Steven's favorite person is Mr. Jake. He goes to our church and is in our small group. The reason why Mr. Jake is his hero is because he plays the guitar (and he's just one cool dude!). Steven always talks about Mr. Jake and asks to see him. When he is leading the "big kids" worship service, Steven and I will often go in there for the music before heading to his class.
However, the last few weeks Steven has absolutely freaked out when he saw Mr. Jake at church. I'm talking about heart racing, screaming and shaking, pulling my pants off freaking out. It's quite embarassing!
I'm not sure what happened, but our best guess is that he had a nightmare about him. He went through a period of nightmares around the same time this started. At home, he still talks about Mr. Jake, but at church, it's a different story :(
He hasn't seen Mr. Jake for a few weeks, and when he went looking for him yesterday at church, we found out he was sick. Today (while he was sitting on the potty!) we decided to pray for Mr. Jake.
Steven's prayer went like this:
Thank you for my day. Thank you for Mr. Jake. Thank you for his daddy. Thank you for him sitting. Thank you for his chair. Thank you for him standing.
I then intervened and helped him ask Jesus to help Mr. Jake feel better.
He continued praying, and it was quite interesting. Sometimes it quite hard to keep from laughing, and since we generally pray with our eyes open, its doubly important that I do my best to keep it inside.
I am so thankful for a boy who is passionate about praying and who is thankful for all kinds of little things!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Praying
The kids know that we pray before every meal and say thank you to Jesus for just about everything and anything. From early on, both kids have folded their hands when they got in their seat/high chair, and Steven's been praying by himself for quite a while. Today, however, was the first time Michelle "prayed." We were at Wendy's for lunch, and when I put her in her highchair, she immediately folded her hands and said thank you. I know that she was doing it just so she could eat, but I'm thrilled that thankfulness and prayer is already instilled in her!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Preparing for Birthmother's Day
Birthmother's Day is only two weeks away, so Auntie E's been on my mind, and I've been trying to think of the perfect gift for her. I called her yesterday and made plans to go see her on Wednesday, just the two of us. I'm so excited to get to spend one-on-one time with her like I did when she was pregnant with Michelle. It's pretty much impossible to have a meaningful conversation with six kids around. I'm hoping to get a family tree together for the kids and to ask her when she decided on adoption.
Most importantly, I want to talk to her more about our faith and relationship with God. I bought her a Bible quite a while ago, and I've gone through and underlined most of the verses that I have underlined in my Bible. Otherwise, it'll just be a huge book to her. I want her to be able to open it and be able to flip through it and be blessed by what I've marked in it. She wasn't really open to talking about God with our social worker, but she's been more receptive about it with me. It is my prayer that Steven and Michelle will have their entire family with them there in heaven. What a blessing that would be!
I absolutely love Mark Schultz's song Everything To Me, and it definitely makes me think of how blessed Auntie E, the kids, and I are to have an open adoption.
I must have felt your tears
When they took me from your arms
I'm sure I must have heard you say goodbye
Lonely and afraid had you made a big mistake
Could an ocean even hold the tears you cried
But you had dreams for me
You wanted the best for me
And you made the only choice you could that night
(Chorus)
You gave life to me
A brand new world to see
Like playing baseball in the yard with dad at night
Mom reading Goodnight Moon
And praying in my room
So if you worry if your choice was right
You gave me up but you gave everything to me
And if I saw you on the street
Would you know that it was me
And would your eyes be blue or green like mine
Would we share a warm embrace
Would you know me in your heart
Or would you smile and let me walk on by
Knowing you had dreams for me
You wanted the best for me
And I hope that you'd be proud of who I am
(Chorus)
You gave life to me
A chance to find my dreams
And a chance to fall in love
You should have seen her shining face
On our wedding day
Oh is this the dream you had in mind
When you gave me up
You gave everything to me
And when I see you there
Watching from heaven's gates
Into your arms
I'm gonna run
And when you look into my eyes
You can see my whole life
See who I was
And who I've become
(Chorus)
Cos' you gave life to me
A brand new world to see
Like playing baseball with my son late at night
And reading Goodnight Moon
And praying in his room
I'm so grateful I have this life
When you gave me up
You gave everything to me
Everything to me
Most importantly, I want to talk to her more about our faith and relationship with God. I bought her a Bible quite a while ago, and I've gone through and underlined most of the verses that I have underlined in my Bible. Otherwise, it'll just be a huge book to her. I want her to be able to open it and be able to flip through it and be blessed by what I've marked in it. She wasn't really open to talking about God with our social worker, but she's been more receptive about it with me. It is my prayer that Steven and Michelle will have their entire family with them there in heaven. What a blessing that would be!
I absolutely love Mark Schultz's song Everything To Me, and it definitely makes me think of how blessed Auntie E, the kids, and I are to have an open adoption.
