Happy Birthday Jesus! & Heavy, but Hopeful Hearts for CT - December 2012

Giving God Glory 

Christ died not only for sinners, but for His enemies - 

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life...  2 Corinthians 5:6-10

I am so grateful that Christ died for us sinners.  This gratefulness takes on a whole new level when I reflect on how I was God's enemy!  Just like these verses describe, it would be hard for me to die for a good man...but to die for an enemy, a terrorist, someone who (hypothetically) murdered one of our sons...that would be near to impossible.  BUT GOD demonstrates His amazing and sacrificial love toward us by dying for us - His enemies - and taking our place on the cross so that we could be reconciled to Him and saved by His life, if we repent of our sins and place our faith in Christ to save us.  Thank You, God!  This is definitely a reason to celebrate at Christmas - and every day of our lives!  

 Click on this link for a rich hymn about God's amazing love demonstrated in how He died for helpless sinners - 

And Can It Be? - by The Enfield Hymn Sessions

 Click on this link for a song that moves me to have a thankful heart for how Christ took my place on the cross & changed my heart - 

Should've Been Me - by Citizen Way

What's on the Harrisons' Hearts

Happy birthday Jesus! -  We are desiring and seeking to center Christmas on celebrating and worshiping Christ.  I am convinced that the excitement in celebrating Christ is caught more than taught, so Wes and I have been challenged to focus our hearts more fully on Christ this Christmas, which has been a blessing!  As the boys get older, it is a joy to seek creative ways to grow in celebrating Christ through family traditions plus to glean great ideas from others.  Here's a glimpse into some of the ways we sought to focus our hearts on celebrating Christ all month long - in hopes that our hearts will grow in celebrating Christ each day in the coming new year too.

Happy Birthday Jesus banner hanging in the "heart" of our home - between the kitchen & family room
Thank you to our friend, Dottie Spencer, for making this and blessing us with this wonderful gift.

Kid-friendly nativity on our coffee table in our family room that Noah enjoys playing with

Stockings hanging by our fireplace - including a stocking for Jesus

Thank you again to our friend, Dottie Spencer, for making these for our family (including one that we sent to Jeana - Josiah's birthmother) and for the following idea...

This year we started a new tradition of giving Jesus a gift.  So, throughout the month of December, we have been giving money towards Jesus' gift and collecting it in His stocking.  At the end of the month, we prayed about and decided who/where Jesus wanted us to give His gift in honor of Him.

 

A tradition we're continuing - reading various Scripture passages about Christ (such as prophecies in OT, fulfillment of prophecies in the NT, & Christ's birth) each night & singing a Christmas song/hymn at the piano with Noah playing an instrument of his choice ;)

A new twist this year - Thank you to Sandra Lafountain for this idea - Advent chain - Noah and I made the chain you see hanging from our light.  On each chain link is a Scripture passage about Christ, so each night for them month of December Noah got to pull off one chain link for us to read.  Noah was very engaged and excited about pulling off the next chain link and reading the Bible verses each night.

Nativity crafts - 3D foam that Noah (with a little help) assembled * Stickers activity made at church, which was done completely by Noah ;) 

"Sweets & Scripture" gifts for neighbors as a way to show others Christ's love

Noah really enjoys going with me anytime we deliver gifts to neighbors.  Precious!

Here's the little note we included:

We hope this Christmas you are rejoicing and celebrating 

- Jesus Christ - 

 the risen Lord & Savior.

STAR - evidence of Jesus Christ’s birth over 2000 years ago

“...the wise men went on their way; and the STAR, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child [Jesus Christ] was.  

When they saw the STAR, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.”  Matthew 2:9-10

HEART - evidence of Jesus Christ’s continued work today in changing people’s hearts of stone

Only Christ can conquer sin, death, and our hearts!

“Moreover, I [the Lord] will give you a new HEART and put a new spirit within you; 

and I will remove the HEART of stone from your flesh and give you a HEART of flesh.  

I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in obedience...”  Ezekiel 36:26-27

Celebrating Jesus' Birthday - Noah has determined that birthdays should always include cake & ice cream!

