Photo Journal {March 24th-30th, 2014}

March 24th

I love Mondays. There's such a slipping back into routine. A quiet calm after Sunday.

I didn't used to like Mondays... In fact, this may be the first time in my life where I've loved Monday. Even in Kindergarten, Monday held the impending doom of Phonics. I just couldn't handle phonics... So much early angst.

Well, in the spirit of bonding and enjoying Monday, Grant and I took advantage of Bets' late afternoon nap, and made some art! I whipped up some "paint" from flour, food coloring, corn syrup, and vinegar, and we explored mixing colors and smearing goop.

All the paint started out in neatly segmented cups, but what's the fun of that?!

Concentrating.

Let the mixing begin... By the time we were done, everything was a lovely brown.

My son could make anything an athletic pursuit. He spent most of his time
crouching on the counter or mid-squat.

He enjoyed this so much that he didn't want to stop.
Repeat? I think we will!  

Happy artist!

March 25th

On Tuesday, Scott spent the day at home... He had worked the past several Saturdays, and we needed a daddy/hubby fix.

Having another person home makes the day so much more restful. Bets and I napped (lots!), and we cleaned up our guest room and organized closets. We were expecting a rather long-term guest, but at the last minute plans changed and our house wasn't needed any more. I couldn't decide if I was relieved or disappointed. It was definitely a person who needed a haven, but sometimes creating a haven is very exhausting....

But, regardless, the room is clean, and we love being a haven: so if you need one... :)

March 26th

I cleaned the laundry room on Wednesday! We've been mid-construction since Thanksgiving. There was drywall dust EVERYWHERE. And I was beginning to get the heeby-jeebies every time I walked through that room.

Grant, of course, wanted to help. He became covered in drywall dust, but I'm nothing if not a resourceful mama! (Heehee!) I apologize for my cruel chuckles in the middle of his angst...

March 27th
An errand trip necessitated a trip to Abington. For those of you from the Midwest, Abington is a scant 12 miles away. 12 miles that take 45 minutes to cross. This is very common, apparently in PA. I remember when I thought, "Six miles? That's not so far..."

Now I know better.

In order to make our trip more enjoyable (enjoyable for me, that is, I'm fairly confident both babies would have been happy sleeping in sunny car seats), I decided to stop at a thrift store and do a little light browsing. I had discovered, when I started my new "stay at home career" that I really didn't have a whole lot to wear. After three years in scrubs, my wardrobe of "day-to-day casual" had shrunk. Pregnancy didn't exactly make me want to go shopping. Consequently, I walk around the house most days looking homeless. Let's just say, when my husband started commenting, I knew it was time to do something...

It was fun to dig for treasures. I love finding amazing deals (and yes, I found quite a few!).

But a morning like that means lots of rest and cuddles in the afternoon for my two littles. (And I'm not complaining...)

First tummy time venture that didn't end in dramatic tears.

Baby boy needed lots of cuddles after his nap. I was super-bummed
that I had to sit and cuddle him instead of clean the floors (said no mom ever.)

We found the Grantlet's sunglasses! This was the
way he insisted on wearing them. Now, tell me again that
children don't watch everything you do. :)

March 28th
Friday.

The night that shall live in infamy.

I made black-bean burgers.

Much to my husband's horror.

I'm trying valiantly to re-work our diet while remaining within budget. I love healthy, clean tasting foods. And usually, so does my husband. However, apparently we don't mess with meat-substitutes. That's what I learned tonight. Don't mess with the meat.

As he ate his "burger," I asked him how he liked it.

"It's a little like a hot dog," (He hates hot dogs), "just smother it with ketchup and don't think about what's in it."

Black bean burgers: never attempting again.

March 29th
So, remember that painting project that Grant and I tackled on Monday? I had several goals. Of course painting, bonding, and snapping a million pics is great... But I was also hoping to start an Easter tradition of painting paper eggs and writing verses on the back while teaching my babies about the wonderful story we are celebrating.

