...:::* Riley Joanna: 4 MONTHS OLD *:::...

. June 27, 2013 .

Marked 4 MONTHS since Riley Joanna entered our lives.

Memories & Milestones:

MONTH 4 (May 27-JUNE27)

 

- 5/30 first giggle for mama

- love playing on your play mat and reaching up for everything. So big. Levi loves laying beside you and pointing things out for you :) sweet boy. 

- rolling up onto your sides from your back on your own.  6.3.2013 rolled from back to belly on own!

- love sticking out your tongue

- still all about your fingers - I'm always catching you with them in your mouth :)

- love being in motion- if we don't bounce your bouncer then you kick like crazy! 

- 6/11 found your feet with your hands. 

- love grabbing at your toys hanging on your play mat. 

- finger sucker. Sneaky 

- doing great holding your head up and looking around when on your belly

- Cuddle with your blanket at night 

- 6/13 almost sucked on your toes 

-6/15 totally love sucking on your big toe- hilarious!

- eating every 3 1/2 hours. 

- everyone still says what a sweet calm baby you are... They are so right. :)

- you are a rolling machine 

- grabbing your pacifier with your hand

- teething? Love to have your gums massaged.

- pure JOY to be around!

 

 Riley Joanna~ Our precious daughter,

You are the depiction of JOY.  It radiates from every ounce of you and spreads to anyone who sees you. 

We pray that your life would continue to be marked by this radiant JOY, 

but more than anything, we pray that JOY would come from knowing Jesus and his abundant LOVE that He has poured out for you.

Therein lies JOY unspeakable.

We are honored to love & care for you every single day, little girl.

~All our Love~

Mama & Papa

Just Chillin'

. Biker Boys .

PAINT-TING :)

 We've been having fun these days trying out new things, 

one being FINGER PAINTING :)

A team of friends brought some over and Levi had a blast.

My favorite part... Hearing him say "PAINT-TING"

(extremely enunciated- it's awesome y'all)

Thanks for sending them :)

. Dressed in South Asian Love .

 After Riley was born, I learned several "cultural" things that happen here- that quite honestly had caught me off guard and left me a little hurt and missing America...

It is common here for people you employ: house helper, gardener, car washer, etc... 

(anyone who may considered a benefactor of yours)

to ask for money when you have a child.

Or they expect you to feed them sweets to celebrate the birth.

Their thoughts are : God has blessed you, so  you pass the blessing along.

HOWEVER...

This heart of mine wasn't prepared for this, so I immediately was thinking:

We DON'T do this in AMERICA!

When a woman gives birth, people go out of their way to pour out love on US and our family... bringing meals, flowers, kind words, sweets, etc...

But they would NEVER ask it FROM me.

So if I wasn't already missing home, family, and the whole bit- this was the last thing I needed.

(I admit- I may have taken a violent shove into culture shock in the moment. haha)

THEN...

We returned to our home in our city,

and the Lord redeemed this culture and kindled my love for it and the people once again.

A family we have befriended came by to meet Riley, and as soon as they walked through the door they did not demand ONE THING, but rather began pulling out gift after gift for both Riley and I.

(Mind you, this family does NOT have a lot of money- yet they CHOSE to pour out LOVE on us)

My heart lifted- and the Lord put a smile on my face through the kindness of these women!

So here we are- sporting the outfits they bought for us:

And to top it off, our house helper (whom we were told would demand money from us)

instead brought an outfit for Riley, Levi, and myself- also and never asked for a thing.

Don't you LOVE how the Lord works?

I sure do, and am so grateful when He sees my heart and provides a way to protect it from bitterness and resentment (which the enemy would just love to breed, wouldn't he?)...

Instead He leaves me overwhelmed by the LOVE I feel by those He has placed in my life.

~ Redeemed & Grateful ~

:: Hands Raised High ::

While at our national friend's wedding here in South Asia, 

we were asked to reach our hand out toward the couple as we prayed for them and their marriage....

As I looked down in front of me, this is what I saw 

(completely unprompted):

I LOVE this little boy with ALL my heart!

.Y.U.M.M.Y.

One thing is for sure.... This boy LOOOOVES sweet things.

I guess you could have figured that out on your own from these:

BROWNIES = YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!