Caleb and Sarah are both playing baseball (tee-ball and soft ball actually) for the first time. They are loving it and they’re so fun to watch. In Kirkland, they start out the season with a parade of all the teams. Look who they put on the front page of the Kirkland Reporter?
If you want to see it for yourself, click here.
Found this quote from Amy Bloom and put it on the inside of the card I gave Kari Beth this morning.
“Love at first sight is easy to understand; it's when two people have been looking at each other for a lifetime that it becomes a miracle.”
So true. Cool thing is that Kari and I fell in love right away AND we’re still “looking at each other.” (As you can see from the pic – I’ve got the better view.)
Hasn’t always been easy. But God has always been present. Always been merciful. Always guided. Always protected. Always kept us “looking” – at Him and at each other.
I love you Kari Beth. Happy 14th Anniversary!
Well, I can hardly believe it, but little Hannah took several steps last night. See for yourself…
And here we are...a year later. The Ferrin Four is now The Ferrin Five. And it may be a cliché, but it's oh so true - we can't imagine life without her. I don't know that I have ever seen a baby who laughs as much as Hannah. Of course, she's always being entertained by her dancing, singing sister, and her wild and crazy jokester of a brother. They are quite a team.
She's into everything right now. Crawling. Climbing stairs. Opening drawers. Putting everything (including handfuls of dirt from our houseplants) into her mouth. I am convinced that all it will take for her to walk is the realization that walking will get her places faster. Speed. It's all about speed. She eats fast, crawls fast, drinks fast, grabs fast.
And sadly for her mom and dad - she grows fast. Happy Birthday Hannah. We love you.
In the van the other day, a guy rode by on a bicycle without a helmet on. Here’s the conversation that ensued:
Me: Hey Sarah, that guy needs to borrow one of our bike helmets.
Sarah: Daddy, if I was (long pause) the principal of everything – you know, Barack Obama – I’d make a rule that anyone who rode a bike would have to wear a helmet.
Me: That would be a good rule.
Caleb (from the way back seat): If I was Maraca Bama…
Sarah: BARACK Obama!!!
Caleb: If I was Barack Obama I’d make a rule that everyone would have to believe in God.
Me: That’s another good rule.
(long pause)
Caleb: Sarah?
Sarah: What?
Caleb (with a smirk): I’d make a rule about the most important thing.
The most important thing indeed…Well done Caleb.
It was 15 years ago today that I met this beautiful blond with great legs who loved Jesus and who – 23 months later – would become my bride. And if you can believe it, there is an even greater reason why I’m celebrating today.
One hour ago, we were all upstairs in Sarah’s room, finished reading the story of the resurrection and started walking through what “believing in Jesus” means. The conversation went something like this:
Me: Do you know why Jesus died on the cross?
Caleb: For our sins.
Me: Do you understand what “sin” is?
Caleb: Um…no.
Me: Do you think you ever do, say, or think things that make God not happy?
Caleb: No.
Me: Really?!? Like when you hurt your sisters or say things that are mean or not true…Does that make God happy or unhappy?
Caleb: Oh yeah…unhappy.
Me: Well, God is perfect. He wants to be with us, but since we’re all not perfect, something had to happen to take our sin away. The only way that could happen was for someone to die. Jesus said that He would die so that we wouldn’t have to. Then He rose from the tomb so that we could live with Him forever. Anyone who believes He did this for us can ask Jesus to live in their heart and we tell Him that we’ll live our lives to make Him happy.
Caleb: I want to do that!
And so he did. I prayed. He prayed.
Wahooo! His mother hooted and hugged him. I wish I had a picture of his face when Kari said, “Everyone in heaven is having a party right now because you asked Jesus into your heart.” He beamed. So excited.
Before being tucked into bed, Caleb asked, “What do you think our house is going to be like in heaven?” “I don’t know, Caleb. But I think it’s going to be better than you or I could ever imagine.”
Sort of like this day…
I know you’ve heard that girls and boys are different. Some say “nature.” Others say “nurture.” I say “yep!”
