these days, everywhere you look in town, somebody has a sign up saying “Welcome Giants!”, so i figured we might as well get on the bandwagon. of course, Tiki Barber will actually have to read our blog to see that we welcome him!! anyway, that’s all for now. maybe one of these days i’ll mosey on up to the SUNY campus and take a picture of the big inflatable Giants player. he’s cool 😀
so, here we all are…
(to quote my friend Sherry Mc… ah for those late night moments of eloquence back at YRP)
as Bri has already posted, we’re back together, and back in Albany. 5 weeks of being apart, to be honest, stank – although Josh and I had a blast visiting friends and family and hanging out in TO, i really never want to be away from Brian for that long ever again!
Back to Albany, back to “the grind”… have i mentioned we’re getting a new front door? this is exciting for two reasons:
- our new door has a window, which means actual sunlight will come in our entry way!
- there won’t be any large gaps for spiders, snow, rain, cold, heat etc to get in… can we say properly installed and airtight?! yay!!
I failed to post something that was REALLY exciting, that happened toward the start of our Canadian tour – my birthmom and her wonderful husband got baptised! The culmination of about 5 years of praying on our part, along with the prayers and love of some wonderful people in their lives, and a fabulous church in Barrie (www.harvestbarrie.ca) happened on July 25th as i witnessed both Lorraine and Gregg getting baptised in their new church. It’s a long story, but i’ll make it short and just say GOD IS GOOD!
update from the great white north
Josh and i have been in Ontario for just over a week now, and we’ve managed to visit lots of family and friends already. He’s made himself quite at home here at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, and their cat Cleophie is getting all of the hugs and loving attention usually reserved for Tango and Pixie.
this weekend we’ll be heading to the cottage for a few days, and taking in the fresh air for awhile. i’m hoping to introduce Josh to swimming in Mary Lake, but i am not at all sure that he will like it!!
a day in the life of Josh
6:45 a.m. – hmm. i do believe the sun is trying to shine outside, and i feel like a bowl of oatmeal! i think i’ll start talking to myself and see if anybody notices.
6:50 a.m. – well, i haven’t heard anything indicating that Mommy or Daddy are coming in here to rescue me from baby jail. i’ll try yelling a little bit… oh there now, the shuffle of Mommy’s feet on the floor. music to my ears!
7:00 a.m. – my oatmeal is cooking on the stove, Mommy is trying to open her eyes a little bit. i hope she doesn’t open them too wide or she’ll see me pulling Pixie’s tail. Mommy doesn’t seem to understand that cat’s tails were just made for pulling!
7:15 a.m. – mmm. i like oatmeal. now where’s my sippy cup of orange juice?
9:00 a.m. – Daddy is leaving for work. i don’t want him to think i won’t miss him, so i’m going to work up for a big crying and screaming fit as he leaves. then he’ll think about me all day long and know that i miss him lots and lots.
9:30 a.m. – i love helping Mommy by swiffering the floor! after this, i think i’ll ride my trike around the hallway. or maybe i’ll see how my green crayon looks on the coffee table.
10:00 a.m. – mmmm, time for my snack! peanut butter crackers are so yummy, i could eat them all day long. memo to self – figure out how to climb up the shelves of the pantry for unending supply of peanut butter crackers. and now, i’m off to do some colouring with my green crayon.
11:30 a.m. – time for lunch! today it is pizza, i love how the sauce feels when i squish it all up in my hand!
12:30 p.m. – Mommy always seems to think that i need an afternoon nap. i’m going to try and convince her… oh no, she’s taking me to her bedroom, the one with the nice warm duvet and the pillows… i’m… not… going… to… give… in… to… the… sleepiness………
2:45 p.m. – well, that nap was just the ticket! now i am full of energy and ready to dance and chase the cats some more! i wonder why Tango is always trying to bite me…
3:00 p.m. – time for a drink and a snack. i think today i’ll have milk and grapes, that’s always a good combination. i wonder what Mommy will do if i throw the grapes around the living room…
4:45 p.m. – must be time for dinner soon, my tummy is hungry. hey, i think i see Daddy coming in the door, i am going to rush over there and say hello so he won’t think i forgot about him today.
