Isn't she sweet?!! :)

I don't know - maybe this is bragging and you'll all be rolling your eyes, but I just think we've got a honey of a baby! I'm still finding it very hard to believe we have a daughter - sometimes when I look at her I wonder why I've dressed our son in pink :) There's a different feeling you get with a daughter - a little more tender and protective, somehow. Not that we didn't have those feelings with our little guys - perhaps it's just b/c we haven't had a daughter in 10 1/2 years, so these moments feel extra special.

Thank-you - everyone - for your months of prayer for our family as we struggled through a difficult pregnancy and all that goes with it. We saw clearly that the prayer of a righteous man avails much - and we've been graciously upheld through it all. And then the Lord handed us our daughter and it feels as if a chapter has closed for us and we can go on caring for our family with it's new addition. And we have a much richer love for our church family who have been an intimate part of our lives in many ways. We love you all!

Yvetta Rose

Here she is:

Yvetta Rose

born Jan.26, 2008 @ 11:13 am

10lbs, 2oz

baby

This is where our jaws dropped! We knew we would have a big baby, but we weren't prepared for 10lbs, 2oz! The midwives said pictures of our faces when we read the numbers would have been more memorable!

How can words describe the love that sweeps over a parent at the sight of the new little life that has been entrusted to them? If ever "love at first sight" could be a truthful saying, it's when you first hold your brand new baby. We fell in love with the little bundle and by God's grace that love will grow and will see us through whatever lies ahead. Like little Yvetta's name means, "God is merciful!"

baby

So, we now have a second daughter and Laura has the little sister she's longed for! She reasurred us all through the pregnancy that she'd love a boy, too, but we all knew she was hoping and praying for a sister :)

Corin is also thrilled! He's convinced there is still another baby in my tummy (I suppose the leftover bulge is rather confusing for him.......:) but he was tickled to hold her and touch her soft skin. Precious, to see our 2 littlest ones together like that, watched over by a pleased big brother, Luke :)

And Caleb - who loved to tell us that if it was a girl, he wouldn't be happy - all said with a big grin that gave his real thoughts away. He's so happy that the crib is almost within arms reach of his bed and he's already anticipating waking in the morning to a sweet little face and a cozy little body.

All in all, we are well pleased, and full of thanksgiving for a gift that leaves us so much richer! Thank-you, Heavenly Father, for our little Yvetta!

Bob Stromberg

Photo of Bob Stromberg (suitable for press and publicity)

Our family recently borrowed a DVD of this talented stand-up comedian. He was hilarious and he has clean humour. There's a link from his main page to his 'shadow show'. The kids really loved it.

http://www.bobstromberg.com/

Happy Birthday, Rich!

Happy 35th!

I'm a little late in posting this, but my dear husband turned 35 on Friday! I had so hoped to present him with a brand new baby for the occasion, but it seems our unborn little one is on a different time table than we are! We are so thankful for Rich and all he does for/with us - and we pray for God's continued blessing on his life.

The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him - Prov. 20:17 (his wife is blessed, too :)

The weaned child

Psalm 131 A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1 LORD, my heart is not haughty,

Nor my eyes lofty.

Neither do I concern myself with great matters,

Nor with things too profound for me.

2 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul,

Like a weaned child with his mother;

Like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3 O Israel, hope in the LORD

From this time forth and forever.

After reading this psalm yesterday, I was reminiscing about ‘John Knox’ days in Wyoming when we were occasionally allowed by the teacher to memorize any psalm we wanted, other than Ps 117, of course! The one above was one of the shorter psalms I think many of us students memorized. The shortest psalms are the easiest & fastest to read, but sometimes they are the hardest to learn in real life.

This is a psalm about contentment. David is using this example to describe his own heart, his spiritual condition. His soul was quieted like a weaned child on his mother.

Picture a child who has learned to sit on his mother’s lap without having a diet of his mother’s milk, but is able to sit there quieted and be content with solid food.
David said that his relationship w/ the Lord was like this. He trusted in the Lord’s wisdom & His will; he was content with whatever God provided.

Israelite children were weaned much later than we wean our own children; they could be as old as 4 or 5. Can you imagine how hard it would be to wean a child who didn’t want to be weaned at that age?

This picture implies that this calmness didn’t come right away. It takes time for a child to get used to the idea of not needing the comfort of nursing.
It can even be a major battle of the will. Will the child be content with solid food and without his mother?

Contentment is not something that comes naturally to any of us. We’re not born with it. We have to find it in the Lord. Dr. Sinclair Ferguson comments on this psalm by saying “Every experience in life in which we are deprived of what we naturally want becomes the means by which our Father gives us what he knows we really need.”

How thankful we can be that what does not naturally come to us is provided by our Saviour, Jesus Christ. He had weaned his soul to rely on His Father. He said His food was to do the will of the Father who sent Him.
And that is a real encouragement to us, to rest in God’s grace and peace, and in what Jesus has done for us in laying down His life for us… May we be finding contentment in the Lord and be learning to be content in Him, and rest in His grace.

boy, they grow up fast...

Taken in September 2003

Ready and waiting.......

Sleep time...

This picture is no reflection on the excellent meals we've been graciously given. This boy just doesn't always take a nap in the afternoon and ends up being very tired at meals!

Our 08x3 Grand prize winner!

We were informed last night that Luke won the grand prize in one of the rounds for 08x3, an on-line game that promotes Cadets. See http://www.08x3.com/ for more details about the game. There was also an article about the game back in Sept 07 in the Christian Renewal.

The Snowman... a week later

A Minister's Prayer

A Minister's Prayer

O my Lord,
Let not my ministry be approved only by men,
or merely win the esteem and affections of people;
But do the work of grace in their hearts,
call in thy elect,
seal and edify the regenerate ones,
and command eternal blessings on their souls.
Save me from self-opinion and self-seeking;
Water the hearts of those who hear thy Word,
that seed sown in weakness may be raised in power;
Cause me and those that hear me
to behold thee here in the light of special faith,
and hereafter in the blaze of endless glory;
Make my every sermon a means of grace to myself,
and help me to experience the power of thy dying love,
for thy is balm, thy presence bliss, thy smile heaven,
thy cross the place where truth and mercy meet.
Look upon the doubts and discouragements of my ministry
and keep me from self-importance;
I beg pardon for my many sins, omissions, infirmities,
as a man, as a minister;
Command thy blessing on my weak, unworthy labours,
and on the message of salvation given;
Stay with thy people,
and may thy presence be their portion and mine.
When I preach to others
let not my words be merely elegant and masterly,
my reasoning polished and refined,
my performance powerless and ,
but may I exalt thee and humble sinners.
O Lord of power and grace,
all hearts are in thy hands,
all events at thy disposal,
set the seal of thy almighty will upon my ministry.

Valley of Vision, Banner, p. 186.

One Cloud Remains....

One cloud remains, that by thy birth

Thou enterest a ruined earth,

My little one

But thou shalt find, with sweet surprise

Earth but a pathway to the skies,

My little one

Such is our trust, for Lord, we give

Thy gift to Thee! Oh then receive

Our little one

Receive him Lord, and let him be

Thine own to all eternity

Thy little one.

New Year's Day!

Blessed New Year's everyone! Since church had to be cancelled this morning due to a very beautiful storm, and since Rich was really looking forward to preaching, he and the kids went out to build a snow man congregation (think: Linus, from Charlie Brown......:) But one, XL snowman proved to be enough :)
Though we missed worshiping with our church family, we had a nice, impromtu visit with Mark and Trish and their family and enjoyed our first day of 2008.