Belated Birthday

Well, my baby boy turned 1 earlier this month. How the year has flown by...could I sound more cliche? He's almost walking now - he can take a few steps and fall on his face, if you want to call that "walking." He's so tall and his head is so large (yes, larger than the average bear), that he can't quite balance. And when he wants to walk, his head goes way before his feet. He's so cute when he does it, but the poor kid... Anyway, here are his birthday pics!

Not at all amused by the singing!

He didn't like his cupcake all that much. He actually took a bite and threw up. Oh, well!

Right before Grant's birthday, Isabel went to a birthday party for some friends. The party was held at Monkey Joe's (somewhat like Bounce U). She had a BLAST and told everyone about the "humongous slide" for days on end... I think she keeps getting older every day. Sometimes I don't know what happened to my little girl.

And one last picture, probably one of my favorites...

New blog

For those who may be interested, I have started a second blog here. It may not apply to everyone, but it is a good outlet for me to process the joys of motherhood! It is not designed for family updated like this blog, but it is really a way to encourage and challenge myself to be a Godly wife and mother. I pray someone else may find it encouraging as well! Feel free to let me know what you'd like to see...I'd like to make it a great resource for Moms!

Slacker

Someone needs to give me a motivational speech about my blog...apparently I can't get my act together enough to post on a regular basis! I've been busy taking care of the kids (not to mention 3 of us getting the stomach flu at the exact same time), and Jeremy has been super busy with church and his night class. It's a good thing we love what we do!

I've been experimenting with my new camera and photo editing software, so here are a few pictures of the little ones!

We can't help but laugh when we see this picture of Grant! He smiles SO much more than Isabel did as a baby! And Isabel is starting to look like a little lady. She grows up a little more every day. And she's such a negotiator. If she wants to do something, she will stop at nothing to find a way. If we say no, she says, "well, after I finish this." Or "maybe later." I fear that she will go into politics.

My baby boy is turning 1 next week! I can hardly believe it. He was such a difficult newborn - well, difficult for about 7 months - that the time just flew by. And now he's almost walking and turning 1! Although he screamed for a good portion of his first year, he is such a sweet boy now. As long as you feed him, play with him, and love him, he is content just about anywhere. And he's definitely ALL boy. He climbs and crawls on EVERYTHING. I don't think it's possible to Grant-proof this home.

Jeremy and I have been talking about pride and how it is the root of all kinds of sin. I don't know if I recommend this or not - you will glorify God in the process, but seeing so much sin and pride in yourself is pretty painful! Last night we talked about a lack of contentment, and I'm going to preach to myself for just a minute... It's so easy to find flaws in everything we have or do. And it's even easy to thank God for the good things that we do have (family, a home, provision). But shouldn't God be enough? Why do we immediately thank God for the tangible gifts without thanking Him for Jesus first? I believe Job said the Lord gives and takes away. And if we aren't thankful for God first, nothing else should matter. Isn't He enough? Doesn't God alone satisfy our souls, or do we expect something else? I have way too many days where I expect to have an easy day with the kids or a break from the crazy stay-at-home-mom life. But isn't God good enough to provide the strength no matter what we face in our day? It's shameful to think I'm entitled to anything. I wasn't even entitled to Christ.

Inaugural Celebration

I watched the Presidential Inauguration yesterday. Yes, I actually sat down and watched it while I played with the kids. I've heard several conservative folks say they refuse to watch anything that has to do with Obama. I can't say I agree with that mentality.

As a self-proclaimed "conservative," I don't agree with many things that President Obama intends to do in the White House, but he is nevertheless our President. Are we not called to respect the authorities? Shouldn't we offer up hopeful prayers for him that he might make wise decisions as our president? Shouldn't we at least acknowledge that it WAS a fairly significant day in the history of our nation? I would hate to miss a great part of our national history because I don't agree with the man's politics.

