Monthly Milestones

Some exciting news in our home....Tate is crawling and exploring like crazy! You can tell he is just loving the freedom. Needless-to-say, I have to be on my "cleaning ball" a little better. Over the last few weeks, we have spent many an afternoon at the pool. That is two HUGE milestones, one: Griffin getting in the water (at the beach i the spring, it took him 4 days laying in the lounge chair to get in) and me conquering my fear of taking all 3 to the pool solo. Griffin now loves the "frog pool" at the YMCA. It is a refreshing break to our hot summer days! IN the pictures, Daddy joined us and was helping Owen swim some. Also, Tate is waving bye-bye and signing all-done. On a few occasions he has said, "ah du, ah du." He is definately a Vinson if this is any sign of future verbal skills. haha

Walk It Out

I tell you what, one of my greatest joys thus far as being a mom is to witness my first born ask Jesus to come into his heart and take away his "yucky" sin. What a precious moment! Yesterday, Owen wanted to play with the Resurrection Eggs which display the story of Easter, so he and his brother were talking out the story and playing with the figurines. Soon into their time he asked if I would read the story. I was thinking "great moment to drip truth on a heart, not anticipating the return."

As we were reading we got to the picture of people on one side of a huge revein and God on the other. As we talked about the picture and what that meant for us, I asked him why those people can't get to God, and his reply " They have yucky stuff, aka sin in their heart and God doesn't. So the story went on about how there is nothing we as people can do ourselves to get to God, and that Jesus had to die for our yuck, because he was perfect like God. After talking some more, he wanted to pray....Talk about a fullness of emotion. I was in awe of how a mighty God loves each of us and draws us to HIm in different ways. But I must admit, the Father of doubt didn't miss a beat, because in my mind I thought, "at four, can he really comprehend" Yes, I believe at his ripe age he can and does.

Later that night some youth girls came over to babysit. I asked if anything interesting happened, and they said no, but something sweet did. "Owen was jumping on the trampoline pretending to be an animal and he announced to everybody that he can never die....of course they asked why...he said, "because I have Jesus in my heart and I'm going to Heaven!"

Today we were talking some more and I asked him how he was going to get to Heaven, he said, "I guess I'll walk." Well, the pictures in the book have the people walking across the cross to God. At first, Chad and I just chuckled, but as I thought about it, he's right. All we have to do is "Walk it out!" Walk out our faith relationship with everyone we come in contact with. Oh, to have the faith of a child.

Heavenly Father, my heart is full of richness to know that Owen has trusted you as his Savior. May he continue to grow in wisdom and stature to multiply your kingdom. Guide Chad and me in your ways as we cultivate a home of gentleness, love, patience, truth, forgiveness and grace. Thank you for entrusting us with his life!

Celebrating our Freedoms

Tonight while coming home from an evening of fun with friends, we were talking about why people were shooting off fireworks. We talked about how this was one way of celebrating all the freedoms we have in our country and we have so much to be thankful for. Well, this is Owen's list of thanks and reasons we should shoot fireworks. Freedom to:

• Go to the grocery store
• Eat ice cream (Griffin eats SO delicious)
• Go to parks
• Go to church and Bible study (CBS)
• Play in the pool
• Read any book we want
• Jump on the trampoline
• Play with sparklers
• Go out to eat
• Read the Bible
• Listen to music
• Play with friends
• Watch movies
• Play with animals
• Say prayers
• Play Frisbee golf
• Jump off a diving board

Yes, we as Americans do have quite a bit to be thankful for. Life is definitely not perfect and neither is our world, but we must still be thankful and not cynical. Especially all the people that are serving our country in arms way, and their families back home that are missing sweet time with their moms, dads, brothers, sisters, daughters, grandpas, or grandmas.