Adventures in Our Home & Hearts: We have a 5 year old & a walker in our family! ~ February 2014

Giving God Glory
God is all-powerful and can work in miraculous ways! ~ All life is a miracle from the Lord, but this precious baby is definitely an extra amazing miracle! My friend discovered she was pregnant (which was a miracle in and of itself for multiple reasons) at the end of last year and found out a few weeks later that her baby had trisomy 13. My friend was told that babies with trisomy 13 usually die later on in the pregnancy or within the first few days or weeks of life. This was devastating news for my friend, and her doctors encouraged her to think through decisions about "terminating her pregnancy." The Lord gave my friend and her husband great strength and courage to choose life and trust the Lord no matter what the journey may be. After a lot of testing the past few months, it has been confirmed multiple times that the Lord graciously answered many loved ones' prayers for a miracle of a healthy baby! The medical field explains it as "Mosaic" in which the placenta was affected by trisomy 13 but the baby was not. We are thanking the Lord! My friend would enjoy talking with anyone who would be encouraged by her testimony, so please let me know if you would like to contact her. :)

My friend's sweet baby ~ coming this summer!

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty,

indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth;

Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself over all. 1 Chronicles 29:11

What's on the Harrison's Hearts

Differences between boys and girls ~ The Lord gave me an opportunity through teaching preschool to grow in teaching and parenting by reflecting on the differences in young boys and girls.

An example of one of the differences between boys & girls ~ Pretend Play Pirates & Princess

Here are some of the aspects (and stereotypes) the Lord brought to my mind:

~ God has created boys and girls differently.

~ God has different roles and purposes for boys and girls - especially as they get older and become adults, and also possibly husbands and wives, fathers and mothers.

Some of the differences include:

~ Different levels of play / interaction - Boys tend to play tougher and rougher, louder - shouting - and are constantly on the move! Girls tend to play more gently and quietly - maybe a couple shrieks/screams if something gets scary/extra exciting - and stay somewhat stationary or in one area.

~ Different kinds of play / interaction - Boys tend to enjoy high action and high energy forms of pretend play such as good guy / bad guy pretend play that involves teams / sides but both sides are "involved in the play together" and are bonding relationally. Sometimes boys will act out play in which they protect the girls from bad guys, but sometimes they will want the girls to be the "bad guys" while they get to be the "good guys." Boys enjoy anything that involves competition. They also like to wrestle, wrestle, wrestle! Girls tend to enjoy more low-key, quiet, and gentler forms of pretend play such as caring for dolls, being princesses, or looking at books - they bond by doing things together "same side" kind of mentality - we all do the same thing together.

~ Different ways of inviting / including in play - Boys tend to be a little "backwards" in how they seek to engage or invite others to play. (Adult ex. - boys/men may "tease" a girl if they like her rather than be kind to her to show they like her.) Young boys may get into another's space, get loud, try to almost "provoke" another to play with them in their pretend play scenarios. Girls will usually politely ask another - "Would you like to play fill in the blank with me?"

~ Difference in physical or emotional / relational focus - Boys tend to focus on physical, tangible things and dynamics. Girls tend to be more sensitive to emotional and relational things and dynamics.

~ Different views of being mean / rejection - Boys tend to think that they are not being mean unless they physically hurt someone. Girls often think someone is being mean if he/she hurts their feelings.

~ Different toys - Boys like to play with trucks, dirt, sticks, "weapons," etc. Girls like to play with dolls, kitchen items, princess items, etc.

~ Different colors - Boys tend to like darker colors. Girls tend to like pinks, purples, sparkles, etc.

Praises & Prayers

Tami - Continued prayers for the Lord to give my dad and other loved ones His perspective and that God would heal Tami, but ultimately that His will would be done. Prayer of Galatians 5:22-23 that the fruit of the Spirit would abound in Dad's & Tami's lives during this trial. Also, prayer of James 1:5 for wisdom with this trial.

Wes - Praise for the Lord healing Wes' back. Also, praise for the Lord blessing Wes with opportunities to encourage believers and discuss spiritual things with unbelievers at work. Continued prayer for 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).

Christina - Praise for the Lord giving me wisdom and direction with priorities and plans in the near future. Continued prayer of Deuteronomy 6:5 that I would be faithful to disciple Noah, Josiah, and all those the Lord wants me to and also continued prayer of James 1:5 for wisdom and discernment in living by the Spirit rather than my flesh each day.

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 blessing us with 5 years with Noah. I asked Noah what he would like loved ones to pray for him ~ "That God would give me 2 sisters and 2 brothers."
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. Praise for the Lord growing Josiah in his gross motor skills and helping him to walk. Please pray 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 that the Lord would comfort Josiah physically since he has been encountering a lot of teething pain. :(

Marriage Memories

Date Night "In" ~ Wes and I had planned on having a Date Night In the evening of Valentine's Day (special dinner and a movie after the boys went to bed). Due to some conflicts in expectations during the day, our Date Night In didn't happen. :( However, we are thankful the Lord helped us to talk through our different expectations when the timing was right and beneficial. Marriage definitely has its times of bliss and also its times of refinement.

