Well, for a kid, you might expect the answer to that question to be quite obvious. Titus certainly lets us know when it's time to eat and he enjoys it. But he's taken on a favorite activity that he finds amusing: feeding Daddy. Enjoy.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Humbled
I have had the blessing of working as a partner, as a board member, as a volunteer and now I have the great privilege of working as a staff member of Changed Choices. Why is it such a privilege? Because it gives me a front row seat to see God work miracles on a regular basis.
I’ve now officially been visiting prisons for a decade. And I’ve visited a LOT of prisons and met many special people. One thing that always struck me though was the frequency that the song “Because He Lives” was chosen by inmates to sing when they were together. Even more was the passion I’d hear when they’d sing it. Well, the dots were connected this past weekend for me.
Several of our clients, volunteers, board, and staff went to Montreat this past weekend. We stayed in a dorm-style building with a shared common area – perfect for fellowship. For some of these women, it was the first time they’d ever climbed a mountain or even been to the mountains. It was an incredible time.
Our theme was “Changed by the Maker” and we focused a bit on Jeremiah 18:1-6 where the clay was marred and yet the potter could reshape that clay. How true it is of all of us! The clients further on the path in transition would give the talks, sharing the applications of surrender, moving forward and forgiveness from their own stories and then we’d break into small groups to talk about where we are now in those areas.
It brought me to tears over and over to hear their stories. Some of these women with backgrounds of years and even decades as addicts and in prostitution who were touched by the love of Jesus. Some who lived on the streets and slept under bridges. I can’t say it better than they can, so here are some quotes I wrote down throughout the weekend:
“My only fear of God now is that I would ever have to face a day without Him”
“Bless them; change me” – a prayer of one of the clients realizing that though many people have wronged her, it wasn’t worth the captivity she’d stay in to not forgive them and move forward.
“If you (speaking to Ruth – the founder of Changed Choices) can forgive me, then I can believe that God can forgive me, too” and piggy-backing on that, another woman said, “that’s true, and your forgiveness saved my life” because it led her to God and out of the lifestyle she was in. If that isn’t motivation to get in the lives of people and love them, I don’t know what is.
“There isn’t an area in my life I can find that He has failed me”
To a mom who left her children for the street life when they were 1, 3 and 5 – and returned 10 years later and slowly won custody…
“Thank you, Mom. Growing up, I never pictured you being here on my wedding day.”
And when she picked her son up for the first time to take him home to live with her and she asked – how are we going to get through this? He said: “If you drive this car looking in the rearview mirror, you’ll run off the road.”
How true that is… and how humbling. We must look forward, accepting His new mercies every morning – forgiving ourselves and others and crawling back up on the true Potter’s wheel daily to be molded, used and filled for His Glory!
Now I understand the passion in the song… “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone, Because I know, God holds the future and life is worth the living, just because He lives.” When you don’t have family or friends that are safe, when you are homeless, when you can’t see a better choice than to shoot up or drink, when you have suffered decades of abuse… the only reason worth getting up for in the morning is that Jesus loves you. Of course that’s true for all of us, but seeing this truth through the eyes of these women, I could realize and appreciate it all the more.
That then begs the question – why didn’t the Lord allow me to have the life that some of these women have walked? Why did I grow up in a loving, Christian home? Because I did something right? Because He was nice to me? Because I'm a lucky one who gets to take a break for this life? Absolutely not. He has equipped me and blessed me, not for me alone, but to use the compassion, love, joy, peace, talents, abilities, time and energy that He has given me to reach out to others and help them experience the same great, mighty, awesome God that I have. To whom much is given, much is required and so we must not grow weary in doing good.
Praise the Lord for women who are physically living each day simply because Jesus loves them, laid down His life for them and took the penalty for their sin. And Praise the Lord because He did that for me, too, and gave me this precious freedom to live in relationship with Him experiencing His joy, peace, love and so much more!!
I’ve now officially been visiting prisons for a decade. And I’ve visited a LOT of prisons and met many special people. One thing that always struck me though was the frequency that the song “Because He Lives” was chosen by inmates to sing when they were together. Even more was the passion I’d hear when they’d sing it. Well, the dots were connected this past weekend for me.
Several of our clients, volunteers, board, and staff went to Montreat this past weekend. We stayed in a dorm-style building with a shared common area – perfect for fellowship. For some of these women, it was the first time they’d ever climbed a mountain or even been to the mountains. It was an incredible time.
Our theme was “Changed by the Maker” and we focused a bit on Jeremiah 18:1-6 where the clay was marred and yet the potter could reshape that clay. How true it is of all of us! The clients further on the path in transition would give the talks, sharing the applications of surrender, moving forward and forgiveness from their own stories and then we’d break into small groups to talk about where we are now in those areas.
It brought me to tears over and over to hear their stories. Some of these women with backgrounds of years and even decades as addicts and in prostitution who were touched by the love of Jesus. Some who lived on the streets and slept under bridges. I can’t say it better than they can, so here are some quotes I wrote down throughout the weekend:
“My only fear of God now is that I would ever have to face a day without Him”
“Bless them; change me” – a prayer of one of the clients realizing that though many people have wronged her, it wasn’t worth the captivity she’d stay in to not forgive them and move forward.