5:15 p.m. – eating dinner with Mommy and Daddy. they think i don’t understand what they’re talking about while we eat dinner together, but i know they’re saying how cute i look in my booster seat, eating at the table like a big boy.
6:15 p.m. – my favourite time of day, tub time! i have so many great toys, they are small and light, and perfect for throwing out of the tub for Mommy to play catch!
7:30 p.m. – Mommy and Daddy think they are being tricky… they think that if they cuddle me up, read me some books, sing and pray, i’ll go to sleep… i’m… not… no… way… not… giving… in….
It's a choice
surprisingly, it’s possible to have a lot of deep thoughts while you’re chasing a toddler around the house.
lately, i have been hearing a song a lot on the radio that’s become so meaningful to me in light of the miscarriage i had in March. it’s a song by Matt Redman, Blessed Be Your Name.
Blessed be your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where the streams of abundance flow
Blessed be your name
Blessed be your name
When I’m found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be your name
Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say…
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name
Blessed be your name
When the sun’s shining down on me
When the world’s all as it should be
Blessed be your name
Blessed be your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there’s pain in the offering
Blessed be your name
Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say…
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, Blessed be your name
Why do i like this song so much? Because it’s a good tune, for one. However, the main reason is that it is so well written, and hidden in the beautiful words are a great truth. Praising God when we are in the midst of difficulty and turmoil is not a natural reaction – it is a choice. It is a choice that requires an understanding of God’s omnipotence, God’s omniscience, and God’s love for humanity.
It is really easy to give praise and glory to God when things are going all right, when the sun is shining in life and we’re all content and happy. It is when storms hit and we’re tossed around, we lose a loved one, we lose a baby, we lose our financial stability, whatever it is… that is when, if one is going to praise God and bless His name, it must be a conscious choice. I can’t say that my first reaction when i lost the baby was to praise God – my first reaction was anger, sadness, questions. Further down the road, it’s still not easy – but i am coming to a new understanding of God. He does not require me to be perfect, He does not expect me to come to him each day saying “So, i’m fine, how are you?” with a big plastic smile on my face. He alone knows every single imperfection, He alone knows my secret fear, my secret pain. And because of that (and many other reasons), i choose to give Him, the keeper of my heart, all of my praise.
another day
the “nice” weather is finally here in upstate New York. today, i was able to dress Joshie up in some shorts and a tshirt, and his new “big boy” sandals. as i watched him strutting around the driveway, i could not believe how tall he looked. a year ago at this time, he was not even crawling!! and now he’s walking, running, talking… my baby is a little boy for sure.
we went for a big long walk this morning – out to Western Avenue (one of the main drags in Albany) and walked down into the city a bit. We took a few detours up some side streets to check out the older homes that have been restored – some really nice ones, some really kind of dumpy. We met a very large black dog, and Josh proceeded to “woof” at that dog for as long as he could see it. He was hanging over the side of the stroller as we walked away, woofing at that dog for all he was worth! He’s such a friendly boy.
As we got back to our house, about 3 houses up from us, Josh was walking alongside the stroller, and spied a neighbour lady (whom we haven’t met before) out sweeping up the maple keys from her driveway. He bopped right on up to her and started up a conversation with her, babbling away and waving his hands around. As we went to continue on our way home, she asked him if he knew how to blow kisses. He doesn’t, but as he saw her blow him a kiss, he walked right back up to her, putting his face up to give her a kiss on the cheek. She broke out into a huge smile and told him that he’d just made her day. He was so pleased with himself!
It makes me happy that he’s such a friendly and affectionate little guy – but then i got to thinking about all the creeps out there who prey on our precious innocent children. I know that the day is not far off when i will have to teach him to be much more wary of whom he bestows his sweet kisses on, and that makes me sad. He is so innocent and happy, and i want him to be able to stay that way for as much of his childhood as possible. This is where i am so thankful that God watches over all of us, and that although i worry about Josh’s future, the Lord alone knows exactly what it holds for my little boy.