So, we've been sticklers with Joshua, always asking him to say "yes, please" or "no, thank you" when we ask him something. This morning, though, I asked the Bean "Are you ready to sit on the potty?" and his response was "No fank you!" It was so adorable, it cracked both Shawn & I up. So, I gave in and just put the diaper on... I'll have to be more careful to say "it's potty time!" Haaa!!!
Later in the morning, he asked me to help him with something. Unfortunately I was in the dining room with Caleb, and I didn't quite hear exactly what Joshua wanted. I asked "what?" and he said "Please!" and I said "No, what did you say? Mommy didn't hear you." And his response? "PLEEAAASE help Joshua!" Finally I picked up his toys and said "What do you need help with?" And again, after saying please, he finally said 'please put the cow inside the barn.' Okay! That I can do. I can't do a "pleeeaaasse." Haaa! Oh, my sweet boy!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Congratulations, Grandpa Georgia!
Congratulations to Dad/"George" for working his last day yesterday (as he went in for a few hours to show his co-workers how to do his tasks). His 'official' retirement date is July 31, but he's now off until then, enjoying the retired life. Congrats!Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Where is 'Thumbkin'?
Here is Joshua doing his very theatrical version of "where is thumbkin?" on 5-18. He gets so excited that I have the camera on him that I can rarely capture these adorable moments. Enjoy!
A Yard-ectomy
We spent this Memorial Day working on our overgrown jungle of a yard. I suggested we start tearing out the bushes-now-grown-into-trees and putting them on our driveway to determine the size of vehicle we'd need to get them to the yardwaste dump near our house, which thankfully takes all yard waste for Manheim Township residents and turns it into free mulch. Really, I was thinking we'd be doing more weeding, but my amazing husband started tearing down and out the yard, and I dragged it all to our driveway (so it wouldn't kill the grass). At first we just moved the Volvo and left my SUV in the driveway. Pretty soon, we realized we were going to need both sides and then some!
Our neighbors came out to chat for awhile, and she said to me "So, I'm thinking a condo sounds good right about now..." Yep, it sounds good to me, too! Haaa!! Shawn got pretty beat up tearing all this out, and I washed away what little tan I thought I had gotten throughout the day; although my shoulders are a little pink.
Our kids deserve a reward for being patient with us as we worked. They both played with toys (Joshua LOVES throwing the frisbee, and Caleb was trying to climb on the slide with little success) out back as we worked, but both were wanting more attention. I guess a day here or there won't kill them, but we both said last night how good they were even when we were busy. Here's my hottie husband doing yardwork.
When we got a quote to do this work, it was going to be around $1,000 or more; and we knew we could do it ourselves. The guy told us that what we thought were trees were really overgrown bushes (that's how many years it's been since anyone trimmed this jungle). I feel like we no more than start one are of our house, and the other one starts coming up with a vengeance. But, I guess you have to start somewhere. We've been focused on the inside of our house, but this summer we figured it's time to start the outside.
Shawn ripped out both trees in front of our laundry room window, the one bush that was starting to grow over our deck, part of a gigantic bush that was up against our covered porch (since that's how bugs can come into the house), one random 'tree' in the middle of our yard as you walk back, and one complete rainforest near our neighbor's fence. We still have another one to go, but our driveway is full (as you can see). We're borrowing a u-haul truck to take it out this weekend. These pictures aren't too good since it was really late when I took them, but you can get the idea of before and after...
Our neighbors came out to chat for awhile, and she said to me "So, I'm thinking a condo sounds good right about now..." Yep, it sounds good to me, too! Haaa!! Shawn got pretty beat up tearing all this out, and I washed away what little tan I thought I had gotten throughout the day; although my shoulders are a little pink.Our kids deserve a reward for being patient with us as we worked. They both played with toys (Joshua LOVES throwing the frisbee, and Caleb was trying to climb on the slide with little success) out back as we worked, but both were wanting more attention. I guess a day here or there won't kill them, but we both said last night how good they were even when we were busy. Here's my hottie husband doing yardwork.When we got a quote to do this work, it was going to be around $1,000 or more; and we knew we could do it ourselves. The guy told us that what we thought were trees were really overgrown bushes (that's how many years it's been since anyone trimmed this jungle). I feel like we no more than start one are of our house, and the other one starts coming up with a vengeance. But, I guess you have to start somewhere. We've been focused on the inside of our house, but this summer we figured it's time to start the outside.Shawn ripped out both trees in front of our laundry room window, the one bush that was starting to grow over our deck, part of a gigantic bush that was up against our covered porch (since that's how bugs can come into the house), one random 'tree' in the middle of our yard as you walk back, and one complete rainforest near our neighbor's fence. We still have another one to go, but our driveway is full (as you can see). We're borrowing a u-haul truck to take it out this weekend. These pictures aren't too good since it was really late when I took them, but you can get the idea of before and after...
The past several nights after working in the yard or playing outside, we've grilled out, and it's been awesome! We've eaten burgers and hot dogs and steaks and fresh fruit and I've made strawberry shortcake, etc. It definitely has felt like summer. So last night after we came inside, I put all Caleb's winter clothes away and dug out all his shorts. Today, it's cold again and rainy! Ugh!!! Hopefully the rain lets up so we can keep working on weeds!!!
The Leader of the Pack
Have you ever woken up on the RIGHT side of the bed? Well, after his nap on Saturday, Joshua was all sunshine. We read a couple books together as he was waking up, and he was all giggles. When we went to church that afternoon, the childcare workers told Shawn (I drop off and pick up Caleb while Shawn does the same for Joshua) what a cutie pie the Bean was. He was so excited and full of energy. He even got to lead his class down the hallway to Treasure Cove! They "swim" from the fish-named classrooms to Treasure Cove, where each week they learn songs, see a puppet show, hear a Bible verse and learn about Jesus. This week they learned that God wants us to pray everyday. The workers told Shawn that Joshua was so sweet and so happy the entire night, and when the Bean saw me & Caleb he came running up to us and said "Hi-ya, Momma!" He beamed at the artwork he had done (which is now hanging on my fridge). I love that he was able to lead his class and enjoys church so much. It is such a blessing to us to know that our children are learning about God in a safe, fun environment while we get to hear the Word, too. :)
Sunday, May 24, 2009
80's in '09
This week has been hot & humid, but I'm not complaining since I was so sick of the rain. I'll take some sunshine! On Friday, I walked with both boys to Stoner Park. It only takes about half an hour each way with me leisurely strolling on the path that goes right from our house to the park - we never have to be on the road, which is nice. Unfortunately, on the way there, Joshua accidentally dropped his beloved blue sunglasses, and he was devastated as the stroller rolled right over them before I could catch it. Yes, they are quite smashed. He doesn't understand that they're broken, though, and keeps asking for them and is quite disheartened that mommy won't give him his cracked up sunglasses. He LOVES them! That night, we went to Green Dragon to see if any of the stands sold kid's sunglasses, but there weren't any suitable there (we did buy some fresh produce again, though - yum!). So, I asked Grandma & Grandpa Ginder to pick up a new pair for the Bean and his grabby little brother and bring them up along. :) :) :)
The park was fun. Caleb slept some of the time, and Joshua played and played on the slides and little-guy jungle equipment. The moment we got there Daniel yelled "JOSH!" and they were off and running together. I can't believe Daniel will be two in June! My how time flies! Joshua was so good when I told him it was time to leave the park. I was worried about it since I was walking home, but I gave him the two minute warning and he asked to slide down the slide "one time" and that was it. He crawled right into the stroller and we chatted the whole way back to our house. Yeah for nice weather!
Yesterday I cut up all our new fresh fruit, and Shawn cooked out on the grill again. We ate outside and then played with the boys. Caleb loves the little slides in our backyard (we of course have to help him). Both boys enjoy playing outside, which is great! We also went to church yesterday, and the sermon was on using the gifts God gave us to serve others...in other words, we shouldn't miss our calling here on earth by getting caught up in the rat-race of meaningless pursuits. So much of what we do won't matter when we die, so we need to live with eternity in mind. What are we doing that will make a difference? Right now I know that parenting is the number one thing I'm to focus on, and yet I do feel like God has given me different talents that I'm not using currently. I'm not sure where or how to use them, but I'm sure God will open the doors. Last night as I was doing my Daniel Bible study (I'm currently on Chapter 11), a portion of the teaching was on that very same thing. Hopefully I'll have more time to blog about it later - right now I hear my dryer beeping, and the boys are napping, so I'll have to run.
This afternoon, my friend Suzanne took me out for an early birthday lunch to Isaac's (thanks so much!). I had a great time catching up with her. She has always been an amazing friend. I've known her since second grade, and so much of our life has seemed similar...and even when it's not, she's very understandable and understanding. I love her to pieces. :) :) :) It was nice to be out. Now as the boys were resting I was sunbathing and realized it's a little too hot. So, I'm indoors now and thinking about doing an exercise video until they wake up. Enjoy your day!
