Christmas Doll

We went over to Pastor Ryan Fullerton's house for Christmas dinner, and Jane wore this little outfit. While we were there, Aaron was holding her in his lap and she was fast asleep. Pastor Ryan's son, Luke, who I believe is around 5 years old, came up to Aaron and with a very incredulous look asked, "What is THAT?? It looks like a BABY DOLL!!" I'm sure his little boy brain was wondering how Aaron could possibly break his manly code of conduct and stoop to the level of holding baby dolls. What a girlie thing to do! Aaron simply replied, "This is my baby girl!" Luke just looked at him blankly and said, "Oh." and quickly ran off. Later when Jane was sleeping peacefully by herself on the couch while we played a game, I caught Luke out of the corner of my eye taking his index finger and poking her cheek. I'm sure he was just testing to see if she was actually real.

precious gift

Sleeping Beauty

Introducing our Little Girl....

Jane M'liss Montgomery
"The Lord is Gracious"

December 15, 2008
10:35 pm
8 Lbs 5 oz
21 inches

life with a two year old

...since Elijah has been here visiting, this is the kind of thing I find around the house...




Didn't you know dinosaurs like to eat marshmallows?

...got yogurt?

I have been thoroughly enjoying having my sister and her precious two year old son, Elijah here visiting from Texas...

This picture of our favorite little guy enjoying some home-made yogurt is priceless...

Poor Pumpkin....

Do you remember the post about meeting the rather... interesting pumpkin on our front porch? Well.... apparently, he's had quite a traumatizing mishap. I noticed this "scratch" on his face last week. (It was a bit smaller then... ) I thought the poor pumpkin must have had a fall, and smashed his face on the concrete on the way down or something, since it was in more than one place on his head....

Well... then I realized that every day the "scratch" was getting bigger, and I decided that this fellow had most certainly NOT had a fall... but rather SOMETHING or SOMEONE was hungry and had chosen him as a snack. This was confirmed when I inspected the growing "scratch" and discovered TEETH MARKS !


The mystery was solved the day before Thanksgiving when I just happened to peer out my window and see the culprit!!



This cute little squirrel was sitting on his haunches, with both front paws on the poor pumpkin's face, just chewing happily away. I wish I had been able to get a picture of him "in the act" but by the time I ran to grab the camera, he had become suspicious and moved.

I love all of the little fun surprises hidden throughout our lives... it is what makes life interesting and beautiful. What a wonderful God we serve!

"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it? There'd be no scope for imagination then, would there?"
- Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Thanksgiving

We had a lovely Thanksgiving this year! We enjoyed having the Gordon family over for the traditional turkey meal with all of the fixings. I was adventurous this year, and decided to cook our turkey in the crock-pot. It BARELY fit... Aaron and I had to work together to cram it in ... if it was even 1/4 Lb bigger it wouldn't have fit! It worked wonderfully, much to my satisfaction! It was moist and tender... and absolutely delicious! Mmmm.... I just love Thanksgiving food!

The Gordons are from New Zealand, and so it was fascinating talking to them about traditions, and why we do things the way we do... they always have an interesting perspective. It's fun to have to pause the conversation and ask, "now... what was that word?" .... for example, they call kitchen towels "tea-towels".... they call flashlights, "torches" and I can't even pronounce their word for "aluminum foil"... they were laughing when I tried. :o)

After stuffing ourselves with dinner, we had a blast playing "Scum"... our VERY loud and lively game lasted many joyous hours...

We finished our happy Thanksgiving get-together with pie (mmm... of course we had several to choose from....) and ice cream, and then topped it off one last round of Scum...

How wonderful the Lord is, to provide us with so many good things to enjoy!

