Christmas Eve Baptism

It's a tradition in Rob's family to be baptized on Christmas Eve. Elijah was baptized then and so was Lena. The exciting part about here being born in October was that she fit into my baptism dress that I wore and that my mom made 33 years ago. It was a very special evening with my family and an aunt and uncle there. We missed Rob's parents and family, but were glad they were safe at home instead of on the roads.












Here are some pictures we took of Lena in the dress when we got home from service. She was great the whole night even though she was stuffed up and didn't feel so good; We couldn't get her to smile. And in the family photo above, she's mesmerized by the ceiling fan in the church.

Savior God, thank you for the gift of baptism which reminds us that there is nothing we can do to earn your love and grace for us...just as an infant cannot do anything to earn our love. Amen.

Welcome, Lena Sue!

Lena Sue Ransom was born on Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 5:44am. She weighed 9lbs, 1.5oz and was 20.5" long.



















When Elijah was told that he had a baby sister he cried. "No! I really wanted a baby brother and name him Jeremiah!" (that's the name of his favorite cousin) When he got to the hospital, though, he was excited to meet his new sister...and he only called her Jeremiah for a day. By the second day, he told us, "I decided it's okay to have a sister, Mommy." Whew!





We waited a long time to become a family of four. I was induced on Wednesday morning at 8am and Lena did not seem to be interested in joining us...until almost 22 hours later. But we are both doing just fine and feeling good. At our postpartum visit at the hospital on Tuesday she weighed 9lbs, 5oz. The nurse was amazed and said, "Our goal is for babies to be back at their birth weight by their two week appointment. And she's five days old!"

Creator of miracles, we praise you and thank you for the miracle of Lena. Thank you for our many family and friends who have held us in their thoughts and prayers these last months. May we all nurture her and ourselves into a deeper love of You. Amen.

Elijah loves his baby...

Since I've been about four months pregnant, Elijah has insisted on hugging and kissing the baby every day - usually when I'm going somewhere, but also just because. He can hardly contain himself these days.

On Friday we were getting around in the morning and he was looking out the window pensively. "Mommy, wouldn't it be a great day to have a baby?" he asked. I smiled and said sure. "Oo! Can we have the baby today, then?" Well.....the baby didn't come that day and still hasn't, despite Elijah's predictions about each day and how great the day would be to have a baby.

Rob and I also think any day would be a great day for a baby. We're just waiting and praying for a healthy delivery for everyone.

Here's a picture of Elijah practicing his kung-fu moves one morning after he dressed himself!


God of love and laughter, thank you for the lesson we learn from our families about loving life and being excited about all of it. Amen.

When are you getting married, Mommy?

Elijah already knows that Rob and I are married. He's looked at the pictures and asked where he was. The other night before bed he asked me, "Mommy, when are you and daddy going to get married again?" I said, "We already are married, honey." He replied, "I know you already got married for me, but when are you going to get married for this baby?!" Doesn't that sound like a fun idea? A party - renewal of vows, maybe, before another family member debuts. Elijah could be a part of this one and take the vows of family with us. Granted, with all that you have to do to get ready for a baby, it might become a little of a stress, but it's a fun idea to kick around.

We are two weeks from my due date of October 18. Everything is pretty much set; I guess we're just waiting now. Elijah is mostly excited about being a big brother, although he has his moments where he says he'd like to be the baby again. Wouldn't we all just for a bit?! We remind him that babies can't play with toys or eat pizza or drink chocolate milk....and sometimes that helps...sometimes it doesn't.

God of miracles, be with us as this miracle comes to live with us. Help us to raise him/her to love you most. Amen.

A Life-Changing Spring

After Elijah's birthday, our lives went into overdrive for a few months....some parts good, some parts not so good. March was a month booked solid of activities and continuing education for us along with a 2 1/2 day trip home to Indiana to see Rob's ailing Grandpa.

We were looking forward to April so that we could breathe. Easter was a joyous occasion, as always. Having the privilege of celebrating the reason we are Christians and being able to lead worship is an awe-inspiring event. This year was no exception. Then, the day after, we received news that the 23 year-old son of my mentor pastor was dying as the result of a car accident. Saying good-bye to one so young is never the plan. The day after Hamilton's funeral, Rob's father called to say we needed to get home to Indiana because Grandpa Fry was not well. For the second week in a row, we said good-bye to one we loved.

What we realized was that even though Grandpa Fry was 91 and had lived a full life, saying good-bye was still not in the plan. No matter the age, we're never really ready to live without the ones we love.

It was after this week in Indiana, that we were able to breathe. We had scheduled a vacation for the last week of April and it couldn't have come at a better time. We rented a house from some friends off the coast of New Jersey and Elijah fell in love with the beach. The water was COLD, but the weather was beautiful and we had a restful week just sleeping and spending time together, being thankful for one another.

AND.....praising God for an answered prayer - Elijah will be a big brother in October! He is thrilled at the prospect along with us. We are so grateful to God for this second opportunity to care for one of His.

Elijah has many plans for his baby brother or sister (we will not be finding out the gender!). He took the rail off his single bed a few nights ago, but informed me that once his baby brother or sister is here, he will have to put it back up so they won't fall out of bed when they sleep with him!

Today Rob and I are celebrating 7 years of marriage. We are so thankful for the time we have been able to love each other and we are looking forward to another 70!

God of life and death, thank you for your daily gifts to us through the love of family and friends, the joyful memories of those we mourn, and the perspective in our lives to appreciate both. Amen.

Elijah Turns 3!

We had a fun party full of family and friends to celebrate Elijah's 3rd birthday on February 15. He still loves tractors, so I used the same pan as last year. This year, though, he asked for an International instead of a John Deere. So red and white it was. His other obsession right now is the Cars movie and he got many gifts having to do with that.


You can see he dressed up for his party. And he really did. The kid rarely wears clothes (although we require underwear) when he's indoors. So a t-shirt was a big deal, but we stopped at that. At least he has these on the right way....because they're all one color. Any underwear that have a picture on the butt he insists on wearing backward because he wants the picture in the front.


Most parents say, "I can hardly believe he's that old." And while that's partly true for me, at the same time, I can believe it. I've come to the conclusion that time only seems to fly for me when I'm looking back on it. While I'm in it, time moves pretty regularly and sometimes slowly. It does feel like Elijah was born three years ago, sometimes it feels like he was born six years ago! But we're having a great time, being 3 at our house. Elijah's brain is always working and he's always asking questions that make me stop and think.

Gracious Creator, thank you for allowing us to take care of Elijah for you. Thank You for his excitement about life, his loving, gentle spirit, and his sense of humor. Watch over us all as we grow in Your love together. Amen.

Row, Row, Row