We had a wonderful long weekend. We spent the whole weekend with Amanda's family. We did a lot of throwing the football (my arm is sore), hanging out and eating. When Amanda and I went to bed, both of us said that we had eaten way too much. It was a great weekend though. I even got some things done around the house. I mowed the yard and put some "Liquid Fence" around the garden. It is supposed to keep the rabbits away. My mom recommended it. We'll see. You can see all of our photos from the weekend here. I had my camera out a lot so I think we go some good ones.
Yesterday Amanda got out all of our summer clothes. These pj's were in Molly's. Amanda said she was sure that they would be huge, but sure enough they fit like a glove. Aunt Pat gave her these. Super CUTE! She is growing up really fast. She will be a year old in July.
I have been out of work for the past two days with my very own case of strep throat. I went to the "Doc in a box" (as the Doctor called it) the other day and sure enough I had it too. I am back to work today though. Half-day Friday's for the summer though, so not a big deal.
As I mentioned in my earlier post, Amanda went to the doctor on Saturday morning and found out that she had strep throat. As usual, the doctor gave us a tongue lashing about not having taken the kids to the pediatrician when they threw up and had sore throats and fevers last week. SIDE NOTE: It seems to always be the case that if, like we did when we were new parents, we take the kids to the doctor, they tell us that they are "normal" and that nothing is wrong. If we don't take them to the doctor, then we get in trouble when we finally do contact the doctor's office. Have other people had a similar experience?
So long story short, Amanda called the doctor's office and the nurse said, "Of course they all need to come in!" Amanda just called me and told me that all four of them have/had strep. She is currently waiting for the prescriptions to be filled. My throat is tingling. I'm sure I'll be there later on in the week. As I've said before, our house is a little petri dish. The above picture is of Ben's tonsils from earlier in the week. Nothing is wrong with his uvula it is always like that :)
On Saturday night I ditched the fam and went to the new Narnia movie, Prince Caspian. I am a huge fan of C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. I remember my mom reading them to us when I was very little. I read them for myself one semester in college when I should have been studying for finals. There are lots of places online to read why you should not go and see this movie. I will tell you why you SHOULD see it.
Of course it is not as good as the book. Of course the writers and directors take some real liberties with Lewis' text. But the story is still amazing. It is a story about Aslan, the great lion. In Prince Caspian, the Pevensie children are swept back into Narnia a year after they left. In Narnia though, more than a thousand years have passed. It is a dark time in Narnia. A race of men from a distant land has taken over and the talking animals, dwarfs and centaurs have been either killed or pushed into the deep, deep woods. Aslan has not been seen or heard of since the kings and queens left. Most Narnians have given up on even believing that he exists.
If this is a story of Aslan, then it is the story of the hidden face of God. How many of us have struggled through difficult times wondering where God is? How many of us have asked the question that Lucy asks in the film, "He must know what he's doing?" Peter, Susan and Prince Caspian all look to take the situation in their own hands. Peter even goes so far as to say, "I think we have waited for Aslan long enough." (Peter is portrayed much differently in the film than the book. He much more sinister and self-absorbed in the film.) Lucy, the always faithful, and Edmund, my favorite character in the books, are still trying to seek after Aslan. In the end, Aslan does show his face and when he does, he tells Lucy that he had always been there. She just needed to trust and look.
I sat in the movie theater and (on the inside) cheered and moaned for these very identifiable characters. Whether you are looking for a connection with the God who often hides his face or just looking for a good movie to see next weekend, go and see The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. You won't be disappointed.
It is finally time for us to do our normal spring routine of going outside after breakfast and only coming in for lunch, naps and dinner. The other day I came home from lunch and Amanda even had a picnic lunch for us. When you have three little boys, outside is the best place to be. Molly actually loves it too. This weekend has been great. Once we go Amanda and antibiotic for her strep throat we really began to enjoy ourselves. Yesterday I planted the beginning of our garden: brussel sprouts (plants already eaten by the rabbits), five tomato plants, two pepper plants and a strawberry plant. Today I finished the garden with some carrots, lettuce, basil, and spinach. I love gardening, so that was a lot of fun. Amanda spread some mulch in a bed in the back, planted some Impatiens and went for a long walk.
When you live in a place where winter is eight months long, the arrival of spring is a JOYFUL time. It means being outside more in God's creation, more time having fun with family and a better general disposition. For evidence of all of these, see the video below. Mom got the boys this bouncy ball last year. They were a little small for it then, but have really taken to it this spring.
T--Total Depravity U--Unconditional Election L--Limited Atonement I--Irresistible Grace P--Perseverance of the Saints
They have been great. I just finished total depravity and am listening to irresistible grace. (He takes them in a different order.) Whether or not you think you're a Calvinist or even if you have no idea what that is, these would be great lectures for you. I just thought of posting on this after watching the video below. Check it out. It is funny..
I have just begun listening to a podcast entitled The White Horse Inn. Their motto is "Know what you believe and why you believe it." It is a work of about four Reformed theologians from California. Their conversation reminds me of many of the conversations that Brad and I have had of late. They are talking about a case for doctrine and apologetics. They are fighting the fight against what many churches have called "cultural relevance."
The argument that makes the most sense to me is that Christianity is not about me. The church is not about me. The Gospel is not about me. All of these things are about God and His work. If we are trying to fit Christianity into what the world is doing, we are missing the point. To paraphrase them, "Churches are saying that Jesus can have a supporting role in the drama that you are living. Instead, churches must say that YOU can have a supporting role in the drama that Christ has written." Listening to this has inspired me to learn more about some of the deeper truths of our faith and to be able to articulate them. How do you feel your church is doing in pointing people to Jesus and the Gospel instead of trying to make Jesus and the Gospel fit into their world?
We are all sick this week. We got back from seeing Gregg and Allison, Tricia, Alex, Davy and Jacob in Indiana on Sunday. Ben has hand, foot, and mouth disease. It is pretty messed up. Check out the pics from our weekend in Indiana here.
Molly is so much fun right now. I have not written much about her lately. She is smiling all the time. She wakes us up every morning about 6:30 and spends some time in bed with us before th boys rise. She is not walking at all yet, but she motors around getting everywhere she wants and getting into whatever she wants. We have taken a bunch of pictures of her lately. You can see them all here.
P.S. Ben has been saying that Molly looks like Davey when she smiles. What do you think?