Me & Suz Fall 1998
Me & Suz May 2009
Blowing Kisses
Caleb started waving hi & bye. I can't remember if I posted that or not, but he's been doing it consistently now for the last week or so. Even when we say hi or bye, he waves his hand. He waved bye to my friend Julie & her kids, and Kate blew us kisses. I wasn't sure what age that kids start blowing kisses (I stopped reading the 'intro' books since I'm now onto older development books). So, I decided to see if Caleb could blow kisses. Sure enough, now when we ask him to blow kisses, he puts his hand over his lips and smacks his lips together for a kiss. He doesn't quite wave it on yet, but I know that will come. He also loves to play patty cake, even though he doesn't quite "roll it", he gets most of the other motions. I love watching my babies grow!
Joshua's cutest new word is "flip flops." I need to go buy him a pair of crocs for this summer since he outgrew his beloved green ones from last year. Here are pictures of Caleb, showing his intense concentration and determination to get the soccer ball.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
'Cause There Ain't No Cure for the Summer Time Blues
This has been a busy week! On Tuesday, we had the last MOPS meeting until next fall. While there are play dates planned twice a month during the summer, it just won't be the same as having these wonderful women watching our babies so we can chat and catch up. This final meeting featured a catered breakfast (and it was delicious!) and we got lots of organic products to sample, including honey wheat pretzels that Joshua is crazy about!
Since the weather was gorgeous, that night we went and walked around Roots. Luckily, I had eaten a salad before we left because the food there was VERY tempting. But, I've worked out every day for the past two weeks (other than my day of rest), and I don't want to be hindered by eating completely bad all day (Lord knows I put a hurtin' on breakfast that morning). We left Roots with more meadow tea for Shawn and another delicious canteloupe that I cut up the next morning - without losing a finger! 
On Wednesday, we started our day as we typically do, going for a walk after breakfast. This time, we saw a class of fourth graders from Nitrauer doing a scientific 'dig' in a little stream of water (barely a trickle) in the field near our house. Oh, what my boys have to look forward to!
This has been the week of funny sayings for Joshua, too. I've heard "Take it easy, momma!" which cracked me up to "Are you frustrated? [pause while I say yep, follwed by:] That's AMAZING!" Over and over again he's made me laugh. He's also all drama these days as he pretends to be sad and rubs his fists over his eyes. He knows that anytime he cries he gets our attention, so he's mustering up every ounce of creativity to make us give him some lovin's. We giggle at his dramatics...is he like the momma or what? He's pretending more in general now, including pretending to eat the cookie off his "cookie inspector" shirt and saying "mmm...that's good...yummy!" We love how he says some words still like "choc-o-late" and "amazing" ...I'll have to get them on camera.
Yesterday, my friend Julie came over with her two kids and we had a great time catching up while the kids played outside. It was in the 80's and humid, and we both soaked up the sun. Afterward, we ate lunch here, consisting of ham & cheese sandwiches, fresh fruit, carrots, etc. It was nice! My kids took a nap in the afternoon so I could work out, and then I took them for a walk around the neighborhood so Daddy could fire up the grill. We ate outside and played some more! While Joshua wouldn't eat any meat, Caleb highly enjoyed the finely cut up hot dogs while we feasted on cheeseburgers. It was a gorgeous night.
But, the summertime blues also hit this week for various reasons. For one, I'm going to be laying to rest our beloved 'doublewide' seat as it bit the dust while we were playing in the garage. I'm so sad to see it go! We've loved it for almost nine years now. Second, we found out today that my cousin's wife got her leg amputated due to a blood clot. Also my Dad went to the doctor's and they're sending him for testing for a murmur they heard in one of his heart chambers. Finally, Shawn's grandma is also not doing too well. Please keep them all in your prayers!
Since the weather was gorgeous, that night we went and walked around Roots. Luckily, I had eaten a salad before we left because the food there was VERY tempting. But, I've worked out every day for the past two weeks (other than my day of rest), and I don't want to be hindered by eating completely bad all day (Lord knows I put a hurtin' on breakfast that morning). We left Roots with more meadow tea for Shawn and another delicious canteloupe that I cut up the next morning - without losing a finger! On Wednesday, we started our day as we typically do, going for a walk after breakfast. This time, we saw a class of fourth graders from Nitrauer doing a scientific 'dig' in a little stream of water (barely a trickle) in the field near our house. Oh, what my boys have to look forward to!This has been the week of funny sayings for Joshua, too. I've heard "Take it easy, momma!" which cracked me up to "Are you frustrated? [pause while I say yep, follwed by:] That's AMAZING!" Over and over again he's made me laugh. He's also all drama these days as he pretends to be sad and rubs his fists over his eyes. He knows that anytime he cries he gets our attention, so he's mustering up every ounce of creativity to make us give him some lovin's. We giggle at his dramatics...is he like the momma or what? He's pretending more in general now, including pretending to eat the cookie off his "cookie inspector" shirt and saying "mmm...that's good...yummy!" We love how he says some words still like "choc-o-late" and "amazing" ...I'll have to get them on camera.Yesterday, my friend Julie came over with her two kids and we had a great time catching up while the kids played outside. It was in the 80's and humid, and we both soaked up the sun. Afterward, we ate lunch here, consisting of ham & cheese sandwiches, fresh fruit, carrots, etc. It was nice! My kids took a nap in the afternoon so I could work out, and then I took them for a walk around the neighborhood so Daddy could fire up the grill. We ate outside and played some more! While Joshua wouldn't eat any meat, Caleb highly enjoyed the finely cut up hot dogs while we feasted on cheeseburgers. It was a gorgeous night.But, the summertime blues also hit this week for various reasons. For one, I'm going to be laying to rest our beloved 'doublewide' seat as it bit the dust while we were playing in the garage. I'm so sad to see it go! We've loved it for almost nine years now. Second, we found out today that my cousin's wife got her leg amputated due to a blood clot. Also my Dad went to the doctor's and they're sending him for testing for a murmur they heard in one of his heart chambers. Finally, Shawn's grandma is also not doing too well. Please keep them all in your prayers!Monday, May 18, 2009
New Design...
Shawn didn't like the pink. I thought it was nice and springy; he said "it's not nice for the boys." Okay, whatever. So, here is a nice dull template for awhile!
Quack!
Joshua's new favorite thing is putting his hand in the shape of a duck and 'quacking'. He asks us to do it and then it turns into a game of tickeling with the duck hand. He loves it! Another random fact: anytime he sees a bare belly, he thinks it's tickle time. :) And, I always give him 'lovins' where I caress his back (especially at night) and this morning he went up to Caleb and said "here's lovins for Caleb" and rubbed his little back. It was sooo cute!
Friday night we went to Green Dragon as a family. There Shawn bought his yearly meadow tea (yummm...we should have bought more!), and we got lots of fresh fruit including some amazing canteloupes. We were in heaven! I also bought a cheap pair of sunglasses (since I lose mine typically, I hate to spend good money on them) and a bag. After we left, we stopped in at our old favorite restaurant for dinner - we used to go there every Friday with my Mom & Jamie back when we lived in Ephrata. As we sat there, we thought of how times have changed (especially since Caleb wasn't being particularly cooperative that night).
On Saturday Brian & Gayle stopped in with Grant & Jenavieve. We had a nice time visiting with them and hanging out in our backyard. Afterward, we rushed to church...and for some reason the electricity went out halfway through the sermon. While the back-up generator came on so there was some lighting, the sound and video was gone. The pastor asked if we'd like to continue with the service, and everyone said yes. So, he continued to preach to this massive audience with just his voice projection, and we loved it - it reminded me of what a 'sermon on the mount' would have been like. The teaching always (or most of the time) feels like God is speaking directly to us about something we've just been learning or discussing. I really enjoy it.
Sunday was chilly (an understatement) but we still met our small group at Overlook Park to play at the two playgrounds there. Joshua LOVED it and climbed up the rock climbing wall. His favorite thing to do is slide, and there were tons of them there! Caleb also enjoyed himself after we found a spot where he could walk and crawl without being covered in mud and wood chips. We left early, though, because of the windy weather.
Shawn had mowed on Saturday (the rain they were calling for didn't come until later in the day) and our flowers are in bloom (along with the weeds, unfortunately). But, I thought it would be a fun time to get a picture of our house. [The garage door is up because Joshua is playing away in there. He brings his bike, his car, his shopping cart, his horse, his dump trucks and other toys out from the garage onto the driveway and then puts them back in.] I feel very blessed to have a nice house, a car that runs, an amazing husband and two wonderful children. Most of all, I'm blessed to know Jesus and keep seeking Him!