I must have felt your tears
When they took me from your arms
I'm sure I must have heard you say goodbye
Lonely and afraid had you made a big mistake
Could an ocean even hold the tears you cried
But you had dreams for me
You wanted the best for me
And you made the only choice you could that night
(Chorus)
You gave life to me
A brand new world to see
Like playing baseball in the yard with dad at night
Mom reading Goodnight Moon
And praying in my room
So if you worry if your choice was right
You gave me up but you gave everything to me
And if I saw you on the street
Would you know that it was me
And would your eyes be blue or green like mine
Would we share a warm embrace
Would you know me in your heart
Or would you smile and let me walk on by
Knowing you had dreams for me
You wanted the best for me
And I hope that you'd be proud of who I am
(Chorus)
You gave life to me
A chance to find my dreams
And a chance to fall in love
You should have seen her shining face
On our wedding day
Oh is this the dream you had in mind
When you gave me up
You gave everything to me
And when I see you there
Watching from heaven's gates
Into your arms
I'm gonna run
And when you look into my eyes
You can see my whole life
See who I was
And who I've become
(Chorus)
Cos' you gave life to me
A brand new world to see
Like playing baseball with my son late at night
And reading Goodnight Moon
And praying in his room
I'm so grateful I have this life
When you gave me up
You gave everything to me
Everything to me
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Please Pray!
Please pray for Tiffany and her family. We used to play together when we were little and then ran into each other again at Cedarville. I can't imagine what her family's been going through!
Tiffany (Tabor) Tehan went shopping on Saturday morning, 17 April 2010, in the Dayton, Ohio area (The Green, Kettering, etc), and has not been heard from since. Please help us find her by spreading the word of her disappearance and keeping your eyes open. Please invite everyone you know to join us in this search. She could be anywhere in the nation (or out of).
Description:
5'6"
150lbs
Brown hair
Blue eyes
Her empty vehicle was found locked with a flat tire and keys inside at the Indian Ripple Park near The Green shopping center. She had made plans to be there at their recreation center for a baby clothing/item swap. We are unsure if she actually made it to the swap even though her vehicle was nearby the location. Any information or leads should be submitted to the Xenia Police Department (937)376-7200 (937)376-7200.
We will continue to pray that the Lord will hold Tiffany in His hands and keep her safe. Pray that angels will surround her and that the Lord will reveal her location to us somehow. We have hope in Him, and we believe that the enemy's plans will be foiled. Please pray, even if you don't normally pray; Tiffany could use your help.
Tiffany (Tabor) Tehan went shopping on Saturday morning, 17 April 2010, in the Dayton, Ohio area (The Green, Kettering, etc), and has not been heard from since. Please help us find her by spreading the word of her disappearance and keeping your eyes open. Please invite everyone you know to join us in this search. She could be anywhere in the nation (or out of).
Description:
5'6"
150lbs
Brown hair
Blue eyes
Her empty vehicle was found locked with a flat tire and keys inside at the Indian Ripple Park near The Green shopping center. She had made plans to be there at their recreation center for a baby clothing/item swap. We are unsure if she actually made it to the swap even though her vehicle was nearby the location. Any information or leads should be submitted to the Xenia Police Department (937)376-7200 (937)376-7200.
We will continue to pray that the Lord will hold Tiffany in His hands and keep her safe. Pray that angels will surround her and that the Lord will reveal her location to us somehow. We have hope in Him, and we believe that the enemy's plans will be foiled. Please pray, even if you don't normally pray; Tiffany could use your help.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Conversations with a Two Year Old
Steven is a non-stop talker, and he narrates his way through life. It's interesting to see people's reactions at the store as we talk our way through it. He has to discuss e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g! He definitely brings smiles to most of the people we pass.
I think that public restrooms are the most interesting. I think that he has to go every time we are at Target, and thankfully, they have clean restrooms. Both kids have discovered the acoustics of the restroom, and they love to hear themselves. Fortunately, I've broken Steven of that habit (for the most part), but the Peanut still likes to do her own thing. As Steven's sitting on the potty, he has to tell me every thought in his head. It gets even more "fun" when someone else comes in. "What her doing? She going potty too? I go say hi!" I then remind him that we don't go say hi to people while they're going potty. "She going yucky yuck? I going yucky yuck!" At this point, I usually hear at least one person snickering :)
Steven is the same way at home. He talks about the most random things, and sometimes, I have a hard time figuring out where he came up with something. For example, right now he's sitting in his booster seat eating pineapple (he and the girl just polished off a 20 oz. can!), and when I gave him a second serving, he told me that he understands the pineapple. I'm not too sure what there is to understand a pineapple or what a pineapple might need understanding of, but he's got it covered :)
Steven is quite smart and very logical, so when he gets in trouble, we usually talk about it. The last two days we've had to talk about what is appropriate to flush and what isn't :( Yesterday he put an entire (new, of course) roll of toilet paper in the toilet (without unwinding it). That resulted in a long discussion, and we went over in detail what he could flush (pee pee and poopies) and what he couldn't (everything else!). We talked about it again last night with Mark and reminded him of what he could and couldn't flush. He was also reminded that he is not allowed to touch the toilet paper. I thought we had it taken care of.