This year, our story telling consisted of: "Jesus loves you. He died. Now he lives! Yay!" multiple times while painting. How much did he understand? I have no idea. But I don't want my child to grow up a stranger to heaven's love. Today we finished our craft while Daddy was cleaning at church.

This year's verse: "He is not here. He is risen!" from Luke 24:6

Our pretty eggs! Didn't he do a good job? (Almost) No adult supervision. 

Easter eggs! (And a happy baby!)

We had company for lunch... so of course we had to make
(grain free/dairy free) chocolate-peanut butter cookies. No one
even knew they were "healthy" until after they were devoured.
Yessssss, victory!

March 30th

Wet Sunday! Getting two babies in and out of the car while it's pouring is super fun. But the sermon was wonderful, the fellowship sweet, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Our backyard gets quite soggy when it pours... Hopefully this serves as a "before"
picture after all our summer renovations. 

You Can't Really Enjoy Your Children, Sorry.

You've seen this. I know you have... It's a portion of a rip-your-heart-out-flood-your-eyes-throw-down-your-to-do-list poem. It's specifically designed to make all your Martha-like tendencies curl up in a corner and die while you play blocks and make-believe with your children for the rest of the day.

I know who this poem is written for. It's written for those mothers who want to get things done, who care about checking off to-do list items, who are in perfection type-A overdrive. I know those mamas. Many days, I am one of those mamas.

But more often I run to another ditch. 

At the end of the day, I stand sobbing outside my child's room, scared that I've wasted some small part of that day with them.

I get mini-panic attacks, mid-cuddle session because I'm not sure I'm soaking up the moment enough.

I try to memorize every curl, every hug, every little toothy grin.

Babies grow. Toddlers walk and then run. Kids get taller, smarter... they become adults.

And while every mother needs a reminder to stop, to enjoy, to soak up the moment they're in... I'm here to tell you that you can't possibly do that.

As I stood, again, in a darkened hall outside my little boy's room, tears streaming down my face, I came face to face with the reality that I am finite.

I cannot enjoy everything in its fullest.

I do not have the capacity to memorize and devour a precious moment to its fullest.

My powers of enjoyment, love, and motherhood are limited.

I will never fully enjoy and appreciate my children.

And I'm not meant to.

I live in a world where I am bound by time. God knew this. He created me this way. I am gridlocked by my own humanity.

He wanted me to look to something bigger for my enjoyment.

Someday, I will be in a place where there is no time, where I can enjoy the good gifts God has lavished on me without the constraints of time. I will have an eternity to soak up the goodness, the joyous moments, the perfection. 

I'm not meant to enjoy that as a mom. I can't possibly enjoy my children to the fullest. There's no way.

And that's okay.

Because there are bigger, better enjoyments coming. I'm just praying my life points to them in such a way that my children follow my example and are there to enjoy eternity with me. 

So, feel free to scrub that kitchen floor (perhaps with a puddle-loving child in tow... my siblings and I used to "ice skate" across the kitchn), and don't feel guilty for not "soaking up each moment." Yes, please enjoy the blessings of the now, but don't forget to look forward to the limitless delights of eternity.

After all, the goodness I'm soaking up from these
moments is wonderful, albeit finite. I love my babies.

Photo Journal {March 17th-23rd, 2014}

So...


This week was almost a total bust.

I snapped a couple of iPhone photos and logged some videos for the grandmas, but no actual photography or documentation was completed.

I'm blaming wee Bettina for this.

Side note: per multiple questions, my daughter's "real" name is Elizabeth, but we call her "Bets," or any combination of the following nicknames: Bettina, Bitty Bets, Betsy-boo-boo, Chicka-B, and Chicken Little (the last one because of her dramatic hysterical crying as though the sky is falling, although there is nothing wrong...)