“If you (speaking to Ruth – the founder of Changed Choices) can forgive me, then I can believe that God can forgive me, too” and piggy-backing on that, another woman said, “that’s true, and your forgiveness saved my life” because it led her to God and out of the lifestyle she was in. If that isn’t motivation to get in the lives of people and love them, I don’t know what is.
“There isn’t an area in my life I can find that He has failed me”
To a mom who left her children for the street life when they were 1, 3 and 5 – and returned 10 years later and slowly won custody…
“Thank you, Mom. Growing up, I never pictured you being here on my wedding day.”
And when she picked her son up for the first time to take him home to live with her and she asked – how are we going to get through this? He said: “If you drive this car looking in the rearview mirror, you’ll run off the road.”
How true that is… and how humbling. We must look forward, accepting His new mercies every morning – forgiving ourselves and others and crawling back up on the true Potter’s wheel daily to be molded, used and filled for His Glory!
Now I understand the passion in the song… “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone, Because I know, God holds the future and life is worth the living, just because He lives.” When you don’t have family or friends that are safe, when you are homeless, when you can’t see a better choice than to shoot up or drink, when you have suffered decades of abuse… the only reason worth getting up for in the morning is that Jesus loves you. Of course that’s true for all of us, but seeing this truth through the eyes of these women, I could realize and appreciate it all the more.
That then begs the question – why didn’t the Lord allow me to have the life that some of these women have walked? Why did I grow up in a loving, Christian home? Because I did something right? Because He was nice to me? Because I'm a lucky one who gets to take a break for this life? Absolutely not. He has equipped me and blessed me, not for me alone, but to use the compassion, love, joy, peace, talents, abilities, time and energy that He has given me to reach out to others and help them experience the same great, mighty, awesome God that I have. To whom much is given, much is required and so we must not grow weary in doing good.
Praise the Lord for women who are physically living each day simply because Jesus loves them, laid down His life for them and took the penalty for their sin. And Praise the Lord because He did that for me, too, and gave me this precious freedom to live in relationship with Him experiencing His joy, peace, love and so much more!!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Visit from.... MorMor!!!
My 89-year-old grandmother made the trek from New Jersey all the way down to Charlotte last Thursday and stayed here until this past Tuesday. What a trooper! And not only that; she then visited each family's house down here -- which had to be several hours of additional driving to the five different homes (not to mention staying with John, Keiko and Sammy in Stafford, Va., on the way!).
Of course, if you know MorMor (what we call her - it's Swedish for mother's mother), you'd know that she has always been extremely adventurous, and I'm sure I don't even know the half of it.
We had the privilege of spending Friday afternoon (she beat my mom and me in cards as usual - she is as sharp as a tack!) and Saturday evening with her at our house for dinner. Titus just loves spending time with her. She's so good with babies/toddlers. Here are some pics from our time with her.
(My mom took some great pictures of MorMor and Titus holding hands, walking down the sidewalk to our pond... I wish I had them here to show you, but maybe I can post them once I get them from her.)
Thanks for visiting, MorMor! We love you and can't wait to see you again!
Of course, if you know MorMor (what we call her - it's Swedish for mother's mother), you'd know that she has always been extremely adventurous, and I'm sure I don't even know the half of it.
We had the privilege of spending Friday afternoon (she beat my mom and me in cards as usual - she is as sharp as a tack!) and Saturday evening with her at our house for dinner. Titus just loves spending time with her. She's so good with babies/toddlers. Here are some pics from our time with her.
(My mom took some great pictures of MorMor and Titus holding hands, walking down the sidewalk to our pond... I wish I had them here to show you, but maybe I can post them once I get them from her.)
Thanks for visiting, MorMor! We love you and can't wait to see you again!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Down on the Farm
The Clark family went back to its roots today -- you know, like 400 years or so, when one of our ancestors was some kind of farmer. It was awesome! We went on a mini-tour of several farms north and east of Charlotte as part of the Know Your Farm / Know Your Food event taking place today and tomorrow. What a great idea. Have you ever met the man who cared for the cow that you had for dinner? Tonight, we did -- how cool is that??
We learned a TON about: organic farming, from a real-live organic farmer; the link between food and nutrition, from a homeopathic doctor; about the Cabarrus County Cooperative extension, from a nice host at one of the farms; micro-greens from a lady who just started a business (Lucky Leaf Gardens) four months ago and is expanding it; and the beef cattle industry from 5th- and 6th-generation farmers. It was quite the educational experience.
It is awesome to know that so many good people right in this area produce healthy food. Katie and I are going to sign up for a campaign -- North Carolina's 10 percent challenge -- to commit to buying at least 10% of our food locally. Join us!
Here's my wife and son in front of a tractor.
Alternative caption: wife, son, tractor. (Just sounds cool to put it like that.)
Here's father and son learning from farmer Jill, who did not run a hill nor fetch us a pail of water. (We didn't ask her to -- but maybe we should have? It was pretty hot.)
