tonight...

Tonight I was lying in bed with Nathan. The lights were out and we were looking at his glow in the dark stars. It was quiet for a long time so I asked him what he was thinking about.
"God"
"What are you thinking about God?"
"God is with me."
Amen and amen.

Plastic knives and cars...

About two weeks ago Nathan I were playing on the floor in the kitchen with a box of plastic knives and race cars. Endless possibilities. I was feeling sick. I mean take one moment at a time kind of sick. I didn't think Nathan was noticing me since we were so busy. He went to his bed room to get another race car and on the way back to the kitchen I heard him mumbling and saying my name. He rounded the corner to the kitchen with his hands folded together. I asked him what he was doing. "Praying, mom." I asked him what he was praying for. "I'm praying for you, mom."

I am so thankful for God's presence in his life and in mine.

He is TWO!

Two years ago we were staring down at an amazing creation. We had no idea how sweet and silly he was going to be. We had no idea he was going to love trucks and trains. We had no idea how much sleep we were going to lose or how much we would worry. We certainly had no idea how much he was going to change our whole lives. We had no idea how much we could love someone. 

A little birthday prayer...

Thank you God for the amazing privilege of being Nathan's mom. Thank you for helping me understand how much you love and delight in me because of the way I feel about Nathan. I pray he will continue to grow in knowledge and love of you. Amen.

Happy Birthday sweet boy!

23 months...

Dear Nathan,
I've noticed something about you.You are an encourager. You tell other kids you play with and your mom and dad, "good job" and "nice work." Most of the time you are the only kid who stops and pays attention to what your friends are doing. Tonight at church you told a little boy "good job" twice when he went down the slide! When I dress up you tell me, "nice dress", "I like your hair", "I like your eyes." When Daisy's bowl is empty you never hesitate to fill it up with some food and then you tell her to "come Daisy." You notice things, little things, and you care about your world. I am so thankful for that and I pray your gift of encouragement grows and grows.
I love you. ~Mom

22 months...

Have I mentioned that every month with Nathan has been my favorite?
He is really amazing. Here are some of the amazing things he does...
When he wakes up we ease into the morning together usually with Bob the Builder. He can sing the song.
He LOVES bulldozers. He says bulldozer at least 100 times a day.
He knows his trucks. He lines them up and says, "this tractor, this bulldozer, this dump truck, this trash truck, this big hook (tow truck), this flat bed."
He plays with his trucks for LONG periods of time. He fills them with sand or rocks.
He really likes riding his John-Deere tractor in the back yard. He is getting good at steering it.
He LOVES ice cream and calls it meh-meh.
Whenever he counts he starts with 8-9-10.
He is really good at basketball and loves to play "my ball."
He blesses me every time I sneeze or cough.
The other day we spilled some blueberries on the floor and he ran to get the mop.
He gives hugs and kisses without asking.
When he says thanks it sounds like "shoot." "Shoot mama, shoot." Love it!
He amazes us with his vocabulary everyday. Today he pointed to a dragonfly and said, "This is a dragonfly!"
Yesterday he looked at me and said with a big smile, "I'm the best!" He has a healthy self-esteem.
He is a great kid.

Thankful...

 I feel like God has been changing me lately. Most recently He has used my Bible study at church and the dairy farm by our house to help shape me. I love working in the barn feeding the calves. I love the smell of the milk and the hay. Most importantly I love talking with farmer John and Calvin. I could listen to their stories all day long. I feel so thankful so much of the time now and my heart is often filled with so much joy it feels like it is going to burst. The reality of my salvation and all that it entails is sometimes so real and overwhelming to me. I love learning with the women at my church. They are so wise and it is truly a privilege to study the Bible with them. It is all the little things- sitting at the park with Nathan today beside a stream, visiting with Jeremiah at lunch, reading Genesis at nap time, the super blue sky, Nathan telling me "I loo loo too mama" (I love you too mama), visiting with neighbors in the evening, and finally getting to rest at night. I am thankful for life and I am thankful that nothing can separate me from Jesus.

Changing...

 Nathan has been growing and changing so fast over this last month. His vocabulary amazes me every day. He is always telling us to "looook" and often says, "I don't know" with his shoulders shrugged. He tells me to "wait" and says, " no like", "like that", "uh-huh right", and so many other fun things! I am amazed at God as I watch him grow. He also LOVES other kids these days. When I take him to his class he is always hugging, tickling, and rolling on his playmates. He is a joy.

This picture was taken last month- look how tall he is! I'll post recent pictures as soon as I figure how to get them off my new phone...