So happy together!

Time is racing by . . . Noah is already 5 weeks old and has reached what would have been 32 weeks gestation if he hadn't been in such a hurry to meet us! He's 3 pounds, 1 ounce and gets cuter every day!

I got to spend time this afternoon with my three kids . . . cuddling the youngest with the other two close by! It was a tiny taste of what life will be like when Noah comes home - minus nurses (although ours are wonderful), monitors, and isolettes! I'm getting oh so excited and looking forward to that time!

I have such precious children -- all three of them! While we were visiting this afternoon, Noah brought his hands together in his sleep . . . Jaden decided he was praying that he'd soon be big enough to come home, and Lael agreed! They insisted that I take a picture of it!

Noah, we're praying that you'll be big enough to come home soon, too! We love you!

Someone LOVES being a big sister!

Can you tell? Lael had a special treat yesterday when she went to visit Noah . . . she got to hold her baby brother for the first time! She also read some books to him, which he seemed to really enjoy!

One month old!

The newest addition to our family is one month old today!

Happy birthday, Noah!
We are so glad that God sent you to us, and we are counting down the days until you can come home!

Pumpkin smile!

I can't believe it!

My big boy has lost his first tooth!

I still remember when he got his first tooth . . . has it really been that long?

He's growing up sooooo fast!

Snuggling with Noah

In case you weren't sure, I love having times to snuggle with Noah! I would sit and hold him all day, every day if I could!

Here are some more pictures of our big boy -- he's getting so much more alert!

Mommy-Noah time!

I absolutely love times when I can go in and snuggle with Noah. It's not the same as holding your baby at home . . . with all the wires and monitors, but it's still oh, so sweet!

Such tiny fingers . . .
. . . and toes!

Sweet baby face!

You have to love this sweet baby face!

(And is he sucking his thumb???)

Snuggles with Noah

Every parent looks forward to having their baby placed in their arms for the first time. We had to wait a little longer than most, but that only made the moment sweeter!

Mommy first held Noah on June 1st - he was 6 days old!

And Daddy's turn came four days later, on June 5th!
Lael and Jaden were there to see Noah snuggled in Daddy's arms . . .

Daddy with his two boys

Now we're all the more eager for those wonderful snuggle times once we get to bring Noah home!

Isn't he handsome!

This morning while the nurse was changing Noah's "gear", I was able to snap a quick picture of his handsome face with no breathing equipment . . . doesn't he look wonderful?!

He's my handsome youngest son!

The Slingshot Heard Round the World!

Recently, Lael and Jaden participated in their very first church musical - entitled "The Slingshot Heard Round the World" . . . otherwise known as the story of David and Goliath. They worked so very hard to prepare for this musical, including many weeks of practices. And they did a GREAT job! (Spoken as a proud mommy!)

Unfortunately, I was not able to attend in person - because of being in the hospital on bedrest - but Daddy got some pictures, and friends from church videotaped it so I could see it right away. (The official video won't be ready for a few weeks.)

So, here they are in their stage debut . . .

Jaden had a speaking part - as Eliab, David's older brother!

Lael had some speaking parts AND a solo!

They both love to worship with flags! Great job, Lael and Jaden!!!

Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you for using your gifts to serve Jesus!

Family pictures!

Here's our first family picture - as a family of five!

Lael and Jaden were so excited to meet baby Noah!

Lael was fascinated with the tiny diapers, while Jaden was curious about all the tubes and wires that were attached to his little brother.

Both of them are so proud to be the "big" kids of the family!

Mommy was just thankful to have all three of my children together in the same room!

I soaked up lots of hugs from Lael and Jaden.

Aunt Cherie came up for the day to spend time with Lael and Jaden -

and then she met Noah too!

Lael and Jaden enjoyed playing with Aunt Cherie and cousin Carrie! They also had fun shopping for gifts for their brother. And they were so surprised to find out that Noah had gifts for them too! How did he know how much Jaden loves legos . . . or that his big sister needed a new bike helmet? He's going to be a great little brother!

Introducing our newest addition!

In case you haven't heard, we are now a family of 5! Noah Matthew was born on Wednesday -- weighing in at 2 pounds, 2 ounces and measuring 14 inches long! He is absolutely perfect, but still tiny.

Here are some of his first photos:

Thanks so much to all who have been praying for us during this time of bedrest and the birth of our son! Continued prayers would be appreciated - for health and strength for Noah, for healing for Lisa from surgery, and that we will soon be able to all be under the same roof - all 5 of us!

Things I'm pondering . . .

"The pressure of hard places makes us value life. Every time our life is given back to us from such a trial, it is like a new beginning, and we learn better how much it is worth, and make more of it for God and man. The pressure helps us to understand the trials of others, and fits us to help and sympathize with them."

A. B. Simpson

We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it . . . . But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselved and learned how to rely only on God, who raises the dead.

(2 Corinthians 1:8-9)

Sunday, April 4, 1999

Do you remember what you were doing exactly 11 years ago -- on Sunday, April 4, 1999? I do! It's a date I will never forget . . . and here's why:

Eleven years ago, this young man

made this young woman (which happens to be me)
the happiest person in the world when he asked me to be his wife! He proposed on the beach in Ocean City, Maryland, as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday morning.

