg for them to find. How do you motivate a group of adults in their thirties to search the yard for an Easter egg? That's easy. Put enough money in a plastic egg and they'll scramble like preschoolers!

It was fun for me because I knew that whoever found the egg would be thrilled. I hid it in the flower bed up against the house, right under the water hose. They all began the search at the same time. They were looking in the Junipers, under flower pots, in the grill, in the birdhouses, everywhere. Everybody was laughing and having a great time. I especially enjoyed it.

After 10 minutes passed and nobody had found it, I told them I would give them a clue: "So you won't have to look all night; The egg is in my line of sight." Now they knew they didn't need to go back into the side yard out of my sight. So now they looked right in sight of where I sat on the patio.

Another 10 minutes passed. I gave a second clue: "You may think you'll find it but you can't; if you think it's hidden in a plant." Off the hillside they all came. No more looking among the Junipers or potted plants on the patio. My clue drew them all in closer to where Melanie and I sat. We both laughed as different ones came so very close to finding it at times, only to pass right over it.

Finally, I gave the final clue: "This is a clue that's really sweet; I could walk to the egg in fifteen feet." Now they circled around us, acting like forensic investigators trying to find that one hidden thing.

At last, Cliff, my son-in-law began to go alongside the house pulling up pine straw and then... there is was! We all laughed and congratulated him on his discovery. It brought me great pleasure to see him find it.

That Easter Egg Hunt reminds me of our spiritual adventure in the grace walk. We don't know everything. There are new and surprising truths that await our discovery. Our Father takes great joy in watching us as we search the Scripture and scour the terrain of life in Him in search of a greater knowledge of who He is to us and in us and who we are to Him and in Him.

It takes time and effort, like looking for the prize egg on Easter. Growing in grace isn't instant. It's a process, but if we know His heart, we can enjoy the search. We know that, just like I knew I would personally see to it that one of my family, found the prize egg, our Father will certainly see that we find the "prize" He wants us to discover.

I could have just handed one of the kids the money, but it would have robbed them of the joy of the search and I would have forfeited the pleasure of watching in knowing anticipation of what somebody was about to find. The process of grappling with truth is a pleasure to us and for Him too when we know that He takes pleasure in giving us revelation of Himself.

Sometimes people mistake grappling with truth for confusion. Somebody recently asked me, "Why do you write these things that leave questions in some people's minds?" I responded, "Because questions are a good thing. In fact, more problems come when we have more answers than questions than the other way around." Our Father takes delight in our questions and in our search to discover all that He has hidden in Christ for us. A question is nothing less than a spiritual thirst that He loves to satisfy.

My children didn't express frustration that they were confused as they searched for the egg. They knew that I would see to it that they would find it if they kept looking! That gave pleasure to all of us!

So it is with your Father. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't believe anybody who tries to convince you that reevaluating what you think you've known or that not having a definitive answer for every question is the same as confusion. Immaturity causes us to want to have simple answers for everything, but adults know that life doesn't work that way. It's okay to not have answers and it's okay to search, to reconsider the answers you've been given in the past and to ask them anew, trusting your Father to ensure that, however many "clues" it takes, He will lead you toward "the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Our Father has prize eggs of revelation for all of us. It's not a matter of self-effort when we search. Divine truth does come by revelation but our Father is fun-loving and takes pleasure in watching us wantHim and takes pleasure in leading us toward all that He has set aside for us.

yellow flowers

I've been reading Bonhoeffer for the last couple weeks. It's a little more serious then I'm used to, but I'm enjoying it, taking it slow. Recently I was sitting on the front step reading while Noah and Evie were playing. They kept bringing me little "flowers." How could I resist?!

Thanks Noah =)

cousins

Right before we left Terry's parent's house, we took a picture of all the kids together (it's so fun that there's a cousin now!).

Evie was so grumpy. I can't even remember why. She would not smile. She made for some hilarious photos. I'm posting all of them b/c they make me laugh. Look at that whiner!

Lean forward to cry Evie. Grace is like, What is wrong with you girl?! Samuel is flat lining. Noah is right on.

"Eeeeeeeee!" Now Grace is flat lining too.

Smile from Grace, a near eye roll from Evie.

Big smile from Grace. Evie is just done. Noah looks like he's day dreaming. And Samuel is going to sleep. Good times.

Easter egg hunt ranch style

Last year we did our first Easter egg hunt with the kids. This year we were home so we did it at the ranch, Terry's parent's house. It's wasn't as organized as last year with the resurrection egg theme, but they had fun. Terry did have one egg, the green ones, that were empty so we could talk about how Jesus' tomb was empty since he rose from the dead.

Here's Noah finding an egg in the tree. I think he had a little help with that one.

Grampa takes a photo while Gramma, Shari and Grace watch.

Noah needed help with this last thing - a present.

