Sisters...

I love the expression on Audrey's face. So proud and excited to be a big sister once again.

She's become a little girl seemingly over night. A big three year old! But still my grandbaby in many ways. Hazel was in the background somewhere. She's interested in new baby Adele, and thinks she's "SO CUTE!", but many other things are also interesting. We look forward to lots of fun with these three sisters!

I'm enjoying "Elizabeth and Her German Garden". At first I wasn't sure about her. She seemed to dislike her husband whom she referred to as The Man of Wrath. But as I read further my viewpoint was changed a bit. I'm still only a third of the way through, but I find her descriptions of her thoughts very much like my own. We are strange birds. ;) It's a real page turner. It's been a while since I've read a book that captured my attention as this one has.

Back to reading and drinking my decaf. Hope you have a cozy evening and a Happy Easter. It is finished! Shalom.

Meet Adele JoLee Yliniemi...

And if you can't pronounce her last name...you're not alone! :)

Yil'-uh-nee-mee. Now you're in the know.

First, here's a shot of Micah and Adam last night as they arrived at the hospital.

There was talk of inducing, but she was far enough along they decided to forego that. Very glad! Micah wanted to experience a water birth, so that's what they did. She gave birth 2-1/2 hours after arriving at the hospital. She said it was very quick and "relatively" easy. She credits the water bath with being very relaxing. She stopped having contractions for about 20 minutes, then had two very hard ones, and there was Adele! Her regular doctor arrived a few minutes too late to help, but the ER doctor did a great job. (Micah says, the ER doctor has nicknamed her Garbage Gut because she always arrives at the clinic with a pop and candy bar!)

Here's Micah's Facebook announcement just a few hours ago:

She's here! Adele JoLee was born March 31st at 11:25pm. 6lbs 12oz and 19.5 inches of sweet, squishy baby I couldn't have asked for a more perfect water birth experience and we are very thankful everyone is healthy and feeling great!

Exactly the same size as sister Audrey was!

Mom and baby doing fine!

Thanks for prayers! God has blessed us once again.

Shalom to all!

Baby time!

I would appreciate prayers for a safe delivery and healthy mom and baby! Micah is going to be induced tonight. Her due date is April 4th, but the doctor thought it wise to get things going. It has something to do with the fact that Micah's been experiencing lots of very low blood sugar episodes. Right now she's watching Audrey participate in gymnastics, then later this evening she and Adam will head to the hospital and I'll be babysitting Audrey and Hazel for a couple of days. No internet there, so I'll be back in a couple of days. (I've packed and repacked so many times. I think I need to consolidate and repack once more!)

Thank you, Lord, for surrounding Micah and Adele with your protection and bringing them safely through this birthing. In Jesus' name. Amen!

Shalom to all. :)

Easter thoughts from my son, Josh.

 

"I’m writing this on the first day of the week leading up to Easter. This is my favorite week.

Somehow, I get the day off in November to watch football and eat in the name of revisionist history but I do not get a day off for Easter. I’m not sure how that works but it’s my favorite day.

This week I remember how much God loves life. My friend, Ben, once said that we don’t serve a God of second chances, we serve a God of new beginnings. This is true. He’s not the God of second, third, or even fiftieth chances because He’s not counting. He is a God of infinite new beginnings because He loves nothing more than to take death and overcome it with life. One day, in “Aslan’s country,” there will be no death and no decay. In this world we will always have age, death and entropy but, by God’s grace, new life always springs up from death. Winter becomes spring, night rolls into another sunrise, flowers begin to grow out of the cold, dead ground. God has no shortage of life to overcome death.

Whatever death we are holding onto, it’s the week to let go. Do not be so easily entangled. In God is more life and new beginnings than we could ever need. This is salvation. This is resurrection. This is abundant life. Welcome to Easter week, friends. It smells an awful lot like Spring."

Reprinted from my son Josh's blog www.theusualmystics.com .

Shalom, friends. :)

Moon dog!

This is what we saw in the sky tonight. I wouldn't have known it was going on, but I'm glad Micah texted me. (This is a photo from Google. My little camera doesn't like to take pictures in the dark.)

Did you see it? Of course, we had a half moon and the inner circle was much clearer and the star to the left brighter. Prettier than this, I think. :)

Shalom!

Know What to Hope In...

"You have to know what to hope.

Hope in the everlasting, not the quickly fading.

Your hope is not that you're never going to die.

Your hope is that you'll live forever.

Your hope is not that nothing bad will ever happen.

Your hope is that you're an overcomer no matter what happens.

You have to know what to hope in and what not to hope in. Otherwise you will have a long list of reasons that you're mad at God."  (From a sermon by Troy Brewer, Open Door Church, Burleson, Texas.)

Because God never promised we would live forever in this broken world, or that we would live comfortably and without difficulties. He did promise to be with us through it all, and to take us home to a place that He's prepared for us. But this is only promised to those who become His children by choice. That involves humbling ourselves and admitting that we need Him to wash us clean so that we can come into His presence. No trace of this sin-filled world can inhabit heaven...or it wouldn't be heaven.

This is no exclusive club, being a child of God. Anyone can join in. The only thing that can keep us from entering in is a proud and rebellious heart that thinks we're good enough without God's help.
We've compared ourselves to the things of this world and think we look pretty good. But we haven't seen the things of heaven yet.

Hope in the everlasting; not in the quickly fading.

He's coming back. Don't let pride steal your hope.

Shalom.

The Project begins...

Remember this little project? I believe this (below) arrived last Saturday...

It's smaller than I imagined, but no less daunting.

I came up with the idea to make a storyboard to help me plan what will go on each page.

The first rectangle represents the front and back covers, which I hope to cover with art. Then the inside front cover and first page.

There are 15 two page spreads and then the last page and inside back cover. Lots of area to cover!

Now I'll have to do some brainstorming for ideas to fill all of those pages. I've got a list started, but it looks pretty short now that I see it all laid out in front of me. I'm thinking the title will be My North Woods, or something similar. It will be filled with animals, plants, places and activities that are a part of this area.

I've been visiting the website and browsing through other people's sketchbooks, which is the whole idea of this project. Some of them are quite fantastic, while others are very ordinary. I have a whole year to finish this and submit my sketchbook, so I'm going to try to rein myself in and take my time. I have visions of black bears and blueberries, foxes and lady slippers, loons and lakes, to mention just a few. But first comes a lot of planning!

I can quickly become obsessed by something like this, so I think I'll put it aside for tonight and do something else! :)

 

Micah is still in a holding pattern, though she reported some contractions tonight. She said that always happens when she's planning to go grocery shopping. I said, "Get them groceries, girl!" You need groceries when you babysit grandgirls while Mama's having a baby!

 

Stress levels at work continue to rise as our three full-time deli managers have 12 weeks of vacation between them which must be used up. It's ridiculous when we're so short of help! We just work like crazy trying to fill in and keep up. (I almost didn't mention work because I know I sound like such a whiner, but I need to vent to SOMEBODY!) So, I continue to pray that the Lord will help me to see it as a challenge and help me to hold on until such time as I have other options. Meanwhile, I'll be leaving them a little higher and drier when Adele makes her appearance, mwahahaha! :) (Taking a couple of days off!)

 

Oh, and here's a scary apparition I saw on my computer screen...eeeek!

I will let you go so I may prepare my evening repast. I took a nap after getting home from work, so my evening is flying past! Frying chicken all day tomorrow, and then my WEEKEND OFF! :)

 

I hope you are all well and that we all remember to lay our cares on Him, for He cares for us.  Thanks for allowing me to vent! :)

 

Shalom, friends and family!