Any way, Chicken Little decided that she would go on a feeding binge during the early part of this week. Feeding binges mean that she eats for an hour, rests for 30 minutes, and then eats for another hour--around the clock. And by "rests" I mean that she may decide to stop eating long enough for me to use the rest room, feed her brother, and change her diaper. Maybe. Since wee Bets is so tiny, we indulge these binges.

It's a good thing I think she's cute...

Then, after a day of playing catch-up with laundry, Scott left for the weekend, and I solo-parented through Friday night and Saturday...

So, I kept the house from burning down, cuddled and fed babies, and managed to get everything prepped for Sunday.

All that to say...

On Sunday, I napped, grocery shopped, and hugged my husband for coming back. And that sums up the week.

So, no pics. No journals.

But rest assured everything at the Allison abode will settle back into normal chaos soon.

I have to go.

Betsy-boo-boo is howling for another snack.

And Tell Me HOW This Makes Me Look Good?

In the middle of the night; another feeding. Tears from a dramatic toddler. Peanut butter in curly hair. Spit-up down another shirt. Reflux screams. Selfish whimpers. Repeated instructions. Constant discipline. The kitchen is a mess. Again.

I live with a whirling tornado and a screaming banshee.

I love them. They're adorable. This job of mommyhood is amazing.

And sometimes completely disgusting, exhausting, and wearing.

There needs to be a word for "something I would never trade, that I prize greatly, and that exhausts me mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally."

Oh, wait... that word is "mommyhood."

As I waded into this adjustment period, I knew that fatigue, the possibility of physical illness, and spiritual dryness would attack me at every corner. I filled up my nights with prayer, my note cards with verses, and my Spotify with encouragement. And I got ready for the onslaught.

But a verse that I never planned on is the verse that God brought to mind...

It attacked me. It lodged itself in the crevices of my thinking and it wouldn't go away. We call that the "Holy Spirit."

This verse has become a mainstay. "What benefit" could easily be paraphrased, "So, explain to me how you look good if...?" On a daily basis, I'll ask myself:

"What benefit is it to me, if I'm patient when my child has done nothing wrong?"

"Explain to me how I look good, if I'm joyful after a full night's sleep?"

"What benefit is it to me, if I keep my temper when everything is going my way?"

What benefit is that to you?

The answer? None.

There is no glory gleaned for the Father. No self-discipline gained. No dying to selfishness accomplished.

You are not modeling Christ's love and God's mercy.

You're just acting like a reasonable human being. Congratulations, you're not a sociopath. Yippee.

So, when that peanut butter gets everywhere (seriously, how on earth does it get everywhere?), and the toddler disobeys again, and dinner isn't yummy, and the most you accomplished all day was folding one load of laundry (which said toddler enjoyed flinging around the room after it was folded)... do you smile when your hubby walks through the door? Do you cuddle the toddler and teach him "no" in a loving way? Is your voice sweet and your words sweeter?

Because that's when you make Him look good.

And that's when you're being true mercy in a world that desperately needs His love.

Photo Journal {March 10th-16th, 2014}

March 10th

Monday with children, I am finding, is a recovery day from Sunday. We had a house full of teenagers, and a wound-up pair of babies on Sunday night. Consequently, Monday was a day of recouping. We did take pictures on this day... but they were primarily in the form of videos for the grandmas. Every Monday is "Movie Monday" and we send a clip to the long-distance women in Grant's life. (Bets is not yet interesting enough to star in one of these feature films, although she gets her fair share of pictures.)

I spent the day cleaning, doing laundry, and feeding a daughter who was incredibly voracious. Hardest thing about this stage of parenting? Being busy all day, and having "nothing" to show for it at the end of the day. Can anyone say, "treading water"? But we're not sinking, and we're having great fun in the pool!

March 11th

Went to snap pictures of my "chillin's" playing and realized that my camera was dead. But this precious jewel was snapped with the iPhone while the "real" camera charged and the babies played around my feet as I blogged.

