More Baby Pics

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Persevero,

Newsflash

It seems there's a bit of information that must be set straight without further ado: Jedediah's hair is not strawberry blonde. It's more like, well... brown. Yep. Brown.

I recently received an e-mail from Dad, in which he gave me the real facts. It seems He and Mom noticed today that Jedediah's hair was not as red as they had first supposed. Dad - being cautious in such weighty matters - withheld judgment until the facts were clearer (and darker, as he puts it). However, it now appears that Jedediah has convinced Mom and Dad beyond a shadow of a doubt... his hair is brown.

Dad asked me to relay this new and more factual information immediately, lest there be much hand wringing, scalp scratching, or accusations that he was somehow trying to be devious and mean. So there. :)

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Persevero,

Jedediah David

He's Here!

Ahem. This is Scribe, here to report that Jedediah David was safely delivered this morning at approx. 9:56 A.M. He weighs 6 lbs. 13 oz., is 19 and 3/4 inches in length, and... (drumroll, please) it looks like he has a head full of strawberry blonde hair. Most importantly, he's healthy, and doing just fine. Thank you all for your prayers!

Mom is still in recovery right now. The proceedings were delayed this morning, so she wasn't even taken into surgery until about 9:30. Thankfully, the C-section went smoothly, and her bladder - praise God - was not torn! I'll ask for you to continue praying that she will recover quickly, and that there will be no infections or complications.

Pictures will follow soon...

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Persevero,

Weekend Wanderings, and He's Almost Here!

We had a great weekend as Mountain Man, Scribe, Little Big Man, and I enjoyed a day of events while the Littles were blessed to have our dear friends take them to the zoo.

Our artist study this term has been Monet, and so we were thrilled to learn about the art exhibit at our local museum featuring artists from Turner to Cezanne, including of course, Renoir and Monet!  It was a lovely exhibit.

All of the Littles were so happy to finally make a trip to the zoo this year.  Our friends, who already have five blessings of their own, so cheerfully took on five more and even blessed this compulsive picture-taker with a cd full of photos!  Here are just a few....

~aren't they a sweet- looking bunch?

~they couldn't stop talking about how fun it was to feed the ducks

~Whistler at the pond

~Reaches Up and the wolf

~Our cute Boo can't resist playing Mama to our friends' daughter, sweet Anna

After we visited the art museum, we took the boys to a new restaurant called Five Star Burgers, did a bit of shopping, and then the guys rode bumper boats at a Fun Center, and we all played Putt-Putt Golf.  We had to walk through the arcade to get the tickets for the other events, and I told my sons if I was held prisoner and the kidnappers wanted information from me, all they had to do was threaten to make me stay at that place for more than five minutes.  Can you say with me, "Amusing Ourselves to Death?"

On Sunday, we enjoyed being with our church family and a fellowship meal.  Then, after a bit of resting, most of the Poff Clan enjoyed a bit of water fighting.

~ok, I think Scribe has a bit of an advantage, don't you?

~the girls started out participating, but then they decided it was more fun to just spray the trees :)

~After the water fight was over, Little Big Man decided to play a bit in God's Creation...what a background

I know Reaches Up thought Mommy forgot, but yesterday we finally made his birthday request...the skookie.

Now, we're doing last minute preparations for the arrival of Sweet Baby Boy.  Scribe will post an announcement soon after hearing from Mountain Man.  We'll try to send a picture for Scribe to post via the iPhone, but you might have to wait until we get home on Friday.  Here are our specific prayer requests.

Please pray...

1) for a very competent and compassionate anesthesiologist

2) for a comfortable room for both me and Mountain Man...so he's not sleeping on brick. :)

3)  that sweet Baby Boy would arrive screaming and healthy

4)  that I would have a calm spirit

5) that my bladder would not tear during the c-section

6)for kind and competent nurses

7) that we would glorify God in all we do or say and communicate well that children are a gift from God

We thank you in advance for your concern and your prayers more than words can express!!

You'll be hearing from us soon.

Love,

Really, Daddy, I Learned This in Our Computer Class

~I'd be glad to help you solve this problem, Daddy.  I'm quite the young genius when it comes to those 'puter things.

~Look, this is your problem right here.  I aced this part of the class.

~I know.  I'm amazing.  So glad you're pleased with my work.  By the way, don't worry about payment.  Just share some of those Cheetos with me tonight, ok?

True Rest

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone!
(James Smith, "The Pastor's Morning Visit")

"I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

There is no rest for the Christian in this world. There will be always something to disturb, perplex or distress him; it is an enemy's land.

But Jesus says, "I will give you rest." He does so by enabling us to . . .

rely on His Word,
recognize His hand,
submit to His will, and
trust in His perfect work.

