Happy 8th Birthday, Hannie!!

Our baby girl, Eight years old! On October 29th, we called Uncle Blake in the evening to come and watch Benjamin while we went to the hospital. After a long night waiting and waiting, rocking in the rocking chair... Hannie finally came! At 11:00 AM the next morning! (We hurried to get a babysitter and then ended up waiting all night for labor to really kick in...) The first thing Dr Greek did was lay her, all crying and loud, on my belly. I kissed my baby girl on the gooey, bald head and said, "I love you, Hannah!". She was 8 pounds even, just like Benjamin had been. Daddy went home to get Benjamin and after he came to see his new little sister (he was 19 months old...). At the hospital, Daddy went and got him one of those tiny boxes of cereal, Fruit Loops, and Benjamin sat in a big hospital chair and watched VeggieTales, Rack, Shack, and Benny (that Daddy brought from home), while everyone oohed and ahhed over his little sister.

We brought Hannie home the next day, on Halloween, and on the way home we stopped by the gas station for pop to go along with teh KFC my parents were picking up! (With Benjamin, we had everything "perfect" and memorable... with Hannie, we were more practical! Ha!) She slept in her car seat while we ate chicken! Whenever Benjamin passed by her he'd say, "Hi baby Annie!"

Hannah was born beautiful and is growing more and more beautiful as time goes by. We love that little girl! Our young lady!


This year, Hannah invited a few friends to the bowling alley with Papa Eddie and Grandma Sharon. Papa James stopped up there for a while, too! We had taco soup that night and played Operation, the new game her friend got for her! Then a week later, on her actual birthday, we went to Grandam Lala's and Papa James' place to open presents and eat pumpkin pie blizzard cake from DQ. Yum. (We also stopped school at 11:00 to blow party horns and eat strawberry candy!)

It's fun to celebrate our girl... Happy Birthday, baby!

full circle

In the book of Joshua, he talks about how at Gilgal they set up stones of remembrance. Later on the Bible talks about them coming back to Gilgal and, indeed, remembering... Beth Moore points out in one of her studies (sorry, I'm not sure which one now...) about times in our life when we come full circle and have a moment of remembrance from experiences in our past. I had a moment like that this past Sunday.

We're back in our hometown now and back at the church where we grew up. It happens to be missions week here this week. So, of course, they had some good missions songs and the sermon was about the sending out of Paul and Barnabas. I stood there, back in my hometown church, where Kevin and I met while leading worship in the youth worship band, thinking about missions. We're in the middle of worship when the next song that starts up is a familiar one to me... one of those oldies but goodies...

Here am I
Send me to the nations
As an ambassador
For You
As an ambassador
For You,
My Father...

Ask of Me
And I will give the nations
As an inheritance
For you
As an inheritance
For you,
My children...

And I had such a huge flashback. There Kev and I were, fifteen years ago, standing up on the platform, ourselves leading that very song... Here am I, send me to the nations... And now here we are, being sent - to the nations. I totally had a full-circle/Gilgal moment. Who knew as we sang that song way back when... that that was just what God had in mind to do.

Now to hear, Ask of Me, and I will give the nations as an inheritance for you... takes on a whole new meaning. Lord, give us the nations as our inheritance. Let us get to heaven surrounded by people we've had the honor to encourage in You!

Full circle.

(Somewhere I have a pic of our worship team... not on my computer, though! Rats...) :)

Daddy knows everything

Benjamin was working hard at his Math one day, and not particularly enjoying himself, when I came into his room to help him. We went over the same problem a few times trying to understand it. Then Benjamin looked up at me and said, "I wish I were Daddy!" "Why?" I asked. To which he replied, "Because Daddy knows EVERYTHING!" Oh, to be who your kids think you are! While I do admit that Kevin actually does know almost everything... it might not be totally everything! Heh. Just that day he was having some trouble with the sites he was working on and frustrated with his thesis... But in Benjamin's eyes, Daddy is who he wants to be - Because Daddy knows everything!

Here's a shot of the the boys watching a Williston Coyotes football game!

forget it

We were having supper together with Grandma Sharon and Papa Eddie when they were here to visit and Ruth was telling Grandma something important while Elijah was trying to get her attention to tell her something very important, as well. After a few loud attempts of, "Grandma! Grandma!" Lijah turned away from her and said, "Ah, forget it!" He got a few chuckles out of that... Sounds so funny to hear a little guy say something that sounds more grown up!

(Here he is wearing Benjamin's bike helmet and feeling pretty cool...!)

chin tappin'

When Ruth gets to thinkin' hard, she starts tappin' her chin. Kinda like Pooh bear. "Think, think, think..." Tap, tap, tap... Should we watch Hermie and Wormie, or VeggieTales? Tap, tap, tap... with her eyes kinda looking up... :) Too cute!

Balaam's donkey

Papa Eddie and Hannie were having a discussion the other day about who they'd like to talk to when they get to heaven. Papa said a few guys like Daniel and David. He wanted to ask what it was like in the lion's den and if Daniel was scared. Or to ask David about facing Goliath... Hannie thought for a minute, then told Papa she wants to talk to that donkey that spoke to Balaam! :) What would it be like to talk to a donkey? How'd the donkey feel when he got squished up against the wall when the angel blocked the path...? Hannie's lookin' for the donkey when she gets to heaven! Papa can look for Daniel!

church

Right after I wrote my last post, I turned around to have some Beth Moore, Stepping Up devotion time and read from Philippians chapter 1:

I thank my God every time I remember you
In all my prayers for all of you
I always pray with joy
because of your partnership in the gospel
from the first day until now,
being confident of this
that he who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion
until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you,
since I have you in my heart;
for whether I am in chains
or defending and confirming the gospel,
all of you share in God's grace with me.
God can testify how I long for all of you
with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Just what I was thinking about you, my church family. Me and Paul... we love the church! :)