Lydia Oh, Lydia

I've been trying to switch the kids' clothes from summer to winter today. My goal is to get the three littles clothes taken care of today and tackle the other three tomorrow. Interruptions, interruptions, interruptions. The latest interruption--Joel somehow cut his finger while playing outside.

I grabbed the band aids, the Neosporin and Joel. I moved some knives that were on the counter aside so that I could set Joel on the counter for his first aid treatment. "Are you going to cut Joel's finger off?" Lydia asked. "Yeah, that's what I'm going to do, " I answered somewhat sarcastically. (I figured such a ridiculous question demanded a ridiculous answer.) "Oh, Daddy's gonna be really aset!"

Pray

Please pray for my internet friend, Kate, her son Noah and their entire family. Little Noah may be going to be with Jesus soon. Kate's faith has been very encouraging to me over the past months. She is a true woman of God. Please uphold her family in prayer as they walk the difficult road that lies ahead.

A Mother's Thoughts

Here is what I read to Grace at the celebration of her thirteenth birthday:
Grace, you are our firstborn. Being the firstborn, you have to had the bear the most and worst of our parenting mistakes and I know you’ll have to endure more in the future. Remember that your mom and dad are sinful people, saved by grace, being sanctified day by day.

Your dad and I still remember the day you were born. Your hair was so red, we thought the nurses hadn’t cleaned you up very well. From the time you where in the womb, you loved music. That first day in the hospital, your Daddy got you to stop crying by playing Beethoven’s Violin Concerto for you on a little tape recorder he placed in your bassinet.

Now you’ve grown into a beautiful young lady, both inside and out. People always told us that our kids would grow up before we knew it. Now we believe them. It seems like only yesterday when you ran around the back yard playing with the dog with only your pink rubber boots on.

Grace, you know your Dad and my desire for you is that you remain pure until marriage. You know that this is also God’s desire for you. Your Dad and I have been praying for a long time and will continue to pray that the Lord will provide a Godly husband for you someday.

It’s also our desire that you would embrace the role your Heavenly Father created for you. As a woman, you will have the opportunity to serve your family. You’re already doing that in this family. Some day you will serve your own family. The world disdains servanthood. Jesus embraced it. He said that whosoever would be first, should be last. Pouring yourself out for the family you have now and, the Lord willing, the family you will have in the future, is the way to true freedom. True freedom does not come in the pursuit of self-- that only brings bondage. True freedom comes in embracing servanthood and the role God has designed for you.

I recently finished reading a book in which the author said, “The truth is, if we constantly pursue our own happiness, we will never find it.” She also wrote something else to which I could relate all too well. She said, “I lament the years I wasted trying to ‘find myself’ instead of dying to self.” The Bible says to “redeem the time for the days are evil.” I pray, Grace, that you will redeem the time for the Lord’s glory.

This hope chest is to be a visible reminder of God’s plan for you. Only He knows what your future is, but we have God’s Word to use as a compass to get us heading in the right direction and with the Lord’s help, we pray that you will become a woman of God, “far above rubies” in value to your family, your church and God’s kingdom.

Amazing Grace

Matt and I presented Grace with a hope chest on her birthday earlier this month. We attached a brass plate to the lid with her name, the date and Philippians 1:6, which reads: "being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it onto completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Because Grace turned thirteen this year, we wanted to honor and bless her in a special way. We invited about thirty friends and family members to help us do that this past Saturday.
We started the evening by singing "Amazing Grace." (Thanks are due to our friend, Tammy, who graciously stepped in for an impromptu piano accompaniment.) Then Matt and I each spoke words of encouragement to Grace. Daddy read 1 Corinthians 13 and talked about faith, hope and love. In regards to hope, he explained that we have an eternal hope in Christ Jesus, but that we also have temporal hope on this earth, thus a hope chest. I spoke about serving Christ. I will post what I read to Grace in a later post so that those interested may read it.

