Last night I slept on the couch. For the first time in close to 7 years of marriage, one of us was sent to the couch, and it was me. James wasn't feeling too hot yesterday (the bi-annual cookie toss, as he likes to call it). He went to work, but was home and in bed by 2pm. As soon as he told me he wasn't feeling well, I too came down with a paranoia induced stomach ache. I decided that it would probably be best if he stayed far, far away from Zack and I. He remained in our bedroom until Zack had gone to bed. Then he was permitted to move himself and his blankets and pillows to the middle of the living room, where he remained until he went to bed. While he was out of the bedroom, I went in and retrieved my overnight toiletries...I didn't want to use the same toothpaste as him! And our toothbrushes are right next to one another. Paranoid city over here. I also obsessively washed my hands, and drank some Airborne (which I think FRIED any virus that may have been lurking in my stomach, just waiting to get me sick).
James tucked himself into bed, and I attempted to tuck myself into the couch. I tossed and turned for a little while, and then around 11 I heard Zack complaining. His complaining got louder, and louder, and it appeared as though he wasn't going to stop. I went in his room to check on him and found a sad, sad boy. And, a sick, sick boy. He and I spent an hour together, getting new jammies, a little sponge bath for him, new sheets, a load of laundry, a call to the pediatrician's after hours number (I'm seriously paranoid! I had no idea what to do with a baby who was throwing up...thank God for the nurse who helped me out in the middle of the night!!), new jammies for me and I don't even remember what else. Finally, around midnight Zack was happy again and ready to sleep. I left him in his room, and went back to my post on the couch.
I had been back on the couch for about 5 minutes when I heard a strange buzzing/vibrating/sucking unidentified noise. I was thinking to myself "who now?? Is James sick?? What is going on??" After a few minutes of laying there and analyzing the noise, I identified it as none other than Walter. He had never left his post on the love seat, and now that the commotion was over, I could hear his snoring-middle-of-the-night-don't-bother-me-I'm-comfortable-and-breathing-deep beagle noises.
Thankfully today both James and Zack seem to be doing much better. Surprisingly, Walter is on the love seat making his snoring-middle-of-the-day-don't-bother-me-I'm-comfortable-and-breathing-deep beagle noises. It appears as though my OCD hand washing, Airborne taking, praying to not get sick self might escape this bug. Hooray for that. I'm hoping tonight I get to sleep in my own bed and don't hear any strange beagle noises. Or any other strange noises.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Half Marathon Recap
Yesterday was the "Valley of Gold Half Marathon", or as I like to call it, the OV half. When my alarm clock went off at 4:15am I was, as usual, wondering why I torture myself like this. But, I (eventually) got out of bed, put my running gear on, slathered myself with sunscreen and shuffled sleepily around the house, doing my best not to disturb my boys. Walter was sleeping on the couch, and barely raised his head to glare at me, letting me know that he was clearly not happy with my decision to be up so early. He needs his sleep.
I left the house right on time, and headed up to B and A's house. I wasn't even 5 minutes away when I realized I was missing a crucial piece of gear, my GPS watch!! I have become slightly dependent upon it for my mile splits, and I didn't know how I could possibly run 13 miles with out it. 10 minutes later, I had my watch and was back on my way. I guess me being on time for a run with Brandon and Alexis is just not going to ever happen.
We still managed to make it to the starting line at 6am. Parking wasn't a problem at all, and there were PLENTY of Port-a-potties, which are a necessity at the starting line of any race. Plus, there were sinks with soap and paper towels!! Amazing!!
Around 6:45 we shed our warm clothes and made our way to the starting line to shiver and wait. We found the 2hr pacer and lined up near her. Brandon thought it was amazing how nice all the runners were (especially compared to cyclists). No one cared when we got in front of them at the start line. Apparently I'm not the only friendly runner out there!!
We started out at a great pace, and as we got to the top of the first loooooonnnnngg hill we began to pass people who started out way to fast. The pack began to thin out and we were cruising along comfortably. Then, suddenly, around mile 4, we had a runner down. While Alexis was getting her sports beans out, her shoelace misbehaved and tripped her up. She left some skin and blood on the streets of Oro Valley, but got right back up and kept running. That's what it feels like to be a champion. Brandon and I had to force her to stop to re-tie her shoe laces.