Brad, the organic farmer. Man, this dude was cool. He's totally certified USDA organic. And you'd think he'd be shouting that from the barntops, so to speak, but we kind of had to pull it out of him. He talked with us for probably half an hour as we peppered him with questions about organic farming and why he believes in it, etc.
Brad is the man. He told us he works 60-65 hours a week in the winter, and 100-120 hours a week in the summer. That is some hard work! And boy does it show. We bought organic apples from him afterwards and they were sweet - literally and figuratively.
We might go in on his CSA (community supported agriculture) operation. Anybody care to join us?
Titus, apparently imitating Ray Charles. I couldn't get over how cute he was in Katie's sunglasses.
Katie and Titus eating the organic apple.
Dad, son, tractor = awesomeness.
Here's Eric Deal, the 6th-generation beef cattle farmer at Circle D farm in China Grove. 6 generations!! This farm started in 1842. Yes, that's 18, as in the voting age. Crazy.
Katie and Titus again at Circle D. Great day to be out and about and learn from these awesome people!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Tough News for Parents - Installment #2
Tough news for parents installment #1 was that Titus' leg was broken. His leg is great now and you'd never know. He's starting to walk now, as the previous post noted...
We just received tough news installment #2: Titus is allergic to peanuts. Also, sesame seeds, pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts. But a peanut allergy was really the one we were hoping against... as everyone knows, they're everywhere.
Wow, this is tough to hear... we have tried so hard to make sure Titus is eating well. Lots of vegetables, organic foods, breastfeeding him (he still feeds once a day in the morning). Things we thought would reduce the risk of things like allergies.
As I've been processing this the last few minutes, some of the immediate questions are: "Will he grow out of it?" "Does this mean we can't have any peanut butter in the house?" But then there's the defeating one I know we'd (inappropriately) love to dwell on... "What did we do wrong??"
This certainly means some changes around the Clark household. It will mean changes in the foods we buy. It will mean checking labels all the time; communicating to babysitters, children's rooms at church, other parents when we take him to his friends' houses; carrying two Epipens with us, etc. I'm reminded of Switchfoot's "24:" "Life is not what I thought it was / 24 hours ago."
But now the most important questions are coming to me: "How does the LORD want to be glorified in this?" "What is He trying to teach us through this?" The first thing for me is humility; the second is reliance upon Him.
I know these next few days will be tough for Katie and me as we settle into a new normal with how life needs to look now. And though we may deal with blaming ourselves, my hope and prayer is that we would not dwell there, but ask those important questions of the LORD and through this whole situation, continue to be shaped into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.
I also think it's important to take a step back and realize: WOW, the Creator of the universe has seen fit to entrust us with a happy, incredible, handsome, wonderful little boy! He created him, for His glory, and has the very hairs on his head counted. He has a plan for Titus and that plan is GOOD. We are so thankful for little Titus. May our God be glorified through this situation and anything else Titus or Katie or I may face. No matter what, our God is always and infinitely worthy of all praise, honor and glory.
We just received tough news installment #2: Titus is allergic to peanuts. Also, sesame seeds, pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts. But a peanut allergy was really the one we were hoping against... as everyone knows, they're everywhere.
Wow, this is tough to hear... we have tried so hard to make sure Titus is eating well. Lots of vegetables, organic foods, breastfeeding him (he still feeds once a day in the morning). Things we thought would reduce the risk of things like allergies.
As I've been processing this the last few minutes, some of the immediate questions are: "Will he grow out of it?" "Does this mean we can't have any peanut butter in the house?" But then there's the defeating one I know we'd (inappropriately) love to dwell on... "What did we do wrong??"
This certainly means some changes around the Clark household. It will mean changes in the foods we buy. It will mean checking labels all the time; communicating to babysitters, children's rooms at church, other parents when we take him to his friends' houses; carrying two Epipens with us, etc. I'm reminded of Switchfoot's "24:" "Life is not what I thought it was / 24 hours ago."
But now the most important questions are coming to me: "How does the LORD want to be glorified in this?" "What is He trying to teach us through this?" The first thing for me is humility; the second is reliance upon Him.
I know these next few days will be tough for Katie and me as we settle into a new normal with how life needs to look now. And though we may deal with blaming ourselves, my hope and prayer is that we would not dwell there, but ask those important questions of the LORD and through this whole situation, continue to be shaped into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.
I also think it's important to take a step back and realize: WOW, the Creator of the universe has seen fit to entrust us with a happy, incredible, handsome, wonderful little boy! He created him, for His glory, and has the very hairs on his head counted. He has a plan for Titus and that plan is GOOD. We are so thankful for little Titus. May our God be glorified through this situation and anything else Titus or Katie or I may face. No matter what, our God is always and infinitely worthy of all praise, honor and glory.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
It's Off to the Races (or Paces)
Despite the advice of some other parents, Katie and I have been trying for weeks to get Titus to walk. We understand walking makes things a little more difficult, but we're not at that stage yet. Right now, we're just thrilled to see him making strides (get it?).
Friday, July 30, 2010
Titus is One!