Each person who was invited to the party was asked to bring a Bible verse to encourage Grace. The verses were written on 4 x 6 cards which I will put in a book that Grace can keep in her hope chest. We all took turns reading the verses we had chosen. Every one of them was different, there was not one repeat. At this point in the evening, I don't think there was a dry eye in the house. Matt placed his hand on Gracie's head and gave her this special blessing:

May Strength and honor be your clothing;
May you rejoice in time to come.
May you open your mouth with wisdom,
And have on your tongue the law of kindness.
Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
May you be like Sarah and Rebekah and Leah and
May your children rise up and call you blessed.

Matt and I then opened the hope chest and showed everyone what we had put in it. Grace hadn't seen any of the contents before the party, so she got her first look, too. I put in a copy of the book "God's Promises for Your Every Need." It's a book that was given to me by my grandparents for my confirmation. I still use it quite frequently. I also put in a set of the "Little House on the Prairie" books so that Grace can read them to her children some day. Daddy added Spurgeon's "Morning and Evening Devotions" and "The Pilgrim's Progress." I also included a couple of cookbooks that we've enjoyed as a family and some knit wash cloths and recipe cards.

The highlight of the evening, at least for Matt and me, was the present that Elizabeth gave to her sister. Elizabeth used a year's worth of earnings to buy Grace a Geneva Bible with her name engraved on it. We were so proud of her. She's a bit of a penny pincher, but her love for her big sister knows no bounds and she went all out to show it.
We then took a break from the festivities to break bread together. We enjoyed a great meal. I had been nervous all week that everything would come together. Matt encouraged me to keep the menu simple, which I did. My mom and dad also arrived early and helped me with the food preparation before the party. They also brought some of the food, for which I was very thankful as there (literally) was hardly a crumb left at the end of the evening!
After dinner, Grace opened her presents. She received a crystal vase from my parents and a cookie stamp with Grandma Dianne's famous shortbread recipe from Matt's parents. Matt's grandma presented Grace with the christening gown she had worn as a baby and also some pretty lace cuffs that were her mother's (Grace's great-great grandmother's). The pieces are just beautiful, heirlooms that Grace will always treasure. She also received a dresser cloth that belonged to Matt's Nana. Other gifts included an antique tea set from our friend Peggy and a hair braiding book from the "L" clan. Aunt Jessica gave Grace mustard seed earrings (for faith as small as a mustard seed) and Auntie Em gave the item that received the most "oohs" and "aahs" of the evening, a santoku knife.

It was a beautiful time of honor and blessing for our firstborn. The Lord provided for every detail and Christ's love encircled the evening. Grace (and her mom and dad) are very blessed to have so much loving support from family and friends. We will keep praying that the Lord will continue "the good work" He has begun in Grace and be ever present with her as she continues on her journey toward biblical womanhood.

The Birthday Boy

Tomorrow is Paul's actual birthday, but he has graciously agreed to let his eldest sister have her special birthday celebration tomorrow. We celebrated Paul's birthday today.

Aside from planes, Paul's other great love is history, especially guns, warfare and coonskin caps. Yesterday I told the kids we would do something fun today if we got all our chores (which we normally do on Friday) done. The chores were cheerfully and quickly (mostly) done so I followed through on my promise.

The kids and I loaded into the van this morning and headed to the park to enjoy the Lewis and Clark reinactors and all the other folks dressed up as fur trappers, etc. from the 1800's. Paul was prepared. He wore his tri-cornered hat and carried his "Kentuckian" rifle that he purchased at Williamsburg last year. He completed the ensemble with his camo shirt and shorts.

We saw demonstrations on blacksmithing, soap making and dutch oven cooking. The woman who was cooking wanted to hold Jude. I let her hold the baby. We enjoyed the benefit of being able to ask a lot of questions as she got her snuggle time in.

Paul was in heaven at the sporting goods store booth. The owner of the store took a liking to us (he came from a family of 21 kids!) and gave Paul a lot of extra attention. Paul got to hold and aim several guns and shoot a cross bow.

Meriwether Lewis instructed Paul on the proper way to wear a tri-cornered hat so that it could easily be removed as he was bowing to greet someone. A fur trapper let Paul hold an Arctic fox fur and try on a hat that put his own tri-cornered hat to shame.