Stroller Saga Part Two

Suzanne and I scheduled a time to re-assemble our strollers and car seats after making sure all of the padding and straps and fabric had been washed and sanitized. We were both surprised that it only took us an hour! We decided that whoever invented these strollers definitely didn't make them "Mom-Friendly"... you shouldn't have to use an electric screwdriver to get the padding in and out!

inevitable labor

“The whole world consists of two classes, different in many things from each other but alike in this, that both are obliged to labor all their days: they are those who serve sin, and those who fight against it. Both experience pain and weariness; sin is a hard master, and a formidable foe. If you do its bidding, you are a miserable drudge; if you war against it, you will receive many wounds in the conflict. It would be hard to tell whether of the two is the more wearied—the carnal who obeys the flesh, or the spiritual who crucifies it. Both are compelled to labor. Both are weary: the one is weary by sinning, and the other weary of sin. One of these strifes will soon be over: the other will never cease. If sin be your antagonist, there will soon be peace; for if sin cannot be taken wholly away from you, you will ere long be taken away from sin. But if sin be, and till death abide, your master, there is no deliverance from the yoke,” (William Arnot, Laws from Heaven for Life on Earth, pp. 578-580).

...who needs toys?

....When you have this cool car seat to play in?? He LOVES it.... just as long as he's not being strapped INTO into it...then it's a completely different story!

Jane's Room

My Spot

Yes… this is a picture of our bathroom. Over the last nine months, this has become “my spot.” No, not on the toilet, but that little carpet in front of the toilet. You may not be able to tell from the picture, but this little spot is actually a place of sanctification for me. I have met God here many times throughout the day and night during my pregnancy. I did not choose this spot. God chose it for me. I have shed many tears here… questioned God many times here…shook my fists in angry frustration here… and ultimately have fallen to my knees in humble contriteness before My King in this little spot. What sends me to my spot? One little word: nausea. I have thrown up too many times to count since I’ve been pregnant… in the beginning it was multiple times throughout the day and night and then after five months I had some relief and didn’t have to visit my spot so often. And now that my baby is bigger, there is no room for her and my supper… and so I have to return to my spot again regularly.

I have gone through many emotions as I sit in my spot. It is very easy for me to complain and grumble in my heart against the Lord for allowing me to be sick so often… I know of many women who experience only slight nausea, and no throwing up…. why couldn’t I be like them? But then the Lord gently reminds me that even my nausea has a purpose… just like everything else in this life: to conform me into the likeness of Jesus Christ. How will I ever know that “His grace is sufficient for me and that His power is made perfect in my weakness (2 Cor 12:8)” if I never experience true weakness? How can I learn to “Count it all joy (James 1:2)” if I never have a real trial? How will I be made holy if I never go through the fire of refinement? It has taken many visits to my spot to learn to be content with the lot that He has chosen for me.

This pregnancy is a gift from the Lord. The life that is being formed in me is a beautiful treasure that I do not deserve. There are countless women out there who struggle with infertility who would love to trade places with me…. even if it means visiting a spot like mine. The Lord is patient with me as I battle to overcome my complaints with gratefulness and joy that He has allowed me to be a mother. He knew that I needed to become familiar with this spot in order to change my heart for His glory.

Where is your spot?

Poached Eggs

Aaron loves a good poached egg. My sweet Mother found silicone egg poachers and thought Aaron might enjoy trying them out. We were a bit skeptical of the very flexible, rubbery little ... poaching things... (I think the packaging called them "Poaching Pods") but Aaron was excited about testing out this weird innovation.

1. Boil a pot of water.
2. Grease the little poaching "pods" (with pam, or put a dollop of butter in each one)
3. Drop the pods into the boiling water... waddyaknow, they float!
4. Crack one egg into each pod
5. Cover the pot and set the timer for 4 minutes and 45 seconds
6. Take the pods out of the water (they don't even get too hot to handle!)
7. Turn the pod upside down onto the plate. The poached egg will usually slip right out. You may need to squish the pod a little with your fingers, or gently use a fork on the edges.
8. Season with salt, pepper and a little basil
9. Violla!! The perfectly poached egg.

No mess, no hassle, a perfect egg every time and these little poaching pods are way cheaper than the traditional egg poaching pot.

