Faith never knows where it is being led,
But it knows and loves the One who is leading.

I will praise the Lord at all times.

I will constantly speak his praises.

I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart.

Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.  He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.  In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.  Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord. Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth.

The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!

Calamity will surely overtake the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished. But the Lord will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

Psalm 34, New Living Translation

I’m casting my cares aside
I’m leaving my past behind
I’m setting my heart and mind on You, Jesus

I’m reaching my hand to Your’s
Believing there’s so much more
Knowing that all you have in store for me is good, is good

Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
And I won’t worry about tomorrow
I’m trusting in what You say
Today is the day

I’m putting my fears aside
I’m leaving my doubts behind
I’m giving my hopes and dreams to You, Jesus

I’m reaching my hand to Your’s
Believing there’s so much more
Knowing that all you have in store for me is good, is good

Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
And I won’t worry about tomorrow
I’m trusting in what You say
Today is the day

I will stand upon Your truth
(I will stand upon Your truth)
And all my days I’ll live for You
(And all my days I’ll live for You)

Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
Today is the day You have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
And I won’t worry about tomorrow
I’m giving You my fears and sorrows
Where You lead me I will follow
I’m trusting in what You say
Today is the day

Lincoln Brewster, “Today Is The Day”

I’m a scripting function, short and stout
Here is my handler, here is my out
When a method calls me, hear me shout
“Strip those slashes and print without!”

Credit goes to Scott for his amazing creativity.

Peanut Butter Balls

1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
3/4 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup raw honey

Mix well and roll into 1 inch balls. Place on waxed paper-lined pan and refrigerate at least one hour before serving. Store covered for up to one month- if there are any left!

Last night Mark and I were on our way to Toys R Us to do some birthday shopping for Samuel. I asked Mark, “Do you remember the Green Machine?” Oh yeah, the souped-up big wheel of the 80s. We had hours of fun with that one…

Well imagine my surprise when we saw that Huffy still makes this sweet ride! The fun levers to pull that turn the back wheels, the low-rider seat, the big front wheel (which is now a rubber tire instead of a plastic wheel, awesome). You can get some serious spin-outs on this thing. It’s a little too big for Sam yet, but maybe in the future he can be a green machiner.

Just check out this link and watch these kids in action!

1. I love how she often debates between tea and hot chocolate.
2. I love her preference need for the oval-shaped pills, not the round ones.
3. I love her little piles of rosebush clippings spread about the yard (laid straight and neat, though, mind you).
4. I love that she can eat an entire meal without taking a single sip of water, despite my constant reminders.
5. I love that she absolutely loves food.
6. I love that she continues to play Carcassonne with me despite the fact that I have crushed her every game (save one) for the last two years (and especially in last night’s game, I beat her by 59 points).
7. I love that she seems to be allergic to taking out the garbage and the diaper pail contents.
8. I love that she likes to sing me the theme song from “North & South”.
9. I love that her head lines up right with my chest.
10. I love that she tells me what I like (”You like it and you know it!”).
11. I love that she is an amazing mother.
12. I love that she is an amazing wife.

I love you, sweetheart/PWPP/MT/BB!

Mark: “My wife! She doesn’t eat the end of French fries, and she doesn’t eat the edges of her pop tarts!”

Sam: “HA HA!!!”

Renee: (Just smiles).

Well, apparently Renée didn’t like that I was singing, as it had disturbed her slumber, so she quietly and politely “shushed” me back to sleep, where I just basically stopped singing, rolled over, and went back to sleep.

P.S. And I’m thankful… sleep is a precious commodity for us these days!

We’re still making slow progress with Noah, and some days are still very hard. Satan, that liar and deceiver, has been trying to attack our hearts in three areas: one, that we’re isolated (e.g., we’re in this alone, no one really cares, no one understands, people are getting sick of helping you because this has gone on for so long); two, we should stop praying (e.g., why bother to pray, it’s obvious it isn’t helping, Noah’s still not eating, and you’re really not at the top of God’s to do list anyway); and third, that God’s character is on trial (e.g., can God really be good? if He was you’d be out of this situation by now, He’s not good and He must not love you or care about you very much).