Friday night we went to Green Dragon as a family. There Shawn bought his yearly meadow tea (yummm...we should have bought more!), and we got lots of fresh fruit including some amazing canteloupes. We were in heaven! I also bought a cheap pair of sunglasses (since I lose mine typically, I hate to spend good money on them) and a bag. After we left, we stopped in at our old favorite restaurant for dinner - we used to go there every Friday with my Mom & Jamie back when we lived in Ephrata. As we sat there, we thought of how times have changed (especially since Caleb wasn't being particularly cooperative that night).On Saturday Brian & Gayle stopped in with Grant & Jenavieve. We had a nice time visiting with them and hanging out in our backyard. Afterward, we rushed to church...and for some reason the electricity went out halfway through the sermon. While the back-up generator came on so there was some lighting, the sound and video was gone. The pastor asked if we'd like to continue with the service, and everyone said yes. So, he continued to preach to this massive audience with just his voice projection, and we loved it - it reminded me of what a 'sermon on the mount' would have been like. The teaching always (or most of the time) feels like God is speaking directly to us about something we've just been learning or discussing. I really enjoy it.
Sunday was chilly (an understatement) but we still met our small group at Overlook Park to play at the two playgrounds there. Joshua LOVED it and climbed up the rock climbing wall. His favorite thing to do is slide, and there were tons of them there! Caleb also enjoyed himself after we found a spot where he could walk and crawl without being covered in mud and wood chips. We left early, though, because of the windy weather.Shawn had mowed on Saturday (the rain they were calling for didn't come until later in the day) and our flowers are in bloom (along with the weeds, unfortunately). But, I thought it would be a fun time to get a picture of our house. [The garage door is up because Joshua is playing away in there. He brings his bike, his car, his shopping cart, his horse, his dump trucks and other toys out from the garage onto the driveway and then puts them back in.] I feel very blessed to have a nice house, a car that runs, an amazing husband and two wonderful children. Most of all, I'm blessed to know Jesus and keep seeking Him!Happy 32 months!
Happy 32nd birthday, Joshua!
We spent Joshua's birthday walking outside (even though it was freezing out!), grocery shopping - where he got to 'steer' in the car at the front of the cart - playing outside in the garage and playing inside in the office. Daddy started showing him the game 'Memory' today.
Joshua cracked us up this weekend when he was singing "where is thumbkin?" and instead sings "where is punkin?" His little singing voice is absolutely adorable. We LOVE to hear him sing! And thankfully he enjoys singing.
For Daddy's birthday, I let Joshua pick out his birthday gift. We went into the dollar store, and I said he could buy anything he wanted for Daddy for his birthday. He looked and looked and looked. I thought for sure he would get him a set of balls. Then he eyed up some water guns. Finally, he found something he 'had to have' (as my mom & I say when we go shopping). There was a little mailbox-looking shape that was pink plastic with netting. I had no idea what it was but he said "This is for Daddy!" Okay! We bought it. I laughed and laughed as I wrapped this pink treasure. Here it was a bug catcher. They've gone exploring in the backyard for bugs a few times, and I think Daddy actually enjoyed the gift (or at least got a kick out of it). Birthdays abound this month! Happy 32 months!
We spent Joshua's birthday walking outside (even though it was freezing out!), grocery shopping - where he got to 'steer' in the car at the front of the cart - playing outside in the garage and playing inside in the office. Daddy started showing him the game 'Memory' today.Joshua cracked us up this weekend when he was singing "where is thumbkin?" and instead sings "where is punkin?" His little singing voice is absolutely adorable. We LOVE to hear him sing! And thankfully he enjoys singing.For Daddy's birthday, I let Joshua pick out his birthday gift. We went into the dollar store, and I said he could buy anything he wanted for Daddy for his birthday. He looked and looked and looked. I thought for sure he would get him a set of balls. Then he eyed up some water guns. Finally, he found something he 'had to have' (as my mom & I say when we go shopping). There was a little mailbox-looking shape that was pink plastic with netting. I had no idea what it was but he said "This is for Daddy!" Okay! We bought it. I laughed and laughed as I wrapped this pink treasure. Here it was a bug catcher. They've gone exploring in the backyard for bugs a few times, and I think Daddy actually enjoyed the gift (or at least got a kick out of it). Birthdays abound this month! Happy 32 months!Saturday, May 16, 2009
More Firsts for Both Boys
I feel like I can barely keep up with my kids and blogging! On Wednesday, we met a couple friends from MOPS (Beth & Becca and their girls) at Long's Park. The wooden area there kept giving me a heart attack since Joshua was hard to see in the maze and I couldn't keep up with having Caleb, etc. When Becca arrived, we went to the smaller playground where Joshua could run and I could see him okay and I felt MUCH better. He had a great time!
Today we took the Bean over the playground behind our house, and when he went to climb up the bars (similar to the picture above only less of a rung and a little steeper), I said "Hey, Joshua, those aren't for little guys." Shawn said, "no, let him go - he can do this!" And lo and behold, Joshua climbed up them, went to the tallest slide on the playground and slid down. I couldn't believe it. Those little bars looked so dangerous to me that I nearly had a heart attack, and Joshua was just fine. My, how big Joshua seems these days with little Caleb Luke! On the other hand, yesterday as I was giving the Bean a bath by himself (I bathed both boys individually since Shawn wasn't here) and wrapped him in a towel, he looked awfully small again to me. I realize that we would consider him to be a baby if we wouldn't have had another little guy. He seems so grown up with his talk and attitude, and yet he's really just a fragile and sweet little two-year-old.
Caleb has also been shocking me lately with things he can do. Yesterday, after he was done nursing, he pulled the blanket from our bed over his face. I said "where's Caleb?" and he threw it off to which I said "peekaboo!" And he did it again and again on cue. I couldn't believe he could play peekaboo by himself! He definitely understands what we're saying now. He also can pucker and smack his lips together when we ask him for a kiss.
When I was working out on Thursday (it rained and rained here that day!), I had put on a CD of some random music that Daddy had burned for me. Caleb went wild over the song "holla'back girl" by Gwen Stefani, dancing away and flapping his arms and bobbing, which cracked me up! He's been standing for longer periods by himself, unassisted, and I rarely see the army crawl anymore. He prefers on his knees now. He also is walking more with the walker toy. Hopefully he'll be taking real steps soon!
He also loves to play with whatever Joshua has and is an instigator. He can definitely press the Bean's buttons, and yet I see an amazing amount of patience from Joshua at times where he continues to show love to his little brother and friend.
On Thursday, I called Shawn to say that I was just feeling a little gloomy with the rainy weather and not getting outside. The day before I had been at Long's Park all morning and then my sister called to say that she needed to be out of her house for a showing, so we ate lunch together at Stoner Park and played some more. Then after naptime, we went back outside and played in the yard and in the garage, etc. It had been gorgeous, only to turn around and be yucky again. I was feeling cabin fever, and Shawn said he was also having a yucky day. After I got off the phone with him, I said to Joshua, "Let's pray for Daddy to have a better day at work." Right then, Joshua said "Dear God, help Dad-da. AMEN!" It melted my heart...I can't imagine how God must feel after that little prayer. It makes me think that He hears and feels compassionately about us and all our prayers. One of the verses in my Bibly study this week was Daniel 9:23. Daniel had been praying and interceding for Israel, his home town, and Gabriel the angel came and met him in person and said, "As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed..." Just imagine meeting a heavenly angel in the middle of your praying and hearing that the minute the prayer was started an answer was given. Daniel didn't see the complete fulfillment of the answer, but God made a decision and acted in His perfect timing. From scripture we can realize that God answers our prayers...even small prayers to help Daddy at work!