We continued to cruise along around a 9 minute pace until about mile 9, when Alexis' bloody knee started to really bother her. She had to slow down but told Brandon and I to go ahead with out her. Brandon and I debated what to do...we didn't want to leave our girl behind!! But, Brandon assured me that Alexis was already going to be upset with the fact that she had to slow down, and she wouldn't want to slow us down when we were still feeling good. So, we charged ahead. At 10 miles we were at 1h30(ish)m. Since we had been doing 9 minute miles I was feeling pretty good about beating my goal of a finish time of less than 2 hours.
Brandon pulled ahead of me and crossed the finish line at 1:55:04. He was running so fast that our cheering section didn't even see him go by!! Apparently he was just a blue blur. They did see me as I came by, right before crossing at 1:56:59!! That's 2.5 minutes faster than the Tucson half!! I was really not expecting to be that much faster. I grabbed my metal, 3 bottles of water and went back to find the cheering section. I told them that Alexis had fallen but should be coming by soon. They told me that they missed Brandon going by and they were all wondering where he was. Being the gentleman that he is, he had gone back to finish with his wife (insert romantic sigh here). About 2 seconds later we saw both B and A. She finished around 2:02 and was very happy with her time, considering her war wounds.
Overall, it was a great day, and a great race. We all had fun and ate lots afterwards.
Most shocking moment of the morning:
Brandon leaving his phone in the car. For anyone who knows Brandon, you know this is a HUGE deal. HUGE!! Alexis and I had already made it clear to him that if he answered his phone while running, we would leave him.
Funniest moment of the day:
At the starting line, Brandon looked around and said "I'm so glad no one else has my same outfit"
And the sweetest moment:
As we were walking back from getting our gear bag, Tyler said to Alexis, "I'll pray for you tonight mom," so that her knees and hand would feel better. What a sweet boy!!
Today it has been a challenge to squat down to pick my sweet boy up, but my legs feel surprisingly good. I even managed to take the beagle for a walk. We went 1 whole mile. I think I'm going to take at least a week off from running...and no long runs (well, nothing longer than 8 or 9 miles) for quite a while, probably not until the fall, which is when we will begin gearing back up for the Tucson Half. Hopefully my favorite runner will be back from his tendinitis. Yesterday he ran for 30 minutes and kept telling me that he was much more sore than I was. He is coming back from an injury afterall. Ahhhhh, I love that man!
I left the house right on time, and headed up to B and A's house. I wasn't even 5 minutes away when I realized I was missing a crucial piece of gear, my GPS watch!! I have become slightly dependent upon it for my mile splits, and I didn't know how I could possibly run 13 miles with out it. 10 minutes later, I had my watch and was back on my way. I guess me being on time for a run with Brandon and Alexis is just not going to ever happen.
We still managed to make it to the starting line at 6am. Parking wasn't a problem at all, and there were PLENTY of Port-a-potties, which are a necessity at the starting line of any race. Plus, there were sinks with soap and paper towels!! Amazing!!
Around 6:45 we shed our warm clothes and made our way to the starting line to shiver and wait. We found the 2hr pacer and lined up near her. Brandon thought it was amazing how nice all the runners were (especially compared to cyclists). No one cared when we got in front of them at the start line. Apparently I'm not the only friendly runner out there!!
We started out at a great pace, and as we got to the top of the first loooooonnnnngg hill we began to pass people who started out way to fast. The pack began to thin out and we were cruising along comfortably. Then, suddenly, around mile 4, we had a runner down. While Alexis was getting her sports beans out, her shoelace misbehaved and tripped her up. She left some skin and blood on the streets of Oro Valley, but got right back up and kept running. That's what it feels like to be a champion. Brandon and I had to force her to stop to re-tie her shoe laces.
We continued to cruise along around a 9 minute pace until about mile 9, when Alexis' bloody knee started to really bother her. She had to slow down but told Brandon and I to go ahead with out her. Brandon and I debated what to do...we didn't want to leave our girl behind!! But, Brandon assured me that Alexis was already going to be upset with the fact that she had to slow down, and she wouldn't want to slow us down when we were still feeling good. So, we charged ahead. At 10 miles we were at 1h30(ish)m. Since we had been doing 9 minute miles I was feeling pretty good about beating my goal of a finish time of less than 2 hours.
