God's providence

A favorite quote on providence that we used on our wedding invitation and also is framed on the wall in our bedroom.

.......God's providence. As usual the other evening John and and I were on the couch watching an episode on Neflix (I think this time it was Bones). I love our quiet evenings together once the kids are down for the night, the toys are picked up, everything is tidy, the day's work is done, and I can relax and enjoy some adult time with my husband :-). When we watch the pause button gets hit a lot (true story, since I like to prop my feet up on the coffee table I've gotten quite good pausing the tablet with my big toe. I'm sure any readers really wanted to know that, haha) and anyways this time we were  discussing a trial we are in the midst of and got into a good talk on God's providence. It was encouraging and helpful to me, so I thought I'd post what I remember here to come back and look at for a reminder in the future when I am feeling discouraged by life.

What we mainly talked about was our past singleness. Not everybody knows this, but John and I met online in December of 09 through a Christian singles site. I had kind of been pushed out of my comfort zone to put up a profile and John saw it and messaged me right away. We talked a little, but his circumstances overwhelmed me at the time, I realized I was not ready for that, and wisely told him right away. John asked if we could still be friends, and I agreed. What followed was over the next couple years we messaged each other every couple months, asked how the other was doing, sometimes messaged about a particular post on facebook, but in general kept up with the other one's life in a friendly way. There was nothing at all romantic about the relationship though I confess the thought of us marrying someday was kind of there in the back of my mind from time to time. Those years were plain old hard ones, sure plenty of happy memories, but very hard as the Lord had a lot to teach me about being a Christian, life, communication, etc, etc. Let's just say we both agreed that we were very glad we had not married when we first met each other. It would have been hard, harder than it is now for sure, and neither of us was ready. The Lord had a lot to teach us as singles before He started teaching us as married people!

Yet as we could see all that, we saw the Lord's kindness is letting us get to know each other enough to be comfortable together very quickly when we actually met in person. What we realized later too was that neither of us talking to anyone else in the same way. John was the only man I was messaging with, and although he talked with a number of other women in his search for a wife, I was the only woman he was writing to somewhat regularly, and he didn't have that kind of relationship with anyone else.

It truly is so comforting to me to look back and be able to see God's hand and how He has worked out details in our lives in a perfect way. Yes, there are still questions I don't have the answers to as to why the Lord has, and is allowing certain things, but I know that He is doing all things well. Hence my writing all this down to remind myself next time I am all stressed and forget this lesson. That happens regularly by the way. It's comforting too as I look at our church situation and the difficulty we have been through with that (though things are better than they were. I'll have to post on that eventually), to know God has a plan, to see problems in the family and to know that again God has a plan in that and most likely someday we'll see the good in it!

 Every creature is that to us which God makes it to be, and from him our judgment proceeds. As we must see the events that shall occur in the hand of God, so we must see the hand of God in the events that do occur, and acknowledge him with thankfulness when we have reason to call it his good hand.

Caroline said

"I'm so pretty," Randomly one day as we were walking down the stairs. She's so humble. Sigh.

I wanted to get my hair trimmed and mentioned that I needed to ask Grandma about getting it done. Later when talking to Grandma we found out that Caroline had already gone and set it all up for us,and Grandma had already planned on it. Ooookay.

Caroline working on her second catechism question, "The word of God which is containers in the old and new testaments...." Lol. 

Caroline assured me that wolves eat hay. Not little girls.

Watching a video with a crying baby, "Mama look, she has crying stuff on her cheeks. Little drips. I get that when I cry too!"

"Yes Caroline, those are tears."

Me, "You're a good helper, Caroline."
Caroline, "Thank you, Mama. That's very nice of you."

"Mama, I found a nail. It's in my tummy now."
Me (slightly panicky), "Where did you find it? What did it look like? Where is it?"
Caroline, "It was on my thumb. Now it's in my tummy."
Me (after recovering from mini heart attack), "Don't bite your fingernails, Caroline."
Sigh, life with toddlers. ...

Caroline climbed on my back and was trying to ride me when I was down on the floor with the kids. 

"Caroline, be careful.  You don't want to break me."

Caroline, " Oh! Then you would be trash!"

Thanks, Caroline. 

New dining room table

It was a beautiful warm day out.

We had a food adventure in the van for lunch.

I moved so fast to get a picture when I saw this.

Don't be deceived by these sweet little faces. This was on the way to Osh Kosh. On the way home we had misbehaving and crying the whole times

We were so happy to find the solid wood table and chairs that we wanted on craig's list for a third of what we would have paid new.

Just what we wanted! And there are 2 leaves and 2 more chairs in storage for now.

The old table is in the playroom for coloring, puzzles, games, play doh, etc.

First dinner at our new table.

Duke and his bear

15 months old

My baby is 15 months old. I'm not sure how much longer I can call him my baby, but for now he doesn't know the difference so I'll enjoy it. Anyways it's a lot nicer than what his sister calls him. Her nickname for him is, my smushy little potato, lol. To her credit it is kind of a compliment since she loves smushed potatoes (mashed potatoes). 

Luke is big and still hanging onto his baby chubbiness. I think it makes him look younger with the chubby baby cheeks :-). He wears 18 months clothes and walks everywhere now.

