Not surprising....

Austin was more interested in the candy & fruit snacks (also candy in my book) that he received today than his new tidy-whities (just kidding, he only got sweaters), and Justin was more interested in the trash from the gifts. I can only hope and pray they will always be this easy to satisfy.

I forgot to post a week or so ago that Justin can climb our entire flight of stairs now. Great! NOT!!

Austin latest conversation piece deals with heaven. He will tell you that when he dies he will go to heaven to see Jesus. When you reply in any way, he then tells you he doesn't want to go to heaven. Then starts the conversation of why he really DOES want to go t heaven ONLY when he dies and so on and so forth. It never seems like what comes out of my mouth was clear to him. But when you start to make it TO simple for him, the true meaning is lost. And so, we will continue to have these "over his head" conversations for as long as he is interested, and eventually, it won't be so over his head. I have already realized he understands and picks up much more than I think, or wish sometimes. But this would be a good thing to "pick up".

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF OUR DEAR READERS (the 3 of you know who you are).

We're walking!!! Well, maybe....

Tonight Justin started standing behind a toy that you can push, and walking behind it. Daddy helped him a lot. Justin would begin by standing behind it and pushing it against the couch. Then daddy started moving it out to the middle of the room and Justin would take one or two steps and then drop to his knees and push it that way. But daddy persisted in picking him back up each time so that he would continue on his feet, and he would. After about ten tries he was able to push it the length of the laminate floor and carpet that daddy had decided was his course for the evening. What is so surprising to me is that I have been watching him closely as he pulls himself up onto everything...watching for any sign of shifting feet. And there has been very little. Until tonight.

Just some funny stuff.

This is an every day occurance. Justin empties out 1 cupboard of cereal and some other stuff, then moves on to the mixing bowl-filled cupboard to completely empty it out. This happens several times a day.













Do you recognize this Charlie Brown tree? Thanks to Mrs. Prince, we were able to enjoy this fun game, Decorate Your Dad Like A Christmas Tree, at Matt's family Christmas party this year. The kids have a blast, the dad's are very patient.

Another success!!

We call this Justin's 'hop & scoot' method of travel. THANK YOU GRANDPA GARY!!!

This was a test, and I think it worked!!!!!

This is a video of Justin & great grandpa Paul playing with blocks. It is pretty cute. Thank you Gary May for helping me through my computer illiteracy (for a minute).

Standing......

I was going to post that today Justin pulled himself up to a stand on the l.r. couch and in the basement on the gate. But when I was telling Matt all of this, he said that last night Justin pulled himself up to a stand using the coffee table to get Austin's drink cup, and later pulled himself to a stand using Austin's legs to get at Austin's cracker. So, Matt saw him do it first...good for daddy!

Bunches of stuff....

Lets start with Justin. The day after his 1st b-day he finally figured out how to go up the steps. Oh boy! Time to start closing the basement door or gating it. 1st pic is of him realizing he can get up the step. 2nd pic is of me thinking he is going to fall, so I bailed on the pic to save the boy. 3rd pic is of him happily sitting on the step before HE realizes he can't balance himself for very long.





Today, as he was crawling on all 4's across the floor, he would periodically straighten out his back legs in the air...a weird bear crawl if you will. And tonight he went to sleep on his belly for the 1st time. I was wondering how long it would last. He moves a lot, and we have a sheet and a heavy comforter on the bed that he regularly gets caught up in. It lasted 1/2 hr. When he started crying and I went in to check on him, he was out of all the covers and sideways on my pillow....and he doesn't sleep on a pillow.


Now, on to Austin. For the past week he has said "no diaper" at night. Scary, since he sleeps between Matt & I. Well, not only have there been no accidents, last night he woke up at 4am and crawled out of bed. I asked him if he had to go potty, and he said "no." However, he walked into the bathroom and asked for help. I quickly got up, helped, and praised him endlessly for being a big boy and getting up to go potty and not pot-tying the bed. I resumed the praise this morning when he/we woke up. I then got up to go to the bathroom, and Austin proceeded to tell me that he was proud of me too. If he only knew how proud of me I was for making it to the bathroom! :)

Back to Justin for a sec. A quick update on his vocabulary. When you sing him the song Ring Around the Rosie, as you get to the "ashes, ashes" part, he says it first. If he is nursing, he stops to be sure he gets to say it at the right time. Very funny! It sounds like he is saying "Austin." It sounds like "aw-sin." On his b-day it was pretty clear to me and most everyone else that he was trying to say "happy b-day." It sounded like "ha-bee."

He is 1 year old today, and he's only just beginning (Lord willing).

Tonight we had a great time celebrating Justin's 1st b-day. Altho I know he didn't really get it, he seemed to enjoy himself just fine. Austin was quite the big brother as he helped me open cards and gifts, each time saying "what is it?" before it was even opened. I made banana muffins instead of cakey cupcakes. That way the baby could gorge himself on something healthy, Matt will have a special treat to take in his lunch, and I was able to use up more of my abundance of ripening bananas. Justin was blessed w/many family members in attendance, and many many pieces of clothing. Of course there were a few toys that were much more interesting to him and Austin.

He's almost 1 year old!

Justin will be 1 on Monday. Where has the time gone? Into a clean house? Uh, no. Into teaching Austin chemistry, or maybe just how to identifiy the letters he sings so well in the ABC song? Uh, no. Into making sure I am nice and healthy for another baby (as the midwives demanded at Justin's 6 wk. check up)? Uh, no. Maybe into decorating the house more-better this year than last year? Uh, no. So, where DID it go? Well, other than into a minimum amount of cooking & cleaning & showers & laundry, it mostly went into hours and hours of enjoying my kids being LITTLE kids. These times and years won't last, and I want to suck up as much of them as I can before they are gone, like a fine mist of water that disappears before your eyes. I hope there will be time to clean more, cook more & better, and teach the kids (kinda important since I plan to homeschool). But for now, I am perfectly content to sit with my 2 beautiful boys and just watch, listen, laugh, and sometimes even learn.

Since I spent 3 weeks w/Austin on identifying the letter's A & B, he has had 3 more weeks to practice because we haven't gotten back to preschool. I hope to resume with him after the 1st of the year. His cousin Savannah plans to come over and learn too.

Justin was scooting/hopping on his behind before he learned to crawl. I assumed he would quit after the crawling started. Nope! He really enjoys bouncing himself around. It seems to work best on non-carpeted floors. He is a riot to watch. I would love to get a vidoe of him dong it.

This one was for you sis! We love you and we miss you and we pray for you and your family!!!!

Hmmmmmm

Justin is really trying to develop a vocabulary. This past week he has been pretty intent on saying and gesturing for "baa." That would be 'ball' for the rest of us.