Brandon pulled ahead of me and crossed the finish line at 1:55:04. He was running so fast that our cheering section didn't even see him go by!! Apparently he was just a blue blur. They did see me as I came by, right before crossing at 1:56:59!! That's 2.5 minutes faster than the Tucson half!! I was really not expecting to be that much faster. I grabbed my metal, 3 bottles of water and went back to find the cheering section. I told them that Alexis had fallen but should be coming by soon. They told me that they missed Brandon going by and they were all wondering where he was. Being the gentleman that he is, he had gone back to finish with his wife (insert romantic sigh here). About 2 seconds later we saw both B and A. She finished around 2:02 and was very happy with her time, considering her war wounds.
Overall, it was a great day, and a great race. We all had fun and ate lots afterwards.
Most shocking moment of the morning:
Brandon leaving his phone in the car. For anyone who knows Brandon, you know this is a HUGE deal. HUGE!! Alexis and I had already made it clear to him that if he answered his phone while running, we would leave him.
Funniest moment of the day:
At the starting line, Brandon looked around and said "I'm so glad no one else has my same outfit"
And the sweetest moment:
As we were walking back from getting our gear bag, Tyler said to Alexis, "I'll pray for you tonight mom," so that her knees and hand would feel better. What a sweet boy!!
Today it has been a challenge to squat down to pick my sweet boy up, but my legs feel surprisingly good. I even managed to take the beagle for a walk. We went 1 whole mile. I think I'm going to take at least a week off from running...and no long runs (well, nothing longer than 8 or 9 miles) for quite a while, probably not until the fall, which is when we will begin gearing back up for the Tucson Half. Hopefully my favorite runner will be back from his tendinitis. Yesterday he ran for 30 minutes and kept telling me that he was much more sore than I was. He is coming back from an injury afterall. Ahhhhh, I love that man!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Yet another conversation with James
James grilled us hamburgers for dinner tonight. We live a pretty exciting life, and this was our dinner conversation.
Me: Good burgers.
James: Yeah. Do you think I can have another one?
Me: I guess, maybe just a small one. We also have cookies that you are probably going to want to eat later.
James: Well, it's all natural beef.
Me: It's lean beef.
James: And all natural.
Me: It's from Harris Ranch.
James: I've heard bad things about them. They kill their animals.
Hahaha....that man is hilarious!!! I sure do love him. There is never a dull moment around here. And, just a clarification. James does not normally "ask" permission to eat. He just completed (and won!) a weight loss challenge with some of his friends. Now that he's lost all the weight he gained while I was pregnant, he wants to maintain his current weight. If he goes back to his old eating habits (2 hamburgers at a time, a milkshake a day, etc) he's not going to maintain his weight very well. I serve as his dietitian and food advisor from time to time.
Speaking of weight loss, Walter, the best beagle ever, has also shed a few pounds over the course of the past year. It's pretty amazing that he has actually lost weight, considering the number of cheese sticks, goldfish, and cheerios Zack has fed him. We think he was inspired by James.
Me: Good burgers.
James: Yeah. Do you think I can have another one?
Me: I guess, maybe just a small one. We also have cookies that you are probably going to want to eat later.
James: Well, it's all natural beef.
Me: It's lean beef.
James: And all natural.
Me: It's from Harris Ranch.
James: I've heard bad things about them. They kill their animals.
Hahaha....that man is hilarious!!! I sure do love him. There is never a dull moment around here. And, just a clarification. James does not normally "ask" permission to eat. He just completed (and won!) a weight loss challenge with some of his friends. Now that he's lost all the weight he gained while I was pregnant, he wants to maintain his current weight. If he goes back to his old eating habits (2 hamburgers at a time, a milkshake a day, etc) he's not going to maintain his weight very well. I serve as his dietitian and food advisor from time to time.
Speaking of weight loss, Walter, the best beagle ever, has also shed a few pounds over the course of the past year. It's pretty amazing that he has actually lost weight, considering the number of cheese sticks, goldfish, and cheerios Zack has fed him. We think he was inspired by James.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Half Marathon Goals
This upcoming Sunday is the Arizona Distance Classic, aka the Oro Valley Half. Brandon, Alexis and I will be tackling 13.1 miles as a trio. Or, maybe they are running as a couple and I'm the third wheel. Either way, we will still run 13.1 miles!
I read in some running magazine or book that you should set three goals for every race you run. The first goal being just to finish the race feeling somewhat good. The second goal is a finishing time that you think is doable even if everything doesn't go perfect. The third goal is what you think your best time could be if everything goes perfectly.
So, here are my goals.