Sleep is going well. So well in fact that the other day it hit me that I no longer have to wear something nursing friendly to bed! I don't even remember the last time I fed him at night. It did take a couple nights of training/crying for a few minutes, but was so worth it. We still nurse three times a day, before naps, and bed, but I honestly think if I stopped offering he would wean himself very quickly. We're continuing because it is good for his immune system in the winter, and because mama is sentimental and has mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, looking forward to not being pregnant or nursing, on the other hand, feeling very sad about those things. It's complicated! Going back to eating, Luke eats 3 meals and 2 snacks every day. None of them are very big though. He loves bananas, oatmeal cookies, pizza, chocolate, and is very into being given a bigger thing like a sandwich to eat by himself.

Probably the most difficult thing with Luke is communication. Haha, I should say with just about anyone not just Luke,  but what I mean is he doesn't talk and trying to communicate wants and needs can be very frustrating. The odd thing is he could talk. He randomly says words very well, then will refuse to repeat them! He does say, uhon, unn-unn for yes and no which is very helpful. The word he says the most is God. He loves to be asked, who made you Dukie? Probably because we praise him so much for it!

What Luke does if he is not happy. Child has a temper and gets frustrated very easily.

Luke's schedule now is -
Get up about 7, breakfast,  crib time,  nurses,  and nap from 8:30-10:30.
Get up,  snack of crackers,  play till lunch at 11:30. Play downstairs,  nurses, then nap at 1.
Get up at 3-3:30, snack, play, hang on mom's leg and cry while she makes dinner. 

Dinner at 5. Then family worship and play till 7 when we nurse and go to bed.
And there's a look at Luke's last month.

Valentines Day

We don't really do much at all to celebrate valentines day, or make any kind of big deal out of it. Last year we used it as an excuse to make a yummy special dinner, this year it was my excuse to make a good dessert! And by the way,our "celebrating" was done on Saturday the 13th, but I had to include this weather photo!

Dessert after we ate.

And before it was cut.

Our dinner, a big ham and provolone sub, and broccoli salad.

I told John I would rather have cheese than flowers so he brought me home this :-)
10 year old cheddar is a very special treat around here. Thankfully the kids don't like it, so more for us, haha.

Courtship anniversary

"He hath made all His promises good to me and hath filled up all the blanks with His own hand."

Samuel Rutherford

Today I am thankful for John and our marriage. Four years ago this morning I got an email from John asking me if I would be interested in a courtship. To be perfectly honest, I knew in my heart even before that email came that John was the one, and had spent quite a bit of time in prayer for the Lord's guidance, and contentment with what He chose to do. But I'm thankful to report that He did bring us together and in a few months we'll have been married for four years. God is good. Marriage, and our circumstances are not always easy, or even pain free, but I'm thankful to be making this journey and serving the Lord with my best friend and hope He gives us many more years together.

"The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad."

Psalm 126:3

Four years ago

Remembering first meeting John four years ago. I'm thankful the Lord brought us together, and thankful for our time together.heart emoticon

Caroline said

Caroline, "Mama, can I have dinner with Grandma tonight?"
Me, "Did she ask you?"
Caroline, "No, but she will."

When we were having the Pastoral prayer at church and Pastor Hartley used a phrase first from her catechism question, then one from the one Hunter is learning, and Caroline leans over and whispers the catechism question in my ear. She's listening in church! Mom's heart is encouraged :-)

Caroline recently realized if she wants a thing she can ask for it as a birthday present (no guarantees it will happen, though I'm good with the soccer ball and tea set she has asked for so far). However yesterday she asked for tuba. I said, no. Emphatically, I might add.
"Why, mama?"
Me, "Because it would drive me crazy."
Caroline wisely accepts my answer, but replies, "I would just play it when you are gone shopping."
We had a similar conversation about cymbals as well.
Not happening!

Old pictures

I thought it would be fun to share a few old pictures of me to compare to Caroline and Luke!

Yes, this is what it sounds like.....

Watching our wedding

Today I let Caroline watch our wedding video (the not very good quality online version, we still haven't gotten our wedding dvd), she greatly enjoyed, and being Caroline had plenty of commentary.
"But where is our cute, chubby Yiney? We didn't have her yet?"
"Awww, she's so cute."
Me, "Who is cute?"
"You are, Mama!"
"Awww look, Daddy is smiling.
Awwww...""Awww, they kissed. I love kissing."

Randomness

 A conversation between John and I,
Me, "Remind me why we live in such a cold place?"
John, "I was born here, it isn't my fault!"
LOL.

Caroline recently told me she wanted to get married. I was confused, then later found out that Grandma had promised her the strawberry dish she loves once she get married. She's also very much likes the idea of getting a pretty ring.

Caroline has been very into the idea of a sister lately. Yesterday when I got her up from her nap she told me, "I want to trade Dukie for Rosie (Caillou's little sister), I want a sister instead!"
I had to break it to her that we were keeping her brother, lol.
Then the other day she told me we were going to get a little sister, it would share her crib with her, and we would name it, Anna. Lol, I don't know where all that came from! But for the record --- I am not pregnant!

January days

Duke loves to cook!

Grandma got Caroline a tutu!

Making chicken fried rice for dinner - yum!

When you turn your back on the baby and the pile of clean clothes for just a minute. ..

It's so much fun to dive in the pile of blankets when mom changes sheets.

Luke says, good morning.

Watching a video of his cousins.

My goodwill find from this morning - a Melissa and Doug magnetic dress up doll. Caroline loves it!

Before bed time "swuggles."

I love that Luke actually plays now and doesn't always need entertaining.

Watching a video with Daddy.

My dollar store addition to the playroom.

Messy Duke.

First playdough.

Books and swings.

Making a grocery list like mom.