Happy Birthday Tony!

My wonderful husband turns 27 today! Happy Birthday Babe, I love you!

*Tony shares his birthday with my wonderful Aunt Julie. Happy birthday to you too, Julie! We love you.*

Quote of the Week

(I always think of the Bussells when I read this)

Missionaries are not heroes who can boast in great sacrifice for God. They are the true Christian Hedonists. They know the battle cry of Christian Hedonism is missions. They have discovered a hundred times more joy and satisfaction in a life devoted to Christ and the gospel than in a life devoted to frivolous comforts and pleasures and worldly advancements. And they have taken to heart the rebuke of Jesus. Beware of a self-pitying spirit of sacrifice! Missions is gain! Hundredfold gain!

John Piper

Prayer Guardian

I recently became a prayer guardian for an orphan living in Cambodia. His name is Sorn Sombath and this is his picture. I put a banner on the side of the blog in case anyone else was interested in praying for one of these precious children. I really feel as if I know him and have an interest in his well being now that I pray for him by name, and see his sweet face every morning. It reminds me that we are so blessed living in America. It helps me to be content in my circumstances. It gives me a heart for a child that I'll never meet, but I love. I think that's important. The little orphanage that he lives in is certainly not a terrible place. They have a warm bed and good food. It is a church run orphanage, so every morning they do devotions and read their bibles. I pray that he will grow to love the Lord. It just breaks my heart that he wakes up every morning without someone to kiss him and hold him and be there for all of the struggles of his day. Every child should have that. Until then, at least I can pray for him. I think that this Prayer Guardian program is such a huge blessing... probably more so for me than for him!

Discovery Channel: I Love the World

This is a great commercial! I really don't watch commercials if I don't have to, but I saw this on Challies. Anything with Bear is awesome! Enjoy. :)

The Weekend

This weekend was pretty low key. We all enjoyed having Tony home! Saturday, Tony and Jaden went to the Warbirds In Action show. They had the best time! They watched the stunt planes and even got to go inside of one of the actual planes from D-Day. (so jealous!) Jaden thinks that they flew in it. They both came home with blue mouths from snow cones, (Jaden thought it was so cool) and big stories about Jets and helicopters. The rest of the day he flew his little plastic jet around the house, quite loudly I might add, because "jets are loud mommy, not quiet!" Then, after dinner we went to get some ice cream. Of course that went over really well, too. Daddy is just so much fun to have around!

Daddy's Home!

Quote of the Week

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

Author Unknown

Fishing with Grandpa

Jaden got to go to Granddad's pond today and go fishing with Grandpa. Of course, he loved it. He managed to catch one little bluegill. The fish weren't biting much today, but that one little fish made his day! He told me all about it when I got there later that evening.

We are a fishing family! It's that time of year again. I hope that we get to go a lot this year. Everyone is so busy these days, but I remember the thrill of fishing as a child, and I can see it

in Jaden's eyes when he tells me about the worms he "caught" and when he spends an hour casting his pole Granddad gave him in the back yard. :) I can tell you its even more thrilling as a parent. I love to watch him!

Florida

Tony left this morning for beautiful Florida. I'm kind of sad that I didn't go with him! He is there for work, but there will definitely be some golfing going on. I hope he has a wonderful time, it's nice for him to get away on occasion.

Jaden is very concerned about the whole thing. He doesn't understand the whole airplane situation. This morning after we dropped Tony at the airport, (and after the crying subsided) he asked me if "daddy can come down from the sky yet... it's boring." And when that didn't work, told me that "if we leave him up there, the bats will get him!" This is all coming from the fact that Jaden believes that his daddy is flying around in the sky for 5 days. He doesn't know what Florida is, or Chicago or Milwaukee... he just knows that whenever he sees an airplane overhead that he waves like he's trying to get rescued from a deserted island because "There goes Daddy, again!" "Did he see me Mommy?" I wonder if he feels like Tony is just having fun up there without him. I don't know how a child maintains so much love and respect for someone who on occasion just goes up into the sky and flies around for a week... :) I guess it's all part of being a kid. He just knows he loves his daddy and can't wait for him to land!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Today my family celebrated Grandma's 75th birthday! Unfortunately, we missed the dinner, but I made it by for cake afterwards. Here is a picture of my family, and then one of Grandma with her four boys. I don't know how she did it with four boys! She's pretty amazing. Happy Birthday Grandma!

