memorial day weekend

why is sissy such a late sleeper???

ammy with her girls

the 4 of us

so thankful to be a mommy!

33 and counting

today has been a day of blessings and surprises. God has blessed me with a wonderful, kind husband and thoughtful family and friends. the gospel is so far-reaching in giving us more than we deserve in every area of life.

i'm reminded today that i am perishing. not a very happy thought, but true, nonetheless. my outward self is wasting away day by day (2 cor 4.16). so today i wanted to finish listening to this challenge from carolyn mahaney to remind me of true beauty. i can't avoid crows-feet, spider veins, gray hair and all the other things that come w/ aging. but i can avoid allowing my inner self to waste away too. i don't lose heart as the years pass b/c i can have a beauty that never fades - the beauty of fearing the Lord (prov 31.30) and possessing a gentle and quiet spirit (I pet 3.4). so today, by God's grace, i purpose anew to use this next year of my life growing in an inner beauty that is very precious in His sight.

(no photos showing my crows feet and well-hidden gray hair (i guess some things can be avoided!) are available since i'm on a borrowed computer while mine is being worked on.)

hope in this life AND the next!

"If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead" (I Cor 15.19,20)

Jesus, is Lord! The tomb is gloriously empty! Not even death could crush this King of love! The price is paid, the chains are loosed and we're forgiven! And we can run into the arms of God!

they're growing up whether i like it or not

Since I've never been a scrapbooker, we've always used the blog as a baby book of sorts so we have record of our girls milestones and growth. With three trips to Ohio in March and just the general busyness of life, I am behind on tracking what my girls have been doing. This is what I could quickly think through in the past minutes:

Ruby at 9 months:
clapping
regular crawling (as opposed to the army crawling that stelly did)
pulling herself up
a lot of hair (enough for a whale spout)
learning to obey, although not w/ a happy heart
no teeth yet
very determined (knows what she wants and will stick w/ it until that goal is obtained or her goals are "redefined" by us)
very physical (doesn't enjoy just sitting and watching baby einstein - wants to be on the go)
strong (the day she was born the nurse was bathing her and said, "she is so strong!" that trend has definitely continued. for a little peanut, she is quite the brut (meant in the most feminine way possible, of course!)
waving
says ba-ba, ma-ma, and da-da


stelly at 3 1/2:
memorizing Scripture so quickly (not unique to her since most kids memorize quickly) but trying to pack in all i can and will allow God to "unpack" it in His time (this year we've learned portions of john 1, I cor 13, and are currently almost done w/ some of matthew 28 on the resurrection)
helper (setting table, making bed, cleaning up toys, throwing away diapers, quite detailed and organized in her cleaning - her dollhouse is neater than our real house)
growing into a good big sister (playing w/ ruby, reading to her, singing to her, helping her to obey)
still loves loves loves books
memorizing songs w/ mommy (Amazing Grace and Jesus, Thank You are the 2 most current)
knows books of Old and New Testaments (we both still struggle through the minor prophets though)
loves music and makes up words to classical music (love to hear how she doesn't compartmentalize her life - truths about God are mixed in with practical things like going potty, playing at the park and taking care of her dolls)
brushing her own teeth, dressing herself and putting her shoes on by herself (even the right feet now most of the time!)
loves doing school with mommy
into my little pony, playing kitchen, games, being a good mommy to her babies, and cinderella
sensitive little thing (quick to ask me to forgive her for wrongs and quick to ask me if I need to ask HER forgiveness for something)
has memorized 30 some questions in her catechism

I'm cherishing these days with my girls (most of the time, anyway!). They are precious gifts from God. Will never have this time again w/ them and pray that I will make the most use of this season of our lives for God's glory.

tubby fresh from the tub

she turned 9 months old on tuesday...as long as it took her to grow in my belly. have i mentioned how thankful we are for this good gift from God?! :)

do you love the church?

was listening to this message this AM since i was trying to provide some input for a friend who is speaking on the topic of serving in the church. back in 2004, this message helped me really get biblical roots for why i serve the Lord and start to get my mind around the concept that the local church is the center of what God is doing and how He's working in the world today. pastor doran rocked the topic to the glory of God!

we can have lots of good fun that is funny

today is dr. seuss' bday. this morning we made a trip to barnes and noble to do some extra dr. seuss reading and then this afternoon made our own cat's hat. i drew the line at having green eggs and ham for dinner. there can be too much of a good thing! :)

last week ruby turned 8 months old! we love our tubby and the way God made her. she is as assertive and opinionated as stelly is timid and sensitive. we love it and plead for wisdom as we train our very different girls!

