And the rain rain rain came down down down

Yep, it's definitely spring in Eugene. But nothing brightens up those rainy days quite like a posh, polka-dot raincoat (thanks Grandma Sunny and Grandpa Howard!).

And we mustn't forget our wellies, perfect for tromping through the sodden grass

Lucy has kept very busy "gardening" in our back yard when it's not too rainy:

And, if I'm really good, she'll pause for a moment so I can capture those bright, blue eyes:

Rainy Days

Second post of the day! This is what happens when you've got a sick kiddo who decides to nap the entire day away. Well, that and a lot of much needed laundry.

We get a lot of rainy days here in Eugene, and for some reason whenever the clouds roll in my mind instantly turns to baking.

These energy balls (who are we kidding, let's just call them cookie balls) were my solution to today's rain-clouds, and since they're no-bake it was easy for Lucy-lu to help as well (although we won't be sharing them with anyone since she's sick; keep the germs in the family, you know).

And yes, it has chocolate chips and coconut flakes, but it also has flaxseed and peanut butter so I'm not completely guilt-ridden when Lucy swipes big clumps out of the bowl to munch on while we make them.

Here's the link to the recipe: http://smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com/2011/08/no-bake-energy-bites-recipe.html

February Adventures

Felis catus stalks the wild leaf

Blue hinge on a grey day:

Searching for our next adventure (prey?):

Galoshes galumphing:

Aha! A graveyard of hazelnut shells.

How many can our little hands hold?

Voodoo magic

Perhaps watching The Princess and the Frog with Lucy was a bad idea. She's been acting awfully weird recently.... I mean, just look at this face.

And I'm pretty sure she was trying to use some voodoo magic on dada here. Perhaps in an effort to get more milk? Or at least, some clothing.

Either way it was enough to send this cat up a tree.

A Great Surprise

I recently read through 1 Corinthians, and a passage stood out to me in a way that it never would have prior to Christian's death.

"Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen...And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished...But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has becomes the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep."

My bible study leader told us that studies have been done on Americans showing that we are much more willing to handle surprises in stories/books/movies if we can at least guess what the ending is. When we know what's going to happen, our minds are more capable of dealing with the bumps along the way.

This type of attitude towards stories is inherently Christian. It explains why we can handle grief the way that we do, and this passage in 1 Corinthians points us to the answer as well.

I can give thanks in all things, even in the death of a child, because I know the end of the story. I can give thanks now for what is to come.

Christ died, but he is not dead. Our son died, but he is not dead; he fell asleep in Christ and lives with Him now, and I know the end of the story. I know that the surprise of seeing Christian again will far outweigh the surprise of losing him. We were surprised by the sorrow of parting, but soon we will be surprised by the joy of reunion.

The only way to find comfort in our trials is to keep this eternal perspective, to focus our eyes on that which is unseen, the ending that we know is coming but which has not yet arrived. And God, ever good, gives us glimpses of this glorious ending and whispers of it to us through the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us.

Soon, so soon in fact that it will feel like the blink of an eye, Joel and I will stand with Christian and with all the saints, and we will shout together, "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" Then we will sit down at the marriage supper of the lamb, and the joy we can only see a shadow of now, will fill us to overflowing.

We know the ending. And therefore we do not lose heart.

Mad Skillz

Someone in our family recently discovered a new skill:

And I thought my child couldn't get any cuter.

Now that she knows how to look between her legs, she takes every opportunity to stick that adorable derriere skyward. I just keep my camera handy at all times because if I leave her alone for two seconds, this is what I find when I return:

So much fun being a baby!

Things we are grateful for:

Baby pushing a basket around her room filled with an irritated but stubborn cat.

Backyard adventures on a sunny day in February

These eyes:

Laughter and squeals as she's thrown up in the air: