Phoebe in Big Church ...

So from time to time I take Phoebe into big church for worship. She loves the music and I love to see her dance. Yesterday was an adventure. The crazy woman that I am I take both kids in with me. No car seat for Tommy - just holding him in my arms. First two songs go great. Phoebe is dancing and smiling. I am enjoying just watching her cut the rug in God's house. Then Tom gets up to do announcemnts. Phoebe yells, "Daddy!" and before I know it she is running down the aisle. I am thinking to myself, "When did she get so fast?" So I take off after her with Tommy in tow. I hear gasps from suprised people as we run past. I hear footsteps behind me and my friend Janet scoops up Tommy so I can try to catch my daugher. I finally catch her three rows from the front. She is not happy at being thwarted. She begins yelling, "I want daddy!" At this point people are trying to stifle their giggles at our crazy perdicament.
We get back to our seats after much protesting from Phoebe. The next song starts and she is once again content with dancing in the seat next to me. I turn to look at the screen then look back to see her on the floor crying. She took a dive in just a few seconds and the good smarartins behind us are trying to help her off the floor. I decided it's time to go. We'll try it again some other time - maybe when Tom doesn't do announcements :)

Parenting not for the faint of heart ...

Any pride a person might have ... once they become a parent it gets smashed to bits. Just when I feel like I have got this mom stuff down -- one of my children throws a curve ball. Currently it is a toddler refusing to sleep. Last week it was a baby throwing up from his vitamins. Next week who knows ...

Parenting is like a rock tumbler. As a new mom or dad you still have a lot of edges. Then comes the child - helping knock off those edges of impatience, self-centeredness, self-indulgences little bit by little bit. And man does it try one's soul at times. I hope I am more shiny today than I was last year - imagine what kind of gleam I will have gained 18 years down the road. I hope my children will be able to see Christ in the shine they are helping create.

For those fellow moms and dads on this journey of parenthood - hang in there. Keep thinking of the polish God is creating through the tough times.

Living out the Incarnation ...

Advent is here. I really don't believe it. My personal calendar is off kilter from so many life changes in such a short amount of time.

We just got back from a three-week long trek to Missouri (up to Iowa) and back to Florida. My daughter is no longer such an easy travler. She loves her routine, her familiar surroundings, the safety of the known. Who doesn't? Most of us just don't scream about it has often as she did while we were away.

What made her more comfortable than anything else during our travels was someone getting down on the floor to play with her. When grandma rocked baby dolls; when grandpa built towers of blocks; when Miss Judy pulled up to the coffee table for a tea party; when great-grandma laughed with her at Curious George -- only then did my drama prone daughter transform into a grinning girl. Her nerves eased when the adults around her became like children.

Oh what a shadowy picture of what Jesus did for us. He got down on our earthly level so we might know Him - for our nerves to be eased - for us to delight in Him. Advent is anticipating His glorious incarnation. After this season of waiting may we be Christmas people who live out His coming.

Favorite recent Phoebe moments...

It has been a long time since I posted. Mothering two is a full-time and a half job :) I wanted to record some of my favorite Phoebe moments as of late ...
- Yesterday I heard her singing "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus..." How sweet to hear the name of the savior on your daughters lips.
- She kisses her brother all the time. She loves him so much. She just has to be reminded to be gentle!
- Whenever she leaves the room. She sticks up her little pointer finger and says so sweetly, "I'll be right back."
- She asks why to everything. I think she just wants to prolong the conversation!
- I love when she hasn't seen me for even five minutes, she runs up and hugs me at my knees.
- Watching her make friends. How she'll hold their hands and chat them up.
- How she intently builds a tower just to knock it down with glee once she is done.
- Whenever there is music she just has to dance! Which now includes spinning in circles till she falls down.
- When we drive up to our house she throws up her hands and shouts home. She also shouts church when we drive into the parking lot.
- How she holds your hand when you pray and says amen at the end.

I love my little girl and am thankful for her everyday. Amen.

Sibling Rivalry

A few days ago after Phoebe woke up from her nap, we just sat cuddling in the rocking chair until she was fully awake. She wakes up very slowly like her daddy.

