We are all

Growing up, I lived in complete fear of God.  It wasn't necessarily the teaching of my preachers and mentors, it was more my guilty conscience holding on to the rights and wrongs.  I thought that if I did a bad thing that it would forever haunt me and my children would even suffer. 

As I started to grow in my faith and in the Word, I started to understand the love He has for us.  After Babbling Brook was born, a new light bulb went off.  I started to think of Him for what he is, OUR FATHER and not just God.  There is nothing Babbling Brook could ever do that will make me stop loving her.  Yes, when she disobeys us, she has consequences but I still love her.  This is the same for our Father.  There is nothing we can do that will make him stop loving us.  Period. 

We have all had people hurt us and at some point we may have even prayed for their revenge.  We have all probably said, "God will take care of them." And in our eyes that meant, He will punish them and make them suffer the way we are suffering now.  It is easy to get caught up in the drama of who needs revenge especially when someone hurts us or someone we love.  I know this because I am guilty but I also know that I, too, have hurt people. 

Now that we have a second child on the way, I am understanding God's love for us all even more.  Our son will disobey us just as Babbling Brook disobeys us but we will love him the same.  We all fall short, we all sin, we are no more special than the person next to us, than the person who has hurt us deeply, or even the person who has loved us unconditionally.  We are all God's children.  He loves us the same.  He forgives us the same.

Babbling Brook

I thought I would take a few minutes and update you all on what Babbling Brook is up to these days.  I will start off by explaining her nickname.  Our last name is Rivers.  A small river is called a brook and sometimes even a babbling brook.  Our sweet 20 month old daughter has been a lover of verbal communication since she found her voice.  Sooooo.....her nickname is Babbling Brook.  Got it?  :) (and once, while on a family vacation with my Uncle, Aunt and cousins I was given the nickname Babbling Brook ---but mine didn't have so many meanings --just that I was a lover of verbal communication.)  It is going to be tough to find a nickname for our son that can top Babbling Brook.  I forgot --Brook is also a name of a person (often spelled Brooke) so Calm Creek or Roaring Rapids doesn't have the same effect.  

Now that we have finished our lesson for the day, on to what is new in Babbling Brook's life.  She is a vivacious, independent 20 month old.  In the past few weeks - month she has increased her "verbal communication" to 3 word sentences and sometimes even paragraphs.  Example:  "You bye-bye?  Where's keys?  I don't know."  --all in the same breath.  Common everyday words and phrases:  Here you go, I got it, Thanks, Thank you, Pleeeeaaasseee, Daddy, Hi Jaxsiee (Jaxson), I don't know, There it is, Elmo, High five....the list goes on.  If you ask her if she wants to go "night night," she will lay her head down and SNORE.  I have no clue where she learned this but it is funny nonetheless.  She still loves to dance.  Her baby dolls get lessons on where their eyes/ears/mouth/nose are and how to play "patty cake." 

We have enjoyed every phase in her life.  She is an amazing little girl and she will definitely be a great nurturing big sister.  I am sure she will even add a touch of bossiness -- we don't call her "Doni Junior" for no reason.  :)

I know these pictures aren't the best quality but I did not have time to get the good camera.  These were taken from my phone.  She was loving on her baby.