One day when Mom and Dad Noll were here, we really wanted to get a good photo of them with the girls. We tried several times, and finally came up with a keeper. I thought you’d like to see what we went through with Martha to get it, though:
She was getting the “smile” part, but she just couldn’t stop dancing…
and finally, the one we were waiting for:
I am really enjoying hearing the children talk about Jesus and his birth. We decorated for Christmas yesterday and have two different nativity sets that they can play with. For the last half hour or so, Noa has been directing a worship service, complete with many songs about baby Jesus, as well as instructions for all of us to
“Open your Bibles. If you don’t have a Bible you can use one of our pews…”
We keep our kids with us in Sunday morning worship and I always wonder if they pick up any of what they hear… I guess they do!
I’m also loving Miss Martha walking around with the Little People nativity baby Jesus under her shirt saying,
“I Mary. I have baby Jesus in my belly.”
And it gives me reason to pause and contemplate when Noa, in her narrative, with total passion says,
“Look, those soldiers are coming to take Baby Jesus and they’re putting him on the bad ol’ cross!”
We always pray our kids will connect the baby in the manger with the Savior on the cross. When she said that this morning it sounded so horrific to me and I realized how often there is a disconnect in my own mind – and heart – between the two. It’s good for my heart to stop and reflect that indeed, the sweet babe would live to be the man brutally killed for my sin. What a reason mourn, but what a reason to celebrate! And even more so, because, even as I wrote this, Martha pulled the baby from under her shirt and reminded us all:
“Look! Jesus is ALIVE!”
Amen!
Martha:
“(sucking in breath with excitment) Baby Benjamin Zion came out of my belly! (dramatic, thoughtful pause) And now… I have a belly button!”
Another hilarious thing she says, every time she brings me one of her baby dolls for me to hold,
“He wants you, Grandma. Here.”
Continue reading about overheard at my house – where babies come from edition
Noa and Martha weren’t being very kind to each other and were sort of arguing over just about everything. Martha sat herself down by the door and I heard her say,
“Wode (Lord), please help Wawa (Noa) be my friend. Amen.”
Right as I bent down to give her a kiss before naps, Martha whispered to me,
“Mommy, I love you.
And I love Daddy too.
And I love the Eagles now.”
