First Swim!

Mark was away for a week helping with a Bible School reno project this past week.  In the mean time my Mom and sister and I took Adalyn swimming.  I tried so hard to get her to have a nap before we left so she would be refreshed and ready, but she didn't want to so we started off with a tired little girl.  I was concerned that she would be so tired she wouldn't enjoy it, but Jesus didn't tell us not to worry for nothing!  So often what we worry about doesn't happen anyway which was true in this case.  Adalyn had fun in the change room before we went out, however once we came out into the pool area she was quite unsure.  I stood her up in the shallow water thinking maybe she would like to walk in, but that didn't work.  She clung to us for the first little while until we found a ball and got her distracted.  She slowly warmed up to her new surroundings and by the end she was really having a great time!  We all had a pretty great time in fact!  There were only about 3 other families there which was really nice especially for her first time.  It made it just a little less overwhelming.  She's not a big fan of crowds of people to begin with, never mind in a completely strange setting.

Dried off and happy after a good swim.

Chopping trees

We chopped down all the trees around our house!  Now we can see out of our windows!  We're not sure what we're going to do now.  How do you get multiple stumps out of the ground??!!  Any good suggestions out there?  I would love to plant some smaller shrubs around the side of the house, but stump removal must come first and that task seems a bit daunting.  These trees will probably grow up again in sort of a bushy manner and we could just trim them so that they are stay under the window height, but not sure about that... They are really nice trees and turn beautiful colors in fall, but to have them so close to the house isn't necessarily ideal.

BEFORE

AFTER

 I didn't get any pictures of the process unfortunately, but here is Adalyn supervising... 

 And a truck load of logs for wiener roasts this summer!

Thanking God for GREAT Grandpas!!

A week ago we celebrated my Dad's birthday.  Adalyn helped Grandpa blow out his candles...

 

From the birthday party we hurried off to celebrate Easter with the other side of the family.  There Adalyn played piano with Grandpa...

 Singing her heart out!  Up and coming piano player?  I'd say!  Look at that form!

 

A very happy day!

I've been waiting so long for this day and it finally came!  This was 2 weeks ago already, but I must record it!  My sister is finally here!  She met Adalyn for the first time on March 21, 2012!  For me that was such a great feeling and it looked and seemed so right!  I am SO excited to see her again!  She's been gone for a long time and life kind of feels normal that way after a while.  You get used to a long distance relationship and chatting on skype rather than in person, but boy do I notice how much I actually miss her when she comes back!  Though skype is a marvelous invention, there is nothing quite like giving your sister a real hug and having her sit beside you on the couch!

  

On the move...

It started off this way...

 

Pretty soon it was on to this...

 Then this...

 

Getting pretty confident now...

And then finally after all that accomplished she learned to crawl...

and pull herself up...

And now she can go pretty much anywhere she pleases...

Yup, she's going places and making all sorts of discoveries!  Time for Mommy to start baby proofing a bit better...

 

Fun in the sun with Mum

This was a couple of weeks ago already -- from the last week in March unbelievably!!  It was such a lovely day!  I spent an hour or two outside cleaning up some leaves and such and Adalyn joined in the fun!

  

 Her hat and shoes didn't stay on long!

 

Pausing for a photo shoot...  Do I have to Mom?

 Taste testing leaves.  What are these things anyway?!

He will make all things new!

So I've been doing some pondering lately.  We had a service at church on Good Friday, and though I'm sure most people did not get this idea from the service, it must have been something God wanted to remind me of because I have been thinking and praying about it since. I'm not even sure how to put it into words, but I have been longing for Jesus to come and restore the earth and make all things new.  A drama was done during the service telling the story starting from Creation, how Adam and Eve sinned and God's plan to send Jesus to redeem and save His people.   A beautiful slide show was put together to depict creation and there was slide after slide of stunning creatures, flowers, birds, skies and so on.  

I was carried away to a world in which everything was perfect.  Just the way God designed it to be.  Where God and Adam and Eve enjoyed each others company in the gorgeous garden of God.  There is no way I can describe how beautiful and amazing it must have been.   

Then Adam and Eve sinned.  I sinned.  We cut off our relationship from God who is the only source of all things good and loving.   

But then came HOPE.   One day it will be perfect again.  Though I have sinned, Jesus made a way for me (us) to join in that perfection!!!  What incredible grace!  I just can't get over it!!!   I can't wait for Jesus to come back and for all to be perfect again.  I can't wait for the ultimate unity between all of us.  'For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.' 1 Cor. 13:12

I fear the responsibility of raising Adalyn in such a cruel world.  She is so innocent and beautiful as a baby, but yet still corrupted by a sinful nature and living in a sinful world.  As I was thinking about these things, God reminded me once again of his grace.   When God created the earth and made Adam and Eve in the beginning, he had a perfect plan of how families would look and designed them just perfectly.  When Adam and Eve sinned that was all crushed.  

Then I saw how when parents teach their children about God and we pass down the wonders and truths of God to our children, we see just a tiny glimpse of how God intended for it to be.  I saw the difference of families in our world where God's standards were valued and lifted high and where all that was cast to the wayside.  We still face trails, temptations, and hardships because we live in a sinful, fallen world, but we have hope. I'm having a really hard time describing my thoughts, but I was sitting there playing the piano during the singing, praising God for my godly parents who taught me the ways of God so I can pass it on to my children.  

'One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.  

I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
And on Your wondrous works.

Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,
And I will declare Your greatness. 

They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness,
And shall sing of Your righteousness.'

Psalm 145: 4-7 

And so for now, I will tell Adalyn of God's wonders and mighty acts.  Of God's greatness and goodness.  Of how He has made a way for her to be free and live in relationship with Him.  And by God's grace, our little tiny corner of the world will be just a little bit better.  I am far from a perfect mother, but for now I will hold onto this hope that one day all will be restored to the way God designed it to be from the beginning where we will walk with him in paradise, in that beautiful Garden in the city of God. 

'And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Rev. 21:5