Yesterday, Asher saw this guy eating the letter of the day, which was "A," after Prairie Dawn specifically asked him not to.

Asher looked at me and said, "He needs to calm down."

I was very pleased that he was able to recognize the out-of-control behavior and identify the solution. That's a little thing I like to call progress.

A Woman of My Word

I said I'd post, but I made no promises regarding content. I will of course rely on a few pictures of my little guys to get me started.

Incidentally, doesn't Jude look so much like Asher in this picture? For so long, they barely looked related, but the older Jude gets, the more resemblance I see. I've upgraded their look-alike status from "not related at all" to "maybe distant cousins."



We all went to the park together when Kris was on spring break. We had lots of fun.



Until we realized that Asher had dog poop on his hands and that is was also on the stroller. We had to leave to go sanitize but it sure was fun while it lasted.

Thankfully, we know how to make our own fun right here at home.



Who needs a park when you have a big brother and a Little Tykes shopping cart?

Ok, on to the next charming anecdote...so I was at HEB last night (best grocery store ever for those of you unfamiliar) and I was attempting to avail myself to the "5 for $10" sale on HEB brand soft drinks (we have become fans of Diet Dr. B--thank you economic down-turn.)

However, it probably goes without saying that Sunday evening isn't the best time to go to the grocery store if you are hoping for well-stocked shelves and lots of variety. So the only HEB brand drinks left were at the very top shelf and my choices were diet root beer, diet red soda (Big Red's frugal counterpart) and diet orange soda. None of those would be my first choice but the diet root beer would work.

So I decide, because I have been working out and am incredibly buff now that I can stand on the bottom shelf and lift a stack of 3 cases of cokes (the all-encompassing term you use for carbonated beverages if you are a true Texan)in order to get my fridge pack of d.r.b.

As it turns out, sadly, I am not that buff. The cases come crashing down and they explode all over Aisle 1. It goes everywhere, including all over my feet and legs. It was pretty spectacular, I must say.

And because I am a good citizen (and because I was fairly certain that I was on camera somewhere,) I found an employee and alerted them. The lady was very sweet and thanked me for telling her. I asked her if I could help clean it up and she said that someone was already on their way with a mop so just to continue shopping.

So I moved on (with red, sticky feet I might add) and as I am perusing the breads, I hear, "Clean up on Aisle one!" Yep, that would be my mess.

The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful. It's hard to top exploding cans.

Baby Steps

Ok, I've taken care of the depressing background. (thanks, Ashley, for the tip!)

Now I just need to post something fascinating.

Gonna need some more time on that one.

So let's say Monday is my official comeback day.

Mark your calendars.

I'm Better Now...

...but I still don't want to blog. I think it's the black layout--too depressing. I need to change that. Anybody wanna do a blog makeover for me?

It's My Turn To Be Sick Now

I'll be back once the antibiotics do their thing.

It's Never Too Late For Cake

One month after Asher turned 2, we were finally able to sing "Happy Birthday" to him and let him blow out his candle and eat some cake.



He has come a long way in his cake-eating abilities!

Is There No End To The Man's Talent?

I offer these pictures to you as proof that there is not! Add "fruit-sculpturist" to the list of things that Kris Rives is good at!



We had a shower for Kathy last weekend and, as usual, I decide to do something that would require more skill and patience than I currently possess. So, as usual, Kris offered to step in and make it happen. We make a great team.



He even hand-crafted the wheels for the canteloupe carriage when the way that the instructions said to do it did not work out. I'm telling you, if this whole music/sound/p.e. teacher thing dries up, he could have a bright future at Edible Arrangements.

This is me doing my, "Whatever-You-think-you're-all-awesome-with-your-melon-baller-skills-Don't-forget-I'm-the-one-that-came-up-with-this-idea" face.



Oh, I'm only kidding. I'm glad one of us has a marketable skill to fall back on.

Here is the finished product at the shower. He really did do a good job--I just have to make snarky comments because that's just what I do.



And don't think for a second that the fruit fairy came and arranged those grapes and strawberries on that platter. That was all me, baby.

Apparently This Is Haiku Week

A Heavy Hitter?

Um...thank you, Littlefields?

You callin' me fat?

Obviously I'm Hurting For Material Here

Another haiku.

I may need to publish an anthology of all my work soon.

My Asher is sick

This can only mean one thing

Way too much T.V.

Tuesday Evening Haiku Break

Chicken for dinner.
I tried it; it was spoiled.

Gross. New plan: take-out.

No More Birthday Parties. Ever.