Titus,
My sweet, smiley boy. I can't imagine a better first year than this one we've had together. Your laughter is so contagious and you make me smile at least 100 times a day. You are so expressive, so enthusiastic about life, so opinionated and so easily entertained. You have taught me so much in your first year of life... I can't imagine how much more I will learn when you start talking to me! I have learned to be more patient, kind, gentle, joyful, thoughtful, selfless, service-oriented and loving all from knowing you just one year of my life. Just by being you, you have opened my heart to experience so much more than I was capable of before I met you.
I am amazed by how much you think and feel already, even when you can't fully communicate. You laugh at and with me when I'm silly, you can respond with thankfulness and excitement to let us know what you like, you can express frustration and sadness, loneliness and even sympathy. I remember coming home the first day I heard about Nonna's cancer and I cried on the couch and you just stopped what you were doing and looked deep in my eyes with concern and leaned your head in to cuddle with me and you have done that several times. I didn't think babies could possibly understand how to be sensitive and compassionate until I met you. Your heart is so full of love and life that I can't possibly have a bad day with you around.
I wish I could preserve you in these days forever because I enjoy each minute with you so much, just playing and enjoying life together. But I know it is best (and inevitable) for you to grow up and that one day I need to start sharing you with others so that you can bless others as much as you bless me by loving and caring for them, by using your contagious laugh to cheer them up, by serving them. I hope that you will grow up to be a man of God and that you will influence many people around you. I am confident that the Lord has given you a very optimistic spirit so that you might motivate others and encourage them. I can't wait to see how He will continue to use you.
Thank you for all that you've taught me, for all the wonderful memories this year and for breaking me in easy as a mom. I can't imagine a more wonderful little boy than you, sweety. I'll love you forever and for always and I look forward to all the joy that year two will bring!!
Mom
Some Birthday Pics:
First time in the car seat facing forward!
Playing in the cooler (a new favorite activity) - was with Lane and Cullen, but I forgot to get a picture of them all together.
Lunch with some cousins
The Birthday Boy!
Smiley Face Pizza for dinner
Cake! (or a morning glory muffin with sweet potato frosting...)
My sweet, smiley boy. I can't imagine a better first year than this one we've had together. Your laughter is so contagious and you make me smile at least 100 times a day. You are so expressive, so enthusiastic about life, so opinionated and so easily entertained. You have taught me so much in your first year of life... I can't imagine how much more I will learn when you start talking to me! I have learned to be more patient, kind, gentle, joyful, thoughtful, selfless, service-oriented and loving all from knowing you just one year of my life. Just by being you, you have opened my heart to experience so much more than I was capable of before I met you.
I am amazed by how much you think and feel already, even when you can't fully communicate. You laugh at and with me when I'm silly, you can respond with thankfulness and excitement to let us know what you like, you can express frustration and sadness, loneliness and even sympathy. I remember coming home the first day I heard about Nonna's cancer and I cried on the couch and you just stopped what you were doing and looked deep in my eyes with concern and leaned your head in to cuddle with me and you have done that several times. I didn't think babies could possibly understand how to be sensitive and compassionate until I met you. Your heart is so full of love and life that I can't possibly have a bad day with you around.
I wish I could preserve you in these days forever because I enjoy each minute with you so much, just playing and enjoying life together. But I know it is best (and inevitable) for you to grow up and that one day I need to start sharing you with others so that you can bless others as much as you bless me by loving and caring for them, by using your contagious laugh to cheer them up, by serving them. I hope that you will grow up to be a man of God and that you will influence many people around you. I am confident that the Lord has given you a very optimistic spirit so that you might motivate others and encourage them. I can't wait to see how He will continue to use you.
Thank you for all that you've taught me, for all the wonderful memories this year and for breaking me in easy as a mom. I can't imagine a more wonderful little boy than you, sweety. I'll love you forever and for always and I look forward to all the joy that year two will bring!!
Mom
Some Birthday Pics:
First time in the car seat facing forward!
Playing in the cooler (a new favorite activity) - was with Lane and Cullen, but I forgot to get a picture of them all together.
Lunch with some cousins
The Birthday Boy!
Smiley Face Pizza for dinner
Cake! (or a morning glory muffin with sweet potato frosting...)
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Great 1 year pics of Titus
Lindsey Turner (our wedding photographer) offered to take some one year pictures of Titus the other night. I'm really excited about them and can't wait to see all of them, but here are the samples on her blog:
www.LindseyTurner.typepad.com
(in the post called "thank you" dated July 26)
I can't believe he'll be one year old tomorrow!!
www.LindseyTurner.typepad.com
(in the post called "thank you" dated July 26)
I can't believe he'll be one year old tomorrow!!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Loving the Giggles
Tonight Titus was in rare form... at one point, he couldn't even breathe because he'd lost control from all of the laughing. I love seeing him get like this and enjoy life so much. It just never gets old to me...
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Our Little Chopin
After Katie and I bought this awesome new piano, Titus discovered a new big toy on which to display his musical talents. Not only does he like to hit the keys on Mommy's or Daddy's lap; he can play it all by his little self (thank you very much). Here he is in a typical scene in our house, with Mommy looking on.