As our friends prayed, the amazing thing to witness was that the Holy Spirit laid on their hearts to specifically pray against these lies. The very fact that there were 20+ people praying in our home showed us that we’re not alone and there are kind and faithful friends committed to seeking God on our behalf, willing to be a phone call away to stop and pray with us if needed. And of course satan doesn’t want us to pray—he knows the power of prayer and is happy to make us believe we’re defeated instead of us knowing we have victory in Jesus. So we continue to ask, seek and knock, and cry out to Him, for where we are weak He is strong! They also prayed that we would “taste and see that the Lord is good,” that He is working on our behalf, cares for us, and is meeting our needs… “I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord” (Ps. 27:13-14).

In between friends praying, some would read a portion of Scripture or offer an encouraging word. We prayed that satan would not rob us of our joy, for the joy of the Lord is our strength! And we need His joy and strength to continue to run this race. It was really an incredible time—we felt so encouraged and refreshed afterwards, like we had wind in our sails again. We’ve even been able to proclaim “God is good!” in the midst of bad reflux episodes. There were a few people who showed up that we had never even met before! Yet here they were to pray for our family. It just goes to show you how deep that bond in the Lord is between brothers and sisters in Christ. So now we have new friends, too! We are humbled, we are blessed, and we have seen His love poured out through His saints this past weekend. Many heartfelt and sincere thanks to those of you who came and blessed us as you did. We will remember this always.

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
The joys I feel, the bliss I share,
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Savior shows His face,
And gladly take my station there,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolation share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight:
This robe of flesh I’ll drop and rise
To seize the everlasting prize;
And shout, while passing through the air,
“Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!”

Man struck by lightning, says ‘it hurt’
(Duh, ya think)!?

Toilet-trained chimp on the loose in California
(and all the Moms are wanting to invite him over so he can show their toddlers how it’s done)!

Starbucks to close 600 stores
(and Renee does the dance for joy, down with the evil empire! Mwuhahahaha)!

Somehow in all this I’ve managed to sew here and there and finish two projects! The dress I made cost less than five dollars for materials, because the fabric I used was a twin cotton sheet I found at a thrift store and cut up. I used a wonderfully soft lining for the bodice and it’s very comfortable. I like the boat neckline and length a lot, but next time I think I’ll skip the front tie. I don’t know, I can’t decide if I like it or not.

The second project was a skirt with eight godets. I’m thinking if I ever get out for swing dancing again, this is the skirt to wear! Check out my twirling action, hehe. Challis is my new favorite material… super soft, drapes well and is lightweight. Perfect for the summer. I like the mostly pink but kinda coral color this print has. I can’t wait to pair it with some cute shirts and hit the town! (In between feedings and potty runs, that is).

What a total lack of respect! We are to honor our fathers. Not just on Father’s Day, but every day. None of those cards came close to telling any father how we love them, respect them as men and the head of our home, or appreciate the sacrificial love they show our families. Granted, there are most likely some oafs out there. But when 98% of the cards at the store have a message like that!?

And when I searched for a card that Sam could get for Mark, many were “from your bratty kid who never obeys and is a general pain in the you-know-what.” I think it reflects our society and the break down of the family, really. Fathers never get it right, and children are not a blessing but a constant source of frustration. It’s like Hallmark hired a bunch of angry women and this is the best they could come up with.

I finally found a card for Mark that wasn’t in the Father’s Day section at all. It read, “You make me smile… every single day.” And it’s true. I am so grateful for and proud of Mark, the father of my precious children. And I am so thankful for and proud of my Dad, who has lead our family well and always treated my brother and I as blessings.

