God's Amazing Creatures!

http://paradoxoff.com/files/2008/04/zorse-1.jpg

This is a zorse. A zebra crossed with a painted horse. Training a zorse is often harder than training a horse because of the natural and stronger flight instincts of the zorse. Such amazing creativity!

Salvation Conversation!

I was putting Maddie to bed tonight and we did her same routine. She reads by herself for a little bit, then Mark or I go in and read one or two books with her, pray with her, then I sing to her. I sing scripture mostly. John 3:16, Phil. 4:13, Acts 16:31, along with other scripture I come across that has a tune. I was singing Acts 16:31, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved". I put Maddie's name in the you spot and she said; "no Maddie be saved". I said; "Maddie it's important that we are saved". She said; "but why". I said; "because God knew that Daddy, Mommy, and Maddie would never obey enough. So he sent Jesus down to earth to die for us". She said; "but why"? I said; "because he loves us so much". "But why" she said. I said I don't know, I said let's pray and ask Jesus to show us tomorrow how much he loves us. Then I said Maddie does Daddy love you. She said; "yes". I said God is a daddy too and he loves you very much. She then started to grap the air and I asked her what she was doing. She said she was grapping Jesus and then she would put her hand to her chest. I asked her if she wanted to take Jesus to bed with her and she said yes. So I tucked Jesus and Maddie into bed! I kissed her goodnight and then prayed our conversation would penetrate her heart and become real to her. Did she understand what I said? I don't know? Will she remember it in the morning? I don't know that either. I do know I am thankful God is even now working on her little heart, prodding questions, helping me by giving me answers and guiding me to pray with her when I don't know the answers! Praise the Lord that He is working on my little Maddie's heart!

Mark and Maddie Time!

For some reason Maddie was intrigued by the dust on the side of the guitar

and she kept trying to blow it off.

Maddie thinks Mark's dramatics are hullarious!



I love the joy on both of their faces!

We had the guitar on it's side and she said it's too big,

so we layed it on her lap instead.

When Mark layed the guitar on her lap and she started playing

I had to capture the moment!

Maddie loves Mark's guitar and asks Mark to play it quite often. She has permission to play it by herself if she'd liked, but usually prefers Daddy to play it with her. We figured since we have it out in the open it made more sense to teach her how to strum and play it carefully than to make it off limits to her. Plus it instills a love of instruments in her and makes it not the forbidden fruit in the room she has to touch. I also love the time that it allows Mark and Maddie to have together. She has started to dance to daddy's playing! Hopefully her love of music will continue as she gets older.

When Maddie asked Mark to play his guitar she started playing with him, but then apparently dancing was a lot more fun.

Cup Cake Fun

Yummy!

Our finished product! Notice the chocolate on Maddie's upper lip.

Apparently Maddie lives by the saying a little dap will due you. Because she'd barely put on any frosting and then put on a pumpkin.

We chuckled at this cup cake Maddie smashed pumpkin into the cup

cake like it was a crater.

Taste testing...a VERY important job!

Grandma gave her pumpkins to put on the cup cakes and we had sprinkles,

but she prefered the pumpkins of course!

Maddie helping me frost the cupcakes. We had to teach her you don't lick the cup cakes before you frost them!



Maddie and I made cupcakes this week. Maddie did more tasting than anything but that is one of the most important jobs! It was fun to have her help with the whole process. Learning what a spatula, stirring spoons, measuring cups. Lots to add to her vocabulary. It was fabulous mommy and Maddie bonding! Mark didn't mind the finished product either.

Potty Training Continues!

Maddie has had only one accident this week! That's amazing! We're still putting diapers on her at bedtime and sometimes nap time. We have only gone through half a box of diapers in the three weeks we have been potty training! So awesome considering we are going to need to start stocking up for the twins! What a huge blessing to have such a frustrating process pretty much tackled. We realize she's 2 1/2 and potty training will still continue but we have the hard and frustrating part tackled!

Potty Victory!

We now have a for the most part potty trained 2 1/2 yr. old! She has been telling us for almost a week straight! This is as monumental as her getting her drivers license, graduating high school! So awesome! Praise the Lord for a husband who is diligent and persistant in discipline!