In all seriousness, we really hope he develops a love for the instrument that we both love!
Daddy
In all seriousness, we really hope he develops a love for the instrument that we both love!
Daddy
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
The Art of the High-Five
Clearly, every little kid needs to know how to high-five, and as Titus' Dad, I feel a particular burden to help him learn this crucial social skill at an early age. How about less than 10 months? Not bad, Baby T!! Daddy
Friday, May 14, 2010
New furniture... or toys??
We had two major deliveries yesterday that we've been planning to purchase for over a year now...
Graham and I are excited for the look and the chance to finally play a piano again! Titus thinks we got him some HUGE toys!! He loves to play the piano and to hear it be played and he loves to pull himself up on the chairs and bang away like they're drums. Pretty cute. He is loving them almost as much (or more?) than we are. Furniture purchases for the house are hopefully complete now... now we just have to finish decorating the last couple of rooms :)
Graham and I are excited for the look and the chance to finally play a piano again! Titus thinks we got him some HUGE toys!! He loves to play the piano and to hear it be played and he loves to pull himself up on the chairs and bang away like they're drums. Pretty cute. He is loving them almost as much (or more?) than we are. Furniture purchases for the house are hopefully complete now... now we just have to finish decorating the last couple of rooms :)
Gardening
One of the most exciting things about buying a house for me was knowing that one day we could have a garden. We moved in a bit too late to start one last year, but we got on the ball this year... If you've been following the Dreschers' blog, you've seen James detail out the steps. Basically, we decided to go with the Square Foot Gardening method and so far are happy (but it's a little early to tell what the harvest will be like ;))
The hardest part was probably getting the supplies and then building and filling the boxes. My big, strong handsome man did most of this work for us - here are some pics of the beginning stages:
The box:
Mixing the soil and filling the boxes:
After several weeks of planting (spacing them out for a longer harvest), here are the boxes now:
And our herbs (and some flowers):
And the newly mulched back yard - thanks to my dad:
The hardest part was probably getting the supplies and then building and filling the boxes. My big, strong handsome man did most of this work for us - here are some pics of the beginning stages:
The box:
Mixing the soil and filling the boxes:
After several weeks of planting (spacing them out for a longer harvest), here are the boxes now:
And our herbs (and some flowers):
And the newly mulched back yard - thanks to my dad:
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Celebrations
We had the chance to go to Clifton Forge this past weekend for many celebrations. The original intent was to surprise Graham's brother, Chris, for his birthday (at the end of May), but since we decided on this weekend, we realized we could also celebrate his dad's birthday, Mother's Day AND Ben's (our newest nephew) dedication. It was a lot of partying in 24 hours :) We had a great time. Here are some pictures from the weekend:
Brothers and sons:
Titus' tree (Jerry has named a tree on their property after each kid, spouse and grandkid - they have that many trees!):
Titus and Grandma:
The Taj Garage (this is the newest addition to the Clark home - it gets its name because the garage alone is probably bigger than most of the homes on the block :)):
And some family shots by the mountains:
Brothers and sons:
Titus' tree (Jerry has named a tree on their property after each kid, spouse and grandkid - they have that many trees!):
Titus and Grandma:
The Taj Garage (this is the newest addition to the Clark home - it gets its name because the garage alone is probably bigger than most of the homes on the block :)):
And some family shots by the mountains:
Monday, May 10, 2010
Nine Months
On April 29 (Karin's Birthday), Titus turned 9 months old! I can't believe he's already nine months old. This is my favorite stage yet - I love chasing him around and seeing him discover so many new things... even just little things like drawers, cabinets, windows, mirrors, etc. What a joy. And the best part is his little giggle every time he finds something or pulls himself up on something or learns how to squirt something or make something make noise (especially music) - his giggling starts when he wakes up and continues until his next nap - it's such a wonderful background noise :) I honestly can't imagine something else I'd rather listen to so often.
Here are his nine month pics:
Here are his nine month pics:
First Haircut
Titus had his first haircut a couple of weeks ago... the toupee had just gotten to me and I had to take care of it. I have to say, I expected it to be much harder to cut a baby's hair than it was. With Graham to hold him and using the same settings I use for Graham, I was able to do it quickly and easily. Here is a before and after shot:
Before:
After:
Before:
After:
Friday, April 23, 2010
Look What I Found
An Award?
My sister, Amy, tagged me as a "Sugar Doll Award" recipient... which basically means I'm supposed to write 7 things about myself that are true that have nothing to do with husband, kid, etc. so I'm going to do my best and then tag some more people to do it next. The key, I guess, is to write 7 things that are true, not necessarily things I would like to be true... so here we go:
1. I'm obsessed with efficiency. No matter how efficient something might already be by the time it is in my hands, I want to make it even more efficient :) I'm not defending this, but it is true. In fact, I think the word "efficiency" uses too many letters and takes too long to type and thus should be shortened.
2. I actually like being a mom... I never thought I'd say this 5 or 10 years ago, but it has been much more rewarding and worthwhile than I ever imagined it to be.
