Our First Real Pool Party

As usual, we are a bit behind here at Two By Two By Two. A few weekends ago we met up with JMom for some fellowship and swimming with her parents, her sister's family and K, P, and R. It was the first time our boys had been swimming in a real pool.

Parks was in rare form and only wanted to float in a small inflatable boat. He was completely laid back and showed absolutely no interest in socializing whatsoever. As long and J's niece was pushing him around the pool he was content.















Wyatt, on the other hand, would have nothing to do with the boat and only wanted to splash. So far, he has no fear of the water.

The Backyard Pool Party

We blew up the pool, set out the tent, filled the pool with hose water and released the hounds. The boys splashed about in their slightly chilled outdoor bath. Parks did not want to get out, but Wyatt did not last long in the pool. He was happy to go from lap to lap, play "patty-cake," and show a little game face.

A Few Things

Wyatt was sleeping so peacefully during his nap, we just had to take this picture.

I feel I need to catch everybody up on the latest and greatest with the boys. Wyatt is starting to take some steps, although he is still very hesitant and easily frustrated. I'm sure like everything else he does, he will not be doing it one day and then have it mastered the next. He has caught up with Parks verbally. Although he still does not know as many signs as Parks, he has a handful of verbal words at his command. They have started at a preschool in the mornings to get them around a few more kids their age. Parks is walking, and almost running, 80% of the time. He has a little mouthful of teeth now, and it seems more come in each week. He knows close to 10 sings that he can replicate on command.

Here is a picture of Parks and Wyatt with a friend of ours' two children, Ansley and Harper. Parks and Wyatt are the ones in the middle of the picture. This picture was taken last July when the boys were only a few months old.

The next picture is of Parks, Wyatt and Harper, with our boys flanking the outsides. Sorry, Ansley. This was taken in July of this year. It was scary to look at the three of them in a row. Visions of life with triplets about knocked us over. As you can see, the boys have made huge strides over the last year. Harper has more of the build of Wyatt but length of Parks.

Post Script: I don't want to even get started about what the boys are wearing.

John Piper

The excerpt below is from a sermon by John Piper entitled, "Marriage is meant for making children...disciples of Jesus." The audio and text can be found here. I have yet to listen to it, but was reading it today. It really speaks to my heart. I have felt

The most fundamental task of a mother and father is to show God to the children. Children know their parents before they know God. This is a huge responsibility and should cause every parent to be desperate for God-like transformation. The children will have years of exposure to what the universe is like before they know there is a universe. They will experience the kind of authority there is in the universe and the kind of justice there is in the universe and the kind of love there is in the universe before they meet the God of authority and justice and love who created and rules the universe. Children are absorbing from dad his strength and leadership and protection and justice and love; and they are absorbing from mother her care and nurture and warmth and intimacy and justice and love—and, of course, all these overlap.

And all this is happening before the child knows anything about God, but it is profoundly all about God. Will the child be able to recognize God for who he really is in his authority and love and justice because mom and dad have together shown the child what God is like. The chief task of parenting is to know God for who he is in many attributes and then to live in such a way with our children that we help them see and know God. And, of course, that will involve directing them always to the infallible portrait of God in the Bible.

Finally, God has ordained that both mother and father be involved in raising the children because they are husband and wife before they are mother and father. And what they are as husband and wife is where God wants children to be: As husband and wife, they are a drama of the covenant-keeping love between Christ and the church. That is where God wants children to be. His design is that children grow up watching Christ love the church and watching the church delight in following Christ. His design is that the beauty and strength and wisdom of this covenant relationship be absorbed by the children from the time they are born.

Updated Bath Time

Here is a new video of the boys really starting to enjoy bath time. Wyatt loves to splash around and got Parks into the action. They really started cracking each other up.

The Game Face

We are getting increasingly closer to the kickoff of college football. As one friend put it, only 24 wake-ups until game day. The teams might be hitting the practice fields in preparation of that day, but here at our house we have been getting ready too. Like most funny, spontaneous moments in life, we did not plan this "trick," and it didn't start off as a game face. Once it took, though, we just had to run with it. Our little practice session here starts off well, but then the boys realize that I am filming. It ends with Parks slapping on my back and Wyatt grabbing the camera out of my hand by the view screen.

HEALER

This is an unbelievable song by Hillsong. I stumbled upon it on the internet and I couldn't help but share it. If you have time, please watch both the story and the song. The song was written by Mike, soon after being diagnosed with a very serious form of cancer.