Happy 3-month birthday to my sweet little boy! Your mommy is not one to instantly fall in love with anything (with the exception of your daddy who I liked the day I met). I have preferences, but it usually takes me a while to really like things/ideas/people/etc. I loved you when you were born because you were our son – our baby . . . but as time has gone by I’ve grown to just adore you, my little man. Your grins and coos are so precious – you are precious to me. A wonderful gift from God – we thank Him for you. Happy 3-month birthday Isaiah Emil!

Since Becca has been on an antibiotic that requires her to stay out of the sun, we’ve been enjoying many different indoor activities. Sunday Becca asked if we could make the Cat in the Hat’s cleaning machine. She was very disappointed when Josh said he couldn’t make a real one. Monday we came up with an alternative! Becca is enjoying putting on her costume and sneaking up to attack me.

Adam and his mommy came over for lunch last Friday. Both Isaiah and Adam are growing fast.

Isaiah is growing fast and “talking” more and more each week. He’s a very happy baby and loves to interact with people. I could just sit and talk with him for hours. I’m trying to get Becca to interact with Isaiah more, but she’s not interested. She will help with him, but she rarely interacts with him. She was willing to give him a bottle the other day . . . for 30 seconds. Wednesday I tried to get her to read a book next to Isaiah, just so he could see her while she read . . . no way. Then I tried to get her to play with her toys next to Isaiah . . . she just so happened to be done playing the instant I made the suggestion! We’ll keep working on it.

Funny Quotes from Becca:

Mommy: “Did you wash your hands?” Becca: “No – but I washed my feet!” When we asked Becca to show us what she did, she happily ran into the bathroom, climbed up on the sink, and put both feet in to wash them.

When telling us the story about Jesus calming the storm: “Then it stopped right away so Jesus didn’t have to discipline it.”

Josh and I love surprising each other . . . we enjoy it so much that we usually end up giving our surprise away with our many “clues.” Last week I was able to totally surprise Josh with an evening date to You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. I’d been working on lining up everything since the beginning of August – tickets, babysitter, rearranging piano lessons, and telling Josh about the “surprise” I had for him that week. Six hours before our date, my friend who was going to watch the kids had to cancel due to an emergency, which sent me frantically searching for someone to watch our kids. Fortunately, Stephen and Kristen saved the evening and drove 45 minutes from their home to watch Becca and Isaiah. I’m very grateful for their willingness to help us out.

Josh was completely surprised to find out that the heavy wrapped box contained one of his books (for weight), a second wrapped package, and inside that, an envelope. The collage on the left captures his reaction as he realizes that the papers are tickets and that we’re going on a date “tonight!” Ah – sweet success and a lovely evening out with my man! (Yes – from the collage on the right you might notice that I cried . . . guess I was so pleased my success.)

A few other pictures: Our first watermelon from our garden! Both kids in the car after a pool party at the Woods’ house. Lunch with Miss Jean. Breakfast trials – Becca is having to learn that food is not finger paint – it’s a slow learning process! The last shows how much our kids enjoy photo shoots!

Our little man is doing great. This week he has started to laugh – it’s so cute. I love baby laughter! In other news, I had to take Becca to the doctor on Monday for a suspected UTI. The lab report came back on Wednesday confirming our suspicions, and Becca is now on antibiotics. Becca especially enjoyed her visit, since she really likes the Berenstain Bears story about going to the doctor. She did get a little scared when Dr. Raine put on his latex gloves, but that’s because we’ve also read a book about a vet putting on gloves and pulling out several animals from a puppy’s throat! Becca is doing great and you can’t even tell she has a UTI. For the record, Becca now weights 27.2lbs. and is 34.5in.

Sunday we had lunch with Lee Roy & Lou Olson. It was a delight to be able to spend some time with them in our home.

On July16th the EMU board voted to accept our family as missionary candidates to Cambodia. Lord willing, Josh will finish his Ph.D in the spring 2013 semester. After that we will move back to Greenville, SC, and begin deputation. We’re thanking the Lord for already providing three supporting families. We look forward to how He will provide all the support we need to serve Him in Cambodia.