The kids got to enter a couple of different tee pees and we all (except Elizabeth) enjoyed the duo who sang and played music appropriate to the period. Joel was just too cute when he danced.

When we got past the point of "Beyond Tired and Hungry", I knew it was time to head home. We ate our lunch and had a good quiet time. Daddy and Mommy took Paul out for dinner. We started this tradition last year. We take the birthday boy or girl on a date, just the three of us. We tell the birthday child the things we see in him or her that we're proud of and also the character areas in which we'd like to see improvement over the coming year. Paul ordered his favorite chocolate chip pancake with sausage tonight and was delighted when the chef made it in the shape of Mickey Mouse (ahh, to be a kid again).

We got home, had cake and ice cream and watched Paul open his presents. We got in our p.j.'s and had Bible time. Paul was arranging his newly acquired presidential transportation set when Joel came up and swiped the limousine. We got the car away from Joel and back to Paul. Then Joel began to hit Paul on the head. Daddy stopped reading the Bible and looked at Joel. Joel started lovingly petting Paul's head. Daddy started reading again and Joel went back to hitting Paul's head. Oh yes, we are by nature sinful and unclean.

Here's another picture of the birthday boy enjoying his new gun and hat with his little brother.

Planes for Paul

We went to the airshow last night as an early birthday present for Paul. Seven thousand people were in attendance and it seemed like they had garnered all the good seats before we arrived. We aimlessly wandered about the tarmac trying to find a place to set up seven chairs and a double stroller. We finally settled on a spot the kids picked. Turned out we were "center stage" and were treated to awesome views throughout the evening. We stupidly forgot earplugs (which the guy next to us so kindly pointed out), but we improvised with wet wipes. I never leave the house without wet wipes and I contend they are even handier than duct tape.

The night started off with a pilot who sang the national anthem as he flew acrobatics in his plane dubbed the "Super Decathlon"--kinda neat.

I covered the baby's ears with a blanket and held him close to me while the F-15E did its demonstration flight. The announcer said of the plane, "The sound alone is enough to strike terror into the enemy." Jude slept through the whole thing. It must have something to do with having five older brothers and sisters.
The Canadian Snowbirds were up next, doing a show similar to that of the Blue Angels. Only four feet was between the planes during some of their configurations. Lydia said, "That was awesome!" Then we saw the A-10 Warthog in simulated bomb runs. It also demonstrated its tight turn capability and flew a "heritage flight" with the A-1 used in Vietnam. The two planes flew into the sunset together to finish off the evening.
Paul thoroughly enjoyed the show. His only (repeated) complaint was that he was hungry, despite having eaten plenty of snacks. He was glad to go to Subway after the show ended. I guess now that Paul is now almost seven, he's finally found his appetite.

Jehovah-Jireh (The Lord our Provider)

God promises to provide for our needs. Why do I doubt this? Last week I began to feel panic well up inside me. Matt and I have made a commitment that our entire family will attend Bible Study Fellowship. This Bible study keeps us accountable to stay in God's Word. It is a study of God's Word (not a book about His Word) and the children's program is top notch. The children study the Bible (the actual Bible, not cute little Bible stories) and learn the same truths that the adults are learning (of course at a level they can understand).

As of last week, I was the only one in the family who had not found a way to return to BSF. On Monday I began to pray that the Lord would provide the childcare I needed for Wednesday morning. I asked my discussion group leader to pray. That night, when Matt and the kids returned home from their BSF classes, Grace handed me a note. All it had was a woman's name and phone number written on it. Grace said this woman told her she would be interested in babysitting for me on Wednesday mornings so I could attend the day class.

I called the woman the next day. She had been praying about babysitting for me since she ran into me during the summer. I knew her from BSF and I must have mentioned something about my quandry then, although I don't remember doing so. She's perfect for the job. She loves kids (she's a children's leader) and more importantly she knows and loves MY kids.

God never ceases to surprise me in His provision. What an honor (and adventure!) to be His servant.