Now, I was a little saddened by the mass of people who treated him as if he were some kind of saviour. And I was not incredibly impressed with his speech or his wife's dress or anything else that was intended to elicit an emotional response. I am rarely moved by speeches, be they in agreement with my beliefs or not (call me cynical, but I prefer to see our politicians do something). But it would be sad to see every Christian in America withdraw from everything political because we disagree with the morals. I recall Christ telling us to go out into the world, not to refuse to minister to it because it didn't look like us. Although Christians ought to be moved by Scripture first instead of nation first, let's not forget that Scripture can move our nation if we take it to them.

Piano Man

Apparently Grant is particularly interested in musical instruments. He was pretty good on the piano!

Isabel had her 3rd birthday on the 19th. Every parent will tell you this, but they really do grow up so fast! She's such a fun little girl, and she has so much spirit in her. We had a great time celebrating with her. We had a party on Saturday, then her birthday was actually on Monday. When I told her it was her birthday, she said, "AGAIN?" Happy Birthday Isabel!

Little Drummer Boy

Isabel got a set of musical instruments for Christmas, and Grant has stolen the drum from her! He's quite the little drummer!

The kids have adjusted pretty well to the move, but all 4 of us got sick right when we moved in. We're on the road to recovery, but 'tis the season for the yuck! When the whole family's sick, we're all pretty pathetic! But I did locate our camera among the boxes, so hopefully I'll have more pictures up soon (when we're well enough to photograph).

We're in!

Well, we're moved into our new place! And to welcome us to the neighborhood, our neighbor across the street backed into our van. There wasn't a ton of damage, and it's really not a huge deal, but what a way to start out the new year! We're not unpacked yet, but we love the new area...I know, how can you love Arnold? It really is a great location - we're close to everything we need! Our church helped us move, and I've never seen anyone move so quickly! We are so thankful to everyone who helped us get in our new place!

He's done with school! For now, at least...

Jeremy has finished his Masters! I can't tell you how relieved both of us are! And as we walked across the stage, Dr. Moore actually gave him a fist-bump. And if he ever goes back to school for another degree, it won't be any time soon :)

The kids are ready for Christmas...and we are not at all ready to move! Isabel thinks it's Christmas every day, and if you try and take her picture, she holds her arms out and yells, "Merry Christmas!" She's handling the packing very well. We keep telling her that even though we're packing her toys away (or getting rid of them!), she has new special toys to open on Christmas morning! I think it's the grace of God that we're moving around Christmas. Now we have an excuse to hide, store, or just sell the toys we don't use right now! Now if we could just get everything else packed, we might actually be prepared to move!

We've been debating what to tell Isabel when she asks about Santa. She keeps telling us she wants to go see him. We've never really wanted to do the whole Santa thing with our kids, so we've been telling her, "Christmas is not about Santa or presents or pretty trees and decorations. Christmas is about Jesus!" So I pray that anyone who reads this will remember the same. I pray that the joy of your salvation fills your home this Christmas! And if you don't know Christ, there's no better time than right now to acknowledge Him as Lord.

Way too busy!

OK, so I haven't posted in a while... I just can't seem to stay (get) organized! The kids are growing up a little too quickly for me. Isabel is using the potty "like a big girl." I wouldn't say potty-trained, but we're getting closer. Grant is crawling, climbing, and no doubt will be walking/running soon. The other day I found him all the way on top of Isabel's train table...

Needless to say, I have to keep a very close eye on this little boy! He just loves to explore. I've added more pics of the family to our Picasa album.

We're traveling to Louisville this week for Jeremy's graduation from Southern Seminary! We're both so excited, and I'm extremely proud of him for persevering through the past 5+ years. He's also excited to move to the other side of the education industry - he will be teaching a class for the Missouri Baptist extension center starting in January.

We're moving Jan. 1, so if you don't get a Christmas card from us with our new contact info (did I mention I couldn't get organized?), let me know and I'll forward it to you. We don't have our new phone #s yet. Moving around the holidays = not a bright idea.

I just had to throw that in for kicks... Grant enjoyed his turkey on Thanksgiving :)

A Pirate Says.....

AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHH!! Isabel just LOVES pirates and had a blast dressing up! She ran from door to door and said "Happy Halloween Party!" She had way too much fun. I have more pictures uploaded on our Picasa website. She had a great night with her friends Clayton and Chloe!

Grant was a monkey, and I have to say he was the cutest monkey I've ever seen! He didn't seem to mind his outfit, and he rode around in the wagon chasing after his big sister.

Pumpkin Patch

We went to the pumpkin patch last night and Isabel just ran and ran...the girl loves pumpkins! When we asked her to pick one out, she didn't even want to take one home. So we ended up with 2 miniature pumpkins (we couldn't stand spending $8 on a large pumpkin she didn't even want). But we did get a few cute pictures of the kids. Just follow the link to the right labeled "Our Family Photos."

Grant is FINALLY sleeping through the night on a regular basis. He sleeps 11-12 hours every night, and we rarely hear him in the middle of the night. It took us almost 8 months, but we can finally get a good night's rest! That is until he gets sick again or gets more teeth - he has been quite the fussy baby! But he's just so stinking cute...

A Mover and a Shaker

In case you haven't noticed, Grant is quite active! He can sit up and "crawl" his way all around the room now. He is also starting to sleep through the night a lot more often! The past 2 nights he slept over 11 hours! I'm praying he continues that!

Isabel is starting to understand why we discipline, and you can see her actually process things in her mind. On some good advice from a friend with another strong-willed child, we've been teaching her about choices. When we instruct her to do something, we often give her options, (ex. you can either eat the snack I give you, or you can go without a snack today) and she thrives on that. She loves feeling like she has some responsibility. And when she knows the consequences up-front, it's easier for her to make the better choice. Today, she was disobeying over and over, and I got down right in front of her and said, "Isabel..." in a pretty stern voice. She said right away, "The Bible says so," which is her response when we ask her Why she should obey. We still have to discipline most of the day, but we can see her really growing in her understanding!

Jeremy and I are praparing for a garage sale this weekend (hopefully). We will be moving around the end of the year, and we're trying to simplify our lives a bit! Our rent keeps increasing in this house, and with a tight budget, we're convinced renting the house isn't really the best use of our money right now. So we're moving with hopes to save a little and eventually purchase our own home. Plus, we'll be neighbors with the Leonards when they move here! We're very excited for them to come on staff at Heartland, and we still need to pray that Ben finds a definite source of supplemental income that provides benefits for the family.

We caved...

Everyone has been telling us to join Facebook, so Jeremy and I have finally given in... for those of you that have not found us yet and want to, check out my badge over to the right and you can find both of us! I have to say that everyone was right - it is a great way to keep in touch!

Jeremy recently got back from a mission trip to Mexico with a group from our church. They went as part of the Timothy Project. He was so thankful for the opportunity, and when we get our hands on the pictures, I'm sure he'll have more to share!

My mom was with us while Jeremy was gone, and she attempted to get some good pictures of me and the kids...I came to the conclusion that I will never be called to children's photography. I think we took 40 pictures in two different "sittings," and not a one had all three of us actually looking at the camera and smiling normally. I'm already dreading Christmas pictures...

I had a crazy Mommy day the other day, and my wonderful husband took both kids to the basement after dinner so I could have uninterrupted reading time. I started reading in Hebrews 12, "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of faith..." I noticed that it does NOT say "let us take a break from the race and go sit and have coffee" but "let us run with endurance." I thought of Isaiah 40:31, one of Jeremy's favorite verses. When the race gets too tough, we don't need a break; we just need Jesus. Maybe when I'm having another crazy Mommy day, I just need to remember to "lay aside the encumbrances" and fix my eyes on Jesus - and maybe just sit and laugh with my kids while I keep running.

He Never Stops Playing!

Grant has started really playing in the bathtub... and he plays so hard that he almost falls over the side of the tub! If you know his father, you don't have to wonder where he got his energy. He's not quite crawling, but he's moving around a lot more. He rolls and scoots and kicks from the time he wakes up until we make him go to sleep! And I do mean MAKE him - he almost never calms down on his own!