So come on, Hallmark. Get with the program.

• Diapers for Noah
• Diapers for Samuel
• Wipes
• Extra change of clothes for Noah
• Extra change of clothes for Renée
• Bib for Noah
• Bib for Samuel
• Burp clothes for Noah
• Formula for Noah
• Formula warming container
• Ice pack
• Noah’s medicine (on ice)
• Syringe
• Infusion pump
• A/C power adapter for pump
• Collapsible pole
• Feeding bag
• Gastrostomy tube for Noah
• Blanket for Noah
• Blanket for Samuel
• Cell phone
• Daddy and Mommy’s brains
• … and sanities

(and in case you were wondering, this list is really for our benefit, because we are prone to lose paper amidst all the rest of the craziness ’round these parts!)

I was handing out the plates, filling drinks and just about to sit down to dinner when I realized I forgot to grab Samuel’s bib. I’m trying and trying to get it on and snap it together, but it just won’t fit! And I pause in frustration when I realize why I’m having issues. Here I am, struggling to put Sammy’s bib on my husband’s neck! And the sweet guy is so nice and patient, just waiting for me to clue in to what I’m doing. So we both about die laughing.

In other news, Samuel and I have had a wonderful time playing together in the last week. We had a few days of rain (shocking for these parts), and we made the best of being stuck inside. We sat by the patio doors under his blanket and told stories about bears with a flashlight. What fun! He loved the thunder and would call loud bursts “Daddy!” thunder and softer ones “Baby” thunder. And consistently cried out for more, he wasn’t scared at all. So we had good talks about God and how He brings us rain for our flowers and makes everything beautiful. The next several days we’ve had a ball crawling all over the house like bears, roaring and following each other around.

Did you know I’ve also had many encounters with Superman lately? Oh yeah. If Sam had it his way, he’s wear his Superman PJs all day every day. I think the cape helps him do super speedy chores. He helps me with the dishes and sweeping and washing clothes. (I have to be careful with that one though, because he’ll run a load that’s already been washed just to play with the buttons)! He looks so cute running around the house in his cape. I’m thinking of getting one myself!

Are there situations in your life that seems irreconcilable? Is there a circumstance that continually chafes? Is the Lord taking you through a trial that appears to have no end? Does it sometimes feel easier just to despair than to trust?

I was thinking and praying through my own responses to these questions today. As I pleaded with the Lord to change circumstance, people, relationships, I sensed my hardening of heart as I could not see, through Ruth-colored lenses, any resolution or reprieve within reach. The sclerosis gave way to humility as the Lord reminded me that He never promised to spare us from the valley of the shadow of death, but rather that we may walk through it with Him.

Details do not matter here…the Apostle Paul never told us what his thorn was, instead he simply encouraged:

So to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messeger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships,

persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10, ESV)

Therein lies the resolution, the reprieve, the response: That I may rejoice all the more in hurt and trials, that my God might be made more beautiful in my life and undeniably sufficient in the face of the seemingly insurmountable.

Have a wonderful day today, my bride!

Or, read the original story.

Mark: “It sounds so weird when there’s no birds chirping outside; it’s really relaxing when they chirp.”
Renée: “Yes, I have always wondered, where do they go all winter?  Mexico?”
Mark: “The southern hemisphere, where’s it’s summer.”
Renée: “Oh, okay, so Mexico.”
Mark: “Uh, no.”
Renée: “I mean, Chile!  Chile!”
Mark: <laughs>
Renée: “Looks like you’re going to be teaching our children history, too!”
Mark: “You mean, geography?”
Renée: “Uhhh… yeah!”

I’m a combination of a Tiny-toter and the girl who could have the same purse for 10 years. Now that I’m a mom, I just throw my wallet into the diaper bag b/c I can’t stand to carry that much junk! But here’s what I typically carry when I use my purse: my wallet, keys, cell phone, a lipstick, and a pen. I can’t relate at all to those women who carry 67 things in their purse! Crazy.

