#1 It is fun to be a new Aunt!!!

I wanted to save the best news for last, so this announcement is a bit delayed, but....

Announcing little "JP"!!!

Born May 2, 2007 at 6:30 IST. He was a healthy 9lbs 11oz. Yippee!!

The Baileys are truly enjoying their new life together!! A picture worth 1000 words, so here are thousands of words!!!


They chose a special and meaningful name for their son. How did you choose your children's names?

Anna means "gracious" and Lauryn means "crowned". Our prayer for Anna is that her gracious spirit would be a light that gives glory to God, and that in parenting her we might also grow in understanding God's grace and how to mirror that to others.

Dillon means faithful, and James is a family name. Our prayer is that Dillon would be a faithful Christ-follower, and that in parenting him we would be reminded of God's faithfulness.

What is your prayer for your children??

#2 I am fantastically in love with my husband!!!

I really did have to learn this truth this spring. Several of my friends posted entries on their blogs about their wonderful husbands, and when I read them, I felt twinges... sometimes more... of jealousy!!! I have been struggling with such selfish thoughts, I was only looking for what I wanted and not for what I had. God has taught me, no, is teaching me, to view everything, and mostly my amazingly faithful husband, with self-less eyes. These eyes see beauty. Thank you, my faithful Father!!!

My husband....

• will always love me no matter how crazy I get.
• loves me in spite of my faults and anxious fears.
• is faithful, a picture of faithfulness, at work, at church, in our family, and to friends.
• loves our children.
• is dedicated to his and our family's spiritual growth.
• gives fun and impractical gifts that I would never choose to pay for.
• gives up hobbies like golf and sports so he can spend time with his family.
• loves to laugh.
• is a bit quirky, some of his favorite movies are: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Private Eyes, really anything with Tim Conway and Don Knotts, SG1, Notting Hill, and You've Got Mail.... (oops! Maybe I should not have revealed that last secret.) He also is part of the "Woot.com" club!!! =) =)
  

Thanks God, for my precious gift!!!

#3 Different isn't bad, it is just... different!

"We think she would do better in... kindergarten part 2."

This was the advice of Anna's caring and very involved teachers!!! I was surprised, but then, not so surprised. Anna's personality, combined with the ever-increasing expectations placed on these young children... yeah, that makes sense. I felt ok about the decision, then started thinking more about everything:

• Now they would be only a year apart in school.
• Anna, and I, had made such good friends with her classmates and parents this year.
• I was anticipating only one year of kindergarten!!!
• She would be older than some of her classmates.
• What if she was bored in kinder part 2?? The decision was a behavioral one, not academic.

So many more thoughts, so many opinions and experiences to hear about.
What a weighty decision to make!!!

But, finally, after much prayer and many doubts and concerns, we decided yes, Anna will do kindergarten part two!!

It felt so different, so not what we expected. Yet, fast forward to now, 1 week into school, and we know we made the best decision. Yippee!!!

• We love the team of teachers she has.
• Many of her classmates are older, like her, so this class is a good fit for her. I think she still is one of the shortest girls in her class!!
  
• Her first comment on comparing Dillon's pre-school wither her first week was, "Dillon gets to play with toys and we have to sit and listen to the teacher all the time!" Yikes, what would 1st have been like for her??
• She has taken a nap twice in the last week alone!!! She hasn't napped like that in almost a year!!

Anna loves playing and being creative and spontaneous. I am cherishing the extra time at home with her!!! I have a peace that only God can give, and I am thankful for that !!!

#4 Even the experts agree... my parents did their job well!!

I read Graced-Based Parenting earlier this year. I loved reading it, though it is very daunting, contemplating the responsibility we have as parents. I am so thankful that God's grace is sufficient for me, and His power is made perfect in my weakness!!! Amazing!!

Tim Kimmel's basic premise is that a child has three diving inner needs of security, significance, and strength. The way to meet these needs is through love, purpose and hope. He says "if we've done our job adequately, our children should leave our homes with a love that is secure, a purpose that is significant, and a hope that is strong."

My parents did this!!! Sure, I can point to good times and bad, but overall. I left with these three gifts. I want to share with you a quote that brought tears to my eyes.

"Children need to have a hope in His love that enables them to trust in His character while walking down these painful corridors of their lives. For the child facing these crises, the grace that has surrounded him, the love he's been shown, and the character of the parents who gave him that grace and love provide a natural springboard for him to rest in God's final answer to his pleas. It helps him hope when everyone else would give up."

I want to thank my parents for giving me this hope. Mom and Dad, thank you so much!!! This characterizes what you taught me, what you still teach me!! I love you!!!

Here are a few more favorite quotes. Now go read this book!!!

"...wise parents teach their children ow to love, how to be forthright, how to be transparent with close friends, how to confront, and how to forgive."


"Grace provides equilibrium for a family. Where too many parents are concerned with how others view their children, grace-based parents are more excited with how God views their children."


"...they encourage their children to find the unique individual that God designed them to be through an intimate and authentic relationship with Christ."


"Grace understands that the only real solution for our children's sin is the work of Christ on their behalf."


"Your children's propensity toward sin shouldn't surprise you; it shouldn't threaten you, and it shouldn't even really bother you. ... By acknowledging your children's bent toward sin from the outset, you can encourage your children to struggle with their sin out in the open where you can talk about it and direct them to the power of Christ."

"He chose you to assist Him in a miracle. He gave you children and then said, 'Now go, and give these precious lives meaning.' ... You wonder, How am I to raise up children to love and serve God?...you simply need to treat your children the way God treats you.


He does it in His grace."

Hello, Hello, Helo!!!

I have been wanting to blog for so long!!! Yikes!!! To blog, I have to be in the mood, not overwhelmed with home-making duties, and not too desperate for sleep!!! It also helps if one or more members of my family are asleep. Today, this happened, and I am here!!! Yippee!!!

I know that blogs are typically current, up-to-date journals, but... this one is different. We are learning to enjoy the story, right??? =)

So, back in May, I told you all I had been learning a few things. It is really important to me to finish something I start, even if is is super late.... so....

Listen up for the last "4" things I have learned!!!

And..... stay tuned for "End of Year Celebrations" , "Summer Fun", and "First days"!!!