Keeping It Simple

Okay here I go! It's been a while since I've made time to blog.  I've got approximately 52 minutes until our little one is due to wake and demand my attention.  Zachary is a few days away from turning 9 months!  Down below are some tidbits.

Things Zachary enjoys...
1. smiling for the camera
2. watching bubbles float in air
3. taking a bath
4. hitting surfaces from the tub, window sills, TV console
5. hanging out in the bathroom, closet
6. sitting on the kitchen floor playing with Tupperware
7. saying, "ma-ma-ma-ma", "pa-pa-pa-pa", "ba-ba-ba-ba"
8. being thrown into the air
9. eating paper
10. playing with springy door stopper

Things Zachary dislikes...
1. diaper change
2. being prohibited from crawling into a closet or bathroom
3. being put down to sleep

Social Butterfly
We are so thankful that he continues to be a happy baby full of laughter and smiles. We're convinced he'll have no problem making friends.  As of yet he's not hit any major stranger anxiety.  At this time we consider that a major plus!  An extra set of hands is always helpful!  He loves to stare and laugh at other children.  Women go crazy over his one-dimpled smile.

Chomp-Chomp-Chomp
After returning from Italy we were welcomed by our smiling baby and his two bottom teeth.  Two months later Zachary's two front teeth are making their debut.  My do they look big! I will have to take credit for that.

Keep It Simple
Recently, I feel the Lord encouraging me to grow in certain areas of my life.  One area being my possessions.

 For those of you that know Shaun well, you know he is quite simple and cautious with his spending.  You can just imagine the conversations we've had about needs v. wants. Two years ago this would have been the last thing on my list to work on. Recently Shaun shared a story of a girl who only owned 100 personal items. I was impressed but not moved because I knew I could never never ever own 100 items!  "Good for her!, I thought. I later shared this with Shaun and he then said, "maybe you're not the girl who owns 100 items, but 500 items".  I thought, "hmm..that's possible! I can do 500."  I'm convinced this was the Lord's gentle way of saying I was a bit excessive.  Since then I've been filtering through our things and ridding ours lives of the extras.  Please don't be deceived, I'm not keeping count of what we own, our lives are still quite comfy, but I am reconsidering the need for things that simply down make much of a difference.  Some day, if the Lord permits, we hope to move overseas to serve the needs of those in south east Asia.  We're not sure when, where or how or even if.  Well, Shaun is pretty sure about the "if".  :)  We do know that where God leads, we will follow.  When that time comes we'll have to pack our belongings and sell the rest for a fraction of what we paid or to be donated.  This definitely encourages me to consider the cost of what I'm paying and whether I'll be okay receiving a quarter in exchange for it a couple of years later.  More than what we may lose or gain it is the mere fact that the less we take for ourselves the more we are able to give away.  That, I absolutely love!!!

ML