However, don’t get me talking about shoes. When I was single I probably did have 67 pairs of those!

“And the night shall be filled with music, And the cares that infest the day
Shall fold their tents like the Arabs, And as silently steal away.”

–Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Thursday morning started with an ultrasound of Noah’s head to check for any abnormalities, just as a precaution, since he has yet to master the coordination between breathing, sucking, and swallowing, making it very difficult for him to eat. Thankfully, the ultrasound came back completely normal, showing no abnormalities. We as his parents were able to breathe a sigh of relief… for a moment.

Early Thursday afternoon, Renée received a call from the hospital asking for both her and I to be available for a consultation. Renée wanted to know what the need was, and the nurse explained that she and several other nurses had reason to think that Noah showed signs of Down’s, cerebral palsy, or other disorder, and that one (or more) of these was to explain his slowness in learning to eat. They wanted to have a geneticist come by to examine Noah and run some tests to make sure everything was okay.

Of course, this sent Renée and I into hysterics. Despite the nurses trying to console us by noting that the tests were only precautionary, every single possibility ran through our head of what could be wrong. It’s difficult when the suggestion is made to simply discount it and put it out of our heads.

Needless to say, we didn’t sleep exceptionally Thursday night. Since we’re still slightly sick with colds, Renée’s mom and my dad went to the hospital when the geneticist came by Friday afternoon to examine Noah.

An older gentleman, the geneticist is very well-respected in his field and is nationally-renowned. After his 40-minute examination of Noah, he turned to talk to my father and mother-in-law. He explained that from his examination of Noah, there were over 350 diagnoses that he could completely rule out. He concluded that everything about Noah was completely normal and there was nothing noteworthy at all to even warrant further testing. He mentioned that his jaw was perhaps slightly underdeveloped and that his tongue was slightly large, but anyone who knows me and Renée know that those traits are inherited (bless his heart, poor kid). Those two things may be reason enough for his difficulties in eating, but just require time and more practice to get better.

What an answer to prayer! All of my family felt as though a gigantic burden had been lifted from our shoulders. We are so thankful that God is continuing to protect our little boy and grow him up. He IS drawing us to our knees to show us that He is in control.

Frankly, this is really, really hard. Every single day is a struggle. But like I mentioned before, God is carrying us through everything.

On another note, since Renée turns 30 on Saturday (happy birthday, sweetheart), I thought it would only be fitting to surprise her with something she’d never expect. Thursday night, her best friend Tiffany flew in from Houston and walked through the front door to surprise Renée with a much needed hug and much-needed company; she’s here with us until Sunday. Actually planned since early December, her visit comes at an opportune time to help us with everything.

Please everyone continue to appeal to our Father for His help in our time of need. We continue to appreciate all the support we’ve received from family and friends!

For those who don’t know, on Friday, January 11, around 11:50am, Renée, my brother Scott, Samuel, and I were involved in a car accident while heading westbound on Lomas right in front of the University hospital here in Albuquerque (I was driving). Someone traveling eastbound was attempting to turn left into the hospital parking lot by sneaking through two lanes of stopped westbound traffic, but we were in the right-lane, which was flowing freely. This person tried to cross and was too late for us to avoid hitting her, so we ended up t-boning the vehicle.

It’s our belief that our Toyota Camry gave up the ghost (the other driver’s car was worse); fortunately, though, everyone else is okay, save for myself; I have airbag “road-rash” burns on my neck and lower-right cheek, as well as some hearing loss in my left ear from the explosion of the airbag and the impact. Unfortunately, since Renée was 34 weeks pregnant, they took her and I to Presbyterian hospital in an ambulance for observation.

The trauma from the accident sent Renée into premature labor, five weeks early. So, after 20 hours of labor, at 8:39am January 12, 2008, Renée delivered naturally a beautiful, healthy, 5 lb. 10 oz., 17.5″ long……

Baby Boy!