Noah frosting Jesus' cake * Singing "Happy Birthday to Jesus" with great joy :)

Happy birthday Jesus!  Noah's cake for the King :)

Thank you, Papa & Nana for this great gift! * Noah putting on stickers in his activity book.  We have enjoyed continuing to focus on and celebrate Christ's birth, death, & resurrection after Christmas with Noah, and this gift has made it extra fun for Noah! :)

Other ways we have sought to encourage our hearts to rejoice and celebrate Christ this Christmas:

Singing and playing Christmas music in our home; our boys listening to instrumental Christmas music when they go to sleep

Reading & rereading NT Bible stories during meals/snacks about God preparing the way for Christ through John the Baptist, about Christ's birth, & about how various people responded in praise & worship to Christ's birth and discussing ways for us to praise & worship Christ

Continuing to meditate together on a verse Noah memorized in Cubbies previously this year - Luke 2:11 - ...a Savior has been born to you...

Seeking to equip our boys with a biblical perspective about cultural ways that Christmas is celebrated and having conversations about various cultural practices (not sheltering our boys from these things but not necessarily participating in all of them either)

Watching the Jesus of Nazareth movie with Noah (in several smaller viewings throughout the month of December since it is a long movie - this was a tradition Wes grew up doing with his family :)

Recently, a friend encouraged me to check out Ann Voskamp's ideas for how to focus children's hearts on Christ when celebrating Christmas.  I was really challenged by Ann's ideas and mentioned them to Wes.  So, we may be incorporating some of these principles in our own way next Christmas.  Click on this link to see some of Ann's ideas - The Christmas Project: 7 Ways to have more Grateful Kids this Christmas - by Ann Voskamp

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Grieving with those with hurting hearts from the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School - Wes and my hearts were heavy after hearing about the tragedy that occurred in Newton, Connecticut on December 14th.  Our hearts have been hurting especially for the parents who lost children, hurting for all those who lost loved ones, hurting for the children and adults who witnessed the shootings, hurting for the community, hurting for the husband of Nancy Lanza / father of Adam Lanza...  There have been several (more personally related) heavy thoughts that have crossed our minds that I'm sure are similar to the thoughts other people have encountered:

That could have been one of our sons that was shot.

Remembering and reflecting on God's sovereignty over our son's lives in Psalm 139:16 - ...and in Your book were all written the days ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.  The Lord ordained the number of days for each one of us, and so He knows exactly the number of days each of our sons will live.  There is nothing Wes and I can do to "protect" them and enable them to live any longer than the Lord wants.

Apart from the grace of God, someday that could be one of our sons committing the shootings.

There are days I encounter how Noah's heart can be so hard, and I pray Ezekiel 36:26-28 that the Lord would save him, remove his heart of stone, give him a new heart, and put a new spirit within him to cause him to walk in obedience to the Lord.  Noah and Josiah are sinners (Psalm 51:5) in need of salvation and God's grace, and without Christ's grace and saving work in their hearts, they have the potential to commit the same sins that Adam Lanza did, which is terrifying as a parent to think about.  Oh Lord, please save our sons and help us to be faithful parents in leading them to You and the gospel!

Apart from the grace of God, that shooter could have been me.  

Romans 3:10-18 explains our total depravity without Christ and apart from God's grace - ...There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God...whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood...  If Christ had not saved me, I could have been the one being swift to shed blood and pulling the trigger...  Praise God for His saving grace and transforming work in my life!

Putting ourselves in the place of the parents grieving the loss of their child...  Wondering if we would be spiritually mature enough to handle this kind of loss biblically and in a way that glorified the Lord...  Praying that if the Lord called one of our precious sons home to Him (Lord-willing, that He saves them spiritually) before us that we would honor the Lord in our grieving...

I trust that the Lord would give me the grace and strength I need in any time of grief, distress, trial, tragedy, or weakness that He may have for me in the future.  2 Corinthians 12:9-10 shares how the Lord's grace is sufficient for us in these kinds of situations because His power is made perfect in weakness.

As a previous elementary school teacher, putting myself in the place of various teachers (ones that survived and ones that sacrificed their lives in hopes of saving children's lives) and playing out the scenario in my mind...  Wondering how I would have responded...  Hoping the Lord would have moved me to have honored Him in that kind of crisis situation rather than being moved by fear or my flesh...

Luke 12:11-12 states - ...do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.  The context is persecution, and the promise is that the Holy Spirit will teach us what to say.  I think the principle that the Lord will give us what we need for trying circumstances is true though, and I believe the Lord will give us the words, actions, etc. that we need in crisis and challenging situations when we do not even have time to think but just to react.

