A Bible Story to Remember...

We have two great Bibles that alternate reading to the girls every night: Jesus Storybook Bible and The Big Picture Bible. They are not the type of Bibles that tell every story, but rather they tell the overall story of God loving and pursuing His people from Genesis through Revelation. It's great. The only problem is Hannah and Kate don't know the story of Jonah and the whale. They don't know who Samson is and why he never got a haircut. Until now...

After enrolling in the summer reading program and reading 10 books, each girl was able to select a brand new book. Hannah choose a Fancy Nancy Sticker book and Kate chose My First Bible by ZonderKids. She loves her Bible. She reads it all the time. Here is a story I heard her telling Rachel Lee:



Hello. This is my son David.



This is David putting on his monkey suit.



Oh David, what a lovely monkey suit.



OH NO!! I lost my monkey suit!


I cracked up laughing. The Bible has never been so funny!! We are now reading this book and hopefully it will enrich her understanding of how God has worked on the large scale and the small scale to rescue his people, us, from sin.

Eat, Drink, and Be Married

I know, the actual phrase is eat, drink and be merry, as in happy, but in my opinion it should be eat, drink and be married because all these things, when done the right way, are simply fun. It's fun to eat food, as long as it's not a Thanksgiving feast where you gorge yourself. It's fun to drink, as long as it's not too much and...you get the idea. It's fun to be married, as long as it's to the right person. And Jeff Murry is the right person for me. PRAISE GOD!

When my mom met Jeff almost 16 years ago she said, "He's good for you. I really like him." She's right. Even though she didn't know him and I was only 16 (for the record, none of my girls will be able to speak to boys until 21) she could see that he was a good fit for me.

Here we are, 16 years after we started dating, 10 years after our "I do"...6 moves, 2 of which were cross country, a teaching degree and PhD, three job changes for Sarah, 3 job changes for Jeff, 1 brother-in-law and 3 sister-in-laws, 2 nephews and 4 nieces, saying good-bye to 4 grandparents, meeting and saying good bye to many friends just to meet new ones, and embracing three beautiful, magnificent daughters...and I would do it all over again. I would just worry less about all the transitions. I had so much anxiety before we were married, wondering whether we would really love each other 10, 20, 30 years from now. I was anxious when were we moving whether I would make any new friends. I was concerned when we were having Hannah if we were really ready to care for a baby...then there were all the worried nights before Kate and Rachel Lee.

As I look at the last 10 years I regret all the worry and concern and realize now that it really shows how little I trust God to take care of me each step of the way. God brought Jeff into my life. God took us to Boston and back. God blessed us with three little girls, and it is God who will provide and care for us the next 10, 20, 30 years from now. So, I pray that the next 10 years will be filled with a deep trust in God to sustain us, and to bring us together as a family to serve our neighbors, family and friends.

Jeff Murry, you are a blessing in my life every day. Thank you for you love and caring over the last 10 years. Here's to 10x10 more together! I love you, I love you, I love you!! I love you!

Hands

You've heard the expression "Cold hands, warm heart" we're hoping for "Dirty hands, clean heart."


Psalm 51
Have mercy on my, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from me sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgement. Behold I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the secret hear. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in my a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Can you hear me now?

I often quote the Verizon commercial "Can you hear me now?" to a) see if Kate can hear me, and b) make a joke and remind myself to be gracious with Kate when she can't hear me...it's like when Hannah says, "Mom, where are you?" and I respond "In the west wing, sweetie." Sarcasm run deep in my family, and I need some comic relief during my day, even if the only one that gets my jokes. Jeff did once say that I am my own best audience...hope that was a compliment!

So, on Wednesday night as I gathered books, paper, crayons, drinks, snacks diapers, wipes, sippy cups, spare clothes, burp clothes, and whatever else I might need in the span of 6 hours for 3 kids (I needed to take Rachel Lee since I am nursing her, and no one was available to babysit at 5:15am, so Hannah, Rachel Lee and my mom came with me to the hospital, and my mom was going to take care of the girls in the waiting room while I took care of Kate), I questioned whether the surgery for Kate was really essential, and whether we should just wait. And it ht me as I folded some spare clothes in case she had an accident while recovering from the anesthesia, I want my daughter to hear me, to hear her friends and to hear what is going on around her. I don't want to continue asking facetiously, "Can you hear me now?" I don't want her missing out on social interaction because she can't hear what is being said. And then I prayed. I always pray for my girls, but I prayed fervently, "Lord, my Kate is really your Kate. I cannot control her future, her hearing, the surgery, or any circumstances in her life, but Lord you control it all. So please, as her Father, as my Father, bless tomorrow."

