Just a thought...

Each step of life brings its own lessons and insights. Lately, I've thought about learning to walk. Jay is walking and falling and getting up and exploring and loving his new freedom. Today we went to the library and I didn't put him in a stroller. It took a while, but I held his hand (sometimes his wrist) and we walked in together. Once inside, I'd let him break free for a moment and he wanted to go in every direction. Later on at home, he walked around the cul-de-sac while I watched him. He waved to our neighbor's house, expecting to see the two little kids who live there. He pushed a walking toy. He bent over, his jeans drooping and showing off his little plumber's crack.

It's a cliche that children can bring you the most happiness and pain in life. Today, I was brought the most ordinary moments of laughter and pride.

The insight that dawns on me as I learn how to parent a toddler is the long-suffering and patience and good humor of the Lord for his own children. Walking from point A to point B would be a lot easier for the parent if the child was being carried. But the child wouldn't learn or have anything to accomplish. And so it's true for believers.

Thank the Lord for his patience!

If you care to know...

Here are few pictures from late August and September. Not the best quality, but you take what you can get.

Getting over the bug with Daddy

Everytime Jay saw the beach, he had to be in the sand. One time we just stripped him down to the dipe, and let him roam free!

Porch View from 16 Land's End, HHI

Jay enjoying a friend's pool

Here's a recap of what's been going on in our day-to-day lives:

1. IT'S A GIRL!!! We are naming her Sarah Anne. I have misplaced the sonogram pictures after faithfully carrying them to show our family over Labor Day. Maybe they'll show up when I pack our bags again.

2. We went to Hilton Head over Labor Day. We stayed in a beautiful house with an amazing view. My favorite part was getting to tear through the latest Mary Kay Andrews book, The Fixer Upper, while sitting on the patio overlooking the water.

3. Jay spiked a fever the Sunday we were there. We didn't have a thermometer with us, and when Alex found one (around 4 a.m. at the only open drug store), his temperature had broken. I didn't get to take a family picture on the beach due to sickness; maybe we'll get one at Christmas.

4. Jay is FINALLY starting to walk! I will post a video soon. He still would rather crawl for speed, but he's getting it. Note to self: put real shoes on baby Sarah sooner than we did for Jay.

5. Jay is HUGE! He is in the 90 percentile for height to weight! And his head is in the 97 percentile. Which kind of scared me, but I think "big heads" run in the family. The doc felt it was in line with his growth, so I won't worry.

6. We are going to NYC this weekend!!!!! Jay is staying with my parents and will probably be able to recite the Gettysburg Address when he returns. I will miss him so much. Please say a little prayer that he won't be fearful and confused without Mama and Daddy for a week.

7. It's fall and that means fun like the Georgia National Fair, Harvest Festivals, and general autumnal merriment.

Duty calls, so I'm off.

I promise to take lots of pictures in NYC and have a totally fantabulous time!

Mmmm... Kettle Corn

Liked it so much that I have to share.

I do grocery shopping at Wal-mart and they only carry Orville Redenbacher popcorn, which does not carry the "no trans fat" label. I did buy some of their single serving kettle corn, and it had an off taste-- too fake salty.

Maybe it's the economy and the whole back-to-basics marketing movement, but I bought some plain ole kernels. Great Value brand. $1.25. The O.R. kernels were 4 dollars!

Parade magazine (in the Sunday paper) had a recipe this weekend for sweet and spicy kettle corn. I let out the spicy and just kept it sweet. It was wonderful.

As I was popping, I remembered those early grade school history lessons about the pilgrims learning about corn from the Native Americans. I felt all Pioneer Annie.

Before microwave popcorn hit it big, we cooked our popcorn in an air popper. But to cook it on the stove is kinda like magic. You heat the oil, drop in the kernels, and cover.

You shake the pot and wonder, Will it burn? Will it pop? And lo, it does. It did.

One 1/2 cup of kernels made an entire pot full-- probably 6-8 cups. It was caramelized, rugged, and wholesome.

Here's the recipe from Bobby Flay.

Sweet and Spicy Kettle Corn

3 tbsp. oil (I used vegetable)
1/2 cup kernels
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tbsp. ancho chili powder * (I omitted)

Heat oil one minute on medium heat in a heavy 4 quart pot. Drop kernels in a single layer and cover with sugar. Cover with lid. Shake pot periodically to prevent burning. Take pot off the stove when popping slows to pops every 3-5 seconds. Remove lid and add salt and chili powder if desired.

Enjoy, home pioneers!

30

I had a great 30th birthday. I could say a lot about it, but don't need to. I had a weekend filled with surprises. What made it very special was that my husband planned it far in advance-- booking a nice hotel, contacting friends, telling lots of stories so that I wouldn't be suspicious, even setting up a new email account for the birthday weekend.

What the weekend showed me was:

It doesn't matter if you are liked by many. It matters if you are loved (and I would say greatly loved) by a few.

It's nice to be liked. But it's on the surface-- typically because of what we are trying to project to win favor. But to be loved, just because, just because someone else finds something of worth in you, without your striving to attain their affection, that is completely humbling and truly precious.

Thank you to my sweet husband and father of my little boy and in-progress baby. And thank you to my parents, sister, extended family, and out-of-town friends who took the time to make me feel special.

So the next time I'm just doing something mundane and repetitive that I do every day, and feel like my life is insignificant, I've got a great memory to remind me of the opposite.

LOVE YOU!

Red Raspberry Dollars

When Jay was done with breakfast yesterday, I set him down to play while I ate mine. I hear a smacking sound coming from the couch area, and assume he has either found a stray piece of food (sadly, this is not unusual), or is happily biting his fingers. I go to investigate a few minutes later. I find him with a box of red gummies, chewing and drooling and happy as a pig in slop. He has a lot of red drool on his pajamas. I had opened the box yesterday and left it on the couch.

Remember those days when you think you'll never give your child sweets or let them watch cartoons? Neither do I. :)