New Poem

Escape from Reality, a photo by Gilderic Photography on Flickr.

"Marah in the Utter East"

Every year, until the years stop coming
That tree makes bitter waves sweet.    1,4

Finally tired of the shallows, as if wakened from a sleep
Deeper in I plunge to join the frolic in the deep.   2

"Come. Farther up and deeper in!" He bids me through the storm. 3,4
Perfect love drives out the fear and I skim the waves unaware.

And he has gone before me, He knows the way I take.
He left his echoes in the water, come follow in His wake.

1 "And he cried unto the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet." Exodus 15:25
2 "There is the sea, vast and spacious,teeming with creatures beyond number—living things both large and small. There the ships go to and fro, and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there." Psalm 104: 25
3“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Matthew 14
4 CS Lewis references: "Utter East" (Voyage of the Dawn treader) "farther up.." (The Last Battle)

Nursey Art

We're planning on get a two bedroom apartment sometime in the near future and I've been bookmarking ideas for Zeke's room/the nursery. My first nursery art posts are here and here and here. I still love those pieces but I've found more and I haven't posted any Etsy finds on here in a long time because well... Pinterest. But I like to pull some of my ideas together on here. As you can see, I'm all over the place. Star wars, the ocean (these oceany ones are a little girly but I love them so!) subway art, owls, literary references... gallery wall anyone? Lol. So here are a few of my new favorites to buy, inspire, or recreate: (Please excuse the wonky formatting. The new blogger is a challenge.)

http://www.jameshance.com/wookiee-the-chew.html

http://www.etsy.com/listing/88998089/guinea-pig-jedi-8-x-10-cute-star-wars?ref=v1_other_2

http://www.tomchambersphotography.com/portfolio_marwari.html

http://www.etsy.com/listing/63885283/happy-moment-art-print-yellow-version?ref=v1_other

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82249499/12x12-canvas-sign-no-more-monkeys

http://www.etsy.com/listing/90659545/baby-nursery-art-inspirational-quote

http://www.etsy.com/listing/80362672/11x14-abc-print-i-love-you-alphabet-love http://www.etsy.com/listing/88096371/nursery-art-print-for-baby-and-children

http://www.etsy.com/listing/89364193/owl-watercolor-art-spotted-owl-print?%3A-%29=

http://www.etsy.com/listing/96677517/inspired-by-hunger-games-rues-song-decal

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62496518/max-illustration-8-x-10-print   http://www.etsy.com/listing/72203854/the-lions-laugh-blank-greeting-card

Only you (Dearest of Zekes)

Chooba Choob-

I've realized that the things Ive been writing about you have been a little generic. Milestones, how you sleep etc. But I haven't really recorded the things that make you uniquely you. I've been lazy. So here goes:


-You love your fuzzy blue blanket. You used to sleep with it pulled up over your face. It was scary, but hilarious. Now you suck on the corners so that they are always crusty. Cute but gross.
-You are obsessed with: pictures of babies (especially yourself), cell phones, remotes, keys, cords, water bottles, trash cans, paper, books and guitars.
-You love pulling books down off of shelves. You bite chunks out of my books. Like, THE COVERS. I have to watch them and you constantly. If you get a bite out of one of them, you fight tooth and nail to keep it in your mouth. Apparently paper is delicious.
-You love the tub faucet and knobs. You like to stand up and grab them.
-You are VERY, VERY stubborn.
-You are usually shy, but occasionally will surprise me by smiling and talking to a stranger. It makes me think they must be good people.
-Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See and Baby Faces are your favorite books. We read them multiple times a day.
-You have a little monkey blanket in your crib and you use it for a pillow.
-You love all kinds of music and will occasionally sing along. On key. Obviously you take after your Dada.
-You smack everything, to hear the sound.
-You will not nurse unless there is complete silence. If you hear anything (even just the turning of a page), you swing you're head around to see what is going on.
-Your eyebrows are always raised when we are out in public. People think you are scared, shocked, surprised, but really you are just super curious and as your Dada says, "alert to your surroundings, like a ninja."
-You are very beefy. Not chubby anymore, and not skinny, but really, really SOLID. You can even see your back muscles. 
-Your hair is thick and soft and straight and redish golden brown. You have two cowlicks. One right in the front. Your hair parts to the side naturally, like a little gentleman.
-You love to crawl on our bed in your diaper.
-You kick like crazy when laid on your back. Your feet go so fast.
-You frequently crawl over to me and climb up my legs for a quick hug and then shove me away again so you can take off crawling.
-You lock your jaw when you babble. Not sure if this is just a quirk or if its something we should have a dentist look at. You seem to like it though.
-You make the most hilarious noises. I can't even write them down but I hope I never forget them.


I love you in all your weirdness.


Millions of kisses and hugs Booger.


MAMA

All I have is Christ

Sausalito Sky - Marin County, California, a photo by PatrickSmithPhotography on Flickr.

"I once was lost in darkest night

Yet thought I knew the way

The sin that promised joy and life

Had led me to the grave

I had no hope that You would own

A rebel to Your will

And if You had not loved me first

I would refuse You still

But as I ran my hell-bound race

Indifferent to the cost

You looked upon my helpless state

And led me to the cross

And I beheld God’s love displayed

You suffered in my place

You bore the wrath reserved for me

Now all I know is grace

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ

Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone

And live so all might see

The strength to follow Your commands

Could never come from me

Oh Father, use my ransomed life

In any way You choose

And let my song forever be

My only boast is You"

Dearest of Zekes- 7-8 Months

To my Boog-a-boo,

Month 6 to 7 was a rough one for us. You wanted to crawl but couldn't. Had teeth coming in and they were obviously killing you. You decided you needed to eat more during the night than the day. And you were having digestive problems. (I will not write bout your poop, I promise. After all, I want you to read these someday. Although I guess as a little boy you would love to read about your poop. But maybe you wouldn't like me posting about it on the internet when you're a teenager.) Anyways...

We did night sleep training, and adjusted your diet, and waited out the teeth, and practiced the crawling. All of which were very hard and filled with lots of screeching. Which looks like this:



We still had fun, but Mommy was very, very tired.

And now, some weeks later at 8 and a half months. You are a delight.



You wiggle and drag yourself all over the place and grin with those two hard-won teeth. You sleep 12 hours straight.

You've lost your squeaky toy laugh and it has been replaced with a full on giggle. Utterly adorable and infectious.

You graduated from your baby bath and now kick and swish around the great big tub to your heart's content.



You had your very first Easter and looked so handsome and grown up in your suit. But i don't think you liked it very much. You had this face on pretty much the whole time:



You prefer your pajamas. Can't say I blame you:




Your daddy is still your favorite toy and I love that as soon as he walks in the door you army crawl over to him as fast as you can. (Which isn't very fast.)

We love you more and more everyday. It's the most amazing thing to see you grow and change and learn. It's all going by so fast.

Thanks for sticking with me through those rough weeks and for getting over the screech all day stage rather quickly!

Love you chunkachunkachooba!

MAMAMAMAMA

birthday gift

"If you think you're a loser
When you fail it seems at everything you do
Just remember there's a Savior
And you are worth enough
He gave His life for you
I'm accepted, accepted
I'm accepted by the One who matters most"
Degarmo and Key

i feel like hugging the sun, a photo by PNike on Flickr.

"Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God."
Romans 15:7