Maggie chatting

Maggie is starting to show her little personality. She's not usually as vocal or smiley as Max was at this age (4 months) but she does like to chat occasionally. This is a video of one of her more social moments that day. She is developing and changing quickly. She grabs for things now and I have to be careful when I'm holding her and drinking or eating. She also rolls over both ways and likes to stand in my lap. It's amazing how quickly babies go from a little bundle to ready for action.

Jackson trip

We just got back from a quick trip to Jackson WY. Jackson is about 4 hours south west of us. To get to Jackson you travel through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, some beautiful wild country. As much as people talk about Yellowstone, and it is pretty, I think the Teton's are so much more spectacular. We saw our first grizzley on our way there! He was about twenty minutes outside of the entrance to Yellowstone on the Cody side. Sadly before I got a picture of him, he went behind some trees. While we were in Jackson we went to see the Bar J Wranglers. It's chuckwagon style food on a ranch with cowboy music and comedy, fun western entertainment. Max enjoyed the cowboy atmosphere and played the part with vigor, much to the delight of the people around. As you can see above he practiced his "cowboy look". Mostly though it was just nice to get away as a family and enjoy the area. Wasn't God generous to provide such amazing beauty for us to enjoy and live in.

Faithfulness

It's hard to believe that this week marks ten years of marriage for Chris and me. I remember as a newlywed thinking forward to mile stone anniversaries and imagining what they would hold. I must confess I didn't anticipate Cody Wyoming and two children. As a young bride, moving to far off Pennsylvania a couple of months after we were married, I didn't expected to live in the South but I sure hadn't imagined living in the 'Wild West'. After a couple of years of marriage we hadn't planned on adding to our family either, content to enjoy each other and work together. However, God had other plans and surprised us with Max. What a happy change of plans that was. Then we decided he was not a good candidate for being an only child and I got my girl!

I suppose if the Greek Deli had been wildly successful or we hadn't been surprised with the blessing of children our tenth anniversary may have held more elaborate plans for celebration. I must confess I had envisioned a Caribbean cruise or diamonds. Or maybe something out of the ordinary like a performance of Circe de sole or a Broadway musical. But it was not to be. As I've thought about it though I can't help but imagine. The world says embrace glamor, gluttony, excess but that's against the Bible's standard of simplicity, servanthood and contentment. Our tenth anniversary may not hold a cruise or even an overnight trip to Yellowstone, but it does represent a celebration of ten years of faithfulness.

That faithfulness is rooted in a relationship built on Christ and morality and honor. Years ago a sixteen year old girl made her parents and God a promise to wait for God's best. Years ago a young man honored and held that girl to her promise. The road has had many bumps and twists but they've all been endured together. Our relationship isn't flashy or exciting. Sometimes it even feels a little faded and worn. But most importantly, especially in this generation, it has endured. In a world that assaults faithfulness I feel that is an accomplishment. And now that ten years have passed I know not to take that faithfulness for granted but to cherish and preserve it. I know the next ten and then twenty and however many more years can only be reached by careful prayer and dedication. I love Chris but there are days the 'feelings' are just not enough, it takes more than that. It takes commitment, investment, sacrifice; it takes faithfulness. And in that faithfulness is comfort, safety, belonging.

In this season of life God is teaching me about faithfulness. I'm learning that we as Americans don't have a propensity for faithfulness. We see very few things through to the end, we move and shift and rotate in and out at a dizzying speed. Yielding to the Spirit's transformation over a life time is daunting. Committing to a church for the long haul is inconvenient. Enduring hardship, persevering through tough relationships, seeing a project through to the end, it's all more than we're accustomed to. We want microwave Christianity. I want instant results. But God is teaching me the way to transformation, obedience, a strong marriage, healthy relationships, fulfilling prayer life, vibrant church, Godly children is through faithfulness. And He, thankfully, sets the example.

Maggie 4 months

Miss Maggie is four months today. She's happy and healthy and growing fast. She loves her brother and he can make her laugh better than anyone. She's becoming more vocal and interactive every day.

My kids

What a pair
Sweet Maggie, 3 months old
Max loves his magnifying glass
Max looking at ants

The weather has turned chilly, though I've been assured it won't stay that way. Last week I decided to take some outdoor pictures of the kids before the grass turned brown and the snow starts flying. We took a walk to the playground and I captured these moments on the way. Max is such a boy, I love it! I had thought I'd wanted a brother for Max to play with before we had Maggie. But now that she's here I can't imagine our life any other way, I love having a girl! Some days the work and routine of keeping up with a house and children seem overwhelming but honestly when I pay attention and put my own agenda aside I enjoy them so much. I am so blessed to have them as my constant companions. Max reminds me to look at life through fresh eyes and see the possibilities. He is so imaginative and full of energy. I must confess the energy of a little boy in an apartment with bad weather can be a bit daunting but he's really so good. I'm looking forward to fall activities and holidays with them. Max is so enthusiastic about all of the celebrations and traditions of the holidays. He's already started talking about Christmas and his birthday! I remember how when I was little it seemed like Christmas would never get here, the anticipation was almost more than I could stand. Now it seems to roll around so quickly. The change of seasons, holidays, the first snow, summer time, etc. the enjoyment of all of it is so enhanced by having children. I love looking at life through Max's eyes, it's almost like a re-birth.

Camping

We went camping this weekend with Kelly and Wendy Carnahan, the youth pastor at church, and their family, as well as Jenny McDonald who's staying with them for a week. We used the cabin of a friend of Kelly's in the Big Horn mountains. The first evening there was pleasant and dry. The cabin is situated in a narrow valley of a coniferous forest, it's quite remote . Some of us enjoyed a short hike in the woods that first evening. It was wonderfully refreshing to me. Even though much of the foliage of the woods was unfamiliar the sights, sounds and smells were comfortingly the same. That evening it began to rain and didn't stop before we left the next afternoon. Monday was spent playing cards, visiting, reading, it was very cozy. Occasionally when the rain let up to a light drizzle the kids would venture outside briefly. At one point a fog rolled in and surrounded the cabin in a blanket of moisture. Because of the rain, leaving was much more interesting than arriving. Chris rode the four wheeler out and the rest of us piled into Kelly's 4x4. The ride was bumpy and slippery to say the least. At the top of the hill Chris was soaked and covered with mud, it was quite a sight! Overall it was a great time, definitely a memory maker!