her game's hardcore (in so many ways!)

her duty becoming her delight

a few months back after stelly very transparently informed me of her dislike for her sister, i knew i had to be more intentional about having their very different worlds intersect. so, at the beginning of this year i instituted a way i thought stelly could show love to ruby and try to condescend to and serve her then 6 month old ways. it has been exciting to see their relationship develop more, especially just within the past 2 weeks. stelly is really starting to enjoy rubes, and of course, ruby adores her big sister.
it brings my heart such joy hearing their little giggles in ruby's room when they play. this morning i walked in and saw this sight. it was so funny i had to get a picture of it. no, they aren't reenacting the wizard of oz...they're just playing under ruby's crib. a new favorite game. too funny.

as always, God used stelly's need for grace to convict me of my own need to grow in love for others. so, God is very patiently helping us sinners in the owen household learn to live together in peace.

valentine's days past and present

ruby at 7 1/2 months - feb 2009

stelly at 6 1/2 months - feb 2006 (she was so sick with the flu)

stelly with her cinderella sucker from ammy and appy

our thumbprint heart cards - so fun to make but...

after scrubbing our thumbs to death, they are STILL red!!

There was nothing wrong with it

This past week my grandpa, Jerry Neuhart, turned 72. I kept thinking about what God has done in his life over those decades. One story stuck out in my mind. It's a story evidencing forgiveness and grace and I kept praising the Lord for it through the tears of the week as grandpa's physical state declines.

My mom was pregnant with me and knew she wasn't going to marry my dad. As she talked to her dad about it, she expressed concern because she didn't know what my last name would be. My grandpa said, "Well, what's wrong with Neuhart?" That simple question showed grace and extended forgiveness after several months of a strained relationship with her. And that's what my last name was for 26 years and I was proud to have it.

Taken during our visit this past weekend

Me, my mom and gramps taken in the early 80s

tubby and cinderstelly

this is cinderstelly ready for the ball!

tubby (ruby's latest nickname from her crazy parents) is 7 months old!

Perseverance

Although I've posted this before, I was reminded of the truths of this great hymn after our worship service this morning from John 15.

The Love of Christ is Rich and Free

William Gadsby

Music: Sandra McCracken

The love of Christ is rich and free;
Fixed on His own eternally;
Nor earth, nor hell, can it remove;
Long as He lives, His own He’ll love.

His loving heart engaged to be
Their everlasting Surety;
’Twas love that took their cause in hand,
And love maintains it to the end.

Love cannot from its post withdraw;
Nor death, nor hell, nor sin, nor law,
Can turn the Surety’s heart away;
He’ll love His own to endless day.

Love has redeemed His sheep with blood;
And love will bring them safe to God;
Love calls them all from death to life;
And love will finish all their strife.

He loves through every changing scene,
Nor aught from Him can Zion wean;
Not all the wanderings of her heart
Can make His love for her depart.

At death, beyond the grave, He’ll love;
In endless bliss, His own shall prove
The blazing glory of that love
Which never could from them remove.

our sweet pea eating her sweet peas at 6 mos

Merry Christmas!

baking christmas cookies on pajama day

enjoying the finished product

decorating for Christmas

stelly's own little tree for her room

"helping" daddy with the tree

My favorite carol verse is following...praying this for our family this Christmas and as we start the new year. The good news is reason to sing! What hope we have!

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise the woman's conqu'ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent's head.

Adam's likeness now efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place;
Second Adam from above
Reinstate us in Thy love.

Hark! the herald Angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"

ruby red delicious (a.k.a. rubalicious)

our hybrid at 5 mos.

ALONE

This word sparked reform in 1517 as it still does today in the hearts of those who embrace the exclusivity of Christ - "I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by ME." John 14:6

This year on my annual Reformation Day (which is actually tomorrow) tribute to Martin Luther, I want to post a hymn he wrote. Luther was a talented musician and was the forerunner of advocating that common worshippers use music in public worship. We all are familiar with his rousing hymn, "A Mighty Fortress," but Luther has many other rich hymn texts. Below is one based on Psalm 130:

"From Depths of Woe I Cry to Thee"

1. From depths of woe I cry to Thee,
Lord, hear me, I implore Thee.
Bend down Thy gracious ear to me,
My prayer let come before Thee.
If Thou rememberest each misdeed,
If each should have its rightful meed,
Who may abide Thy presence?