Austin was insistent on laying next to me on the couch today and telling me to push him out of my belly. I can't imagine where that came from. Ok, MAYBE it came from the maternity ward show we had just watched. My little doctor, or, my little weirdo! Or, too much t.v. Or, too many stories about his and his brothers births.

Ashes! and such....

PRECIOUS!!











A baby shower cake I made today. REMEMBER, I am NOT a baker!

The reason for posting a pic of it is to see if you see what Austin saw in the side piping....feet! He said,, "mommy, that's very pretty feet on there."













Ashes. That is Justin's new word. It sounds like "assuzz." He did it last night when we were all in bed and I was singing my usual 10-15 bedtime songs to the boys that puts them all (all 3) of them to sleep. When I got to Ring Around the Rosie, all I did was look at Justin (who was sitting up in bed instead of laying down, now that he can sit up on his own) and repeated "ashes" at the end of the song. He smiled and then repeated it. So I said it again, and so did he. I was so tickled and made sure Matt heard it too so that I wasn't imagining things. This went on for several minutes. Interesting word for a kid that only says "mama", "dada", "bubu" like bubby, and lots of babbling. I think I blogged sometime ago on 2 words I was sure he said in bed, but they haven't been repeated since. We are really milking ashes. If you ask him to say it, mostly he complies.

I noticed a couple of days ago that when I told him to go get the football (which was quite a ways away and he hadn't been playing with it and we have somewhere in the neighborhood of 10), he looked over at it and started crawling for it. I was shocked! So in bed last night, before the ashes thing, I told him to go get daddy, he looked at Matt, and then started crawling to him.

Altho this is a weird new word, I will say again what I said when Austin was learning to talk, "I am glad his first word wasn't french fry!"

Its MOMMY official!

Justin is finally crawling on all 4's. I mentioned in an earlier post that nursery workers at church had seen him do it. However, I had not. Late this afternoon that all changed. I suspected he was based on where I would see him 1 minute and where he was ending up, still on all 4's. But when grandma Paula came over for a surprise visit, she and I witnessed it together! Funny thing tho, I took him to the Dr. yesterday, turns out he had a sinus infection and they put him on antibiotics, and they asked me if he was crawling and I said no. Question is, where do we go from here? He has been pulling up to his knees for a couple of months. He never did the army crawl (neither did Austin), just rolled around a lot. Today he was sliding off the couch feet first, so I just let him go to see what he would do. He landed on his feet, stood there, and then kept pushing himself backwards until 1 push too many landed him on his backside. They grow up so fast! Now, about the talking. By the time Austin was 1 he could say many single words and say 2 word sentences: 'hi mommy, bye daddy, hi puppy," etc. So far Justin still only says mama & dada and lots of babbling. On request, he can wave hi and bye, growl or grunt in chorus to you, head butt, give kisses, and "get you" which means steer clear because he gets his mini claws out and goes for whatever on you he can grab/scratch. I'm in no hurry, I love him still being a baby, albeit not for long.

A few updates....and an apology or 2

Austin, Elizabeth, and John finished their 3rd week of preschool today. We reviewed the past 2 weeks of stuff: square, circle, blue, red, A, & B. We spent 1 day this week at the zoo, so it gave them an opportunity to find all of the things they had learned. (We took pictures and they made a collage. Elizabeth & John are holding their's.) We gathered a bunch of red leaves for one of their crafts. (Austin is holding that one.) Here they are: #1 at the zoo, #2 showing off their crafts from the last 2 days, and #3 having their last red & blue snack.













Austin has been very generous w/the compliments lately. Now I am a good dancer. Sadly, since I'm really not, I am less excited about his other compliments.

Justin's 8th tooth broke through 3 days ago (bottom left next to traditional 1st bottom tooth). That makes an even 4 on the top and bottom. Justin finally fell off of our king sized bed for the 1st time tonight. Thankfully he was on his belly w/his feet hanging off the edge as he went down. He was a little scared but didn't cry. I say "finally" because Austin had fallen off head first a couple of times by this point. He certainly isn't having any trouble getting around even tho I have yet to see him actually crawl.


1st apology: Our Sunday school class attended a bonfire at the home of one of the class members this past Saturday. It was fabulous! However, I owe everyone who was there, by the time we were ready to eat, an apology. As I was giving some announcements my husband said something to me and I snapped at him. As soon as I did it I was embarrassed for myself. I was very convicted over the next couple of days to offer an apology to everyone. However, I let sin take over and I didn't do it. So, after admitting and apologizing to the ladies in my bible study tonight, I decided to post an apology here.

2nd apology: It has come to my attention that while discussing specifics of meals with other ladies in my supper swap group, someone overheard what they thought was inappropriate talk about the women in the supper swap. I have had 3 lengthy conversations with 3 of the supper swap participants, and at no time did we ever specifically discuss any woman's bad cooking abilities. I was mortified and saddened that someone may have thought they heard such a thing, and in no way would I want to dishonor God by gossiping about another woman. My professional cooking background makes me feel like I can "help" others with small, easy food cooking techniques. I would want the same feedback from others who might happen upon my cooking. However, my point is this, if I have offended any woman in my supper swap group w/such talk, I am truly sorry and deeply ashamed. (I did offer this apology tonight at our supper swap, but we were missing 2 of the ladies and I know they occasionally read my blog.)

Now I am a good cooker too....

A couple of days after telling me I was a good cleaner, I received a new compliment from Austin. As I was fixing breakfast Saturday morning (fried mush, yummmm!) and cleaning the dining room table, Austin told me once again "your a good cleaner." After thanking him & kissing him, I went to the stove to check the mush. He came over and hugged my leg and said "your a good cooker mommy." I promise I have not been coaching him! How cute! It just makes your heart melt. Then today, I was outside with both kids and Austin patted my back and said "i'm here for you mommy." What a cutie!

Two weeks ago I started preschool w/him and 2 of the Steven's children. The first week they learned the letter A, the shape circle, and the color red. The second week they learned the letter B, the shape square, and the color blue. This coming week will be a refresher week on all of the above things, and maybe I will throw in a number. ooooo But this past week has been interesting with Austin because he now points out the things he recognizes by first saying "look mommy, we learned that." The biggest one for him has been the letter A because he sees it so many places while we are driving. Karen said John even drew the letter A for her. Teaching can be very rewarding.

Kiddie updates...

Matt & I haven't decided how we are going to handle halloween w/the kids. But for now, Austin just knows that we bought a bunch of candy to give away to other kids that were dressed silly. He had a blast. He was trying to give candy to everyone (every jogger & car that went by). As you can see, Justin was getting into the act as well. Both of them were waving boxes of nerds in the air like they were anticipating the candy buzz. Notice the large bowl FULL of candy. We were only able to get rid of half of it, and that was with Matt giving hand-fulls in the last 1/2hr.





