Fest

This past weekend we headed north for the fall German festival we attend every year. Good food, good fun, good fellowship.
(These oxen were up to my eye at their shoulder. As big as babe! -matt)

My uncle is the campaign manager for a man running for county commissioner. He was the appointed parade driver for the "campaign truck." He was able to take Grace, Elizabeth, Paul and Raphaella to ride along with him and the candidate on the parade route. The kids had a blast. The girls threw candy to the crowd and Paul got to ride alongside Uncle Keith in the cab--a boy's dream.

Paul REALLY enjoyed this ice cream cone. Two bucks for a fully loaded waffle cone sold by the Future Business Leaders of America. Matt joked they had a bit more to learn about business.

The Lord arranged a divine appointment for Grace and me. We "ran into" our good friends. We haven't seen them in two years as they are missionaries in Guatemala. They returned home on furlough just last Wednesday (unbeknownst to us) and came to the festival on Saturday. Sherri (the mom) and I talked about homeschooling. Kendra (the daughter) and Grace were overjoyed to see each other again and had no trouble finding things to talk about.

We also got to see my Grandma and introduce her to Jude. Jude slept peacefully in her arms for quite a long time--the true Grandma's touch. We got home late--full and tired, the marks of a good day.

Double Portion

Tonight I began reading the journal of a dear friend who died one year ago from cancer. She chronicled her journey of faith in a journal, a copy of which I received from her daughter just today. The journal is comprised mostly of scripture. This woman wrapped herself in God's Word daily. Her habit of reading the Bible every day was well established before the cancer diagnosis. It was only natural for her to rely on God's Word to get her through the crisis. What an incredible example she was (and still is) to me.

As I read, I heard Joel crying in his crib. He really just needed to go to sleep, but I went and got him out of his crib and brought him into bed with Jude and me. (Daddy was outside doing chores, which is why I got by with it.) Reading that journal was such a reminder that our lives are "just a vapor." After I had Lydia, I fervently prayed that the Lord would give me another son to raise for His glory. He gave me Joel. Then He gave me Jude. Tonight I snuggled and loved on both of them. I've been so tired lately that I've had a hard time thinking of much else. I've really had to make an effort to praise God and tell Him of the things for which I'm thankful. Tonight, however, was easy. I thanked Him for my double portion. What an awesome God, worthy to be praised, in all circumstances.

Therapy

Matt surveyed the filled fruit and jam jars on the table last night and asked, "How are you enjoying your therapy, Melissa?" "My 'canning therapy'?" I queried back with a big smile on my face, "Oh, I've enjoyed it." My teaching Grace some lessons in home economics has been my thinly veiled excuse for my own pleasure, I'll admit it. Some people love gardening, I love canning. I didn't think I would be able to can at all this year. The combination of Matt's blessing and the cooler temperatures that prolonged the harvest provided me the opportunity and I seized it.

The process went something like this--nurse the baby while I talked Grace through the set up, get a canner load in the water bath, nurse the baby and start all over again. Elizabeth kept an eye on Paul, Lydia and Joel while Grace and I were working. I even taught Grace to make kuchen, the German coffee cake I loved as a kid. She's getting to be quite the sous chef.

We didn't "put up" as much fruit as we normally do, but going from zero expectation of having any canned fruit for winter, to having at least some jars grace the shelves is huge and I'm happy with what we accomplished. The house went to heck and we had to spend the day today playing catch up, but I got my much needed therapy.

Kisses

When Joel isn't hitting Jude on the head with the fly swatter, he's clamoring to hold Jude and give him wet, sloppy kisses (after he takes his binki out of his mouth).

Home Alone

Tonight I was home alone . . .with the three littles. Matt and the three older kids went to BSF. I let Lydia and Joel play with the only-to-be-used-in-extreme- situations play-doh. That kept them entertained long enough for me to check/send e-mail (something I'd been trying to do all day). The kitchen floor now looks like a modern art piece, but tomorrow is another day and I'll worry about cleaning it up then.

