Let the therapy begin!

In October 2008 I took S to a pediatric neurologist because of our concerns over her delayed communication skills--she has always met or exceeded the age-appropriate milestones for talking or number of words a child should have. However, there are several things that are not what they should be--such as the fact that she doesn't answer questions with a "yes" or "no", rather she repeats what you asked her. She rarely initiates a request for anything, and when she does, it is also in the form of a question you would ask her--for example, if she was thirsty she would come to me (occasionally) and say, "Do you want something to drink?" All day long she can and does repeat songs, Bible verses, lines from story books and responses we have taught her, but there is almost no spontaneous interaction. All that to say, the physician tentatively diagnosed her with Asperger's syndrome, which, simplistically defined, is like a form of high-functioning autism in the area of social interaction. S also has weak core muscle strength and weak fine motor strength. Thus, we have now begun speech therapy and occupational therapy. All of the therapy is play-based, so that it is as enjoyable as possible for the kids. Some of the things the speech therapist has us working on are imaginary play, and emphasizing concepts like verbs ("Look, S, the dog is running,") and prepositions ("Can you put the box under the table?) The occupational therapist spends half an hour working on fine motor strength skills (like pinching or pulling apart playdough) and half an hour working on core muscle strength--the swing S is on below is helping her hold herself up and also grip the ropes.

So far, we really like the therapists, and I'm also thankful to be an occupational therapist with at least some knowledge of what the OT is doing and why (even though my area of specialization wasn't pediatrics.) You don't think God had that planned out ahead of time, do you?? (wink, wink) We'll let you know how things progress!

What are YOU doing October 27?

Well, it is official. I am due with our 3rd child October 27, although if my experience with going past the due date is any indicator it will be more like sometime in November ;) S and R are 21 months apart, and R and ? will be 20 months apart. I am 9 weeks pregnant: in the ultrasound we could see baby's heartbeat and arms, and baby wiggling around...amazing!

Birthday Boy

We've had lots of company visiting us during the last 3 weeks, thus the lack of posts lately, but here are some good pics to catch up. We celebrated R's first birthday, and also took the birthday boy to the Folsom City Zoo.

Here he is chasing the chickens that run free about the grounds.

3 Bears (shouldn't they be in a cage?!)
The peacocks were in all their glory

This is R "kissing" the bunny, which then turned into trying to eat the bunny.

For the big 01, we had a fire truck cake in honor of firefighter Uncle Nate (who was visiting from Ohio.)

He dug in with great gusto!

And was cramming the next bite in before he had finished chewing the first one.

No explanation needed.

Did you get enough sugar yet?

"Hey, bring back the cake!"

Wanna Hear A Dirty Joke?

Hey there, wanna hear a dirty joke?

A boy...
...fell in a mud puddle.

And then he fell down again...and again and again :)

Wanna hear another dirty joke?

I let the kids go outside after several days of rain and they were ecstatic. S has always loved animals and their "sounds," so there wasn't anything unusual about her running around saying "tweet, tweet" like a bird...until she ran up to me cuddling an actual bird. Unfortunately, this bird wasn't doing much tweeting.

Rest in peace, Tweet Tweet. (And I'm going to try not to think about S snuggling that nasty thing.)

Mission Statement/Manifesto

Over the years, beginning with a Leadership Class in high school and continuing on through books addressing everything from organization to being a "disciplined, godly woman," I have heard many times the admonition to create a personal Mission Statement. I completed the assignment in high school, but that was a long time ago...I have never attempted another one since then because it all just seemed too overwhelming. Fortunately, my good friend Kate had ventured forth and written her own short, 8 sentence Mission statement a few years ago, which she kindly forwarded to me a few months ago. I took that for my inspiration, changed it to fit me, and expanded it...a bit. Since I think the whole point of a Mission Statement is that it is supposed to be a brief, pithy summary of your, well, mission, I guess mine is really more of a "Manifesto" than a mere statement. The first part is my mission, and the second part is the footnoted Scriptures that form the foundation of my mission.

P.S.I highly recommend two books, Because He Loves Me by Elyse Fitzpatrick, and A Gospel Primer for Christians by Milton Vincent--these both point to several of the passages I reference here.

My Mission Statement
February 2009

To love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul and mind and my neighbor as myself.(a)

To delight myself in God’s Word and meditate on it day and night(b), being careful to do according to all that is written in it(c).

