Mommy Said No

I told him not to do it but he didn't listen.  He didn't slow down when I told him not to grow up too fast.  And now look at him. 

Memory Lane

We love making memories as a family.  2 weekends ago we packed it full.  So we don't forget, here are the highlights:

Friday evening we met many good friends in their small town close to our large one for a Christmas festival complete with sleigh rides, a handbell choir, and a parade of lit firetrucks! 

On our way home we stopped at Starbucks and treated the boys to some hot chocolate.

Saturday morning we woke up to find a winter wonderland that we had to play in.

Saturday evening we enjoyed guests for supper and then put the boys to bed--in the same room!  This was Elliott's big night: a switch from the nursery by himself to a room with Caleb & a switch from crib to a big boy bed.  (They are doing SPLENDIDLY with this new arrangement.  Could not be any better.)  

Sunday morning we went our wonderful church and participated in baby dedications.  With God's grace and the help of our church family we shared our desire to raise our precious Gabe up in the "discipline and instruction of the Lord." 

Sunday night we headed over to some our most favorite people's house, the Poels, for "Sunday Sundaes" and had a 1 year reunion celebration of when we moved in with them on that date last year while we remodeled our new home. 

Looking back at those pictures reminds me of how very blessed we are by our Kind and Gracious Father!  Thank you, Lord!

A Census...

...of Little People. 

Actually, they are just drying out after a bath.  In lysol.  We're trying to kick this nasty bug O-U-T.  Maybe this time it won't come back. 

Our Dad Has Some Big Shoes To Fill...

 .....See:
 

Seriously, though, he's the BEST!

Baby Blues

Christmas Cards

Oh Christmas Card season, are you already here again?  It's around Thanksgiving that I start "conveniently" dressing my children in matching colors so that I can snap the perfect photo of them all.  It never seems to happen.  This year, however, one of my best friends from high school took some amazing pictures of my family when we were in town for a wedding.  She had her work cut out for her that day, I had one exhausted baby who hadn't napped, one squirrely 2 year old who never sits still, and a 3 year old who was on his way to getting a fever.  The fact that she got a shot of all of us was a miracle.

I love sending photo cards.  They are easy.  They are fun.  And they are reasonably priced.  I know of a few families who receive the cards and put them in a basket and pick one out each night and pray for that family.  Isn't that a great idea?

I've used different companies every year that I've made Christmas photo cards.  I'm not going to lie, I'm usually looking for the most affordable option.  However, I am so thankful for the advances some companies have made in letting you be creative in designing your card.  This year I am going to use Shutterfly for this very reason.

Some of my favorite designs that they have available are these.  I love that you can include more than one photo on this one. 

And I love the design of this one.  

You can check out their entire selection here.  

This year I have used Shutterfly to create some photo books and have been so pleased.  The quality is outstanding and they almost always have a deal on them which makes them very affordable.  One of my favorite ways to use this feature is to take pictures of an event that the kids and I participate in and then recreate it in storybook form with pictures and captions.  Caleb even authored one of the books we made this year. 

I also used Shutterfly this year to create some personal thank you notes.  You can make some like it here.  Again, they were good quality and the price was right. 

How about you?  What kind of Christmas cards do you like to send?  What kind do you like to receive?  If you're on my list, you'll be getting a photo card that I made on Shutterfly for free.  Would you like to do the same?

Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly… sign up: http://bit.ly/sfly2010

Deep Sea Diving

It all started a couple of months ago when Caleb asked Ben how much a submarine costs.  He had decided earlier in the day that he wanted to drive one when he grows up.  After explaining that they are very expensive Caleb promptly told me, "Mom.  I can't spend any more of my money buying icees at Target.  I need to save all of my money up for a long time so I can buy a submarine."   (Isn't it incredible how he has a long term saving plan already????  Ha!) 

So when I asked Caleb what kind of costume I could make him last week he quickly suggested scuba diver.  So that is what we did.  It was a very inexpensive option with the base of the costume completely reusable for the rest of the winter.  Awesome!

The boys dressed up in their costumes to give out candy yesterday.  They had a blast!  We encouraged them to give generously (and in return we let them eat a bunch of candy while they were doing it.)  It was a fun night! 

Without further ado, here are my little Scuba men:

Looks like he found a treasure while he was under the sea--two bags of skittles!

