Happy Belated Mother's Day!

First it was going to be a Christmas present; then a birthday present; finally I finished it for Mother's Day. I presented the finished product to my Mom after what I must admit had been much procrastination and frustration. It was enjoyable but a lot of work. Nathan was kind enough to help with the cutting of the mat and the framing. And it was a big hit. Here is the finished product as well as a picture of my Mom opening it.

And it couldn't have gone to a more deserving person. My Mom is such a wonderful example of what a selfless, godly woman should be. Happy belated Mother's Day to all my friends who are Moms, but especially to my Mom.

Once upon our day...

Today Hannah and I walked down the stairs of
our apartment complex and down the sidewalk...

Then Hannah held my hand
and we walked

across the parking lot to
the playground!!

She climbed up the stairs all by herself...

walked across the bridge...

stopped to say "hi" to me...

got a little help sitting down...

And slid down the slide.

It was so much fun! So we did it again.



THE END

Happy Easter

We sang a song in choir this morning for Easter Sunday. Wow! What a powerful song with deep words. Thought I'd share it with you:

Heavy laden weary soul, bearing up a heart of stone,
His Spirit comes to dwell in you,
and Christ the weight of sin assume.
All my guilt is cast on Christ;
and his righteousness is mine.
What guilt should weigh upon my head?
For Christ has cleared it all!

The sum of all my sacrifice, though joyful fails to justify.
I cannot pay for grace that's free,
nor add to work that is complete.
Jesus paid it all for me.
This my ransom and my plea.
What debt I labor to repay?
For Christ has paid it all!!

Through the law comes sin and death,
but faith is counted righteousness.
So I will trust in Christ alone,
my debt to pay, my sin atone.
And I stand in confidence,
covered by His righteousness.
What shall become of boasting tongues?
For Christ has done it all!

Where O death is not thy sting? Swallowed up in victory.
The Lord of glory reigns on high.
Sovereign over earth and sky!
Yes he triumphed oe'r the grave.
And He comes again someday.
What lesser name shall draw our praise?
For Christ has conquered all!!

My latest jobs

So of course, a woman has many jobs--clean the house, wash the dishes, do the laundry. My husband needs dinner; he deserves my time, attention, and a listening ear. And then there is always the many responsibilities that come with a little one at home. Hannah needs fed, changed, comforted (she has been trying to stand and then falls down, bumping her head), taught, and disciplined. (A side note is that lately I have been teaching Hannah how to brush her teeth, how to paint, and how to feed herself with a spoon. See below for pictures.) I believe that these tasks are my main responsibility right now. As Titus 2 tells us, younger women are to be "workers at home." But of course, there comes a time that we all need a break from the sheer monotony of it all. (Not that I don't love Nathan and Hannah.) Spending time with friends and being involved in ministry helps a lot. But I have also found a fulfilling part-time job at Curves for women. Three mornings a week, I am working while Nate stays home with Hannah. When I get home, he goes to work. Working at Curves has been a great way to meet ladies in the community. The same women usually come in at the same time every day. And since I get to work out while I'm there, I've also had more energy for my work at home. I hear many people complain about having to work (I do my fair share of that at times). And yet, even in the perfectness of the Garden of Eden, God assigned them work to do. There is a great sense of accomplishment and joy when work gets done. And I pray that as I seek to do each task with excellence (even if it is changing diapers or cleaning the bathroom) that it will be an act of worship to the Lord. After all, whether the task is big or small, He alone is worthy of our highest conduct.

A Mini Sermon...

I read this morning about the disciple John while on Patmos, and his vision of the risen Lord. (Revelation 1) The power and majesty of Jesus caused John to fall like a dead man to the ground! I wondered if there were any traces of the Jesus, God/Man who had walked on earth with him years earlier. Did John recognize in this Deity's face the same friend and Rabbi he had loved and served on earth for so long? John was the "disciple whom Jesus loved" and yet this time, Jesus came to John looking completely different from the first time. Powerful, radiant, breath-taking.