To renew my mind with Scripture(d), daily preaching to myself the gospel: the incarnation, sinless life, substitutionary death, burial, bodily resurrection, ascension and eternal reign of Jesus Christ.(e,f) This effectual cleansing of my sin saved me, continues to transform me, and will sustain me for eternity.(g)

To live, because of His amazing love for me, in obedience to God’s revealed Word, as evidenced(h) by: (many of these “definitions”adapted from Because He Loves Me by Elyse Fitzpatrick, p45-46)
Faith-that fights against sin and believes I can truly change and that God will give me all I need to live in obedience.(i) My Christian walk is fueled by this faith , and not by nearsightedness(j) that sees only my repetitive sin and weakness.(k)
Moral Excellence-driven by a desire to make the gospel glorious before the eyes of a watching world.
Knowledge-of Him that reveals time spent seeing and experiencing how delightful and kind my Father is and how much He loves me.
Self-Control-compelled by having no other idols to entice and draw me away from obedience, because I love to make Him smile.
Steadfastness-that is not blinded by my own pain, but sees instead Jesus faithfully standing with thorn-pierced brow making intercession for me that my faith will not fail.
Godliness-as my desire grows to be “like God” in every good way.
Affection-that conquers my ambition, selfishness, and impatience to gladly welcome and serve my family in Christ because they are people who have been loved in the same way I have.
Love-that isn’t manufactured by me, but overflows to others out of my response to God’s love for me first.

In all this, I want to be characterized by rejoicing always, praying without ceasing, and in everything giving thanks(l) because my perspective is informed by the gospel.(m)

To be a devoted wife and homemaker to Paul, so that his heart will be able to trust mine, and he will have no lack of gain. I will seek to do him good in every possible way, all the days of my life.(n)

To love my children,(o) to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord,(p) teaching them the Word of God and looking for every opportunity to integrate it into our everyday life.(q)

To view our church as “the dearest place on earth”(r) where, sustained by the grace of God, I am faithful to humbly set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity; using my gifts to counsel, encourage, exhort and teach from Scripture. May I never neglect these gifts, but rather devote myself to them, keeping a close watch on myself and my teaching,(s) so I can effectively admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, and help the weak--being patient with all(t) and never being overcome by and repaying evil for evil, but always seeking to overcome evil with good.(u)

To love the lost and be a faithful witness(v) for Christ, passionately desiring that those who are lost in their sin would experience the amazing grace of the One who came to seek and to save them.(w)

O Lord, I can only live out these desires if I am wholly dependent upon your grace to make these a reality in my life. You have redeemed my heart, you are transforming my life, and you will perfect my whole being by your grace, mercy and love. I don’t deserve any of it, even on my best day; but You are my salvation, and herein I stand. Thank you, Jesus.


a) Matthew 22:37-40 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.
b) Psalm 1:2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
c) Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
d) Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
e) Ephesians 1:7-8 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us...
f) I John 4:9-10 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
g) I Corinthians 15:1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved...
h) II Peter 1:3-8 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing they will prevent you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
i) Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
j) II Peter 1:3:9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.
k) II Cor 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
l) I Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
m) Romans 8:1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
n) Proverbs 31:10-12 An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
o) Titus 2:4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children
p) Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
q) Deuteronomy 6:6-7 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way; and when you lie down, and when you rise.
r) Charles H. Spurgeon
s) I Timothy 4:11-16 Command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
t) I Thessalonians 5:14-15 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.
u) Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
v) II Timothy 4:5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
w) Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

A Cat's Tale

Yo yo, dj R here, with the tale of a cat:

"Hey Mom, let's go outside and pet the neighbor's cat!"

"Isn't it such a sweet cat?"

"Uh, Mom, this is nice, but can we please get a real cat?"

"Yeah Mom! I want to pet a real cat too!"

"PUH-LEEEEESE??"

"Yeah, puh-leeese?"

"I'll even do the dance of joy if you say yes!"


"Yeah, and I'll hold still long enough for you to take a picture if you say yes!"

Sorry kids, no cat. How about a baby brother or sister instead?

(SURPRISE!! Due in October??)

p.s. S's MRSA has cleared up with the antibiotic cream, thank the Lord!

Lab Results and a Link

S has had a bad diaper rash for 3 weeks now--after 2 weeks, when nothing seemed to be working to clear it up, I took her to the doctor where they thought it was probably just a bad yeast infection, but they took a swab culture and sent it out to a lab to make sure. So glad they did b/c the diagnosis came back as MRSA--a staph infection! Scary thing to be sure, and one concern quickly became trying to keep from passing it to R since it is so contagious. Fortunately the antibiotic cream appears to be working. Just thought I'd pass the info along (it really just looked like little red bumps and pink skin!)--in case your kids ever have a diaper rash they can't kick, don't hesitate to take them to the doc!

Also, here is a link to the sermon Paul delivered in January at our church (where he preaches once a month.) I thought it was great! The Mp3 download is free, just right-click on "download" and select "Save Target As" and choose a file to save it to on your computer. Then you can open that file anytime and listen to it with Windows Media Player or itunes. Enjoy!