Today we took the Bean over the playground behind our house, and when he went to climb up the bars (similar to the picture above only less of a rung and a little steeper), I said "Hey, Joshua, those aren't for little guys." Shawn said, "no, let him go - he can do this!" And lo and behold, Joshua climbed up them, went to the tallest slide on the playground and slid down. I couldn't believe it. Those little bars looked so dangerous to me that I nearly had a heart attack, and Joshua was just fine. My, how big Joshua seems these days with little Caleb Luke! On the other hand, yesterday as I was giving the Bean a bath by himself (I bathed both boys individually since Shawn wasn't here) and wrapped him in a towel, he looked awfully small again to me. I realize that we would consider him to be a baby if we wouldn't have had another little guy. He seems so grown up with his talk and attitude, and yet he's really just a fragile and sweet little two-year-old.Caleb has also been shocking me lately with things he can do. Yesterday, after he was done nursing, he pulled the blanket from our bed over his face. I said "where's Caleb?" and he threw it off to which I said "peekaboo!" And he did it again and again on cue. I couldn't believe he could play peekaboo by himself! He definitely understands what we're saying now. He also can pucker and smack his lips together when we ask him for a kiss.When I was working out on Thursday (it rained and rained here that day!), I had put on a CD of some random music that Daddy had burned for me. Caleb went wild over the song "holla'back girl" by Gwen Stefani, dancing away and flapping his arms and bobbing, which cracked me up! He's been standing for longer periods by himself, unassisted, and I rarely see the army crawl anymore. He prefers on his knees now. He also is walking more with the walker toy. Hopefully he'll be taking real steps soon!He also loves to play with whatever Joshua has and is an instigator. He can definitely press the Bean's buttons, and yet I see an amazing amount of patience from Joshua at times where he continues to show love to his little brother and friend.On Thursday, I called Shawn to say that I was just feeling a little gloomy with the rainy weather and not getting outside. The day before I had been at Long's Park all morning and then my sister called to say that she needed to be out of her house for a showing, so we ate lunch together at Stoner Park and played some more. Then after naptime, we went back outside and played in the yard and in the garage, etc. It had been gorgeous, only to turn around and be yucky again. I was feeling cabin fever, and Shawn said he was also having a yucky day. After I got off the phone with him, I said to Joshua, "Let's pray for Daddy to have a better day at work." Right then, Joshua said "Dear God, help Dad-da. AMEN!" It melted my heart...I can't imagine how God must feel after that little prayer. It makes me think that He hears and feels compassionately about us and all our prayers. One of the verses in my Bibly study this week was Daniel 9:23. Daniel had been praying and interceding for Israel, his home town, and Gabriel the angel came and met him in person and said, "As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed..." Just imagine meeting a heavenly angel in the middle of your praying and hearing that the minute the prayer was started an answer was given. Daniel didn't see the complete fulfillment of the answer, but God made a decision and acted in His perfect timing. From scripture we can realize that God answers our prayers...even small prayers to help Daddy at work!
Friday, May 15, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
8 Teeth
Today at Long's Park, I felt Caleb's 8th tooth. It's on his upper left side next to his two front teeth (or your right if you're looking at him).
Beyond teeth, we've noticed lots of changes in our Caleb Luke these days. For example, he now knows how to roll the ball back and forth. Tonight Shawn helped friends of ours move an entertainment center, and while he was gone, Joshua, Caleb & I rolled the ball back and forth. Joshua would roll it to me, then I would roll it to Caleb, and then Caleb would roll it to Joshua. It was adorable to watch! Joshua would say "thank you, Caleb Luke" and "good job, Caleb!"
Caleb also is understanding more and more of what we say. The other day, he put a fridge magnet up and I said "good job!" and he began to clap for himself on cue (normally I clap when I tell them that they've done well. He is understanding more of our vocabulary, and I think he's starting to say some words. The other morning when we were at breakfast, it sounded like he said "this" as he was pointing. Only time will tell! He's getting so big so fast!Bye-bye, George!
My Dad flew into town on Saturday for a short stay to see my newest nephew John. His first stop was our house, where we sat on our front porch and chatted since it was our first lovely day in awhile. When Joshua woke up from his nap, he went straight to Dad and gave him a big hug.
Dad asked to hold Caleb - who he said had changed the most since he was here last - and Caleb tried to touch his beard. It must have felt too scratchy because he pulled his hand back immediately and burst into tears.
Saturday after church we went to Jen's for pizza and hung out outside while the kids played. On Sunday morning, we met Dad at Bridgeport Family Restaurant, his favorite for breakfast. Afterward he hung out with my Uncle Jim for the day, and we saw him later that night for a cookout at my sister's house.
Monday morning, Dad treated us to Shady Maple for breakfast (which I would NOT recommend for those of us who are trying to lose weight). The food was good, though, and the kids were all well-behaved. They had given us a room in the back that wasn't being used, which was sooo nice. The thing that helped me from eating too much was watching all the kids while everyone else went up to the buffet. Dad & I ran some errands after that, including checking out Aldi's grocery store that Dad swears by.
That night, we met the entire family at Hoss' Steakhouse. Each time Dad's in town, we try to have one night that everyone can go out to eat. Since Shawn's birthday was Tuesday, I requested we meet Monday night. The picture above is a view of our table. Once again, we were given a room to ourselves.
Since I had my camera along, we stopped to take a few pictures before leaving. Here is Grandpa Georgia (who Joshua called 'George'...it made us all laugh. He sometimes said "Grandpa Georgia" and sometimes just "Georgia" but for the most part, he affectionately called him "George") and all seven of his grandchildren. Jen's kids are on the right (Grace, Faith, John, Daniel and Emma in order of appearance from left to right, top row to bottom) and my kids are on the left.
Then I asked if we could get a quick picture with Dad & us girls. My sister Becky is in blue and my sister Jen is in black & white.
And while we were at it, we got one of my family with Dad. Why not? On Tuesday morning, we met at Bridgeport (or what Dad calls the Greasy Spoon) again for breakfast, and afterwards we went to Stoner Park to let the kids play for awhile. Aunt Missy watched the boys that night so that I could take Shawn out for his birthday (thanks so much!), so we missed seeing Dad his last night in town. He flew out Wednesday morning.
Dad is planning on retiring soon - I forget exactly when his last day will be. I think maybe in June? So, I'm not sure if we'll see him again soon or not, based on his income. But, hopefully we'll be able to go down sometime or he can come up again. We enjoyed visiting, even with hearing the same stories over and over again. Haaa!!! :) :) :) :) This morning Joshua said "let's go see George!" Glad to hear you made it home safe, Dad! We'll miss you, 'George'!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Happy 31st Birthday, Shawn!
To my hottie husband...
My best friend...
+(2).JPG)
My soul mate...
My lifelong love...
My best friend...+(2).JPG)
My soul mate...
My lifelong love... To the father of my children...
Joshua's beloved Daddy...
And Caleb's favorite 'da-da-da'...
To my wisest counselor...
The head of our household...
To the breadwinner...
And self-less sacrificer...
To the best play buddy...
...and the best teacher/shepherder of hearts...
To the most amazing man I've ever met here on earth...
Happy Birthday!
May your 31st year of life bring you much blessing and joy! 
Hope you have a special day! We LOVE YOU!
Joshua's beloved Daddy...
And Caleb's favorite 'da-da-da'...To my wisest counselor...The head of our household...To the breadwinner...And self-less sacrificer...To the best play buddy......and the best teacher/shepherder of hearts...To the most amazing man I've ever met here on earth...Happy Birthday!May your 31st year of life bring you much blessing and joy! Hope you have a special day! We LOVE YOU!Sunday, May 10, 2009
Happy Mother's Day!
This morning, Caleb woke up before 6 am, but after I nursed him, he seemed to fall back asleep. Unfortunately, Joshua also woke up extremely early and didn't want to go back to sleep. I must have nodded back off because Shawn woke me up saying that we were running late to meet my Dad for breakfast, and he already had dressed both boys, given Joshua his prevacid, etc. What a great daddy! It was a fantastic start to my morning.
When we came back from breakfast, I noticed the flowers and gifts on the table. We had promised each other no gifts but Shawn didn't live up to his end of our bargain. He blamed the boys getting me the gifts - yeah, right! So, I got a new blender (mine somehow broke, we found out when we tried to make frozen humming birds the other day, which taste like banana milkshakes only better). And, he got me fingerpaints to play with the Bean, which is something I've talked about picking up lately. The boys also helped him pick the flowers. Thank you, my precious boys, for making this Mother's Day so special to me - you are amazing gifts from God that make not only my day but also my year and my life. :)
And Happy Mother's Day to our moms. We now have a better understanding of the sacrifices you made to raise us - or at least we understand a little more how much work we were from 0-2.5 years! We love you dearly and are glad you are part of our lives!
MOM = WOW!
When we came back from breakfast, I noticed the flowers and gifts on the table. We had promised each other no gifts but Shawn didn't live up to his end of our bargain. He blamed the boys getting me the gifts - yeah, right! So, I got a new blender (mine somehow broke, we found out when we tried to make frozen humming birds the other day, which taste like banana milkshakes only better). And, he got me fingerpaints to play with the Bean, which is something I've talked about picking up lately. The boys also helped him pick the flowers. Thank you, my precious boys, for making this Mother's Day so special to me - you are amazing gifts from God that make not only my day but also my year and my life. :)And Happy Mother's Day to our moms. We now have a better understanding of the sacrifices you made to raise us - or at least we understand a little more how much work we were from 0-2.5 years! We love you dearly and are glad you are part of our lives!MOM = WOW!Manheim Township Community Days
Yesterday, Manheim Township had its 'Community Days' at Overlook Park with free activities for the family. We arrived when it first opened at 11 am, and the first thing Joshua wanted to do was go down this blown-up slide. I was impressed that he was able to pull himself up the 'staircase' with just a little assistance from the momma. He loved it! Next, he went to the inflated bounce house to jump around.
Next, we went to the free mini-golf. A gentleman working there saw that we had two little guys and offered to take us to the 'back nine' if we didn't think we'd last through 18 holes. Absolutely! That meant we passed by the line of crowds waiting and started our game of golf by ourselves. It was great!