And here is my little pumpkin man.  I didn't make him a matching costume (though I was tempted) but isn't he so cute?  He melts my heart!

Blood Test Update

Praise God!  The nurse called from my doctor's office today to give me the results from my blood test.  That was earlier than expected.


First of all, I do not have lupus (the auto-immune disorder).  I cannot tell you how thankful I am to hear this news.  Thank you, God, for sparing me from that particular trial.  Thank you! 

The other test, however, still yielded elevated results and I have been referred to a specialist for further testing.  Since this test was to determine a blood clotting disorder, I will see a hematologist and proceed from there.  She did indicate to me that my levels were still just slightly elevated (normal is 19-30 and mine came back 33).  I am grateful the number is small, though I have faith God could heal me even if the number was astronomically high.  But it isn't and for this I am thankful. 

Please pray with me that God would continue to heal my body.  If there is anything to keep you posted about, I will.  In the meantime, thank you for all your previous and continued prayers.   Our God hears and He cares.  Whether He chooses to heal me or not from this blood disorder, may He be glorified in me. 

The World's Best Grandpas

I'm not going to lie.  My boys have some pretty rockin' grandpas.  Take your pick from either side and what you'll find is nothing but top notch grandfathers.  I mean, seriously, take a look at what my boys have gotten to do just this month alone with these fine men:

First it was this with Grandpa Kenny:

And then it was this with Grandpa Lyle:


Need I say more?????  (Ok, if you want me to and I get time I will recount in more detail at a later date!)

What he says...

Elliott said like 3 words at 18 months.  Not kidding.  And they were mostly variations of the same sounds.  "Stuck."  "Tucker." and "Duck."  For a few months he said "Daddy" but then he stopped.  And he never said "Mommy." 

Shortly after his 18 month check-up he started saying all kinds of words.  And now, right at 2 years, he talks all. the. time.  And clearly, I might add.  Like the other day when I walked in his room to get him up for the day and he said, "It's not really very dark out anymore, mommy."  Slightly taken aback by the number of words in that thought I replied, "Well, no, no it's not, Elliott."

I'm glad he talks now.  Mostly because he says the FUNNIEST things.  His littly spunky personality finally has a little spunky mouth as well. 

Here are some conversations we had today:

(This was in the middle of a conversation after he got disciplined for running into the street.)
Me:  "Elliott, you are a sinner.  You need a __________." (this is where he should say "Savior")
Elliott:  "Binky."

(This was as he was crawling down the stairs on his belly, face first while I was reading a book to Caleb.)
Elliott:  "I'm not gonna kill myself mommy."
Me, as I look up to see what he is doing:  "Huh, Elliott?  Oh my goodness, be careful."
Elliott:  "I'm not gonna kill myself.  I'm ok." 

Indeed, he did not kill himself.  But I about died laughing.

Hope for the best?

Well, I wasn't anticipating this post. 

But I do believe that prayer makes a difference so I'm asking you to pray. 

After Gabe was born my doctor told me my placenta had some blood clots in it.  She wanted to run some tests to rule out a few unnamed medical conditions.  Though tempted to worry (and dig for information on google so that I could figure out what to worry about) God helped me just put it to the back of my mind and wait for August and my  yearly exam where I'd get tested.  I had the lab work done (thank you, kind phlebotemist, for sucking what seemed like 14 gallons of blood out with a teeny tiny pediatric needle).  The nurse called last night to report.  Unfortunately, I missed the call.  Seeing as how she didn't leave a report but told me to call her back, I knew the result was probably not good.  I immediately returned her phone call.  It was 7:01.  Office closed at 7:00. 

Ben was out of town so I had more than enough to keep my mind occupied.  It's like a 3 ring circus trying to get my crazy clowns to bed.  Thankfully 3 of my favorite people in the world (you know who you are and seriously, you are the best!!!!) came over to make my children even more hyper help.  After the circus was over and the ring leaders left, I was tempted to worry again but then convinced myself to push it to the back of my mind not knowing what she was going to say. 

The office opened at 9:00 this morning and I called at 9:01.  Voicemail.  Bummer.  She called back a few hours later and very sweetly said, "Angie, I just wanted to let you know that your blood work has come back and it's normal...."  {insert a very long pause which I know is going to end with the word but} "....but there were 2 tests that came back with slightly elevated levels that Dr. Alexander would like to repeat.  They could still be elevated from your last pregnancy so she'd like to wait another month and retest.  Don't worry.  Just schedule a lab appointment and come back in a month.  Any questions?" 

