Spring flowers -- and smiles!

After a long snowy winter, and the rainiest March on record, spring has finally arrived in Princeton! To celebrate, I've been taking Joshua out on walks during his playtime, to introduce him to sunshine, flowers and birds. To think, until a week or so ago, all he knew was snow and cold... It's so much fun to teach him about warm weather. Even if he still seems mostly unaware of his surroundings. :)

Princeton really is absolutely gorgeous in the springtime. There are tons of magnolia and pear trees and these amazing yellow flowering bushes (which I always mean to ask someone about -- any botanists out there able to identify them based on the photos below?) all over town, including in our little development. Here are a few of our favorite shots from a recent walk with Joshua:


A profusion of flowers!


A wee little tree in front of the next condo building over


I'm afraid Joshua wasn't terribly impressed...

Later in the week, David had a dinner meeting on campus, so we decided to make a family excursion of it -- we all drove into town, and I put Joshua in his stroller and enjoyed a beautiful spring evening with him. I love walking around campus this time of year!


Magnolia blossoms by the Woody Woo fountain


More magnolia blossoms in the Woody Woo plaza


Joshua's still not terribly impressed...
While we waited for David, Joshua noticed the lamp just outside of Campus Club, and was totally fascinated with it. (Of course he loved the lamp, and not the flowers. I guess he really is a boy...) I pulled out the camera again and got a fun series of Joshua facial expressions -- including a smile!


Ooh, what's that light up there?


It appears to be a lamp of some sort...


Must... get... closer... to it...


I wish I could reach the lamp...


Maybe if I smile at mama, she'll let me play with the lamp!

[And from a photography perspective: I'm pleased with finally getting a smile on camera (though note, he has bigger and even cheesier grins for us!). But I'm almost more pleased with managing to nail focus in that fourth photo above -- check out the catchlights in Joshua's beautiful eyes!]

We're loving this spring weather, and the opportunity to take fun photos of our little guy outdoors!

Rolling over! And shots!

Joshua had his two-month appointment this past Monday, where they confirmed that he's been growing like a weed. :) He weighed in at 13 lbs., 0.5 oz. (almost double his birth weight!), and is now 23.5 inches long. Such a great big boy!

Our pediatrician, Dr. N., was also really impressed with Joshua's overall strength. He commented that Joshua has the muscle tone of a 3- or 4-month-old! Our little guy was wriggling away on the examining table, happily kicking and flailing his arms as he now does on a regular basis during his activity time. Dr. N. said he suspected Joshua would be strong and active enough to try rolling over, so he flipped him over onto his stomach -- and Joshua immediately rolled over. Just to prove that it wasn't a fluke, we flipped him over again, and Joshua rolled over again! He'd been rocking back and forth most times when we put him down for tummy time, but this was the first time he managed to roll himself over all the way -- we were so proud of him! And Joshua has managed to replicate that twice at home since. Of course, he looked startled and confused both times -- it's pretty clear that he's not voluntarily mobile just yet. But it looks like he's well on his way!

The other big part of the two-month appointment is a series of vaccinations. Poor Joshua had to get four shots and an oral vaccine... He was such a trooper through the whole process. I'm pretty sure his mama was more stressed about it than he was! The nurse had David initial the appropriate papers, and then told me to hold Joshua's arms securely while she gave him the shots. It's really stressful to hear your baby squalling and to have to hold him down to get three more of the ouchie shots in quick succession... But as David kept reminding me, it's better than having Joshua get tetanus or whooping cough or rotovirus, right? And Joshua calmed down pretty quickly thereafter, and was completely back to normal by the time we got home.

As for his mama, she was completely back to normal by the time we got home, too, as evidenced by the fact that we now have a series of photos of Joshua with his war wounds, chilling in his crib... :)


Our brave and strong little boy


Four bandaids on his chubby little thighs...


What's with the camera, woman? Can't a boy nap?

Credit to Erin for the adorable "world's cutest alarm clock" onesie. :)

Good Friday and Easter services

Good Friday Service

"What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered was all for sinners' gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall my Savior! 'Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor; vouchsafe to me Thy grace."

My favorite service of the year is always the interfellowship Good Friday service -- hundreds of students and townies gather together for a wonderful service of music and Scripture readings commemorating Christ's death on the cross.

I always come away from this service blessed by the music and recentered on God's grace. Though every day should be marked by reflection upon Christ's death and resurrection and its impact on my life, I'm still thankful for the times we set aside specifically to remember Jesus' sacrifice for us.

The homily this year was given by Chuck Hetzler, who focused on Romans 5:1-2 ("Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God."). One thing that really stuck with me from his message is the fact that we have peace with God both objectively and subjectively -- whether we feel it or not, the objective truth is that we have been reconciled to God through Jesus' propitiation for us on the cross. But God has also given us the Holy Spirit to confirm that truth subjectively in our lives. There are definitely times in my life when I need to be reminded of one or the other of these truths -- it's not just about "feeling it," but feeling it is also a vital aspect of my walk with God. I'm afraid I'm not really doing justice to Chuck's message, but it was a good word to us gathered there last Friday.

And what amazingly beautiful music! As a general rule, I love Jamie Rankin's arrangements -- but I particularly loved them this year. One of the solos was a contemplative version of Sovereign Grace's "Glories of Calvary" -- which, in the original, is a very upbeat contemporary praise chorus. The solo, as sung by Margaret Byron and accompanied simply by Jamie on the piano, was deeply moving. I wish I'd gotten an audio recording of it!

But I suppose photos will have to suffice...


Part of the crowd before the service began


Steve singing a solo


Dion and Griffin leading the congregational singing


Karis and John doing a Scripture reading


Chuck's homily

Easter Sunrise Service

"Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Dying once He all doth save: Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!"

Bright and early on Easter Sunday morning, we had our annual interfellowship Easter sunrise service. And it was the warmest sunrise service we've had in all the years I've gone to this service! Which is to say -- still pretty chilly at the beginning, but nice and warm and golden by the end.

During this service, we have Scripture readings outlining the events of that first morning after the resurrection, acappella congregational singing, and communion. It's a wonderful way to celebrate the fact that Christ is risen!


It was a little early for Joshua...


About half of the crowd in the early dawn light


Bill giving a brief message prior to serving communion


Singing as the sun rose over the horizon

Breakfast and Baptism Service

"'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed."

Immediately after the sunrise service, we all headed over to Dillon Gym for a bagel breakfast prior to the baptism service. One of the (many) things I love about these interfellowship events is getting to hang out with friends who are more involved in other groups, whom I don't get to see as often. It's wonderful when the larger body of Christ on campus comes together in fellowship!


How parents of a newborn manage to eat breakfast...
And the baptism service was such a beautiful time of encouragement. Five students were baptized this year, and each of them shared about the work God had done in their lives. I always love being at this service, hearing new believers make a public profession of their faith. Congratulations again, Ben, Carola, Natalie, Jinju and Victoria!


Ben Farkas '10, sharing his testimony


Carola Hernandez-Cappas '11, being baptized by Chuck Hetzler


Natalie Kim '11, sharing her testimony


Jinju Pottenger '10, being baptized by Blake Altman


Victoria Tan '11, being baptized by Bill Boyce
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?"
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
-- 1 Corinthians 15:54-57