Baptism

"For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him. 'And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto you and to your seed after you.' Therefore, believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your house." (Acts 2:39; Gen. 17:7; Acts 16:31)

Sunday was a special day for our family as Matt and I brought our second son, Owen Andrew, for Christian baptism. We believe that covenant baptism is instituted by the Lord Jesus as a seal of the covenant of His grace, and that it is a promise of our union with him, our adoption by Him, and our regeneration in Him, a promise that is made to us as believers and to our children. We vowed on Sunday that we acknowledge our own need as well as Owen's need of the blood of Jesus, that we claim God's covenant promises for him and that we look in faith only to Jesus Christ for our own salvation as well as Owen's, and that we will humbly rely on God's sovereign grace to set a Godly example for him by praying with and for him, teaching him the hope of the Gospel, teaching him the Word of the Lord, and to strive by every means of grace God provides, to bring him up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We realize that these are weighty promises, and we know that we will surely not be able to do these on our own. We do, however, serve a faithful God, and we do trust that He will use our weak efforts for His glory. Owen's baptism is not a saving ordinance; it is a sign of his parents' faith and that he is sanctified (set apart) because of his place in a covenant family (see 1 Corinthians 7:14). It is also a call and command for Owen to repent of his sin and follow Jesus. True Christianity is not inherited. It is Owen's responsibility, through the gracious gift of faith from God, to repent of his sin, follow Jesus, and trust in Him for salvation.

Baptism

The Wheels on the Bus

Thanksgiving

I feel like our Thanksgiving started a week ago. Last Thursday, Matt's brother, also named Micah, stopped by for a visit on his way home to Chattanooga. It was fun to see him, and we again took the boys to the mall to play. Then over the weekend we went for a visit with my family. The boys loved seeing Nana, Mimi, and Pa. I think our boys are extra blessed because I have a special Aunt and Uncle that act as an extra set of grandparents. Nana and Owen had a blast blowing raspberries, and both the boys loved Pa's big beard. We also adventured to Little Rock, AR to visit my Dad and had fun relaxing, eating turkey, and catching up. After a weekend of traveling, we packed up again on Thursday and headed to retreat called Evin's Mill. Matt's parents are remodeling their kitchen, and since Sally usually cooks dinner, they decided to rent out this place and have everyone stay there. It is a very scenic with tons of trees and a river complete with a water mill that still runs. The food was fabulous, and the cabins cozy. Owen loved posing for pictures with his aunts and cousins. Micah is a little harder to convince to sit still for the camera.

We have so much to be thankful for. I don't even know where to begin. The Lord has blessed us with the two most wonderful sons, I have a husband who loves me and his family. He models servanthood to our boys so well, as he is constantly sacrificing for us. He loves to make us all happy, and will joyfully do all it takes to get smiles from all of us. Our new home is beautiful, Matt's job is going well, I love staying home with the boys, we have a Lord who loves us despite our many failures (who even rights our wrongs through Jesus). We are so blessed.

Thanksgiving

It is so fun to watch the boys begin to play with each other. They love to wrestle. Micah likes to do "big tackles" with Owen, and Owen just cracks up every time his big brother touches him. It is so cute to watch how gentle Micah is with Owen. Even the big tackles look more like a big hug, and he always makes sure that Owen lands on the pillows. The other pictures are from this giant play area we found in the mall near our house. It is great since it gets dark so early now, we still have somewhere to run off some energy. Micah loves it because their are frogs (his favorite animal these days), mushrooms, and lots of colors.

The boys having Fun

Swing-set

I was going to wait and post this after I had taken some better pictures, but I have this quirky side of me that has to have everything in proper order.  Seriously, if I find a loose picture, I will rearrange an entire photo album just to make sure it gets in the "right" place.  So, anyway hopefully I will have some better photos of our new swing-set soon.  

For Micah's second birthday, Grammy and Gramps gave him a new swing-set.  Since we did not have any grass when we first moved in, we decided to wait until this fall to put it up.  This thing literally came in 8 boxes of wood with one box of screws and a handy DVD manual.  We were more than a little daunted, but Matt was up for the challenge.  Thankfully, we have a handyman neighbor, who happens to have a 2-year old.  We asked if he would help in exchange for unlimited access to the play set.  He happily agreed as he loves to build things.  After three days of hard work, Micah and Owen have a new play-set complete with bumpy slide, climbing wall, trapeze, 3 swings, monkey bars, picnic table, and sandbox.  WOW!  Thank you Grammy and Gramps!  I know we will have many pictures to come especially with these nice days we have been given.   