Yes, thank you.  I have a lot of questions.  Like "What tests came back elevated?  What are you looking for?  How am I supposed to not worry?  Can you be a bit more specific?  Am I going to die?  " 

I did inquire further and she gave me a bit more information.  They are investigating an autoimmune disorder and a blood clotting disorder.  I got off the phone kind of suprised, slightly in shock, and tempted to fear.  It's only been a few hours since I heard the news (which, let me just remind you really isn't news since I don't know anything for certain) and I've been through the gamut of emotions and thoughts. 

I am tempted to worry about right now.  I am tempted to fear what this means for the future.  I am tempted to dismay.  I am tempted to fear sudden disaster.  I am tempted to be anxious about more medical expenses for more medical tests.  I am tempted to dwell.  I am tempted to desire a different result. 

And even with all those temptations, God has helped me to pull my gaze away from those and focus on the Cross--the absolute, objective, reality that He loves me.  That He is for me.  That He is with me.  AND that He already knows. 

That said, temptations are coming quick and I'm having to actively work to fight them off with the Truth of God's word.  And here is the realization He is giving me: 

My flesh wants to hope for the best, hope in good reports from doctors, hope in comfortable circumstances.  He wants me to hope in Him. 

I have seen a pattern of this in my life since Gabe was born.  Unless I am actively seeking to hope in Him, my default is to hope in something else.  I default to hoping that Gabe's medicine is working because his heart rate is staying in the range they want it in.  I default to hope in a good report showing no arrhytmeas each time he wears the Holter monitor.  When I was told to wait until August, I hoped everything would be ok and just pushed it aside until the test came.  When the test time came, I resolved to just wait until the results came.  Now the results came, but they are unclear.  Part of me would like to know right now so that I can research and find information to hope in or the best doctor in the field to hope in.  My default even allows me to hope in clarity.

Trying to meditate on God's word as I was rocking (Small aside: I was actually sitting in a chair rocking; he let me sit down!  You should be excited!  It's a big step!)  my sweet baby to sleep, I had an idea.  Since I won't know anymore news for another 6 weeks (one month until retest and two weeks waiting for results) it would be easy for me to just push it aside like I've done in the past.  No sense thinking about what I don't really know yet.  But I think then I will be missing the point.  I think then I will have missed an opportunity to put into practice all He has been teaching me about trusting Him with my little heart-condition boy.  I think He is calling me to serve Him right now with my response to the news.  Remember, the only thing He is calling me to at this moment is to serve Him???  I would be remiss if I didn't apply this truth to this new situation.

I want to hope in Him.  I want Him to be my only hope.   

Will you pray with me? 
Will you pray that He would accomplish the good purpose He has for this season, these 6 weeks of waiting?
Will you pray for active strength to fight temptation as it comes?  
Will you pray with me that my levels would return to normal?
Will you pray that even if I actually do suffer from these two ailments that He would see fit to heal me from the things the doctors are investigating for His glory?

The verses He has brought to mind since talking to the nurse:


 Psalm 56 (emphasis mine)
3 When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?....
....8 You have kept count of my tossings; [3]
put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book?
9 Then my enemies will turn back
in the day when I call.
This I know, that [4] God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?

Psalm 69
13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord.
At an acceptable time, O God,
in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.


Psalm 42

11 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

Lamentations 3
21 But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; [2]
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”

So do I hope for the best?  Of course!  But with my hope IN GOD, I know that whatever He brings is most definitely best.   

 

Brotherly Love

I carried the little boys downstairs, one in each arm, the other morning and sat them in daddy's big chair while I went to fill a sippy cup.  When I came back, big brother was sitting between them loving on them. 

I quickly snapped this picture:

Satisfied that I'd caught the beautiful moment on camera, I turned to put the camera away.  Walking away I hear Caleb lovingly remark, "Awwwhhh.  I love you guys!"  It suddenly became even more beautiful...

What God Has Been Teaching Me, Part 4

In that moment, God reminded me that my problem wasn't a baby who was always gassy, never sleeping, with a heart condition.  He consoled me that He cared for Gabe.  This was His best for Gabe.  BUT, the problem is my sin.

