Psalm 23

I saw this on someone elses blog and had to share it over here. It actually made me tear up! I've been wanting Ruby start memorizing scripture, but this has really encouraged me even more that it isn't too early to start.

Silver and Gold

Twelve years ago Jared started an adventure that would end up shaping not only his life, but our whole family... he came to Denmark as an exchange student. While he did spend most of his time here learning the language and Danish culture, he also made some lifelong friendships with fellow exchange students, especially Jenine, Rosie, and Tex.

Since their days in Denmark, Jared has only seen these friends a few times, keeping in touch mostly through email, but we were so happy last week to be reunited with Jenine and her family for the day. Jenine has stayed very close with her Danish host family and even named her kids after her "brother" Michael and "sister" Mette. Most of their vacation was spent in Jutland with her family, highlighted by Mette's wedding, but they were able to take the train to Copenhagen for the day and we had a great time seeing the changing of the guards at Amalienborg Slot and visiting Tivoli.

Jenine's son, Gabe, was pretty excited to get a ride pass at Tivoli, so Ruby also was able to try out a few of the tamer rides for the first time. Gabe actually tried the biggest, scariest roller coaster and scared his Mom half to death by sitting on the outside seat! She was pretty sure he was going to slide right out of the harness, but he did great and definitely has some pretty great "bragging material" once school starts!

This was my first time to meet Jenine's hubby, Jerry, and their little girl, Mette. Jerry seems like a wonderful guy and definitely a hands-on Daddy and husband. We're so happy that they found each other. We also got to meet Mikael, Jenine's "brother", who interestingly enough used to be one of the guards at Amalienborg. It was a bit funny/awkward when we were at the changing of the guards because it was just swarming with tourists and one of the guards by us was getting lots of photo ops. The only problem is that people aren't really supposed to stand that close to him and they just were not getting that. Also, some folks decided that they really needed to sit on the steps right up against the palace... this is a no no. Unfortunately, the poor guard is apparently not allowed to leave his post, so he kept trying to get their attention so that they would move. They never listened to him and eventually he gave up. Sounds a lot like dealing with toddlers all day!

It's fun to think that we now have friends not only all over the United States, but all over the world. It's such a blessing to share our lives with such a variety of people--maybe a bit like heaven will be one day. It's been hard saying goodbye to friends as we move on (or they do), but I am so thankful for the time that we have had and the wonder of the digital age which allows us to stay in touch a bit easier.

I suppose it's just like the old rhyme:

Make new friends,
But keep the old,
One is silver,
And the other gold.

Searching for a new best friend...

I've come to realize that I have an unfortunate "stress meter" in the form of a rather finicky back. Two nights ago I woke up at about 4am to a ravenous Max and realized that I just could-not-move! Well, that's not exactly true. I could move, it was just extremely painful. One might ask what I have to be stressed about when I have a husband who loves me, a roof over my head and two beautiful children. My response would have to be, "not much", but none the less... I am a worrier. I am thankful to report that after a day flat on my back and another taking it very easy, I seem to be on the mend. So, I'm back at it again to post a few pics of my darlings.

Ruby, one of the more nurturing kids I know, has taken to sharing her meals with this poor dolly. Since the tragic loss of Trixie, Ruby has been "trying out" various dolls to see which one is "the one" to replace her special friend. Unfortunately, for the time being, the winner is this doll. I really ought to have a photo of the doll up close to get the picture, but just to give you the back story...

A few weeks ago, Jared and Ruby went to a loppemarked (flea market) and found a great little bicycle with training wheels for Ruby complete with baby seat on the back. Well, for only 100kr (that's about $18 these days) the lady included not only the bike and training wheels, but also Ruby's choice of dilapidated dolls to ride in the seat. As you can imagine, she carefully examined each choice until her eyes fell upon this doll. Sure, it's body was caked with dirt, it's dress was so "lived in" it could have walked on its own, and the hair was all cut butch short except for one big chunk on top that was inexplicably about 10 inches long, but it also had those ultra cool eyes that open and close with "life-like" eyelashes. Needless to say, this baby was snatched up in an instant. I'm not sure if I can really explain my disgust at first seeing the doll, but I did manage to pry it from Ruby's little hands and convince her that what baby really needed was a bath. So, into the washing machine she went and we've been fairly happy with her ever since. I'm still pushing for a radical haircut, but Daddy has the odd idea that it's so funny it has to stay. Typical.

As you can see from the last shot, Ruby seems to have a problem with clothes these days. She just does not want to have clothes on and would really prefer not to have a diaper either. I think that we're very close to a potty training break through, so that may be part of it. She's really getting into sitting on the potty (complete with 10,000 verses of "The Wheels on the Bus") and also wants her diaper changed as soon as she goes in it. The problem is, that she still hasn't actually done anything on the potty. We'll sit and try and try and try and then as soon as she gets up, "Uh-oh!", there's a mess. Oh well, I'm sure that she won't go to high school in diapers.

Ruby also had her first trip to the dentist yesterday, which she was super excited about! She checked out a-okay with twenty pearly whites and not a cavity in sight. We're hoping that the trip will increase her enthusiasm for brushing somewhat as the regular battle is getting pretty tiresome.

