Cuteness ahead, Proceed with Caution.

These two may be more cuteness than you are prepared to handle.  

A moment of blissful silence as they watch a cartoon on the ipad.

My newest little baker's apprentice.

"Wo gucky!"

I took off his new wrist brace so it wouldn't get "gucky" too, but it's sure been making a difference.  I thought this non specialized wrist brace wouldn't do much other than keep his hand up a little straighter and maybe take some strain off of his wrist joint.  We've been noticing him using his hand a lot more already.  I don't know if it's increased circulation or just having it at a better angle, but all of the sudden he's using those little fingers on his left hand.  Showing off all the time, picking up Legos, and carrying small toys.  It takes a lot of concentration, and effort but it's like his lefty suddenly just came alive.

I seriously can't wait to get him to see a Physical Therapist, and figure out what we can be doing to help strengthen those muscles.  

Just a pinch more flour...

and a little more kneading.

Reminding myself that nurtured little souls are more important than clean floors. 

Happy tummies are a bonus.

This is actually very loud in real life.  Much sweeter in a still shot. 

Lots of snow and warmer March weather means the kids are spending more time outside.  No one wants to be out there when it's -30 C!  

A big pile up of snow, a new sled, -2 degree Celcius weather = lots of hours outside.

Which also equals some semblance of sanity for mama inside, as I kneaded bread with only one child instead of 5! 

 I was just reading in Isaiah again today and came across a passage that I had read last Spring when we were in the thick of waiting, and paperwork, and fighting for our son to come home. It comforted me during a difficult time when I was tempted to despair.  Our son was locked behind literal crib bars, we were battling seemingly impenetrable walls of foreign bureaucracy, and there was a whole lot of sudden spiritual opposition.  This was not written as a promise to me, but as I was praying, reading, and crying, the Holy Spirit ministered  to me with this passage from Isaiah.  That's the Living Word folks.  This is our unchanging God. 

After writing my most recent post about how unbelievably smooth everything went while in country, this passage stood out to me again.  I am reminded again how faithful God is, and how his purposes cannot be thwarted.  

"This is what the Lord says to his anointed,

to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of

to subdue nations before him

so that gates will not be shut:

I will go before you

and will level the mountains.

I will break down gates of bronze 

and cut through bars of iron.

I will give you treasures of darkness,

riches stored in secret places,

so that you may know that I am the Lord, 

the God of Israel, who summons you by name. "

Isaiah 45: 1-3

"This is what the Lord says:

In the time of my favor I will answer you, 

and in the day of salvation I will help you,

I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people.

to restore the land

and to reassign its desolate inheritances,

to say to the captives "come out"

and to those in darkness, "be free!"

They will feed beside the roads 

and find pasture on every barren hill,

They will neither hunger nor thirst,

nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them

He who has compassion on them will guide them

and lead them beside springs of water.

I will turn all my mountains into roads,\and my highways will be raised up.

See, they will come from afar-" 

Isaiah 49:8-12

So this is life right now.  Just soaking up the days with my newest little treasure....so thankful that we serve a God who makes smooth the mountains, breaks down walls, and leads us to incredible riches stored away in the most unexpected places. 

Soli Deo Gloria,