He reminded me that He cares for me, too.  This is His BEST for me.  You see, He isn't content to leave me where I am.  God had used Gabe's birth and events thereafter to sanctify me, to make me more like His Son.  He wasn't done, though I thought He might be.  And because He loves me (He sent His Son to die IN MY PLACE while I was still a sinner) He is faithfully, steadfastly, continuing to complete this good work he began in me until it is finished.

But it's not finished yet.  I still sin.  He has "made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Hebrews 10:14.  In other words, He counts me righteous because of Jesus' death on my behalf.  And He's making me holy by constantly changing me while I am still on earth.  Amazing! 

Jerry Bridges writes a highly-recommended book called Respectable Sins . I once heard him tell a group of people that he had wished he could title it "The Acceptable Sins of the Saints" for that is more accurately telling what the book is about; sins we seem to accept as ok though in reality they are still sin.  Afterall, I haven't been killing anyone, or stealing, or lying.  I have thought many times (and you maybe have as well even reading my posts) that there is nothing wrong with the way I'm thinking.  Afterall, I have been dealt a challenging hand.  But that is not entirely true.  What I am tempted to call "caring about Gabe" the Bible calls "worry."  What I call "being upset" the Bible calls "anger."  What I call "venting frustrations" the Bible calls "grumbling." 

I want to root out these sins not because doing so will make me more righteous.  Impossible.  I cannot do anything to merit His favor or make me righteous.  For I am counted righteous because He took the punishment on my behalf and gave me His righteousness.  I keep singing these lyrics from a song at church:

"Jesus, friend of sinners
A crown of thorns you wore for me
Bruised for my transgressions
Pierced for my iniquities
The wrath of God that I deserved
Was poured out on the innocent
He took my place, my soul to save
Now I am his forever"

No.  I want to root out these sins because I love Him.  I want to root out these sins because I want to do great things for the glory of God.  I want to root out these sins because I want less of me and more of Him.  I want to be like Emily Judson, remember?

"The person who would do great things well must practice daily on little ones; and she who would have the assistance of the Almighty in important acts, must be daily and hourly accustomed to consult His will in the minor affairs of life."  

 

A look at these is coming next:   grumbling, anger, anxiety, fear, love of ease, pride, idolatry.

 
   

Photo Break

Big boys were sleeping this afternoon.  Baby?  Not so much.  So we took some pictures!  Enjoy! 

Push-up!

Getting ready to roll...

...and I made it!

All tuckered out!  (One of my faves, just wish it wasn't blurry! I think he looks like my baby pictures in this one.) 

What God Has Been Teaching Me, Part 3

So He whispered to me, "Concentrate on how you can serve me." 

It was immediately as if a burden was lifted, a huge weight removed.  I had been trying for so many days to figure out how to adjust things "just so" to make it work for me to serve in all the ways I wanted to.  I was constantly thinking about what I could change here to make a difference there.  "If I put him to sleep earlier, maybe he'll sleep longer.  If I burp him longer, maybe he'll sleep better.  If I turn on a fan...if I lay him on his belly...if I put him in his car seat...if we adjust his medicine....if I...." You get the picture

I had been desperately trying to figure out what I could do.  But everything I tried didn't work.  And if it did work, it didn't last.  And then I'd get my undies in a bunch, in a tizz, frazzled then the sin that was residing in my heart would make a visible appearance in many ugly forms:  complaining, grumbling, anger, anxiety, fear, pride, idolatry.  Yuck!  In that moment when God kindly and mercifully pulled my gaze off of my circumstances to Him, the light shone on all those dark things that had played starring roles in days prior.  But it wasn't overwhelming--His yoke is easy and burden light, remember? 

He was only calling me to ONE THING right now.  And that was to honor Him in the moment.  And I knew immediately what that looked like:  John 3:30--"He must become greater; I must become less." 

Stay tuned....

What God Has Been Teaching Me, Part 2

As I paced back and forth in tears from being overwhelmed, I had all kinds of thoughts running through my head.

"How am I supposed to serve my whole family when I have to rock the baby?  I can't make supper if I'm always rocking him.  I can't not rock him back to sleep because he can't cry for longer than 5 minutes and he never falls asleep that fast.  I want to fulfill the roles you've called me to, God, and I want to do them well.  But I don't know how I'm supposed to be able to serve everyone all at the same time under these circumstances."

