August 31, 2012
A is for airplane
August 25, 2012
Ten things I like about Seth
This year marks ten years that Seth and I have been married. And also ten years that we've known each other. (Shall I tell you the story of how we met?) In honor of that, I thought I'd get all mushy and post Ten Things I Like (or--to be even more mushier--love) about Seth.
1. I suppose this goes without saying, since we wouldn't even be married if this weren't true, but I'm thankful that Seth shares the same faith in Jesus and belief in God's Word that I do. I like that he was raised in a Christian home and that we get along well with his family.
2. I like that when he's watching a UFC fight on TV, he ever-so-slightly moves his hands and clenches his fists as if he's the one doing the fighting. (Do you like how I juxtaposed being a Christian with watching UFC?)
3. I like that he makes me laugh. He can take as well as he can give and isn't easily offended (unlike, say, me).
4. I like that he loves his boys. If they're not at the door waiting for him when he gets home (and they usually are), he asks where they are and goes off to find them immediately. He's involved with and interested in what goes on with Kieran -- the doctor appointements, therapy visits, school progress. He says things like this. He couldn't wait for Cael to start taking a bottle so that he could help feed him. And he enjoys playing with them.
5. I appreciate that he is a dilligent worker at his job. He takes seriously his responsibility to provide for his family.
6. I like that he knows his way around cars. I find it rather handy to be able to say, "Um, I think something is wrong with the car" and to receive the reply (depending on the situation), "Yes, the distributor cap is broken and needs to be fixed" or "Nothing is wrong with it, you're just driving on a flat tire."
7. I've mentioned this before, but I like his shoulders.
8. I like that he can and does cook. This evening he made spaghetti. He also likes to bake and makes yummy desserts (remember this one?). But I don't like that he eats just one piece from his dessert and leaves the rest for me to finish.
9. I like that when I crawl into bed beside him, usually several hours after he's gone to bed, and reach for his hand, he'll grip my fingers, even though he's fast asleep.
10. I like that he likes/loves me, despite all my, um, "issues." His patience and gentleness are good counters to my impatience and brashness.
1. I suppose this goes without saying, since we wouldn't even be married if this weren't true, but I'm thankful that Seth shares the same faith in Jesus and belief in God's Word that I do. I like that he was raised in a Christian home and that we get along well with his family.
2. I like that when he's watching a UFC fight on TV, he ever-so-slightly moves his hands and clenches his fists as if he's the one doing the fighting. (Do you like how I juxtaposed being a Christian with watching UFC?)
3. I like that he makes me laugh. He can take as well as he can give and isn't easily offended (unlike, say, me).
4. I like that he loves his boys. If they're not at the door waiting for him when he gets home (and they usually are), he asks where they are and goes off to find them immediately. He's involved with and interested in what goes on with Kieran -- the doctor appointements, therapy visits, school progress. He says things like this. He couldn't wait for Cael to start taking a bottle so that he could help feed him. And he enjoys playing with them.
Building and playing in a tent
5. I appreciate that he is a dilligent worker at his job. He takes seriously his responsibility to provide for his family.
6. I like that he knows his way around cars. I find it rather handy to be able to say, "Um, I think something is wrong with the car" and to receive the reply (depending on the situation), "Yes, the distributor cap is broken and needs to be fixed" or "Nothing is wrong with it, you're just driving on a flat tire."
7. I've mentioned this before, but I like his shoulders.
8. I like that he can and does cook. This evening he made spaghetti. He also likes to bake and makes yummy desserts (remember this one?). But I don't like that he eats just one piece from his dessert and leaves the rest for me to finish.
9. I like that when I crawl into bed beside him, usually several hours after he's gone to bed, and reach for his hand, he'll grip my fingers, even though he's fast asleep.
10. I like that he likes/loves me, despite all my, um, "issues." His patience and gentleness are good counters to my impatience and brashness.
August 19, 2012
Second opinions
Sometimes it pays to get a second opinion. And sometimes you have to pay to get a second opinion, which we did on Friday.
So we called a guy who repairs wells and asked him to come look at ours, thinking that maybe if we got the well re-hooked-up, we could occasionally pump water from the well into the cistern, when we needed it. The day he was supposed to come, he suddenly remembered that he was the one who had dug the well on our property in the first place for the first owner (the guy we bought the place from). He said the well was worthless, that the bedrock around here is too dense and doesn't allow water to flow freely through it, and that we'd only get at a maximum 250 gallons a week. On a good week. Which was why the first owner had unhooked the well and put in a cistern.
And then the well guy recommended another concrete company that also repairs cisterns. And so Seth called them up, and one of their guys came to take a look at the cistern Friday evening.
(That's the guy's truck parked beside the cistern.
His ladder is peeking out from the cistern entrance hole.)
In order to get a good look at the cistern, he needed to pump it out and climb in. And so, with our permission, he did just that. He found the 10 cracks the other guys had found, but said it was definitely repairable and that he could either fix it that evening or he could come back some other time. We had him fix it that evening. To the tune of $500. Much better than $9000.