Apparently not. This morning, he unwound most of the (new) roll and put a good part of it in the potty. He was still sitting on the potty when I came in, so I'm guessing he was "wiping." I wasn't happy to see all the toilet paper on the floor, and then when I picked him up, I was even less happy about all the toilet paper in the toilet. We had another talk (and another punishment), and he was warned that he'd be in "big trouble" if he broke the potty. I think I've found my new angle there :)
With all of Steven's talking, it's no wonder that Michelle doesn't say much. For now, she's sticking to shrieking and screaming. . .I think I'm going to have to figure out a way to get Steven to be quiet because I don't know how much more shrieking and screaming I can take!
I think that public restrooms are the most interesting. I think that he has to go every time we are at Target, and thankfully, they have clean restrooms. Both kids have discovered the acoustics of the restroom, and they love to hear themselves. Fortunately, I've broken Steven of that habit (for the most part), but the Peanut still likes to do her own thing. As Steven's sitting on the potty, he has to tell me every thought in his head. It gets even more "fun" when someone else comes in. "What her doing? She going potty too? I go say hi!" I then remind him that we don't go say hi to people while they're going potty. "She going yucky yuck? I going yucky yuck!" At this point, I usually hear at least one person snickering :)
Steven is the same way at home. He talks about the most random things, and sometimes, I have a hard time figuring out where he came up with something. For example, right now he's sitting in his booster seat eating pineapple (he and the girl just polished off a 20 oz. can!), and when I gave him a second serving, he told me that he understands the pineapple. I'm not too sure what there is to understand a pineapple or what a pineapple might need understanding of, but he's got it covered :)
Steven is quite smart and very logical, so when he gets in trouble, we usually talk about it. The last two days we've had to talk about what is appropriate to flush and what isn't :( Yesterday he put an entire (new, of course) roll of toilet paper in the toilet (without unwinding it). That resulted in a long discussion, and we went over in detail what he could flush (pee pee and poopies) and what he couldn't (everything else!). We talked about it again last night with Mark and reminded him of what he could and couldn't flush. He was also reminded that he is not allowed to touch the toilet paper. I thought we had it taken care of.
Apparently not. This morning, he unwound most of the (new) roll and put a good part of it in the potty. He was still sitting on the potty when I came in, so I'm guessing he was "wiping." I wasn't happy to see all the toilet paper on the floor, and then when I picked him up, I was even less happy about all the toilet paper in the toilet. We had another talk (and another punishment), and he was warned that he'd be in "big trouble" if he broke the potty. I think I've found my new angle there :)
With all of Steven's talking, it's no wonder that Michelle doesn't say much. For now, she's sticking to shrieking and screaming. . .I think I'm going to have to figure out a way to get Steven to be quiet because I don't know how much more shrieking and screaming I can take!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Changing So Fast!
It's hard to believe how much the Peanut is changing. She is definitely not a baby anymore! She knows what she wants, and she does whatever it takes to get it. Determination is good. Stubborness, not so much.
She loves playing outside and keeping up with her brother. She enjoys swinging and wants to be pushed as high as possible. It's so fun to hear her laughing and squealing. She is fearless and a climber, which is a scary combination. She climbs in and out of the wagon and her toy car and tractor. She has no problem standing up on things that really shouldn't be stood on.
She adores her big brother, and for the most part, he adores her. However, he doesn't adore it when she eats off his plate (which happens mainly when we eat outside). After dealing with this during lunch today, he ended up trying a different tactic--feeding her. He came at her with a spoonful of mashed potatoes, but she only wanted his chicken.
Her daddy is her favorite person, pb&j is her favorite food, and screeching is her specialty. She gives us a run for our money, but we are so blessed to be able to call her our daughter!
She loves playing outside and keeping up with her brother. She enjoys swinging and wants to be pushed as high as possible. It's so fun to hear her laughing and squealing. She is fearless and a climber, which is a scary combination. She climbs in and out of the wagon and her toy car and tractor. She has no problem standing up on things that really shouldn't be stood on.
She adores her big brother, and for the most part, he adores her. However, he doesn't adore it when she eats off his plate (which happens mainly when we eat outside). After dealing with this during lunch today, he ended up trying a different tactic--feeding her. He came at her with a spoonful of mashed potatoes, but she only wanted his chicken.
Her daddy is her favorite person, pb&j is her favorite food, and screeching is her specialty. She gives us a run for our money, but we are so blessed to be able to call her our daughter!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Prayer at Lunch
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for Grandpa. Thank you for Grandma. Thank you for Katie. Thank you for Sissy. Thank you for you (Mommy). Thank you for Maddie Dog and Sadie. . .and Katie's shoes. Thank you for my eyes. . .and my eyebrows. . .and for you's (Mommy's) eyes and eyebrows (as he jabbed my eyes) and for Katie's eyebrows and for Sissy's eyebrows.
And at this point, Mommy intervened and said amen :)
Friday, April 2, 2010
Ice Cream!
Tonight we decided to go to Dairy Queen while while were out on our nightly walk, and the kids each got their own cone and got to eat it completely unassisted. When Steven was done with his ice cream (he licked it out of the cone instead of eating it), he held up his cone and asked for a refill :) As you can see from the pictures, we went home and took baths before bed!
The ice cream on her forehead is from her yanking the cone back when Mark tried to take it away :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