Justin is rolling all over the place to get to where he wants to go. He also gets on all 4's and rocks, but then ends up on his belly or back or on his behind. At church Wednesday night the ladies that watched him in nursery said he actually crawled some. I suppose I forgot to tell Justin he is only to have his "firsts" around mommy & daddy. Austin rolled a lot also. He never did the army crawl. Went from rocking on all 4's to crawling. Justin is a big solid food eater, but still predominantly a nurser, just as Austin was at this age.

As I was reading our women's bible study book Feminine Appeal, there was a part in the latest chapter I read where the writer remembered her child running around in circles in the kitchen, at age 4, singing "your the best mommy" over and over. It immediately reminded me of a few small things that Austin has said that I should be remembering and cherishing. Thursday, I was cleaning the kitchen and the floor. I stopped a couple of times to nurse the baby and give him a different piece of real-estate to hang out in. At one of the breaks I was sitting in the l.r. in the recliner and Austin came up to me and hugged me from the side and said "mommy, your the best cleaner." I told him how nice it was of him to say that to me, and I thanked him. (It's a good thing he's only 2 and doesn't really know what clean is.) Often he will come to me in the kitchen and hug my legs and say "mommy, I love you" or "I love you more."

Austin's funny saying of the week, "mommy, only girls have rest raps." He means bra straps.

Potatoes, potatoes, and more potatoes...

Quick funny....

On Sunday, as I was getting the kids and I ready for church, Austin said "mommy, you're wearing a dress." I explained that it wasn't a dress, it was a skirt. Later, before we actually got out the door, he said to me "you're wearing a curtain." Later that evening after we had gotten back from the evening service, he and I were washing our hands and he said "mommy, I love your curtain." Out of the mouth of babes....maybe I should rethink the look of my wardrobe. Funny thing is, we don't have any curtains. However, it did bring to mind one of my favorite all time Carol Burnett skits.

The letter A, The color Red, & The shape Circle.....

After 3 days of preschool, I decided to end the day with some play time outside. Ok, MAYBE I made them dig dirt around the foundation of the home, but they thought it was fun! :)








Here they are after 3 days of intense pre-schooling. They are proudly showing some of their art projects and yummy snack choices.








Those were our first 3 things we tried to identify and remember in our first 3 days of preschool this past week (see above title). At the end of day 1, Austin was the only one who could remember what letter we were learning, but they all could remember the shape and color. At the end of day 2, only Elizabeth could remember the letter. And at the end of day 3, only Elizabeth and John could remember the letter. Don't know what happened to Austin the last 2 days. We did may coloring activities to reinforce shapes and color. We looked at books and magazines and toys to help identify all 3. We read Raggedy Ann & A Raggedy Andy in the Deep Deep Woods (a collection of short stories). We sang a lot, they danced a lot, we played listening games. Each day we had snacks that were red: apples, peppers, jello, red pop (thank you miss Karen!). All in all they all seemed to have fun and look forward to the next time. Last night Austin asked me "when are we going to play school again?" There is so much I want to do, but it looks like they will set the pace and amount we tackle. Looking forward to next week. Thank you Karen for suggesting I try it, it got me off my lazy duff!

Tooth #8 & A scare for mommy

You can see Justin's 8th tooth coming in, bottom left next to traditional 1st tooth. You can't actually feel it, but it is So right there! He had his biggest solid meal yet: mashed potatoes, chicken, mac & cheese, peaches, rice, cheese, and a little cinnamon roll. Mostly he ate chicken, followed by the mac & cheese. I think he might have kept going. Normally when he has had enough solids, he waves his hand in front of his mouth or shoves the food off the tray. Not tonight, he just let it keep going in. These are all things he has had in the past, just not this much in one sitting.

My scare: a few days ago I was out grocery shopping w/the boys. I haven't been able to use the remote to unlock the car, probably due to the fact that Justin chews on it in the grocery. No surprise there. However, after I got home and put the kids in the kitchen in their chairs and gave them lunch, I proceeded to unload the car. As I went out to get the first load, I heard the car door locks locking and unlocking, as if someone was playing w/the remote in the house, which has been known to happen on occasion. However, I was pretty certain the kids were out of reach of the keys, and they were strapped into their chairs. So, as I took the first load in, I scanned for the keys. There they were, where I had left them, out of reach of the kids. So I decided to look for the spare set in the drawer where we keep them just in case they had been taken out. Nope, there they were, just lying there, buttons side up. Great! Now the car is locking and unlocking itself w/o keys in it or even around it!

They say things happen in 3's. Well, this makes 3 scares: gas leak, Matt's incident w/the baby monitor, and now mine w/the mysterious electrical system of the car. Or do they say deaths come in 3's? Whichever it is they say, I don't believe such silly nonsense! Which, of course means, there could be a #4! :)

THE Circleville Pumpkin Show & more Austin sayings

Austin feeding carrots to a deer











Isn't the baby goat just precious?
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Motorcycle ride anyone? Savannah and Austin had a blast on this!


This was as close to a horsey ride as they got.











How about that!


That's 1375.5#'s for the King and his Queen came in under 1200#'s.




















Yes, today we (me, Austin, Justin, Therese (Matt's sister), Savannah (Therese's daughter), and grandma Paula) went to THE place to be seen if you want to be seen w/a giant pumpkin. I have always wanted to be a food critic, and I can certainly put away the food. I decided that, for YOUR sake, as possible future Pumpkin Show attendees I would taste as many foods as I could and let you know what was worth eating. Ok, let's begin. Rating from a scale of 1-5 w/5 being the best.

crab corn chowder, approx. $5.50 for approx. 8oz.-- 3--I ate most of it, not much crab flavor
chicken & sausage jambalaya, approx. $4.50 for approx. 8oz--3--I ate less than half, rice overdone
fried swiss cheese, approx. $3.50--4.5--to small, I ate most of it
thick cut french fries, $???--5--yummmmo--I ate maybe 1/4 of them
steak on a stick, approx. $5 for approx. 2oz.--3--it was tender just not very exciting, I ate most of it
pumpkin doughnut, $1--3.5--it was better because it was warm but Circle S Farms has the best!!!, I ate half
elk chili, approx. $4 for approx. 8oz.--3--to sweet, I ate most of it
shredded chicken sandwich, approx. $4--4--little to much pepper, I ate most of it
chicken & noodles, approx. $4 for approx. 8 oz.--5--we asked for little broth, I had 1 bite
deep-fried snickers bar, approx $2.50--5--need I say more?, warning--don't get the powder sugar on it, TOO messy, I ate ALL of it
hot chocolate, approx. $2 for 12oz.--3
nacho chips in a bag (they were part of a meal-deal for Austin that cost a total of $4)--2--I only had a few
caramel apple w/nuts, approx. $3--5--I ate 1/2 of it

Austin sayings: When he gets in trouble and has to go to his room, he is asked "tell me what you did wrong that got you in trouble?" Now, when he comes out, w/o being asked he immediately says to me "tell me what you do wrong?" He has been saying lately that Jesus is in his heart and in mommy's heart and in daddy's heart and in Justin's heart. Well, the other night, after reading a few bible stories he starts telling me the whole "jesus is in my heart" thing again...but adds "and Noah is in my heart." I told him Noah wasn't in his heart and that Noah had been dead a long time. His reply was "but the animals aren't dead..the giraffes and the elephants."

