Prayer Request

My heart has been heavy this week. A friend of mine here in town had a stroke last Friday. I haven't made any close friends here yet...we knew we weren't staying in the first house, so I didn't put down roots. I wouldn't let myself get attached to anyone in that area. We got settled in a church and a home and I was starting to build relationships. She was one of a small handful of women who I was getting to know. And of that group, we probably share the most in common: recent transplants from out of state, trained educators who are staying home with our littles, married to PhDs (both in science, I might add), and mamas to three children each (our oldests were born within a month of each other). We've been in each others homes, smiled over each others children.

Could I ask you to pray for my friend? She has three boys, a devoted husband, and family that has traveled to be with them. They could all use prayers for grace and peace, wisdom for the doctors and the family as decisions are made, comfort for her boys, and of course healing for her. And I wouldn't mind one tiny bit if God granted a miraculous healing, the likes of which leave the doctors with nothing to say, but that God had His hand in it.

Favorite Time of Day

Lately one of my favorites times of day has been when the girls go up for bath time and I feed Nate his solids for dinner. I was thinking about why it's so enjoyable tonight. First, it is quiet, since Thing One and Thing Two are upstairs in the tub, but not silent. I can still hear their muffled giggles and squeals. The dishes are done, most of the busy-ness of the day is over. Generally we're in for the night at this point. The evening of trying to convince the girls to sleep has yet to commence. I am occupied with a needed, but enjoyable task, as opposed to laundry (I hate laundry), so there's no worry about what I should be doing. There are those gummy grins (which likely won't be gummy too much longer as hist left bottom front tooth is bulging in the gum). It's also the perfect level of occupation. I'm free to sing to him or sit in quiet contemplation or simple prayer. It's the vespers of motherhood. Nate and I communing over his puree of the evening. He's not at the stage where he's having trouble figuring out how to eat and needing lots of coaxing and not yet at the stage where he plays 20 questions during dinner, not that it isn't a lovely thing to enjoy conversation over dinner, but the quiet moments are few in this household, so I'll savor it when I get it!

Grace

We've been teaching Kate to pray since she was a little bity girl. There's a book we wore out called "Prayer for a Child" that we read with her almost every night for her first year and a half. She's been saying our dinner grace for over a year now. She started with a memorized grace that we taught her, but now she's learning to create her own prayers of Thanksgiving. She's been thanking God for the food on our table and for the events of her day that have brought her joy. Lately we've heard, "Thank you for the opportunity to play." and "Thank you that I got to do what I want." Childish prayers to be sure, but I am so pleased that my little gal is able to pray to her Heavenly Father.

Of course, Gabby likes to get in on the action to. She'll say, "God" at the beginning and babble her own little prayer. I can't wait to hear what she's thankful for too.

I am thankful for two little girls who are learning how to pray and a three year old who uses the word oppurtunity correctly in a sentence.