Saturday, February 6, 2010

sweet girl

Parenting . . . it's tough work. But there are rewards too. Wonderful rewards::

Our sweet LJ wrote this letter to her grandparents yesterday {and the day before, I guess. It seems to be a 2-day work!}.

If it's too small and you can't read it all, just click on it and it will {magically} get really big. {Ok, it's not really magic, but it is pretty cool}.

It would appear, though, that she has no interest in sending greetings along to her boy cousins. Just the girls. Well, the girl cousins and a few rodents. It seems Katie's hamster and rat rate high enough to be included {but, maybe they are girls. I'm really not sure}.

I love to see this side of her! All too often I see a different side. One that's not quite as fun. One I wouldn't so readily blog about. One that drives me {daily!} to the brink of insanity and child abuse! That's my girl. I love her! She can be so very, very sweet and caring and wonderful. She can also be quite maddening!


Today we ran a few errands together. Just the 2 of us. It was so fun to be with her. Just her. On our way home we were listening to my new Travis Cottrell CD that came in the mail today {yeah!} It's really good. From the backseat {technically, I guess it's the "middle" seat} I hear Lydia singing along with the final track. How on earth does she know "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand"? I wonder to myself. We don't sing it too often at church. I'm sure we have it on a few CD's around our house, but I didn't know she knew it. It made my cry {not surprisingly!} to hear her singing those words. I still had tears in my eyes as we pulled in the driveway. I asked Kirb if he knew that she knew that one. He didn't either. I love that my kiddos know such wonderful, powerful words. Deep, life-changing words. Words that will stick with them for a lifetime and bring them comfort in tough times. Words that make me cry nearly every time I sing them.
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood
When all around my soul gives way
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the Throne.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand.
All other ground is sinking sand.
Praise God!

I love contemporary praise music. There are some very powerful lyrics there too, but I'm so thankful that my kids know hymns as well. There's nothing quite like them!

4 comments:

  1. lydia, i won't tell tommy and caleb you didn't include them in your letter. ;-) they probably wouldn't care anyways!

    shana, i love your new blog background! makes me want to look for something new to update my blog too!

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  2. Catherine WestbySun Feb 07, 04:39:00 PM

    Shana,

    Well, we got our computer updated yesterday, and wahoo, I once was technically blind but now I see! Now I can comment on your blog, which I will try to resist doing too often so as not to make you sick of me.

    Well, anyway, I just had to comment on your LJ. Now that I've been in choir, I have a different perspective on church folks (literally & figuratively). I must say, I have noticed many times your sweet Lydia singing along...when standing on the chair, arms akimbo around your neck, when, standing on the plain old ground, looking everywhere but up at the screen where the words to the song are. I have thought many times how surprised I was that she knows all these songs seemingly be heart! I have just chalked it up to the high bar of parenting, as set by Kirby and Shana, which you two so so amazingly well. So, pat yourselves on the back, or better yet give each other a hug. You're training them up in all manner of ways, whether you always realize it or not.

    Catherine

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  3. It is so amazing that you posted this today because just last night I listened to Tom sing himself to sleep. He was singing a mix of contemporary music and old hymns. I think he learns most of them in Kids'Choir at church but also when he rides in his daddy's vehicle as Tim loves the oldies-but-goodies too!

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  4. Just found your blog! What a precious letter!

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Thanks for the comments . . . they make my day!