Oh, Leo.

So...

This is the second post in one night, but I had to put up a series of pictures Josh snapped last night that I thought was funny.

Just as an aside.  I don't love Leo more than my other sons, but he just seems to do so many funny things that I have to post about.  For example, he got out of bed this evening to tell Josh something while I was in my room unaware that he had gotten up.  When I passed by the boys' room, he was standing in the middle of the room.  I asked him what in the world he was doing, and he said that he had to tell his dad something.  I said, "Okay.  You need to get back in bed now."  He then states, "I can't tell you what I told Daddy, but I'll tell you something." "What is it?" I asked.  "What did one poop say to the other poop?"  I, of course, came up with nothing for an answer to that.  His answer was something like "Pee and poop smell."  Um, okay.  I then came into the living room and passed "the joke" onto Josh.  I think Josh actually felt sorry for me because he was hesitant to say that what Leo got up to tell him was, "I love you."  Great. Josh gets declarations of love, and I get poop jokes.

Here is the cute series.

Family Fun

So...

Yes, I know I'm late in doing so, but here are some fun pictures from our visit with Mimi and Pop (Josh's parents).  They were here a month ago.  We had so much fun being treated to lots of good meals as well as being treated to lots of cuddles, hugs, laughs and love.  Oh yeah, there were loads of birthday presents for all those September boys, too!

Mimi and the boys while we waited for our lunch.

Pop and Leo cuddling at First Watch.

Max opening up his Batmobile, which he 

played with ALL day, no kidding.

The little Finn man working on his present.

Pop and Finn doing some long-awaited cuddling.

We love you, Mimi and Pop!!!!!

Sweet Boy

Leo:  Mama, I want to give you a smooch.

Me:  Thanks, buddy.

Leo:  That was for my love.

Can you see my heart swelling?

For the Birds

So...

Yesterday, I was ever so proud of myself because I was doing something cool for school with Max. We are currently studying animal life in science, and as we have just finished up mammals (all the while with Max declaring that HE WAS NOT A MAMMAL!) we moved on to bird life this week.  I got really excited because awhile back my dad had sent us these little cards on a chain, a flip chart of sorts, with birds on them.  I thought it would be fun to get out and do a nature walk and flip through the chart and learn about what birds we saw along the way.  Well, as I was preparing to go, I discovered that what dad had sent me were plants and trees.  Oh yeah, I remember now.  Argh, plan B.  Not a big deal, right?  I then decided we'd take the camera and just snap some pictures of a few birds that we saw, and then we would come back and look them up online to learn about them.  That would be fun.  We took Leo along because Josh and Finn really needed a nap, and I knew he'd have fun.

Let me just tell you that we walked around the seminary and even to a nearby park for a solid hour, and we did not see one bird.  Let me repeat, NOT ONE BIRD!  I couldn't believe it.  I realize it's late in the year and birds have probably started migrating, but not all of them for goodness' sake!  You'd think we would have at least seen a goose.  They're everywhere here. Well, the boys and I decided that the birds were all hiding on our "bird hunt" as they called it, and we had fun anyway.  

I'm bound and determined we're going to study some real live animals during this section of science, though.  I refuse to make them learn everything from a book.  SCHOOL WILL BE FUN! I guess we could go to the birdhouse at the zoo since they're all in hiding where we live. 

At least I got some cute pictures of the boys on our "bird hunt".  You might notice we were able to find some sticks/swords.

Addendum to Sin

So...

I got to thinking that people might have misunderstood my post the other day about sin and miscarriage and what I learned at church.  I just wanted to clarify that I meant these effects were from the fall.  I don't want anyone to think that I think God is punishing me specifically with the miscarriage.  I don't think that at all.  I just meant that because of Adam and Eve's sin, i.e. the fall, there are things that are going to happen, and we will feel the effects of it.

I don't know if that had crossed anyone's mind, or if this really clarifies anything.  Just know that I don't think God is punishing me.  

Visitors

So...

I've been meaning to post pictures of our fun visit with Gigi (my mom), Auntie Barb, Drewby (my brother, Drew) and Jackson (Drew's precious little guy).  They came on Labor Day weekend.  I guess it's not too terrible since I'm at least in the same month. :)

                   Leo and the ginormous turtle at Grant's Farm.

                                Aren't these eagles beautiful?

                             Jackson and Finn at Red Robin.  

                   Don't you want to squeeze those cheeks?

                          My cute brother and his adorable son.

        My six-year-old, Max.  Where has the time gone?

Finn's first cake experience.

He also had a birthday.  Again, where has the time gone?

                        Aunt Barb (who you can't see) and Max 

                           feeding the goats at Grant's Farm.

These are some highlights.  I hope you enjoy!  We had a great time, family, and we can't wait until we see you in October!

The Effects of Sin, Some of Them Anyway

So...

We were in Sunday School this morning, and I just have to share a few things I learned.  

We started a new "semester" of classes last week, and we are doing a very broad overview of the Bible.  It's categorized as Creation, Fall, Redemption and Restoration.  This is a reformed theology way of looking at the Bible in case you're interested.  So far, we've discussed creation and made it up to Adam and Eve today when they were banished from the Garden of Eden.  First off, we were talking about how Gen. 1:27 is indented, set off from the rest of the text, which means it could either be poetry or a song.  Our teacher likened it to the hobbits breaking out into song in The Lord of the Rings.  In the previous verses, God names all the things he has created and "saw that it was good."  When he gets to verse 27 it's like he breaks out into song because he delights in the man he has created.  Just think about that.  You always hear that God loves you, but have you ever thought about how he delights in you, HIS CREATION?  He broke into song or makes a poem because of what he has created, man, and then in verse 28 he blesses man.  I don't know, maybe this isn't news to you, but it just reminds me of his awesome grace.

Along comes chapter 3.  Eve is tempted by the serpent, Adam is tempted by Eve, and they both give in to their temptation and eat the forbidden fruit.  "Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked."  Later when God came to walk in the garden, he talks with Adam and Eve about what they have done.  After he curses the serpent for what he has done, he tells Eve that because of what she has done he will multiply her pain in childbearing and tells Adam that the ground is cursed because of him and thorns and thistles will be brought forth, and he will have to eat the plants of the field.  Now, here is the other thing I learned.  Our teacher reminded us that the creation mandate tells us to be fruitful and multiply and have dominion over the earth.  Do you find it interesting that what has been mandated to us has also been cursed?  Because of our sin, life will be hard.  There will be pain.  There will be hard work.

 And yes, I said, "our sin".  Even though Adam and Eve were the ones who ate of the fruit it doesn't mean it was just their sin.  I know that if I had been the first woman, I would have eaten it too.

Changing the subject for a minute, for those of you who don't know, I recently had a miscarriage.  We're doing fine.  It was very sad for a time, but it was very early, and I hardly even had a chance to know I was pregnant before it happened, so don't worry about us.  However, you can't help but wonder things.  It wasn't that I was questioning God, but I just kept wondering why if he didn't think I should be pregnant, then why let it happen in the first place?  My question was answered today, at least in my opinion.  You may not see the scripture this way, but it's how I interpreted it.  

Because of Eve's sin, she (all women) was (were) cursed with pain in childbirth.  I had always thought of that pain as physical.  I realized today that the pain could also be emotional.  I am a human.  I sin.  I receive the effects of that sin.  

I also realize that not everything has a reason.  God never promised that he would make everything crystal clear to us, but this is just something I feel like he put on my heart, and I felt like I should share it and also work out for myself as I type it.