As we were rocking Tommy, inside the womb, kicks rather hard. Phoebe's head was on my stomach and she popped her head up and just looked at my stomach for a minute in bewilderment. Then with a determined look on her face, she punches my stomach back and lays her head back with a sigh of contentment.

It has already begun and we still have 5 weeks until Tommy's due date! :)

My shoe queen

My daughter loves her shoes.

This morning at 7 a.m. Tom goes and gets a crying Phoebe from her bed and sticks her in between us. At 7:30 she starts wiggling wanting out of bed. Down she goes and off into her room. I hear her rustling around and about 5 minutes later she appears with a pair of shoes. She shouts, "Shoes! Shoes!" insisting she put them on that very moment.

She chooses her own shoes each day. She doesn't care if they match. She seems to have a different favorite each day. She loves shoe stores and goes crazy picking shoes up and trying to put them on her feet.

Phoebe loves other people's shoes. Last week at church she tried to steal a lady's beautiful pair of black patten heels. At least she has really good taste.

I have a feeling that one day, my daughter will have a whole closet full of shoes. I hope she chooses a profession that will support her habit :)

Somewhere in the middle

Life for the Fuersts is somewhere in the middle. We are not yet Floridians, but no longer Kentuckians. We are in Missouri for the next week or so ... but living out of suitcases. Tom commented today that he truly feels nomadic. I think so do I ...
Phoebe is doing the best with our middleness. She is at home as long as her daddy and mommy are around. It also helps to have her same trusty night time blanket.
I think I could learn from her. As long as my heavenly father is near, I can be home wherever I lay my head for the night. He is taking care of me no matter my state residence.
I should also look into a trusty blanket of some sort; it really does seem to help :)

My husband of seven years ...

Today I have been married to my best friend for seven years. As I look back over our marriage thus far, I am immersed in thankfulness. God knew what He was doing when He brought Tom Fuerst into my life.

You are my complement.

You are the adventure to charted course. You are the passion to my quiet spirit. You are the confidence to my reservedness. You are the dreamer to my down-to-earthiness. You push the limits when I want to hold the line. You welcome the stranger when I want to stay safe. You yell out loud when I only want to whisper. You chase after God with every fiber of your being, and you daily invite me to do the same.

You make each minute, each day, each year better than the last. I can't wait for 70 more years of life with you.

By the way. This counts as my card. :)

Dancing

Phoebe loves to dance. She'll dance to organ music, she'll dance to nursery rhymes, she'll dance to rock n' roll.

She dances without abandon. It doesn't matter if we are in the grocery store or in church. If music comes on that she needs to groove to, she grooves.

Last weekend, we went hear Too Many Drummers play, and Phoebe was in her element. When the drums started, she stuck her little rear out and started bouncing to the beat. She was so taken with the music, she wanted to inclued EVERYONE in her rhythmic movements. My daughter walked over to a table of college guys and grabbed one of their fingers and started dancing. I think the poor guy was taken back by my forward toddler. I laughed with pure delight.

I love that my daughter knows what she likes and feels no shame in delighting in dancing. I hope she remains that way!

Waiting

It seems life if full of waiting.

Each day we wait for something ... whether it's the microwave to beep or a house to sell.

I've not been a good waiter lately.

I'm getting anxious. I want to know something, anything about our future. What state we'll be in is a good start. I want assurance that all will be well. I want to know I'll have time to settle into a new home before our son arrives. I want to quit my job so I can have a few months with just Phoebe and me. I want... I want... I want...

It's these times of uncertainty that God invites me to rest. Rest my racing mind. Rest my load of wants at His feet. Rest in that He knows well.

But who knew resting could be so hard?

Praying with Phoebe

So Phoebe is one year old now and becoming her own person. She loves to chatter, but doesn't say very many clear words yet. One of her first is yeah. You ask her a question and her answer most of the time is yeah. She is so agreeable :)

Each night before bed. we read books, sing songs, and lastly pray. We usually thank God for things that happened through the day. We pray for our family, our friends, her new little brother on the way. After each statement, my precious daugher affirms the prayer with her sweet "yeah!" It's almost like she is amening me. I love it. Our prayer time is becoming my favorite time of the day. Her participating in prayer reminds me to come to my heavenly Father like a little child - simply affirming the Good He has created all around.