2. Thy love and grace alone avail
To blot out my transgression;
The best and holiest deeds must fail
To break sin's dread oppression.
Before Thee none can boasting stand,
But all must fear Thy strict demand
And live alone by mercy.

3. Therefore my hope is in the Lord
And not in mine own merit;
It rests upon His faithful Word
To them of contrite spirit
That He is merciful and just;
This is my comfort and my trust.
His help I wait with patience.

4. And though it tarry till the night
And till the morning waken,
My heart shall never doubt His might
Nor count itself forsaken.
Do thus, O ye of Israel's seed,
Ye of the Spirit born indeed;
Wait for your God's appearing.

5. Though great our sins and sore our woes,
His grace much more aboundeth;
His helping love no limit knows,
Our utmost need it soundeth.
Our shepherd good and true is He,
Who will at last His Israel free
From all their sin and sorrow.

Title: 329 from The Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Ps. 130
Author: Martin Luther
Translated by: Catherine Winkworth, 1863, alt.
Titled: Aus tiefer Not schrei' ich zu dir
Tune: Aus tiefer Not
1st Published in: Johann Walther's "Gesangbuechlein"
Town: Wittenberg, 1524

And because part of what I love about Luther is his fieriness, I have to include this quote of his about music:
"When man's natural musical ability is whetted and polished to the extent that it becomes an art, then do we note with great surprise the great and perfect wisdom of God in music, which is, after all, His product and His gift; we marvel when we hear music in which one voice sings a simple melody, while three, four, or five other voices play and trip lustily around the voice that sings its simple melody and adorn this simple melody wonderfully with artistic musical effects, thus reminding us of a heavenly dance, where all meet in a spirit of friendliness, caress and embrace. A person who gives this some thought and yet does not regard music as a marvelous creation of God, must be a clodhopper indeed and does not deserve to be called a human being; he should be permitted to hear nothing but the braying of asses and the grunting of hogs." – Martin Luther
LOL! Said as only he could say!

monkey business

hot off the press for the grandparents...here are some pictures from tonight's annual jd halloween party!

she always has been a little monkey. now we have a costume to prove it! :)

the first banana i've ever liked!

what a pair

i didn't mean literally to eat the banana!

tired out from all the partying

waking up - love the paci ring around her lips.

4 months

little ruby continues to favor her daddy. she looks exactly like matt here in a picture my in-laws have of him around 4 months.

love never ends

i fell in love with you and the love became something new

it keeps getting stronger than we ever could have longed

love keeps growing more love

our vows they started breathing and they took on flesh and blood and we held them in our arms and tasted that God was good

happy birthday, my love!

3 months!

God will take care of you

That's what Stelly tells Ruby when she's crying. "It's OK, Ruby. God will take care of you!"

Here's a pic of a well-cared for little Rube. Love those blue eyes!

Rubes is 2 months old

Our little 10 pounder turned 2 months old yesterday. Found out at her Dr. appt today that she is following Stelly's footsteps of 25th percentile on weight and 75th percentile on height. She has some chubby thighs on her though which I can't get enough of.

sisters

stelly loves when i sing the "sisters" song from white christmas (what little i know of it). she is so glad to be a big sister and will tell you, "i'm a big sister now!" as if it's the most important news of the day. thankfully, i think, we're winding down the adjustment phase and getting settled into a routine. we are so blessed and our hearts are still overflowing with joy to the Lord at His kindness to us. we sing for joy at the works of His hands (psm 92.4)!

here are some pictures of our blessings - two very different looking girls! one with light brown hair and dark brown eyes and one with strawberry blonde hair and bright blue eyes. i wonder if they will have drastically different personalities too? time will tell!

i had to include these cute pics of matt and ruby.

this was the first time she smiled in response to us! i love how uncoordinated their little smiles are. so precious!

Stelly's 3!

Stelly had a really special birthday weekend! At her annual check-up this week the nurse took Stelly's blood pressure, weighed her, and then she sat on the table waiting for the Dr. She looked at the nurse and said, "Do I have a baby in my belly?" The nurse cracked up knowing I had just had a baby. I told her Stelly had gone w/ me to several of my appts and had seen me do all those same things so she thought she must have the same "condition" I had! :) It was quite funny. One of those Stellisms that must go in her baby book. Here's a picture of our happy sweetie celebrating her 3rd bday! We thank the Lord for our Stella Grace!