Baby Bump watch

Here's baby #4, now 32 weeks along. He's letting me keep wearing my regular pants, but delivers quite a powerful kick to the ribs!

Fearfully and wonderfully made

A few weeks ago we learned that our little Ammo has very little hearing in both ears. The reasons are still unclear, and we're in the midst of seeing specialists to try to restore her hearing. We are so thankful to know why she has had so much trouble learning to walk (she hasn't taken her first step yet) or talk (she hasn't said her first word yet), and hopeful that we'll be able to help her.

Now that we've plunged into the world of hearing loss, we've had reason to study up on the ear. "Fearfully and wonderfully made" takes on new meaning when one looks closely at any aspect of creation, and especially at the human body. And Ammo's ears are no exception: they are made to function exactly as her Creator intended.

One of our explicit desires for our children, toward which we pray and train and educate, is that their lives will be maximally effective in building God's Kingdom. The other, more important prayer, is that God would be preparing their souls for heaven. We trust that Ammo's ears are part of His plan to answer both of these prayers!

Blizzard watching

Who needs a TV when you have big windows in Kansas?

Yes, that is a swimsuit Miss B is wearing, as if to taunt Old Man Winter. Believe it or not, there was lightning and thunder in the midst of this blizzard which dumped 5-6 inches of snow, transforming our bleak December day into a winter wonderland.

Blame it on the rain...

Freezing rain, that is. An ice storm knocked out our network and it took a while for our friends in India to help us get back online... so sorry for the extended absence!

Baby, it's cold outside!

But that didn't stop us from participating in an Emporia tradition... the annual Christmas parade! Bundling up in five layers of our warmest clothes, we braved the cold to watch as half the city paraded through downtown and the other half lined the streets. Everyone from preschool tots to rest home residents took part, walking, marching, or riding in various floats and cars, and even a motorized armchair! Nathan has a new set of heroes and now switches off being a fireman, tractor man, or marching band drummer (oatmeal cartons and tinker toys make great drums!). Julia felt very special because all those people were waving right at her. It was a fun night, and despite requiring 24 hours to thaw out afterwards, I'd do it all again.

An interesting trend

This post, by Al Mohler, is well worth taking a few minutes to read, and a few more to ponder the implications... My #1 rule in Christmas shopping this year was "it cannot require batteries," and I was amazed how many kid gift options were immediately ruled out!



http://www.almohler.com/blog_read.php?id=1062