How do Wes and I invest in our sons in a way that they do not have this kind of hard heart that leads to a devastating mass murder ending in suicide?  

Pray, pray, and pray some more!  Ultimately, the Lord has to save them and change their hearts (Ezekiel 36:26-27).  Wes and I cannot change their hearts, only the Holy Spirit can.  However, we do have a role and a responsibility - to be faithful!  We are to faithfully teach (Deuteronomy 6:4-8) and to plant "seeds" of the gospel and God's truth through our words, actions, and lives all the while depending on the Lord to make our sons "grow" in Christ in salvation and in sanctification (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).

Am I ready to go home to my Savior...what if today was my last?

Of course, I am ready to go to home be with Jesus :) , but each day am I living a faithful, and an eternally-invested, full life while on this earth?  It is easy to assume that I will live a long life and have a long time to invest in eternal things.  That may be the Lord's will, but it might not.  Only He knows the number of days He has ordained for me (Psalm 139:16), and today could be my last...  Reflecting on the frailty and temporariness of life (James 4:14) is sobering but also motivating.  These truths compel me to live each day to the fullest for God's glory and for eternal purposes!  It can be easy for me to get caught up in the cares of this world (Matthew 13:22) or to live for myself rather than for the Lord (Mark 8:34-35).  Ephesians 5:15-17 - Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.  So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.  So, I pray that the Lord moves me each day to live out His will (rather than my own just like Christ - Luke 222:42); to walk in the Spirit (rather than my flesh - Galatians 5:16-26); to love Him with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength (Matthew 22:37-38); to love others as myself - especially Wes, Noah, & Josiah (Matthew 22:39); to share the gospel with those who do not know Christ as their Lord and Savior and are spiritually perishing (2 Corinthians 5:11, 14-15); and to be faithful in glorifying Him and serving Him moment by moment each day!  My favorite quote is by Jim Elliott - "Wherever you are, be all there!  Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God."  Amen, brother!

And of course - why???  What could have been going on in Adam Lanza that led him to commit this horrific act?

Only the Lord knows...  1 Kings 8:39 - ...for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men...  Only the Lord knows Adam's heart...  What we do know is that spiritual warfare was probably involved, though Adam is still fully responsible for his actions, and Satan is under God's power and authority.  Ephesians 6:12 - For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  1 Peter 5:8 - ...Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  John 10:10 - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy...

Though these thoughts are sobering and can make Wes and my hearts heavy, the Lord has encouraged our hearts with reminding us of His sovereignty (Job 42:2) and goodness (Psalm 34:8) - even in terrible tragedy, reminding us that He will work this evil for good and for His glory (Romans 8:28-29), and reminding us how He longs for us to cast our cares on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).  Through trusting in Christ as our Lord and Savior, He gives us eternal hope beyond this temporary, earthly life, which frees us to grieve with hope and to not grieve in a depressing or despairing way (1 Thessalonians 4:13).  Though the loss was devastating, we thank the Lord and see His kindness that it was not worse.  One reporter states, "The gunman in the Connecticut shooting rampage was carrying an arsenal of hundreds of rounds of especially deadly ammunition - enough to kill just about every student in the school if given enough time, authorities said Sunday, raising the specter that the bloodbath could have been far worse." (New York Daily News - December 16th)  The Lord was gracious, even though the loss is great, because the number of lives lost could have easily been far greater.

The following two articles by John Piper were also encouraging to me as I processed through various thoughts and emotions and as I wanted to be able to help others process through this tragedy biblically.  I only included excerpts of the main points, but I made links to the full articles if you are interested.

How Does Jesus Come to Newtown? - click on this link for the full article

by John Piper

We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize . . . but one who in every respect has been tested as we are. (Hebrews 4:15)

Mass murder is why Jesus came into the world the way he did. What kind of Savior do we need when our hearts are shredded by brutal loss?

We need a suffering Savior. We need a Savior who has tasted the cup of horror we are being forced to drink.

And that is how he came. He knew what this world needed. Not a comedian. Not a sports hero. Not a movie star. Not a political genius. Not a doctor. Not even a pastor. The world needed what no mere man could be.

The world needed a suffering Sovereign. Mere suffering would not do. Mere sovereignty would not do. The one is not strong enough to save; the other is not weak enough to sympathize.