1. Finish! I will be happy with simply finishing 13.1 miles. That's a long way for anyone to go on their own two feet. Back when I was working, I didn't even drive that far to the office everyday!
2. Finish around 2h10m. That would mean running around 10 minute miles. I know I can run faster than this, BUT, the course has some long, slow hills. If we end up taking the hills too fast, we will kill our legs and be burnt out by the halfway point.
3. Finish under 2hrs. When Alexis and I ran the Tucson Half in December we finished just under 2hrs (really, barely under 2hrs...less than 30 seconds to spare!!). I feel like the Tucson half is a much easier course, it's almost all downhill! Not the case with the OV half.
Up until today I was not feeling confident about this half marathon at all! The last 2 long runs we've done have been pretty horrible feeling, and at a pretty slow pace. I'm thinking we were just too tired, and had been running too much. I only ran 10 miles last week (compared with almost 24 the week before), and this week I'm only going to run about 6. Hopefully the extra rest will be good for us! Tonight I ran on the treadmill and for the first time in awhile I actually felt good. And, for a lot of the run I was at an 8:30 or even faster pace. So, that gives me confidence that there's hope for goals #2 and 3!
My prediction is that we will finish somewhere in between 2hrs and 2hr10min. If not, oh well!
I read in some running magazine or book that you should set three goals for every race you run. The first goal being just to finish the race feeling somewhat good. The second goal is a finishing time that you think is doable even if everything doesn't go perfect. The third goal is what you think your best time could be if everything goes perfectly.
So, here are my goals.
1. Finish! I will be happy with simply finishing 13.1 miles. That's a long way for anyone to go on their own two feet. Back when I was working, I didn't even drive that far to the office everyday!
2. Finish around 2h10m. That would mean running around 10 minute miles. I know I can run faster than this, BUT, the course has some long, slow hills. If we end up taking the hills too fast, we will kill our legs and be burnt out by the halfway point.
3. Finish under 2hrs. When Alexis and I ran the Tucson Half in December we finished just under 2hrs (really, barely under 2hrs...less than 30 seconds to spare!!). I feel like the Tucson half is a much easier course, it's almost all downhill! Not the case with the OV half.
Up until today I was not feeling confident about this half marathon at all! The last 2 long runs we've done have been pretty horrible feeling, and at a pretty slow pace. I'm thinking we were just too tired, and had been running too much. I only ran 10 miles last week (compared with almost 24 the week before), and this week I'm only going to run about 6. Hopefully the extra rest will be good for us! Tonight I ran on the treadmill and for the first time in awhile I actually felt good. And, for a lot of the run I was at an 8:30 or even faster pace. So, that gives me confidence that there's hope for goals #2 and 3!
My prediction is that we will finish somewhere in between 2hrs and 2hr10min. If not, oh well!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Cooking up a storm!
I spent a lot of my day today in the kitchen, cooking up a storm. My sister had a baby last week, so I decided to make them a few meals to have in their freezer. I remember after I had Zack cooking was the last thing I wanted to do. And, I was so tired I couldn't even remember what I liked to eat. James would ask me what I wanted to eat and I seriously couldn't think of what sounded good! It was much better if someone just put food in front of me. Since Becky has a new baby, a 14 month old, a 7 year old, as well as a really big dog, cooking a meal is just not going to happen. Enter sister Karen.
I was going to do one of those crazy blogs where people take a picture of every step of the way...you know, all the ingredients, the pile of diced onions, whatever it is cooking on the stove etc. Of course, this all takes place in a spotless kitchen, with a vase of fresh flowers. Ummmmmm, yeah. Not reality in my house! Who has time for that!?! People who don't sleep, I guess.
So, my kitchen looks like it exploded, but I successfully made chicken enchiladas (one batch with red sauce (for Becky and JL), and one with green sauce for us), 2 Mexican Casseroles, and 2 batches of cheesy potatoes. Tomorrow I will whip up some Tabbouleh and we will set out across town to deliver the meals and spend time with the family.
While I didn't take pictures of every step along the way I did manage to capture my now very full fridge.
Hopefully they've got room in their freezer!
I was going to do one of those crazy blogs where people take a picture of every step of the way...you know, all the ingredients, the pile of diced onions, whatever it is cooking on the stove etc. Of course, this all takes place in a spotless kitchen, with a vase of fresh flowers. Ummmmmm, yeah. Not reality in my house! Who has time for that!?! People who don't sleep, I guess.
