Flat Out

With four small kids, I don't spend a lot of time ironing.  It's not their fault, really, I just don't like ironing, and therefore, look for any available excuse to avoid it as often as possible.

It seems I've passed my distaste for the chore along to my son.

He just flat out doesn't like it.

One of Them

It's happening.  I can't stop it.  He's

becoming

one

of

the

big

kids.

Restless Leg Syndrome

Both the Joes have got it:  RLS.  They just can't keep their legs still.  Here's the smaller of the two getting his before bed workout:

Now try wrestling those kicking legs and flailing arms into a pair of pants or a shirt.  By the time I get one leg/arm in, he's got the other one out.  About the time I get frustrated, he flashes that winsome smile at me or giggles and all is immediately forgiven.  That's about the time he starts getting restless again.

Chatty Cathys

I caught the girls on video a few weeks ago.  Before I turned on the camera, they were talking about Cubbies.  Xandra was telling Theia how she hopes Theia is a Kangaroo (that's Xandra's group in Cubbies) and how then they can sit by one another and she'll show her how everything works.  By the time I got the camera turned on the conversation had shifted to birthdays.  When the video starts, Xandra is explaining how Theia's birthday is a long, long, long time away. 

The very serious nodding mid-video does me in every time.  Could they be any funnier?

Double Duty

Twice a year, in May and October, our church spends a Sunday morning reaching out into the community, helping in practical ways, putting our faith into action.  It's called Salt Sunday.

On this particular Salt Sunday, Joe and I helped at a local pregnancy center with a group who was cleaning carpets, windows, couches, painting, etc.  We brought an additional set of hands with us to help get the job done.

Xandra worked hard dusting and cleaning with the very cloth diapers she once wore as a baby.  Frayed, ratty cloth diapers make the best rags!

After the hard work was over, everyone, including the youngest helpers, enjoyed pizza and relaxation back at the church building.

Cubbie Conclusion

In May of each year, our Awana programs at church draw to a close for the summer.  This means, much to Xandra's chagrin, no Cubbies all summer long.  The good news is that the last two weeks of Cubbies are fun-filled!  On the second to last Wednesday of Cubbies, the kids enjoy a pizza party, ice cream sundaes, and games.  They also made Cubbies t-shirts this year with painted hand prints for the kids to wear all summer.

Xandra, Jillian and Ava were inseparable

and had a great time enjoying all of the treats together.

The following week of Cubbies was the end of the year award ceremony.  This is the one night of the year that the whole family gets to attend Cubbies.

Thanks to Lauren for all of the award ceremony pictures.

The kids start by singing songs

for all the moms and dads.

Our friends, the Lockards, sitting just in front of us, took a turn spoiling Joey.

Then the kids got their awards from their teachers.

Ms. Mueschen is one of Xandra's favorite people.  She's got lots of love and energy that's perfect for preschoolers.

One of the best parts for Xandra was the stuffed Cubbie Bear she received from her teachers.  He sleeps with her in bed every night and often makes an appearance in her play during the day, too.

Ms. Tallman, the Cubbies director, is also one of Xandra's favorite people.  She loves to spot her at church and run up to her and give her a hug.  She's infatuated with her.

When the ceremony was over, the kids had snacks and drinks and then helped with the removal of the decorations.

Theia and Liyah liked that part because they got to participate, too.

Now we field questions from Theia (and Xandra, too) about twice a week concerning how much longer until Cubbies starts.  She's so excited to be a part of the fun in the fall.  I can't blame her, I think Cubbies looks like a lot of fun, too.

Celebration Time

After Joey's dedication on Mother's Day, we headed to one of our local favorites:  Brookside Gardens.  Armed with KFC, we settled in for a relaxing picnic

 

with our friends Chee Kin & Niina.

Shortly after sitting down, we realized that I forgot to get plates and silverware.  After a trek to the parking lot I returned with two baby spoons we borrowed from a family of seven.  We used the biscuits box and various other lids and parts to containers as makeshift plates.

It's a good thing our friends are flexible.  Dining with four small children and their scatter brained mother can be tough on a soul who is otherwise accustomed to order.

After lunch, I insisted on a group picture for Mother's Day.

And then another.

And another.

Then we wanted to finish commemorating Joey's dedication.

And things got too serious for Joe.

And then Joey got tired.

And refused to cooperate for any more pictures.

But I was not deterred.

I just kept snapping away in hopes of a good shot.

When I was finally convinced there were no pictures left to take, we headed out to explore the pond and the geese.

The girls had been begging since two minutes into lunch to go see the geese.