3. I long to be in Heaven, be with Jesus and have everything right again - no more pain, no more relational strain, no more having to apologize for every other thing I do or don't do :)
4. I'm a penny pincher, not just a dollar pincher, but an actual penny pincher (I'm sitting here now enjoying pinching a penny in my hand). My sister commented recently that I came out of the womb cheap. I was offended at first, but then realized she's probably right. I don't like to be perceived as cheap when everyone is chipping in for something, but I do find fulfillment in discovering new ways to save money and stretch the dollar to accomplish more.
5. I love to budget. I love creating budgets, maintaining budgets, reviewing budgets, changing budgets, anything to do with a budget - even the word "budget". Crazy, I know. I've always been a math nerd and this seems to be the only real life application for math that I've found so I cling to it :) True story: the night I met Graham, he brought up his budget (and we talked about it for a long time) and I was thinking the whole time, "hmmm... I might like to date this guy!").
6. I love discipleship/mentoring. I love to be a mentor and to be mentored. Individually, as a couple, etc. - one on one teaching and learning is an incredible joy that I hope I can do for all of my life.
7. When asked for a list of top ten places I like to spend time, prison actually ranks in there. For whatever reason, I just really enjoy being in a prison and interacting with the wonderful people I find there.
Okay, so here are my tags to do it next:
-- Jessica Smartt
-- Becky Darling
-- Marty Owen
-- Lauren Horton
-- Zoe Sandvig
-- Faith Brobst
I look forward to reading them!
1. I'm obsessed with efficiency. No matter how efficient something might already be by the time it is in my hands, I want to make it even more efficient :) I'm not defending this, but it is true. In fact, I think the word "efficiency" uses too many letters and takes too long to type and thus should be shortened.
2. I actually like being a mom... I never thought I'd say this 5 or 10 years ago, but it has been much more rewarding and worthwhile than I ever imagined it to be.
3. I long to be in Heaven, be with Jesus and have everything right again - no more pain, no more relational strain, no more having to apologize for every other thing I do or don't do :)
4. I'm a penny pincher, not just a dollar pincher, but an actual penny pincher (I'm sitting here now enjoying pinching a penny in my hand). My sister commented recently that I came out of the womb cheap. I was offended at first, but then realized she's probably right. I don't like to be perceived as cheap when everyone is chipping in for something, but I do find fulfillment in discovering new ways to save money and stretch the dollar to accomplish more.
5. I love to budget. I love creating budgets, maintaining budgets, reviewing budgets, changing budgets, anything to do with a budget - even the word "budget". Crazy, I know. I've always been a math nerd and this seems to be the only real life application for math that I've found so I cling to it :) True story: the night I met Graham, he brought up his budget (and we talked about it for a long time) and I was thinking the whole time, "hmmm... I might like to date this guy!").
6. I love discipleship/mentoring. I love to be a mentor and to be mentored. Individually, as a couple, etc. - one on one teaching and learning is an incredible joy that I hope I can do for all of my life.
7. When asked for a list of top ten places I like to spend time, prison actually ranks in there. For whatever reason, I just really enjoy being in a prison and interacting with the wonderful people I find there.
Okay, so here are my tags to do it next:
-- Jessica Smartt
-- Becky Darling
-- Marty Owen
-- Lauren Horton
-- Zoe Sandvig
-- Faith Brobst
I look forward to reading them!
Mobility and Motility
Just like the nurse said, Titus was right on track and barely missed a beat because of the broken leg. As previously reported (how formal does that sound?), Titus showcased his feat during the First Annual Clark Family Day program on Monday, April 12. We were all lying on the bed, relaxing from our grueling 2.5-mile hike at Lake Norman State Park, when Titus saw an opportunity occasioned by Katie putting a grape about 4-5 feet away from Titus on a pillow. He seized it, and I looked up at Kate: "Did he just crawl!? I think that's a first!"
So as any good father/family chronicler would do, I ran down the stairs to find a video camera (an old digital camera backup since we lost the Flip!), which I of course couldn't find. And we subsequently put Titus through a series of "let's-make-sure-this-is-the-real-thing" tests, which he passed. It was confirmed: our little man was now mobile!
And so he is. It has been remarkable in the days since how Titus has gone from 0 to 60 in under two weeks. Clearly an explorer, the kid is putting the Clark back into "Lewis & Clark." We're so proud. His favorite activity to engage in with his newfound mobility is to crawl over to the desk drawer and pull it in and out -- repeatedly.
While I am not-so-silently and reluctantly watching him grow out of infanthood and into toddlerhood -- missing the days of holding him and knowing that all he could do was look up and squirm a little bit -- I love the fact that he can now come to us. Up to now, it had always been us coming to him. It warmed my heart one day last week after coming home from work when I called him and he actually came to me. He's our little puppy. :)
Just one of the million little blessings that I never expected because you'd never read about them in a book. At least now, you can read about them on a blog. :)
P.S. In case you're wondering what "motility" is, I had to look it up too (dictionary.com): –adjective. Biology. moving or capable of moving spontaneously: motile cells; motile spores; motile infants (my addition).