So Noah Paul Horlbeck entered this world with a crash! Unfortunately, He is having some slight difficulties breathing and eating and is currently in the neonatal intensive care unit, so please continue to pray for his health. He’s already been there for a week; we’re praying it’s not much longer.

The Lord has provided for us in amazing ways this past week, so thank you again to everyone who has supported us so much during the traumatizing time—your prayers had everything to do with helping us through! Although we’re one car down, we’re one family member up and our spirits are high!

Check out Flickr for pictures. Check out Scott’s blog for another tantalizing version of the story.

After he went to bed, we made a ton of chocolate chip and toffee cookies, which we downed with a cold glass of milk… all while cuddling on the couch as we watched Amazing Grace blown up on our wall with the projector. It was a truly wonderful movie and a fun night altogether. One of our favorite quotes from the movie– John Newton: “Although my memory’s fading, I remember two things very clearly. I’m a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.” Amen!

Today we’re enjoying the last day of Mark’s vacation before it’s back to the grind. We hung out with some friends at Jen and Dan’s annual New Year’s Day gathering and that was really fun. I put an elk meatloaf together for dinner and now it’s time to bake some golden wheat bread. We’re rejoicing in the Lord’s goodness to us for 2007 and are excited to see what 2008 will bring. Happy New Year, everyone!

Homework! Oh, homework!
I hate you! You stink!
I wish I could wash you
away in the sink.
If only a bomb
would explode you to bits.
Homework! Oh, homework!
You’re giving me fits.
I’d rather take baths
with a man-eating shark,
or wrestle a lion
alone in the dark,
eat spinach and liver,
pet ten porcupines,
than tackle the homework
my teacher assigns.
Homework! Oh, homework!
You’re last on my list.
I simply can’t see
why you even exist.
If you just disappeared
it would tickle me pink.
Homework! Oh, homework!
I hate you! You stink!

(Written by: Jack Prelutsky)

I am now going to return to my wife and mother duties and rejoice in the fact that I’m done with school, hooray! Haha.

I tell him his hot cocoa tastes the best because he makes it with love. Well somehow lately the word “love” is synonymous with real whipping cream and sprinkles. Mark will ask if I want a cup of cocoa and I’ll say, “Yes please, and put a lot of love in it!” Well tonight he’s delivered, folks. Things got a mite crazy in the kitchen. As you can see from this picture, my cup overflows. I love you, honey! You bless me.

I also made a half apron, scalloped on the bottom edge, with a hand towel on one side (which I fastened with velcro). The apron was ivory with black ticking stripes and little red apples on it. With that pattern I learned how to make my own bias tape, which was much easier than I thought. It’s been really fun to try all these neat patterns and experiment with crazy fabric I’d probably never use on a skirt or dress. I would have posted a picture of this one too, but gave it away to a friend already.

For my next project, I think I’ll make a mother-daughter pattern of some sort. We’ll see. Lots of little girl dresses are calling my name too! The winter months bring more hot meals to my table, and with these aprons finished I’m ready to get cookin’!

Things are still pretty much going as they were.  Renée, Sammy and I had a lovely Thanksgiving in Houston with her family.  I can honestly say I haven’t been at that large of a table with that many family members before.  In addition, Sammy learned how to scale the slide at the playground and say the word, “Momma.”  Big news from this little boy!

I only have two more weeks of work until the winter break.  I’ve been trying to figure out what my break is going to look like this year and I think the word “break” describes it perfectly.  I’ve been working a lot as of late and I’m ready to do nothing except be with my family and relax.   (And, of course, I’m sure the occasional house project will creep up.  It always does.)