We had our "make-up" family birthday party for Asher yesterday after church. Since he and Jude were sick with a stomach bug during birthday weekend, we had to postpone the festivites.

At church that morning, Mamoo, Poppy, Uncle Micah, Uncle Marc, Aunt Sue, Jaxson, and Emily (or Emie-o as Asher calls her) were there for Jude's baptism and then the rest of the fam met up with us at our house for burgers and cake. Lots of fun. Good time had by all. No vomit.

Then last night around 9, Kris went in to check on Asher and his breathing was very raspy and labored. We got him up and sat with him in front of a warm shower so he could breathe in the steam. Kris called the pedi's office and the nurse on call said it sounded like croup. Kris was up with him for a while then I took my shift. He started running fever around midnight so I gave him some tylenol and he finally went to sleep and slept all night. He and Jude both woke up around 7.

Thankfully, Asher is breathing better but he is still contagious. He also still has the barking cough. Jude hasn't shown any symptoms yet (more thankfulness)and I am trying my best to keep them apart, but they live in the same house and breathe the same air so I'm doing what I can, but I realize I can only do so much.

Which leads me to the logical conclusion that birthday parties make my kids sick so we will never have another one ever again.

The Rives Brothers

I asked Asher if he and Jude were going to start a band as we were watching something on TV about the Jonas Brothers. He said yes, of course. I asked him what instrument Jude would play and he told me that Jude could play the "man-o-lin" and he would play "ban-o (banjo)," "ta-gah," and "dums." Hopefully the Lord will grant us another child one day so that Asher's load can be a little lighter.


So yesterday we took a little stroll in the wagon that Grammy and Capaw got the boys for Christmas. It is so fun that Jude is at an age now where he can participate just like Asher. We just walked around our cul-de-sac but it was enough time to soak up some vitamin D or make some vitamin D or whatever it is that is supposed to happen out in the sun.




Favorite Asher quote from yesterday: "Tank ooh, Mama, change my poo-poo. Put fresh diaper on." He thanks me constantly. It is so precious. When I open a door for him, change his diaper, hand him milk, he almost always says "tank ooh." I pray he will stay full of gratitude.

Favorite Jude moment from yesterday: Climbing on to Asher and trying to steal his sippy cup. That boy is a go-getter. He loves his brother and his eyes light up when he sees Asher. And whatever Asher has. It is amazing how he can move when he sees something he wants. I pray he will use this super-power for good ;)

Asher loves Jude too and is, in God's mercy, learning the lessons of patience and sharing very early in life. I am working on teaching Asher to speak kindly to Jude. He has started telling him "NO NO Judah!" He can say it pretty harshly. Guess where he learned it?

That's right--Kris.

Ok, not really. I hear the tone in his voice and I, unfortunately, recognize it as my own. So I'm training two people to speak kindly actually. The little one is proving to be a much more teachable student. It's a humbling task to teach someone something that you are still in the process of learning.

ps--the pastor at my church in Beaumont, Mark Gibson, started a blog. You should check it out!

I was fine blaming my camera

But then Robin had to go do a whole series of posts on how to take better pictures. One of her tips was to actually read the manual that came with the camera. Touche.

So all my crappy pictures may not be completely the fault of Nikon Coolpix. I learned that tidbit as well as much, much more. Robin has gone to great lengths to explain some basic photography terms and concepts so if you, like me, have much to learn and a limited attention span for such things, you should check her blog out.

She took some awesome pictures of one Mr. A. O. Rives in the Fall of 2007 (can you believe it was that long ago, Robin!) that you may check out here as proof of her credibility. Just ignore the truck in the last picture because she will be most upset to see that I did not crop it out before posting it.

It's The Little Things In Life, Really

Asher requested a "W" cup when he learned that the Elmo cup was dirty. He loves the letter "W." He still calls it "double-buh" even though we continue to pronounce it correctly.



One "W" cup coming right up. He loved it. Wouldn't you if "W" were your favorite letter?

I think I may sell these on Etsy.

Things I Learned Whilst Spinning

We just joined a new gym in our area. It is really close to our house and offers lots of neat classes, a rock wall, awesome pools, and many other amenities. And thanks to Cheryl, we were able to get a great deal on our membership. I thought this would be a great opportunity to lose the rest of the baby weight, get in shape, and have a pool to take the boys to this summer.

So I have been slowly easing back into the world of activity. I'm limited right now on what classes I can take because I don't want to leave Jude in the nursey until cold and flu season is over. So I am just trying out classes here and there as I get the chance.

