May 9, 10, 11

Caleb can put himself into a sitting position, instead of simply (mostly) holding his balance when placed.

And he crawls perhaps more quickly than the brothers would prefer.



(I love that these photos show Jadon's thespian side, as well as the amazing difference in size between my oldest and youngest sons.)

Phil was sick on Friday. He made it the whole month of April without a day of sickness (though he sometimes felt a bit bad). Since he eats at Panera on Thursday morning and is generally worse Friday, we wonder if there is something in the coffee or the plain bagel or ... I don't know what.

Saturday he finished off the soffit and put up the metal flashing that will keep the water from damaging the wood. That was a good and needed project.

Sunday was Mother's Day. That means so little to us, like Valentine's Day or Father's Day or Memorial Day. It was a day of beauty nonetheless: we went to a friends' and enjoyed a prolonged look at some of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 and then had a pot luck dinner that lasted until 9:30pm.

We are in a season where we fellowship and talk, and the talk generates new topics to talk about, new thoughts and understanding.

We talked about Noah. One friend had seen the recent blockbuster movie, and he said that he liked that it conveyed some hint of the intensity that Noah would have had. One translation reads that "Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith."

So often Noah gets passed over as if he were the original conservationist, saving the animals. How many cute children's toys have two giraffes and two lions (one with mane)? But that word "fear" struck me: here is Noah, for over a hundred years building an ark, motivated by his fear of God, preaching without cease to doubters.

And I grew weary of a few desultory attempts at farming? What kind of an intense man must Noah have been?

And how thankful I am that I don't need to be quite that hard!

Or Abraham, who dwelt as a stranger in his own land, the land of promise, living in tents while he looked for a city with foundations, whose builder and maker is God. How amazing these Patriarchs!

In the midst of this delightful talk of faith, Caleb pulled himself to a standing position on the sofa. He then lost his grip, tumbled backwards, and hit his head on the foot of the coffee table. I think he caught himself somewhat, as he had no bump, and I don't think it was that traumatic, because he pulled himself up on a chair today.

He's barely seven months. What an intense little guy!