Uncle Jerry, Uncle Bob, Uncle Steve, Grandma and my Dad :)

Quote of the Week

He (Christ) wants a child’s heart, but a grown-up’s head. He wants us to be simple, single-minded, affectionate, and teachable, as good children are; but He also wants every bit of intelligence we have to be alert at its job, and in first-class fighting trim.

C.S. Lewis

The Gang

Meet the Congdon Financial Group! :)

No, I'm not Pregnant...

... But while considering the prospect of more children...someday...this quote kept coming back to me. Elizabeth Prentiss, in her book, Stepping Heavenward, tells of a time when she celebrated the gift of another child and was met with these words from a friend:
"You shall now have one more mouth to fill and two more feet to shoe, more disturbed nights, more laborious days, and less leisure or visiting, reading, music, and drawing."
No doubt Elizabeth understood this to be true. But look at her response.
"Well! That is one side of the story, to be sure, but I look at the other. Here is a sweet, fragrant mouth to kiss; here are two more feet to make music with their pattering about my nursery. Here is a soul to train for God; and the body in which it dwells is worthy all it will cost, since it is the abode of a kingly servant. I may see less of friends, but I have gained one dearer than them all, to whom, while I minister in Christ’s name, I make a willing sacrifice of what little leisure for my own recreation my other darlings had left me. Yes, my precious baby, you are welcome to your mother’s heart, welcome to her time, her strength, her health, her tenderest cares, to her lifelong prayers! Oh, how rich I am, how truly, how wondrously blest!"
I just love that! But as my wise husband observed, just like money never solves money problems, the end of selfishness comes from a change in my heart... not from having so many kids I no longer have time for myself! Basically, we have no idea if we will have any more kids. I hope so, but more importantly, I hope my heart is prepared either way.

Walker

Nate and Anne gave us Mr. Caleb's (who just turned one!) old walker. Aubrey LOVES it. He can't go forward yet, but the kids push him around the house and he can make it scoot backwards. He gets so excited to be a part of the action. Now, Jaden and Baylee take him everywhere with them. They just love him to pieces. This just reminds me that soon, he will be walking around and I'll have three to keep track of! I'm trying to enjoy my last days of an immobile Aubrey. :)

Quote of the Week

You are the only Bible some unbelievers will ever read, and your life is under scrutiny every day. What do others learn from you? Do they see an accurate picture of your God?

John MacArthur

Farm Day

Today was Farm Day at Valley Oaks Charter School. They had all of the animals out for petting and holding. I took Baylee and she loved it! She had so much fun looking at the animals. She got to see some chicks and ducklings, sheep, a horse, a cow, goats and bunnies. She loved the bunnies! This poor little bunny got thrown down into the hay just a few seconds after the picture. I'm not sure if it scratched her, or if she just was tired of holding it. She threw it like it was a snake. I always feel sorry for petting zoo animals. :( Oh well, it was fine, and she had a great time.

Moving Day!

Yesterday was finally moving day! Tony's office has moved from South Montclair St. to the Quad Knopf Building on California Ave. Not only has his office moved, but he is now the Managing Director of the Bakersfield District of Northwestern Mutual! I'm so proud of him, he has worked so hard for this and I know he will be very successful. I admire his work ethic and his business sense. From day one as a tennis pro, he has always worked hard to provide for our family. Here he is posing with the kids in front of the new building. What an exciting day!

Before we all went by to see the new office, we took Jaden to "Small Fries". It's just tennis for little guys (and girls). He had so much fun. His friend Reese went too. They were so cute out there with their tiny racquets and nerf tennis balls. Jaden loved it, and Baylee loved running around collecting all of the balls she could find. It was kind of fun to go there and remember that just 5 years ago, Tony was teaching small fries! It was a great day. :)

Quote of the Week

"Much sickness – physical, mental, and emotional – surely must come from disobedience. When the soul is confronted with an alternative of right or wrong and chooses to blur the distinction, making excuses for its bewilderment and frustration, it is exposed to infection. Evil is given the opportunity to invade the mind, the spirit, and the body and the sick person goes off to an expert who will diagnose his trouble. Sometimes the patient knows well what his trouble is and for this very reason has not consulted the Lord, fearing what He will say: confess. Turn around. Quit that indulgence. Do not pity yourself. Forgive that person. Pay back what you owe. Apologize. Tell the truth. Deny yourself. Consider the other’s well-being. Lay down your life.