I’ll write more soon about a specific topic rather than this general one.  This is just to get this thing refreshed a little bit.  Until next time…

This came after our normal Bible time with Samuel.  Every night before Sammy’s bedtime, all three of us get together on the couch.  I read a chapter of Scripture and then we go around and repeat one thing that stood out to us as we listened to God’s Word.  (There’s the extra caveat that you have to remember something unique—so if it’s already been said, you better have something else!)  We go from youngest to oldest, with me as the reader last.  Samuel is always very happy to point to the picture of Jesus on the wall; Renée and I then discuss the things we remember.

Afterwards, we often sing a song or two, but then we always pray.  We thank the Lord for the blessings of the day and pray through our struggles.  We lift up our friends and family and trust God with our issues.  It’s a very relaxing and peaceful time to lay our burdens before the King and acknowledge His place in our lives.

Normally, Samuel sits still on my lap with his blanket over him while I pray.  But tonight, for whatever reason, he wanted to sit next to Mom.  I’m only a moment into our prayer—head slightly bowed, eyes closed—when I suddenly feel a pair of little lips upon mine.  I open my eyes and see Sammy smiling at me, only an inch from my face.  I thank him and we continue praying.  I keep one eye open and see him lean over and give Momma a kiss.  She thanks him too, and we continue praying, eyes closed.  (At least, Renée and I had our eyes closed.)

Suddenly, I feel a hand on my cheek push me in—and my lips meet my wonderful wife’s.  Sammy had also pushed in her face to mine!  We both giggled a little bit and pulled apart, only to be immediately pushed back together by Sammy, who had a huge smile on his face.  Again, we embrace then pull apart…

…only to be brought together by Sammy yet again!

This continued for several more kisses, and then we stopped praying with a hearty, “Amen”.  It was so sweet to have our little boy kiss us, but it was even sweeter to see him delight in Renée and I kissing.  So, we did indeed say, “Thanks,” both to our little cutie-pie, and to our own Dad.

Being that I’m working on two more vintage-style aprons, it just made me smile. I wear my aprons all the time. I have one for bread making day, which is thick and sturdy since I get super messy, and the others are just the thin cotton type. They sure keep my clothes from getting oil and butter stains on them (I was having some major splatter issues for a while there), and Mark tells me I look super cute wearing them over my dresses. (She shoots, she scores)! Here’s the quote:

“As the search for domestic bliss continues, a search that includes cleaning and decluttering, cooking tasty nutritious meals, educating children, and the care and feeding of husbands, women will celebrate the difference they make in the lives of their families. They know an apron is like a uniform that conveys authority, unconditional regard, and motherly wisdom all at once. Apron Moms know aprons are about cooking and cleaning but they are also about emotional availability, hospitality, and femininity.”

What can I say, I just love to serve with my apron on.

Today we had our third ultrasound (at 23 weeks) for baby #2. The lady who did it was sooo nice. She gave us eighteen pictures of our little sweetheart, instead of the usual four, and four movies too! The baby weighs 1 lb. 5 oz., is about a foot long, and is measuring right on track at 23 weeks (except for its belly, which is measuring 25 weeks). We are pretty sure this is because baby #2 takes after it’s grand-dads! Haha. Everything looks really great and healthy, praise the Lord. We definitely have another wiggle worm on our hands though… the baby was moving so much we had a bit of a hard time seeing its face, and it got the hiccups the same time that Samuel did! (Sammy and Daddy got to see the baby on the big screen too)! That was pretty entertaining to hear and feel.

When we got home, we compared Samuel’s 21-week sonogram with Baby #2’s 23 week sonogram. We are completely amazed at how much they look alike! See for yourself. Here’s Samuel:

Here’s Baby #2:

Another one of Baby #2, and his/her foot:

(Just so you know, the black spots you see in the pics are not holes/dents in the baby, but shadows from the baby’s arm on its face). We are so thankful to Jesus for a great appointment and a healthy baby. We can hardly wait to hold our little angel in our arms! And Sammy’s been kissing the baby in Mommy’s belly a whole lot lately, so he’s pretty excited too!