While we were at Toys-R-Us the previous day, we bought them both a cheap, small Lego gift to find on their hunt. Noah has recently become very interested in making Lego creations. Shari and Jesse got him a Lego car for his birthday and he can follow the directions all by himself to put it together.

Noah's gift makes 3 small Lego vehicles - a plane, helicopter and boat. He makes a new one every morning while daddy watches. Evie's was a Toy Story dude, which she's lost several parts to.

their second meeting

There was a lot of "meeting" going on over Easter. But actually, my parents had already met Samuel. They just hadn't seen him since he was a little orange, peely skinned one-week-old.

We spent Easter Sunday at their house after church. And mom made like the biggest meal next to Thanksgiving and Christmas. We all gorged ourselves. Deliciousness.

I love this picture of my mom. She sure looks happy.

Aw

The big kids watched Toy Story 3 while Terry read his notes from church to my dad.

Then Grampa got a turn with Sam Well. I love this picture as well! My dad is wearing his shooting glasses b/c they were a better prescription and he was waiting for his new ones. I just love it, makes me smile.

Grampa likes to swing Samuel's arms around.

the coolest park

My parents live almost out of town. When I was little it was a pretty small neighborhood with little trees. Now it's growing, a lot. There is even a new park that is just plain awesome. I would have loved it when I was little. Now at least my kids get to enjoy it, occasionally. When we visited for Easter, Terry took them up there for some fun.

Evie carefully steps onto the rope bridge

Climbing girl

Sliding six year old

Carefully balanced steps

Oooooooh yeeeeeeaaaaah, the tire swing. My sister, brother and I had the most fun on these when my dad used to whip us around, probably quite dangerously. But we would hang on for dear life and laugh and scream. Ah, good times.

big girl car seat

We had a Toys-R-Us gift card and since we were home we got Evie a new car seat there. I can still remember when we put her in her other one. Sniff sniff.

We put both big kids in the back so I could care for Samuel and them. And their DVD player of course.

brother and sister and the rest of us

Here's us after church Easter Sunday. We went to Hillsview with Terry's family. Samuel previously had on a cute little man outfit my mom got him but he blew out his diaper and his clothes. Good thing I had a sleeper packed!

another first meeting

Terry's dad lives just a mile up the road from his grand parents. Actually, so does Shari and Jesse, in the house that we lived in before we came here. After the appropriate baby naps, we all headed down to the grand parents to introduce them to Samuel.

Here's great grandpa Elmer (or grandfather as Terry always says) meeting Samuel. Grandma Dorothy, Shari and Grace look on.

He likes babies.

She forgot she met and held Samuel =( but I have proof.

Four generations. Terry and Noah have a good chance of keeping their hair...I hope.

a first meeting

Terry's sister, Shari, had her first baby, Grace Elizabeth, just 2 days before Samuel on January 30th. It was killing me that we hadn't met her when they were both already 11-12 weeks old. Plus, Terry wasn't going to be able to until halfway through June. So the Friday of Easter weekend when Terry got an email from a friend going back home, we thought that we should go home as well. And we did! Talk about a whirl wind to get ready and a very quick trip (only two and a half days), but it was so worth it.

Terry meets and holds Grace for the first time.

Noah and Evie meet Grace. They were less excited than I hoped, but I don't think they understood the ramifications of their first cousin. B/c, you know, Grace is their first. Our kids were the only grand kids on both sides of the family!

Jesse and Shari look like they had twins.

Check out those cheeks!!! She is so incredibly cuddly and chilled. I heard her make like one noise. Samuel seemed cranky compared to her, which of course is not true. He's a pretty good baby. She's just extremely relaxed. They're so different, even in how they hold themselves. Samuel is all intense, so stiff. Grace just lays there like, I'm cool, I'm cool. Then she just goes to sleep.

I was pretty excited, though I look weird here.

Shari and Jesse meet Samuel for the first time.

Noah took this photo of Terry. Ha ha.

Like Father like son.

Shari with the twins again. Oh, and if you think Samuel has a lot of hair, he's got nothing on Grace. If she was a boy, she'd need a haircut. It's touching her back already.

See, look at that intense serious look. Grace is like, Lighten up cousin!

how girls play

Evie and Noah are so different, like in the ways that they play. Terry says that even if we took away all of her toys, she would still find a way to make something talk to something else: she'll make her fingers talk to each other. And in fact, she does that with her toes sometimes.

Noah isn't into toys talking to each other. He more like narrates what's going on: trains, cars, marbles, whatever. Evie makes all of her toys face each other and they talk.

At Noah's birthday Evie was playing with the bucket of dragons they both got. When I cleaned them up, I realized she had each character facing another character. Yep, girls like face to face time.

So the other day when I was making dinner she brought up all her "cuddly" toys and did her girl play thing.

Then she pushed them over to me to trip on

The next day she got out all the dinosaurs.