Faces only a mother could love...

Sadness, spanish and a great spouse

My little sister got married yesterday. She was a beautiful, stunning bride! Her face was radiant, the groom was handsome, with a beautiful, classy service. And that's what I saw on the pictures :) Due to the immigration progress, we are currently unable to cross the border. After months of hoping and praying, contacting congressmen, and even running to the mailbox to see if the paperwork came (7pm wedding, mail comes by 1pm, 5 hour drive), we were unable to attend. My heart was a little broken. While the temptation to wallow in self-pity was HUGE, and constantly presenting itself as an option, we decided to continue as normal. All day, the question weighed on me -do I wallow or rejoice? How can I rejoice in all things and see the eternal perspective when I don't feel like it? What do I believe about God and his goodness? What do I know to be true, and where is Satan attacking my joy? My belief that God is sovereign. My belief that God is good. That He ordains all things, even that we weren't able to go. That He brought Erika and Guido together, and their marriage is based on HIM, not us :) That my circumstances do not dictate my joy or contentment. That Paul was a great man. That obedience sometimes costs. That God always intends everything for our good. That His plan is greater than my desires, and he's will replace my sorrow with something FAR greater. It was a great day, as far as spiritual battles go :)
So, we tried to continue with plans. We had a great spanish lesson -filled with lots of laughs, and then, to continue the celebration, we went out for dinner, and toasted Guido and Erika. We came home and looked at our wedding pics, and then played Settlers. My husband is phenomenal, making me laugh on a day when all I wanted to do was cry. On top of it, I heard from immigration, saying I needed another vaccine (one that I'm opposed to), that is going to cost a lot of money, and that if I was 3 months older, or had filed one week earlier, I'd be exempt from. Timing is everything, and mine sucks :) So, I thought I'd compile a list of things that I'm thankful for.
*a spouse that makes me laugh
*a relationship that grows deeper and better
*being in Grand Rapids
*a ministry that has blessed us richly, and is a good fit
*neighbours who have become our 'other family'
*a family that is God fearing and supportive of our work
*a wonderful church family
*two healthy, giggling daughters
*God's faithfulness in the past, promises for the future
*a great immigration lawyer
*an immigration doctor that is a believer, and is taking extra time to contact people regarding our case, volunteering his services, and sacrificially serves a community that is disadvantaged in grand rapids
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

books...

The girls LOVE books

Wordless wednesday and bathtime whistling

Meals and seconds

It's official! The girls are up to the 20th percentile (well, Emma is...they stretched it a bit for sammi :) As you can see... they definately enjoy their meals.

Sammi gets her seconds Emma just licks it off

out of the bib

and when Emma's done her tray...

(Jack enjoys this time of day)

peekaboo!

A year...

It was a year ago at this time that I met Samantha Joy and Emma Grace for the first time. Suddenly, they were no longer 'Uz' and 'Buzz'. I must admit... in many ways, I am enjoying this birthday more than the first :) Cake-eating pictures to follow...

Of teething and temperatures...

Oh, the blessing of Motrin!! As I write, I'm hearing baby squeals... meaning they are feeling better! Sammi's playing the piano, and Emma is laughing at her. Earlier this week, we weren't laughing. Em had a fever of 105.2!!!! Okay, hitting the panic button! I got home from a meeting and Fran asked me to check her (she had a fever the previous night, but was afebrile throughout the day). 105.2!!! Gulp... act calm, don't run to the hospital screaming "my precious baby!" (although every instinct is telling you to do that). Instead, call pediatrician, ask Her when do "we" panic. Act calm and rational Okay, ride it out if you can get it below 103, baths and tylenol. Let's just say it was a long night, BUT lo and behold, both she AND Sammi broke teeth the next day! Sammi handled it remarkably better :) Emma's in a little bit more agony, and would start screaming anytime Sammi came near her. And yes, Sammi seemed to be exploiting that fact, giggling the whole time! Fortunately that only lasted a couple of days. We even got to enjoy some great weather... going for long walk. It was such a gorgeous day, I walked and walked, singing/talking to the girls the whole time until I looked down and noticed this...

So, they slept for another 20 minutes while I collected the eggs... yes, our chickens are laying!! It's almost magical! When I was growing up, we got eggs from Fortinos. I mean, I knew they were from chickens, but it was a step removed. Now, I check the chicken coop everymorning, and return to the house with several still-warm eggs. Kinda gross, but kinda cool! It did take me a bit to try them (not wanting the magic to end by finding out they are disgusting) but they were really good! Well, I've got a spanish test in an hour, so I'd better go study..
ciao!

music...

I bought the girls this toddler piano... a set of 4 keys that they can stand up at, complete with bright primary colours, and cool tones. They loved this, for a few days. They would stand at it, and one would hit the keys, while the other one would laugh and bounce up and down, 'dancing'. It lasted, until they discovered... the real thing...

they awoke and began to eat...