Last night, I decided to try spinning. Kris was very sweet and offered to bathe the boys and get them into bed while I went to the class. I've been wanting to go, so I took him up on his offer and headed to the gym.

I will now impart to you my newly gained knowledge that I acquired during this class.

1. An hour is a freaking long time if you have not been on a bike since the early 90's.

2. If it is your first time in a class like this, you will naturally want to use a bike that is towards the back of the studio. However, you should not pick a back-row bike that is on the opposite side of the studio as the exit. Because when you realize that you are about to die, you will want to make a fast and inconspicuous exit but will be unable to do so without looking like a total out-of-shape moran. Even if you are one, you don't want to look like it.

3. Wear appropriate biking attire. Your tennis shorts from college would not fall into this category. I'm not exactly sure what would be the best outfit choice, but I can assure you it was not what I was wearing.

4. I am a victim of all of the "green" propaganda because as I was furiously pedaling (and maybe or maybe not turning my dial to add resistance) I thought that they should hook these bikes up to some sort of generator and harness all of the energy to power the gym. Al Gore would be proud. And I make it a point never to make Al Gore proud.

5. If it is your first time to take this class, you should ask some questions beforehand regarding optimal seat and handle bar height. Don't play it cool. Don't act like you know what the heck you are doing. You have spit-up on your shirt and are wearing shorts from college. No one is fooled so you might as well ask for some help. Your butt will thank you. (I know mine would have.)

6. Picking the bike behind skinny girl with her very own cycling shoes will just tick you off.

7. You might have to purpose in your heart, somewhere around minute 15, that you're new goal is to just survive. In this case, ignore it when peppy Kimberly tells you to turn your dial and add resistance. Just keep pedaling. No one will know.

8. Peppy Kimberly will also tell you to get "up off the saddle." She crazy. You should not do this if you have made the resolution outlined in point #7. Just keep sitting.

9. The hour will eventually draw to a close. When this happens, wipe off your bike, get your water bottle, and hobble on out of there. Try to restrict your remarks to the weather because you will not be able to think of one nice thing to say about Peppy Kimberly or what she just put you through.

I think that about sums it up. I think I will look for a water aerobics class for the 65+ crowd next time.

A Two Year Old's Work Is Never Done

What, with all the toys that need to be put in empty diaper boxes and then pushed around the house, it's a wonder Asher has time to eat and sleep. He certainly doesn't have time to get dressed.

So if you've called him and haven't heard back, he'll get with you as soon as things slow down a little around here.

He should probably consider hiring another worker because the guy he's got now is no help at all.

Rub A Dub Dub

We've got 2 kids in a tub now!



Yes, we do have bath toys and a little bath seat for Jude, but this was just a trial run. I just wanted to offer proof that I am no longer cramming Judah Barracuda in a tiny little baby tub.



Although by the looks of it, I think he liked it better when he didn't have to share bath time.



Look at those sweet rolls of baby lovin'! My poor little fella has lost weight these past few days. He's down to just 20 lbs. (which is more than most 6 month olds weigh) but still...

I am happy to report that he seems much better today. His appetite is returning and he is smiling and playing by himself again. For a few days he has been super clingy and just wanted to lay on me. Not that I mind that part at all, but I knew it meant he was feeling badly.

We are going to get out today and take a little drive. We've all been cooped up way too long. I'm not someone that always has to be on the go, but 5 days at home will drive anybody nuts.

And I don't want to alarm anyone, but I haven't had a diet coke with lemon since Saturday.

Oh My Goodness, Where To Begin?

Combine a blog funk with a busy, crazy, birthday, stomach bug filled week and what do you get? That's right--a picture of my chunky boy in a too-small tub for over a week.

But I will now make an attempt to catch you up, because with an intro like that, I'm sure you are just dying to be filled in on what all has been going on around here. Just to forewarn you--there will be no smooth transitions, witty remarks, or in-depth commentary. I'm just trying to get my mother off my back. (I kid, Mamoo, I only kid.)

First, Jude turned 6 months on the 28th. These pictures are just getting ridiculous. He eats the paper before I can even get a good picture. So Daddy had to help out.





Two days later, Kris turned 34. I decided (very last minute in true Jamie form) to call a few friends over for some pizza and cake. It was a fun, but short get together because most of us have toddlers with bedtimes that you just don't jack with.

Here is the birthday boy himself.



Do you want to know why he's so excited? Because this was his cake!



That monstrosity is a post unto itself. Suffice it to say, Chef Duff will not be recruiting me anytime soon.

