Owen and Thomas

Owen has been enjoying the Thomas the Train Wooden Railway quite a bit lately. I cannot believe how intuitive little kids are; they seem to know that Thomas is the main character as well as the one in charge of other trains. Anna liked Thomas the best, and now Owen likes him the best too. It is a good thing that we have FOUR Thomas engines!

The creator of Ramen Noodles died this week at nearly 100 years of age. These noodles hold a special place in the heart of us:

Lydia was dating the boyish-infantile-immature guy across the hall from me at Schultze-Eldersveld at Calvin College. She was hungry one afternoon and he told her to come across the hall to my room because I would have food (prejudging me based on girth). I did not have any, but my roomie had Ramen Noodles which I offered to her.

The long and short of it was that she immediately dumped this guy upon hearing me speak and feeling the warmth of my personality and we were shortly married thereafter. Or so I remember it. Ms. Marion Lanning threw dry Ramen at our wedding.

Long live the cheapest, most disgusting food ever invented, despite the death of its creator. (As long as there are colleges in this world, there will be Ramen!)

Saturday Evening--John Newton

Safely through another week,
God has brought us on our way;
Let us now a blessing seek,
On th' approaching Sabbath-day:
Day of all the week the best,
Emblem of eternal rest.


Mercies multiply'd each hour
Through the week our praise demand
Guarded by Almighty pow'r,
Fed and guided by his hand:
Though ungrateful we have been,
Only made returns of sin.


While we pray for pard'ning grace,
Through the dear Redeemer's name,
Show thy reconciled face,
Shine away our sin and shame:
From our worldly care set free,
May we rest this night with thee.


When the morn shall bid us rise,
May we feel thy presence near!
May thy glory meet our eyes
When we in thy house appear!
There afford us, Lord, a taste
Of our everlasting feast.


May thy Gospel's joyful sound
Conquer sinners, comfort saints;
Make the fruits of grace abound,
Bring relief for all complaints:
Thus may all our Sabbaths prove,
Till we join the church above!

Goodbye Old Friend

Car Seats Are for Babies

Consumer Reports claims that many of the infant car seats that they reviewed 'failed miserably' when tested at speeds of 35 miles per hour.

I am not opposed to car seats, per se, but I hate being told that I have to wear a seat belt and that my children have to be in car seats.

Should these be laws, or should this be up to the discretion of the parents? Why should 'Big Brother' tell us how to buckle our children? Remember the days when babies rode on mama's lap in the front seat? I am sure that it is just as safe.

How Many Pancakes Can You Eat?

Today Anna, Owen, and I made pancakes. Both of the children love to eat pancakes for breakfast and would eat them everyday. Now, the normal pancake is just that- a cake fried in a pan and then you slather butter all over it and pour corn syrup that tastes like maple all over it. We are not in favor of this.

We made whole-wheat pancakes that have 4 grams of fiber per serving. We may have overdone it though- because we made 180 of them! They went into containers and into the freezer. No more wasting time flipping jacks in the morning for the kiddos!

We also read Eric Carle's book Pancake Pancakes while we made them. The book is about a boy who wants a pancake for breakfast so he goes to the field and cuts some wheat and takes it to the miller. The book walks the reader through the entire process of making a pancake. Fun!

New Years With the Grand Parents

The Eshelman's from the glorious state of Pennsylvania came to spend the new year celebration with their favorite grandchildren (that is what they say, I do not make this stuff up, mind you). Owen was really happy to see them and was a great boy all weekend, despite him getting croup again and spending Sunday morning in the med-center with his mother.

We went to Meijer Gardens to see the train that they have for winter. They have the indoor gardens set up like old Grand Rapids and the train moves in and out of various historic buildings made from nuts and twigs and other organic material. It is very nice to watch and I would suggest that you go to see it if you like trains or Grand Rapids history (or both).
Here is the train on the tall bridge. That Asian guy's head is not part of the display, he just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

We spent most of the afternoon running around the Gardens. It must have been close to 50 degrees that day. There were so many people there.
We had breakfast at the Cherrie Inn in the East Hills district of Grand Rapids. Lydia said that Brandywine in Eastown was bigger...but I was right...huh, Lyd?