So as any good father/family chronicler would do, I ran down the stairs to find a video camera (an old digital camera backup since we lost the Flip!), which I of course couldn't find. And we subsequently put Titus through a series of "let's-make-sure-this-is-the-real-thing" tests, which he passed. It was confirmed: our little man was now mobile!
And so he is. It has been remarkable in the days since how Titus has gone from 0 to 60 in under two weeks. Clearly an explorer, the kid is putting the Clark back into "Lewis & Clark." We're so proud. His favorite activity to engage in with his newfound mobility is to crawl over to the desk drawer and pull it in and out -- repeatedly.
While I am not-so-silently and reluctantly watching him grow out of infanthood and into toddlerhood -- missing the days of holding him and knowing that all he could do was look up and squirm a little bit -- I love the fact that he can now come to us. Up to now, it had always been us coming to him. It warmed my heart one day last week after coming home from work when I called him and he actually came to me. He's our little puppy. :)
Just one of the million little blessings that I never expected because you'd never read about them in a book. At least now, you can read about them on a blog. :)
P.S. In case you're wondering what "motility" is, I had to look it up too (dictionary.com): –adjective. Biology. moving or capable of moving spontaneously: motile cells; motile spores; motile infants (my addition).
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Broken Leg, Resolute Spirit
Admittedly we're catching up on posts here since this news is more than a month old now... But we just wanted to chronicle Titus' recent injury. One night back in March (Saturday, March 6, to be exact), Kate went out to have some personal time at Panera (a rare occasion these days), I was left home alone with Titus and I always bask in the opportunity to show Kate, "I've got it! You can go away and know that everything will be fine when you come back." Well, I failed miserably at that goal on this night...
I was walking down the stairs with him and somehow just lost my footing - not holding on to the railing - and slipped 6 or 7 steps down to the bottom, while Titus slipped with me. He obviously cried, which is to be expected, but after several hours of fussiness, we were getting concerned because you would think if he weren't injured, he'd be over it by now. We also thought, well, it must not be broken because he'd be in constant pain. The most troubling thing to me was that he wasn't his normal smiley self. As a parent (I'm sure many of you have gone through this), everything awful goes through your mind. "Did he hit his head? Does he have a bad head injury? Does he have brain damage? Is it permanent? Did he hurt his spine?" I felt awful. Definitely the most significant trial we've been through as parents.
Then, I was shocked to learn on the following Monday from Kate that he had broken his leg (more accurately, I broke his leg). Then some of the same awful questions go through your mind. "Will he be able to crawl and walk? Will he be normal like other little boys?" Oh man, what a rough piece of news to get. But I have to say that in the days since I've learned that there is so much more to be thankful for than there is to be concerned about.
I met Kate at the ortho doctor's office and they gave him a splint and me a lot of reassurance, believing he would be fine. They said 2/3 of kids break bones. Crazy. Maybe Titus has officially gotten his out of the way? I hope so...
But praise God that he has healed so well the last few weeks. It was a rougher period, especially on Kate, both because he was higher maintenance emotionally and higher maintenance physically, by virtue of the fact that it was more difficult to place him somewhere, like in one of his toys where he sits up. He is an extremely resilient kid. After about a week, you would have had a tough time knowing he had a broken leg from the waist up. Towards the end, he was banging his splint on things, presumably because he liked the sound. He's a boy all right...
For those of you thinking that I'm still beating myself up, I'm mostly OK. I know God will take care of him. It's one of those things I'll relive again and again in my head. But I know these things just happen sometimes. And God has a great purpose in it all! One cool thing will be Titus telling the story years hence about how he broke his leg before he could even crawl, much less walk.
The splint is off now and the bone healed really, really. The nurse said she was less concerned about the fracture extending into the growth plate than she was when he first came in. So hopefully that won't be an issue.
Praise God for a happy, healthy little boy. We rejoice in the joy that he has been and is to us. What an incredible gift from our heavenly Father.
Here he is on the day he got his splint - two days after the fall: Monday, April 8, 2010. I mean, is that the cutest kid you've ever seen with a broken leg or what??
I was walking down the stairs with him and somehow just lost my footing - not holding on to the railing - and slipped 6 or 7 steps down to the bottom, while Titus slipped with me. He obviously cried, which is to be expected, but after several hours of fussiness, we were getting concerned because you would think if he weren't injured, he'd be over it by now. We also thought, well, it must not be broken because he'd be in constant pain. The most troubling thing to me was that he wasn't his normal smiley self. As a parent (I'm sure many of you have gone through this), everything awful goes through your mind. "Did he hit his head? Does he have a bad head injury? Does he have brain damage? Is it permanent? Did he hurt his spine?" I felt awful. Definitely the most significant trial we've been through as parents.
Then, I was shocked to learn on the following Monday from Kate that he had broken his leg (more accurately, I broke his leg). Then some of the same awful questions go through your mind. "Will he be able to crawl and walk? Will he be normal like other little boys?" Oh man, what a rough piece of news to get. But I have to say that in the days since I've learned that there is so much more to be thankful for than there is to be concerned about.