Unlike John, I have never seen Jesus face-to-face--as the Rabbi or the Judge. Yet, God forbid that I would picture Him only as the peaceful, humble carpenter's son who taught and healed people. I must see his other side as well--the Judge I will one day stand before and give an account for everything good and bad I did and did not do (II Corinthians 5:10). I must see ALL of Jesus, not just the parts I like to remember. And like John, I must fall to the ground in awe and fear of the God who is my Creator, and therefore has the right to be my Judge. Oh what a wonder that though He is my Judge, he also chooses to be my friend!

To sum up December & January...

I have learned a few things in the past two months. I thought I'd share them with you, so that you can either agree with me, laugh at me or take these to heart for future reference.

1. Decorating a Christmas tree with family is a wonderful tradition, however, it is not good for a perfectionist to try to decorate for the perfect Christmas and take care an 11-month-old. (Thanks goodness I had the help of my husband and parents.)

2. When I go to an Open House, I will always take Hannah with me. It opens up many conversations and really they all just want to see her anyway.

3. Taking your child to a church's Christmas Candlelight service that doesn't provide childcare is probably not going to be a worshipful experience.

4. Driving to be with family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is totally worth it.

5. Shopping the day after Christmas is a great way to find good deals for next Christmas. But don't try to return something that day!

6. When flying to Wisconsin in the winter, try to avoid a lay-over in Chicago. If you get stuck there for seven hours, DO cough up the money for one nice meal; it will make the time go quicker and make the situation not look so bleak.

7. If you travel by plane with baby food, make sure to duct tape the can of formula shut. If you want white powder all over the baby clothes, diapers, etc., disregard the advice above.

8. You should always stay up until midnight on New Years Eve. (Unless of course, you live in the Midwest; then you can celebrate the ball drop in Times Square at 11pm and go to bed.)

9. Continuing to drive a car that's tire looses air every week or so would probably indicate that you have run over a nail or something else in the road. This should be dealt with before you walk outside and find your tire is completely flat.

10. Waiting with a one-year-old at a car mechanics' shop to have the tire repaired will last about 30 minutes before you and everyone else is ready for you to walk home and come back later.

11. Expect tears and frustration when your only child comes home to discover she no longer gets tons of attention or has a cousin to play with. Play with them a little more than usual, but gradually show them that you have a life outside of them.

12. Definitely limit a birthday party to the number of years your child is old. It simplifies life and your baby doesn't care anyway. (Close family and parents don't count when inviting guests.)

13. Have your husband blow up the balloons.

13. Put some of the Christmas toys away for a few months until the old toys get boring.

14. Don't super glue a mug's handle back on and expect that even though it works for a few months that the handle won't eventually fall off, spilling a hot latte all over the carpet.

15. Learn to enjoy messes. The fun of seeing your child sitting on newspaper, covered in paint, with an over-sized T-shirt on is well worth the clean-up afterwards. (We hope Grandma and Grandpa realize that when they see the art project made just for them!)

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

16. Save precious time by not putting pictures up on your blog when your husband posts millions of them on the family website. Just go to www.heijermans.us (These pics--found under the album "Hannah Heijermans"--include pictures of our Christmas, New Years, and Hannah's first birthday.)

Much to thank God for

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my Mom's family last week. (This first picture shows us at the bed and breakfast where we all stayed.) It is good to get together each year and go around the table and share what each person is thankful for. From the oldest to the youngest, we enjoy hearing how God has blessed each person over the last year--a new husband for my sister, encouraging friends and new, biblical church for others. Some were blessed with healing from injuries and some with a good first semester of college. As usual, Nathan and I had a lot to share; we have so much to be thankful for! We praised the Lord most of all for a healthy baby girl. Hannah is the first great-grandchild on my side of the family, so she got a ton of attention. She thoroughly enjoyed every minute, particularly staying past 8pm. Being home on Monday was a real shock for her, but she managed to keep life entertaining for herself. She played with her friend Hannah on Monday and her friends Judah and Elijah today. (I had fun babysitting and seeing what life would be like with more than one child. Wow!) She pulled herself up to a stand against the coffee table and was very proud of herself. Nathan had to help her sit down though; she didn't quite know what to do when she was done standing and pounding the table. She is a real joy and we can't wait to make her first Christmas a special one.

Our whole family together for Thanksgiving.

This is Hannah being photographed at the Bed& Breakfast.
(You should have seen how many cameras were snapping pics of her!)