The Thermoseal he used to fill the cracks and then coat the entire inside of the cistern has a 24-hour drying time. So we were without water from Friday evening through Sunday morning, when the guy who delivers 1600 gallons of water came. Since we needed to be in church Sunday morning for a membership class and I don't like leaving the house without a shower and we didn't know exactly when the water guy would get here, we spent Saturday night in a nearby hotel so that we could use their shower. And also their indoor, heated pool. Which the boys loved.
And so now we're back to having a cistern that holds 2000 gallons of water, instead of just several hundred gallons, at a time. Let the rain commence.
August 16, 2012
On my bookshelf
When I was in elementary school, one of my favorite friends with whom I spent a lot of time was almost completely opposite to me in some ways. She loved being outside, running around; I loved being inside, reading a book. It made for an interesting friendship.
I still love reading books but don't have as much time to devote to it now as I have in the past. And while I used to read a lot of fiction in my spare time, my recent leisure reading has consisted mainly of non-fiction books. I've really enjoyed the last few I've read and thought I'd share them with you.
If God Is Good by Randy Alcorn
This is an amazingly comprehensive book about God's goodness as it pertains to all the suffering and evil in the world. It's not a book that you sit down and read all at once, but it's one that you read a bit and then ponder. It took me several months of reading in 15-minute increments to make it through, but it was well worth it. Dr. Alcorn covers just about any topic you can think of relating to the question, "If there is a good God, why is there so much death and suffering in the world?" If you want to know what the Bible teaches on this topic and want to see what that teaching looks like in real life, get this book.
Heaven by Randy Alcorn
530 pages. That's how big this book is. If you're like me, you're wondering, "How can he have so much to say on heaven? The Bible doesn't say that much . . . does it?" Which is why I bought the book. And my view of heaven (and my desire to go there) has been forever changed.
Although I knew heaven would be the ultimate place of being with Jesus forever, I still had this mental image of everyone in white robes sitting around on clouds singing Kum-by-yah. And, to be frank, the biblical teaching about there being no marriage in heaven, while I understood it, made me a bit melancholy. I enjoy experiencing this life with Seth, and it made me sad to think that we wouldn't be experiencing the next life together--that we would be, perhaps, nothing more than passing strangers waving at each other across the golden streets.
But this book by Dr. Alcorn has made me realize how vastly wrong I've been in my understanding of what the new heavens and new earth will be like. And it's made me look forward to that time more and more. Read this book.
(And, speaking of heaven, do you know for certain that you're going there?)
Going Public by David and Kelli Pritchard
This isn't a post about our schooling choices for Kieran and Cael, so I won't go into detail on the decisions we're making for them (I'll save that for a later post . . . maybe), but this book is a helpful encouragement to those parents who choose to partner with teachers at public schools in educating their children. It's written by parents of eight children, all of whom have gone/are going through public school. I haven't finished it yet (I got sidetracked with other books), but what I read was helpful.
Disability and the Gospel by Michael S. Beates
This is a new book by a man well-acquainted with disabilities--both in the lives of his children and in his own life. In this book, he looks at all the various passages in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible that touch on disability. He also discusses what those in the past have said and what those today are saying about disability. And he offers an appendix on "God's Sovereignty and Genetic Anomolies." I've found it very easy to read and a good, comprehensive resource on the topic.
So, tell me, what's sitting on your bookshelf?
I still love reading books but don't have as much time to devote to it now as I have in the past. And while I used to read a lot of fiction in my spare time, my recent leisure reading has consisted mainly of non-fiction books. I've really enjoyed the last few I've read and thought I'd share them with you.
If God Is Good by Randy Alcorn
This is an amazingly comprehensive book about God's goodness as it pertains to all the suffering and evil in the world. It's not a book that you sit down and read all at once, but it's one that you read a bit and then ponder. It took me several months of reading in 15-minute increments to make it through, but it was well worth it. Dr. Alcorn covers just about any topic you can think of relating to the question, "If there is a good God, why is there so much death and suffering in the world?" If you want to know what the Bible teaches on this topic and want to see what that teaching looks like in real life, get this book.
Heaven by Randy Alcorn
530 pages. That's how big this book is. If you're like me, you're wondering, "How can he have so much to say on heaven? The Bible doesn't say that much . . . does it?" Which is why I bought the book. And my view of heaven (and my desire to go there) has been forever changed.
Although I knew heaven would be the ultimate place of being with Jesus forever, I still had this mental image of everyone in white robes sitting around on clouds singing Kum-by-yah. And, to be frank, the biblical teaching about there being no marriage in heaven, while I understood it, made me a bit melancholy. I enjoy experiencing this life with Seth, and it made me sad to think that we wouldn't be experiencing the next life together--that we would be, perhaps, nothing more than passing strangers waving at each other across the golden streets.
But this book by Dr. Alcorn has made me realize how vastly wrong I've been in my understanding of what the new heavens and new earth will be like. And it's made me look forward to that time more and more. Read this book.
(And, speaking of heaven, do you know for certain that you're going there?)