I met Kate at the ortho doctor's office and they gave him a splint and me a lot of reassurance, believing he would be fine. They said 2/3 of kids break bones. Crazy. Maybe Titus has officially gotten his out of the way? I hope so...
But praise God that he has healed so well the last few weeks. It was a rougher period, especially on Kate, both because he was higher maintenance emotionally and higher maintenance physically, by virtue of the fact that it was more difficult to place him somewhere, like in one of his toys where he sits up. He is an extremely resilient kid. After about a week, you would have had a tough time knowing he had a broken leg from the waist up. Towards the end, he was banging his splint on things, presumably because he liked the sound. He's a boy all right...
For those of you thinking that I'm still beating myself up, I'm mostly OK. I know God will take care of him. It's one of those things I'll relive again and again in my head. But I know these things just happen sometimes. And God has a great purpose in it all! One cool thing will be Titus telling the story years hence about how he broke his leg before he could even crawl, much less walk.
The splint is off now and the bone healed really, really. The nurse said she was less concerned about the fracture extending into the growth plate than she was when he first came in. So hopefully that won't be an issue.
Praise God for a happy, healthy little boy. We rejoice in the joy that he has been and is to us. What an incredible gift from our heavenly Father.
Here he is on the day he got his splint - two days after the fall: Monday, April 8, 2010. I mean, is that the cutest kid you've ever seen with a broken leg or what??
And here he is with me just before he got his splint off (March 29, 2010):
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Clark Family Day
So we've started our own new tradition/celebration day. While taking my mom's parenting class, Graham and I were working through an exercise that led us to the idea of having a family day each year to celebrate and thank the Lord for what he has given us. This will be much easier to accomplish in the early days before the kids realize how uncool it is to hang out with the family, but we hope to make it a fun memory and tradition for them nonetheless...
There are a few components that we'll do each year on Clark Family Day:
1. Have a family picnic and during the picnic we'll take time to give each of the kids a blessing and pray over them (idea taken from my parents who do this each year for all of us at Christmas) and write down in our family journal various ways the Lord has blessed us throughout the year and ways we've seen him at work so we can reflect back over the years and remember the great things He has done.
2. We will do a new activity the kids have never done before so they can try something new. this year was easy since Titus hasn't done much - so we went for a hike at Lake Norman State Park.
Titus got such a kick out of this - he giggled for about the first 20 minutes - I think he loved being able to travel on daddy's back like that.
3. We have a "feast" of celebration in the evening... this year's consisted of Graham's request of white chicken chili, salad, breadsticks and leftover German chocolate cake for dessert :)
And then we have our program in the evening before the kids go to bed - you can see below for details, but the major components are a talent show, a sing-along, family appreciation time and an awards ceremony for the kids.
Mommy's talent: playing "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring" and "Minuet" (both by Bach) on the penny whistle:
Daddy's talent: playing a newly learned scale (from guitar lessons) and "Hosannah"
Titus' talents: Patty cake and.... Army Crawling! He learned about an hour before the talent show how to do it - just in time!! (another post on this later)
And then the awards - the Mommy's and the Daddy's - so Titus earned the Cuddlies Baby of the Year from Mommy:
And the Giggliest Baby of the Year from Daddy:
Talk about two peas in a pod! Of course, they were so excited, they couldn't get a shot of both of them and the award at the same time... so here is the award:
After Titus went to bed, Graham and I had some wine and danced in the living room - a great end to a great day! We're already looking forward to Clark Family Day 2011!
There are a few components that we'll do each year on Clark Family Day:
1. Have a family picnic and during the picnic we'll take time to give each of the kids a blessing and pray over them (idea taken from my parents who do this each year for all of us at Christmas) and write down in our family journal various ways the Lord has blessed us throughout the year and ways we've seen him at work so we can reflect back over the years and remember the great things He has done.
2. We will do a new activity the kids have never done before so they can try something new. this year was easy since Titus hasn't done much - so we went for a hike at Lake Norman State Park.
Titus got such a kick out of this - he giggled for about the first 20 minutes - I think he loved being able to travel on daddy's back like that.3. We have a "feast" of celebration in the evening... this year's consisted of Graham's request of white chicken chili, salad, breadsticks and leftover German chocolate cake for dessert :)
And then we have our program in the evening before the kids go to bed - you can see below for details, but the major components are a talent show, a sing-along, family appreciation time and an awards ceremony for the kids.
Mommy's talent: playing "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring" and "Minuet" (both by Bach) on the penny whistle:
Daddy's talent: playing a newly learned scale (from guitar lessons) and "Hosannah"
Titus' talents: Patty cake and.... Army Crawling! He learned about an hour before the talent show how to do it - just in time!! (another post on this later)
And then the awards - the Mommy's and the Daddy's - so Titus earned the Cuddlies Baby of the Year from Mommy:
And the Giggliest Baby of the Year from Daddy:
Talk about two peas in a pod! Of course, they were so excited, they couldn't get a shot of both of them and the award at the same time... so here is the award:
After Titus went to bed, Graham and I had some wine and danced in the living room - a great end to a great day! We're already looking forward to Clark Family Day 2011!
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