"How is he ever going to learn to fall asleep and stay asleep on his own unless I get him on a schedule?  I can't get him on a schedule because I can't always put him to sleep at exactly the right moment.  I don't know if you've noticed, God, but sometimes when it's time for Gabe to sleep the other boys need my attention at that moment too. I think putting him on a schedule would help.  But I can't get him on a schedule.  How can I get him on a schedule?"

"How am I supposed to get Gabe to sleep when I have to keep going upstairs and training Caleb since he's not obeying in his bed?  I can't do those things at the same time?  I don't know who I'm supposed to prioritize here.  I want to be faithful to the things you've called me to God but I don't know which one takes precedence everyday."

"I don't know how to even serve my baby let alone my whole family in these moments.  I want to honor You, God, but I don't have a clue how to make this work."

I kept pacing, trying to figure out how I was to honor God in all these areas and specific situations but it was then when my myriad of questions was halted by a kind and gracious Father who gently whispered this:

"Angie, in these moments, in this season, I want you to stop spending all your time trying to discover how you can serve your family and Gabe well.  In the very middle of these trying moments I want you to concentrate on how you can serve ME!"   

What God Has Been Teaching Me, part 1

I was downstairs in the dark rocking the baby.  And by rocking I don't mean sitting in a chair rocking back and forth.  What I really mean is pacing.  I was pacing the baby.  He doesn't like it when I sit down.  Bummer.  So I was rocking him again.  It was the 3rd or 4th time he'd woken up from his afternoon nap that day.  It was the 3rd or 4th time I'd rocked, errr...paced him, that nap.  It was just a repeat of the events of the morning but there was something different this time.

My attitude.  I should clarify.  My attitude, aka my heart, hadn't really changed.  It was just being exposed this time.  And it was ugly. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Let me go back even farther.  As new parents of Caleb, we became very schedule oriented.  We fed on a schedule, slept on a schedule, played on a schedule.  He followed our lead nicely.  We patted ourselves on the back proudly, though it was very clearly God who allowed such efforts to work.  When we added Elliott to the mix, scheduling remained helpful and beneficial but he wasn't doing it by the book like Caleb did.   It was then that I received some of the wisest parenting counsel I had ever been given.  My friend Jill told me, "Angie, when you are making decisions regarding how to care for the new baby, remember that you need to decide based on what will serve the entire family, not just the baby."  Her advice and care was foundational for me and helped us to think more clearly as we made various parenting decisions.  This meant feeding little, underweight Elliott in the middle of the night until he was 11 months instead of letting him cry for hours so that we could all be more rested.  This meant letting Elliott fuss during the day so I could train Caleb.  It really helped us to think that way.  

Fast forward a bit and add another baby boy to the family.  What a blessing Gabe has been to our family.  He is sweet.  He is a flirt.  He is content.  He is long and fat.  He is sensitive.  He has a crazy swirl in his hair that results in one tuft sticking up all the time.  He has some crazy gas issues that make him endlessly burpy.  He has Long QT.  God has used this precious little boy to change me.  I cannot believe the good works He has accomplished in my heart through the events of this little (big!) guy's birth.  But he is not through.  He is still working.  I have a looooonnnggggggg way to go.  

This little mini series is just going to be about some of the things he's teaching me through being a mother to three precious boys, one of whom has a heart condition.  

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

So back downstairs I was pacing with Gabe.  I was frustrated that he couldn't stay asleep.  I was sad that I was frustrated.  I was annoyed that I couldn't get anything else done.  I was discontent with the lot God had given me for that day.  I was angry that I couldn't let Gabe just cry it out (per doctors orders!).  I felt a lot of things all at once, not many of which honored the Lord.  But He was kind.  He gently started to speak to me and helped me listen.  This quote sums up what God has been teaching me:

"The person who would do great things well must practice daily on little ones; and she who would have the assistance of the Almighty in important acts, must be daily and hourly accustomed to consult His will in the minor affairs of life."  -Emily Judson (wife of America's first foreign missionary, Adoniram Judson)

stay tuned....

Oh Poor Neglected Blog...

Oh poor neglected blog....

