Birthday Boy

Yesterday, my parents, brother, and grandma came to our house and celebrated Baby Boy's first birthday with us. Here is a picture of Baby Boy diving into his birthday cake (gingerbread with real whipped cream on top):

 

And here he is testing out one of his presents, a little Radio Flyer push-wagon to help him learn how to walk:

 

Sorry I haven't posted lately; I have been under the weather with a bad cold. I am on the mend.

Please may I take a bath, Mama?

 

Yesterday, I turned on the bathtub faucet to run some water for Baby Boy's bath. He was at the opposite end of the house in the living room. Within thirty seconds, he crawled all the way down the hallway, through the bedroom, and into the bathroom. Then he quickly pulled himself up on the bathtub and began making all sorts of squawks and squeaks to show me that he was very excited and wanted to get in that water and play!

Graphic from allposters.com.

Curiosity

20 “When your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the LORD our God has commanded you?’ 21 then you shall say to your son: ‘We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand; 22 and the LORD showed signs and wonders before our eyes, great and severe, against Egypt, Pharaoh, and all his household. 23 Then He brought us out from there, that He might bring us in, to give us the land of which He swore to our fathers. 24 And the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day. 25 Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the LORD our God, as He has commanded us.’” Deuteronomy 6:20-25, NKJV

Children are curious. God makes them that way to help them learn. I see it every day in Baby Boy when he confidently approaches and masters a new challenge, whether pulling himself up on the couch to reach a desired object; opening the drawer under the oven and methodically taking out each pot, pan, and lid; or super-crawling down the hallway, giggling all the way, when he sees that the office door is open (there are so many fun things to grab and explore in there!).

What a privilege it is to pass on knowledge, skills, and spiritual truths to our children. I want to live according to the Word, so that when my children observe my life and ask why I do things a certain way, I will not be ashamed, and I can take the opportunity to point them to God. I look forward to sharing stories of God’s provision and guidance with my children. I want to help them see how He is working in their own lives every day.

Graphic from art.com.

Giveaway

This week, Crystal at Biblical Womanhood is giving away a $25 gift certificate to Vision Forum, as well as 5 CDs from her own store. For more information, go here.

Saving Our Pennies

My husband and I went over our budget tonight and we have decided to start saving toward a down payment for a house. It will probably be several years before we have any significant amount put away, but you have to start somewhere. The first step we are taking is to cut our grocery budget. I am going to try to get all our groceries for $50 a week. The cost of living in our area is pretty high, and food isn't cheap, so I am going to have to get creative. I am still trying to follow the principles of the South Beach Diet, so that that makes things even more challenging, as I'm trying to stay away from starches, which are the cheapest foods! What I have been trying to do is only have one grain a day, so maybe I will save it for dinner so I can eat "normal" dinners, such as chicken-and-rice casserole, tuna-noodle casserole, etc. However, I did just get The South Beach Diet Taste of Summer cookbook from the library, and haven't had a chance to peruse it yet. Maybe I'll get some good ideas there. My one splurge will be raw milk for Baby Boy, as I really feel the nutritional benefits are worth the cost. It is--YIKES!--$7 a gallon. So my total grocery budget will actually be $57 a week, as soon as I start Baby Boy on raw milk. I still want to continue nursing him for a while, but I want to wean him very gradually, so I may start substituting cow's milk for one nursing session a day pretty soon.