Dinner Guests

On Tuesday night, Aaron and I had Dr. Albert Mohler, his wife Mary, and their son Christopher over for dinner. The first response most people gave me when I told them that we were planning to have them over was, “WHY??”… to which I’ve replied, “Why NOT?” I wonder how many “normal” people invite them over for dinner? Probably not many. Aaron’s gotten together privately with Dr. Mohler a number of times since he came to Boyce college, and I’ve been in a Seminary Wives Institute class taught by Mrs. Mohler, so we knew them a little bit already. The class I took with her was actually called, “The Ministry of Hospitality” (which I absolutely LOVED… if you’re a seminary wife here in Louisville I HIGHLY recommend that you take it while you have the opportunity!) …so I was partly nervous just because I know that SHE knows that I was taught proper etiquette and manners in her class, which means it would be all the worse if I botched anything up. I know, I know, they are just people and it was ridiculous to get nervous over such a silly thing, but I must admit those unwelcome thoughts were lurking in the back of my mind.

I think the most nerve-wracking part about having them over was the few minutes just before they arrived, and the few moments just after they got here. It was just a last minute panic of “I know they are just people… but…. it’s Dr. Mohler!” It was not long at all before they put us at ease… both Dr. and Mrs. Mohler are so warm and gracious that it was only a matter of minutes before all of my nervousness was forgotten. When they sat down at the table, and Mrs. Mohler unfolded her napkin she winked at me and said, “who taught you how to fold napkins like this?”…. of course I learned fancy napkin folding in her hospitality class, so I smiled and said, “… that would be you!”

I really enjoyed getting to visit with them as real people rather than as a lofty theologian and president of Southern Seminary. It was neat to observe their personal family dynamics, quirks, and quiet jokes and to hear about their family vacations and experiences. We talked about how they met, their early married life (did you know that they used to live in FULLER apartments on campus??)… their families growing up… nothing very deep or theological. I was glad to get to know them on a more personal level.

The meal I cooked turned out well…. even the mashed potatoes. I usually make my mashed potatoes with lots of garlic, but I was informed prior to them coming that Dr. Mohler does not eat garlic, so I had to get creative and come up with an alternative way to make them tasty. I was relieved they turned out well despite having a crimp put in my style! :o) Dr. Mohler asked for seconds of everything, so the meal must have been a decent success! :o) He asked, "WHAT is IN these potatoes? They are phenomenal"... I just told him "everything NOT fat-free... I don't believe in cooking light"

For someone who regularly eats at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, and other fancy restaurants, I was relieved and delighted that he thought my cooking was good :o) I had some pretty high competition!

The menu was:

• Chicken Rollatini with creamy wine sauce
• Mashed Potatoes
• Green beans (our family’s special recipe)
• “Mother’s Great Buns”
• Diet Coke (Dr. Mohler’s favorite… a sure way to make him feel at home!)

I made our favorite chocolate mousse with home-made whipped cream and raspberry sauce for dessert and it was quite tasty if I may say so myself!

If you’d like the recipes for any of these dishes, email me: jenmliss@gmail.com and I would be happy to send them to you! None of them are difficult to make… I don’t believe in slaving away in a kitchen all day.

And, by the way, if you’ve read this far into my blog post and DON’T know who Dr. Albert Mohler is, you can check out his website and radio program at:

http://www.albertmohler.com

All in all, having the Mohler family over for dinner was a great experience that we will remember for a lifetime. How many people get to have two hours of private conversation with the president of Southern Seminary?

