Nathania's Ramblings

I'm sitting here supposed to be writing my shopping list but instead decided it was time to write another blog post. (Can you tell that I dislike grocery shopping?) 

This weekend Derek and I are hoping to sit down and do a lot of planning. We are really wanting to finish school and go into whatever ministry God is calling us to. That's the tricky part though; we aren't sure exactly where God is calling us yet. So, that's the reason for sitting down and talking through it. We would appreciate your prayers as we seek God for what he has for us. Both of us are planners so it's hard to not know what lies ahead. 

As for other news, it's been really cold here the past couple days. Like 10 degrees cold. I know it's still winter but this is what it was supposed to be like in December (which it wasn't) not the beginning of March (at least in my opinion!). We had more snow the other day, with nothing but snow forecast for the whole weekend as well. I'm ready for Spring so I can take the kids on walks in my double stroller! :) 

Speaking of kids, they are both doing well. Marie just keeps learning new words. Her latest is "milk". I've also been teaching her some sign language and she can do two signs in a row now! I tell her to sign "more please" and away her hands go. It's fun to see how quickly she can learn. She's like a little sponge right now. Cole has been busy eating and sleeping which is what babies do best right? Though I feel like he's eating more than sleeping but it's probably all in my head. :) 

Derek is doing well. He just had the first of many tests for his New Testament class on Wednesday. He felt like he didn't do very well but he got his grade back today and he did well. It's funny how that works. He usually always does well when he thinks he won't. He's a smart guy! ;) 

Me, I'm just staying busy with laundry, cooking, changing diapers and keeping the kids happy (well Derek too for that matter!). I love it though. I'm so thankful I get to stay home and raise my kids instead of having to work at a job somewhere. Speaking of my job, I guess I better go and finish my grocery list. Ugh...:)   

Well, I think that's enough rambling for today. I hope you all are having a great day! 

~Nathania    

If You're Going to Wear a Tutu.....

It was just one of those days where you wake up and want to dress like a ballerina and dance like one too! Enjoy the video. :)

One Month & Seventeen Months

It's hard for us to believe that Cole is already one month old! Where does the time go? 

 He is growing well. Yesterday Nathania had him weighed and he's already 12 pounds! That means he's gained almost 4 pounds in one month! We think he's doing alright! :)  So far he's really been a good baby other than getting his nights and days mixed up. The other night we were up with him until midnight! He was bright eyed and bushy tailed as they say. Thank goodness he finally went to sleep! We are really enjoying him. He's just so cute!  

Marie is now seventeen months old. Her favorite things to say right now are "no", "bye bye", "baby" and "dog". She is becoming a really fun little girl. Her favorite things to do are eat, take all the cushions off the couch, move her toys from one place to the next, read books, play with Daddy and give Cole kisses. She stays very busy all day! She's tipping the scale at 26 pounds these days and has 14 teeth!  

She loves to smile for the camera! 

Having fun playing on the couch (with no cushions!). 

         

She's really starting to talk! 

Daddy & Marie having fun together. 

We are so thankful for our children. Even though they are a lot of work there are so many moments that remind us of how much fun they are and how we are raising the next generation for Christ. 

Raptor Night

When you think of the sport of Kings what do you think of? Polo perhaps? Chess with human pawns? A royal tournament of jousting? How about training eagles and falcons to hunt on command? Can you guess which one of these is actually a popular sport in America? If you guessed falconry you are correct! :)

Recently we went to a Raptor night at a local conservation area. To say we enjoyed ourselves would be an understatement! There was a presentation and video of hunting with hawks and falcons, followed by the best part: getting to meet the birds in person! There were Red Tailed Hawks, the introductory level bird for falconry. There were also Harris Hawks as well as an elite Gyrfalcon and Peregrine Falcon.

This sport isn't just for anybody! It requires a two year apprenticeship before you are allowed to hunt on your own. As neat as the birds were we don't think we'll be taking up falconry any time soon. They almost sound like more work to take care of than kids!! We have our hands full with that already! :)

Marie being a big girl during the presentation.

 Red Tailed Hawk 

Another Red Tailed Hawk 

Cole enjoyed being in the Ergo! 

Harris Hawk 

Peregrine Falcon 

Gyrfalcon

Derek's favorite bird. 

 

Snow Pictures

We had our first big snow yesterday! It was beautiful. 

This is the view from the front of our house.

The view from the back of house. Looking forward to using our grill this Spring when things thaw out again! 

What has your winter been like? 

Start of a New Semester

This semester Derek is continuing his studies in the New Testament, focusing on the book of Acts and the epistles of Paul. He is also taking an evening class on the writings of Dorothy Sayers, the great mystery writer. The first story started out promising with a mysterious body appearing in someone's bathtub, wearing nothing but an expensive pair of glasses! It just gets better from there!

Neither of us had read any of Dorothy Sayers' writings before class started, nor did we know much about her at all. One of the things that has struck us is that we all have things in our past, but what defines our character is how we move on in response to those events. Sayers was raised in a Christian family, but had some events in her life that could have ruined her and her faith had she let them. Instead she was able to produce fantastic stories as well as plays and even theological writings that are great to read even after all these years because she didn't let things derail her faith. We're looking forward to learning more as the semester continues.    

Our New Baby

We would like to introduce the latest member of our family, Cole Jackson. He was born at home on January 18th. He weighed 8 pounds 9 ounces, and was 21 inches long. Nathania's labour was much shorter than the last one (with Marie), and the delivery went smoothly. Thank you to all those who prayed for us during this pregnancy. Enjoy the pictures! 

Welcome

Welcome to our family blog. If you're wondering about the name, it's because we are currently in exile in the heart of the Midwest, Saint Louis, Missouri, and neither one of us really belongs here! :)

We are hoping that this blog can serve as a link to friends and family back home. Since we are juggling family life, work, and seminary, there's always something going on, even if we sometimes wished there wasn't!

There are four of us now, Derek and Nathania, Marie (who is one and a half), and Cole (who is just a month old right now). We live in a quiet neighborhood in Saint Louis, a city that has a lot more to offer than a lot of people realize who haven't lived here. We really do enjoy it here, and are looking forward to sharing some of our experiences.