Going Public by David and Kelli Pritchard
This isn't a post about our schooling choices for Kieran and Cael, so I won't go into detail on the decisions we're making for them (I'll save that for a later post . . . maybe), but this book is a helpful encouragement to those parents who choose to partner with teachers at public schools in educating their children. It's written by parents of eight children, all of whom have gone/are going through public school. I haven't finished it yet (I got sidetracked with other books), but what I read was helpful.
Disability and the Gospel by Michael S. Beates
This is a new book by a man well-acquainted with disabilities--both in the lives of his children and in his own life. In this book, he looks at all the various passages in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible that touch on disability. He also discusses what those in the past have said and what those today are saying about disability. And he offers an appendix on "God's Sovereignty and Genetic Anomolies." I've found it very easy to read and a good, comprehensive resource on the topic.
So, tell me, what's sitting on your bookshelf?
August 14, 2012
Catching up with Cael
I've been negligent in posting Cael's monthly pictures these past few months, so we're jumping back into it with his 15-month photo.
He's a funny little guy who likes to try shoes on (doesn't matter whose they are) and who says "get your shoes on." He also likes to say (echoing his big brother), "Where did daddy go?" when Seth is away at work.
He has a perpetual bruise on his forehead because he's constantly tripping over his own feet (his big noggin' makes him a little top-heavy) but he usually bounces right back up (after a short fake cry) and is ready for the next thing.
He hates sharing my lap (or affections) with anyone and is my constant companion (when he's not sleeping, which he does in his own bed, thankfully).
Food is something he's continually in search of, and he is starting to try to feed himself.
He loves his family and is loved by his family, as well.
August 13, 2012
School begins again
Kieran has a really sweet smile. But somehow it disappears when the camera comes out and a big cheesy grin replaces it.
He started his second year of pre-school today with Mrs. Karla and a new teacher, Mrs. Mary. If all goes according to plan, we'll keep him in speech therapy once a week and add occupational therapy (at least once a week, I hope) and possibly physical therapy (we're still waiting on the evaluation for that one), in addition to continuing the music therapy we started over the summer. Let the mayhem (and driving!) begin!
August 9, 2012
Non-random randomness
My heart has been heavy these past few weeks. A Facebook friend lost her husband in an accident at home. A college friend lost her three-year-old son in an accident involving a car. And just yesterday, another dear sister found out she lost her eight-week-old baby in miscarriage.
And then there are the recent deaths of those I don't know. The two young boys who were killed when a tree fell on the tent their family was camping in during the derecho that moved across the Mid-West and Mid-Atlantic states a few weeks ago. The rest of the family, in the same tent, survived. And the man struck by lightning at the NASCAR race in the Poconos.
Sometimes--like in these situations--death seems so . . . so random. So capricious.
And yet, I know that death is neither random nor capricious. Because I know the Author and Finisher of each life, and He is neither random (1 Corinthians 14:33) nor capricious (Mark 7:37). I know that God has ordained the number of our days from before we were born (Psalm 139:16; Job 14:5), that He holds life in His hands (Daniel 5:23; Acts 17:20-28), and that He gives and takes away (Job 1:21). And that, in all things--including death--He is working for His glory and for our good (Romans 8:28).
Although (as my friend Georgia once said) knowing the truth doesn't take the pain away, I know why death is part of this world and I cling to the promise that the One who brings affliction in this now-fallen world is also the One who brings healing and hope.
“See now that I myself am he! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand." (Deuteronomy 32:39)
As I bring my friends before the throne of grace, I'm asking the Lord to fulfill His promise to comfort them, to draw close to the brokenhearted, to use these situations for His glory and their good, and to draw others to Himself. And to gently remind them that the apparent randomness is not so random, and that He is still on the throne and always good.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18)
And then there are the recent deaths of those I don't know. The two young boys who were killed when a tree fell on the tent their family was camping in during the derecho that moved across the Mid-West and Mid-Atlantic states a few weeks ago. The rest of the family, in the same tent, survived. And the man struck by lightning at the NASCAR race in the Poconos.
Sometimes--like in these situations--death seems so . . . so random. So capricious.
And yet, I know that death is neither random nor capricious. Because I know the Author and Finisher of each life, and He is neither random (1 Corinthians 14:33) nor capricious (Mark 7:37). I know that God has ordained the number of our days from before we were born (Psalm 139:16; Job 14:5), that He holds life in His hands (Daniel 5:23; Acts 17:20-28), and that He gives and takes away (Job 1:21). And that, in all things--including death--He is working for His glory and for our good (Romans 8:28).
Although (as my friend Georgia once said) knowing the truth doesn't take the pain away, I know why death is part of this world and I cling to the promise that the One who brings affliction in this now-fallen world is also the One who brings healing and hope.
“See now that I myself am he! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand." (Deuteronomy 32:39)
As I bring my friends before the throne of grace, I'm asking the Lord to fulfill His promise to comfort them, to draw close to the brokenhearted, to use these situations for His glory and their good, and to draw others to Himself. And to gently remind them that the apparent randomness is not so random, and that He is still on the throne and always good.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)