More Ian

Okay, you've already seen this photo on another blog, but I thought it bore repeating. Ian seems to be saying, "Hmm, this guy seems nice enough. He holds me a lot, and I feel really secure with him. I wonder if he knows who I am. For that matter, who is HE?"

Well, Ian, I can say that he is indeed nice enough to hold you securely, he knows who you are, and you will learn who he is. He's the best gift God could give you: a father who loves you, teaches you, sacrifices for you, plays with you, and leads you to Jesus. You're one lucky little boy, Ian!

Meet Ian

I know I'm late, but, give me a break, I just got home!

Ian James is just exactly as I pictured him...the perfect blend of his parents and still all himself.

Witnessing his birth was such a privilege. God knew long ago that Ian would be born to John and Karen and has a plan for his life. WOW! So even though we were surprised by his arrival being 3 days early, God was not.

Seeing John and Karen become parents has been great, too. John's care for Karen in the hospital was awesome. He sacrificed his own comfort, sleep, food, stamina, etc., for whatever she needed during those long difficult labor hours. Karen focused with determination on delivering Ian the safest way possible. Even though she ran fever and felt terrible, she never faltered in following the labor nurses' orders. But the best part came afterward, as both John and Karen took on the persona of "parent".

My favorite part was when we arrived home from the hospital on Sunday afternoon. John safely carried Ian into the house (still in his car seat), walked into the dining room, and said, "Where do I put him?" Hmmm...his nursery, maybe?

A close second was Monday when Karen remarked that he didn't do much except eat and sleep...was that all? Not as much fun as a kitty with a string, eh?:)

Now please understand I'm just "pickin"... they both will be wonderful parents. :)

BTW, after taking over 50 photos in 4 days, I realized that the tiny little brag book I purchased for my purse will never do! So be prepared world...I'm armed with photos!!

In Memoriam

Sadly, I have to announce that Friday, my grandcat, passed away Sunday night of unknown causes. He is survived by his parents, Jon and Lydia. In his short life of two years, he brought joy to his family with his playful antics. He will be best remembered for playing with the water in his water bowl, stirring it with his paw and then shaking his paw or scooping water out onto the floor. His favorite toy was Blue Snake which will be kept in memory of him.

He was a stray, sickly kitten who was lucky enough to be taken in by compassionate people. He was fed and doctored, groomed and entertained by his family until he became the cat we all knew and loved.

Condolences were received by the family on Monday, including flowers from Dr. Sam Adams, veterinarian, and Wedgwood Baptist Church Sunday School class.

Here are two photos from the beginning and end of his life:

Random catch up

I was checking blogs like I do every day and realized it has been a month since I blogged. Whew..where did January go? Now it's the middle of February already...crazy!

We are anxiously awaiting Ian's arrival. The nursery is ready and Mom and Dad are eager to see their little one. Grandparents have bags packed, ready to travel at a moment's notice.

I received two g'parent gifts recently. One is a handmade hooded bath towel from a friend in Dallas. The other is a silver picture frame with places for photos of birth, 3, 6, 9, and 12 month photos from a friend at church.

In other news, parents have had some illnesses this winter, kids have encountered decisions to be made, we have prayed for all of these.

Our church is engaged in a study course, Forty Days of Community. It is a challenging book designed to foster love within the church that is so poweful that it spills over into community action.

I attended GED graduation this past Saturday. One of my students' mom hugged me and said she wanted to meet the teacher who got her son to do what she couldn't...finish his GED. He's around his late 30's now. I was so proud of our group. They really worked hard. I have another group testing soon.

Arbonne has lots of new products out in the RE9, About Face, and Figure 8 lines. Check it out at www.arbonne.com

I recently discovered my computer is too slow to run the latest software update. Oh my!

I faithfully read various blogs so keep blogging people! I'll try to do better on my end. :)