When the kids start getting relatively still , you know the bedtime hour is rapidly approaching. So we called it a night around 7.




Next up was Asher's 2nd birthday. Again, all about being low-key, I decided to have play group here at our house and call it a "birthday party." The same 5 guys get together to play a few times each month so it worked out well. Asher also invited his 3 church friends, Saige, Meadow, and Steven.

Everything was going great. We ate chicken nuggets. We wore Elmo hats. We played with toys. Oh, but it was fun.






Then we opened presents! I'll just tell you now--I'm not cute in any of them.





And after that, I brought out the Elmo cupcakes...



and I lit the candle on the birthday cupcake...



and then Asher puked everywhere.

(No photo available.)

The party kinda wrapped up at that point. Kathy helped me clean up the puke (a true friend indeed that will clean up your kid's vomit with you...and she is pregnant I must add) and Laura held Jude and redirected traffic. I seriously have the best friends ever. They were all very gracious, but I felt so horrible that we exposed them to the yuckiness.

Of course, Kris had to run sound somewhere that night. Asher threw up a few more times and had some very dirty diapers, but felt much better by the time he went to bed.

The next day was Asher's actual birthday. We planned on celebrating with our families the following day because Jude was getting baptized at church that morning and they were all coming for that and then over to our house for lunch (and more cake.)

My mom, Jude, and I went to my sister-in-law's baby shower that morning and Kris and Asher hung out all day. Asher was feeling great and had lots of fun with his daddy, as usual. But that night around 11, Jude started throwing up. So we cancelled everything and stayed home from church. And then Asher threw up again. And then Jude. And then Jude again.

So here we are on Wednesday. Asher has returned to completely normal input and output but poor little Judah Bear still has some diarrhea and a less-than-normal appetite. He's gone from 3 rolls of fat on his thighs to just 2, bless his heart. But we are over the vomiting portion of the ordeal and for that I am grateful.

I'm very thankful that my boys are feeling better and I'm looking forward to everyone being back to 100% and getting back out into the world.

Consider yourself updated.

Maybe I'm In Denial?

I know, I know. Time to move on from the baby bath. It's getting a little ridiculous.

------------------------------------------------------------------->

Have you noticed what those crazy tickers over on my sidebar say. They are trying to tell me that my newborn is 6 months old and my preemie is almost 2. That's absurd.

Futhermore, my preemie's 2T jeans are almost too short and my newborn's 12 month jeans are getting hard to button. This would also fall under the heading of "Things That Are Absurd." (appropriate use of quotes here)

I know kids grow and that there is a very serious glandular problem if they don't. But it is happening at a slightly more rapid pace than I anticiapated.

I have got to stop blinking.

Is That Really "Necessary?"

I love this blog.

It makes me "laugh."

More Jude

Since Jude turns 6 months on Wednesday, I thought it would be the perfect time to post his 5 months comparison photo. These were by far the hardest pictures to take.



He will eat anything! It was at this point, i had to take away the paper and fish the piece he managed to rip off out of his mouth.



I never let him have any fun.

Friday Chub

Could you eat that up or what?

7 Random Things

Mandy tagged me a few weeks ago. It's been a while since I've let you in on some of my (maybe-not-so-random) randomness. And since I'm trying to get back in the swing of blogginess, I decided this would be a great time to do this. Thanks for tagging me, Mandy!

1. I think drinking diet coke is my equivalent to smoking--the whole "oral fixation" thing. Because I really only want to drink them out of a styrofoam cup with a straw. I can drink it out of a glass (ok, plastic cup) or from a bottle or can, but I really only thoroughly enjoy it if it is in a to-go cup of some sort. (did you notice how many 2 letter words I have in a row in the previous sentence!) And if there happens to be Sonic ice in that styro cup, so much the better.

2. I've never left this continent but I really want to. I would love to go to England to meet all of the people that Kris is always talking about and to visit our good friends, Sara and Roger. Really, I'd love to go anywhere to see new sites, meet new people, and experience life in a different culture than my own. My only conflict is that big styrofoam cups full of diet coke are pretty much an American phenomenon.

3. I don't hate to cook as much as I used to. It's still not my favorite thing to do, but I think this is one area in which I have improved greatly.

4. I waited tables during 2 summers when I was in between years at the discipleship school I attended and then all throughout my 4 years of college. So now, when I eat out, I am either extremely forgiving if I see that my server is trying really hard but obviously having a bad night or extremely critical if he or she is being inattentive and rude. It's one thing to be in the weeds and just need some time to catch up. It is quite another to be lazy or M.I.A. when my diet coke is gone and I am sucking on cubes.