We had a very nice time despite my beard being ridiculed by my mother. (I think that she is just jealous because her husband cannot grow one!)

Lydia is really cute too.

Happy New Year Everybody!

Just wondering...

Should Nathan keep the beard or go back to the goatee?
	Keep the Beard
	Go back to the Goatee
	Grow a Hitler mustache
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Thanks for the vote Maggie!

These Are the Moments

Nathan: Venti mocha with peppermint (a winter treat).
Lydia: Grande white chocolate mocha half-caff with reduced fat milk.
Anna: New Horizons' organic chocolate milk
Owen: Sips from each.

We enjoy coffee time as a family. Going out for a cup is at least a bi-weekly event. Many great thoughts have been probed over a fresh cup of coffee.

Owen's Hair

By popular demand I would like to show Owen's beard-trimmer haircut. It turned out better than I thought. It just took some touch-up around the ears and some Paul Mitchell Sculpting Glue.

Not a bad haircut for a fat theology student, huh?

Note to Self

For future reference, do not use a beard trimmer to cut Owen's hair.

Life On Union Avenue is Proud to Announce...

Paige and Bill are getting married! They are tentatively planning for mid-June of 2007, mark your calendar!

Psalm 128

Blessed is every one who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways. When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the LORD. The LORD bless you out of Zion, And may you see the good of Jerusalem All the days of your life. Yes, may you see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel!

Officially in New Blogger. What does Beta is dead mean? Any tips on how to work this new thing?

Fake Smiles are Better Than Real Frowns

I do not believe the title of the post, but it is cute nonetheless.

Lego Man in a Post-Lapsarian Age

Anna has had a great day of artistic expression. She painted me five beautiful watercolors that put most modern and post-modern art to shame. Her use of color and stroke was genius! She also decided to begin sculpting. Her first creation was unveiled today as she exclaimed to Lydia, "Look mom, I made a man!" Not bad for a three year-old. I am actually very hopeful for my children's artistic development.
Owen was less than interested. He fell asleep during the exhibit (more punch and cookies for me!). He missed out on one of life's greatest artistic lessons tonight: the true use of art.
Ah, Lego Man- how you encapture the struggles of personhood. The stiffness and the inability to move, even with will-power, wonderfully reflects man's inability for God glorifying in the post-lapsarian age. If only our Arminian and semi-Palagian friends could gaze upon Lego Man in the light of holy Scripture! Thank you, Anna for your anthropological insight.

Pregnancy Talk and Stuff

Now that we have announced the future Eshelchild is on the way many pregnancy-delivery issues arise as discussion in our home. Lydia wants to be open-minded about delivery because she thinks that if you come in with your list of natural things that are required you are destined for a C-section. I want a home-birth, but she is not too excited about it.

One thing that Lydia and I do agree on concerns the manchild. If we have another boy we will not participate in the cultural norm called circumcision. We know that we cannot lord over people's consciences concerning these things, but I have much difficulty with this practice in our culture.

If you can stomach to watch it, this video shows a routine circumcision. It is 5 minutes long, but I do not think that most people could watch more than 2 minutes of it. One thing that would make this practice more stomachable is giving the infant some numbing drug so that he could not feel the pain. Hospitals do not give meds unless the parents ask for them. I need an Ativan just from watching!

Wow!

It will be a HOT summer!

Thought I would give further information on the news that Anna has shared. We notified family, but otherwise our dear blog readers are the only to know (and the 3 friends that knew already).

The EDD is August 24, 2007 (I estimated August 22, but I will stick with the later date). Meaning that I am considered 5 weeks (LMP) and 3 weeks gestation.

We have only known for about a week. We decided to share early and ask for much prayer during this fragile development time. There is comfort in knowing that God opens and closes the womb, and I pray for strength and pure reliance on Him.