For those who are interested in our future ministry, here’s some answers to the questions we were asked by the EMU board:

•  Type of service: translation of Bible; translation and/or development of Bible study materials; Bible school training
• Is there a clear need for this kind of service in that country? yes; at least two groups in Ratanakiri have a need for Bible translation (Jarai, Kachok); multiple groups participate in Bible school training, and there seems to be the need of more teachers who can work with individual language groups.
• What are your Goals for your ministry? If translation, then eventually the translation of the entire Bible into the target language, starting with the NT. In Bible school training, the goals would be set by other missionaries on the field and by the church leaders themselves – but in general, demonstrable progress in knowledge of the Bible and ability to apply Scripture in their own cultural context and teach the Scripture to their people.
• What are your plans to accomplish those goals? First, intensive language training in Khmer and then the target minority language. Then grammatical analysis of the target language. Building up a team of people in the target language to serve as a committee or committees in the translation process. Gathering of native literary forms for language development (literacy) purposes, as well as gaining a better understanding of how literature in the language is structured. Translation by committee, with active input/checking by specialists (me and others). Outside consultation to check translation. Periodic small-scale printing of completed Bible portions.
• What will you do when those goals are accomplished? Continue teaching; look to assist with other translation projects; work on the development of other native-tongue resources to help church leaders; (eventually) retire!
• Do you have a timetable in mind for accomplishing these goals? Language study will undoubtedly take up the first term and be a significant part of the second term (though we hope that in the second term we can be more active in ministry). Once started, a good translation can take anywhere from 10 to 30 years, depending on involvement of the community and many other factors. Perhaps 7 years for the New Testament.

Happy 10-week birthday, Little Brother! We love your sweet smiles and enthusiastic coos. Isaiah has rolled over several times in the past couple weeks. Usually he rolls over right after I set him up on his tummy with his arms under him (like the set up in the picture below). In the meantime, Becca continues to enjoy using chap stick. She’s a little too enthusiastic about putting on the red chap stick, but I’m glad it’s finally used up.

We’ve had a week filled with piano, pals, projects (some with paint), and pirates (yes, pirates!). On Thursday one of my piano and voice students came over for her lessons. Cayti has Down’s Syndrome and had the opportunity to go to a special bike riding class last week, but it was during her regularly scheduled lesson at Main Street School of Music. The bike class was on UTA campus (right across the street from us) so I worked it out with Cayti’s mom for her to come to our apartment for her lessons before bike class. Cayti’s mom watched Becca during the lesson and brought us dinner. It worked out great for all.

Friday  Micah, Anna, and Adam Martin came over for dinner. Adam was born exactly 3 weeks after Isaiah. It was neat to see the two boys together. I told Isaiah it was his first time to have a friend over.

Saturday Josh took Becca to Home Depot for a free kids workshop, something Home Depot sponsors on the 1st Saturday of every month. This month’s project was a cork board that Josh helped Becca put together and then Becca painted it. They both had a good time. While they were gone, I worked on reorganizing a closet. In keeping with the paint theme, Becca and I had done some finger painting earlier in the week . . . then we turned the extra paint into body paint.

Sunday afternoon Becca went to Ahana’s 5th birthday party at Pump it Up, a bounce house place; the part’s theme was pirates and princesses. We all got to play in the bounce houses (except Isaiah who wasn’t too impressed with the party.)

Monday John and Shawn Lutz came over for dinner. We enjoyed our evening with them. Becca kept both Shawn and John busy playing in her room and reading to her.

Tuesday morning the Hsu family (piano students) came over to meet Isaiah. They brought two containers of ice cream and ice cream cones for a snack. Becca enjoyed playing with the boys in her room while Missy and I visited together.

Wednesday was just a normal day with library in the morning and piano lessons in the evening.

Five years ago today we advanced from being a dating couple to an engaged couple! Thanks SO much for asking me to marry you, my sweet husband. I’m so glad that you chose me!

Sunday was our church’s last service. The church started about 5 years ago, and it gathered a great (if small) core group of dedicated believers. However, our church leaders decided last month that it would be best for us all to join with and serve in other local churches. We will miss seeing our friends each week; unfortunately, it’s not simple to visit with the friends we’ve grown close to at church, since most live about 45 minutes away from us.  This Sunday we begin our search for a new church family. We appreciate your prayers as we search. (The pictures are from our last service.)

For pictures of Becca and Isaiah see yesterday’s blog.

Happy 2-Month Birthday to Isaiah! Hard to believe our little man is already two months and growing fast. He now weighs 13lbs and is about 25.5 inches. He’s about the same size as Becca was at 7 months. We’re enjoying Isaiah’s smiles and his cooing. It’s so much fun to “talk” with him. Becca has learned how to make Isaiah “talk” like a little puppet. She puts her finger on his chin to open and close his mouth and uses a high voice to help him speak. (This is a talent I learned from my dad and have now passed it on to my daughter.)

For comparison, the picture below shows Becca at 7 months – 13lbs.