...I haven't forgotten about you.  I write on you in my head all the time.  Trouble is I usually can't type them because I'm rocking a baby to sleep, or bandaging a skinned knee, or folding another load of laundry even though last week's laundry is still in baskets, or reading Skippy Jon Jones for the 3285th time, or building forts with couch pillows, or feeding a baby, or working on a house project, or trying to get a few uninterrupted moments of sleep.  I love doing those things.  Don't get me wrong,  poor neglected blog, I much prefer them to you.  Sometimes I think I'd rather blog than do those things.  But that's not really true. Anyway, poor neglected blog, I'm going to try to write on you.  Mostly because I'd like to record the events of life somewhere.

I want to tell you about Gabe being born, Gabe being in the NICU, what God has been teaching me, parenting, our new house, just to name a few.

All in due time, poor neglected time.

A Family of Five

3 little boys leave me no time to post but I had to share these amazing photos that our friend, Brandon, took of our family (mostly Gabe!) a couple of weeks ago.  He did an awesome job!  Check them out here.

Which one is your favorite?

P.S.  For those of you who check back regularly, I promise I will post soon about Gabe's birth, our time in the NICU and how Gabe is doing now!  We are so grateful for your prayers and God's sustaining grace.  We are beyond blessed.  

Let it be noted that on this day in history....

....Caleb ate half a pear, a pretzel rod, an entire 6 oz. yogurt, a half a box of macaroni and cheese, a whole apple and 4 graham cookies before asking to be excused from the lunch table.

What will I feed the kid when he is a teenager?

We're In Like Flynn!

Guess what, we live in our new home! Remember how we thought we were going to get to move in October? Yeah, not so much! God was so faithful to provide during our time of transition, long as it was, and continues to bless us as we dwell in our first home. We've been here just shy of a week now and feel so blessed at what God has provided.

I bet you're dying to see some pictures. Seeing as how we completely overhauled the basement I would be remiss if I failed to tell you how excited I am to show you how great it looks after the hard work of many, especially my dad and Ben! But you'll have to wait:) After I upload pictures after I find my camera cord after I take pictures after I hang things on the wall after I decide what and where to hang things after I have enough energy to do so, THEN I will show you. Don't hold your breath. 6 weeks till baby is due and I am T-I-R-E-D!

Until then, sit back and enjoy this conversation that Ben and I overheard Caleb having with his Larry Boy toy in the van this morning. He was the voice of both and had no idea we were listening.

C: Hi, who are you?
LB: I'm Larry Boy to the rescue. I am a superhero.
C: Oh, but Jesus is a real superhero.
LB: Oh. Who is Jesus?
C: Well, Jesus is the Son of God. He died on the cross to take away my sins. Now he is in Heaven with God.
LB: Oh, what god?
C: You know, THE God who wrote the BIBLE!
LB: Oh, ok.

It's Been a Long Time...

...and I'm still not going to take the time this moment to update you. Please forgive me! Someday I'll post pictures of birthday parties, and Christmas celebrations, and our new house, and where we've been in between, and how baby #3 will come in approximately 8 weeks, but for today you're going to get a cute Caleb moment. And I must say, my children do and say some hilarious things!

This morning I was sorting MOUNTAINS of laundry piled high in our room. I had my baskets all set out and Caleb informed me that he would like to help. He's never really done laundry sorting before so in an attempt to simplify things I asked him to find all of the red things and put them in a certain basket. He did that purposefully for a while, jabbering about super heros to me the whole time, and then asked me where to put a pair of jeans that were, quite obviously, not red. I explained that I was sorting things into 3 categories: bright colors, dark colors and whites. He informed me that he would put the jeans in the dark colors but that the pink shirt he was also holding should go with the bright colors because pink is like red. The whole time we were sorting I was marveling at how helpful he was being, not to mention faithful. He has a hard time completing tasks and THIS, my friends, was no small task. I'm not exaggerating when I say we were sorting for 10 minutes. As I was encouraging him for being faithful to help complete the task we started and how that was God's grace in Him he said, "Yeah, mom, and someday when I grow up I'll have to do laundry all by myself and I'll have to sort it...... Or mom, maybe God will give me a wife and she will serve me by doing my laundry."

God, would you please be so kind to bless Caleb with a Godly wife who will indeed delight in serving You by doing His laundry. Until then, God, would you help me raise this boy to seek not to be served, but to serve!