Family Fun

Our Fam :)

Glow stick fun - Daddy & Noah * Josiah wasn't so sure...

Celebrating Valentine's Day

Making turtles together for family & neighborhood friends

Josiah enjoying a Tootsie Pop * Daddy & Noah enjoying a turtle

Noah enjoyed making & decorating Valentine's goodie bags for his neighborhood friends

Lego valentines Noah (and I) made to put in the bags for his friends with a couple turtles

Our family's valentines gift bags

We had fun making cards for each other, and each of us picked out our favorite candy to enjoy.

Noah News

Age - 5!!!

Cute Communication -

*Noah excitedly proclaimed after church one day, "I am in the 5 T's class now!" Noah had moved up to the 5 year old Sunday school class and associated wearing 5T clothes with the name of his class.

*One day when Noah & Josiah were playing I heard Noah proclaim, "I come at you in the name of the Lord!" - which is what David said to Goliath in the Bible. Hopefully, God's Word was overflowing from Noah's heart, and he was not being vicious to his little brother. ;)

*We saw a big crash while watching the Daytona 500 one evening, and Wes shared, "One year ago Dale Earnhardt died from that kind of crash." Noah asked, "Did he trust in Jesus?" We hope Noah's care and concern for people's salvation continues!

Latest Likes

Song - God's Not Dead - by Newsboys

Hot Wheels

Crafts, coloring, & making things for others

Counting! - anything & everything

Being in the 5's clas for Sunday school

Noah's birthday party invite

See many more photos of celebrating Noah's birthday in the last section "More Memories"

*Video - Noah chasing the dogs around the kitchen while singing "Nothing But the Blood of Jesus"

Josiah Joys

Age - 20 months

1sts - taking steps & walking!!! , climbing, & 2-word-phrase

Teeth - 16

New words - Gampa (Grandpa), hi, bye, me, dree (drink), bahbee (baby), Memo (Limo - Noah's stuffed animal dog); 2-word-phrase = "More Mama/Daddy"

Latest Likes

Balloons & balls

"Dancing" = head-bobbing

Dozer

Book - Neighborhood Animals

Making dinosaur sounds

Pushing cars * Climbing * Carrying his balloon around everywhere

Helping me unload the dishwasher * Sound asleep sucking his thumb

*Video - Josiah walking!

Bro Bonding

Bathtime fun

Noah's bubble beard * Josiah's sweet smile

"Climbing" trees * Playing together in the cubbie under our table

Homeschool ~ & Preschool ~ Highlights

This month we did a History & Geography unit study on the Olympics

Click on this link if interested in the FREE preschool skills/benchmarks that I use - Core Knowledge Preschool Sequence of Skills

Click on this link for a corresponding preschool book that I use - Core Knowledge: What Your Preschooler Needs to Know

History & Geography Unit Study: Olympics

Olympic torch

Geography, Art, & Writing - We made booklets that included a world map, the continents, U.S. flag, & U.S. information. We discussed these concepts along the way as they made their booklets. They also wrote or traced their name on the cover.

P.E. & Math - Ski Jumping * Colton preparing to jump with his foam "skiis"

Ski jumps - Noah * Taryn * Saylor

Math - Medals - Learning ordinal numbers of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & 4th

P.E. & Math - Short track speed skating

The competitors - Noah * Colton * Taryn * Saylor
They "skated" 3 times around the island in our kitchen.

Math - Medals - Learning ordinal numbers of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & 4th

Writing & Art - Noah decorated & wrote names on Valentines bags & birthday gift boxes for friends

Art - Noah has started imitation artwork ~ reindeer

Art - Painting a rubber duck * The inspiration & final product

Math Field Trip - The Library had a math program that involved a "math magician."

ABEFC Homeschool Moms & Kids Fellowship & Crafts

The kids had fun playing while the moms talked

Noah & Luke * Hailey, Hannah, & Josiah

Various Valentines Crafts

Noah & Josiah concentrating on their crafts

Memorable Moment of the Month

We have a 5 year old & a walker in our family! ~ We thank the Lord for blessing us with 5 years with Noah. He is one passionate, spunky, and energetic boy who loves Jesus and cares deeply about others knowing and loving Jesus too!

Birthday boy

We also thank the Lord for growing Josiah in his gross motor skills and helping him to start walking. We are grateful for the Lord and other loved ones connecting us with The Resource Exchange who has come alongside of us in providing physical therapy to help Josiah grow in his gross motor skills.