chilling!

Kelli and the Dexter crew invited us along to the Mt. Clemens Ice Carving Show.And what a jewel this town is! Its got a college town feel with art stores and music venues at every corner. Top it off with a river running right through the middle of the town - oh yeah, we'll be spending more time here!The ice carvers lined the streets - they used chain saws and sanders and tools we'd never seen before. And the end creations were pretty marvelous!

It was BITTER cold...so we decked in a few shops to warm up and sip some hot cocoa.

And one last photo - Aron insisted we get a picture of this fireman for his cousin Josh. So Josh, if you read this post, this one's for you, man.

We were nearly ice sculptures ourselves by the time we left, so we headed over to the Dexters' place for chilli and warm cookies...umm.

ejk

life with a 2 year old

Belle and I hopped in the car tonight to run some errands. As I was strapping her in her seat, she exclaimed, "We go see papaw and mamaw?!?!"
I tried to let her down easy, "No, not right now. We've got to run some errands."
"I go see mamaw and papaw!! I go see mamaw and papaw!! "Then she thought for a second, "Can we run in Target?"...verbatim.

Then as we were driving around, I explained, "Okay, we're off to Toys R Us to make a return."
She replied, "Yaaaay! Lets get some toys for Samuel and my baby sisssster."
This warmed my heart.

And a few silly picts from this evening...meet Isabelle "Charlie Chaplan" Kirk
She scooted herself around in her babydoll stroller all over the house.And I kept catching her "sleeping" in her antique baby doll crib given to her by Great Grandma Kirk (which she knows she isn't allowed to play in!)

I also caught her painting her lips with fingernail polish...give me a heart attack!!

But she redeemed herself because she was a very, very big helper when it was time to clean up for the night, and she even put everything in its proper place - a very smart 2 year old!

ejk

yearn

There is something about this season - when winter stretches on and you fear the cold will never lift.

I struggle.

It seems I have to fight my way through my days, and it feels as if the frozen air that surrounds me is creeping into my spirit, and I can feel myself icing over as the bleary days pass.

But God - oh, he is not content with this. He has created us to know Life and be filled with his warmth. This morning he thawed my insides and warmed my soul by awakening my thirst for him. I pray that you too may yearn for Him. That you may burn with a desire to know him. Its a little old school Shane & Shane (takes me back to the college days!)...but it is powerful!

ejk

9 weeks

Baby has been up to so much this week and is now the size of a grape...yay! All of baby's essential body parts are accounted for now - including a heart that is now developing into 4 chambers, fully formed eyes, and the start of little teeth! The placenta is now large enough to take over hormone production, and with baby's basic body systems intact, he/she is now ready for rapid growth.

I love this picture because you can actually visualize the little life right inside the belly...its not just a spec anymore! But we are having a hard time wrapping our minds around the fact that this is not just a picture but an actuality of what is going on inside of me! The process is so delicate - its almost frightening.

We're headed to the OB on Tuesday...more to come

ejk

the weaning process

I've been reading "Walking With God", by John Eldredge, and it has so inspired me to step up my day to day conversational interaction with God. The book is somewhat like a journal of one man's interaction with God over the course of a year. This section really jumped out at me last night - an "ah-ha" moment, if you will.

"God wants us be happy," I said. "But he knows that we cannot be truly happy until we are completely his and until he is our all. And the weaning process is hard...The sorrows of our lives are in great part his weaning process. We give our hearts over to so many things other than God. We look to so many other things for life. I know I do. Especially the very gifts that he himself gives to us -- they become more important to us than he is. That's not the way it is supposed to be. As long as our happiness is tied to the things we can lose, we are vulnerable."

"This truth is core to the human condition and to understanding what God is doing in our lives. We really believe that God's primary reason for being is to provide us with happiness, give us a good life. It doesn't occur to us that our thinking is backward. It doesn't even occur to us that God is meant to be our all, and that until he is our all, we are subhuman. The first and greatest command is to love God with our whole being. Yet, it is rare to find someone who is completely given over to God. And so normal to be surrounded by people who are trying to make life work. We think of the few who are abandoned to God as being sort of odd. The rest of the world - the ones trying to make life work - seem perfectly normal to us."