He assures us . . .
that our sins are forgiven;
that we are safe in His keeping;
that His presence shall always be with us; and
that all things shall work together for our eternal good.

We can rest on His faithfulness--for He has been tried, and found faithful.
We can rest on His love--for He loves us to the uttermost.
We can rest on His power--for it is ever engaged on our behalf.
We can rest on His covenant--for it is ordered in all things and sure.
We can rest on His blood--for it speaks peace, pardon, and acceptance with God.
We can rest at His feet--for there we are safe, and can never be injured.

We cannot rest . . .

on our graces,
on our comforts,
on our friends, or
on our possessions.

We may rest on Jesus alone.

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken!" Psalm 62:5-6

Love,
 
   
Grace Gems is a wonderful resource for Puritan devotionals.

How Good It Is to Thank the LORD

Yesterday was one of those refreshing days when God's blessings came one after another.  (Everyday is like that, but sometimes I miss the blessings....)  From the time I started the day, He so graciously answered many small requests.

Whistler joined me in town for errands, and it was such a gift to bring to her attention God's goodness in the details of our day.

My foot has been hurting for almost 2 months now, so my friend Nicole gave me the name of a doctor she recently visited.  What a blessing!  When I called in the morning, the receptionist was actually kind and patient, and the doctor was able to see me that very morning.

Of course, as I'm trying to get out the door, I realize I'm missing a shoe.  (Those disappear quite a bit in our home...)  I really needed to wear these for the support, and I was so grateful to find the shoe hiding under a pile of clothes. 

We found the doctor's office just fine, and it was a joy to walk in the office and see lovely works of art...I mean REAL art, adorning the walls.  There was Monet and Renoir, and a few others I couldn't identify.  But, I was so glad I didn't have to tell Whistler to "look away" because of inappropriate pictures on the wall.

The staff was so friendly, and it was encouraging to hear Whistler described as such a "proper young lady."  There were no negative comments about our family size, and the doctor even took time to talk horses with Whistler.

Praise God, the ultrasound showed no broken bones.  As the doctor is examining me, though, I am praying God would show SOMETHING so I could know why I've been in pain all this time.  The doctor simply begins to tape up my foot and and then explains that I have inflammation of the Plantar Fascia that  will get better over time.  He advised me to get a really good pair of clogs (wow, a reason to buy new shoes and by orders of the doctor!) and wear them constantly instead of going barefoot.

Whistler and I then made a trip to the bread store.  I LOVE the bread store!  We hit the jackpot with triple punch card day (don't the littlest things bring me joy?), and we picked out 6 FREE items because of how much we purchased.  I was trying to buy at least 6 weeks worth of breads, bagels, english muffins, hamburger buns, etc. so Mountain Man won't have to worry about that while I'm recovering.  It was also a relief to know that even though I have great intentions for homemade bread, if I don't get to it, we still have plenty in the freezer.  What a great opportunity, too, to talk to Whistler about making those wise Proverbs 31 choices in our purchases and looking well to the ways of our households.  I was able to purchase everything here plus much more that I had already put in our freezer for less than $40.00.

Whistler and I enjoyed a nice lunch together and my current obsession.....a coke Icee from Walgreens.  We enjoyed birthday shopping for a dear friend. 

And when we arrived home, Reaches Up, who has been patiently waiting for almost 2 weeks for his birthday gift to arrive, came running out of the house carrying this....

Talk about fun.  He loves that gun, and he loved it even more when Mountain Man came home and said, "I used to have a gun like that."

What joy it was to sit around the dinner table and recount the many mercies God had shown us throughout the day.  He so abundantly blesses us daily with so many blessings, humbling us with His goodness as we're reminded over and over of our being so unworthy and undeserving.   

Even though I didn't receive these yesterday, I do have to share a picture of this lovely birthday gift from my dear friend, Nicole.  Aren't these glasses beautiful?  You can't appreciate it from the picture, but there is such delicate etching on each glass.  I coveted something similar of Nicole's while at her home, and she managed to find ten of these sweet glasses for us!

The rest of the week is full of projects and deep cleaning, doctor's appointments, and pre-registering for next week's delivery, and a weekend date with the older boys while the younger ones enjoy a day at the zoo with very generous friends.

Love,

Chubby Cheeks?

Here's Sweet Baby Boy's picture taken just a couple days ago.  The ultrasound tech exclaimed, "Look at those chubby cheeks!"  Chubby cheeks on a Poff baby?  He is cute, isn't he?  The perinatologist thinks everything looks great, and I'm so grateful for God's mercy throughout this pregnancy.