I am sure he is talking! :) & A small scare for Matt!

This morning when the kids and I were waking up, Austin and I always say "good morning" several times to each other and to Justin. I am sure he said it also. It sounded more like "gu mo." I know parents understand their kids talking way before others do. But when you don't expect it, and the same words/sounds come out during the same conversations or times, you can't help but wonder.

The other morning, Matt was sitting at the dining room table drinking his coffee before work. He said he kept hearing what sounded like wind. After trying to ignore it, he finally decided it was coming from the basement, AND, he decided it no longer sounded like wind but that it was definitely breathing. Now he was getting spooked. He thought for a second it might be me w/the baby, but he knew he had just left us in bed. Now he wanted to know who was in our basement! So he quickly turned the light switch on and went down stairs. He looked around and listened. Definitely breathing, heavy breathing! Then he saw the source, the baby monitor. Apparently someone (that would be me) had accidentally left it on the night before while I was cleaning. Ooops!

List found!

Austin: He says often "thats a loving heart" when he shares something or, more importantly, when you have something he wants. However, the other day, he went to the bathroom after Matt had gone, and then I went. He said to me, "You pottied and daddy pottied and I pottied in the same toilet, that's a loving heart." Who am I to argue with that? If you ask him what he is doing when you can't see him, sometimes he answers "just chillin."

Justin: He very nearly had himself pulled up on the back of the leather couch today to look over and see what Austin was doing. He is purposely leaning all the way down to the floor and then stretching out on to his belly to reach for things. And I swear (well not really SWEAR) he was trying to sing along w/a toy that sings different songs. He does occasionally sound like he is trying to sing w/Austin, but this was different. There seemed to be real music there, for a 10 month old. Also, tonight in bed, I was talking to Justin about his big brother and it sounded like he kept trying to say "butt ta."

Update on the other night when I took Austin's diaper off. He actually slept all night w/o an accident, and w/o a chux pad. At one point Matt had taken it off the bed, then later Austin took it off. Whew! We squeaked thru. Haven't done it since.

The Bauer's ABC's of Life

To serious of a title for a christian preschool? In all seriousness, please pray for our family and the Steven's family. Beginning in a week, I will be 'trying' to teach preschool to my Austin (2.5) and their John (3.5) & Elizabeth (4.5) 3x/week for 2 hours. I am doing this for a few reasons: 1st, we need the money. JUST kidding, there is no money being exchanged! 1st, I needed a reason to start researching homeschooling for my kids. 2nd, Karen needs extra help these days w/2 home schooled kids, a baby, 2 youngsters, and a baby on the way. The reason we/I need prayer? I have my own insecurities about raising and teaching my own children, let alone somebody else's. I want to honor God in this new endeavor without making enemies out of 3 small impressionable children! I am feeling overwhelmed w/so much info. out there that it is easy to shut down and quit looking. So, I pray.

Speaking of praying, continue to keep Matt & I in your prayers. These love notes I have been writing aren't producing the immediate change in Matt that I thought they would. Oh, they weren't suppose to change him? They are suppose to transform the way I think & feel about him? Ok then, its going to take awhile! I will say this, each time I write one at night, its sort of like not letting the sun go down on my anger. I know the note can't be a replacement for truly talking things out, but its a much bigger step in the right direction for me.

Austin says.....Justin does

Not really like it sounds. This post is about some funny things Austin has been saying and something new Justin did yesterday.

Austin: If you say to him "we don't have the money for it" he says "then get some out of your purse" or "go get some from the bank." Referring to a food item he wants, if you say to him "we don't have anymore" or "we are all out of it" he says "we need to buy some more, its on sale." When we go to the store he says "am I going in mommy? Don't leave me by myself, I can't drive." If Matt talks about his paycheck, Austin will say "that's money in the bank." He still says "hold me" when he wants you to hold him. I know there are more cute things, I have a list, somewhere.....
Altho he has been "potty trained" since early summer, we still put him in a diaper at night. Tonight he informed me he didn't like how the diaper felt and wanted it off. I obliged, but in a little bit I will be putting a chux pad under him just in case. Especially since he sleeps w/us!

Justin was sitting upright on our bed today, as he does often. I had my back to him and when I turned around he had turned towards the edge of the bed where the rail guard is and had pulled himself up onto his knees and was very excited to be looking down over the edge of the bed. over the next few minutes, every time I sat him back down on his behind, he immediately turned himself sideways and pulled himself back up. Altho the rail is 12" high, I am not comfortable with this new ability. I remember when Austin was able to do it, altho it was after he could crawl, matt and I had to stop letting him do it for fear he would push himself up and over. Altho Justin is still not crawling, he dives head first off the couch now (no more setting him there unattended) and rolls enough that he can't be left alone or unattended on anything that is up off the ground. He has been rolling to his right side to go to sleep at night.
He is going on 2 weeks w/a cold. We pray he gets better soon. We're running out of toilet paper to wipe his itsy bitsy nose!

Many things to talk about....

So much has gone on in the past few weeks, besides the gas leak, I'm not sure where to begin.

Justin is rolling quite a bit now. Still not as much as the Timothy S. or Ryan T. You can't even put him on his belly now because he automatically rolls to his back. He began clapping 2 weeks ago, but is really into it now. Even when someone starts saying "patty cake patty cake" he puts his little hands up and starts clapping. Last Monday he started having a runny nose. By Wednesday night he had a fever. Tonight it looks like we might have turned the corner, as he is back to eating solid foods and was able to fall asleep laying down instead of being propped up. However, this past week of him being miserable brought about consistent calls for "ma ma ma ma."
Great Grandma Sue picked a 20# bag of Jonna Golds for us Sat. morn. We were suppose to go, but Justin was to sick. This apple is almost as big as his head! He doesn't seem to mind.


Austin is starting to play with puzzles and shape toys correctly. His new funny thing to say is, "I had that/did that/saw that yesterday." Yesterday refers to any time frame in his past. 1 hour ago, last night, 2 days ago, 1 week ago, 1 month ago, etc. Poor kid needs to wear 24 month/2T pants for the length, but the waist is to big on most of them, so they fall right down. I have been saying, what seems like forever, that I need to find a baby belt. However, with a potty training toddler, that's probably not such a good idea.

Our Sunday school group went to Circle S Farms Friday night. Altho chilly as the sun went down, the scrummcious doughnut made up for it. It looked like all the kids had a blast. There was a corn maze, sunflower maze, hay bale cave, hay ride to pick out your own pumpkin, petting zoo, apple juice, and many many photo opps. They have their own bakery on site and they make the BEST glazed pumpkin doughnuts anywhere!!!

The Bauer family w/grandma Paula May.












Austin and his cousin Eamon.














The Knudsen's














"What do we do with it now?"













Future farmer of America.










All of the kids in the hay bale barn/cave.











"THE HAND OF GOD WAS KEEPING US SAFE DURING OUR JOURNEY THROUGH THE PUMPKIN PATCH!" Ok, maybe not exactly like that. But isn't it a beautiful pic? Thanks grandma Paula!











Some of the Steven's Clan, all of the Schmidjel's, and most of the Joesph's.












That's Cassie Blevin's with her little blondie Tony.









The Prince's.










Who is that girl in the braided pigtails and glasses? I've seen her in other blog posts. I think she was the one who was sick at a Clippers game from eating to many hotdogs. :)


I have started reading a new book w/a group of women from church. I will probably use this as my source for "spiritual" blogging over the next 9 weeks. It is called Feminine Appeal, 7 Virtues of a Godly Wife & Mother by Carolyn Mahaney, and it is just what I have been praying for lately. Chapter 2 is about loving your husband. I'm not sure if I ever have really loved Matt, but I have been praying fervently for some time that I will. After reading chapter 2, not only was it convicting, but I genuinely felt differently about Matt. Don't get me wrong, I have a long way to go, but I decided to write him a note each night and put it some place where he would see it each morning (and that was before the chapter actually suggested doing something like that!). I was skeptical if I could feel something sincerely nice enough to write, and would he perceive it sincerely. I discovered that the Holy Spirit has control over my heart during those few minutes of note writing. I haven't felt that it was forced or made up. I have written 3 so far. Tonight will be 4. The first morning I was asleep in the l.r. in the recliner w/Justin, and as he was leaving for work he kissed my cheek (I assumed he must have found the note in his lunch box.) The second day I was awake when he left and he came into the bedroom to tell me "thank you for the love notes", and that he liked them. The third one was this morning, and I put it on his wallet. I added a p.s. that included a reminder/to do list. I didn't hear anything about that note. Maybe I should just stick w/the "love note" part of it. Earlier tonight I thought note #4 was going to be hard, if not impossible, to write. We had a little disagreement/tif. My first thought was, "no note tonight for you!" But as I prayed, I realized that I would still be able to leave a love filled note, regardless of my black, sinful, vengeful, prideful heart. This is going to be an exciting study!

Gas leak update

We were told that Columbia Gas would be back today to do the outside repairs. They came yesterday and were here all day. Great! They dug a 3x3x3 hole in the front yard near the street. They dug a hole up by the house to find the line and to reposition the riser from in our garage to outside the garage. They did a fantastic job putting back grass, dirt, gravel, and mulch! At 4:30pm they said they were ready to call for a tech to come and put the new meter on the new riser and turn the gas back on. WAIT A MINUTE! We still had leaks inside that hadn't been fixed yet. That's another story. The insurance company told me Monday that someone would be calling us Monday to come out and fix the inside leaks Monday or Tuesday. By 4:30pm yesterday, still nothing. When I called, again, to find out what was going on, they informed me that they couldn't send someone out until the outside work was done. Thanks for letting me know! I figured as late as it was, we wouldn't see anyone until today. At 6pm yesterday a plumber showed up at our door. It took him 3 hours, but now the inside was done. Great! I called Columbia Gas at 9:30pm last night to get an appt. for today to have the gas restored. I was told that the computer showed that we still had work to be done outside, so an appt. couldn't be made. I assured her that it was a mistake because the 4 guys who worked all day outside in my front yard told me they were done. ALL done! She assured me that she had informed me of everything she could and that she couldn't tie up the emergency line anymore. If I wanted to register a complaint I could call back in the morn. and talk to customer service. Register a complaint?! Uh, no, I just want my gas turned back on. Sheesh! So, I called back this morning at 7am and found out I was scheduled for service between 8am and 12pm. Great! Well, 12 came and went. I called at 3pm to find out that we no longer had a time assigned to us, just that it would be restored today. Normal business hours are until 4:30pm. If they don't make it by then, they do work until 11:30pm. If they can't make it by then, then and only then would I get a call. Not so great! 9pm tonight was the golden hour!!! I have never been so happy to see a work truck w/blinking lights outside my house. If I had to pick losing gas or electric, it would be gas. We have an electric stove and a dishwasher that self heats, if necessary. The furnace and dryer both work off of electric and gas, so its a lose lose there. What a day, but thank the Lord we are back in business! Shower anyone?

Isn't it the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?

It is when seeing one of these added to your home at 9pm, 3 days exactly after having smelled the gas leak, means gas has been restored! Amen! Thank you God! I can't wait to jump in the shower!!!

Yikes!

10/1/08
Not exactly something you want to see in your front yard! Unless, of course, you want your gas turned back on.

Smell anything? And a long distance birthday greeting.

Last night was a bad ending to what had been a great birthday weekend for me. On my way home from church, I was coming down with a splitting headache and an upset stomach. The kids were tired and cranky. Justin cried almost all the way home. As I walked into the house, Austin immediately sat down to take off his shoes. I realized the alarm wasn't set and then it happened......I smelled something. A not-good something. A strong something. You guessed it, natural gas. I called Matt first, and his first response was, "Check the stove." It's electric! His next suggestion was to check and see if we had hot water. I obliged while "lovingly" letting him know that altho it appeared we did have hot water, that wouldn't have any bearing on whether or not we had a gas leak. My marine husband likes to say he saved the day. I'm just glad he didn't suggest I light a match. Anyway, I called the gas company, left the house, and parked on a side street across from the house. I sat there an hour. Matt came home and we were there another half hour. I was getting sicker by the minute and the kids and Matt were getting sleepier and crankier by the second. Matt called to find out what was going on and was told that they had released extra "odor" into the gas lines and consequently had received 500 calls from area residents with odor issues. There were only 40 techs on the job. Apparently you can have small leaks and never know it, but due to the increased odor, now you know it! By this time it was almost 11pm. We decided to leave the house and garage unlocked and unarmed and go to a hotel. We gave them our cell numbers, and we were off to the Hampton Inn. We were in our room by 11:30pm-ish. Austin with no shoes and only 1 clean diaper! I went to the bathroom for awhile trying to quit being sick. Matt bought me Tylenol from the vending machine. In to bed we went. The gas company called back around midnight to tell us someone would have to be at the house in order for them to enter at night. Matt wasn't thrilled. Especially since he had to get up for work at 5pm. They called at 12:30pm to say they were minutes away. Matt left, and was back by 2pm with the confirmation we dreaded...we have leaks inside AND outside the house. Gas was shut off. They said they would be back Wednesday to fix the outside leaks and reposition the riser from inside the garage to a prominent position outside the front of the house for all to see! Yeah!! When we got home this morning around 7:30am, Matt called work to let them know he would be a little late. They called him back and told him not to come in because there were 2 guys at the top of a large crane protesting fathers rights to raise their kids. Great! Now this father loses a day of wages due to their "rights" being violated. Gotta love the country we live in! Anywho, we pay for extra protection on our gas bill for inside repairs, so it looks like that won't cost us anything. And the gas company pays for everything outside, so that won't cost us. Thank God it isn't cold out. Thank God we are all ok. Thank God our house is still in 1 piece and our neighbors aren't at risk due to our home.

