"Blessings"

This song is called "Blessings" and is written by Laura Story. I have been greatly encouraged and challenged by this song as I think about the words.

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can't satisfy?

And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?

The More Entertaining Steeler Game

Christmas in Iowa

Praise the Lord we were all healthy to travel to Iowa for Christmas. I went out an extra week early with the kids and Griff flew out the 23rd. We got to spend some great time with family and friends. Griff continues to be amazed at small town Iowa. The kids love Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's. They got way too many toys to possibly bring back in our suitcases and more spoiling of grandchildren occurred than I ever thought imaginable. It was a great time, which made leaving so bitter sweet. It is always nice to get back to our own beds and routine but the kids miss their Grandma and Grandpa and all they get to do there that they don't get to here.




Griff and Riley had their first slumber party together a couple nights after Christmas. I think Griff may have fallen asleep before Riley. :-)
One of Griff's very favorite things in the world is milk and cookies. He was in heaven when he saw all the amazing and different cookies Nicole had made for Christmas. In this picture Riley and Daddy got to enjoy some milk and cookies together.
We loved time with cousin Tyler and Aunt Nicole and Uncle Shannon. The kids still ask about every day where they are and where Kasey, their dog is.
Shannon, Nicole and Tyler were about to leave and Riley and Ellie wouldn't let him go without some hugs.

Riley and Ellie got to explore Lyle's semi while we were back. They loved climbing all over it and pushing all the buttons.

Odds and Ends

Okay, allow me to brag on my 18 month old Ellie Dawn for just a little please. This girl continues to amaze me with the words that come out of her mouth: colors,trees, movie, elmo, cowboy, elephant, bible, Noah, potty, Hannah, Jonathan, Riley, Grandma, Papa. She's starting to put words together like: no please, want some, what's this, go bye bye. She attempts to do about anything Riley does, which usually means she is climbing up somewhere she shouldn't and falling off. And to our complete surprise she is interested in potty training and actually goes on the potty if we stay on top of it and help her with her pants. This is amazing to us because Riley isn't even potty trained. This morning she asked for a "nana" and she wanted to "hold it". So I gave her the half peeled banana and she proceeded to peel it, eat it and completely finish it off without any problems. It's a proud mommy day today.
The other night the kids came up to me and asked if they could put their coats on and go to the store. We weren't going anywhere but I played along with them. After their coats and hats were on they headed into Riley's room to go "shopping".


On his birthday I asked Riley what he wanted to do and he said, "Stay in my pjs and watch cartoons." So, that is what I he did. This is a picture of him before dinner. Still in his pjs and ready for some chocolate chip pancakes.
. For the boy who loves music we bought him a saxoflute, 16 pieces that can be switched around, lost all over the house and make extremely high pitched noises. He loves it and I love that he loves it.

THREE

My little boy is three (tomorrow actually, but I might not have a chance to blog tomorrow so I am posting while both babes sleep)! On this rainy day as I think about the fact my little boy is three it makes me sad. Where as the three years gone? It has flown by. I feel like I have missed so much, forgotten so much already. Over the Thanksgiving break I took time to put together three Snapfish scrapbooks, for 2008, 2009, and 2010. As Griff and I flipped through the pages of our 2008 photo album last night we were amazed as we looked back at our little man. My sweet tiny 4 pound 11 ounce Riley David. We had no idea the amount of joy, delight, laughter, frustration, excitement and concern this little man would bring into our life. I asked Griff what two words he would use to describe Riley, strong and musical. I too would pick musical but also smart. So, here is to my smart, strong, musical and also loving, handsome, particular, energetic, serious, curious and tender-hearted son. We love you Riley David Jones and we praise God for your three years of life and all you have added to our family.

Iowa

We got to go to Iowa for two weeks in November while Griff traveled for work and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. I rarely had my camera with me but I did catch a few fun pics. These first two were taken at my Grandma Henry's. Riley discovered he could fit into the dryer. They actually both fit in the dryer though Ellie didn't like that too much. We got to see some extended family in Iowa and Riley and Ellie just loved their cousins Morgan, Paige and Zach, so much so that Riley cried for 10 minutes and kept saying, "I want Zach."

The First Snow

At the end of October we got a very heavy wet snow. It delayed our trip to Iowa by a day but it gave us the chance to make a snowman, eat some snow and mow. Yes, I said mow. You can see in one of the pictures the little mower is setting on top of the snow in the driveway. Ellie tried to mow but didn't get very far in the heavy wet white stuff.