So, my kitchen looks like it exploded, but I successfully made chicken enchiladas (one batch with red sauce (for Becky and JL), and one with green sauce for us), 2 Mexican Casseroles, and 2 batches of cheesy potatoes. Tomorrow I will whip up some Tabbouleh and we will set out across town to deliver the meals and spend time with the family.
While I didn't take pictures of every step along the way I did manage to capture my now very full fridge.
Hopefully they've got room in their freezer!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
My Week in Review
It's 8:15 on a Saturday night and I'm pretty much ready for bed. It was a crazy busy, and exciting week for us. But now I'm exhausted!!
Looking back, it only makes sense that I'm a worn out lady.
Sunday-12 miles. 12 hot, windy miles. 12 hot, windy miles along the River Path, where some of the water fountains weren't working. We would stop at each one and take a bird bath. Except the dry ones...at the dry ones we would just stare at them and wonder why the City of Tucson was repairing all 300,000 cracks along the river path, but could not have 6 or so water fountains in working order. Apparently their priorities are not my priorities.
Monday-Acquire 1 nephew, age 14 months. So we've got ourselves a Zack and a Jonah under one roof for a few days. Fun times (and chaos!) ahead!
Tuesday-Jonah and Zack ran circles around me all day. The day was a blur of 2 little boys eating, sleeping, beating one another up, eating some more, diaper changes (lots!) and then eating again. I felt like all I did was prepare food, attempt to get some of that food into the boys and not just the dog, clean up after eating, change diapers, and then start all over. The highlight of the boys day was chasing one another around the kitchen table for at least 20 minutes. The highlight of my day was finding out my niece, Ruby, had arrived!
Wednesday-Basically a repeat of Tuesday. In addition, we loaded up the circus and drove across town so Jonah could meet his baby sister. My sister told me "you look more tired than I do," which is pretty crazy considering she had given birth less than 24 hours earlier. James and I then ventured to Beyond Bread for dinner, with both Jonah and Zack. Most other people probably thought we were nuts. Hey, I kinda thought we were nuts!
Thursday-James stayed home to help me manage feeding time at the zoo. The best part of the day for me was going for a quick run around the neighborhood. With 2 boys, running was IMPOSSIBLE. That night we also celebrated my sister's birthday and homecoming with baby Ruby. We gave her the best present ever, Jonah!
Friday-9 mile run. It seriously felt like it was uphill into the wind the whole entire time. The first half really was uphill, into the wind. And, between then 3 of us (B, A and I) we had 2 jogging strollers. Ugh. I decided my body can't do 2 long runs 5 days apart. It's just too hard! After running I ran what felt like 1 million errands (it was really 2), and then we dropped Z off with B and A and went to JL's graduation. We were finally back home and in bed by midnight (and my days of staying up till midnight are OVER).
Saturday-Up at 6:15. Bountiful Basket pick up at 7. Girls hike to Pima Canyon at 9:30, with lunch afterwards. Come home, COLLAPSE! And then, Zack wakes up from his nap....so much for collapsing!
So, here we are, a little after 8 on Saturday night. James is watching PBS and I'm hoping that my teeth will magically brush and floss themselves, my face will be clean and my pillow properly fluffed. I dream big.
I'm thinking next week is going to be boring.
Looking back, it only makes sense that I'm a worn out lady.
Sunday-12 miles. 12 hot, windy miles. 12 hot, windy miles along the River Path, where some of the water fountains weren't working. We would stop at each one and take a bird bath. Except the dry ones...at the dry ones we would just stare at them and wonder why the City of Tucson was repairing all 300,000 cracks along the river path, but could not have 6 or so water fountains in working order. Apparently their priorities are not my priorities.
Monday-Acquire 1 nephew, age 14 months. So we've got ourselves a Zack and a Jonah under one roof for a few days. Fun times (and chaos!) ahead!
Tuesday-Jonah and Zack ran circles around me all day. The day was a blur of 2 little boys eating, sleeping, beating one another up, eating some more, diaper changes (lots!) and then eating again. I felt like all I did was prepare food, attempt to get some of that food into the boys and not just the dog, clean up after eating, change diapers, and then start all over. The highlight of the boys day was chasing one another around the kitchen table for at least 20 minutes. The highlight of my day was finding out my niece, Ruby, had arrived!