And, a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my little sister in Virginia who is a whopping 37 today!!!! I love you!

See what happens when you quit blogging and doing bible study for over a week! :)

Justin, again, Austin...and even more praises (I think)

Well, Justin is still rolling from belly to back 1x each day and he has cut 2 more teeth (top left next to traditional 1st top tooth and bottom right next to traditional 1st bottom tooth). That makes 7! Austin discovered summersaults yesterday morning. I am waiting for him to strain his neck as many as he is doing!
Praises (I think): the Steven's got power back sometime last night (6pm-ish). I was going to post this blog last night, but forgot. Then I read Karen's blog tonight and decided maybe her getting power back wasn't such a great thing after all :( We love you and were here for you!

Justin did it again! And more praises...

He rolled from belly to back again this evening, this time on the floor in the l.r. Why a big deal? Because in his 1st nine months of life, he rolled from back to belly 2x. Now, in a couple of days, he has rolled from belly to back 2x. He might actually be catching up to his close friends Ryan and Timothy.
Praises: my mom's power came back on at 5am this morning, and my brothers came back on sometime today. So, mom came back and got her food, and my brother will be getting his back tomorrow. Karen heard that she may not get power back until Sunday, SO, puts a crimp in saturday nights progressive dinner. But we will wait a day or so before making new accommodations for that scenario. If I could remember Scarlet Ohara's exact words I would quote them now...something like "I'll think about that tomorrow," as I raise the back of my right hand to my brow and gently toss my ahead aside (gently because I tend to pull something in my neck and end up w/ a kink for a day or two).

Proverbs 2:22--study among sisters in Christ

9/15/08
http://www.letgodbetrue.com/proverbs/proverbs.php?chapter=2


Proverbs 2:22
But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.


This commentary tends to be a little harsh/black & white sometimes. I agree that you can't be to harsh when discussing/teaching the truths of the bible. But sometimes I think this commentaries view could be seen as promising to much. "If you just do A then B will happen and C will not." And then they tend to give examples of people or situations that they believe fit into these guidelines. I think we have to be careful when we are judging others because we tend to base it on their outward appearance. I think overall this chapter reinforces chapter 1 by reiterating the need to seek the knowledge God has promised you, apply it to your life daily, and you will be rewarded.

Lord my God, help me keep my focus on Your perfection and NOT on the imperfections of others. Who am I to judge? As my sisters and I close out this 2nd chapter in Proverbs, please convict all of us to continue to seek You and Your perfect wisdom & perfect knowledge and perfect love. Amen

hurricane-force winds brings many things

Yesterday we, the Columbus OH area, had 74 mph winds from hurricane Ike. Thankfully, altho our electricity blinked on and off many times, it was only enough to shut down the computer once and never caused any of the clocks to blink. However, many people were, and are, without power. They include my mom and her husband, my dad and his wife (theirs was restored late today), my grandma and her husband (theirs was restored several hours after losing it last night), my brother, Matt's sister and her family, and some friends of ours, the Steven's Clan (to name a few). Karen S. called us last night to see if we had power and if she could bring over fridge and freezer stuff. She came at 10:30pm-ish. Then she and the Clan (minus daddy) came over for several hours today. She will probably be back tomorrow if power isn't back on. This morning I talked to my mom who asked if she could bring food over. She came over around 3 with fridge and freezer stuff (and she has a large deep freezer full that she might bring over tomorrow!). She stayed for a few hours and made dinner for everyone (including her hubby). We all had a nice meal and chat before they rushed home to shower while there was still daylight to see by. AND, my brother called and asked if I could come pick up his freezer food, which I did. So, my fridge and freezers are packed! As far as wind damage, we just have a lot of sticks and a couple of large limbs down. I did have to chase down the kiddie pool, yesterday during the high winds, and secure some of our patio equipment and some yard items for and an elderly neighbor. So, the winds brought much food and many visitors!
And, it brought Justin's 3rd time ever rolling over, which was the first time he has ever done it from belly to back. Matt & I were both sitting there when he did it and he did it as if he always does it, very effortlessly. So, I tried to recreate the situation for g-ma today, but in a different location....no dice. Same as all the other past responses to being on his belly, whining and fussing until he was picked up.
Praise the Lord that our house, which is HIGHLY prone to losing power at the slightest breeze/drizzle/hint of thunder/beautiful sunny day, not only didn't lose power but was able to help out a few who did. God is good!

Proverbs 2;21--study among sisters in Christ

9/13/08
http://www.letgodbetrue.com/proverbs/proverbs.php?chapter=2

Proverbs 2:21
For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.

A happy life with good days is obtained by obeying the Lord, especially by ruling your speech and treating others kindly (Ps 34:12-16; I Pet 3:10-12). Righteousness brings blessings (Is 3:10)! But the greatest reward is future - dwelling forever in the land of heaven (Heb 11:8-16)!

"...and treating others kindly." The King's royal golden rule. "If you can do this, you are doing well." Little snipet from our current lesson in James. Sounds simple enough. (My dad says that's the one (the commandment) he tries to live by. I am quite sure the people he lives with and interacts with on the roadways would feel better about their dealings with him if they new this was his "motto"!) It sounds SO simple that we/me just ignore it. In fact, we are so prejudice to our own ideas about, well, everything, that not only are we not treating others kindly, but we are going out of our way to make sure they know they don't belong. Some how we have forgotten that we don't sit on That Throne, only He does. The Golden Rule, The Royal Rule, The Kings Rule. Thank God for grace and mercy! I dwell here, but I will not remain here.