My mom tells the story of a man coming up to me at a picnic one day, and he says, “How old are you, 5?” Deeply offended, I respond “I’m in third grade, and I can READ!”

On the day of my senior prom I went with my mom to get my nails done. The manicurist says, “This sure is a special treat for such a young girl, not many 12 year olds get taken to have a manicure!” I was mortified. Here I am, hoping to look super hot on prom night, and she thinks I’m 12… Great.

It’s the summer of my junior year in college and I’m home on break. I go to the grocery store with my mom and wait next to her as she checks out. The manager rings us up and says to me, “It sure is nice that you’re helping your mom do the grocery shopping.” Yes, I say. “Maybe some day when you have your drivers license, you can do the shopping for her!” My mom about falls over laughing and asks him how old he thinks I am. “Oh, she can’t be more than 13!” I am in shock. My mom tells him, “She’s 22 and will graduate college next year!” His eyes bugged out of his head but I could tell he felt really bad. Geesh, get me outta this store already!

I’m 26 and working as a designer at OneCreative. All alone at the office one day, the UPS man drops a package off. When I go to sign for it, he hesitates and asks, “Is there someone else here who can sign for this package?” No, I say. Why can’t I sign for it? “Oh, you have to be 18 years or older,” he responds. What? I start laughing. I tell him how old I am and he does not believe me. I show him my wedding ring, tell him I’m 26, pay a mortgage, etc. He still does not believe me and won’t let me sign for the package. It’s not until I’m about to whip out my driver’s license that he concedes, although still skeptic… like his job is on the line if he gets caught letting a kid sign their name on this box. I can’t believe this! My bosses and I have a good laugh over it when they get back to the office.

It’s the weekend of our 5 year wedding anniversary, and Mark and I are vacationing in Scottsdale, AZ. We can’t find our way out of the hotel lobby and to the pools outside, so a concierge comes to help us out. He told us all about the 9 different pools and where they were located. He then described the “Mother of Pearl” pool with it’s fancy shell walls. But as he was talking about this particular pool, he got a funny look on his face, slowed his speech and said, “Well, the Mother of Pearl pool is really a pool for the adults, because they like to swim laps and be undisturbed, but any other pool you want to swim in is quite nice…. We’re thinking, are you kidding me!? Here I am, standing next to my hubby and looking pretty pregnant in my bathing suit, and he thinks we’re trouble-making teens! We decide to give him a break and laugh ourselves silly out at the pool.

That night, we’re dining out at Roy’s when the manager comes over to check on us. He asks if we’re celebrating anything special. “Why yes, it’s our 5 year wedding anniversary!” Mark says. The manager’s eyes bug out. “Five years! What, did you get married right out of high school!? You don’t look old enough to be married that long!” He about died with shock when we told him I was turning 30 this year.

The next morning Mark and I are filling out paperwork, about to have a fabulous massage. The girl sees I’m wanting a prenatal massage and asks if I’ve ever had one. “No” I say. “Oh, is this your first pregnancy?” she asks. I tell her, “Actually, it’s my third.” Shock ensues. She can’t believe it and thinks I look way to young to even be at child-bearing age.

So, I just laugh, and try to be thankful that I don’t look as old or older than I am! Because I know soon enough the gray hairs will come in and give it all away, and then people will be giving me the senior discount without even asking me how old I am. Hey, at least it makes for good stories!

We entered his room this morning singing the birthday song, when what did we find, but the most precious boy in perfect attire — his birthday suit! Yes, he had stripped off his PJs and his diaper during the night. (He was really ready to party down)! Since he loves balloons so much, we decided to have a balloon themed party today. Balloons floating in the kitchen, balloon plates and napkins, etc. He was squealing with delight and kept signing “more” every time he heard the birthday song.

Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Scott came over to celebrate with us. Mommy made chocolate zucchini cupcakes and Samuel had two star-shaped candles he tried to blow out. He is so precious (blowing more like he’s trying to warm his hands than get a good hard puff out for candles). He had such fun we did it twice!

Samuel had a blast playing with his new toys. We were quite impressed that in the last year he’s learned how to tear open the wrapping paper and get very excited at the party. He probably favors his lil “ready, set, go” cars and his sit and spin the most. How we wish they made those toys a lil bigger for the adults!

Samuel, you are Mommy and Daddy’s joy and delight. We are so blessed to call you our own. We love your silly faces, fun personality and tender heart. You already exhibit the joy of the Lord that we prayed for so earnestly. God is so good to us! We’re excited to see what this year will bring for you. We love you, our sweet and most precious son. Happy Birthday!

It also means that as it gets colder outside, we’ll eventually retire the bicycles for a season and find things to do inside. My favorites include sewing and reading of course! Right now I’m reading A Thousand Splendid Suns which is pretty good so far. And I’m onto my third vintage-style apron, too. I bought some really fun Michael Miller fabric called “Mrs. Perfect” that I think will be…. perfect! What a fun gift to give to friends who love to cook.

Another thing to love about fall? Long socks with crazy patterns. Target always has good ones.

I love the restfulness the fall and winter season brings. It gets dark by 5:30p.m. We tend to eat earlier and wind down for the evening. It’s so good to stop and rest. And after a long summer with many hours of yard work and feeling like you have to go, go, go until 9p.m., I’m ready for a bit of a break. The Lord is so good to give us seasons, and I’m rejoicing in all the fun fall things to look forward to!

Which leads me to two other blessings that I have experienced with my family. One is Bible time. Every night before Sammy goes to bed, we read a chapter out of the Bible and go around, youngest to oldest, and ask for one thing that each person remembers. Sammy is getting pretty good at remembering that we read about “Jesus” by pointing to the painting on our wall. Then, I get to hear also what Renée learned from the Scripture. We’ve read through almost the entire book of Psalms (only one week’s worth left) and it’s great to just remember a single thing from Scripture that God has impressed upon our hearts through the reading. For me tonight, it was the fact that we run to God so He can “hide” us from our enemies and our sin. What a neat concept! We then pray and thank the Lord for the day and ask Him to help us obey Him better. We all need as much help as we can get.

The second blessing is so fun: being together, the three (four) of us on the couch after we pray, and just loving on one another. Tonight Samuel kept putting his hand on my head and making me “bow” my head like I would when we pray. When I put my head down, I’d pull him toward me and start munching on his tummy, and he’d laugh like crazy! He also grabs my ears and makes me look like a monkey, and laughs. And there’s nothing quite so sweet as seeing him lean over and kiss the baby in Renée’s tummy.

As Renée was carrying him off to his crib tonight, he looked at me, waved, then smiled, and blew me a kiss. I tell you again, nothing is so sweet as the blessing the Lord has given me through my family.

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As far as baby #2 is concerned, things are going well so far (thank you to my faithful praying friends)! I’m feeling better these days and even managed to eat a little bit of chicken. I haven’t gained as much weight as I did with Samuel, and I’m waiting for my belly to grow a tad more so that my maternity pants fit! I feel like I’ve been in this weird middle stage for so long and wearing the same 3 outfits for weeks. My 3-D ultrasound appointment is in 2 weeks and we can hardly wait to see the little angel’s face. My mom has a strong feeling it’s a girl, but only time will tell! In the mean time, we can’t decide on a boy’s name to save our life.

We had a lovely Labor Day. A leisurely bike ride with Scott in the morning, a lil work around the house and in the yard, and the Horlbecks over for dinner that night. Sure makes it hard to go back to work! We are thankful for our parents who worked so hard to provide for us growing up, for the opportunities we have in this great country, for our great jobs, for the work the Lord has given us and that we can enjoy the fruits of our labor. God is good!