We’re had a full week. We enjoyed a meal with Stephen and Kirsten Ryland Monday night. Becca loved looking at and hearing their Berenstain Bear books. Tuesday night we had Steve Johnson over for dinner (the rest of his family is away). Wednesday the kids and I went to our Chick-Fil-A for their monthly free breakfast and then headed to the library for Mr. Bob’s storytime. Ah – a full week so far!

Isaiah continues to grow! He’s starting to “talk” a little bit. He continues to be a good napper and usually sleeps over an hour between each feeding. His last feeding is usually around 9:30 and then he typically eats again around 3AM. Thursday we tried giving him a bottle – wow, he gulped it down like he’d never been fed before! Guess I don’t have to worry about that. I’ve been more tired lately (maybe it has something to do with turning 30) and am enjoying a nice nap each afternoon when both kids are down.

Now for Becca news: Becca is waking up from naps without crying. We’ve come up with a good system for nap time (at least for now). I sit in her room until she falls to sleep. Then when she wakes up and “Mommy is not in the pink chair” she can come out, as long as she’s happy. Lately, she’s been coming out and waking me up from my nap! Becca has napped almost 3 weeks wearing underwear with only one accident the first week. We’re now working toward trying underwear for nighttime. Yesterday afternoon Becca asked for some “M-N-O-P’s” as a treat for having dry underwear..translation “M&M’s!”

Last Friday (July 20th) I entered a new decade. I’ve been thinking about all that’s taken place in my 20’s. I’ll name a few. I’ve lived in three different states (PA, SC, & TX). I’ve owned three different used cars (Acura, Grand Prix, & Camry). I’ve been a part of three different churches (COD, CPBC, & NLBC). I’ve earned three degrees (Bachelors in Music Education, Masters in Bible, & Doctorate in Education). I taught in the Dallas public school system. I’ve spent most of the decade (20-28) being a student. I spent the last 4 years being a wife, and the last 2.5 as a mommy.

Some would credit my doctorate as my greatest accomplishment this decade. But for me, my greatest “accomplishment” this past decade is something that was given to me from God. (I’m not saying that earning my degrees was apart from God’s help . . . this is just in a totally different category.) My greatest gain during this past decade is my husband. What a sweet gift from God is my man. My life is radically different because Josh chose me. He has been a wonderful friend, husband, lover, and pointer to Christ. I could not have better.

My second greatest gain this past decade is the sweet (double) gift of Becca and Isaiah. I am truly blessed to be a mommy to these two precious children. God is using them to draw me closer to Himself as I must rely on Him for strength in daily training my children. They bring me so much joy and laughter and are teaching me patience. My life as a stay-at-home wife/mommy is a great gift and I treasure this season of life.

The Lord has truly blessed me the last 10 years. He has carried me through the difficult times and abundantly blessed me with undeserved gifts. I thank Him for His unfailing love and faithfulness to me. I praise Him for always keeping His promises and never giving up on me. I look forward to what He has in store for me this new decade.

Happy 7-week birthday to our precious little man! Bath time has become extra fun as Becca has decided that just helping Isaiah’s bath by standing outside the tub is not good enough. Now I have two little ones in the tub and both seem to enjoy it. Becca’s one request is that I turn Little Brother so he won’t spray her. As for Isaiah, he just enjoys showing off his muscles!

Last Friday was Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A. We enjoyed taking our two little calves to celebrate the event. Becca loved dressing up and was very happy to see the “real” cow instead of the fake one (poster). Isaiah was very content to sit and watch people at Chick-Fil-A.

We enjoyed our free meal with René, Yani, and Amaris. It was our last get-together with them before they moved to Greenville, SC, where René will be teaching math at Hampton Park Christian School. We have truly been blessed by their friendship in Texas these past two years. We’re sad to see them go but are happy they are moving somewhere we’ll eventually end up. I’ve been telling Becca that Amaris would be moving soon. My practical little girl just reminds me that Amaris is going to Greenville and someday we will move there too and she’ll get to see Amaris again. The other day she also told me it was ok, since we had Amaris’ picture!

Happy 6 week birthday to our little boy! A few ways we’re going to celebrate today: 1.) Mommy can drive again; 2.) Mommy can swim again – though I don’t think we’ll make it to the pool today; 3.) Mommy, Becca, & Isaiah will attempt their first shopping trip without Daddy; 4.) We’re all going to dress up like cows for Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A!

“So, tell me about your day?” This is the question Josh and I asked each other every morning during our prayer time. My answer usually runs along these lines: “Take care of and play with the kids, feed Isaiah, make meals, take a nap.” In addition to these things I usually list a few projects I could get done, but I’m reluctant to commit myself to getting anything done besides the essentials.