Many people have asked me how Grant is "adapting" to his
new sibling. I think they were programmed to love each other.
Bets could stare at him for hours, while he is constantly giving her
hugs,  finding her pacifier, and checking on her every time she
makes a noise or he enters a room where she is.

Another day of "treading water." But I was able to write a little something today... That never feels like a day wasted. I'm so thankful for two well-behaved babies that let their mother explore a hobby for a brief period this afternoon. In other news... made tilapia for dinner. Scott claimed he had never had this fish, and despite my childhood aversion, I had to introduce him (especially since it was on sale at Aldi). I'm making a push to increase the healthiness quotient of our dinners. So, lemon-baked tilapia with quinoa-stuffed peppers were on the menu tonight.

March 12th

I have decided that the best way to get things done, is to do them with my children. A challenge while parenting two under two? Yes, but so much fun for the mommy/child bonding factor. Yes, it takes a million times longer to do something, but the memories are so much fun.

Today, Grant "helped" Mommy make some baked oatmeal (pre-made breakfasts make our mornings less chaotic, and we don't do boxed cereal for money/health reasons). Of course, his favorite brand of "helping" was snatching frozen raspberries while Mom wasn't looking...

So excited about his new perch on the counter.

Learning to whisk. (Insert emotional mommy comment
about how grown-up he looks!)

Aside from stealing raspberries, whisking was the highlight of our adventure!

Caught mid-raspberry steal. He's very aware when he shouldn't
take something, so he always checked with Mommy until he
was certain that it was okay to filch the raspberries. Praying
his heart remains this tender.

March 13th

Easter 2013

Today was Er-Bear's birthday! I miss my sister like crazy cakes. She is a faultless sounding board of common sense. She mocks my incessant use of "abreevs" (why call it a "cardigan" when you can call it a "cardy?"), and drinks black coffee while I drink a sugared-up latte. I'm cotton-candy, she's a fearless wasabi. I love her unadulterated love of novelty and the fearlessness with which she pursues her dreams. My pursuit for excellence in fitness (a growing passion, more to blog about later), quality in photography, and consistency in personal discipline are highly motivated by the example of my little sister.

Christmas 2012

 I'm convinced there's no Industrial Engineering student who is prettier, smarter, or more creative. Happy 21st, "little" sister. You've taught me so much, and I'm ecstatic to claim you as my long-awaited answer to prayer... two brothers, and then finally the sister who was my opposite in every way. God knew exactly what He was doing--surprise, surprise. :)

In other news... this is where Bets spends the majority
of her days. She loves snuggling and sleeping, but
can most often be found peeping out from the folds,
staring in wide-eyed wonder at all the goings-on in
her new world.

March 14th

Friday Fun Day!

Each day, I try to spend a little extra time with Grant. He's at an age where meeting basic needs just isn't enough any more. I'm critically aware of the fact that he is a developing little soul with growing needs. Each night we read from "The Jesus Storybook Bible" and follow it with a prayer that our little baby will learn to love and follow the Savior mentioned in each chapter of this amazing "children's" Bible. (Seriously, if you don't own this, go out and buy it. I don't care if you have no children or if your children are in college... it's amazing.)

But, true parenting isn't like punching a time card and fulfilling a to-do list. It's an all-day, every day, constant pouring-into of joy, discipline, teaching, and love. I'm firmly convinced that one reason children stop talking to their parents is because things that were "big" deals to a three year old weren't discussed with the same gravity we would give to the "big" deals of a sixteen year old. It doesn't matter how old you are... if something is a "big" deal to you, you shut down if it is ignored, mocked, or belittled by someone who no longer thinks of that as a "big" deal.

So, in an effort to calm my Martha-like tendencies and focus on enjoying and learning where my baby boy is, I try to plan an extra-special playtime several times a week. Sometimes that's just turning bath time into a water-park-like experience... but other times it's like today: fun with shaving cream!

I clearly think this is fun. Grant, on the other hand, has some
unholy terror of shaving cream. So, I had to help him smear it on
his nose, my nose, his chest, put it in cups. By the end some of
his distaste for it had dissipated, but my little sensory-man
is still not a fan of chaos and mess. Good thing he was given
me for a mommy--chaos and mess are my middle name!

I love his little serious face. He had, by this point, "manned-up" and decided
to deal with this horrible introduction of shaving cream. Looking out the
kitchen window made it more enjoyable, too.

To show that new experiences are really and truly FUN, we
finished up shaving cream time with water time... something
he already loves! And yes, he had great fun scrubbing everything
down. We like to do our "sensory play" in the sink: cuts down on the
mess, contains him so he can't run away from new things, and allows
us to finish unpleasant experiences with the pleasant experience of water.

March 15th

I love Saturdays. I love Saturdays because I can switch from "zone-defense" parenting to "man-to-man defense" parenting. Having Scott here makes a huge difference. Plus, I get to go to the grocery story: all.by.myself. Heaven. Pure heaven. Today we also went to the library (inner-city libraries are terrifyingly germy!), and met a pro-life group outside of Planned Parenthood. Yes, that's a good story, I promise you.

Grant has his own shelf on our downstairs bookshelf.
The hope is that someday his joy of creating chaos by
pulling every book off this shelf will be exchanged
for the joy of reading... We hope...

Bets and Mommy selfie.

One selfie too many! This has been Bets' default setting
this week. Poor baby girl has developed raging reflux.
Her periods of peace are few and far between. But we both
enjoy them when they happen. :) (P.S. Isn't her face a riot?! I love
my little garden gnome... always good for a dramatic over-reaction.
Just like her mama...)

March 16th

This was my first Sunday "solo." We tried to pick up Scott's car yesterday, but the shop was unexpectedly closed. So, Scott headed out at 7:30, while I fed and clothed the babies. Thanks to an afternoon of cleaning, baking, and prepping on Saturday, it went fairly smoothly. Then, Scott came back at 9:30 and picked us up and escorted us to church. It was like a "soft-open" for next week when I'll have to load (and unload) them both in my car by myself.

Sunday was such a joy. I still only see a bit of the service, because regardless of what I finagle, Bets always wants to eat during the sermon, but it was wonderful to talk to people before and after. I feel like I'm slowly rejoining the land of the living after months of sickness and sleeplessness.

In the evening our house filled up with teenagers and leaders... It was another Student Small Group Sunday. I enjoyed chatting with different teen-ladies before taking the babies up to bed. Bets was good enough to snooze so I could actually find out what was going on with several of the girlies. I haven't been able to do that, and I missed it so much! Having a house full of people is one of my happy times. I love the idea of creating a safe, refreshing haven for people to become re-energized and motivated to serve our Savior. I keep praying that our home will be that for many people...

Full living room...

A Parenting Flow-Chart... Wouldn't that be nice?

I've been reading this book lately...

Editorial Note: I am not recommending,
nor condemning this book. I think Mr. Tripp
makes some excellent points. I also think that
he leaves certain aspects of parenting largely
untouched (i.e. grace). However, if you want
a comprehensive book on parenting... read your Bible.
You won't find all the answers in any book written
by man. If you think you have... reread it with more discernment.

Call me crazy, but two babies, ages one and under, make me nervous about my current parenting wisdom. Before Bets came, when it was just Grant, I would frequently cry outside his bedroom, wondering if I had parented well. Wondering if I had invested parenting energies efficiently. Wondering if I was modeling for my baby Christ's love and grace.

Add another child.

And my neuroses increased.

Now I have two little hearts. Two little souls. Two little bodies. To care for. To nurture. To teach. To love.

It's at once a huge blessing and an astronomical assignment.

