One Month From Today...

Jackson and I will be on our way to Houston! I can't wait!! Not only will Jackson get to see his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, but we'll get to meet the newest member of our family, Landon Montgomery (soon to be born next Thursday). Jackson and I get to spend an entire week with my sister, her husband, and their 3 boys!!! It's going to be so much fun. Then, my dear and loyal friend Michelle is flying down from CO for a week! Yippee!!!! I can't wait to see her. She is truly one of the funnest people anyone could ever be around. She is so good for me! To top that off, my sister-in-law is having a bridal shower...and I actually get to be there! I'm also looking forward to spending some time with my dearest friends and having a play date with Jackson's very first friend, Grace Egert!! It's going to be so much fun!

Dirty 30!

Well, that is what my brother affectionately calls it when you turn 30 years old!



German Black Forest Birthday Cake...yum!



Accessories for the ultimate kitchen machine...the Bosch Universal:



Jason's gift to me...a trip to Ireland over St. Patrick's Day:



Ireland, here we come!

Death Is So Hard

My heart is in such sorrow at the moment. Death is sometimes so hard to understand. Last November, one of my closest and dearest friends lost her mother. The entire ordeal was so painful. One day we were swinging on a porch swing talking about the Lord and forgiveness and healing, and another day she was in ICU fighting for her life.

Just two weeks after her death, another couple friend of ours lost their baby girl at about 5 1/2 months gestation. This happened on the day we were celebrating our firstborn's first birthday. How is it that one day can bring so much joy for one and so much pain for another?

Last night, Jason and I found out that friends of ours lost their 3-month-old baby girl. In an instant, she was gone, and they are understandably devastated and horrified. I feel so much pain and sorrow for them. I can't seem to get it off of my mind. I wish that I could do something to help bear some of their pain, but there really is nothing I can do.

We live in a fallen world, which makes me cry, "Oh, come quickly Lord Jesus! Come quickly!" If you are willing, please say a prayer for this family...and all of the others who lose loved ones every day.

"Living in America" James Brown

I cannot get this song out of my head...

Super highways, coast to coast,
Easy to get anywhere
On the transcontinental overload,
Just slide behind the wheel
How does it feel

When there's no destination - that's too far
And somewhere on the way,
You might find out who you are

Living in America - eye to eye, station to station
Living in America - hand to hand, across the nation
Living in America - got to have a celebration...

...ever since Jason decided to make a major job change! By the end of this year, we'll be living in America. Where? We don't know yet, but we are hoping for Houston. We long to be near our family and they are all in the Houston area.

It was a hard decision, but we have so much peace about it. The job search begins, and to be honest, it's really exciting! We can't wait to see what's in store for our family's future.

The Gift of Gab

I am reading a book on toddler play while Jackson naps. I ran across a research report that made me laugh:

"Recent studies show that the size of a toddler's vocabulary depends largely on how much her caregivers talk to her. [Does this only apply to girls? :) ] A researcher found that 20-month-olds whose mothers had the gift of gab were shown to have about 130 more words in their vocabulary than same-age children with less talkative moms. By age two, the gap had doubled."

Well, I feel more assured about Jackson's language development b/c this mom unfortunately (however fortunately in this case) has the gift of gab! (I'm working on James 1:19 "...be swift to hear, slow to speak...")

Here he is gabbing away!

Thank you, Sheri

Our church here in Germany started home-based Bible study groups last fall. Everyone is doing the same study, but we split into groups that meet in our homes. It was a huge blessing to Jason and me b/c we were able to meet people quickly after arriving here.

We finished our first book, which covered half the book of Acts, at the end of January. My friend Sheri, whose husband led our group, gave me a Bible study book by Elizabeth George. It's part of her series, A Woman After God's Own Heart, and this particular study is on the book of James. I cannot express how the Lord has used the book in my life.

Since Jackson was born, and with all of the transition we faced in his first year, I haven't been very consistent with being in God's Word. I desperately wanted to, but just hadn't found a routine that worked for us. On Super Bowl Sunday, I read the introduction to this James study. The foreword was written by a woman who had been looking for a study that she could do everyday but wouldn't require hours of time in order to have any substance. I related with this woman and the Lord gave me a desire to start the study.