When Josh comes home and asks about my day I usually draw a blank: what did I do today? It takes me the rest of the evening to remember things. This week, I decided to keep a little outline of the things I did while Josh was away. Enjoy a small peek into our days.

Monday: Breakfast, cut out & bake cookies with Becca, feed Isaiah, give Isaiah a bath – Becca wanted to get in too – frost cookies with Becca, give Becca another bath (frosting in hair), clean kitchen, cut/freeze peaches in smoothie packets, feed Isaiah, lunch, doctor’s visit, put Becca down for a nap, feed Isaiah, schedule Isaiah’s 4 month doctor’s appointment, nap, and supper prep.

Tuesday: Breakfast, feed Isaiah, take some pictures for the blog, finger paint with Becca (foot paint with Isaiah), apple snack and reading on the couch with Becca, make some phone calls, feed Isaiah,  lunch, put Becca down for a nap – then myself – emails, feed Isaiah, reading with Becca, prepare supper . . . Josh home!

Wednesday: Breakfast, feed Isaiah, give Isaiah a bath, vacuum, work on blog, play games with with Becca, apple snack & reading time with Becca, feed Isaiah, prepare supper & let Becca make a little “treat” for Daddy, feed Isaiah, lunch, naps, feed Isaiah, teach piano lessons.

In case you’re concerned that I never change Isaiah’s diaper . . . these are just the highlights of my days. I left out all the little things.

Children are truly a blessing from the Lord. We continually thank God for the two little gifts He’s given us. Isaiah continues to grow and be a sweet baby. Becca is also growing in her interactions with Isaiah. She’s quick to jump in for picture taking if I’m taking pictures of Isaiah.

I’ve learned three things about myself and taking care of the kids: 1.) Each day I must rely on God’s grace to give me patience as I parent a toddler an infant;  2.) I must have a morning snack and afternoon snack or I become rather cranky and impatient; 3.) As much as I like to have everything neat and tidy, dishes and straightening up can wait when both kids are napping and I can catch a nap too.

 A few last pictures from the 4th of July. We went to see fireworks sponsored by the Arlington Highlands (shopping center). Before lunch, Becca and I spend some time preparing for the event by watching fireworks on youtube. The preparation seemed to help, and Becca not only enjoyed the fireworks but was very anxious for them to begin. We found a great spot to watch and enjoyed the apple juice ice pops and popcorn we brought from home. (Isaiah slept through the fireworks but was pretty mad that his feeding was late due to the time it took to get out of the parking lot!)

On Wednesday we enjoyed the Arlington 4th of July parade. The parade route is really close to our apartment, so we didn’t have to travel too far to get there. Becca enjoyed seeing a real parade and kept asking if she could ride on the floats. Isaiah was hungry!

Tuesday night we got together with the Countryman and Rodriguez families. Heather wanted to have us all over before René, Yani, & Amaris move back to SC. Becca loved swimming in the Countrymans’ pool. She amazed us with she fearlessly jumped into the pool and would “swim” underwater.

Last Friday night we had Josh’s cousin, Christina over for dinner. Christina is down here house sitting and studying for the MCAT. We enjoyed our evening with her.

The collage below is of a project Becca enjoys making: “stained glass.” The big pull for her is using glue. It’s the second one she’s made within a week. The hands on the wall are the Bible verses we’re working on memorizing.

Becca quote of the week: “Daddy – can you stop kissing Mommy so she can read me a book?”

Our precious little man is now 4 weeks old! Hard to believe it’s already been that long. This week has been my first week without company or Josh around during the day. Josh is back at school full time doing research, so it is just me and the kids all day. It’s gone really well so far. I just have to make sure I keep low expectations for how much “non-mommy stuff” I’m going to accomplish during the day. I’m also trying to come up with creative projects for Becca to do while I get a few things done. We made a stain glass project while I was working on writing a letter – Becca loved it.

Tuesday, Heather Countryman brought us a meal as well as 5 freezer meals. It was a big blessing. Thursday Lynnelle Brown brought us another delicious meal. Ever since I was little I’ve always looked forward to the time when I would have a baby and people would bring me meals. We missed out with Becca, since she was in the hospital. These dear ladies made a “little girl’s someday” come true. The meals have been a great help as I’ve been juggling Becca and Isaiah.

Becca is now wanting to help with everything. Her desire to help has greatly increased since Little Brother’s birth. I’m continually trying to find ways to incorporate her help into my regular duties. She did a pretty good job cracking eggs yesterday morning (only one egg shell got in the mix). She also really wanted to help give Isaiah a bath. Our first try was yesterday – at one point she almost climbed in the tub with him and the other times I was trying to explain that we couldn’t put water all over his face. She’s a good little helper and a good big sister!