Right after Bets was born, a friend visited and we were discussing this book. I was excited about the philosophical encouragement it gave to redeem every single moment and the challenge that my life needed to be focused passionately on a Savior before I could expect my children's lives to follow His. I thought it was hugely helpful.

She didn't agree.

With a sigh, she handed the book back to me and said, "It's okay. I guess. I just feel like he wasn't specific enough. I need to know exactly what to say and do in different situations."

I nodded. I knew exactly how she felt. And I agreed.

With a sigh, I put the book down and went on with our conversation.

But something niggled. It didn't sit right. I kept replaying this conversation over and over in my mind. There was something I was supposed to say. There was something that wasn't lining up just right...

And then it clicked.

Of course there's no manual, no flow-chart, no decision-making matrix for parenting! What a ridiculous thing for God to provide. After all, composing such a chart would be an astronomical headache. There's no way you could account for every scenario, every response, every heart motive.

But more than the logistics... if it existed, it would destroy one of the key purposes of parenting.

I'm convinced that God designed parenting not just to raise children, but to "raise parents." Total terror, a complete lack of knowledge, a desperate cry for wisdom... it pushes you to your knees. It drives you into The Word. It makes you depend on the Creator.

True wisdom, the ability to respond with grace, discipline, and forgiveness, the modeling of Christ for your children... that can only come when you immerse yourself in the Word and cry out to the Giver of wisdom.

That's why no parenting book has all the answers. That's why there isn't a flow-chart for you to follow. That's why parenting is hard.

It drives you back to your Savior.

This task is impossible.

Without God.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

{James 1:5}

Photo Journal {March 3rd-9th, 2014}

Babies grow so quickly!

Of course, both of mine started smaller and took a little bit longer to catch onto the whole idea of growing... but even with that extra time in babyhood, I'm still amazed at how quickly time passes and how rapidly my babies change!

So, I'm starting something new. It may not last. It probably won't. Consistency is not my strong point, but I'm giving it a try.

I'm combining two goals: 1) more consistent writing, and 2) developing photography skills. I'm doing this through a weekly "photo journal." I'm trying to use my camera on a daily basis and to capture moments of the day with only a handful of words. (Should be interesting. Brevity in writing is another weakness.)

March 3rd

Today the in-laws left... We've had help with the two babies for almost 5 weeks. That's unbelievable. I can't believe how blessed I am in my parents and how loved my precious little babies are.

In other news, Grant had his first donut today! He loved it. (Proof once again that he was meant to be our son--deep fried goodness is a mutual love.) Grandpa Keith introduced him to a blueberry cake donut. Grant, in his glee, pulverized the majority of his donut, but a large majority still managed to make it into his mouth!

March 4th

It was our first full day officially "solo." I honestly wasn't too fazed by the idea. Poor Grandma Marcia had been very sick for 3 days during her stay, so I had gotten a taste of what a day without help was going to be like. Parenting two children, ages one and under, just means you adjust your expectations. Today, I had a hot dinner for the hubby, the house was picked up, and I did one load of laundry. We'll call that an epic success.

(But there is no pic for this day... once again, adjusting expectations. "Super Mom" looks different at different stages.)

March 5th

This morning Scott had a counseling case. Bets has been ravenous lately (and yet she stays so small!), and Grant had just adjusted to having an afternoon nap instead of a morning nap, so I wasn't going to mess that up... So, instead of the babies napping while I sat in with Scott, we went upstairs to play (and eat), while he continued counseling. 

Grant has learned that when Bets cries,
we put things in her mouth. Here he
is attempting to soothe her with a bottle
of baby shampoo. Mommy quickly intervened.

He's a very considerate big brother. He takes frequent
breaks from playing to come check on her. And whenever
she cries, he rushes over to pat her head and find her
pacifier. She, in return loves him, and even his most brutal "love
pats" make her smile. She doesn't cry if Grant is looking at her.

To pass the time, we made our very first tent-fort!

But of course, it was more fun to turn toothbrush holders into
musical instruments than it was to play in the fort.