So he came as who he was: the compassionate King. The crushed Conqueror. The lamb-like Lion. The suffering Sovereign.

Now he comes to Newtown, Connecticut...

The God who draws near to Newtown is the suffering, sympathetic God-man, Jesus Christ. No one else can feel what he has felt. No one else can love like he can love. No one else can heal like he can heal. No one else can save like he can save.

How Shall We Minister to People After the World Trade Tower Terrorism of September 11, 2001

21 Ways to Comfort Those Who Are Suffering - click on this link for the full article

by John Piper

...I wrote most of what follows in response to the Littleton, Colorado tragedy in April, 1999 when two students killed thirteen people at Columbine High School and then shot themselves...  My aim in writing was mainly to help the elders of my own church minister to our people.  I revise it and put it out again in the hope that others might be helped to love people and honor Christ in this dark and heavy moment of shaking and weeping.

What shall we say about these events in order to honor Christ and minister to people for their good?...  "Sorrow, Self-humbling, and Steady Hope in our Savior and King, Jesus Christ." You can read in what follows why all three of these emphases are crucial - sorrow, self-humbling, and steady hope. You will also see why it is so important to say Jesus is a Savior and a King at times like this.

I hope this will serve as a kind of Biblical resource for theological truth and pastoral care.  May the Lord strengthen your hands and heart in this crucial moment of need.

1. Pray. Ask God for his help for you and for those you want to minister to. Ask him for wisdom and compassion and strength and a word fitly chosen. Ask that those who are suffering would look to God as their help and hope and healing and strength. Ask that he would make your mouth a fountain of life. ~ James 1:5; Deuteronomy 32:2; Proverbs 13:14

2. Feel and express empathy with those most hurt by this great evil and loss; weep with those who weep. ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1; Romans 12:15

3. Feel and express compassion because of the tragic circumstances of so many loved ones and friends who have lost more than they could ever estimate. ~ John 11:33-35; Luke 7:11-17, 19:41-44

4. Take time and touch, if you can, and give tender care to the wounded in body and soul. ~ Matthew 8:14-15; Mark 1:40-41; Luke 10:30-37

5. Hold out the promise that God will sustain and help those who cast themselves on him for mercy and trust in his grace. He will strengthen you for the impossible days ahead in spite of all darkness. ~ Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 41:10; Psalm 23:4; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, 8-9

6. Affirm that Jesus Christ tasted hostility from men and knew what it was to be unjustly tortured and abandoned, and to endure overwhelming loss, and then be killed, so that he is now a sympathetic mediator for us with God. ~ Hebrews 4:15-16; Isaiah 53:3-6

7. Declare that this murder was a great evil, and that God's wrath is greatly kindled by the wanton destruction of human life created in his image. ~ Exodus 20:13; Genesis 9:5-6; Deuteronomy 29:24-25

8. Acknowledge that God has permitted a great outbreak of sin against his revealed will, and that we do not know all the reasons why he would permit such a thing now, when it was in his power to stop it. ~ Deuteronomy 29:29; Romans 11:33-37

9. Express the truth that Satan is a massive reality in the universe that conspires with our own sin and flesh and the world to hurt people and to move people to hurt others, but stress that Satan is within and under the control of God. ~ Job 1:6, 12, 21-22, 2:6-10, 42:2 & 11; Luke 22:3-4, 31-32; 2 Corinthians 12:7-9; Acts 4:27-28

10. Express that these terrorists rebelled against the revealed will of God and did not love God or trust him or find in God their refuge and strength and treasure, but scorned his ways and his Person. ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2; Galatians 5:6, 16; James 4:1-4

11. Since rebellion against God was at the root of this act of murder, let us all fear such rebellion in our own hearts, and turn from it, and embrace the grace of God in Christ, and renounce the very impulses that caused this tragedy. ~ Proverbs 3:5-6; Psalm 9:10, 56:3

12. Point the living to the momentous issues of sin and repentance in our own hearts and the urgent need to get right with God through his merciful provision of forgiveness in Christ, so that a worse fate than death will not overtake us. ~ Luke 13:1-5; Revelation 9:18-21, 16:8-9

13. Remember that even those who trust in Christ may be cut down like these thousands who were in New York and Washington, but that does not mean they have been abandoned by God or not loved by God even in those agonizing hours of suffering. God's love conquers even through calamity. ~ Romans 8:35-39