Joshua didn't completely grasp the concept (he kept picking up the ball to move it before hitting it), but at one point Shawn & I were very impressed that he swung the club and got the hole into the ball. That was better than the momma on that particular hole!
Caleb was amazing - he sat in the stroller and didn't fuss one bit the entire time we were out.
The day was absolutely gorgeous. In fact, I truly don't think you could have asked for nicer weather. While we experienced COLD and RAIN and DREARINESS all week, yesterday was simply amazing with sunshine, warm temperatures and a nice refreshing breeze.After mini-golfing, we walked around a little bit at the different stations, which weren't all that exciting. WROZ was doing a live remote with a 'spin the wheel contest' we allowed Joshua to do (he didn't win anything), and there was an ice cream eating contest with a 2-year-old category, but that wasn't happening until 1 pm, which is naptime at our house. They were also supposed to have free Maggie Moos ice cream samples, which never materialized while we were there.
Next, we decided to eat lunch there. Little did we know that we were missing the Meadow View Estates community yard sale where Shawn gets his yearly fix of meadow tea, made just like his mom's. Whoops!
I ate a divine chicken salad wrap from Barny's that I shared with Caleb and Shawn had a hot dog.
Afterward, a firetruck pulled in and they were offering tours. Joshua said "all done big truck!" and didn't quite get that it was a firetruck since it was yellow rather than red.
To end off our time there, Shawn took advantage of the free driving range time. He had grabbed his clubs on the way out the door and they had balls there to hit. He also made me hit a few, which went better than I had expected. At first I felt like an idiot, but the older I get the more I don't really care what others think. Shawn said they were good for being "worm-burners," an expression that made me crack up! We had a really fun afternoon!
Grandpa Georgia arrived in town while we were out and about. He came straight to our house, and we visited outside while the boys napped. Thereafter I dropped him off at my sister's house and we went to church. When church was over, we went back to Jen's house for pizza & visiting. Joshua now calls Dad "George," the shortened version of Grandpa Georgia, which makes me howl. Joshua played in the sandbox at Aunt Jen's house, so it was time for a much-needed bath for both boys before bed. It was a fun day all in all!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
A Superb Week
This week has been absolutely fantastic, other than the weather. Starting with Sunday, we hosted life group at our house. We bought a spread of lunch meat and cheeses, breads & rolls, lettuce, tomato 'n typical fixin's and the other group members brought the sides from veggies to fruit to baked beans and macaroni salad. I had also baked cupcakes for the occasion. It was our last session of the 'fireproofing your marriage' study. We have enjoyed these times spent with friends. While we had originally planned a cookout, the rain kept us indoors. Next time we are planning on meeting at Overlook Park to let the kids play outside.
Monday was my first 'summer' day, meaning I didn't have class. While I'm sorely going to miss the paycheck, I love that I get a break!
On Tuesday morning, we went to MOPS. The Lord held off the rain for us so we could get in and get out of the building without being soaked. Joshua still insisted on wearing his froggy rain coat that Aunt Erica bought him a long time ago; and he particularly likes the hood up. Hey, whatever keeps him happy! I had a great morning of seeing the gals - this is really a fun group of women! Even the leader of MOPS said she doesn't think any other group has 'gelled' the way our group has...I think that's God. I've needed this time with other mommas! And I'm so thankful for the nursery workers who care for our children while we're there. The ladybug crew has kept Caleb even through his separation tears and each time I come to get him, he has passed out in their arms. Ah, I could just kiss each one of these little sweet ol' grandmas!
On Wednesday, Renee from our MOPS group invited us over to her new house for a playdate. She has a little boy a year or so older than Joshua and a little girl that's between Caleb & the Bean, so she has lots of great toys. I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with Becca & Alayna, Margie & Henry & the little boy Adam she babysits, Liz & Grace & Carter, Beth & her daughter (who's name just escaped me!), and Renee & Nate & Lila (sp?). The kids were exhausted when we left and took a nice long nap once we got home.
Thursday morning, I met my friend Julie and her two kids Jude & Kate for breakfast at Oregon Dairy. Both my children did so well. I hate to say that I was proud of them because I think pride is a terrible thing in general - but I was thankful to God for their amazing behavior. They both sat nicely and ate well and did a great job! There, Caleb ate pancakes and scrambled eggs and his entire jar of food and cheerios. I think he would have kept going and going and going! I'm amazed at what he's eating these days...definitely making up for lost time! Joshua also ate well, eating an entire side order of bacon, a donut and half a pancake and milk. Afterward, we went to the playground next to the restaurant, and again both kids did amazingly well. Joshua listened and went down the slide nicely and took turns. They were soooo well behaved! I called Daddy on the way home to tell him how amazing our little boys are. That was the best Mother's Day gift they could have given me!
Thursday was National Day of Prayer, and Beth Moore was the speaker at Long's Park. So, I invited all the moms from MOPS & our small group to go together to see her - whoever wanted to risk the weather (which ended up being gorgeous even though they had originally been calling for rain, rain and more rain!). It ended up being a small group: Liz, Renee, Renee's mom, Amy and me. Renee said she was bringing a soccer-mom chair to sit on instead of blankets since the ground was so wet. I, unfortunately, don't have a single beach chair low-to-the-ground like that. So, I asked if anyone had an extra. They all brought one! I can't believe how sweet these girls are. Amy ended up bringing a double-seater that we shared. :) I enjoyed hanging out with these girls once again, and Beth Moore did an excellent job speaking to the crowd. As we were leaving, we saw a little boy who had lost his parents. Another couple was helping him, but they were standing there helpless in the crowds that were leaving. I went up to the adults and suggested the tents toward the front since they are easy to spot and the workers are stationed there who can make an announcement. After I left (I was in a hurry to get home to feed Caleb & put him to bed), I was still feeling terrible for not doing more. Was this little boy in competent hands? I wasn't so sure... Then, I thought to myself "duh! I used to work for the people hosting this event!" So, I called my former co-worker Kelley and asked if she was still there working, which thankfully she was! She said she'd go to the tents and find this little boy and make sure to announce so his parents could find him. I felt much better then.
Friday night, we had already scheduled a girls night out for our moms from life group. It had been a busy week, but Shawn is so gracious about letting me go since he knows I go stir crazy inside all the time. Actually, Friday was a nice day out, so I had spent much of the day outside playing with the boys. We went for a nice long walk and then played in the driveway until nap time, etc. After Daddy got home, I got ready and headed to JB Dawson's at Park City and enjoyed feasting on salad & potato soup and chatting with Lisa, Angie, Becca & Melanie. Once again by the time I got home both kids were 'done' and I helped get them settled and in bed.
It was an amazing week, and I am so thankful for a husband who encourages me to get out with friends and enjoy my time at home with the boys. I'm also thankful for two amazing children who are so sweet and well-behaved for the most part. It has been a treasure to see Joshua grow and learn and become more accustomed to getting out and about; and it has been amazing seeing how sweet & easygoing Caleb has been even though he's into everything. Furthermore, I'm thankful for new friends and other women of God with kids at the same life stage as mine. I am a blessed woman!
Monday was my first 'summer' day, meaning I didn't have class. While I'm sorely going to miss the paycheck, I love that I get a break!
On Tuesday morning, we went to MOPS. The Lord held off the rain for us so we could get in and get out of the building without being soaked. Joshua still insisted on wearing his froggy rain coat that Aunt Erica bought him a long time ago; and he particularly likes the hood up. Hey, whatever keeps him happy! I had a great morning of seeing the gals - this is really a fun group of women! Even the leader of MOPS said she doesn't think any other group has 'gelled' the way our group has...I think that's God. I've needed this time with other mommas! And I'm so thankful for the nursery workers who care for our children while we're there. The ladybug crew has kept Caleb even through his separation tears and each time I come to get him, he has passed out in their arms. Ah, I could just kiss each one of these little sweet ol' grandmas!
On Wednesday, Renee from our MOPS group invited us over to her new house for a playdate. She has a little boy a year or so older than Joshua and a little girl that's between Caleb & the Bean, so she has lots of great toys. I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with Becca & Alayna, Margie & Henry & the little boy Adam she babysits, Liz & Grace & Carter, Beth & her daughter (who's name just escaped me!), and Renee & Nate & Lila (sp?). The kids were exhausted when we left and took a nice long nap once we got home.Thursday morning, I met my friend Julie and her two kids Jude & Kate for breakfast at Oregon Dairy. Both my children did so well. I hate to say that I was proud of them because I think pride is a terrible thing in general - but I was thankful to God for their amazing behavior. They both sat nicely and ate well and did a great job! There, Caleb ate pancakes and scrambled eggs and his entire jar of food and cheerios. I think he would have kept going and going and going! I'm amazed at what he's eating these days...definitely making up for lost time! Joshua also ate well, eating an entire side order of bacon, a donut and half a pancake and milk. Afterward, we went to the playground next to the restaurant, and again both kids did amazingly well. Joshua listened and went down the slide nicely and took turns. They were soooo well behaved! I called Daddy on the way home to tell him how amazing our little boys are. That was the best Mother's Day gift they could have given me!
