• 12.31.2008 Last Hike of 2008
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    It’s been awhile since the family’s taken a hike together.  No. 1 tried out his new hiking boots and camelback hydration pack (he looks just like Baba), No. 2 was just as bubbly as ever, but a little less chatty, and No. 3 walked most of the way, often heard saying “c’mon guys!”  May you close out 2008 walking in the joys of the Lord with your favorite people! Judah’s sweet and is always looking out for me.  ”Okay, Mama?” My crew of men. The two wild ones being sweet. Stone’s first hike. Judah being “fast.” And this picture makes me want to marry him all over again.

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  • 12.28.2008 Post-Christmas Thoughts
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    Teaching the children in church today about God’s desire, from the beginning, to redeem humanity through Christ, was a befitting bookend to the slightly-blurry-post-natal-Christmas season which began with the arrival of our fourth son in November.  And now…the songs have been sung, the munchies crunched, and the wrapping paper’s put away. We’ve surprised one another with unexpected gifts, and we’ve had our yearly post-Christmas family caucus on gratefulness and holding material possessions lightly.  Some traditions fell to the wayside this year, while new traditions and memories surfaced.   You might recall what Troy was preaching during the Advent season last year.  This year, two chapters later in Matthew, he is at the closing of the Sermon on the Mount, and I am aware, more than ever, that my kingdom is not His Kingdom…that Christmas is the celebration of that Kingdom conquering our own.   So, as you take down the tree, burn […]

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  • 12.24.2008 Peace
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    May you know He who is Counselor, Father, God, and Peace.   Merry Christmas to you and your family.   For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

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  • 12.20.2008 a bag for mya's mama
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    Our friends have become parents for the fourth time. This time, to a baby girl named Mya, who they adopted through the most sovereign of ways. I got to hold baby Mya last Thursday night, and I.was.in.love. Postpartum hormones + love for our sweet friends + beautiful family photos = one teary, emotional Ruth. This is the diaper bag I made for Mya’s mom–not so much because she needed one, but because I wanted to mark the significance of this addition to their family with something unique and formed with love–just like Mya.

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  • 12.17.2008 Early Christmas
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    Law Law and Law Yeh, the boys’ Chinese grandparents, were here this past weekend for a brief, but special visit. My parents live a few states away, and for various reasons, we had not seen one another for an entire year. They left today for Colorado, where they will continue their visit with my brother’s family. We are so thankful they were able to meet both of their new grandsons, and to celebrate each of their first Christmases with them. Each of the boys thoroughly enjoyed their time with Law Law and Law Yeh. I found myself encouraged and touched by my parents’ generosity, love, and new-and-improved graciousness in caring for me as a daughter while affirming and respecting my roles as wife and mother. Family gatherings can oft be chaotic during the holidays, and yet, ours found joy, rest, laughter, and a bit of the magic one hopes to […]

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  • 12.08.2008 A Rare Find
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    Our friends, Peter and Katy, gifted us with a most special gift for our new baby. We were given a rare copy of a work written by our son’s namesake, David Livingstone. This book has an inscription on the front cover noting it as a gift given in the year 1903, over a hundred years before the birth of our Livingtone. I anticipate all five of my men, huddled together over a book like they do each night, eagerly soaking up the missionary journeys of this adventurous man of history. What will become of my little men? Will they know the sacrifice and joy of a life lived in obedience? I pray, even now, that it might be so.

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  • 12.06.2008 Sweet Home
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    I love miniature houses.  I don’t have room for a Christmas village.  That’s why I love to make gingerbread houses.  Do you remember these from last year?  It would have turned into the street I live on had it not been for my waning energy and patience. This year, with even less energy and time, I purchased a kit.  The kids enjoyed themselves immensely, and Mama got to remind herself that it doesn’t have to look perfect.  Drips are charming.  Mistakes are memorable.  Ginger-people don’t care about color balance.  Candy is a treat.  They can brush their teeth.

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  • 12.02.2008 Goodness.
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    Baby Livingstone will be two weeks old tomorrow.  I’ve been on antibiotics for mastitis for almost 48 hours, and I am feeling significantly improved.  The hemorrhaging at the hospital made the recovery at home more challenging then I had expected, but as the fatigue and aching turned into fever and pain, I acquiesced to getting medical attention.  I had my first completely fever-free day yesterday in over a week.  It was unbelievably wonderful to get in bed without chills, and to not wake up for a feeding covered in sweat.  I finally feel like I’m on the road to recovery. I was thinking in bed the other night (while Ibuprofen gave no relief to my chills) about my limited understanding of suffering.  I laid there exhausted, shivering, dreading the next feeding, unable to sleep, and feeling entitled to being bitter and grumpy.  And yet, even in the midst of a […]

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  • 11.26.2008 attention…
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    With all the attention this one‘s been getting… …the Former Baby is finding new ways to get some for himself…

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  • 11.21.2008 Welcome Home, Livingstone!
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    He’s finally here! Baby Stone was born on November 19, at 10:39AM. Livingstone weighed in at 7 lbs. and 12 oz., and measured 21 inches in length.  We arrived at the hospital a little after 9AM, and I was already 7cm. dilated! His birth came swiftly and with no complications. We are so thankful. Later in the day, I did weather a hemorrhage scare that completely wiped me out and has made the recovery a bit more difficult. Praise God I am doing better by the day, and am recovering well. The Lord is good, and for all the anticipation and waiting…He is truly sovereign, and always provides His best for us. Baby Livingstone, who we are calling Stone, is named after the famous 19th century medical missionary and explorer to Africa, David Livingstone. He became a hero of the faith for Caleb after we read David Livingstone: Africa’s Trailblazer […]

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  • 11.18.2008 Unsuccessful Ways To Induce Labor
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    Yesterday came and went, and we are still waiting for baby boy no. 4 to arrive. I told him the timer’s gone off, but I guess he’s just not done baking. Between the physical strain and the anticipation, I’ve been more than eager to get this little one out of my burgeoning belly. We have tried just about everything to coax this baby out. Here’s a little gallery of some that have not done a bloomin’ thing. Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement.  Please continue to pray for a safe and speedy delivery…and we’ll keep you posted.

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  • 11.14.2008 photography and previously unposted pretty pictures.
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    A good photograph can tell a story or convey a mood in such a unique way.  Today, our family made a special purchase we’ve saved up for in cash!  We purchased our first “real” camera–a Nikon D60–just in time for the upcoming little toes, wrinkled nose, and tiny yawns.  Now that we’ve made the leap from a point and shoot, I finally feel as if I can capture more accurately what it is my mind’s eye actually sees.  I’m an artist, and a storyteller…it is a wonder I’ve never taken up photography.  In honor of good photography, compliments of a great photographer, I’m posting photos of some previous events. I never shared about the diaper bag I made for my dear friend who had this adorable baby a few months ago.  I absolutely loved how it turned out, with its vibrant assortment of Amy Butler fabrics.  I didn’t follow a […]

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