A Smooch for Heavy

I have to share this cute Claire moment.  Just as I finished the previous post, I watched her approach Henry as he played in his bouncy seat.  She said, "I wanna give Heavy a smooch" (Heavy is her name for Henry for reasons unknown to us).  So she pulled the pacifier out of his mouth and leaned in for a kiss, but he started to fuss, so she put the pacifier back in his mouth and said, "Oh, I'm sorry Heavy.     Here ya go.  You ok?"  She patted his head and walked away.  I love my kids.

Here's a couple pictures from earlier this month of Claire holding "Heavy".

Is it just me or does Henry look worried? 

Claire on the other hand, doesn't have a care in the world. 

They are quite the duo.

{ Thankful }

Well, this post is a few days late, but regardless, I wanted to finish up last week's series on Thankful Thoughts.  So while we have so much more to be thankful for, here is our final { Thankful } post for the year.

Today, we are thankful for our home.

Here's a glimpse of our home as the kids must see it.

{ Thankful }

Today, we're thankful Joe's been fortunate enough to be in a career he finds both enjoyable and meaningful.

No, this isn't Joe standing by the school sign.  It's a Lincoln impersonator that visited the school - but you probably could have figured that out on your own.

  

We're also thankful for the four years Joe's worked at the Grand Rapids Press.  Even though he just works there when his school is on break, they've been good to him because they appreciate him and his work.  With all the changes they're making with Michigan newspapers, they actually wanted him full time, but he's happy at the school, and he's so close to finishing his Masters in Education, so he chose to say good-bye to the Press.  It's been a good run.  

I should also add that I'm grateful for my job.  And while the pay is terrible, it's totally worth it.  I'm still trying to figure out, though, who the boss around here really is! 

{ Thankful }

"And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.  For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace.  And always be thankful.  Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise.  Use his words to teach and counsel each other.  Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.  And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father."  Colossians 3:15-17

{ Thankful }

Today, we're thankful for the love of our family.

2 Children * 6 Parents * 6 Grandparents * 6 Brothers and Sisters *

3 Nieces, 1 Nephew and 1 Bun in the Oven * 13 Aunts and Uncles * 26 Cousins *

Our prayer today is to be a vessel of the love that is poured out on us,

so that we can, in turn, love others as we ought to.

{ Thankful }

Today, we're thankful for the gift of health and for the medical professionals that help us be healthy.

This year we think especially of Henry and all the people who have cared for him. 

This is a picture of Henry's bravery beads. 

Each bead represents a different test or procedure he underwent during his stay in the hospital.  A beautiful reminder of how much he has endured and how strong he has become. 

This afternoon we met with Dr. Uitvlugt, who once again looked at Henry's incision.  He's been watching it closely because the patch that holds his abdominal muscles together is beginning to poke its edge out of the hole that has formed in the center of the incision.  The good news we received today was that Dr. Uitvlugt feels Henry is ready to have his third, and hopefully final, surgery, which would be to remove the patch.  The surgery is set for December 27th.  While we hate for Henry to have yet another surgery, we're eager to move beyond it.  Just in time to start fresh with a new year!

{ Thankful }

Today, we're thankful for friendships that enrich our lives. 

In particular, we are grateful for "Uncle Pauly"

and the opportunity we have to visit with him this week. 

For those of you who don't know Paul, he is Joe's best buddy who now lives in the sunny state of California.  Speaking as a wife, I thank God my husband has such great friends who encourage him personally and spiritually.  Not to mention Claire, who absolutely adores him.  Can a 2 year old have a crush?  Seeing Claire fawn over Paul, I think there's a strong chance of it.   

Here's Joe and Paul raking leaves - well that's what they said they were doing.  It looks to me like they're having some sort of Strong Man Competition, which I'm pretty sure Claire came out the champion.

{ Thankful }

Today, we're thankful for the freedom and the

opportunity to gather as a body of believers.

 

Here's the kiddos this morning before we left for church.

It's been almost two years since Joe and I began attending Madison Square Church.  We've been challenged, and we've been changed.  It's taken us a long time to commit to Madison because it's so different than any other church we've been to, but now that we have committed to it, I wouldn't want it any other way.  We're grateful to have found such a wonderful church family, and we're thankful for Pastor Dave's leadership. 

Pastor Dave Beelen

For those of you who may be interested,

the following is a statement of beliefs our church holds to. 