5. I've been wearing green a lot lately. I don't really have an explanation for this.

6. One of my goals in life is to be a contestant on Wheel of Fortune. It will happen. I don't want to be all "I'm so awesome at Wheel puzzle-solving" but a little bit I am. Asher and I watch together quite a bit. He loves it and is pretty good at calling out letters. So one day I will be there, with Pat and Vanna, and I will win big. And I will give lots of it away, go to England, and buy a Sonic ice machine.

7. I cannot stand to watch people eat cereal. It makes me queasy. I hate the way it looks and the way it sounds. I hate listening to myself eat cereal. And don't even get me started on drinking the milk from the cereal bowl! Disgusting. Kris does this and it grosses me out every time. Cereal needs to be eaten in private and the milk needs to be dumped down the drain. No exceptions.

Alright--there are my 7 random things. Please consider yourself tagged if you need a break from actually having to come up with something to write about.

This Is How Rumors Get Started

Kris' phone rang yesterday. His friend Frank was calling him and Kris answered the phone by saying, "Hello, Mr. Aragon!" Then he got up and started pacing because he absolutely cannot be seated while having a phone conversation. The first thing I do when I get on the phone is sit. Go figure.

Anyway, Asher followed Kris into the kitchen and then came back over to me and said, "Mama, I wa' talk Prairie Dawn!" (except he says "Pear-daw.")

For those of you who don't get to watch Sesame Street on a daily basis, Prairie Dawn is one of the chracters on that. When Kris said "Aragon" Asher heard "Prairie Dawn" and wanted to talk to her! And he was wondering why the heck she would call his daddy and not him?

I couldn't help but laugh at that one. That boy cracks me up!

It's Magical

If you read my facebook status, you know that I am deeply enchanted by my new Magic Bullet that Mamoo got me for Christmas. I heard it was awesome for baby food making so I really wanted one. I made Asher's food using a blender or a Cuisinart mini-processor, but it was always a pain since both of those machines are hard to clean and kind of frustrating to use.

Not so with the Magic Bullet! Easy as pie I tell you! I made Judah Barracuda some carrots the other day and was so impressed by how well it pureed. He thoroughly enjoyed his meal. But that is nothing new. He thoroughly enjoys every meal. Have you seen those thighs--that doesn't just happen.

The first taste! Yummmm...



Oh, yeah. He's full.

So Big!

Just to be clear...this picture was also totally taken on December 28, not January 10.

I have so many cute pictures to post and I am so overwhelmed and behind! I need a good picture-organization system. Maybe my new friend David Allen will teach me that, too.

Speaking of getting big, check out this big helper we have. Finally earning his keep around here!



This picture is a little fuzzy, but I had to show you The Beard (which, incidentally, was shaved off this very morning) and Jude's awesome Elvis lip.



Thank ya ver' much.

Anybody Seen Jude?

He was here just a second ago.




Of course. Under the coffee table. Where else?




Life just got a lot more complicated. I have another "roller." Although this one began his rolling career much ealier than Asher. He's quite proud of himself, too. Look, Ma! No hands!





Back on the blanket. Why do I have that blanket on the floor?

Fourteen on Friday

Fourteen. Because ten is for Tuesdays and fourteen is the first number after that starts with an F. I admit fifteen would have been more visually pleasing to me, but I think I will have trouble coming up with fourteen things. So why make it even harder? Ok, here I go...

1. I ate a piece of toast with almond butter on it for breakfast this morning and it was delish.

2. I have adopted a new eating philosophy. This came about because I am always on a "plan" of some sort. Weight watchers, South Beach Diet, whatever. And I hate that so much of my energy goes into counting points or avoiding certain foods. So my new approach is two-pronged:
a)make good choices--instead of counting anything, I have started asking myself "Is this a good choice? Is this moving me towards my goal of being healthy and losing the last of the baby weight or not?"
b) stop eating so freaking much. I am not going to the chair. Eat to live, not vice versa.

3. I feel better about this plan and I also feel much less obsessive. And those are principles I want my kids to learn.

4. I love diet coke and froufy coffee creamers and refuse to give them up, even if they are full of toxins that are wreaking havoc on my body. Oh, Sonic! I will see you at some point today between the hours of 2 and 4 pm.

