WayfaringStrangers

Several mornings a week (I wish I could say it happens every day, but it doesn't), I have Bible time with Graham. I put Patrick down for his morning nap and get Graham a snack and we sit on the couch and read a Bible story, a short devotional, go over his memory verses and cathechism, and say a little prayer. Honestly, it's a devotional time for me, too. It's so precious that we have this alone time together and with God. I know Graham doesn't 'get' everything I am reading or saying, but I pray it's quietly soaking into his little heart. Here is what we read: Jesus Storybook Bible  by Sally Lloyd-Jones (love!!), God and Me  by Penny Boshoff, Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing  by Sally Lloyd-Jones, and First Catechism  by Great Commission Publications. Graham is also memorizing Psalm 100 (still on the 1st verse), and I use the ESV version Bible. Our whole Bible time usually takes less than 15 minutes, which is about as long as G will sit. I foun...

Don't you just love summertime and yard sales? We do. Behn and I took the boys on a hike to a park we hadn't been to. We drove past a respectable looking yard sale and hit that bad boy up. I got lots of puzzles and books for the kids, and a treat for me: curtains for the kitchen window! Excuse the poor photography. I love these curtains though! Just perfect, and all for $1. They're a win!

What a long, long summer of job hunting it has been for me. Lots of praying, web-browsing, answering job postings, a few interviews, more praying...and I finally seem to have a real job! Lord willing, in a few weeks, I'll be working as an ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) Tutor through a health insurance company. I'll be working with kids with Autism again! I had a few job leads this summer. First, someone contacted me about tutoring her son for the summer. He has some special needs and we have had a lot of fun working on his reading and typing. I really enjoy his family and have even babysat once. It's been a good little job and I hope to continue, but it's not enough hours for what we need me to be doing. Then, I briefly started babysitting a boy (also with some special needs). This ended up being a lot more work than I had thought, having him here at my house with my kids too. Plus, I was under the impression that the family needed childcare several days a week and i...

This house has no color. I liked the fresh, bright, white walls when we moved in, and painting seemed too overwhelming (and still does feel overwhelming). But as the summer has gone on, I've been feeling the itch to paint some rooms. I decided to start with something easy: the front door. Here's the house when we bought it. As you can see, the door is off-white. I was pretty set on blue. I looked up some ideas and went to the paint store and found what I felt would be a calm, blue with a hint of green. It was called "Atlantic Blue," and looked pretty on the paint chip. Oh, to be deceived! Or, to just make a bad choice. Poor Atlantic Blue was much more "Caribbean Blue." Or iPhone case blue. Or birthday cake icing blue. Turquoise necklace blue.  Not what I was going for. Ooops!! I tried to be content with it. I gave it a day. Behn said it added "character." It was suggested maybe it just needed a 2nd coat to make it darker. I wasn...

I'm feeling up today. I woke up naturally around 6:00. I used to be a morning person, one that enjoyed waking up early to see the sunrise, have some quiet time, sip my coffee slowly. Then I had kids, and for the better part of 2.5 years, I wasn't getting enough sleep. I would still say I'm not getting "enough" sleep, but it is so much better now that both kids are sleeping 10-12 hours straight. Graham and I just read from his "Jesus Storybook Bible." I dare you not to cry while reading about the angels telling the shepherds about Baby Jesus. You just try it. A coldfront came through last night and it is lovely outside. It's been an ok summer...I really can't complain about a nything-  we are so blessed. But I am looking forward to the autumn now- a fresh change and some new adventures. We've had a vacationless summer- unless you count a 3-day church retreat (which admittedly was awesome . Any time in the mountains with fun people is ama...

Graham when he has to go to the bathroom: "Uh-oh, he needs to pee again!" At least he tells me when he has to go, even if it is in the 3rd person :)

I haven't been super-consistent with Patrick's monthly updates. I guess that is what happens with kid #2. But Behn and I just cannot believe baby is 11 months old- of course that means Mr. Sweetness will be 1 year old very soon! Patrick is such a joy. He still has that sweet, content, happy personality that he's had all along. Notable 11-month tidbits: Is starting to stand independently...he's even taken a step or two! Points to things Waves 'hello' and 'goodbye' Makes lots of funny babbling sounds, and now is always calling for me if I'm out of view- "Mama!!" His hair is coming in fast. Blonde, of course, and a lot more whispy than Graham's did. In the back he has a little bit of curl. He's a climber. No fear. Sleeping through the night!!!! Plus 2 naps Getting picky with foods. *sigh* It just seems to be something that happens with my kids. One tooth on the bottom, and the one next to it is about to pop ...

My Graham likes shoes. He is currently a size 8, and all 5 pairs of shoes he owns were bought by my mom, either on super-sale or consignment. It really is nice having parents (both mine and Behn's) that buy my kids clothes! Anyway, Graham likes shoes, and he has his favorites. In order of his favorite: brown shoes, black velcro shoes, flip flops, gray shoes, sandals. I'd take a picture of them for you as a visual, but he's sleeping in his room right now. Not long ago, I pulled out his old blue Converse shoes that he used to wear when he was 1. They had been a gift from his Aunt Lydia and Uncle James. They are size 5's and he really, really  wanted to wear them. Obviously they are much too small. Here is is wearing them when he was 15 months old...on a swing with cousin Lily. When Behn's parents came to visit last week, Graham was carrying around those blue shoes and wanted someone to try and stuff his feet in them. And what are grandfathers for, but to say...