Lord, help me to seek You out through others that I would normally be inclined to avoid or inclined to judge. Break my heart into pieces that only You can restore so that I have a heart only for You. I want to know You. I want to love You. I want to understand You and what Your will is for me. Guide me, mold me, love me, shape me, break me,, and lift me up! "....especially by ruing your speech..." PLEASE help me in this area above all others right now. Please continue to bless my sisters w/Your love and grace & mercy. Amen

Proverbs 2:20--study among sisters in Christ

9/11/08
http://www.letgodbetrue.com/proverbs/proverbs.php?chapter=2


Proverbs 2:20
That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.

This chapter has two purposes - to teach you how to get wisdom and understanding (2:1-9) and the great reward of getting them (2:10-22). When a man obtains wisdom, knowledge, discretion, and understanding (2:10-11), he will be saved from dangerous men and women, who walk in the ways and paths of wickedness (2:12-19). It is from this evil lifestyle of worldly men and women that Solomon sought to save his son. Wisdom is the key opening the door to the way of good men and the path of righteous men. It is offered freely in the Scriptures, and especially this book of Proverbs. If it enters your heart and is pleasant to your soul, you will be able to see and follow the lives of the great men and women before us, the Lord Jesus Christ being the greatest example of all.



If I could only say that I strive daily to be like Christ! If I could only begin to see His awesomeness and holiness and glory for what it is. If I could only be as tormented as Sister Theresa and Paul and Martin Luther. Three people who felt that the closer they got to understanding and knowing and loving Him, the further away they got from deserving what He had to offer. If only.....

Lord, please help me to "if only." If only I could learn about You more. If only I could understand You more. If only I could respect Your authority over my life more. If only I could love You so much that it overflowed from me and washed over my husband. Please help me to "if only." Please meet the needs of my sisters another day, Lord. Amen

Proverbs 2:19--study among sisters in Christ

9/9/08
http://www.letgodbetrue.com/proverbs/proverbs.php?chapter=2

Proverbs 2:19
None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.one that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.

God chose David in Jesus Christ by sovereign election before the world began (Eph 1:3-12). Jesus died for each of David's sins, including his adultery and murder (Is 53:4-12; II Cor 5:21; I Pet 2:24; Rev 1:5). David took enormous confidence in this great salvation by God's free grace in Jesus Christ (II Sam 23:1-5; Ps 32:1-2). Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect, including David? It is God that justifieth (Rom 8:33)!

But God's practical mercy for adultery requires full confession and repentance, which David gave freely and fully (II Sam 12:13; Ps 51:1-19). God is faithful to forgive confessed sins, and Elihu described confession well, "He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light" (Job 33:27-28).

Boy, that first paragraph, above, really screams reformation! Not to hard to tell where they are coming from.

Now, again with the whorish woman. I have to believe there is something else I need to be 'seeing" here. Altho I don't believe I literally fit the description, or ever have, I feel like I am missing something. I suppose if I pray about it might be revealed to me....maybe in the form of a dream! :)

Dear Lord, please speak to my heart about the importance of these past few verses that I have been studying. Please impress upon my heart Your knowledge and my ability to understand. Please continue to work in the lives of my sisters. Amen

Proverbs 2:17--study among sisters in Christ

9/7/08
http://www.letgodbetrue.com/proverbs/proverbs.php?chapter=2

Proverbs 2:17
Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.
The fascinating addiction to sexual sin will pull you down. The blessed God, Whom you rejected for a devilish woman, will only help after repentance, which will be hard to find.

I definitely agree w/the seriousness of these last few verses, and with the straight-forwardness of the commentaries. However, I don't agree w/the last statement above, "...God...will only help after repentance, which will be hard to find." God will only help after repentance, but He is not hard to find. He is everywhere: the bible, the hearts & lives of believers, the beauty of nature, the air we breathe, and many other places to numerous to name. You might not recognize your own lack of sincerity when repenting, but if you are desperate for forgiveness, and call out His name, He will be there. Thank God, You are here, and there, and everywhere!

Dear heavenly Father, I have some repenting to do. Forgive my sinful ways and change my heart. Change my heart, O Lord. Change my life, as only You can. Please work in miraculous ways in my sisters lives. In Your Son's precious and Holy name, Amen

Where do I begin?

I have a bone, or two, to pick w/a few children's books. Why? Because I have trouble letting go, that's why! Yes, I know, I need to pray about it. Later! On with the picking....

Book #1) Known to be a "reformed friendly" children's bible story book. We are on our way through it for the 3rd time. I have decided that it bothers me that it doesn't mention Cain killing Abel, or that it only mentions Isaac and not Ishmael. I know that as a children's bible story book, some things have to go. But, in my humble opinion, those are 2 important things.

Book #2) A Golden Book for children about different things God is responsible for. There is a page that talks about the stars and how their light has been shining for many years, "...way before you were even born..." and, "..think of the snow-capped mountains that have been here long before God made the world..." Really? Guess what happened to that paragraph? It became ink art-work (I scratched it out.).

Book #3) A recent purchase by grandma, who is VERY picky about the books she buys for anyone, has several issues that I have found just in the first 24 hours we have had it and have read from it. It has stories and songs and games, and much more. The stories are in the order that they appear in the bible. Issue #1) The first story, "God made the world," has a song to sing that starts out telling the kids that God made the world in 7 days. It goes on to say that He made the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th. Minor issue? Maybe, if there weren't any other issues. Issue #2) Still same story. In the prayer section it says, "Dear God, we know You made the earth, and all the stars above, You made the world then added us, so You'd have someone to love! Amen" Don't think so. It paints a picture of a soft, vulnerable God who was sitting up there all lonely and decided to make himself some playmates. Issue #3) (I skipped ahead just for fun.) Story "Follow Me Fisherman." The story explains that Jesus "invited" the 2 brothers, Peter & Andrew to follow Him. Pretty sure the bible says He "told" them to leave everything and "follow Him."

My point, yes there is one and no, it isn't just to find something to complain about, is this: if I am responsible for teaching my child about God and the bible, I don't want to have to keep clarifying/re-teaching/disagreeing with everything he reads. I know that I can't avoid this entirely, but I think I have a responsibility to try as hard as I can to making the best choices for him. It's like washing your hands, you can't avoid all germs entirely, but as a steward of the body God has given you, you have a responsibility to do the best that you can to prevent yourself from getting germs, and spreading germs to anyone else. (I have to give credit for the idea of the analogy to a very close friend of mine. Recently she said some of these very words to me.) Hopefully this venting will help me sleep better. I really don't need any help, I usually sleep just fine when I actually go to bed!

Tooth #5, birthday #9 months, and traveling mercies...oh my!