5. I want to read everything by Leif Enger now. Have I told you how much I loved Peace Like a River?

6. I just typed "Peace Like a Rives" above and had to correct it. Incidentally, Rives comes from a french word meaning "river dweller." Or at least that's what the "Rives Family Book" from Ancestry.com says.

7. Asher has started calling us "my Mama" and "my Daddy." He now says things like, "Hi, my Daddy!" It's pretty cute.

8. Asher has a major crush on Saige Wimberly. I don't blame him--she's a cutie. We ran in to them at Chick-fil-a yesterday and when we told them to tell each other "bye" they said bye and gave each other a hug and then he went in for a kiss. He learned that move from his dad. So smooth.

9. I got a new camera for Christmas. It is a Nikon Coolpix and it takes WAY better pictures than my old camera. So as soon as I get around to downloading them, I will post some major pictorial cuteness.

10. Jude is a fat chunk of pure preciousness. That boy is as sweet as he can be and he melts my heart on a daily basis.

11. His hair is calming down a little. I have mixed emotions about that one.

12. This is birthday month for Kris. He will be 34 on the 30th!

13. He has a beard right now. Yet another picture I need to post. A little girl at his school told him that he should shave that off when he goes home. I like the beard. I am thankful it is not a goatee. Those of you who knew Kris pre-2004 know of what I speak.

14. I would like to go for a walk today but it is too cold. Jude is more anti-cold than me so I know he would be opposed to the idea. Maybe I will do the Walk Away the Pounds DVD. Who knows? Stranger things have happened.

A Must Read!

I just had to hop on and recommend the novel Peace Like a River by Leif Enger.

I just finished it and I do not overexaggerate when I say that it is one of the best books I have ever read in my entire life. It was enjoyable and thought-provoking and well-written. I was sad when I finished because I have not savored a book like I did this one in quite a while. I can't even put it in words--just go read it, k?


In fact, this blogger, whom I don't know but enjoy, is giving away three copies of this book. So go try to win it! And if you don't, go buy or borrow it! I'm not kidding. Go. Right now.

So It's 2009, Huh?

The year sort of creeped in on us. It hasn't been a great start. It's been sad and frustrating, yet full of the love and encouragement that somehow only tragedy produces.

A million thoughts have been swarming around my head. I'll share a few of them and will try to make this somewhat logical, but I make no promises.


1. Our days are numbered. Scripture tells us that, before we have lived one day, God has ordained them. We are His. He gives us life and breath and all things. That is either a huge source of comfort to you or the cause of much dread and anxiety.

The Bible describes this life as a vapor. As John Piper put it, it is like walking outside on a cold day and exhaling and watching your breath dissapate into the air around you. That is how long this life is in comparison to eternity. It's good to be reminded that we are here today and gone tomorrow. I intend to live accordingly.

2. Our friends and family have been a tremendous source of comfort. I used to think that sitting with a mourning friend or saying a few words of encouragement was a meager offering and not very helpful. But now I see that the prayers and the calls and the emails and especially those that we have seen in person have been of immeasureable worth, particularly to Kris.

3. Death just sucks. And that's the point. It's supposed to. I believe that every situation we encounter on earth is there to teach us about the greater spiritual reality. Like growing from a baby to an adult, to getting married, to having your own babies, to losing a loved one, to ultimately dying yourself, all of these serve as a picture that illustrates lofty, complex spiritual realities that we simply cannot fully grasp.

God "lisps" in his speech to us, as John Calvin put it, meaning He employs "baby talk" much like we do when we are speaking to an infant that can not truly understand what we are saying. So all of these life events are the means God uses to instruct us because we are bascially 2 year olds with extremely limited vocabularies.

We don't comprehend the actual atrocity that sin is or the effect that it has on us. And God tells us that sin brings death to us. But when we encounter death and are able to see the pain, the separation, the trauma, the sense of grief, and the lonliness that results from it, we get a better idea of why God tells us to forsake our sin, and cling to Christ.

4. God, however, has such a unique way of redeeming even the most difficult experiences that we walk through. I think losing a parent easily makes the short list of life's tragedies, but it has brought such a precious closeness to our family. That's not to minimize the heartache at all, but by God's design, we grow closer to Him and each other, not while we sit under blue, cloudless skies on a lovely summer day, but as we huddle together for warmth and support on those dark days when the wind and rain seem determined to knock us down. It's a completely brilliant plan.

That's what I've digested so far. But we've eaten quite a bit this week so I'm sure I'll need to write out a few more ideas just to try to make some sense of all that I've learned. Thanks for putting up with the process. Soon, I hope to be back to my usual posts on the life and times of Asher and Jude :)