Sarah and Caleb were playing with Legos and I was in another part of the room. The sweet voice of my daughter called out from the other room, “Daaaaadddy. Look at the house I just bu
And again I say…”Yep.”
Just got back from a family walk. Partway into the walk we came to a bench with one of the “In Loving Memory” signs. As we looked at the picture and read the plaque the tender moment took a quick detour when Sarah asked…
So…did that guy die under this bench?
Sentimentality squashed. On with the walk.
The scene last Friday night: Sarah and I walk up to her school for her very first all-school dance. The place is packed with kids and parents. A few parents are on the dance floor, but mostly it’s clusters of kids dancing around to the instructions of the guy on the stage with the mic in his hand. At one point he says, “Okay, we need more parents out there. Go grab your mom or dad and get them out here.” Sarah left her group of friends, came over to me with a huge smile, grabbed my hand and said, “Come on dad.”
Out on the dance floor she’s twirling, laughing, dancing much better than I, and we’re in our own little nothing’s-better-than-the-father-daughter-relationship zone. At least I thought we were. Halfway through the song, she stops, looks at me, and says, “Okay dad. You can go back over there and stand by yourself.”
Heavy sigh…
Last night we took the plunge. Hannah has been staring us down every night while we eat dinner, so we thought we’d give her a shot at it. Expectations were low. Two…three bites…max. Boy were we wrong. She loved it! Wanted more. Actually got a little frustrated (after the video ends) when Kari wasn’t getting the spoon refilled and back to her mouth fast enough. It’s been four years since we’ve done this, but if I remember correctly…the diapers are about to change….and not for the better.
It started with the sound of my daughter screaming and crying in the other room – obviously in pain. I looked over to see Sarah holding her hand and her brother, Caleb, with the typical “I’m 4 and I’m guilty” expression on his face.
Come to find out that he threw one of his toy dinosaurs at Sarah and nailed her. (Never said he didn’t have a good arm and good aim.) I asked him if he did it and he shocked me by confessing immediately. Then came the famous parent question: Why did you do that?
His reply?
“Sarah threw one at me first and the Bible says, “Do to others as they would have them do to you” so I thought she wanted me to.”
Well played, Caleb. Well played.
We've got 4.5" of snow in our backyard and it's still falling! After a little breakfast, the snow clothes went on and the four oldest Ferrins headed outside. Here are a couple videos of Sarah and Caleb sledding in the driveway...
...and a little photo album of our backyard snow adventure.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100:4-5 (NIV)
Thanksgiving morning, 2002. The first day Kari and I woke up in our new house. We had waited three and a half years for that day. And it was finally here. Just us. Kari, me, and three-month-old Sarah. And we were thankful.
Thanksgiving morning 2004. Sarah was two - and running around the house as our morning entertainment. Kari nursed two-month-old Caleb. Life was full. Life was rich. And we were thankful.
Thanksgiving morning 2008. I am sitting in my living room. Alone. (I'm sure in a few minutes that will all change.) I can hear my six-year-old girl and four-year-old boy playing above me, making each other laugh. And I am thankful.
Three-month-old Hannah sleeps in her crib. She is the addition we didn't even know we wanted and now can't imagine life any other way. She smiles wide and often. Yesterday she shared her first real laugh. And I am thankful.
My bride is asleep as well. She's already been up feeding Hannah, and preparing her famous Limpa bread for a family dinner we will enjoy several hours from now. For now...she rests. She is a fantastic mother, a gifted teacher, a devoted friend, and a partner, lover, confidante, encourager, and bringer-of-joy to my life. And I am thankful.
Lord Jesus, on this Thanksgiving Day, I will enter Your gates with thanksgiving. I will enter Your courts with praise. I will give thanks to You. I will praise Your name. I will proclaim that You are good. I will declare that Your love endures forever. I will rest in Your faithfulness that continues through all generations. Amen.