I am still processing this. Especially the part that talks about until God is our all, we are subhuman...or less than our intended glory as sons and daughters. I can also strongly identify with the weaning process. Have you felt this? When God begins to remove something in your life that you know you have given too much of yourself to or placed too much hope in. It almost feels like a piece of you is dying, but what sweet release when you let it go knowing this pleases your Father.
ejk

jam packed weekend

Last weekend was jam-packed with all kinds of fun...



tea parties in pajamas rockin dance parties

quality time

and let us not forget...the bounce house (which we had to ourselves!)

ruthless dogdeball

(i love this shot of grace nailing aron!) ...what an arm that girl has!

boxing - aron sticking his chin out to give grace a freebie since she could barely lift the gloves!

despite the intense picture, he really was gentle

mom and dad enjoyed the free video games...and if you've ever ridden in a car with my parents, you would know how appropriate the california speed logo is!aron mid front-flip over chloeThe girls awaiting their pancake breakfast
while grace and I prepared the deliciousness.

a great weekend jam packed with fun & memories
ejk

Glassgow Kiss

Six-string succulence! Arpeggio ecstasy! Titillating tonality! Surely this song was divinely inspired (can you tell I like it?). This should be a specail song on the next Guitar Hero for sure (I'm feeling a G3 Guitar Hero--now that's the real deal!). This is John Petrucci's Glassgow Kiss, and yes that incredibly full sound is just three guys: drums, bass, and guitar. Amazing.

Week 8

So much has happened in one week. Though I am only the size of a kidney bean, my little webbed fingers and toes have emerged from my hands and feet. I now have eyelids that completely cover my eyes and an airway that extends from my throat to my developing lungs! My brain cells are branching out and connecting with other brain cells, and already I am moving about, though mommy cannot yet feel me!

I must be growing quickly because mommy has a ferocious appetite - especially when she's running around at work. Every three hours I hear her tummy rumbling...and then a rush of sugar runs through our blood!

Awkward Movie Moments, Divine Intervention, and the Lord's Discipline

You know that feeling when you rent an "if-y" movie and then you watch it with your parents, only to be completely embarrassed when your shoddy movie qualms are realized? You reside somewhere between 2 worlds of inner turmoil--the world of IKISHRTO (I Knew I Shouldn't Have Rented This One) and the world of NIRUBAEIWCTIOWBRUASEWISIGISHADN (Now I'm Really Uncomfortable But Asking Everyone If We Could Turn It Off Will Be Really Uncomfortable And Since Either Way I'm Screwed I Guess I'll Sit Here And Do Nothing) . Yeah, you know that feeling? Well, I experienced that this past weekend when the in-laws were visiting.

About twenty minutes into our shoddy film I was enveloped deep between the worlds of IKISHRTO and NIRUBAEIWCTIOWBRUASEWISIGISHADN when all of a sudden, God's mercy showed it's face: the DVD started skipping like a school girl. I of course went for the courtesy cleaning (so as to avoid being near the world of NIRUBA [for short]), but all attempts to continue viewing were foiled.

As God's Grace incarnate saved me from the world of IKISHRTO, I couldn't help but think of Proverbs 3:12 which says "the Lord disciplines those he loves." Instead of watching the entire movie and regretting it, the inconvenience of a skippy DVD became Mercy manifested.

TOMS shoes

My TOMS shoes are on the way! My mom got me a pair for Christmas. TOMS Shoes is a shoe company focused on serving other people. For every pair of shoes you buy, they donate a pair for FREE to a child in need, usually in some poverty stricken country. Isn't that awesome?!?! What a great idea! For more info, check out their website: http://www.tomsshoes.com/.
APK

a McMoment

Aron & I made plans to meet for lunch today; we haven't got to spend 10 quality minutes with each other this week...so we were desperate to see each other.

I asked Belle, "Do you want to go meet daddy at McDonald's for lunch?"

She responded, "I go see McDaddy at McDonald's and get chicken nuggets!"

It was definately worth braving the 0 degree weather. It was so special just being together in a time and place we normally we wouldn't. We ate our Bic Mac's and fries, and then we just sat there. We talked and dreamed and laughed at Belle. We both agreed we were in the midst of a moment you just wish you could freeze in time.

Aron ran several worship scenarios by me for this Sunday; he set up the scene, the video, the songs...then I started to cry (I blame it on the rush of hormones in my body). The story they will be telling on Sunday is just so beautiful.

