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Chicago Friends

Before the wedding activities started, we headed out to Wheaton to see the Musicks and the Ritters.  I finally got to meet baby Joseph!!

Oh my goodness, he’s even cuter in person.  Since he’s the closest thing to a nephew I’m going to have for quite a while, let me just do the doting aunt thing and show you another adorable picture of him.

While Derek watched a napping Susanna back at the apartment, Auntie Laura and Uncle Stephen and I took the kids to a fun playground to run off some energy.  Tommy got a kick out of see-sawing with Joseph!

Oh, how I love this girl.  We might be even closer now than in college, as we’ve gone through dating, teaching, marriage, and now mommyhood in our weekly phone prayer dates these past seven years.

Then over to the Ritters for dinner and a sense of relief that Derek’s no longer at Kirkland (though Kris’ hours seem a little more sane than they were).  Ian, who is a day shy of being a year older than Tommy, was insistent during dessert that the boys were “popsicle twins”…

The next morning, we met Jen in Lincoln Park to take Lizzie’s two year old portraits, with “the other Laura” (as opposed to Auntie Laura) there to help me corral everyone.

Here everyone is at lunch, recovering from the heat.  Lizzie loves Laura!

And her cell phone.

And poor Susie finally fell asleep in the most awkward position…

Oh, and to cap off a very social day, we stopped by our old house and said hi to the Wises.  Juliet and Tommy played together even better than they did when we were neighbors.

Not too bad, considering how little sleep we’d all had thusfar…

South Bend Friends

On our way to Hannah’s wedding, we stopped to see friends in our old stomping grounds…with a slight hitch an hour into the drive when Elizabeth threw up her breakfast.  No more feeding the kids breakfast on the road.  Anyway…

First stop, University Village at ND.  Tommy and Edith at our BBQ with the Coles and Nielsens (I just love their expressions!).

First newborn comparison of the trip, with Kelly–William is two weeks younger than Susanna but seems like he’s inherited his daddy’s tall genes and already is bigger than Susie!

The next morning, we headed over for a great brunch with Leslie and Rachelle.   It was so sweet to hang out with these girls again!

Second newborn comparison of the trip, with Leslie–Ian is about two weeks older than Susanna! This picture is so funny because we have a picture of Aidan and Tommy at just about these respective ages where they are propped up by each other but totally looking away from each other just like this.

Hard to believe that none of these six kiddos existed back when we were teaching together at Christian Center…

Aidan was Tommy’s first buddy, and I’m so glad they’ve stayed friends through their visits to us in St Louis and Chicago and our visits to them whenever we get back to SB.  They got along really well this time.  Aidan has an amazing imagination and was Peter Pan for most of the visit, with Tommy and Lizzie marching behind him around the house.  He cracks me up!  Well, they crack each other up…

Fun times!

So we were not expecting this.  During our crazy 6 day/5 night trek west for Hannah’s wedding, the kids had to share a bed two nights (they slept in their sleeping bags the other nights).  Elizabeth had never been in a big girl bed before, but I guess she liked it.  Granted, it took her an hour to fall asleep the first night because it was so fun to snuggle and giggle with Tommy, so that wasn’t the best, but she didn’t fall out, and she didn’t climb out.

When we got home last night, we went into Tommy’s room to have family worship, and Elizabeth pointed to the extra bed and said, “I sleep.”  Derek and I looked at each other and realized she must be a big girl now.  I pulled her special teacup sheets and big girl quilt out and made up the bed for her, then we went over the rules for staying in bed.  She was super excited, and Tommy was thrilled to have her as a roommate a full two months before we’d planned.

Staying in bed was a little bit hard for her, and Derek went in throughout the night to find her in various states of almost-falling-out-of-bed, but she slept all night long and didn’t mind being awakened early by Tommy.  We’ll see how it goes for a couple more nights before we officially move Susanna to the big crib.

Soccer Practice

We got back in town just in time for soccer practice tonight, and the girls and I got to watch and clap for Tommy!

Elizabeth’s favorite hymn

Elizabeth’s special hymn is “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” most often sung at bedtime.  When we have family worship time, however, for nearly a year she regularly asks for Reginald Heber’s “Holy Holy Holy.” It’s probably because “holy” was one of the easiest words for her to learn very early on. But that doesn’t prevent her from requesting it almost every single night!

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.

Holy, holy, holy! All saints adore thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
Which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
Though the sinful human eye thy glory may not see,
Only thou art holy, there is none beside thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.

Tommy’s favorite hymn

Tommy’s hymn is “O The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus,” which, by now, he’s heard hundreds of times. But his favorite hymn is Robert Lowry’s “Nothing but the Blood.” It may be because it was one of the easiest for him to learn because of the repetition, but he loves belting it out!

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Refrain: O precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon this I see: nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For my cleansing this my plea: nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain)

Nothing can for sin atone: nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Naught of good that I have done: nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain)

This is all my hope and peace: nothing but the blood of Jesus.
This is all my righteousness: nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain)

Now by this I’ll overcome: nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Now by this I’ll reach my home: nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain)

No PJ’s here…

Another Little Reader

(if you’re Tommy), or BlibBlib’s, if you’re Lizzie.

A Month and Some Change

One of the coolest baby gifts this time around was this set of month stickers to put on a onesie and record your baby’s progress every month.  I loved the concept, but stuck them in a “safe place” until the baby arrived…where they languished unremembered until Laura asked me about them yesterday!  I should have taken these pictures right at a month, but she’s definitely gained a lot of personality in the last week, so maybe it’s better that I forgot.  Yesterday Susanna had a pretty good day, as you can tell:

Just about ready to take another nap…

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