I feel like every day the boys are doing something new; it is so hard to keep up. I already feel myself forgetting things that Micah did and when he did them, so in an attempt to keep our memories safe, I am posting anytime I get a chance. Micah is entering into a stage of independence that is fun to watch, but can be frustrating at times. He must do everything all by himself. He wants to push every button, buckle himself in the highchair/carseat, put his own clothes on, take them off, open the door, shut the door. He comes running if he hears a toilet flush screaming "Micah do it!" It is really quite amusing, unless we are in a hurry, and then we have to do some quick diversions to keep us all sane. He is also becoming quite the rule enforcer, telling Owen which toys he can have. I will often hear him say "excuse me Loafer D (a silly nickname we use for Owen), that toy is for Micah." I laugh and think "at least he is polite about it!" He has continued to be a fan of music and he is starting to pick up on the lyrics. We have decided that we have to start screening what he listens to. It is hard because often times quality music comes with adult lyrics. He has begun singing some of them. Matt and I laugh and at the same time think "oh no, we better start watching what we say!" He loves to show off for Owen. He will say "look, Baby Owen is watching" and then do his best big jump ever. He loves to hear our praises, and if we forget to compliment or thank him for something, he will just do it himself. "Oh thank you Micah for asking, thank you bubs for sharing with Owen, thank you Micah for not screaming." In his mind we should praise him even for the bad things he doesn't do, but thinks about doing. Lately, he is smitten with "Dada." He tries to convince himself every night that it is the weekend so that Dada can come get him in the morning. It is such a joy to watch him grow up. He has such a tender heart. He loves to learn and loves his family. Every night before dinner Micah will pray and say "thank you Jesus for Mama, Dada, Baby Owen, all the various foods on his plate, and for dying on the cross." Sometimes it can be a long process, especially on nights that he wants to say thank you for all his toys, movies, etc., but we love it.

Owen can now say "Dada" too! Today during his nap, he woke up and was babbling away with lots of Mamamamamama's when all of a sudden he said "Dada." Matt and I were in our bedroom working on the computer, so we both again were here to witness it. I know Matt is happy, since I think he was a little jealous that Mama came first this time. Owen also loves to shake his head "no." He is not saying "no," I think he just thinks it feels funny to move his head back and forth. He also does what is now known as the "Loafer D" dance. He holds his arms up and waves them both frantically every time the music starts (very cute), and Micah loves it that Owen likes the music too.

Sometimes, I just like to stop and take it all in. Being a mother of two is no small job, and many days I have to close my eyes and take deep breaths so that I won't have a panic attack, but I am so thankful for the blessing of these boys. "The days are sometimes long, but the years go by way too quickly." A friend told me that recently, and how true it is.

Way Behind

Trips always throw me way behind, so I haven't had a chance to put up all the adorable pictures we have taken the past couple of weeks. Please scroll down to see all the new updates. The boys were in bed at the same time this afternoon (Owen sleeping, Micah playing), so I took the time to upload lots of stuff, since I don't know when I will get a large chunk of time again.

Bath Time

Owen

Owen is growing up so quickly. He said "Mama" a couple of days ago! He has been saying it off and on since then, and it is so cute. I remember Micah saying "Dada" for the first time in the car; I think it is one of those things you will never forget. Owen was in his jumper getting frustrated because I kept walking back and forth from the closet, when he just said it, plain as day. I don't know why it is so exciting to hear them say their first word; I guess because it is a huge milestone. Matt and I were both here to hear it, which is fun. Sometimes Dads get the raw end of the deal because they are gone a lot of the time, so I know Matt was thankful to be here.

Owen still has the sweetest disposition. I think he is actually getting sweeter, if that's possible. He still likes to wake up early in the morning to eat, but honestly that is the only think I can complain about (and I try to enjoy the time I have with just him, it is just so hard when you love sleep so much!) He always has a smile on his face, and as long as a family member is in the same room with him, he will play on the floor forever. We feel so blessed to have him, and so thankful for his content personality. I struggle with contentment, as Micah does too, and I know that the Lord had a purpose for putting Owen here at this time with us. He honestly makes it hard to be in a bad mood with the way he lights up the room. Owen, we love you more than you know!

Owen

Mama and Dada's Biiiggg Bed

When we moved, we needed new bedroom furniture. I told Matt that I really wanted a King sized bed. I love having lots of room, and I always wanted a place where we could all snuggle together. We love our bed, and the boys do too. Often we hang out there and listen to music or watch a movie. Lately, Micah likes to watch a little Einstein's video in the mornings. It's funny that just a couple of weeks ago, we would get up, eat quickly and change, so we could get outside before it got too hot. Now, I try to bribe Micah with a movie to stay inside until it warms up a little!

Mama and Dada's Biiiggg Bed