Josiah's upcoming recasting

I wanted to give you all an update on our little man. I will take him to KC next Tuesday for his recasting procedure. If his hips look good, he will get a new cast just to above his knees so he will have some more freedom! He will be six months old exactly next Tuesday! It has been fun to witness his complete turnaround by the comments of others. Now when we leave him somewhere we get comments like "He is such an easy baby!", and "He is so happy!" Praise God, the great physician for all the help and healing he has received. Thanks to everyone who has prayed for him.

Mary age 3

Mary indulged me in a photo shoot to cature her at the sparkling age of 3!

Mary and Hannah Classen painting a giant Easter egg Mary had paper-mâchéd.


Morning cuddle picture!


Look out! Morning cuddle picture #2


Josiah strikes a pose to show off how strong he is!

Easter Photos

We joined my sister's family for Easter Service at their church. Here is a family photo we took afterward.

Mary with Cousin David.

We ate an herbed lamb roast with seasame asparagus, mashed potatoes and gravy, an orange jello salad and Anne made a beautiful angel food cake with layers of lemon/lime goodness hidden inside.

At first bashful, the neighbor kids eventually joined in our Easter Egg hunting and hiding fun. Eventually, the older kids had more fun hiding than hunting.

I can do it!

Mary has put a shirt on and made her bed all by herself this week! Josiah has learned to spin on his stomach. They are both enjoying their newfound independence. :)

Youth Horizons in World Magazine

Youth Horizons (the christian mentoring organization I have participated in) was featured in an article in World Magazine as regional finalists for the 2010 Hope Award for Effective Compassion. Clarise and I were interviewed and part of our story was shared! If you click on the link at the end, you can even see Mary in the video. :)

Teach a man to fish

I look forward to Dr. Paul White's blog articles because they are always thought provoking and useful. Here is a snippit from a book he is reading that met me right where I'm at.

“Character is the acceptance of individual responsibility. . . You cannot build character and courage by taking away initiative and independence, and you cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves.”

There must be a balance between giving a man a fish and teaching him to fish, but it is easier and takes less time to give the fish than the fishing lesson. If I really want to do someone good in the long run I cannot take the more convenient path.

Mary counts her blessings

Mary and I did an excerise today where I asked her to count her blessings by thinking of things that God has given her while I wrote them down. Here is her list: "books, drinks, food, Moms, Dads, Josiahs, Marys, friends, pen, drink, food, Mom, watch, home, grock, sock, mock, Luke (little friend that was here yesterday), {she started to stall out so I suggested "clothes" at this point}, belt, toys, doctor stuff (her medical toy kit), home, feet, parts of us." Amen!

The Good, the Bad, and the Crazy

Today was exciting! Josiah slept for 9 consecutive hours last night!!!! Then he awoke with his worst blowout yet. By the end of this clean up process we had used a flashlight to peer down into his cast, wiped from all angles, and applied new waterproof tape around the back side of his cast.

Mary and I had the opportunity to visit the circus this morning with some of our neighbors. When she woke up this morning I told her we were going to the circus, after a moment of processing she asked if Master Zutzo would be there. This was a character who attended a circus in one of her library books last week.

While watching the acrobats, she asked if they were cheerleaders because they didn't have any pants on. The other day she was running around in only a shirt and underware flailing wildly. She informed me that she was a cheerleader because she didn't have any pants on. Those K-State cheerleaders definitey left an impression on her.

During intermission she went on a pony ride. She did great and had fun at her first circus!

Utah Trip Photos

Here are a few pictures from Aaron and Mary's recent trip to Utah. Uncle Ben and Daddy surprised her with balloons on her birthday, they went snow tubing on Friday, they went to the zoo in Salt Lake City on Saturday and she got to see a Cheetah!

Three Cheers!

Mary missed her opportunity to have a photo with Willie, but was delighted for this photo op with three K-State cheerleaders. They definitely left an impression on her. At one point during one round of Easter Egg hunting on Sunday I spotted Mary flailing about on our lawn. Kicking and throwing her (empty) basket about: "I'm cheering for the kids hunting Easter Eggs!".

God loves me

I took off for a bike ride today rather than my usual "rodent machine" workout at the Y. I wanted to get some fresh air and clear my head. This was one of those days when it was hard to see the big picture beyond the fussiness and tiredness. I rode by a blue keychain with a large car key attached. I decided to go back and check it out. It didn't have any kind of identification or "if lost send to..." information. I decided my best bet to find it's owner was to make it as visible as possible on the path and left it there. I rode on and passed several people coming toward me exchanging only a brief greeting. Then as I appoached two ladies I stopped and said "excuse me, did either of you lose a key?" The first lady was quick to answer "no" and the second checked her pockets and quietly said "I did". She said it had a blue key chain and I told her where to find it. They were both excited and grateful. I rode away with a quiet voice in my heart saying to me "I have you where I want you." Praise God for his perfect timing and attention to the details of our lives. Even if I can't see the big picture, if I am just faithful with the little things He can use my life for his purposes.