Elisabeth Elliot
Discipline – The Glad Surrender, Revell, 1982, p. 74."

He Is Risen Indeed!

But who is this that cometh from the tomb, with dyed garments from the bed of death? He that is glorious in His appearance, walking in the greatness of strength? It is thy Prince, O Zion! Christian, it is your Lord! He hath trodden the wine-press alone; He hath stained His raiment with blood; but now as the first-born from the womb of nature, He meets the morning of His resurrection. He arises, a conqueror from the grave; He returns with blessings from the world of spirits; He brings salvation to the sons of men. Never did the returning sun usher in a day so glorious! It was the jubilee of the universe!

Author Unknown

Happy Anniversary!

Today we are celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary! We are thrilled about this milestone in our marriage. I thought I'd post a slide show of some of our wedding photos. We both look back on this day as the best of our lives. It was a gorgeous day, my parents gave us such a beautiful wedding, and our wonderful pastor married us. It was such a sweet time in our lives. We had so many dreams about how our life together would unfold. So far, they have all come true! I'm very blessed to have such a wonderful husband. I love him more today than I did on our wedding day, and I know our love will continue to deepen. I'm so thankful that the Lord gave him to me! I certainly don't deserve him.

Quote of the Week

"Love to God is opposite to a disposition in men to be angry at others’ faults chiefly as they themselves are offended and injured by them: It rather disposes them to look at them chiefly as committed against God."

Jonathan Edwards
The Spirit of Love the Opposite of An Angry or Wrathful Spirit, 1 Corinthians 13:5.

My little Man

Quote of the Week

Beloved, have you ever thought that someday you will not have anything to try you, or anyone to vex you again? There will be no opportunity in heaven to learn or to show the spirit of patience, forbearance, and longsuffering. If you are to practice these things, it must be now.

A.B. Simpson

Not much to report...

There isn't too much going on around here. Unfortunately, everyone has been passing around a mild flu. Tony and Baylee got hit today, we still aren't sure about Aubrey... he's been awfully fussy, but I think there may be a tooth on the way. That doesn't leave much time for me to do to anything other than hold fussy babies. Luckily, my mom came by this morning and let me get out for a couple of hours. Thanks mom! I enjoyed this afternoon, though. It's not too often they all just want to snuggle and be still! ...well, except for Jaden.

Of course, everyone knows that my mom had surgery last week. She's doing much better this week, and looks great. Tony continues to improve after his surgery as well.

Here are my monkeys, I wish you could hear the belly laughs Aubrey was giving to the other two for making funny noises at him! It was adorable.

Happy Birthday Staci, and Congrats Nate!

Two of our dear friends had big days today!
First, let me say happy birthday to Staci! Staci is such blessing to me. She is so outgoing and easy to be around. She is amazing at making friends! She always has someone new that she is hanging out with and ministering to. She is also just about the most hospitable person I know, opening her home to her friends daily. She loves the Lord, and I have learned so much from her. I hope that your birthday was wonderful, and that you guys had fun at Gabe's meet! We love you!
Next, our friend Nate had his first day in the field at his new job with TAP Pharmaceuticals! I was glad to hear from Anne that his day went very well. Nate was formerly with Merck, and was just awesome at his job. Anne bragged about him all the time! He worked with Tony for a short time, but decided he belonged back in pharmaceuticals. We sure wish it would have worked out, as we had so much fun going to company parties with Nate and Anne! However, it's clear that it's the Lord's will that Nate be at TAP, and we are thrilled that the Lord provided Nate with this opportunity with an awesome company, doing something he loves. We know you'll be great, Nate! Best of luck with your new career, we love you too!