A new ranking

Dora~has embraced her new role as the eldest child of the mornings... willingly. She misses Buster but is embracing life (Nella) with gusto. I'll post more on her schooling time soon.

Anella~ is not sure she likes her big sissy paying attention to her so much.
John Patrick~ Not so sure he likes missing all the action. Conversation on the way to school:

Dora, "I"m going to miss you today Buggy."

Buster, "Yeah, I'm going to miss you too."
Dora, "But you'll have fun at school with Kate, right?"
Buster, "Yeah. I guess." :-)

And this brings me to a new thought on the mini van. I love having the kids a little bit further behind my head when they're fussy but I'm really having to strain myself to listen to conversations these days. :-) I love hearing any and all stories they tell each other.

Noteworthy information from JP's day: "We read a book and made buttermilk. Then ate it on crackers." To which I pridefully and enthusiastically said, "Oh fun Buddy! Remember last year when we did that together?" He said, "No." Awesome.

He also learned this little jingle, "Obey, everyday, all the way, sloppy joes." Something seems a little off with the ending, huh?

And I got to meet Buddy the bear which we will be blessed with one weekend this year to take on many adventures. (Then the teacher showed me the journal full of stories and pictures of the last 3 years which we will also get with Buddy. My first thought was, "Anella will somehow find that and rip it to shreds." This is a bit how I feel right now. But, Isaiah says, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you." And that's exactly it so far. We're in the rivers but they can't overcome. I've found so many promises to be true in the last three weeks. Oh wait, has it been 3 days? :-) We're paddling on to His glory. And, on the bright side, the pregnancy seems to be the last thing on my mind. Heading into the last 4 weeks I'll take that any day.

Another piece of a prayer from those wonderful Puritans:

Teach me to behold my Creator, his arms outstretched, his arms big for me... May I bear his image and be throughout eternity a monument to the efficacy of his grace, a trophy of His victory... Make me willing to be saved in this way... Help me not only to receive him but to commune with him... imperfect but still pressing forward... May I feel the joy of faith!