Max is a regular rolly poley these days and gnawing like mad on anything in sight. As you can see, he has no shortage of saliva. We're really hoping that those teeth are going to show up soon. I'm going through LOTS of bibs a day and if I don't remember to change it regularly, his shirt ends up looking like this anyway.

Max has made some sleeping breakthroughs lately, which is awesome. We've been giving him a bottle of formula before bed (8 ounces!!) and that usually holds him from 8:30pm until 5 or 6am! Also, he's going back to sleep after that morning feed until 7 or 8am, so that's just peachy. As icing on the cake, we're also treated to an hour long nap in the morning and a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon! Finally, I'm starting to feel like a human again, instead of a zombie.

Well, dishes are calling... and so is Max... and Ruby... and laundry... you get the picture.

Moms'n'Tots

We're back in the swing of things for Moms'n'Tots after a few weeks of fun and relaxation. These photos of our five sweeties are from a trip to the paddle pool. There are several of these free pools in parks around Copenhagen and the kids really had a ball. Lots of splashing and a few accidental face plants later the kids were cooled off and worn out, ready for lunch. It's been so nice to recharge our batteries a bit in the sun. It feels as if there hasn't been nearly enough sun this year. In fact, Ruby actually goes around singing "Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day!". It's become a bit of a mantra.

Little Miss Camilla is the Scot in our group. She's a smiley baby and has pretty amazing legs...well, hips really. If she's sitting up and sees something that shes wants in front of her she just does the splits out the sides and suddenly her legs are behind her. I swear this girl is going to be a gymnast! Camilla's mum is a doctor and soon to return to work after nearly a year of maternity leave. Thankfully, she'll still have Tuesdays off so we won't lose them completely from our group.

Nathan is eagerly awaiting the arrival of his new (probably!) sister this fall and is pretty obsessing with Max and babies in general. He's a smart cookie and definitely ready to be the "Big Boss" around his house! We're going to lose Nathan and his Mommy next month when they move back to the States... before long it might just be Ruby and Carter again!

Carter is cute as ever and full of energy. He's always big into splashing when we go to the pool... unfortunately he doesn't take it quite as gracefully as he dishes it out. Then again, I'm not sure any of us like getting splashed as much as doing the splashing!

Well, I didn't make Max get into the icy water this time as he was happily napping in the stroller. I did get the next shot in the park after he woke up. It sure is a treat having such a happy baby!

This week we started our new book, Becoming a Woman of Faith by Cynthia Heald. It's a bit meatier than some of the other books and I hope that we'll each grow a lot through it. The three older kids are getting to the age where there seem to be LOTS of squabbles going on, usually very noisy and/or messy so we have lots of interruptions. I trust that God is going to bless our efforts though. Here's a great quote from Ruth Paxson that really hit home with me:

He has called us into fellowship with Himself; He has owned us as His possession and has assumed the responsibility for our control and He will not lay it aside. What He has begun in us He will continue. His work in us does not depend upon our love for Him but on His love for us; not faith in our faith but faith in His faithfulness is what He wants from us.

What a great reminder and what a relief.

A Little Bit of Summer

We have been enjoying a taste of that summer we missed all of June and July this month--hurrah!! Ruby was thrilled to spend a few hours in her pool this last week. She likes to play the "water transfer game"--filling up cups, buckets, watering cans, etc. and then pouring them out. You'd think it would get old after a while, but she was INTO IT! I couldn't even get her to get out of the pool to eat lunch, so she ate her sandwich, fruit and veggies all while playing in the pool. Yes, I am an old softie...

Max and I enjoyed the day just hangin' on the blanket in the shade. Max did sit in the pool for a few minutes, so he got to try out his fancy new swim trunks! Ruby was slightly obsessed with the swim trunks, mostly due to a book we checked out from the library about a pig named Leopold. I don't have a clue what the name of the book is (it's in Danish anyway), but Leopold is on vacation with his Mom at--you guessed it--the Bay of Pigs! He has some cool new swim trunks and decides to do a fancy dive into the pool to try to show off for this cute girl pig. Well, Leopold loses his swim trunks which results in lots of pointing and laughing and ultimately Leopold locks himself in his hotel room from the embarrassment of it all. The story ends happily enough with Leopold getting the girl in the end, but Ruby is seriously hung up on the whole "Oh no, I lost my swim trunks!" thing and really just can't let it go. This is typical though... she's still mourning over the little lost lamb way back when, and the cow stuck in the mud back here. What a kid!

Max has been doing his share of "just too cute"s too. We've been supplementing breastfeeding with one formula bottle before bed and found that he can actually hold his own bottle when he's in the mood for it. We're still chasing our dream of getting him to sleep through the night, but he's now not eating between 8ish at night and 6ish in the morning, so we're making headway. Unfortunately, he's still waking up quite a bit, but hopefully things will improve in that arena soon.

In reference to the horrible stinkies, they have (thankfully!) improved, but left in their wake some very icky diapers and a nasty case of diaper rash. I really don't remember this problem at all with Ruby. Jared thinks boys bottoms are just more sensitive... maybe so. Well, I'll stop humiliating my kiddos and get on with the business of my day, namely dishes and laundry--hurrah!