We explored the park until it was well past naptime and then headed home to relax.

On Tuesday morning, my mother's day gift arrived with custom-made wrapping.

Each girl colored a side, all by themselves.  Theia (above)

Liyah

and Xandra, too.

The inside was just as good:  a new running watch.  I've been without a running watch for a few years and I've missed having one.  The evidence of that is the fact that I've worn my new watch everyday since they gave it to me.  It's just the right size, has an alarm, a stop watch, a pulse calculator, the date, and, of course, the time.  It's no oven rack, but it does get just as much (if not more) use!

May He Increase

On Sunday, May 8,  Mother's Day, we dedicated baby Joey to the Lord. 

The dedication began with Joe reading this passage:

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And all that is within me, bless His holy name. 

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget none of His benefits;

Who pardons all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases;

Who redeems your life from the pit,

Who crowns you with loveingkindness and compassion; 

Who satisfies your years with good things,

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.

He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. 

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 

Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. 

For He himself knows our frame; 

He is mindful that we are but dust. 

As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 

When the wind has passed over it, it is no more.

And its place acknowledges it no longer. 

But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him. 

And his righteousness to children's children, 

To those who keep His covenant 

And remember His precepts to do them. 

Psalm 103:1-5, 8, 10-18

In the midst of a sacred moment, God always seems to drop a bit of funny reality into our lives.  If you look closely in the above picture, you'll see spit up all over baby Joe's face.  Approximately five seconds before we walked onto stage he spit up all over the floor and my open-toed sandal.  The instant after he spit up, they called us out onto stage.  I used my hand to wipe his mouth off and walked out on stage with puke in my hand and on my feet.  Clearly I wasn't as thorough in cleaning him up as I had previously thought.

If his expression looks a little intense, it's because he spent the entire dedication pooping.  From the time we stepped puke-footed onto stage to the time we left he was busy filling his pants. 

I would like to take a moment to draw attention to Joey's wardrobe:  baby bow tie (made by me) and shiny black dress shoes.  Impractical, silly, but completely adorable.  The very kind of thing that makes my husband roll his eyes.

As for the girls, I have no idea what they were whispering about, but shortly after that conversation, they got very serious.

After Joe shared from Psalm 103, our good friend Chee Kin prayed for Joey.  We were so touched and honored by what he prayed.  He took some time to think and research and write a very thoughtful prayer. 

At my request, Chee Kin sent me a written copy of what he prayed:

Our Father

We bring before you baby Joseph and commit him and his parents to you.

We know in Genesis that the name Joseph means "may he add or increase.” Today, we pray you will add and increase in him over time:

· Wisdom, so that he will grow up wise and learn to trust in you with all his heart, leaning not on his own understanding, but that in all things acknowledging you

· Godliness, so that he will be attentive to your calling and leading like Samuel was growing up in the temple

· Courage and confidence in you, so that he can accomplish big things even as David the young shepherd was able to confront the mighty Goliath

· Obedience and loyalty to you and his parents, so that he will grow up to be a faithful and dedicated servant of yours just as Joshua never left the tent of the Lord even as Moses returned to the camp after speaking with you

· And finally love that will bear all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things that are of yours, Lord.

We pray that you will work through Trisha and Joe as your servants and shepherds in Joey’s life so that these things we prayed for will come to pass. And we pray for us as a body of Christ to surround the Pulls with support and encouragement.

Thank you Jesus, giver and sustainer of all life. And in your name we pray. Amen.

After Chee Kin prayed, I took over the microphone.  Baby Joe is named after his father and his Uncle Andy, Joe's brother.  I thought it would be special for both Joe and baby Joey to have Andy pray for baby Joey during the dedication.  As a surprise to Joe, I had arranged for Andy, Joe's brother, to make an appearance during the dedication via video conference. 

Andy magically popped up on the screen at the right time and prayed for baby Joe.

One of the things that we dislike about living far from family is that we miss opportunities to have them be a part of important moments in our lives.  It was really special for us to have Andy included in our dedicating baby Joe to the Lord.

Thanks, Andy, for your prayers and for being a part of a special morning with us.

The girls got to wave goodbye to Uncle Andy before we left the stage.

There were four other families dedicating babies that day.  After each took a turn individually, our pastor, Colin challenged us corporately and then prayed.

We're grateful for you baby Joe.  You're a precious gift.  

It is our prayer that the truths of Psalm 103 would penetrate your heart in deep, real ways in the years to come, and by God's grace, you would pursue Him with your whole heart and whole life. 

Photo credit:  Thanks to InShil Hartman for all the pictures.