The girls are eating! Massive amounts! Two weeks ago, they slept for 3 days (almost) straight - no fever, they were bright and alert when they were awake, but slept for 20-22 hrs/day. On day 4, they woke up, went right back to regular schedule, and wanted to eat and eat and eat! The doc thinks they just had a massive growth spurt, and are trying to make up for lost time. Whatever it is, I'm thankful :) No more fighting to get ounces into them. Check out the cheeks! They are definately starting to fill out! Which is great, cause it's getting cold, and I've only got 12 month cold-weather clothes!

Trust and the big picture

So, we just got back from the doctor's office. Where the girls had their 9 month (er, 10 1/2 month) appointment. There we found out that Em's weighing in at 16 lbs, 10 oz, and Sammi is 17 lb, 5 oz, putting them in at 5th and 7th percentile for their ages. They're healthy but small. Unfortunately, I just heard the 'small' part of things. So, we're back to the high-cal formula, and adding sour cream to their veggies, and sugar to their applesauce. I was so disappointed. After working so hard to beef them up, and getting them up to the 25th percentile at their last appointment, it felt like we were taking a huge step backward. I felt like a failure. While trying to shake the disappointment, I suddenly felt like kicking myself. Why was I disheartened? I have been blessed with 2 healthy babies, two girls who love to giggle, roll and climb on the dog. And more importantly, what does my disappointment say about what I believe about God? Do I believe that God is their father, and He will guide and determine their steps? Do I trust that even if they are tiny, or sick, or have a learning disability, that they are firmly in His hand, and His plan is perfect for them. Am I taking on things that don't belong to me? Yes, I am their mother, and I'll do my best to chubb them up, but ultimately, they are not mine. They have been entrusted to me, and I must work at that to the best of my ability, with God's grace and help, but He loves them far more than I do. And, if He calls them home before I'm ready to let go of them, I have to be okay with that too.
Here's my text of the day :
Acts 17:24-27
"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us."

So, my prayer for my girls is not that they gain weight (although that too :) but that they grow to fear the Lord, and that God is glorified in their lives, even at a very early age. And that I trust that. Much prayer!!

Cousins

Kaylin is a lot more sure of the cheerios than she is of her cousin :) She liked feeding Em them, and shared very nicely!

things that stink in the night...

Yup, Jack caught a possum... thus he received 6 baths... 2 tomato, 2 baking soda, 1 dog shampoo and 1 dish detergent. When he started loosing chunks of hair in the bathtub, I decided to stop. Unfortunately, I can't do the same for the house. Thus, scented candles, 24/7...
any other ideas?

Family

We enjoyed some time with WONDERFUL guests last weekend! Thanks, Mom and Erika, for coming to visit!

Expressions!!

Crazy kids!! At least they enjoy it!! Can you ever have too many
bath pictures?


Notice the mouths are normally open... Francis' genes?! :)


Mom... are you watching this?!? Why does Emma normally
look innocent when she's the instigator?

Quick vacation pics..

I'll add more in a bit, but here are some of my current favorites!

Not another picture!! hear the giggles!


A picture that Fran took off the dock... a great vacation!


Fun on a bench... loving the baby toes!!

One day I'll laugh...

Picture this... we've decided to head to Port Huron to renew our visa's. We found out that the green cards wouldn't arrive in time, so we'd best get this done. No problem, we've got tons of time, it's our Monday off, the sun is shining.
So, we drive 3 1/2 hours to the border, crossing 2 construction zones. Then wait 1 hour to get into Canada. Suddenly, the shining sun has become a blazing inferno of heat, attempting to fry us and the car while we wait on the bridge. So, we're sitting on the bridge, with two crying babies, and one overheating car. Fortunately, it was downhill from there (literally :) We shut the car off, and rolled through the border. Turn around, wait 45 minutes and come back through the American side. We were so excited to get into that customs office - air conditioning!!! By now, the need to use the facilities was great (as well as change a diaper), but the restrooms are locked, and we weren't allowed to get the key until we were at the front of the line. 1 hour later.. we're at the front, 40 minutes later, we're done with the office... without visa's. Afew weeks ago, they changed the system, and have centralized all visa renewals in California. :) So, we got home, and thus ends our beautiful day.
Some highlights: our girls charming the gun-carrying, uniform wearing border guards :) Yes, Emma learned to wave at them, and Sammi's mega-watt smile... so, maybe we'll get through quicker next time?!? The girls did great, and the office was a good chance for them to get some energy out, and the car made it home. The girls are healthy, we have a home, and God is sovereign, over immigration and our lives. Much to be thankful for!

Little Americans

This 4th of July was the FIRST all-American holiday for our girls! It was a day of firsts:

first freezies
first parade
first outdoor swing
first carnival
first fireworks (slept through)
Overall, it was a great day!
(just had to include a bath picture - Sammi taught Em how to splash)

Something tells me we're in trouble...

A little too characterful??? :) Can't wait!