You should have them over sometime!

sweet friends & soggy carseats

The Lord has graciously provided us with a car seat, two bases, and stroller set, given to us by a complete stranger. The set is in great condition, but it was stored in a garage, so it needs a thorough cleaning. I thought I would just take out the padding and throw it in the washing machine, and spray down the plastic and metal parts.... a task that I expected would take all of ten minutes or so... but I soon discovered that it was a much bigger project! As I sat on the ground in my backyard, investigating the many screws that needed to be unscrewed, and snaps that needed to come off and padding to be pulled out, my neighbor, Suzanne came out to see what I was up to. She is pregnant and expecting her baby in February, and is also adopting a baby boy from Ethiopia in January. She said, "hey...we just got a double stroller and car seat set from Craigslist and I need to get it cleaned too.... I'll go get it!"



So for the next hour, the two of us pregnant women scattered our yard with four car seat bases, two carriers, two strollers, piles of padding, and miscellaneous tools. We were wet from the hose, and made quite the sight bending over our rather.... "roundly" bellies... but it was fun! Now that we have pulled everything off our travel gear, and the padding is soaking in the washer, we are wondering how in the world we're going to get it all back together again! We're anticipating an all-day project.


Praise God for sweet friends, good times and unexpected blessing!

the challenges of having teeth

Isaac has teeth now, so when he bites down on the rubber spoon, it gets stuck... but he doesn't understand that it's his own teeth keeping the spoon in his mouth. Sometimes it takes a good yank to get it out for the next bite! We think his little puckered lips and confused face is just too cute!

New Computer

Aaron has been carefully selecting and ordering new computer parts for the last couple of weeks and today is the big day! He and Jeremy (his former college room mate) are having the time of their lives putting it all together. Aaron is so excited about this project that he could hardly sleep last night :o) Building a computer from "scratch" is most certainly a complicated, highly impressive task...

pregnancy in "man terms"

When Aaron's friend Jeremy came over, he asked me, "so.... how far along are you?"
I replied, "34 and a half weeks" there was a thoughtful pause.... and Jeremy sheepishly asked, "um... could you translate that into man terms?" I smiled and said, "Lord willing, the baby will be born in about six weeks." :o)

As Long as You are Glorified

We sang this in church this sunday and it really stirred my heart...

As Long As You Are Glorified

Mark Altrogge

Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings
Yet not welcome any pain
Shall I thank You for days of sunshine
Yet grumble in days of rain
Shall I love You in times of plenty
Then leave You in days of drought
Shall I trust when I reap a harvest
But when winter winds blow, then doubt

Oh let Your will be done in me
In Your love I will abide
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As You are glorified

Are You good only when I prosper
And true only when I’m filled
Are You King only when I’m carefree
And God only when I’m well
You are good when I’m poor and needy
You are true when I’m parched and dry
You still reign in the deepest valley
You’re still God in the darkest night

my little plants

I am not a green thumb by any stretch of the imagination, so I am quite proud of my two little plants! The one on the right is an African violet, which a sweet friend gave to me nearly a year ago on my birthday.... it is the only plant I have successfully kept alive for so long :o) The one on the left is Shamrocks, which I am equally as proud of. I acquired this one last month in the form of three little roots which Mother gave me while I was in San Antonio Texas for a visit. The little roots traveled with me in a plastic bag on the plane and then I transfered them into this lovely plastic container on my kitchen window sill. They may look a little scrawny now... but I am confident that they will grow into a full vibrant, bushy, leafy plant which will eventually graduate to a nicer ..... more attractive.... pot.

I think I might be beginning to like this gardening thing.... we'll see what kind of fun little plants I can keep alive on my porch this spring!

Our First Arrow

“Behold, children are a

heritage from the Lord,

the fruit of the womb a reward.

Like arrows

in the hand of a warrior

are the children of one’s youth.

Blessed is the man

who fills his quiver with them!”

Psalm 127:3-5

34 Weeks....

.... only six more weeks to go!

Getting what we deserve

Aaron and I discovered this the other night and after listening to the radio clip found on this link....

http://www.voddiebaucham.org/vbm/Blog/Entries/2008/10/16_Getting_What_We_Deserve.html

I was filled with disbelief, sadness and shock! The ignorance of America is truly repulsive.

So sweet....

Recent pictures of Isaac, my little daily companion :o)