The last few nights have been a bit rough. Saturday night we had four kids in our room (2 on the bed, 2 on the floor) and then last night we had two. Matt thinks that maybe the reason Joel keeps waking up during the night is because he is getting cold. Tonight I put a zip-up Carter's sleeper on him. I told Lydia to get her p.j.'s on and we all hunkered down in the family room to watch "Antiques Road Show" (interesting to mommy, boring to the kids).

I'd reached my limit when Joel took the fly swatter and hit Jude on the head with it. "Lydia and Joel, you both lay down now, or you're going to bed," I barked. Just then a video clip of the Mamas and Papas singing "California Dreamin'" came on the t.v. Picture Joel in his feet p.j.'s grooving his head back and forth. Now picture this mommy laughing her head off. I think God was laughing, too.

What's Good for the Goose

We have two new additions to the family--a pair of African geese. The woman who sold them to us had to get rid of them because they were too noisy. She and her husband do their chores late at night due to their work schedules. The geese would follow them around, honking the entire time. The neighbors didn't like it.

I've wanted geese ever since I lost my beautiful white goose to the neighbor's hunting dog last year. Matt bought me a gosling to replace the goose, but it was killed by a raccoon the first night we put it in the chicken house. Now we have this pair and they ARE quite noisy. Geese are actually good "guard dogs" in that they honk whenever anything "spicious" is going on. Hopefully these geese won't wear out their welcome here. We figured we couldn't lose for $20.

Lydia has informed me that the geese have "very loooong" necks, Joel is a bit afraid of them (the male is quite territorial), and the girls and Paul are haggling over names. Lydia chimed in with her suggestion for the female--Taylor (which happens to be her little girlfriend's name).

Remembering

People say that they'll always remember where they were and what they were doing the day President Kennedy was assassinated. I'll always remember what I was doing on 9/11. I was heading off to the women's Bible study at our church. I saw the initial coverage on the t.v., then drove to Bible study. As I recall, all of us women were in shock. The full impact of what had happened hadn't sunk in yet.

The next day, Matt stayed home as his work had been canceled. Our friends Julie and Brian came over and Julie and I got the baby stuff organized in anticipation of Paul's arrival at the end of the month. We watched the t.v. as we worked. I wondered about bringing another child into such a changed world.

Today I read an article about a woman who left her nine year old boy in the New York Bloomingdale's, gave him $20 and told him to find his way home on the New York subway system. He did arrive home safely 45 minutes later. She claims that today's parents are hyper-vigilant, that the dangers to children these days are no more severe than they were when we were growing up. I beg to differ. I didn't grow up in a world where religious extremists hell-bent on annihilating other people flew airplanes into buildings. I didn't grow up in a world where internet porn was as easy to access as a jar of mayonnaise from your own refrigerator.

Today we hung our flag in remembrance of 9/11. Our family watched the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial Dedication Ceremony on t.v. We will never forget. Thank the Lord that we are not without hope, even in this fallen world. Praise God for our eternal hope--His only son, Jesus Christ.

Silver and Gold

We've been blessed by two visits from two friends, one new and one old. Our friend Lisa stopped by on Monday, bearing gifts for EVERYONE. The kids were thrilled with their treasures. Lydia carries her baby in her backpack everywhere she goes and Elizabeth hasn't taken off her watch since she received it. Paul has been shooting Nerf bullets almost nonstop since Monday. The only disappointment was that Cooper, Taylor and Bailey couldn't stay to play.

Today my friend Julie (we've been friends since kindergarten) came to see us. She brought a fabulous diaper cake that she had made. Jude is almost out of diapers and I considered using the diapers from the cake, but I think I'll keep it as a decoration on the dining room table for a while before I disassemble it--it's too pretty to take apart. Julie also brought us two casseroles and an ice cream pizza, as well as books for each member of the family.

My other friend Julie has been supplying meals as we need them, filling in the gaps when we have no other plan. This has been a huge blessing because planning, preparing and cleaning up after a meal is still a bit overwhelming to me right now. The women from church have also done an awesome job of feeding us--no small feat for this family of eight.

The Lord is abundant in His mercies. He's providing for our every need, as He always does.

First Bath

Jude has had his first bath. His umbilical cord fell off on Sunday. The kids and I got out the baby bath tub last night and put baby Jude in the perfectly warm water. He pretty much hated every minute of it. I'll never forget the first bath we gave Grace. She absolutely LOVED it. She smiled and kicked and splashed. Every child is different. God's creativity is never exhausted. It's amazing how completely different six kids can be from each other.

We had a nice weekend with my mom. Grandma Jane is now Lydia's "best friend." Best friends do everything together, including using the bathroom. Best friends can sometimes surprise you, especially when they say "I'll spank you, Lydia, if you don't get dressed for church." "No you won't, because my mom and dad will get mad." "No they won't." Guess who won that one? Lydia did in fact get dressed for church (and her best friend didn't have to spank her). When Grandma Jane had to go home, Lydia cried because she didn't want her "best friend" to leave.

Grace and I have been canning peaches the last couple of days. Matt gave permission for such craziness out of the blue over the weekend. He and the girls picked the peaches just before the Elberta season was coming to a close. We won't can as much as usual, but we'll at least have some peaches for the winter.

The fall schedule is kicking in, despite my wanting to put it off. Matt started Bible Study Fellowship again on Monday night. Grace, Elizabeth, Paul, Lydia and I will start as soon as the Lord allows--hopefully within the next week or two. The girls have started their school work for the year and I'll start working on phonics with Paul soon. We're into the thick of things. I'm taking one day at a time. If I look too far ahead I get overwhelmed.

My morning Bible reading included this verse from 1 Corinthians--a little bit of encouragement for a weary mother:

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Cor. 15:58

Thirteen Years

Today our eldest, Grace, is thirteen. We plan to have a small celebration with her tonight to honor her on her actual birth date, but we're planning a more elaborate celebration for her at the end of the month. The Lord has granted us thirteen years with our Gracie. He alone numbers our days. We are thankful for the time He has given us with her and pray He grants us many more years--we'd love to see some grandchildren being raised to His glory! Grace is becoming a beautiful young woman, both on the inside and the outside.

This morning the kids and I will head north to pick up Grandma Jane and bring her back down here to stay with us for a couple of days. Grandpa Tom is in Alaska salmon fishing. My mom is looking forward to helping us celebrate Grace's birthday, snuggling baby Jude and playing tons of board games with the kids.

An update on Jude--his jaundice is almost gone. He got his foot poked for the last time yesterday with his second PKU. He was also circumcised. I'm sure today will be a better day for him. He's such a good little baby. He's not fussy (at least so far anyway.) All the kids are head-over-heels in love with him and it's always a bit of a contest to see who gets to hold him. We can't imagine life without "the little fella," as Lydia so affectionately calls him.

Big Brother

My biggest worry concerning the birth of Jude was how Joel would handle it. I've never had two babies so close in age before and I anticipated that Joel would not let go of his baby status willingly. So far, my worries have been unfounded. Joel has transitioned very well into the "little man" of the family. He follows Paul wherever he goes and imitates all things Paul.

I've tried to give Joel extra hugs and cuddles, but he's really not wanting them. I thought he'd relish some mommy time, but he's more interested in doing what the big kids are doing. Joel was quite spoiled (I'll admit it). Matt and I felt so badly for him when he was in the cast and those behaviors stuck when he was no longer in the cast. I guess now that the bar has been set higher, Joel has risen to the occasion and has proven he can be content without all the doting.

Last night we had spaghetti for dinner. A nice woman from our church brought it to us. Joel absolutely loved it. I've been told Matt relished spaghetti in the same manner at Joel's age. Like father like son.

Meeting Great Grandma

Matt's grandma finally got to meet baby Jude today. Matt picked her up and brought her to our house for dinner. We ordered take out pizza as Grandma doesn't get pizza at her retirement home and she misses it. We all enjoyed the evening. Grandma held baby Jude and Matt asked her all kinds of questions about her personal history. Baby Jude is Grandma's fifteenth great grandchild--all from just three grandchildren and one son. God is good!