14. Mingle heart-wrenching weeping with unbreakable confidence in the goodness and sovereignty of God who rules over and through the sin and the plans of rebellious people. ~ Lamentations 3:32; Genesis 45:7, 50:20

15. Trust God for his ability to do the humanly impossible, and bring you through this nightmare and, in some inscrutable way, bring good out of it. ~ Romans 8:28; Lamentations 3:21-24; 2 Corinthians 1:8-9, 4:17

16. Explain, when the time is right, and they have the wherewithal to think clearly that one of the mysteries of God's greatness is that he ordains that some things come to pass which he forbids and disapproves of. ~ Acts 4:27-28

17. Express your personal cherishing of the sovereignty of God as the ground of all your hope as you face the human impossibilities of life. The very fulfillment of the New Covenant promises of our salvation and preservation hang on God's sovereignty over rebellious human wills. ~ Mark 10:24; Jeremiah 32:40; Hebrews 13:20-21

18. Count God your only lasting treasure, because he is the only sure and stable thing in the universe. ~ Psalm 73:25-26

19. Remind everyone that to live is Christ and to die is gain. ~ Philippians 1:21-23; 2 Corinthians 5:7-9

20. Pray that God would incline their hearts to his word, open their eyes to his wonders, unite their hearts to fear him, and satisfy them with his love. ~ Psalm 119:18 & 36, 86:11, 90:14

21. At the right time sound the trumpet that all this good news is meant by God to free us for radical, sacrificial service for the salvation of men and the glory of Christ. Help them see that one message of all this misery is to show us that life is short and fragile and followed by eternity, and small, man-centered ambitions are tragic. ~ Acts 20:24; Titus 2:14; Philippians 1:21

Praises & Prayers

Various Loved Ones - Continued prayer for wisdom and for Christ's strength and perspective as they are in the midst of various trials (James 1:2-5).

Our Family - Praise for blessed time with family celebrating Christ this Christmas.  Praise for Josiah legally joining our family.  Praise for the Lord's financial provision for our adoption with qualifying for the adoption tax credit that expires this year. 

Wes - Continued prayer for Matthew 5:13-16 that the Lord would help Wes to continue to be a strong light and witness for Christ at work in the midst of a very spiritually dark environment and also for spiritual protection (Ephesians 6:10-20).  Also prayer for the Lord to grow Wes and impact his heart through his studies as he starts up another semester of classes.

Christina - Praise for the Lord growing me in being sensitive to the Holy Spirit convicting me of sin and to His leading me in how to apply His Word and not just be a hearer of His Word.  Prayer for Ephesians 4:29 that the Lord would guard my mouth from speech that is not edifying and would help my words to glorify Him, build others up, and benefit those who listen.  

Noah - God would graciously save him at a young age and lead him to walk with the Lord all of his days, if that be the Lord's will.  Praise for the Lord growing Noah in having a tender heart more often than a hard heart.  Lately we have been praying Ephesians 4:32 (in addition to Psalm 19:14 and also Ezekiel 36:26-28) that the Lord would save Noah and give him a kind and tender heart, as this month he has been having some very hard-hearted, defiant responses to us.

Josiah - God would graciously save him at a young age and lead him to walk with the Lord all of his days, if that be the Lord's will.  Our main prayer for Josiah continues to be for the Lord to draw Josiah to Himself in salvation (John 6:33).  We are also praying James 1:5 for wisdom in helping Josiah "drink/eat" the formula he needs nutritionally since he is already (at only 6 months old) strongly weaning himself from the bottle since he is a big fan of eating solids.

Marriage Memories

Spontaneous "sports" date night

The way things ended up, we went out on a date at the last minute, which put a fun twist on our normally scheduled-weeks-in-advance dates.  There was supposed to be a big football game on between the Patriots and Texans, which we would not have been able to view at home (due to not having cable).  So, we went to Old Chicago to have fun hanging out and watching the game while enjoying some good eats.  We were representing Wes' home state of WI, even though neither the Packers or Badgers were playing. ;)  The game turned out to be a boring blowout, but we still had fun spending time together. :)

Family Fun

Christmas Eve

Daddy & sons

From snuggling to sword fighting...

