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Two triumphs for Elias! Today he tried spinach for the first time and liked it! This is terrific because both of his parents strongly dislike cooked spinach. So far we haven’t seen anything he seems to truly dislike. Hopefully being exposed to a wide variety of foods will help him to not be picky. So far he has eaten soft boiled egg yolks, green peas, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, mango, applesauce (I canned LOTS of this this month), pears, bananas and plain yogurt. The yogurt seemed to make him more likely to spit up so we’ve only tried that twice. We’ve not used any designated baby food yet, instead purchasing either the whole food or frozen produce and preparing and freezing small portions.

The second triumph: Elias climbed all the way upstairs Tuesday. He had been climbing up two or three for a while but he determinedly did all of them. He was obviously proud of himself, turning around to giggle at me every step or two. Now we have to teach him how to go down safely.

sweet boys

encouraged but holding out for the Best

It has been on my heart since I was thirteen years old (fifteen years ago!) to be part of proclaiming the Lord in an unreached people group. I’m thankful for experiences I’ve had that have refined me and so thankful for my husband alongside whom I can serve. I’m thankful for our sweet son who is a daily, tangible, audible, huggable reminder of the Lord’s love to us. The process that we’ve experienced over these last few years as we’ve pursued this goal has been so different and so much more difficult than we anticipated. We’ve had to renew and reexamine our commitment to missions multiple times, especially in the last two to three months. We’ve seen the fallenness of our world and ourselves more vividly than we would have preferred. Yesterday we received verbal encouragement from several people as to our character and our aims, none of it solicited or expected. I’m thankful that we’ve had to rely on the Lord’s call for so long but I’m also thankful to be affirmed by people around us. A little more fuel for what is still a long journey! We are thankful that the end goal isn’t this life.

From Good, Good End by Waterdeep

It’s a long hard road
With a good, good end
And if I keep on walking on past the crooked bend
I will meet my Maker
I will meet my Friend
It’s a long hard road
With a good, good end

Here are some recent pictures of our sweet guy. I was feeling bad for only posting pics of him but I think it is just that we like him so much.

With Grandpa in Bend. He’s wearing his Halloween outfit that was a gift from (great) Grandma Jean. He also has a bumblebee costume that is hilarious and we are very much looking forward to dragging him around in it. Unfortunately he isn’t a little older so we could just make him wear it all the time and say he likes it.

This is a face he was making all the time for a few days and then suddenly gave up.

With one of his favorite things. He loves books (mostly non childrens), paper, spoons and anything else that isn’t colorful and his.

Elias kisses himself in the oven glass while I try to work in the kitchen.