First Mother's Day Reflections

Mother's Day 2012

There's nothing like becoming a parent to make you reflect on the kind of love God has for us.  One passage that has come to my mind frequently this year is from Isaiah 49:13-16, where God talks about his love for Israel:

For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones.  But Zion said, "The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me."  Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?  Though she may forget, I will not forget you!  See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast?  In case you have not had the ever-present responsibility of breastfeeding a baby as her sole source of nutrition, I will tell you: definitely not!!  I am constantly thinking of Jackie's needs, her well-being, her happiness, her sorrows, no matter how small.  I have to be there for her every 4 hours or she does not eat; it's just that simple.  How much more does our heavenly Father care for us?  When I think of that, I have never felt so noticed by Him.

We want to celebrate this love that our two mothers gave to us.  We are thoroughly convinced Jackie has the two best grandmas in the world.  We love you so much because you loved us first!

Mama Stonehouse

Mama Hays

Gold Mine or Money Pit?

A few years from now when I am panhandling off of San Antonio's Interstate 410, I want it to be clear that I predicted this from the outset. For most people, this story begins with an overly luxurious lifestyle where money-out exceeds money-in. So, as I stare at the most recent addition to our family, my one comfort is that we will be the exception, and years from now someone will be surprised to hear that we can confidently point to the day it all began... And I'm not talking about the garden of Eden either... I'm talking about our new donkey, which happens to be a baby-grand piano. With not a string in tune nor a surface unscuffed, I am confident that its tinny sound will bring endless hours of entertainment for years to come. She was born in 1928 and has spent the last decade in an non-air-conditioned storage box in San Antonio... which, oh by the way, had 57 consecutive days of 100+ degrees in 2011. Her name is Baldweena, she is a Scorpio, and she enjoys long van rides to air conditioned houses once a decade. the piano's keyboard looks like the inside of a Carney's mouth, and trying to balance on its rickety piano bench is like riding a dog that's passing a peach pit.

Almost Famous

Our family has been in San Antonio for a month, and we're already in the paper! Kudos to our new church, Hope Community Church, for getting the word out about their second annual Easter Egg Drop and some great publicity for the church in the San Antonio Express-News`this week. You can view the article here or see the pics of our family below.

Three to Four Months

Our sweet baby girl is growing up...four months old as of April 2nd! Looking back, this has been one of the most enjoyable months so far, as she is more social, sleeping and eating better, and learning more tricks than ever before! Best of all, today she rolled over from tummy to back for the first time! It didn't seem to faze her...or impress her that much either. It's exciting and intimidating to think of a mobile Jackie! But bring it on!

Portland Visit

What a nice visit we had with my parents in Portland, Oregon: full of home-cooked meals, visits with old family friends, and time with siblings Andrew and Julia. It was a great respite after being on the road and in transition for so long. Baby Jackie went through her three month growth spurt at the beginning of the week (back to eating 8 times a day!) and then began sleeping through the night without eating for the first time in her life - mom and dad can't complain! Every time we have visitors or travel somewhere, she grows leaps and bounds in her social ability, and she LOVED the attention from her adoring fans...grandparents, aunts, and uncles. We were so thankful Josh was able to take a 5 day break with us before starting his new job in San Antonio. We left for our new home refreshed and ready to start over again in a new city.

I don't think we're in Virginia anymore, Toto

 
 
Oh boy, I'm going to have to watch my attitude here - my Texas friends, I love you dearly, but when we left Texas 5 years ago, I remember saying, "Thank God we never have to live in Texas again!" I don't think I knew God then as well as I do now...He is funny! So with an effort to find the humor in any situation, I've compiled this list, and this comes from someone who knows, folks...

Farewell, Florida!

Our knights in shining armor!

President's Day was our last big hoorah in Florida, and we were lucky to spend it with Josh's parents. Our warm welcome was not to be outdone by the fire alarm, whose ostentatious arrival at 4 a.m. was the highlight of the evening. There were loudspeakers in every room and a robotic voice that foretold the immanency of the Apocalypse and recommended that we depart the building immediately. Apparently Florida building codes require beachfront property to withstand a CAT3 hurricane but not Biblical quantities of fire and brimstone. One hour and one screaming baby later, the fire department notified us that the end times would not happen that evening, but that we should be diligent to observe all standard safety precautions because was still a realistic possibility for the future... especially since that week was Mardi Gras. That night set the tone for the rest of the week and it was a tough one. Fortunately, my parents were there to take the baby-reins and let us get some Josh&Alison time. We will definitely miss living near them in Virginia, especially with their new Granddaughter, but the time we had living near each other was a blessing that we will cherish. Remember... Texas isn't that far away!