I have been amazed at how perfectly applicable each day's study has been to my current life situation or to my deepest desires. Speaking of deepest desires, my heart and mind spend a lot of time thinking about training my child in the ways of Jesus Christ. How do I model the love of Christ to my child every day? How do I teach him to respond to others and to situations that don't go his way, which happens so often?

Today, the Lord put before me some verses, which pierced my heart:

Matthew 5:43-47 says, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you loves those who love you, what reward have you?...And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?"

Luke 6:35 says, "But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil."

Who am I to ever show partiality when the Lord showed no partiality in saving my soul? When the 3 year old rushes over and pushes Jackson to the ground, rather than telling him to push her back or to walk away and ignore her, I want to encourage him to offer a toy and pray for her. When someone misunderstands my personality or my intentions, I don't want to pity myself or have choice words with him/her in my heart. I want to pray for the person and try to offer a blessing. When I invest in a friendship or offer my time and resources to another and receive nothing in return, rather than giving up and vowing to not help again, I hope to continue to make the investment, bless others, and give of myself...considering them more important than me.

Showing no partiality, in my actions, mind and heart, is a deep desire of mine...for myself and for my family. With the truth the Lord is showing me, I hope to internalize it so that it will be the overflow of my heart. I do not want to be a hearer only but a doer of His Word.

A picture of me and my friend Sheri taken in December at a women's Christmas dinner:

Cleaning, Signs, and Independence

I've started household chores early. I figure the sooner he learns to help me out, the better it will be for me! Just kidding. Actually, he took to it all on his own. Jackson loves to push things. He sees me vacuum a lot (we have a lot of crumbs around here) and wants to join in on the fun. I figured I would just make him happy and let him accomplish something at the same time:

He loves the swiffer too. I used to just let him push it around without the swiffer pad on; then, I wised up and put the pad on. He might as well pick up some dust while he's having fun!

Most of you probably do not know that Jackson is quite a squealer. His squeals are high-pitched and make my ears ring. I realize that his squeals are his way of communicating, but trying to decipher his message isn't very easy. We've been working on sign language and I'm pleased to say that once I did my part and stayed consistent, he started signing! The first sign was so exciting...and so adorable. "More" was his first sign. Now, two weeks later, he knows 6 signs. He'd probably know even more if I was better about learning the signs that are meaningful to him. Here he is signing "Eat" and very happy about it.

Okay, back to the squealing. Jackson mostly squealed while we were eating. We tried almost everything and nothing seemed to stop him. We knew he was trying to tell us something but didn't understand what it was...until one afternoon when he was sitting on my lap while I was feeding him and he grabbed the spoon and put it into his mouth. He wanted to feed himself...and not just with his hands, which he was already doing, but with a fork and a spoon. Oh, and he wants the bowl or plate on his tray - not on our table. He isn't satisfied with me filling the spoon and then offering it to him. No, he wants to do the whole thing by himself. Here's a shot of a piece that made it into his mouth. He's actually pretty good at it!

A Fun Day with Caleb!

Jackson's friend, Caleb, spent the day with us while his mommy and daddy watched the movers pack their household goods. We picked him up at 0900 and then headed to a small shop in their village to buy bananas (I can't get organic bananas at our store, and I like to have a lot on hand to freeze for smoothies). I should mention that Caleb is two weeks younger than Jackson. They are both walking very well, but aren't quite at the stage where you can say, "Hold my hand and walk with Mommy." No, they'd rather go their own route and discover their own things. So, I carried both of them...through the parking lot, across the street, up the stairs, past the church, down the stairs, across another street, and then finally into the store.

I would just like to applaud all mothers with twins or two children who are very close to the same age. Caleb, being the heavier of the two, was in my left arm...the one I usually carry Jackson with. Jackson was in my right arm...my dominant arm but apparently lagging behind my left after a year of carrying Jackson around. There were several times that I had to give Jackson the hip push-up b/c after a few minutes, I was carrying him under his arms instead of under his bottom.

Oh, it wasn't that hard - just an adjustment. Grocery carts only accommodate one child (but the basket makes a great place for the second when you are only getting bananas). Then, after I was finished shopping, I was thinking about how I was going to carry both boys, the grocery bag, and my wallet.

We successfully made it back to the car, got both boys strapped in, and headed to another village where we met some friends from church for a play date. The boys had a great time! We met at a place that everyone calls the playhouse. It is full of toys, things to climb on, cars to push around and drive around, a mini moonwalk for toddlers, puzzles, trains, toys that make all kinds of sounds, etc. It's a child's dream and a mother's place of sanity in the winter when it's too cold to play outside. Here are some pictures of their fun-filled time at the playhouse:

Caleb behind the wheel

"Jackson, I think I've got it figured out."


"I'll push. You drive."


Caleb in the moonwalk

"Jackson, don't eat the crayons."


"I can stick my tongue out too."

This was a popular car:

Beep! Beep!

Uh-Oh!


Brycen pushing Jackson


Brycen and Caleb working on the railroad

Back at our house:

Jackers loves dancing!

Caleb is a Little People man...he loves them!

I just love my Jackers!

Thank you Kevin and Sheri for letting us have Caleb for the day!

Oh, I should also mention something very special. Yesterday, we called PaPa...again. While they were talking (Jackson and PaPa), Jackson said, "Paaaww-Paaaaaaw. Paw-Paaaw!" It was so cute that I could hardly hold back the tears! He actually said it once before (26 Jan) but it wasn't as clear as today. I was also looking at his face when he said it this time. He was working so hard to say it right. It was priceless. He officially knows how to say it well b/c today he kept saying it several times throughout the day...PaPa, PaPa, PaPa, PaPa. We even called PaPa so that he could hear it! (Sorry Grandma, Grammy, aunts and uncles. PaPa is just the easiest to start with. :)

Talking to PaPa

There is one thing that our little man loves...talking on the phone! Usually, there is no one to talk to because everyone (in the States) is asleep the majority of our day. We pretend that we're talking on the phone, but it just isn't the same for Jackson as when he hears the 'real' voice coming through the line. So...we called PaPa...


Here's a happy boy...

Jackson's talking consisted of many delightful squeals and a lot of "Ya...Ya...Ya..." He was an extremely happy boy for the 30 minutes he was on the phone. That's quite a while for a 1 year old! Meanwhile, I was thanking the Lord for the sunshine - something we haven't seen in a while around here. We took advantage of it and spent a lot of the day outside...on a walk...playing in the rocks...swinging in the hammock...and on the phone.

Oh, I should mention that PaPa was such a trooper. It's hard to have a one-way conversation for that long! He was great!

Just One More Thing That Takes Time :)

i guess it's time i started this blog thing. my sister started one a couple of years ago and i was like, "blog? what in the world is a blog?" i've had a few run-ins with it since then but nothing very significant. an old high school friend had one and i found so much encouragement and amusement reading her blog. then, my friend natalie started one and that got me really interested b/c i started looking at other blogs...even blogs of people i don't even know. i quickly found out that it was totally normal! it appears that it's a great way to journal and to pass on info about your life to family, friends, and any other person who finds some interest in your life.
the real benefit for me is to talk about all of the changes that my 1 year old son is going through. he changes every day and i don't want to forget any of it! i also want his grandparents, aunts and uncles, and family friends to know what is going on in his life since we live so far from them. it's easier to post a blog (or is it blog a post :) ) than to send individual emails. i'm trying to simplify my life b/c there are too many things competing for my attention...and one just can't wait!
my goal is to post at least once per week. i really hope this doesn't turn out like so many other things that i start. i want it to last! but i guess everything has it's time and i just have to reevaluate my expectations...that's something i really need to work on!
well, my little man is sound asleep (which is how i'm able to write this) after a wonderful day of catching up with old friends. we had two dear friends from italy stop by and we all went to trier to visit some of germany's oldest city's sites. until next time...