Thursday was National Day of Prayer, and Beth Moore was the speaker at Long's Park. So, I invited all the moms from MOPS & our small group to go together to see her - whoever wanted to risk the weather (which ended up being gorgeous even though they had originally been calling for rain, rain and more rain!). It ended up being a small group: Liz, Renee, Renee's mom, Amy and me. Renee said she was bringing a soccer-mom chair to sit on instead of blankets since the ground was so wet. I, unfortunately, don't have a single beach chair low-to-the-ground like that. So, I asked if anyone had an extra. They all brought one! I can't believe how sweet these girls are. Amy ended up bringing a double-seater that we shared. :) I enjoyed hanging out with these girls once again, and Beth Moore did an excellent job speaking to the crowd. As we were leaving, we saw a little boy who had lost his parents. Another couple was helping him, but they were standing there helpless in the crowds that were leaving. I went up to the adults and suggested the tents toward the front since they are easy to spot and the workers are stationed there who can make an announcement. After I left (I was in a hurry to get home to feed Caleb & put him to bed), I was still feeling terrible for not doing more. Was this little boy in competent hands? I wasn't so sure... Then, I thought to myself "duh! I used to work for the people hosting this event!" So, I called my former co-worker Kelley and asked if she was still there working, which thankfully she was! She said she'd go to the tents and find this little boy and make sure to announce so his parents could find him. I felt much better then.
Friday night, we had already scheduled a girls night out for our moms from life group. It had been a busy week, but Shawn is so gracious about letting me go since he knows I go stir crazy inside all the time. Actually, Friday was a nice day out, so I had spent much of the day outside playing with the boys. We went for a nice long walk and then played in the driveway until nap time, etc. After Daddy got home, I got ready and headed to JB Dawson's at Park City and enjoyed feasting on salad & potato soup and chatting with Lisa, Angie, Becca & Melanie. Once again by the time I got home both kids were 'done' and I helped get them settled and in bed.It was an amazing week, and I am so thankful for a husband who encourages me to get out with friends and enjoy my time at home with the boys. I'm also thankful for two amazing children who are so sweet and well-behaved for the most part. It has been a treasure to see Joshua grow and learn and become more accustomed to getting out and about; and it has been amazing seeing how sweet & easygoing Caleb has been even though he's into everything. Furthermore, I'm thankful for new friends and other women of God with kids at the same life stage as mine. I am a blessed woman!
Seventy Sevens
My devotions this morning were on the "seventy sevens" in Chapter 9 of Daniel; however, the significance of the number 'seven' for our family this morning was from Caleb's 7th tooth making it's debut today! His bottom left tooth next to the front teeth (so you're right if you're looking at him) finally pushed through...yeah, buddy!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Threading a Snake
One thing that the Early Intervention questionnaires have asked is "can he thread small beads on a string?" We always answer 'no' because we never gave him the opportunity to try. Then in my family fun magazine, I saw pretty 'homemade bracelets' with fruit loops on a string of licorice. So, I tried this 'game' with some cheap stuff from Sharp Shopper that Daddy grabbed with us. Unfortunately, with my first attempt, Joshua wanted to eat all the sugary stuff until I finally shooed him away from the table.
But the next night, Daddy tried it and called it a 'snake' rather than a bracelet and told Joshua he could only eat the green fruit loops (and then Daddy didn't give him green ones).
Joshua had success and liked 'making the snake with cheerios.' Haaa! I enjoyed the game again the next morning with the Bean. It is pretty hard work for him, but I was impressed with his determination. 
I took a few videos, and here is one for your enjoyment.
Great job, Joshua!
See My Friend...
Today I found another friend, in addition to my brother...
I love to give him big kisses, and he puckers up for me, too!
He always makes me laugh!
Do you see him, too?
I think he's handsome and sweet!
I love to give him big kisses, and he puckers up for me, too!
He always makes me laugh!
Do you see him, too?
I think he's handsome and sweet!Happy 10-month birthday, Caleb Luke
Caleb still weighs 19 lbs 11 oz, but he is eating really well now. He will eat almost anything we give him, including scrambled eggs and pancakes yesterday. He's eating baby food in jars (although he didn't like macaroni 'n cheese or chicken & stars) and almost anything else we put on his tray from our plate (except for bananas and cheese). He seems to like meat and carbs the best!
Caleb is doing more 'normal' crawling (as you can see in the picture above where his belly is off the ground), and he will stand for fairly long periods of time not holding onto anything. He also cruises all over the place while holding onto things and has taken some steps in between pieces of furniture where he lets go of one and then grabs the other one fairly quickly. I really thought he'd be walking by now, but I don't think it will be too long!
This guy LOVES to explore and get into things. He keeps us on the move! But, he's also very sweet and pretty easygoing. We see more stubbornness shining through him as we redirect his play at times and he goes back to what he was into before.
As I was reading to him yesterday, he was mimmicking the sounds. I said the cow says "mooo" and he said 'ma-ma-ma' and I said the sheep says "baaaa" and he said "ba-ba-ba" and moves his tongue when we do, etc. He's definitely gibbering more in general, too. And, we're amazed at how smart he is when he watches Joshua do something and figures out how to do it himself - like climbing to fall backwards on the bed. He is really a sponge these days!
Caleb is not too fond of his blanket yet and so the adjustment from the missing bumper continues, but overall he's doing well with sleeping overnight. He also slept in the stroller on my walk this morning. In general, Caleb's smile and loving sweetness have won over our hearts. He & Joshua get along really well, and we're so grateful for Caleb Luke in our family! Happy 10-month birthday!A Cheerful Giver
At the Lord's House of Prayer, I remember Pastor Mark talking several times about the cheerful giver and how God looks not just at our gift but also at our heart. I saw a glimpse of this truth this morning through my children.
Joshua is not keen on sharing right now. The other morning I had filled his bowl with cheerios and then he asked for waffles. So, since Caleb loves cheerios, I began to give him some out of the bowl while I was making Joshua's breakfast. Joshua was appalled. He quickly ran to Caleb's tray and began shoveling cheerios into his mouth by the fistfulls. I understand at this age that children aren't all about sharing toys and things, but we've been trying to work with the Bean to show him how important it is to love one another and share.
This morning Joshua requested cheerios for breakfast. After getting him & Caleb their food, I began to work on getting myself something to eat. I decided on low-carb Special K with a banana cut up in it. As I sat down to eat, Joshua asked me for a bite. I said "sure, please come sit on the seat next to me, and I will feed you some of my cereal." So, he came right over. Then I realized that this was a good opportunity to talk to him about sharing. So, even though Caleb already had some cheerios on his tray, I explained to Joshua that I was sharing my breakfast with him so would he be willing to give Caleb a handful of the cheerios from his bowl? He was so excited, and he went right over and dumped his entire bowl of cheerios onto Caleb's tray and said "Here you go, Caleb!" Caleb was also excited as cheerios were overflowing everywhere, and they both giggled.
It struck me how joyful Joshua was to give away his food. He didn't just give Caleb a cheerio or two, he emptied his entire bowl. And, I realized another important lesson. I, as the parent, had another box and a half of cheerios left (Mom had bought us some in bulk from BJ's the last time we were there). If Joshua would have wanted more, I would have gladly filled his bowl to the brim since he was so kind to share.
How much does God see us like I see my kids (only He is way more loving and all-knowing). How many times does He ask us to give, having blessings waiting for us if we'll turn over 'everything' to Him? My cheerful giver blessed me this morning, but I realize that the real blessings lie in learning God's truths and hopefully being able to pass them along to my amazing children. See Mark 12 and Luke 21 for the story of the poor widow who gave all she had...
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The End Times
I haven't posted for awhile about my Bible study. I'm still doing my devotions daily, but I don't always have the time to write about what I'm learning. The second half of the study is on eschatology, or the study of end time events. God gave Daniel the interpretation of end time events in Chapter 2 when Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of them, and then God gave Daniel visions that paralleled those for further explanation. Here is Chapter 2 of Daniel:
Daniel 2
Nebuchadnezzar's Dream
1 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. 2 So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, 3 he said to them, "I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means. "
4 Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it."
5 The king replied to the astrologers, "This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. 6 But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me."
7 Once more they replied, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it."
8 Then the king answered, "I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: 9 If you do not tell me the dream, there is just one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me."
10 The astrologers answered the king, "There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 11 What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men."
12 This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.
14 When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. 15 He asked the king's officer, "Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?" Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. 16 At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.
17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven 20 and said: "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.
21 He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
22 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.
23 I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king."
Daniel Interprets the Dream 24 Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, "Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him."
25 Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, "I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means."