Wednesday-Basically a repeat of Tuesday. In addition, we loaded up the circus and drove across town so Jonah could meet his baby sister. My sister told me "you look more tired than I do," which is pretty crazy considering she had given birth less than 24 hours earlier. James and I then ventured to Beyond Bread for dinner, with both Jonah and Zack. Most other people probably thought we were nuts. Hey, I kinda thought we were nuts!
Thursday-James stayed home to help me manage feeding time at the zoo. The best part of the day for me was going for a quick run around the neighborhood. With 2 boys, running was IMPOSSIBLE. That night we also celebrated my sister's birthday and homecoming with baby Ruby. We gave her the best present ever, Jonah!
Friday-9 mile run. It seriously felt like it was uphill into the wind the whole entire time. The first half really was uphill, into the wind. And, between then 3 of us (B, A and I) we had 2 jogging strollers. Ugh. I decided my body can't do 2 long runs 5 days apart. It's just too hard! After running I ran what felt like 1 million errands (it was really 2), and then we dropped Z off with B and A and went to JL's graduation. We were finally back home and in bed by midnight (and my days of staying up till midnight are OVER).
Saturday-Up at 6:15. Bountiful Basket pick up at 7. Girls hike to Pima Canyon at 9:30, with lunch afterwards. Come home, COLLAPSE! And then, Zack wakes up from his nap....so much for collapsing!
So, here we are, a little after 8 on Saturday night. James is watching PBS and I'm hoping that my teeth will magically brush and floss themselves, my face will be clean and my pillow properly fluffed. I dream big.
I'm thinking next week is going to be boring.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Zephaniah 3:17
I get a daily devotional email from Proverbs 31 ministries. Today's devotional was based off of Zephaniah 3:17.
"For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
The mom who wrote the devotional writes about her sons, and watching over them at night. How she likes to check on them while they are sleeping, and the joy that they bring to her heart. I could relate to just about every single word she wrote, but one paragraph in particular stuck out to me. She said, "Looking at their faces, I'd imagine the boys God was shaping them into. I'd whisper prayers for them to know Jesus and love Him with all their hearts. I'd ask God to calm their fears, fulfill their dreams, and establish their steps to walk in His ways." While I was pregnant I was pretty good at praying for Zack. I would be wide awake in the middle of the night, so I would pray, and beg God that the child in my belly would love Him, and would want to follow Him. Now that Zack is here, I am much worse at praying for him, even though I love him WAY more than I did when he was jumping around in my belly.
This devotional was a great reminder for me in so many ways. It's a great reminder that God is living among us, and that he delights in me (and Zack!) with gladness. Zack delights my heart in so many ways, and to think that he delights God's heart in all those same ways and in so many more is pretty hard to believe. With as much as I (and James!) love Zack, God loves him even more.
I've wanted to have a bible verse up on the wall in Zack's room, but with the zillion that are in the bible I was having a hard time coming up with just the right one. I think I've finally found it! It will be a great reminder for me to see this verse multiple times a day. As Zack grows, I hope and pray that he will know how much his parents, and more importantly, how much God delights in him, and loves him.
"For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
The mom who wrote the devotional writes about her sons, and watching over them at night. How she likes to check on them while they are sleeping, and the joy that they bring to her heart. I could relate to just about every single word she wrote, but one paragraph in particular stuck out to me. She said, "Looking at their faces, I'd imagine the boys God was shaping them into. I'd whisper prayers for them to know Jesus and love Him with all their hearts. I'd ask God to calm their fears, fulfill their dreams, and establish their steps to walk in His ways." While I was pregnant I was pretty good at praying for Zack. I would be wide awake in the middle of the night, so I would pray, and beg God that the child in my belly would love Him, and would want to follow Him. Now that Zack is here, I am much worse at praying for him, even though I love him WAY more than I did when he was jumping around in my belly.
This devotional was a great reminder for me in so many ways. It's a great reminder that God is living among us, and that he delights in me (and Zack!) with gladness. Zack delights my heart in so many ways, and to think that he delights God's heart in all those same ways and in so many more is pretty hard to believe. With as much as I (and James!) love Zack, God loves him even more.
I've wanted to have a bible verse up on the wall in Zack's room, but with the zillion that are in the bible I was having a hard time coming up with just the right one. I think I've finally found it! It will be a great reminder for me to see this verse multiple times a day. As Zack grows, I hope and pray that he will know how much his parents, and more importantly, how much God delights in him, and loves him.
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