Our Baby has a Baby

God has blessed Pop and I so abundantly with our "grandblessings'!  I feel especially blessed to have been present at the all births of of our grand babies (except our sweet lil adopted Q)...even when we were living 1300 miles from our family.  God just seemed to orchestrate everything and Bitty Princess' birth was no exception.  The waiting room was full of Bitty Princess' "fan club members" as they anxiously awaited her arrival.  Romeo's parents, Pop, and Pretty Princess' sisters were all there.

I was so impressed with our youngest "kids" as they awaited the arrival of their first baby.  They were very well prepared.  They asked intelligent questions of the medical staff and had their birth plan firmly in mind.  Things rarely go as planned for childbirth and as things came up, they readily made adjustments and maintained a calm, controlled attitude...but it wasn't just about their attitude...it was about who they are in life.  They did all they could do and then trusted God with everything else.

I think Pop and I have the most incredible sons (in-law) on the planet.  They love God, their wives and their children. To have witnessed them in action in labor and delivery is something I feel honored to have seen.  Romeo was incredibly tender and attentive to Pretty Princess.  He worked hard to do everything she needed.  He made sure she was covered and comfortable (as possible) when various tubes were moved, monitors adjusted, and procedures performed. He got her ice chips and whatever she asked for. He ran interference with staff and family. In general, he did everything in his power to be the protector and provider for his little family.  What an incredible blessing!

The labor and delivery was bathed in prayer and at one point, Pretty Princess was surrounded by waiting grandparents and family members praying for God to make the labor progress quickly.  Several times as Pretty Princess endured, Romeo prayed over her as he and I tried to do everything we could to help.  At one point when things seemed to be stalled, family members in the waiting room prayed for progress in the delivery as another waiting family sympathetically looked on.  One particularly sweet moment, as our Princess labored in pain, I watched with my heart nearly bursting as Pop tenderly laid his hand on her head and silently asked God to help her and Bitty Princess through the delivery.  The calm and peace that came with this quiet act seemed to fill the room.



It was a long, difficult labor that could have quickly led to a c-section but Pretty Princess powered through and Romeo supported her in every way.  Pretty Princess should probably be renamed "Warrior Princess"!  The end result is our beautiful, healthy "Bitty Princess" who is joyfully welcomed by the whole Four Sisters Farm Family.

That night Pop and I prepared for sleep after a long and hard day.  He wrapped his arms around me as relief washed over me.  I expressed that with each birth I have witnessed, I am reminded just how fragile life is and have to thank God for what He has done.  As Pop held me and tears of gratitude streamed down my face, he quietly lifted his voice to our Creator, "Praise God from Whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below.  Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  Amen."

This grammy has so much to be thankful for. Thank You, God.

Welcome Bitty Princess

"Bitty Princess" - born to Romeo and Pretty Princess.
Welcome to the Four Sisters Farm family, little one!

Proverbs 17:6

New International Version (NIV)

 ⁶ Children’s children are a crown to the aged,
   and parents are the pride of their children.

Firm Foundation

Yesterday Pop and I worked on the floor of our farm house.  We had a few squeaks and some loose nails and screws as well as some "toe stubbers" where the seams were uneven.  

We are preparing to put down a new floor in the house and as Pop says, "Every little thing in the sub floor will show up in some way in the new floor." So we set about pulling out old staples from previous floor coverings, hammering down loose nails, and screwing in loose screws...all in preparation for a new sub floor layer of thin pressed wood that will cover over the imperfections of the old floor and provide a smooth foundation for the new flooring. 

As usual, I began to ponder what I was learning in our physical world and how it relates to our spiritual world.  Just like sub floor in our old house, a firm foundation is crucial for us as we "build" our lives...every thing we think, believe, and act upon has to have some basis.  If our foundation is shaky or built on things that are untrue, anything we build on it will not last.


1 Timothy 6:17-19 says, "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."

Life at Four Sisters Farm (including the renovation of the farm house) has been full of spiritual lessons for me.  Learning those lessons along with all the hard-knock lessons that come with renovating an old house has somehow made the work more enjoyable. 
Some days are more enjoyable than others and some days it seems everything goes wrong, but as Pop and I sat and looked out the front window and imagined ourselves in our "new" living space, all seemed right with the world.  


Thank You, God!  Help us to put our hope in You who riches provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Help us to do good, to be generous, and willing to share what you have given us in and around Four Sisters Farm.  Thank You for the treasure of a firm foundation so that we may take hold of the life that is truly life!