Wes & Josiah snuggling :)

Wes & Noah "sword" fighting - more like pillow fighting ;)

Noah helping Wes shovel our driveway * Daddy & son teamwork

Video - Wes tickling Noah & Josiah was either laughing at Noah or expressing some sympathy sounds

Finalizing Our Adoption

We are thanking the Lord for blessing our family with finalizing the adoption of our precious son, especially with it being in 2012 (which enables us to qualify for the adoption tax credit that expires this year).  On December 28th, the state of Colorado made the Final Decree of Adoption for Josiah to join our family.

Josiah Rahim HARRISON! :)

Brothers * Proud & blessed father

Waiting before with family outside the courtroom

Noah raised his right hand with us when the judge asked us to swear to tell the truth :) * Answering the judges questions

Our fam

More family who celebrated our special day with us

Dad, Tami, Adam, Wendy, & us - Notice Josiah is pulling Auntie Wendy's hair ;)

Noah & Auntie Wendy walking back to the parking lot * Celebrating at Chick-Fil-A afterwards with family - Papa & Josiah

Sentimental note - Wes and I ate Chick-Fil-A at the hospital with loved ones the day Josiah was born, so we thought it would be fun to eat at Chick-Fil-A for celebrating the day Josiah legally joined our family

Noah crashed on the drive home (from Castlerock) after all the excitement while Josiah was overstimulated & babbled all the way home

Noah News

Age - 3 years old

Cute Communication - 

     *Noah often tells us, "I like being a big brother!" :)

     *On the way to the park, Noah was "Flintstone pedaling" a little car a neighbor friend gave to him and was doing a great job.  He started slowing down some and informed me, "My legs are getting tired.  My legs are running out of energy."

     *Strongly over-pronunciating words/phrases if others do not understand what he is saying; unfortunately, the over-pronunciation is sometimes still unclear since it is Noah's version of the word/phrase.  He's definitely giving a valiant effort to communicate effectively. :)

     *One night, Wes finished reading a Bible story to Noah before bed about a girl being raised from the dead.  Wes discussed with Noah about where people go after they die - heaven if they trust in Jesus & hell if they don't.  Noah - "I want to go to heaven to be with Jesus." :)  They talked some more about the gospel, and then Wes asked Noah, "Do you have any questions?" (expecting Noah may have a serious question for him).  Noah - "What kind of sprinkles will be on Jesus' birthday cake?" ;)  Then Noah sang an impromptu song about Jesus including birthday, sprinkles, and cake. :)

     *More fun phrases from Daddy - "That's a big honker!"  "Brrrrrrrrito!"  "That reeks!"

Latest Loves

Crafts

Smelling everything & commenting on what it smells like or asking what it smells like

Watching movies (mobies as Noah calls them) & drinking hot cocoa

"Being a great helper!"

Pretending to fix things around the house with his tools

Sweet boy showing off the glitter star ornament craft he made :)

Hopscotch fun in our basement - reinforcing numbers :)

Finger-painting shapes...Noah's colorful rectangle * Noah's favorite attire lately...shorts with snow boots ;)

Various Noah Expressions

I wanted to get a pic of Noah by his lego buildings/city and asked him to smile for me.  These are a few of his responses... ;)

Sticking out his tongue smile * ??? - I'm not sure what kind of expression this one was ;)

Lookin' pretty ornery ;) - You can see his lego buildings/city behind him 

*Video - Noah's impromptu singing while washing his hands in the bathroom

"That Jesus Christ is born...We celebrate his birth at Christmas...at Christmas time...at Christmas time..."

Then he proudly told Daddy, "I can reach the light."

Josiah Joys

6 Months Old Stats

     Weight - 17 lbs. 12 oz.     61%

     Height - 25 1/2 in.            13%

     Head - 16.5 in.                 16%

1sts - fruit, cheerios, eating in high chair, sippy cup with water, possible allergic reaction to green beans, rolling over (tummy to back)

Latest Loves

Playing with his feet & taking his socks off

Fruit! - pureed blueberries, peaches, applesauce, etc.

"Scooting" backwards

Playing with faces

Batting/swinging his hand/arm or raking/grabbing anything & everything within his reach & putting in his mouth

Interesting Info

*Soupy Solids - Josiah has already started strongly weaning himself from the bottle since he is a big fan of solids.  This is a blessing, but is also tricky with it being so early and the majority of his nutrition still needing to come from formula.  He's averaging drinking from the bottle about 6-10 oz. of formula / day, and he needs approximately 28-32 oz.  He also is not interested in a sippy cup yet.  So, we've been getting creative in including formula in his solid food but also trying to make sure he stays hydrated enough to not get "backed up."  His solids have become more like soup than solids as a result.  Josiah doesn't seem to mind and is a great eater. :)

Having fun playing with his feet while munching on his index finger

Smiling at his big bro * This is Josiah's classic position in the bumbo - arms back & angled up/out

Josiah & Sierra bonding - which usually involves Josiah pulling out some of Sierra's hair - she does great with him!