We talked about if the new baby will look like Belle or all together different. Aron said, "I don't know. I wonder about that too, but to be honest, its just so not real to me yet. I mean, I'm really not even aware that your sitting across from me pregnant right now."

I said, "That's okay because I'm aware enough for the both of us...constantly." (The exhaustion and fatigue are incessant right now).

Belle and I went to Kroger afterwards, and I pretty much gagged my way up and down the aisles. I scanned the store for a bathroom several times, but instead resolved to hold by scarf over my nose to prevent further gagging. It didn't work very well. I called Aron and informed him this would be my last grocery trip until the nausea is gone because that was pretty much torture!

I hope you all find time for a moment with those you love today! Breathe it in for these are the moments that make up a lifetime.
ejk

Incessant Worship

I've been thinking a lot lately about incessant worship. Romans 12:1 says "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship."

What if we offered our entire selves to God? Our every action to do what he willed? Our every thought to glorify him? Our every word to uplift others and point to the good news of Jesus? What if we loved God more than anything else in this world and then manifested that love by loving other people more than ourselves?

We sing songs every week about living for Jesus and submitting our lives to him, but I'm praying that God will help me to actually DO this. 1 John 3:18 says "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." I'm resolving to worship him incessantly. Worship is everything. Everything is worship.
APK

This song has literally been rocking our world this week. I am still trying to allow it to penetrate...to know in my marrow that I am loved in this way. It changes everything.

Really devote yourself to taking in the imagery of the lyrics. Allow the spirit to wash away the lies you believe about who God is and instead immerse you in the truth of how He feels toward you.

ejk

Week 7

Baby Kirk has doubled in size since last week - now a whopping 1/2 inch long, or the size of a blueberry! Hands and feet are emerging from arms & legs, but look more like paddles at this point.

As far as momma goes - I have 10% more blood volume than a month ago, and my (earmuffs for the boys) *uterus has doubled in size - which accounts for the constant trips to the restroom* (remove earmuffs). I have been absolutely exhausted with working 3 12 hr shifts a week. And the nausea has intensified. I am mourning the fact that coffee is now officially repulsive to me (this happened with Belle as well!). The smell is just too much. But all in all, we're hanging in there!

Big sissy has been talking to baby. This morning I asked her if she wanted to play with her toys with the new baby. "Yes, I play with our baby".
"Can the new baby sleep with you in your bed?"
"No."
"What should we name our baby?"
"Ummmm... Baby Butter."
"What?"
"Baby Butter."
I figured out 15 minutes later she was most likely saying, "Baby Brother", but it was funny while it lasted!
ejk

christmas - the final installment

We started the morning off just as you should - with a hearty breakfast at none other.... than Cracker Barrell, of course.Josh & Kim met us for breakfast as well.Then off to the Newport Aquariam we went!We met my parents and Chloe there as well

What an adventure we had. Grace & the Jellyfish...

Dad & a lovely little bird eating out of his hand.
Aron & the shark

Luke looks to be shark bait.

The creatures were flocking to him!

Eli & the mightly python

Belle loved feeding the bird - until it bit her finger!

Girls just wanna have fun...and they sure did!

ejk

pretty much a perfect saturday

slept in.
ate fluffy pancakes.
played in the snow.
sipped hot cocoa.
snow keeps on falling...its already covered all of our tracks from this morning.
going to the store to get the fixings for tacos and a movie!
does it get any better, i ask you?time to make a snowman

you've probably heard of frosty the snowman. well this is his shorter, more portly brother, frumpy. kinda like in the movie, "Twins" with Arnold Schwartzenager and Danny Devito.

belle loves frumpy. however, she is worried about frumpy now that all the new snow is burying him.
ejk

all in a day

he must surely love His little girl to allow her to paint his nailsand she surely admires her daddy, trying to dress just like him

and finally, one little girl standing in the corner...learning life lessons oh so young
I found it so adorable that the entire time she stood in the corner, she stood on her tipey-toes and didn't move a muscle. I even left the room and came back...and there she stood. I ran and grabbed the camera, and as I snapped the photo, with tears streaming down her face, Belle exclaimed, "NO mommy, no pickers (pictures)." *I hope it doesn't scar her that I'm taking pictures of her being punished...it was just too cute!
all in a day

ejk