Isabel is getting to be a great helper and an even better big sister. This morning Grant spit up on one of his toys while Jeremy and I were out of the room, and Isabel grabbed some Kleenex and cleaned it up for him! She's starting to take initiative and complete tasks on her own without even being asked... which is great in some respects and frightening in others. She also takes initiative to do things she knows she shouldn't :) But we're thankful for her spirit and all of the life in her. It can be a daunting task when it comes to discipline, but God gave her such a fun personality!

He's almost crawling!

Grant is moving all over the place now. He rolls and scoots, and he just started pulling his legs up under him. We're going to be in trouble when he starts moving! The boy can't stay still. He's getting over an ear infection and finally sleeping a little better.

This past weekend my stepdad Tom's mother passed away, and we drove up close to Kansas City. She was a Christian and had suffered a long time with Alzheimer's, so although it's hard to lose a loved one, we're praising God that she's at home. Grant screamed every minute of the drive there and back, so I thought maybe he still had an ear infection. I took him back to the doctor today, and nope... he's just fine. He's just a stubborn kid who doesn't want to be restrained in the car! Isabel was fantastic on the trip. She is slowly growing out of the crazy toddler stage and into a young girl. She still has her moments, but she's really growing up.

PS - Our church website is being reconstructed, but in the meantime we have a new Staff Blog for Heartland. Check it out... http://staffblog.heartlandbaptistchurch.com/

Good Friends

Our good friends Ben and Valerie Leonard were in town last weekend, and we all had a great visit. Our church unanimously voted to hire Ben as the Associate Pastor of Education and Biblical Counseling starting Jan 1, 2009. We're all so excited to be living in the same city again, but we're especially excited for our church. It was amazing to have every member's support, and Jeremy knows that the people really need this. So this is a great time in the life of our church! Now we just have to get through the next few months... both Jeremy and Ben will be graduating from Southern in December. I don't think we can verbally describe what a joyous day that will be! Let's pray that the semester will go quickly, that Ben will secure a second job (the one at the church is part-time), and that Ben and Valerie can find the perfect housing solution between now and then.

As you can see, our kids get along well, too! Isabel and Abraham had a great time together (although Isabel is quite bossy). And I thought this picture of Grant and Jeremiah "holding hands" was adorable! Jeremiah is barely a month old, but we have some handsome boys! We can't wait for all of these boys to grow up together. And Isabel will definitely have some protection if anyone tries to mess with her!

Good Things

Isabel made this all by herself... she showed it to Jeremy and said, "Look at my robot!" We thought it was pretty good! We didn't even have to "pretend" that we knew what it was!

And Grant learned to stick his tongue out! He's also getting his first tooth already! It started to come through the gums yesterday... his sister got her first tooth at 5 months, too!

OK, so these may be simple things from our children, but in our world, tongues, teeth, and robots are good things :)

Vote for Jessen!

Could he be any cuter?

Poor little brother!

Isabel got ahold of her brother... hopefully this will be the last time he wears Barbie Sunglasses, but with an older sister there are no guarantees.

Snoring Like an Old Man

Grant fell asleep in his car seat and started snoring like an old man! I hope you can hear it... you may have to turn up the volume quite a bit. He's finally starting to sleep a little better at night, but he has so much energy it seems like he can never settle down! I was spoiled with Isabel - she slept 12 hours every night when she was only 4 months old. I'm quickly learning not to expect anything with a baby! Jeremy is such a big help - we alternate nights so that we each at least get a pretty good chunk of sleep every other night. And although we've had sleep issues, the boy never stops smiling and laughing! He's such a ham.

Isabel walked across the kitchen floor this morning and saw the light through the window and said, "Look Mommy! It's a choo-choo train!" What an imagination... don't you wish we were still amused by shadows?

I'm posting some new pictures to our Family photo website, so check them out!

The Jessen Home