And it was a blessed day.




We checked in at 6am and by 6:30 she was in her hospital jammies. She cried a few times as she got changed and waited with me, telling me that she did not want to go to sleep, and protesting that her ears were fine. Every time a nurse or doctor came around the curtain she pulled herself together and stopped crying. She is a brave little girl. I held her and reassured her, prayed for her and kissed her. The anesthesiologist saw her tears and asked if I would go with her and hold her while she fell asleep. He told me that he would hold the mask and she would probably cry but that crying is actually good because it would help her breath in faster and fall asleep faster, but that if I held her she would be more comfortable than a nurse or doctor hold her. I told him I would go, and by 7:00 I was suited up and ready to go with her. I tried to have her practice breathing deeply like diving under water or blowing out candles on a cake, trying to make things "fun" but she was not easily fooled and told me she did not want to swim and it was not her birthday. Tough crowd. But, when we got to the surgery room at 7:30, I sat in the chair prepared to hold my baby while she cried but instead she took deep breaths and simply fell asleep. I was so proud of her, and the doctor and anesthesiologist were amazed at how well she did. The doctor said she was the best 2 year old patient he's ever had. That's my girl. Then I was escorted out.

I took off the marshmallow suit, and went to the waiting room. I fed Rahcel Lee (who had not had her morning meal but was still happy until she saw me). Rachel Lee fell asleep while eating, and the doctor came out to get me and told me that he was done and Kate was already waking up. Perfect timing, praise God!!

I had heard that many kids cry, have accidents, and are disoriented when coming out of anesthesia, so I was prepared for the worst since my sweet Kate is usually a grumpy waker-uper. Kate surprised me and woke up happy and very talkative telling me how nice everyone was. "What a nice nurse. I love the nurse. What a nice doctor. He's a nice doctor. Mommy, why is he a nice doctor?" (I love how this girl can turn anything into a 'why' question!). Praise God again in giving us such a great wake up! She asked to get dressed, and in 10 minutes we were walking out to the car with stickers as a reward for her good behavior. We were in the car by 8:30am, and home by 9am. The anticipated 6 hours was only 3 hours praise God again! We were even able to go to Hanna's last swim practice at 11am.

And I have already noticed a difference in her hearing. She is able to hear me in the other room and is able to hear me call her when she is outside.

As I sit and think about how smoothly everything went - even with Rachel Lee waiting to eat until Kate was asleep, and then sleeping and staying asleep until we were home - I am overwhelmed with thankfulness that God took such good care of Kate and me. I am also so thankful to have family and friends pray for us, send e-mails, text, and phone calls. I totally felt prayed for, and I felt God caring for us. Praise God!

5 Months (and then some...)

She's sitting!!!

She's also not sleeping, but we won't discuss that right now. Instead, we'll focus on what a joyful, happy baby she is!! She is loving her exersaucer, toys, playing with her sisters, and we recently started letting her sleep in her crib for naps and nighttime sleep unswaddled. She's getting so big (13 pounds and 8 ounces for the record!).





We also started to introduce other foods like pears, avocados, bananas and green beans. Pears and bananas seem to be a hit, avocado and green beans will be an acquired taste for her.

5 months seems to go by so quickly, and yet I. am. tired. Very tired. Lots of sleepless nights are accumulating and I am looking forward to some rest. One day. Hopefully soon.

Father's Day 2011

All I wanted on Mother's Day was to take a nap. All Jeff wanted on Father's Day was to go to the beach. So, we had an Egg-cellent breakfast, went to church and then we headed to the beach, had lunch, played, came home for naps and then had a fun BBQ with some friends. PHEW!















It was a packed day, but a great day celebrating the 'WORLD'S GREATEST DAD!'

Swim Lessons

This year Hannah AND Kate are enrolled in swim lessons. Hannah is a regular fish, jumping in the water, getting her head wet, learning to use big arms to take strokes. Kate is a little more cautious (that's MY girl!). The first day her teacher asked her to put her eyes in the water and she said, "No." Not loudly, not like she was being naughty, she just didn't want to do it. After her first turn she started to get out of the water and the teacher told her she had to stay in for the full minutes and she looked at her teacher and said, "No thank you." At least she used her manners this time. But, she did stay in the water. During her next turn she told her teacher "I don't want to" and "Can I go in the warm water?" referring to the jacuzzi. That really IS my girl!





After the first week in the water, Hannah is laying on her back, taking 3 consecutive strokes, jumping through a hula hoop, and getting rings from the steps. Kate is putting her eyes in the water, blowing bubbles and making progress to jump in the water. Both girls progressing, both girls having fun (I hope).