Everyone has beliefs. But why are beliefs important? Everyone believes certain things about life and the way it works. Are beliefs important because what we believe identifies who we are? Could we say that our beliefs drive our values? Our values drive our expectations. Our expectations drive our actions. Our beliefs influence everything about who we are and what we do and don't do. They become a foundation for everything in our lives. But can beliefs simply be wrong? If the builders of a skyscraper believe that it doesn't matter if half of the foundation is on rock and the other half on sand, does it matter how strongly they believe it?

What do you believe?  This is what we believe...

The Bible is the inspired, authoritative Word of God and our only guide for faith and living.

2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness"

Jesus Christ is fully divine; a person must trust him alone as Savior in order to have eternal life.

Acts 4:10 "Then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed."

Because God is sovereign and rules over all His creation, we recognize no split between the 'sacred' and the 'secular'.

Psalm 24:1 "The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;" Genesis 1:28 "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'"

The Holy Spirit gives gifts to each believer. All of these biblical gifts are still available and in operation today.

1 Peter 4:10 "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms."

Reconciliation (repaired relationships) is at the heart of the Gospel and is, therefore, not an optional truth or practice.

2 Corinthians 5:18 "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation"

We acknowledge the priesthood of all believers.

1 Peter 2:9-10 "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

The church is above all, a community of believers, called to be the body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12 "Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ."

Christ has commissioned His church to make disciples of all people.

Mathew 28:16-20 "Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'"

"Belly Button" Song

Henry, this is for you buddy!  

Monthly Milestones

Henry, you are 6 months old!

You've grown so much in this past month, both physically and developmentally. 

Physically, you are very healthy.  This morning you went to the pediatrician for your 6 month check up.   You've grown 2" in the last two months, and you now weigh 15 lb.  Long and lean. 

Also, you had your check up with the surgeon a couple weeks ago.  While the hole in your incision remains open, he was very pleased with how it's held up.  If we can keep the opening free from infection until you are 8 months old, he hopes to remove the patch all in one final surgery.  We'll be meeting with him again next week to set a date for the surgery. 

 

Developmentally, you're alert and active.  In fact, the physical therapist from Early On checked in with you last week and was very pleased with your progress.  You're doing better with tummy time, and you're playing perfectly for a 6 month old.   She even mentioned that both verbally and socially, you have exceeded expectations.  She joked that by next month, you'll be speaking in sentences. 

Henry, you've been through so much these first six months of life, and yet you are truly the happiest person I know.  We love you so much and look forward to what these next six months will bring!   

Walking

 { Celebrating the Final Days of Fall }

A Sticky Situation

"What happened to Henry?"

That's the first thing I thought to say when I found Henry like this:

Well, it's not too tough to figure out what happened. 

Our sweet daughter was making her brother, "so beautiful".

Sorry Henry.  I'm afraid you have years of this to look forward to.

Halloween {Part II}

What a great weekend!  Here's some snapshots of our Halloween visits with family.

First stop on Saturday was at Great Grandpa and Grandma Sternberg's house. 

They win the prize for the most unique Halloween giveaway: a 40 lb. hurricane lamp stand.  (Don't worry - They had plenty of chocolate, too!)

Also, they win the prize for the most ironic book to be found. 

Here's Joe reading it: "I AM JOE'S BODY". 

Next stop: Great Grandma Haverdink. 

She wins the prize for having the most toys in the smallest space.

Our final destination for the day was Grandpa and Grandma Sternberg's house.  Here's my attempt at getting a picture of the kids in their costumes.  As mentioned in a previous post, Andrew's a bit camera shy.  Well, this picture says it all!

Grandpa wins the prize for the best story time,

and Grandma wins the prize for the funnest trick-or-treat game.

Sunday we visited the Puplis'.  Grandma was busy making pizzas at their shop, but we were able to visit with Grandpa, Great-Grandma, and of course, our four-legged friend, Bailey.  They win the prize for the most creative cooks in the kitchen, and consequently they also win the prize for the best bean soup.  Yum! 

On Monday, we closed out the Halloween season with Grandma Rosen (Grandpa had to work late) and Great Grandma and Grandpa Nash.  Another fun evening!  Great Grandma and Grandpa win the prize for best trick-or-treating neighborhood. 

And Grandma Rosen wins the prize for best trick-or-treating partner. 

She didn't even try to take any of Claire's candy.

Unlike myself, who tried relentlessly, but faced strong opposition. 

She's one tough princess!

**Prizes awarded do not indicate anything worth monetary value.  They are purely superficial.  But we love you all, nonetheless!

Halloween {Part I}

The kids in costume:

Claire as a princess and Henry as Tigger

A couple pics of our pretty, pretty princess:

[I'll try to post pictures of our weekend festivities soon.]