Saturday, November 19, 2011

Sign and Seal



Last Sunday was eventful for two reasons. First of all, it was Eliza's first Sunday at church (post birth that is) and my first time back to church after having Eliza. The second reason it was so important is because Eliza was baptized.
Every time we have a baby I am reminded of the amazing and overwhelming privilege it is to raise this child in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It is a sobering reality. We have been blessed with one more arrow with which to spread God's kingdom even further and I pray earnestly that we fulfill our responsibilities of being Christ to this little one.

(I know that everyone reading this might not understand why we had Eliza baptized so I encourage you to read this article that explains our position a bit more.)



Tuesday, November 8, 2011

A Small World


Recently my husband discovered something on Craigslist that was more than just another deal of the century or an item that we were convinced we could not live without.  As he was responding to a post with the hopes of adding a few more puzzles to our growing collection, Ben met Marilyn.  Marilyn lives in a beautiful house surrounded by 5 acres of sprawling forest and serene landscapes.  However, her house and its perfectly situated country setting is not what makes Marilyn stand out.
We immediately connected with her because of our shared love for puzzles; but, in addition to assembling complex puzzles and knitting, Marilyn enjoys a hobby that is not fully understood or appreciated by those around her--She assembles and populates tiny worlds. These are not mere doll houses that you would be happy to let your little one dive into and destroy. Instead, these houses are constructed by her and decorated by her down to the tiny cork board hanging on the wall. She creates these tiny worlds full of amazing detail that one could spend hours taking in and learning to appreciate and still never catch every component of these complex creations.  Ben and I have an appreciation for tiny things so we were both taken by the work that Marilyn has put her heart into.  She allowed me and the boys and my mom to come in her house and look at all the worlds she has created. Here is just a taste of what she has assembled.