Ike at Three

*Your favorite color is orange. Then yellow and green.

*You give a special kiss to Mommy and sometimes to Mimi. You hold my face in your hands and kiss my forehead, then one cheek, then the other cheek. I love it.

*You chew on your blankie, "Cars." It's disgusting. You methodically fold and stuff it into your mouth until nearly one whole side is sandwiched in. Mommy washes your blankie frequently, but within a couple of hours, it smells and feels all wet again. The rest of us will not touch it with a ten-foot pole.

*You use the word "cheese" instead of "yellow." If we see a yellow car, you call it a "cheese car." A yellow house is a "cheese house." A yellow shirt is a "cheese shirt." I'm not sure the word "yellow" is even in your vocabulary at this point.

*You are my most emotional child right now. I'm sure that will change within a few years.

*You love cars. It was born in you. You loved them before you were old enough to be influenced by your car-loving daddy.

*You love to play outside. You "surf on the ocean" and wander around inspecting things and killing bugs. You push your "race car" (a miniature Chevy BelAir) up and down the alley making tons of racket.

*You think you're strong, and no one will convince you that you aren't. When your older sisters are sure they can't carry something, you step in and try because you have a lot of confidence in your strength. And I love that you don't give up, whining, "I can't...." You just keep trying and grunting and trying and grunting.

*You have become the antagonizer of your sisters. Your worst offenses are to throw toys at them and to pull or push them down. You don't do it anger. You just do it. For no reason except that you are a boy.

*You greet family members with a hug around the legs when they come home, even if they've only been gone for a few minutes.

*You have to show us your muscles anytime we dress or undress you. You have three different poses: arms up, arms down, and one-up-one-down.

*You call all your athletic shoes, "race car shoes," or "fast race cars," because you believe they make you go fast.

*You are going to play football and basketball someday, or so you say.

*You are a pack rat. You almost always have your blankie and a couple of Hot Wheels in your mitts, along with various other items, like a piece of string, a plastic bug, a play cell phone, a t-shirt, a hanger, a sword, etc. You sleep with whatever you've been hanging on to all day. At naptime and bedtime you run around gathering your treasures in your paws before climbing into bed.

*You love fruit and meat. Pasta and some vegetables are OK, too. You're a pretty good eater.

*You are my boyfriend right now. You are also Mimi's boyfriend, but you are my boyfriend first, you say.

*Your favorite songs are "Jesus Loves Me" and "Jesus Loves the Little Ones Like Me."

*You are a little particular about things being right. It bothers you if things aren't in their correct place or your clothes aren't on just right. For example, you get upset if you have to wear your coat but we won't zip it up for you. In your mind, if a coat is worn, it should be zipped.

*You move around like crazy when you sleep. I'm still afraid to put you in a bed without sides because you move so much.

*You are smart. To my amazement, you memorized Psalm 1 right along with your big sisters just by listening to them repeat it.

*You are becoming more independent all the time, wanting to do everything for yourself. Before I know it, you'll be grown up. But today, you're just three.

Happy birthday, Ikey!

Quote of the Week

From Boo (go figure):

"Bird, I know that not everyone has a swimming pool, but we have a swimming pool.....we are rich."

No, we're not, but yes, we are.

(By the way, our swimming pool is a plastic kiddie pool, about as small as they come. But I love a kid's perspective.)

First Snow Play of the Season

Moving: In Limbo

After waiting until things seemed pretty "for sure" with our move, the very day that I posted the information on here, we found out that our buyer wouldn't be able to buy our house because of an unforeseen circumstance.

I have to admit, this has been one of the larger disappointments and struggles in my life....which tells you that my life has been pretty easy. But God uses many different ways to grow us, and this sure has brought growing pains for me. I go through such ups and downs, feeling frustrated then fine, irritated then content. And back and forth it goes. It has definitely been a challenge to keep from letting my emotions control me, something I don't usually struggle with that greatly.

Things aren't quite done yet. As long as we had come this far, we decided to proceed and put a "For Sale By Owner" sign in our yard. It's not the best market right now, but as many people have said, it only takes one buyer to sell a house. We know there are many possibilities for the future, one of which is that we will stay right here for now. I think (hope) once I know that is the final answer, I will be content with it. Meanwhile, we are going to try each option the Lord leaves open for us.

The sign isn't quite in the yard yet, though we do have the sign and our phone number is even written on it. But we've been working in nearly every spare moment (which are few) to get some projects buttoned up around the house. It's a lot different getting a house ready to be shown to prospective buyers than it was to get it ready for someone who already loved it as it was.

Both Buddy and I are a little worn and weary. He just started a new job a week and a half ago, and we're into our fourth week of homeschool for the year now. Things are busy. So if you think of us, pray for wisdom to know when to stop pursuing this direction. We don't want to blindly pursue to the detriment of our family.

We do have our eye on a house here. It could use some updating--it's at about the same stage our current house was when we bought it. But it has more space and a lot of potential: three bedrooms and 1 1/2 baths on the main floor, a basement (with a fireplace) that is in the first stages of being finished, a fenced-in backyard with Concord grapes (just a neat little perk that I love). And the price is right. But we can't make a move to purchase it quite yet. Meanwhile, I dread driving by or looking at it online for fear that I'll see a SOLD sign. But I keep reminding myself that if someone else buys it, then it wasn't God's plan for us. Patience, Marti, patience! It's not my strongest virtue.

I hope to update you again soon! If you know of anyone looking for a nice little house in this town, point them our direction. :)

Review: Fearless by Max Lucado

I wish I could write as well as Max Lucado, because it would take a writer like him to do justice to a review of his book Fearless. It has been my privilege to preview the book, being released today by Thomas Nelson. As usual with Lucado's writing, the book is written in a conversational tone, which makes it an interesting and easy read. But more importantly, the book explores and blows apart some of the greatest fears we humans have today...or rather, Lucado shows us how Jesus blows those fears apart.

There's the fear of not mattering, the fear of disappointing God, of running out, of not protecting my kids, of overwhelming challenges. The fear of worst-case scenarios, of violence, of the coming winter, of life's final moments, the fear of what's next, and the fear of global calamity. And then the fear that struck a chord most with me: the fear that God is not real.

It was encouraging for me to hear from someone else, especially a respected Christian like Lucado, say "There may be in God's great world a soul who has never doubted God's existence or questioned his goodness. But that sould is not writing this book." I do admit that I have moments when it crosses my mind that I may just be believing a well-constructed fable. I guess that's why we call it faith. After all, the definition of faith according to the Bible is "the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). But Lucado shows that Jesus dispelled his disciples doubts about His resurrection first of all by letting them touch His body and secondly by retelling His story, starting in the Old Testament. He banishes our doubts in the same way today: by letting us touch His body, the church, and by the retelling of His story when we read His Word. "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them" (Matthew 18:20). "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17).

No doubt this book addresses at least one fear of yours. If you're like me, it addresses a number. Lucado deals with all these fears from the Word of God, and we readers walk away encouraged.