Possible allergic reaction to green beans :( * Growing up & eating in a high chair now

Backwards scooting - I laid Josiah with his head touching the far left of the pack-n-play & when I checked on him he had scooted himself backwards to the other side ;)

1st time rolling over

I heard Josiah making noise in his crib, and this is the smiley boy I found awaiting me after having rolled over and taken off his socks.  Too cute! :)

*Video - Josiah jammin'

More like Wes jammin' vicariously through Josiah ;)

Disclaimer! - Wes randomly turned on this song on his phone for a beat.  I do not know what it is about or what all the lyrics are, so just wanted to make it clear that we do not condone this song.

Bro Bonding

Mirroring & mimicking each other ;)

Josiah taking Noah down!

I'm sure this is just a glimpse into the many wrestling matches to come!

The bros

Noah helping teach Josiah about the sippy cup * Kisses :)

On another note - Josiah is in the throw things off his bumbo / highchair / exersaucer stage, & Noah always makes sure to pick it up right away for him.

Having fun swaddled up after their bath

Noah kissing Josiah's hand * Being silly 

Showing off their spiky hairdos

*Video - Noah singing "Go Tell It on the Mountain" to Josiah

"Go!...Tell it on the mountain...over the hills - everywhere...Christ is born..." & then giving Josiah a kiss :)

Memorable Moment of the Month

Celebrating Christ with loved ones - We made many wonderful memories as we celebrated Jesus Christ's birth - as well as His death and resurrection - with loved ones on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day.  On Christmas Eve, we finished watching the movie - Jesus of Nazareth, made Jesus' birthday cake, opened gifts with our fam of 4, worshipped Christ at our church's Christmas Eve service, went over to my parents' home for dinner and some fun festivities, and spent the night at their home.  On Christmas Day, we enjoyed spending time together with family sharing gifts, eating delicious food, and having fun hanging out.

A few specific memorable moments:

Josiah - celebrating his 1st Christmas; his favorite part was waving tissue paper around. :)

Noah - making "loaded" sugar cookies with Great Tache; loaded = so many red hots that you can barely see the frosting.

  - saying, "Thank you!" to whoever gave him the gift he was presently unwrapping before he knew what the gift was

  - exclaiming, "We needed this!" after unwrapping a gift but before opening the box - so he had no idea what it was ;)

  - rockin' out & bobbing his head while playing his new toy guitar

  - his 2 infamous words throughout our Christmas festivities: "Why?" & "No."  If you turned his "why" back on him and asked him why he did something or wanted something he would say something along the lines of, "because I did / because I do."  

Brothers - Christmas Eve

 

Sweet boys!

Josiah's 1st Christmas - opening gifts with Daddy

Noah knew exactly what to do this year & enjoyed opening gifts on his own :)

Laughing away with Great Tache

Stylin' in their Christmas pjs from More Papa & Great Tache

Posing for pics in his "My First Christmas" hat :)

Kisses!

Noah & Great Tache having fun - Enjoying eating Jesus' birthday cake * Frosting sugar cookies...Noah's "loaded" cookie

 

Hanging out - Uncle Adam & Noah * Auntie Wendy & Josiah * More Papa & Josiah

 

The dogs got an invite this year - "Bobo" helping Noah with his stocking ;) * Josiah & Sierra snuggling

Rockstars!!! 

Noah, Papa, & More Papa

Opening gifts - Noah helping Josiah :)

Mother & Daughter - Tami & Great Tache

Lovebirds :) - Adam & Wendy

The Great Grandpas! - Gpa & More Papa

More Memories

G-pa with his great grandsons * Playing Candyland - G-pa won both games

De ja vu - 1st pic - Naomi & Oliver came over to play & Ollie & Noah were having fun cruising together.  I had a flashback to a year ago when I was watching these precious children 2 days a week...

2nd pic - A year ago when Naomi & Noah were cruising...  Fun memories!