26 The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), "Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?"
27 Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these:
29 "As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. 30 As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.
31 "You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34 While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.
36 "This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. 37 You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; 38 in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.
39 "After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. 40 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. 41 Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. 42 As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.
44 "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. 45 This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. "The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy."
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. 47 The king said to Daniel, "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery."
48 Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. 49 Moreover, at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.
Daniel's Dream of Four Beasts
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying on his bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.
2 Daniel said: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.
4 "The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it.
5 "And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, 'Get up and eat your fill of flesh!'
6 "After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.
7 "After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.
8 "While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully.
9 "As I looked, "thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.
10 A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.
11 "Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. 12 (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)
13 "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
The Interpretation of the Dream
15 "I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. 16 I approached one of those standing there and asked him the true meaning of all this. "So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: 17 'The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.'
19 "Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.
23 "He gave me this explanation: 'The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. 24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.
26 " 'But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 27 Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.'
28 "This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself."
Daniel's Vision of a Ram and a Goat
1 In the third year of King Belshazzar's reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me. 2 In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. 4 I watched the ram as he charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.
5 As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. 6 He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at him in great rage. 7 I saw him attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering his two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against him; the goat knocked him to the ground and trampled on him, and none could rescue the ram from his power. 8 The goat became very great, but at the height of his power his large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.
9 Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. 10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low. 12 Because of rebellion, the host of the saints and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, "How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot?"
14 He said to me, "It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated."
The Interpretation of the Vision
15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. 16 And I heard a man's voice from the Ulai calling, "Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision."
17 As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. "Son of man," he said to me, "understand that the vision concerns the time of the end."
18 While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.
19 He said: "I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end. 20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king. 22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.
23 "In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.
26 "The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future."
27 I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for several days. Then I got up and went about the king's business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding.
Now we see that Babylon was named specifically by God in the Bible (who gave Daniel the interpretation of the dream) as the first kingdom. In this chapter we see that the angel Gabriel - whom God commanded to tell Daniel what the vision meant - named the second kingdom as the Medo-Persian kingdom in verse 20 (Media & Persia were two separate entities that combined, lopsidedly, to conquer the Babylonian Empire. Daniel lives to see this take place, as we saw in Chapter 5, but it has not happened as of yet, as we learn when it says in the beginning of the chapter that Belshazzar is still on the throne at this time). So the two-horned ram of Media & Persia is conquered by the next kingdom, which is specifically named in verse 21 as the kingdom of Greece. The large horn depicts the first king (verse 21), who we know in history as Alexander the Great. In verse 8, it notes that this horn will be broken off at the height of its power. Alexander the Great died of Malaria at a very young age at the height of his power after conquering much of the world at the time and making everyone learn Greek (which God would later use to pen his Scriptures in a universal language - most of the New Testament was written or translated into Greek). In its place, four horns would grow, which historically came to pass. Four rulers took charge of the Grecian Empire.
After seven generations, the ruler who was responsible over Israel was named Antiochus Epiphanes, and the description of him in the Bible here (verse 25) is a foreshadowing of what the antichrist will look like and do. He will be destroyed, yet not by human power (verse 25). We learned that Israel was oppressed for a time but eventually overcame the oppression with a small army and took back the temple and celebrated the 'feast of Dedication' which Jesus Himself went to and observed (as we see in John 10:22-23)...this is what we know as Hanukkah.
It has been an interesting journey of learning what has come to pass, and even Revelations and Matthew quote the scriptures of Daniel. I will end this post with what I read on my own recently in Matthew 24:
Matthew 24
Signs of the End of the Age
1Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2"Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."
3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
4Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
15"So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. 18Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 22If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. 24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. 25See, I have told you ahead of time.
26"So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29"Immediately after the distress of those days
" 'the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
30"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
32"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34I tell you the truth, this generationwill certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
The Day and Hour Unknown
36"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
45"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' 49and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Daniel 2
Nebuchadnezzar's Dream
1 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. 2 So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, 3 he said to them, "I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means. "
4 Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it."
5 The king replied to the astrologers, "This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. 6 But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me."
7 Once more they replied, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it."
8 Then the king answered, "I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: 9 If you do not tell me the dream, there is just one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me."
10 The astrologers answered the king, "There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 11 What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men."
12 This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.
14 When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. 15 He asked the king's officer, "Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?" Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. 16 At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.
17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven 20 and said: "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.
21 He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
22 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.
23 I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king."
Daniel Interprets the Dream 24 Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, "Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him."
25 Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, "I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means."
26 The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), "Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?"
27 Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these:
29 "As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. 30 As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.
31 "You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34 While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.
36 "This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. 37 You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; 38 in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.
39 "After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. 40 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. 41 Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. 42 As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.
44 "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. 45 This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. "The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy."
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. 47 The king said to Daniel, "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery."
48 Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. 49 Moreover, at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court.
We studied that the four 'kings' were the four gentile rulers before the coming of Christ. In verse 44, the "rock not cut by human hands" is the sign for the second coming of Christ as He reigns on the earth, a kingdom that will not be destroyed. And, in the verse 38, we learn that the statue's head of gold represents Babylon with King Nebuchadnezzar as the king. Beth Moore continued to tell us that the chest & arms of silver (verse 39) represented the Medo-Persian empire with Cyrus the Great as the king. The belly & thighs of bronze represented (verse 39) the Greek Empire with Alexander the Great as the prominent king. The fourth kingdom that was represented by legs of iron was the Roman Empire (verse 40), and its reign extended into the feet of part clay & part iron with ten toes (verses 42 & 43). Even today we still have the traditions of the senate and many parts of our culture came from the Roman Empire. So, we are now waiting for the 5th and final kingdom - God's kingdom - to come!
I admit that I originally thought that Beth Moore might be stretching a bit. After all, how could she be sure that this is what God's word was talking about since it didn't say specifically? Little did I realize that the Bible would address these kingdoms by name in a later chapter of Daniel. In Daniel 7, we learn more about these kingdoms and end times. In one commentary that was shared in our homework, someone speculated that King Nebuchadnezzar saw the kingdoms from a 'worldy/unsaved' perspective (they were great kings!) while Daniel's vision saw them in God's eyes (they were beasts!). See Daniel 7:
Daniel 7Daniel's Dream of Four Beasts
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying on his bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.
2 Daniel said: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.
4 "The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it.
5 "And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, 'Get up and eat your fill of flesh!'
6 "After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.
7 "After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.
8 "While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully.
9 "As I looked, "thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.
10 A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.
11 "Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. 12 (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)
13 "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
The Interpretation of the Dream
15 "I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. 16 I approached one of those standing there and asked him the true meaning of all this. "So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: 17 'The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.'
19 "Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.
23 "He gave me this explanation: 'The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. 24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.
26 " 'But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 27 Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.'
28 "This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself."
In this passage, the lion with wings who was given a heart represented the Babylonian Empire. Beth Moore explained that the seal of this King was a lion with wings and it truly was a symbolic image. The next was the lopsided bear, which represented the Medo-Persian kingdom with one side being stronger than the other. The third was the leopard with four wings, which represented the Greek empire. Alexander the Great swifty conquered many nations for Greece and after he died, his empire was split into four kings (again we learn this in the next chapter where the Bible itself specifically names these kingdoms). The final 'beast like no other' is the Roman Empire, and again we see 10 horns like the 10 toes. But, what's crazy is out of these 10 horns comes the little horn, or the antichrist. We learned all about the antichrist in our study this week and the signs of the end times. Beth Moore noted, which I know is true, that only the Father knows the exact minute and day of the end. So, she suggested that Satan himself has no idea...thus, he must have someone at the ready in every generation to be his pawn as he reads the times and prepares for battle. I think that's probably true. One will be the antichrist, but he could come from any generation at the proper time.
Beth Moore also noted that the little horn had "eyes like a man" and a mouth that spoke boastfully. We learned this week that the antichrist will be very well spoken, that masses will follow him, that he will look like a man but there will be something off or something that doesn't quite sit right with us who are believers. But, the world - unless they are saved - will follow him, the Bible says. So, he will be highly intelligent, highly deceptive, and highly followed. She made the point that intelligent is not always RIGHT!
Again, I'm always wary in learning end time events because I tend to think that 90% of it is speculation based on people's interpretations of the Bible and not necessarily the Bible and God's word itself. That's why I was glad to keep reading the next chapter where more is revealed. It's amazing to me that these were prophesies that were given to Daniel that were fulfilled and have become 'history' for us. All of it's history except the little horn and the coming of the rock of ages to reign over this earth with a kingdom that will not be destroyed. Here is Daniel 8:
Daniel 8Daniel's Vision of a Ram and a Goat
1 In the third year of King Belshazzar's reign, I, Daniel, had a vision, after the one that had already appeared to me. 2 In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. 4 I watched the ram as he charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.
5 As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. 6 He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at him in great rage. 7 I saw him attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering his two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against him; the goat knocked him to the ground and trampled on him, and none could rescue the ram from his power. 8 The goat became very great, but at the height of his power his large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.