A kitty cat, a train conductor, and a Seahawks cheerleader (complete with pom poms). I love these guys!
"Daddy, I just wanted to let you know that I have a loose tooth. I love you. Goodnight.”
That was the voicemail Sarah left for me last night. She was so excited. At six years old, she’s already had a few friends lose some teeth. She has been waiting for the day. Longing for the day. Chomping at the bit (hee hee).
And now that day is within view. Once a tooth gets loose, there’s no turning back. It will get looser. It will fall out. And my beautiful daughter will have a smile that is a little goofier looking…but also just a little bigger than the day before.
In case you didn't know, the Hot Mama of the Ferrin Five is turning...well...that's none of your business...today. She's actually upstairs napping right now while Hannah naps. (Always a good plan.)
If you're reading this and have her email feel free to flood Kari's inbox with birthday greetings.
Okay, so Hannah and Sarah aren't the only ones with big things going on. Our Big Boy (I'd get in trouble if I called him my Little Guy) started preschool today. He's in the City Kids program at City Church, which is literally six blocks from our house. Caleb was so excited. In fact, as we pulled into our parking spot and turned off the van, he thrust his hands into the air and said, "I'm a City Kid now!!!"
I think the teachers know that this is harder on the parents than the kids, so they let us stay the first day. We headed into class, met the Teacher Susie and Teacher Monica, read a few books, played with some pretty sweet toys, and painted a "homework bag."
And what would preschool be without some "circle time." Songs were sung, hand motions were practiced, and the day ended with a stamp on the hand - or both hands if you wanted. Caleb loved every minute.
Tomorrow we have to just drop him off and let him go to school by himself. Just him. Without us. It's not fair. It's not fair. It's not fair! And yet, somehow, it just seems right.
The bus is coming! The bus is coming!
Sure enough. There it was - heading down our street. The big, yellow bus that would change our lives forever. I'm sure the driver and the assistant she had for the first day are nice enough people, but they were there to take away my Peanut.
Seems like a blink since Sarah was as tiny as her week-old sister, 
Hannah. And there she was, climbing aboard the bus, turning toward us for the obligatory wave, yet clearly more interested in what was to come. The thud of the closing doors. The hiss of the breaks releasing. And off she went. The first day of Kindergarten.
I am proud. I am excited for her. I am sad. I am scared for what she will face. I am angry at the kid on the playground who will say something that will hurt her tender heart. I am confident she is ready for this next phase of life. I am overjoyed to see the twinkle in her eye as she talks about "her school." I am thrilled at 3:01pm when she comes through the door of her school and runs into my arms shouting "Daddy!" In my arms - right where she's supposed to be.
Oh yeah...and on the walk home when I asked her to tell me her three favorite things about her first day of Kindergarten, the first word out of her mouth was, "Recess!"
That's my girl.
Kari and I figured we didn't have enough craziness in our lives this week, so we decided that 24 hours (almost exactly) after leaving the hospital, we would pack our three kids (still feels wonderfully weird to type that) in our minivan and head over the mountains to Lake Chelan. Lake Chelan for Labor Day Weekend has been a decades-long tradition for Kari's family.
We headed into the road trip thinking we'd be stopping every hour to tend to our 3-day-old daughter. Instead, Hannah literally slept the entire way, even during a coffee/potty break for her parents and siblings.
Of course, we still have tomorrow's trip home for her to turn the tables on us. But for now, we're just enjoying the downtime with family - sleeping little, and eating more than we should. (But it's sooooo yummy!)
We have survived Night #2! She ate well, slept well (as well as a 2-day-old baby can sleep) and the doctor has said we can go home. As I type, the nurse is taking the IV out of Hannah's foot (ouch!) and then will prepare the discharge papers.
Thank you for following us on this journey. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for visiting us. Thank you for offering free babysitting for the next 10-12 years. (Hee hee)
I'll be adding more pictures, stories, prayer requests, and crazy happenings in the days, weeks, and years to come. So keep checking back with The Ferrin Five!
