Growing, growing...

Isaiah will be 4 months old on May 13th, Mother's Day, which is also the day he'll be dedicated at church!  He is growing sooo fast and is a happy, chubby baby.  Such a blessing to our family!  He's smiling and laughing and learning to use his hands to grab things...  Love that baby boy!

3 months old, with his monkeys

happy baby

Our family of seven after church on Easter Sunday

Blake, Crystal, Emma...  love these guys!

Gray Hair

Even to your old age and gray hairs 

    I am he, I am he who will sustain you.

I have made you and I will carry you;

    I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

Isaiah 46:4

I recently read this verse and thought of my parents.  So, even though we lived in the same town, just a few blocks apart, I wrote it out in a little note and sent it to them in the mail.  (My mom loves mail...)  She read it and said how she used to think that was far off...  now here it is.  


Now just last month, my parents moved into an assisted living home in Grand Forks.  God's timing.  We've been worried about them since we moved back to the states.  Mom's been in a wheelchair and needing extra help with things while Dad is in the early stages of Parkinson's Disease.  He continued to help her at home until he hurt his back/leg.  Then they were both in a wheelchair (or taking turns with the one they had!).  We called it.  


Together with my brother, Blake and his wife, Crystal...  we called around and found a place for them to live safely and easily.  Not in Williston.  They are on the waiting list for the place here but it will be a while before they move up and are able to move in.  They needed help right away.  So...  off they moved to Grand Forks where Blake and his family live!  They  had openings and would take them right away!  Crazy.  Unexpected.  Good.  Sad.  Relieved.


We'd checked into places here a year ago and thought they should get help and would eventually move in to a place here in Williston...  But off they went to the other side of the state.  My dad had been in pain for a month or so and to the doctors for a few weeks.  Blake and Crystal came to visit for Easter... and took them back with them!  


They are going to move down to the first floor in their building soon (from the third).  Someone's coming to help with dressing and bathing and diabetic needs.  They'll get help cleaning and with meds, if needed.  Meals are handy.  Both Mom and Dad have had Physical Therapy.  The people working there are treating them well.  They have their own little apartment and are having the walls painted with colors Mom picked out!  So overall, I think they're doing well.  But of course, they miss home.  And we miss them!  We'll make a few trips over there this summer to see them - and to meet our new baby niece who's due in July!  

Out to eat at Red Lobster for Mom's birthday!

I'm thankful they still are close to family able to enjoy them and that they're getting the help that they've needed.  But I'm mostly thankful that: 


Even to my parents' old age and gray hairs 
     God is He, God is He who will sustain them.
God has made them and will carry them;
     God will sustain them and will rescue them.

Breath

I love to feel Isaiah's breath as he breaths on my neck, or shoulder, or chest.  What is it about the simple inhale and exhale of air?  It's so peaceful and refreshing and good.

As I sat pondering that one day I got to thinking about the song Breath of Heaven.  How powerful is the breath of God?  Breathing life into creation.  Breathing truth and life into our lives still today.  Involved in our daily-ness.

In order to feel someone's breath, you need to be close to that person.  Maybe it's the intimacy of breath that's so sweet.  There's trust and tenderness in Isaiah's little baby breaths, or when I feel Kev breathing in the middle of the night...

Do I feel the tenderness of God's breath?  Am I close enough to enjoy that intimacy?

Pour over me your holiness.  Breath of Heaven...