9 Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. 10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low. 12 Because of rebellion, the host of the saints and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, "How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot?"
14 He said to me, "It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated."
The Interpretation of the Vision
15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. 16 And I heard a man's voice from the Ulai calling, "Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision."
17 As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. "Son of man," he said to me, "understand that the vision concerns the time of the end."
18 While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.
19 He said: "I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end. 20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king. 22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.
23 "In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.
26 "The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future."
27 I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for several days. Then I got up and went about the king's business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding.
Now we see that Babylon was named specifically by God in the Bible (who gave Daniel the interpretation of the dream) as the first kingdom. In this chapter we see that the angel Gabriel - whom God commanded to tell Daniel what the vision meant - named the second kingdom as the Medo-Persian kingdom in verse 20 (Media & Persia were two separate entities that combined, lopsidedly, to conquer the Babylonian Empire. Daniel lives to see this take place, as we saw in Chapter 5, but it has not happened as of yet, as we learn when it says in the beginning of the chapter that Belshazzar is still on the throne at this time). So the two-horned ram of Media & Persia is conquered by the next kingdom, which is specifically named in verse 21 as the kingdom of Greece. The large horn depicts the first king (verse 21), who we know in history as Alexander the Great. In verse 8, it notes that this horn will be broken off at the height of its power. Alexander the Great died of Malaria at a very young age at the height of his power after conquering much of the world at the time and making everyone learn Greek (which God would later use to pen his Scriptures in a universal language - most of the New Testament was written or translated into Greek). In its place, four horns would grow, which historically came to pass. Four rulers took charge of the Grecian Empire.
After seven generations, the ruler who was responsible over Israel was named Antiochus Epiphanes, and the description of him in the Bible here (verse 25) is a foreshadowing of what the antichrist will look like and do. He will be destroyed, yet not by human power (verse 25). We learned that Israel was oppressed for a time but eventually overcame the oppression with a small army and took back the temple and celebrated the 'feast of Dedication' which Jesus Himself went to and observed (as we see in John 10:22-23)...this is what we know as Hanukkah.
It has been an interesting journey of learning what has come to pass, and even Revelations and Matthew quote the scriptures of Daniel. I will end this post with what I read on my own recently in Matthew 24:
Matthew 24
Signs of the End of the Age
1Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2"Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."
3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
4Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
15"So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. 18Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 22If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. 24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. 25See, I have told you ahead of time.
26"So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29"Immediately after the distress of those days
" 'the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
30"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
32"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34I tell you the truth, this generationwill certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
The Day and Hour Unknown
36"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
45"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' 49and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
That's Better!
Joshua amazes us more and more each day with his sayings and his use of vocabulary at just the right time. For example, the other day we were driving around and he asked for "more God song" which is the "Step by Step" song originally created by Rich Mullins ("Oh God, you are my God, and I will ever praise you...I will seek you in the morning, and learn to walk in your wa-ys and step by step you'll lead me, and I will follow you all of my days."). He loves this song and sings along very clearly and in tune. Since the entire CD is of worship songs, Shawn simply turned the radio up, thinking that that would satisfy Joshua's "more."Again, Joshua said 'more God song, please!' and I explained that he wanted the song that had just ended. So, we put on the track he was asking for and Joshua beamed saying "THAT'S BETTER!!!" Just this expression made us giggle. Daddy says this to Bean all the time, and when you hear the right words at the right time from a little guy, it just makes you realize how quickly they grow and learn. We are enjoying every minute!
Bye-bye, bumper!
This weekend we removed the bumper from Caleb's crib. He is heartbroken, to say the least. Since his first moments in the crib, we always gently laid him next to the bumper, which he would snuggle up to and stroke like it was the momma. This was very calming to him every night. But, lately he's been using this same bumper to step on and it makes him just tall enough that I'm terrified he'll be able to catapult himself out of the crib. So, I removed it, washed it and put it in the closet 'just in case we change our minds about another baby.'Caleb has cried and cried and cried. He doesn't want to go to sleep at night, he doesn't want to nap and he's crying in the middle of the night again. I finally asked the pediatrician if it was okay to give him a blanket (since I forgot what age it's considered 'safe'), and she said that it was wise to remove the bumper and that he can also have a blanket now since he's strong enough to get to his feet and roll around, etc. So, Caleb now has his very own blankey. We got him a light green one since every blue one we picked out Joshua grabbed immediately as his own. But, the color difference signaled to Joshua that it belongs to Caleb. Unfortunately, Caleb has not fallen for the ol' switcharoo yet, but I'm hoping he gets used to it since it's exhausting that he won't sleep. My poor lil' buddy!
We also took away another comfort of his...his hair! He always strokes my hair and his as he's nursing, and he always puts his hands in his hair at dinner (which drives me crazy!). But, I didn't realize how calming that is to him until it also is gone, alas. All these changes at once! His little tuft of hair or mohalk is now gone and so is his bumper. My little boy is learning that things can change and still be good!
Monday, May 4, 2009
And the Doctor Said...
NO MORE MONKEYS JUMPIN' ON THE BED!
Like big brother, like little brother. Joshua LOVES to jump onto Mommy & Daddy's bed and shout "no more monkeys jumpin' on the bed." Daddy taught the Bean not to jump but instead to lean back and land on the bed, which drives me nuts! He's technically not jumping, but I still fear for his safety. Daddy says I must relax and let them be boys. Well, Caleb now climbs up with the help of our headboard and lets go to land on the bed, just like his big brother. Daddy laughed and laughed...UGH! Momma agrees with the doctor and says "no more monkeys jumpin' on the bed!" Silly boys!
Like big brother, like little brother. Joshua LOVES to jump onto Mommy & Daddy's bed and shout "no more monkeys jumpin' on the bed." Daddy taught the Bean not to jump but instead to lean back and land on the bed, which drives me nuts! He's technically not jumping, but I still fear for his safety. Daddy says I must relax and let them be boys. Well, Caleb now climbs up with the help of our headboard and lets go to land on the bed, just like his big brother. Daddy laughed and laughed...UGH! Momma agrees with the doctor and says "no more monkeys jumpin' on the bed!" Silly boys!Caleb's First Haircut
Today, Monday May 4, we gave Caleb his first big boy haircut. 
Here are the before pictures:
Of course, the first thing he did was turn on the sink and soak himself.
Next, in true Caleb fashion, he grabbed the candle.
Here are the after pictures:
Great job, handsomeness! My little boy is SO BIG!
Here are the before pictures:Of course, the first thing he did was turn on the sink and soak himself.Next, in true Caleb fashion, he grabbed the candle.Here are the after pictures:Great job, handsomeness! My little boy is SO BIG!Today's Treasure
This morning, this passage was in my devotions.
Luke 17:7-10
"Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? 9Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' "
It truly struck me today that no matter what circumstance we're going through, God only receives all glory, honor and praise... may be humbly be used for His purposes! How great is our God!
Luke 17:7-10
"Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? 9Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' "
It truly struck me today that no matter what circumstance we're going through, God only receives all glory, honor and praise... may be humbly be used for His purposes! How great is our God!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Sing for Joy!
Okay, so I know these pictures show Caleb unhappy, but how cute is his hair and his little cheeks and teeth? His hair sticks up like that when he has sunscreen in it, and I think he is so cute. Both my boys are adorable!Today we're singing for joy because Caleb has primarily been 'normal' crawling rather than just army crawling, and he has done "so big" over and over again with his hands proudly in the air when we ask him. Today he also stood by himself for the first time, pushing up with his legs and nothing else. It's impressive how strong he is! He's been standing all by himself for longer periods of time, too. It astounds us.
Joshua also had two new 'firsts' today. This afternoon he said "Caleb, I love you" for the first time... it was soooo sweet and completely out of the blue! Second, for the first time ever, Joshua peed in the little potty. He told me after lunch that he had to go "poo-poo in his diaper." I threw Caleb in the crib and rushed Joshua to the potty. He was not interested in going there after much singing and hanging out in the bathroom (eventually I brought Caleb in with us). So, I put the little potty in our bedroom, stripped him down and told him to sit there until he was finished. I put a little Elmo on in the background in hopes that he would relax enough to go. He must have just had a 'tooter' (which he proclaims loudly) because he never did go, but he peed!!!! Hurray for the Bean!!!
Last night Shawn was showing Joshua how to stand to pee, and Joshua stood in front of his little potty, and looking down said "water, come out, water!" Haaaa!!! Today it actually happened, but I had him sitting. I'm thrilled! I'm hoping he gets the idea of what we're looking for because I know he can do it! Here's a picture of Joshua modeling his big boy underpants (which we're not ready to wear for a long time quite yet, but I'm trying to get him excited for what's to come!).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Celebrating Joshua's First Two Years of Life
The Second Year
The First Year
