Go Back to Sleep, Samuel!

Is it just my family or did your parents tell you the story of Samuel who, as a small boy living with Eli in the Temple, was called from sleep by the voice of God? When we couldn't sleep, my Mom would suggest that we should talk to God and see if he wants to tell us something (in the privacy of our little beds, away from the sleeping parents). So, how can I suggest the same thing for our guest-dog, Bumbi? My parents are going out of town this week on a speaking-trip for my Mom (she's a national speaker for Christian Women's Clubs) so we are watching their Maltese, Bumbi (the one being chased by Riley in the photo). Apparently, God had a lot to say to Bumbi last night because he was WIDE awake most of the night (10pm, 1am, 3am--finally, after listening to him fidget and scratch for an hour, I got up too at 4am). So, here I am blogging at an insanely early hour on a morning that HAS to be the coldest on record (temperature is 19 F at our house!). Thank God for my Aldi coffee-which HAS to be the yuckiest coffee on record! Ha. Okay, so I'm not in the most positive of moods...but who knows, maybe I'm the Samuel who needs to hear from God and Bumbi is a very unpleasant version of God's wake up call.

We have a new 'routine' for Sunday mornings...after struggling to establish a consistent pattern on Sunday mornings, we have finally determined that 8am church followed by Sunday school will be our new routine on Sundays. I'm writing it here to 'ask' for accountability with my blog-friends who might also be IBC attenders. Getting to church ON TIME with a baby is harder than getting out of bed with an annoying dog...but I believe it's so important that I'm making it my NUMBER 1 goal each weekend. If God brings us to your mind on Sunday mornings, please pray for us to get to church and have teachable hearts to absorb what God wants for us. My pride is tempting me to delete this paragraph...'don't be so vulnerable and admit your struggles' it tells me...'stick to recording Cassie's advances and skip difficulties'. But, no...my goal and purpose for this blog is to make a true and honest record for our family...something for Cassie to have when she's a new mother-for her to read about how God had to grow me into the perfect person, I'm sure, I will be by the time I'm a grandmother (ha!).

Speaking of Cassie as an adult...here's a tidbit that might interest her. January 20, 2008 was the first time Cassie made an ACTUAL deposit in the big girl potty. We came home from church and she made it 'clear' that she had some business to conduct in the bathroom. Being the sensitive Mommy that I am, I snapped some shots of this momentous occasion! After we concluded that bathroom visit, Cassie announced she was 'sleepy' and it was time for 'night night' so we popped her in bed for the afternoon nap. What a total blessing to have a little one who helps me determine her needs with her little words and expressions!

Thanks for checking in with us (yes, you Miss Reno!)...we covet your prayers and would be honored if you left a little note to let us know you stopped by! Here's one last picture of Cassie-modeling a new dress from my sister, Beka.