Ok - I know it's been a crazy long time since I blogged...and my journal is sitting on the desk with something I had hoped to write yesterday....but now, maybe Monday. However, I just learned how to edit the video clips I've uploaded...and I'm really hoping Grammy is able to view them. So, this is a test. (Yes, Grammy, I am still making you DVD's!)

Mom, (and anyone else who didn't see this on Facebook - Judith!) make sure your volume is on and just push the arrow button on the left, under the picture. It's not the best camera work...but I'll work on it! :)

what happened?

A few of you commented or asked me what happened when he tasted the onion - sorry to have left that out! He took two bites, and would have eaten more if I had let him! (Much like it sometimes takes us a while to realize we're biting off way more than the Lord wants us to be chewing...but that's another theme entirely. :))

On an unrelated note...I find it absolutely wonderful that my son not only hugged me this morning after waking up and as I said goodnight to him, but gently and repeatedly patted my shoulder as well. Brian and I are both the recipients of all sorts of expressions of love from Nathaniel lately, and we are loving every minute of it!

And now...GO BROWNS! I made a Brown & Orange themed dinner and dessert...and dessert (pumpkin chocolate chip cake) is still waiting. Mmmmm!

An Onion? Really?

Nathaniel has a new fascination - produce. Last Sunday, while Brian was sitting with Nathaniel as he snacked in his chair, I chopped some veggies for our dinner. His interest was peaked when I pulled a green pepper from the fridge. He began to sign "please" and nicely ask for the pepper. I explained how the pepper was for dinner and Brian tried to redirect his attention to the snack on his tray. It didn't work. He continued to ask for the pepper until I decided that he could go ahead and taste it. I knew he liked green pepper cooked in various dishes but I certainly expected that after one taste of the uncooked pepper he would promptly return it to me (by throwing it on the floor, most likely). Well, after one taste of the pepper...he took another...and then another...and then another! He ate away at that green pepper like it was an apple (for your orignial Iron Chef fans) until we asked for it back so that I could salvage some for dinner!
The produce adventure didn't stop there. Next, he wanted a mushroom. A raw, whole mushroom. He started at the top and ate all the way to the stem. While the stem was, shall we say, disapproved of, the rest of the mushroom was a big success!
His taste buds were once again vocalizing their curiosity a few hours ago as I chopped an onion. Yes, he wanted a bite of the onion. I tried to discourage him by allowing him to smell the onion. Cruel, I know, but not as cruel as allowing your son to eat the raw onion! Well, it didn't work. He insisted that the onion was an apple ("app") and continued to passionately sign "please" and point and grunt...and I continued to tell him that it was for dinner and offered him a variety of other things that I knew he would enjoy and were good for him. It wasn't that I didn't want to allow my son to have any of the onion...it's that I knew it would be better later, after it had been cooked in our dinner. We both continued our respective efforts...until I decided to let him have his way. So, I picked him up and handed him his "apple," fully prepared for spitting and crying. I knew that I would wash his hands once he was finished and offer him his cup of milk. And I knew that I did, in fact, have a better snack waiting for him.
As I washed his hands, my mind was immediately drawn to the spiritual parrallel my son had just illustrated for me. How often have I insisted that God give me a taste of something I wanted, but that wasn't in His plans for me at the time? How many times have I grunted and fussed at his intructions that something was "not for lunch, but for dinner" or, not for now, but for later? How often have I talked back to God until He decided to let me make my own choice, knowing He would be prepared to take care of me afterwards.
Lord, help me to remember that You have the best things for me, at the best times for me. Help me to trust that what you are offering me is best, instead of peering onto the "kitchen counter" for what else there might be. Help me to remember that You are a perfect heavenly Father.
"Chose my instruction instead of silver..." Proverbs 8:10
"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:9-11

Chilly Willy, The Next Generation

We had a fun evening with the neighbors, and Nathaniel visited the homes of the families we know. He is such an amazing, sweet, fun little man. Thank you, Jesus, for choosing us for him!

My pumpkin - then and now!

God is so good! Nathaniel is just as sweet as ever - laughing, learning and loving (oh how we enjoy the hugs and kisses!) more every day! I'll try to expound later. Right now...there is a bowl of ice cream with my name on it! :)

Purposed, Prayerful Parenting

The Holy Spirit certainly highlights various parts of the Word to us at various times in our lives, revealing new truths and teaching us new lessons. I'm contantly amazed by this. It's also so wonderful to see the Lord bring scriptures to life in a new way now that I'm a Mom. Hmmm...I've either already written that in a blog before, or I've been thinking it for quite some time...
A page in Nathaniel's "Story of Jesus" book tells about the little boy who gave his lunch to Jesus (John 6). Jesus took it, blessed it, multiplied it and miraculously fed 5,000 men, plus the women and children. I've been thinking about that mother who packed that lunch...she prepared her little boy to be a part of what Jesus was doing that day. She allowed him the opportunity to be where Jesus was, to listen to Jesus' teaching and to watch Jesus minister. She didn't hold him back. She didn't say, "No, son, that would interrupt my plans for today...." or "No, son, we are going to have a family day today..." She allowed him (perhaps she accompanied him, or perhaps she sent him) to be in the presence of Jesus. Brian and I are so blessed to have had parents who did the same. The took us to the house of God. The love the Lord, and taught us, through example, to do the same. They allowed us to pursue God's plans for our lives - even when the concept of "Master's Commission" was so very new and somewhat scary (thanks, Mom!) and even when it meant a move halfway across the country to be with the person God had ordained (thanks, Mom & Dad). May we always allow, provide, encourage the same opportunities for Nathaniel (and, of course, any siblings he may have. No, I'm not making an announcement. :)) We want Nathaniel to love the house of God, the people of God, the work of God, the heart of God and, of course, to obey the will of God. And...that isn't the only obedience that is vital...
I was reading in Romans 1 the last few days and was struck by something new (Thank You, Lord). In the second part of chapter 1, Paul writes, "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who supress the truth by their wickedness..."(verse 18). In the rest of the chapter, Paul explains the various "wickedness" he is talking about. Obviously, this is a list of things we would never want in our lives, the lives of anyone we know or care about and, certainly, not in the lives of our children. As he describes it, these are the behaviors of those who "....although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened." (verse 21). What struck me was 4 words in the middle of the list of offenses Paul mentions. "they disobey their parents;" (verse 30). Disobeying parents made the list of vile, sinful, destructive behavior. Teaching our children to obey us isn't just a matter of making our homes peaceful or our trips to Walmart as uneventful as possible. :) Teaching our children to obey us is directly related to their willingness to obey God and to live in His blessing and protection. From what I read here in verse 21, it can start with glorifying God, giving thanks to Him, and protecting our minds & hearts by festing on the Word of God - and doing everything within our ability to see that our children do the same. Help me, Lord.

My First Haircut!

We took Nathaniel for his first haircut this morning (note -this morning, before Mommy had any makeup on. But, he is so cute that I am still posting the pics!) He just needed a trim on his crown and a bit of evening in the back. We could have done it at home (or so I'm told by many of my confident-scissor-using friends) but we opted to go for the "chair experience" complete with booster seat and adorable apron. The woman cutting his hair owns the salon and is a believer. She is so sweet, and doesn't charge for the first cut. I told Nathaniel that her tip came out of his allowance. ;) They caught some of his hair in a little zip-lock, which then affixed to the fun certificate they gave him. So fun! Our little boy is growing up! And to answer your question, Sharon, we hear both opionions. Some of Mommy...some of Daddy. Of course, Brian and I see more of one another in him than we do ourselves. :)

ready for a nap!