(I apologize for the quality of the above picture . . . this was before the days of digital cameras, and we had to rely on the kindness of strangers who happened to be walking on the beach at sunrise to capture this memory on film!)

Later in the day, we celebrated with an Easter dinner and special cake with Brent's family.

Thank you, Brent, for stepping out in faith and obeying God eleven years ago! Thank you for the many wonderful memories over the years of our life together! I cannot imagine my life without you in it! And thank You, God, for the precious gift You gave to me in my husband!

Happy engagement anniversary, Brent! I love you so much!

Co-op Speech Meet, Part 2

And here is Lael sharing her poem, a cinquain about the Winter Olympics:

Olympic Games by Lael Martin

Vancouver

Crowded, competative

Skiing, skating, snowboarding

Hoping for a medal

Olympics

Lael and Jaden, you both did a great job! Mommy and Daddy are so very proud of you!!!

Co-op Speech Meet, Part 1

Public speaking is pretty new to our kids . . . they haven't had much experience with it. So that made this semester's co-op closing exercises more intimidating for Lael and Jaden. Each student was asked to share a poem - Lael and Jaden each shared poems that they had written themselves!

Here is Jaden sharing his poem:

And in case you couldn't make out all the words, here they are:

Seasons by Jaden Martin

I like to play in the cold winter breeze.

In the fall I like seeing the leaves roll off the trees.

In spring I like sitting on the beach.

In the summer I like hiding out of reach.

Mmmm! Homemade granola!

We LOVE granola cereal here . . . but it's hard to justify the hefty price tag at the grocery store when it's sooooo easy to make at home! Here are two of our favorites:

Granola

3 1/2 cups oatmeal

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup honey (can use more)

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1/4 - 1/2 cup of any of the following: raisins, craisins, sunflower seeds, coconut, slivered almonds

(I often throw in some wheat germ and ground flax seed as well)

Directions: Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Heat honey and oil on stove until liquidy. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add honey and oil mixture; stir until everything is moist. Bake in 13x9 pan for 30-60 minutes (depending on how crisp you want your granola to be). I bake mine for 60 minutes. Also, I've found that we like it better when the raisins and/or craisins are added when the granola comes out of the oven; otherwise, they dry out too much if they're in while you bake it.

This is a very forgiving recipe -- you really can't mess it up! And I usually make at least a double batch so it lasts a few days! ;)

Peanut Butter Granola

(this recipe is from another FIAR mom -- thanks, Rebecca!)

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup peanut butter

Melt these two ingredients together until smooth, over low heat. Then stir in:

1/3 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

When all ingredients are warm and smooth, stir in 3 cups of rolled oats until well coated. Put the oat mixture on an ungreased cookie sheet or 13x9 pan. Bake at 375 for approximately 10 minutes, or until crisp. At this point, you can toss in raisins, craisins, sunflower seeds, etc. Then cool and store tightly covered.

This is especially delicious with sliced bananas on top! Yummy!

What's cooking at our house . . .

We are trying to eat healthier in the New Year . . . okay, so we always try to eat healthy (it's just that sometimes we're more successful than others). Anyway, I found this recipe a few months back and we LOVE it! It's really healthy and very inexpensive too, which is another plus!

Lentil and Brown Rice Casserole

3 cups broth (chicken or veggie)

3/4 cup green lentils

1/2 cup brown rice

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions: Preheat oven to 300. Combine broth, lentils, rice, onion, and spices in 13x9 glass baking dish. Stir together and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Return to oven and bake uncovered for 20 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Serve with steamed broccoli or a garden salad. Enjoy!

Ten Predictions for 2010

I found these online somewhere . . . can't remember where at the moment . . . but they really encouraged me. I hope they do the same for you!

Ten Predictions for 2010

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still be the most powerful thing on earth.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will honor the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out His blessing upon His people.
8. There is still room at the cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will continue to save the lost.

Isn't it great to remember that He is really in control! The Word of the Lord endures forever! (1 Peter 1:25)

Word for 2010

Happy New Year! I can't believe that it's 2010 already! It seems like only yesterday we were beginning 2000 . . . anyone remember Y2K??? I was a newlywed, celebrating our first New Year's as husband and wife. Ten years and two children later, our lives have definitely changed -- for the better!

Anyway, for the past couple of years, I have chosen a word to focus on throughout the year -- something to give me a direction as I seek to grow in my relationship with the Lord as well as in the relationships I have with other people.

This year, the word that God really impressed on my heart is ADORE. The week before Christmas, Brent preached a message about what it means to adore Christ. As He was preaching, God spoke that He wanted me to focus on adoring Him in the upcoming year. I know that when my focus on the Lord is where it should be, other things in my life will fall into place.

So, what does it mean to ADORE? According to the dictionary, to ADORE is to regard with the utmost esteem, love and respect. It can also mean to worship. One of the things Brent said in his message is that true adoration is a product of the heart; it's not just doing things out of obligation. It's so easy to find myself doing things . . . even good things . . . out of a sense of obligation. Whether it's spending time in the Word, serving at church, even caring for the needs of my family, I want to learn how to do all things flowing out of my adoration of the Lord.

Okay, enough rambling for now . . . but I will be revisiting this word again and again this year. I'm looking forward to all that God will teach me about adoring Him!