New Pictures :)

If I had a hammer...

I'd bonk brudder's head with it! This is what I found the other day when I had turned my back for just a minute...big sister had bonked baby brudder with a toy hammer that she has. Geepers! Where do kids get these ideas thinking that bonking other people is okay? She's two - I just have to remember that she's two and she's learning what is right and what is wrong. And that it is good and okay for me to remind her of what is right and what is wrong! I have always said that I wanted to be the parent who keeps her kids in line...but it is REEEEEEEEEEEALLLYYYYYY hard some times! I'm learning the delicate balance in this area. I want her to still enjoy being a child and I NEVER want to crush her spirit.

Well, I must go now...kids to tend to!

Johnny's funeral

It was really special to sing for Johnny's funeral last Friday. I'm so thankful that I could be a part of what was really one of the most beautiful funeral services I've ever seen. Johnny's mommy & daddy really poured their hearts into his service, and it was incredibly honoring to him. Thank you to everyone who was praying for the family and for me. I barely made it through without crying while I sang. But God allowed me to cry in between all the music, and to then get back up and sing and have enough strength to make it through. One of the neatest elements of the service was that there were over one hundred candles up on the stage, representing each day of little Johnny's life. The candles were on a table, in different votive holders, and they were interspersed with flowers and greens...it was breathtaking. It was also really precious to hear Johnny's daddy speak. He really poured out his heart and it helped me to feel like I knew little Johnny even more. And one of the most heart wrenching and beautiful things that happened at the end of the service was that Johnny's mommy and daddy went out and brought his big sister (who is two) back into the sanctuary, and she placed a lovely white rose on top of Johnny's little casket...and then the rose was covered partially with a sweet blue baby blanket. It was so symbolic. Big sister saying goodbye to her baby brother and covering him with a blankie. I lost it then, and I'm crying again as I type this. Having children with similar ages and genders as these two little ones, I am feeling that much more with Johnny's mommy and daddy.

Oh Lord, please continue to comfort Johnny's mommy, daddy & big sister. Give them your strength and your peace and surround them with your amazing presence.

Singing...

I'm singing this Friday for a funeral at our church. It is the funeral of this sweet little four month old boy, Johnny. I know it will probably be some of the most difficult singing I've ever had to do, but I also know that God will get me through it. I will be singing some lullabies that Johnny's mommy sang to him, and also helping to lead congregational singing. If you read this and you think of it, please pray for this family...and please pray that I can make it through without crying during the funeral, or at least while I'm singing. Thank you so much!

2 months old

I can hardly believe that our Anders is already two months old. He had his two month appointment today, and already weighs in at 12.8 pounds. This seems so remarkable to me because our little Kristiana was such a tiny squirt and didn't weigh that much for probably another month or two. We're thankful for the health that Anders has experienced after his rough start with a hospital stay, and we thank God and attribute it solely to Him. Praise be to our God who heals. I'll try to put up a picture soon...

Baby Johnny...

Dear Friends,

Please be in prayer for a family from our church who has just lost their four month old baby boy, Johnny. My heart aches for this dear family.

http://dandlkids.blogspot.com/

Thanks for your prayers...

New Challenges

Wow, it has been two weeks since I last posted. Needless to say, life with these two kiddos is definitely keeping us busy here! And it is a good kind of busy. We're slowly learning how to juggle things and trying to keep our patience all at the same time. That has certainly been one of my challenges this past week - having patience. Erik was out of town for work this week and I faced for the first time nights without my helper man! For all of you single parents or parents whose spouses are gone a lot, I am so amazed at what you do on a day to day basis. Kudos, and may God give you strength.

Out of the blue, our sweet Kristi girl started to stutter this week. And it is getting more frustrating for her every day. Now she knows that something is wrong and it is hitting her hard. Tonight, we were driving in the car and she was trying to tell me something as I was sitting near her in the backseat. She kept saying, "I I I I I I..." and then said, "Mommy, can you talk to me?" I think she was trying to say, "Mommy, can you speak for me?" It absolutely broke my heart and I started crying. Her big, beautiful, steely-blue eyes were pleading with me to understand what was going on in her world. I did a bit of reading this week, and also have heard from a few other people, but have learned that stuttering is very common for small children. There is so much information in their minds and they cannot process all of it quick enough for their tongues to speak. Our Kristi has such a strong linguistic ability, that I think she is just having a hard time keeping up with that. And it makes sense that it is hitting right now because she is dealing with the transition of being a big sister, and also was having a difficult time with Daddy being gone this week and Mommy not having enough time to devote to her like I used to be able to do.

We're praying that God will help Kristi through this time. Maybe this is her thorn in the flesh...and hopefully, it will go away and just be a phase.