Justin's tooth #5 is here. But it didn't come today. Must have been some time early last week because it is in pretty good. Top right next to traditional 1st front tooth. I have been watching the bottom row for #5 & #6 because they have been showing signs of making their entrance, however, #5 snuck in on top. Happy early birthday to my little Justin who will be 9 months old tomorrow. Happy belated birthday to little Timothy Steven's who turned 9 months old yesterday. We will be praying for safe traveling mercies for you and your family as you go to SC to visit Mamaw & Papaw. Thanks for leaving us with the trash! :)

proverbs 31:16--off the track of my normal study

Proverbs 31:16
She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

Christianity does not teach women to be ignorant homebodies. The virtuous woman worked outside the home. She first provided for her husband and children (31:10-12,27-28). She knew "keepers at home" (Tit 2:5) condemned any idleness and sinful habits of foolish women; it did not mean staying home all day (I Tim 5:13-14). She put the LORD first, her husband second, family third, and businesses fourth. Her husband and children will praise her, not for being home all day, but for helping build the family estate.

Just when I begin to think evereything is black & white, here comes the grey! Black & white: if you are a mother, then you should stay home w/your children if at all possible. Grey: Proverbs 31:16. God is not the author of confusion, so I must be letting the author of confusion enter my thoughts periodically. Cure? Read the bible MORE! Pray MORE! Study MORE! Judge LESS! Assume NOTHING! Presume NOTHING! Got to sleep earlier! :)

Proverbs 2:17-study among sisters in Christ

9/5/08
http://www.letgodbetrue.com/proverbs/proverbs.php?chapter=2

Proverbs 2:17
Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.

Again, as in my last post regarding this subject, I would have to say I am pretty confident this is not an area I have trouble with, or that my husband needs to worry about. That said, I do have a couple of funny stories that might make me rethink how "virtuous" I think I really am.

Story #1
I live 1 minute from where I spent most of my school days. My high school boyfriend, Troy, lives on the street I grew up on, maybe 2 minutes away. We probably shop at the same grocery stores and eat at the same places. That is what I dread! I haven't seen him since 2001....maybe. A couple of weeks ago I went to the store at dark, as gross as one could be. And I prayed I wouldn't run into anyone I knew. Well, I am 99% sure that as I was pulling into the parking lot that I took his parking place. Yes, my ex's. Of course I didn't say anything or make a scene. I might have if I was 50 pounds lighter or he looked fat and bald...but since that wasn't the case, I stayed quiet. I went in, did my brief shopping, left the store, and drove by his house a couple of times to see if it was his car that I had seen at the store. Border-line stalker, right? I just HAD to know if that was him. I did not get a confirmation, the car I was trying to see was parked in the alley and their were 2 people unloading what looked like groceries. Hmmmmm By the way, Matt knows all of this.

Story #2
I don't have very many dreams that I know of or remember. However, the other night I had what seemed like a LONG dream about being at work (a chef in a kitchen somewhere). My ex-fiance, Charles, was working there also, and wanted to get back together with me. Through most of the dream's events, I just kept thinking, who do I want to be with more, Charles or Troy? At what seemed to be the end of the dream I finally had a revelation....Heeelllooooo, I'm married!

There was no choosing between those 2 because I already have the one who was chosen for me. A man that I rarely think of or regard as a gift. And yet, that is what he is. He goes to work every day to provide for his family, works physically very hard (he thinks he broke his big toe today), and supports my staying at home with our kids. He is a believer, lover, and follower of God.

Dear heavenly Father, please help me to remember the gift you gave me in Matt nearly 10 years ago. Soften my heart towards him. Help me be his help-mate and not his nagging deterrent. Help me to only have & remember dreams about him and no other man. Help me to not be curious about any other man's situation regardless of how silly I think it is. Help me to only care what I look like for my husbands eyes. Please continue to guide my sisters through this study with me. Amen

Proverbs 2:16--study among sisters in Christ

9/3/08
http://www.letgodbetrue.com/proverbs/proverbs.php?chapter=2

Proverbs 2:16
To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;

The daughters of God must learn to modestly cover their beauty, limit their eye contact, and limit friendly speech with other men. If you do not, you are kindling a fire that will destroy your own soul and home and those of others as well. Dear reader, may God give you grace and strength to be faithful to Him and your spouse this day; for remember that Jesus Christ used the example of a strange woman with harlot daughters as the picture of the apostate Roman church, who left Him for pagan ritualism.

Altho I don't believe I am like the woman described in this verse (and subsequent verses), it still gives me pause to examine my life and my actions. I do not believe my husband has anything to worry about as far as me being the temptress. I just pray that there aren't any other women out there ready to take my husband on as a challenge. I probably couldn't compete in most aspects of a "challenge." And yet the very thing that should be my best virtue, my faith in God that translates into a relationship that glorifies God, isn't. Hmmm, sounds like a good time to pray.....

Dear heavenly Father, not only do I not deserve a faithful, loving, husband (due to my own short-comings and the simple fact that I only DESERVE hell,) I do not deserve You. Because of Your faithfulness, grace, and mercy, I ask that You help me be his only challenge, and worth the challenge. Soften and open my heart, tie my tongue and close my lips, and open my ears and my arms. Please strengthen the marriage relationships in my sisters lives as well. Amen

Proverbs 2:15--study among sisters in Christ

9/1/08
http://www.letgodbetrue.com/proverbs/proverbs.php?chapter=2

Proverbs 2:15
Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:

Reader, are you as different from the world as you should be? There should not even be a resemblance! How do we do this? By wisdom, knowledge, discretion, and understanding (2:10-11)! Where do we find such precious things? In the Word of God, of course! We esteem God's precepts right on all subjects, and we hate every false way (Ps 119:128). There is no shortcut; and there is no cheating. The only wisdom on earth is in the Bible (Is 8:20)!

The only wisdom on earth is in the Bible! All those wasted years in public school, being made to read lots of books on many subjects to make me wiser! And I only needed 1 book! :) All joking aside, my first statement makes me elated and burdened with sadness. Elated because I know all the Truth I will ever need to know and live by is in 1 Book. And burdened with sadness because I know all the Truth I will ever need to know and live by is in 1 Book. THE Book. His book. His Truth. His Words. Just 1 Book! And yet sometimes I can hardly make time to get through reading 1 chapter and studying 1 verse every other day. Who am I kidding? What am I waiting for? Brokenness? Tragedy? A special engraved invitation? Who am I to presume another day?

Dear Lord God Almighty, who am I? A scared, fearful, sad excuse of a servant? I do not want to be a disappointment. I want to serve, and yet am fearful of what I am saying. Help me not to be fearful of what I can do to glorify You. Help my sisters to look to You for all things. Amen