Forward Motion

Is this an Army Crawl?  It doesn't look as sophisticated to me, but he can get where he wants to go.  He is getting exponentially faster each time he practices...

Greedy Sharing

Once a month, we gather at my in-laws' house to eat Sunday lunch and enjoy each other and the growing number of children in our family.

  

Hugs and kisses for Aunt Lin-Lin

  

Brant showing Lee the ropes with the trains

First picture with Aunt Lala (!)

We only have two little ones right now, and Lee is just beginning to show interest in the toys that previously Brant did not have to share.  Isn't it true that sharing is such an easy concept, as long as we don't have to actually put it into practice?

We heard Brant say many times on Sunday, "I need that one!"  Don't we say the same thing to ourselves?  When we really need to upgrade from our station wagon to a new SUV?  When we can't help out the family down the street because we may need that money for our own safety net later?  Over the past few weeks, I have increasingly been made aware of my need to control my greed.

(And, lest you think I am being easy on Lee...It is just not appropriate to describe in detail what habit he has developed that no one had to teach him about.  I am actively trying to teach him not to bite and eat at the same time.  Let's just leave it at that!!)

Recent Pictures

  

  

At the park with Dad and Mom

  

Playing under the coffee table

Proximity

I was tagged to blog about the 4th picture in my 4th folder; this is quite an old one.  It is from Elise's high school graduation almost three years ago.

At the time, we thought Elise would be attending the University of Georgia, only an hour or so away from our house.  Since Elise and I had not lived in the same city since she was six years old, I was so excited.  I had visions of us seeing each other more often, getting to know each other better, and generally strengthening our sisterhood while we were close.  During the summer, she found out she had been accepted to the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and her plans changed.

When I decided to stay in Atlanta, I always thought I would go "home" to Memphis one day.  Over the years, I realized my place is here, though I miss my family terribly, especially as our family grows.  I now realize I can not create or replace a sister bond, and I wish the three of us were together so we could share life the way I see other sisters do.  I am often very aware that I am on my own here in Atlanta.  There are certainly lonely days.

But I am thankful for my husband, who is my best friend, and I would never trade the life we have together.  And I am thankful for his wonderful family and our excellent friends, and would not trade them, either.  And the church we call home has facilitated my spiritual growth in ways I can't imagine having happened if I were not here.  So I continue to live each day where God has called me - expectantly, thankfully, and happily.

  

NOW, if you have the time, I tag Lindsay, Christine, and Kimberly to blog about the 5th picture in their 5th folders.  I enjoy this game of looking back and reflecting!

The Army Crawl's Opposite

He has the legs down, but not the arms.

Swings

Lee had a play date with his friend, Rylie, and we went to Cabbagetown park to enjoy the beautiful weather.

  

While the kids were playing, the moms discussed how hard it is to be a task-oriented person with a job where the precious moments are fleeting.  It may sound crazy to some readers out there, but we actually shared strategies for enjoying watching and participating in our children's growing.  I am so thankful for a friendship that spurs me on to remember the activities that will have long-term payoff - hopefully eternal payoff!  And I am also thankful for a husband who doesn't mind when I let the chores go.

  

Lazy Peek-a-boo

Our small group has been discussing how we honor God with all of our money in a study called Balanced.  Our entire church is working through the study together, so our sermons have also covered the topics we are discussing.  As each family gains insight for their particular household, one questions continues to surface:  What is the correct percentage to give?  The Bible speaks of many levels of giving: the Israelites who provide for the upkeep of the tabernacle and its servants (10% - the traditional tithe), a poor woman who gives her last coin (100%), and a rich farmer who foolishly plans to store up all of his extra grain for himself (?% - but it wasn't all for him).  What is the exact amount we should give back to God?

At the same time, Lee is learning how to play peek-a-boo.  He understands that he is supposed to put something on his face, we ask "Where is Lee?", and he removes the item for smiles and cheering and an exclamation of, "Peek-a-boo!"  Sometimes, he does not cover up his face completely; in fact, I can see both eyes staring out at me!

At first, I thought this was a lazy form of playing, but then it dawned on me that Lee does not understand the meaning of the game - that he hides, and we find him.  That we are excited when we find him.  When Lee begins to understand why we play peek-a-boo, the game is going to be much more fun for him.  He will probably want to play it all the time.

When we first begin to give our money back to God, we often do it because we have seen how the "game" is played, but we do not understand why we play it.  When I first graduated from college, I had no extra money once I paid my bills, and I had to charge my gas and groceries (which leads us into another discussion on debt, but that is a posting for another day).  I literally did not have money in the bank to give.  Was God so concerned with whether I gave 1% or 10%?  No, but I was.  I could not enjoy my giving, because I always felt guilty that I was not giving enough.

Perhaps the best way to determine the giving percentage is to pray.  Ask the Lord to show us the amount for our family to give in light of the whole of His teaching about money and our particular circumstances.  Ask Him to help us give that joyfully.  Plan accordingly.  Then, just start playing the game.  I bet it won't be too long before you start to understand the why, and then you will want to play it all the time!

  

Bananas

This morning, I gave Lee some bananas to eat on his own.  He figured out how to get them to his mouth, but doesn't quite know how to release them yet so he can actually eat them.

I also think he may be smiling for the camera.  Every time I went to take a picture, he would smile; I was just not always quick enough to catch it!