Bets is a very chill baby. As long as she knows that people
are nearby, she'll nap peacefully in the sunshine.

March 6th

We took our first "run" today! Mommy is woefully out of shape, and all she had to wear were too-big pregnancy yoga pants... so every couple steps we had to slow-down to "adjust" the pants! It was only a short run, the weather was still chilly, I was out of shape, and the babies weren't entirely sure if they liked the stroller, but getting out of the house was glorious. I'm so thankful for this double stroller gift from both sets of grandparents! I plan on taking it to church, so that I can navigate diaper bags, babies, snacks, and a large church foyer  without loosing my cool (or sweating off my make-up).

March 7th

Once again, a day with no picture. And in all honesty, I remember almost nothing about this day... Other than the fact that I was super-excited that we got to go to bed at 8 p.m. We watched an episode of "Numbers" while I fed Bets, and then fell asleep. This elation over an early bedtime probably means I'm old before my time.

March 8th

Our first ever "Family Fun Day!" or, as we called them pre-babies, "A Great Explore." Scott scheduled a family day for this day... so nothing else was to take over. I'm so thankful for hubby that's very intentional in his loving of his wife and children. For breakfast, Scott made us all waffles with Maple-Peach compote. We then packed up the babies and headed to Valley Forge! I still can't get over the fact that I live less than 15 minutes from so much history... I love this country. And I love being in the cradle of her liberty. I can't wait to explore more and more as the kiddies grow!

The men... quite happy in their exploration of some historic remains.
Grant still isn't sure if he likes strollers, but he loves being carried around by Dad.

Bets and I "cuddled" the whole walk with the help of our Moby. (It's ahhhhhmazing!)
The weather was perfect, and walking alongside the river, through the trees, you could
almost feel spring arriving.

Scott then took me to a music store to buy viola strings. With a high-pressure job and a costly adoption, playing the viola has taken the back seat. But as of today, I have new strings! I can't wait to brush up on my (very rusty) skills! 

We had another treat.... eating out at Wendy's for lunch, and after we got home, Scott sent me upstairs to nap. Such an amazing day! Can't wait for our next "Great Explore"!

March 9th

Another day with no picture. **sigh**

I will get better at this!

This was our first Sunday at church as a family of four. We arrived 45 minutes early, I got to enjoy about 15 minutes of worship before Bets needed to eat, and it was so lovely to see all the wonderful church family that have loved us so well during this transition. I sometimes feel like the "invisible pastor's wife." Since coming out here, I've been sick, and then had a baby. Neither of these are conducive to getting plugged in and serving, but our church family has been so gracious. Can't wait for next Sunday!

Elizabeth Wynne {Newborn Photo Gallery}

When each Blake baby was born, my parents selected a psalm. We children referred to these psalms through the years as "our psalms." I have mine (Psalm 103) memorized, not so much from personal discipline, but rather from constant turning to this passage during the past 25ish years.

When Scott and I became parents, we continued this tradition with Grant. I chose Psalm 145. When Bets announced that she was coming, Scott chose Psalm 16.

As I walk you through these pictures of our adorable new package, I've coupled the pictures with a verse from "Bets' psalm." These verses have been a very present help during pregnancy sickness and late night feedings. I pray they may be "Bettina's" life cry.


{As a side note... I love the varied facial expressions of my baby girl. She was not designed to do the classic "sleeping newborn" poses. She has loved performing almost from birth... and her faces provide almost constant amusement to her parents. Hope you enjoy as well!}

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
    I have no good apart from you.”

As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
    in whom is all my delight.

The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
    their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
    or take their names on my lips.

{Her face of terror just happened to be paired with this verse... hilarious!}

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
    you hold my lot.

The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
    in the night also my heart instructs me.

I have set the Lord always before me;
    because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
    my flesh also dwells secure.

For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
    or let your holy one see corruption.

You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

Bets: our tiny package of joyful drama.