The Year of Milk and Honey

2011 was full of firsts for the babies. Each small step for the babies has been monumental for the new parents. Our preemies who were once bumps on a log who couldn't reach out and grasp a toy or roll over, are now running around the house, playing in their room together and climbing up on the furniture. They are just starting to figure out how to talk on their pretend phones and they don't want their mom to help them with things as much lately. They imitate singing, animal sounds and so many words. Ethan amazes me with how well he remembers the sounds that go with the pages in his books: "ROAR!"
Emma is an awesome barker, buzzer and meower. I can tell that she has pretty much full understanding of the language based on her responses and facial expressions when we talk to her. It's amazing to watch all this happen. Ethan's latest milestone is plasticware. He doesn't want me to feed him these days. He wants me to put the food on his tray and he proudly digs around with his new tool. Emma's latest feat is saddling up on their Radio Flyer rocking horse and riding away with a huge smile. And a another small new thing for Emma, she always has to play with her hair while falling asleep now. She runs it through her fingers over and over and she plays with mine sometimes, too.

Neither of them are strangers to the time-out spot, but Ethan has so far proven to be the reigning king. The leading cause for Emma is biting and hitting with a toy. For Ethan, it's standing on the furniture or running behind the furniture where all of the outlets and electrical cords are. He does this over and over and over and thinks it is so funny. Emma is usually very upset to be punished or corrected. She wants mom and dad's approval.

On New Year's Eve Day, we took a family walk with the new trikes. There are poles with handles behind them so the parents can control the steering if they can't steer yet or if they get tired. They can almost pedal, but not quite. Later, we played outside and Rodney cooked on the grill. We spent all day together and tucked the babies in safely by 9. A few minutes before midnight, Ethan woke up crying. I think he must've heard a fire cracker or something. I went in to comfort him, and as I laid him back down and he was sound asleep, the fireworks started. I quickly tiptoed out to enjoy them with Rodney without stopping to get my coat. He pulled me in and we shared his coat while we hugged and watched the neighbors light up the sky.

 All of a sudden, a tube fell over and artillery shells were blasted into two neighbors' yards. Fire caught fast and ran all over several yards across the street from our house. A few neighbors ran to try to stamp out the flames, but it was spreading too quickly. I can still see the eerie sight in my mind of one man frantically stomping and waving his arms while becoming surrounded by flames.  I called 911 and other neighbors rushed to help with blankets and trash cans full of water. I'm sure none of the neighbors could sleep very well that night after all of the excitement. It was terrifying to see multiple fires so close and how quickly they became out of control. The fire came right up to the front door of one house. The neighbors could've lost everything...just like that. Luckily, all of the neighborhood heroes had the fires out before the firemen came. The call was cancelled and all went black and quiet.

The next morning, I drove down to see how much damage was done, and the burned grass did go right up to one house's front porch. But it looked much smaller than what my eyes had seen. I was just so relieved that no one was hurt and no one's house burned down at the strike of the new year. That couldn't be a good sign.

But maybe this is a good sign...God's call from a burning bush.

 "The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed....When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, 'Moses! Moses!'
   

And Moses said, 'Here I am.'” (Exodus 3:2)


Here I am, God, in 2012! May Your will be done, and may this be the year of milk and honey.

Amen.