So far I have not been sick, which is rather unusual for me, since the last 2 pregnancies have be quite different. I think I will actually "feel" better if I start getting some symptoms. Weird, I know. But, either way, this is a blessing and we rejoice! I guess my love for chocolate is gone. That is my favorite pregnancy symptom! Truly a blessing to not crave chocolate! Still deciding if I should use my previous Ob/Gyn or search out a midwife. (I like my Ob/Gyn but not so much her group.) Any recommendations on a good midwife? Nathan would like a home birth. Not going to happen. Sorry, Nathan.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Phil 4:6,7

What Did She Say?

Grinches and Scrooges

For those of us that are grinches and scrooges, nothing is more pleasing than seeing Santa get hit in the face with a snowball. Okay, okay, I know that Christian charity should keep me from saying such dastardly things- but I could have said ice-ball!

Here is a little snowball fight game that is quite fun. Waste 10 minutes on me!

Snowball Fight

Buddies

Lots of little boys like to have ponies or horses to ride. Owen has never asked for such a beast. He has a very ride-able beast in his buddy Samson. We all know that Samson is not the smartest of animals due to his mother's living situation before she was a Christian. (Yep, Sam's a burn-out!) Sam is nevertheless a very nice dog to Owen.
Owen is quite mischievous and finds that riding Sam is a lot of fun. He also thinks that investigating Sam's teeth, gums, and throat is a worthy cause. Occasionally he will pick up Sam's front paws and desire a dance. Sam does not dance.
We do not allow these behaviors to continue of course, since we are most compassionate towards our little burn-out. If anyone thinks that the humane society or PETA needs to be contacted, it is just not the case.
We love Samson as well as Owen. They are good boys and both receive a lot of love and affection.

Please?

Maggie will you come and take pictures of Anna and Owen? They really want you to!

Stories Anyone?

I am finishing up the semester and do not have a lot of time to devote to blogging. I would like to give you this picture of Shawn Anderson and me at Camp Concordia, which is about an hour north-east of Grand Rapids. We knocked the canoe over and took about an hour or so to make it back to shore. Good times.

Any other Camp Concordia stories to share?

Any Takers?

I have always hated the trip from Michigan back to the glorious state of Pennsylvania. The problem is that annoyance that lay in-between called the State of Ohio. I am proposing an idea:

Let's Try Again!

Creepy Artsy People

I see a lot of creepy art at work. I am not obliged to discuss it due to laws of confidentiality- but you could use your little imaginations.

The creepy artwork that I would like to share is that of my 3 year-old daughter. I suspect that we have an artist in the making. As one with latent tendencies, I see reason to fear.

The piece below is called mad mom. Clearly that is a rip off from our last trip to Meijer Gardens. That is the name of their newest piece. Notice the tongue hanging out!
This one is a foot and a penguin. The foot has 6 toes- clearly a relative from my dad's side of the family. The penguin started as a hand- but it is better as a penguin.
This one is a lady with big lips. I think that it is supposed to be her aunt Shannon personally. Notice that she has bangs and long hair.

It Is Back

That pesky buisness that we call winter has pushed its whitening head back into our lives. On Wednesday it was 63 degrees here in Grand Rapids, and today we are covered in ice and snow up to 12 inches in some places. Here on Union Avenue we have 2-3 inches.



Welcome back winter, please do not make yourself at home...and you can show yourself out as soon as you are finished.

Now there's a good time!

I had a root canal today. Now there's an interesting procedure.

You go in to the dentist with mild tooth pain and you leave feeling like he did a spin-kick to your face twenty-five times.

Wow! Thanks, doc! I feel much better!

A Birthday Song for Papa

ANOTHER BIRTHDAY!!

PSALM 29

Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones,
Give unto the Lord glory and strength.
Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name;
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
The God of glory thunders;
The Lord is over many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars,
Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes them also skip like a calf,
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire.


The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth,
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everyone says, "Glory!"


The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the Lord sits as King forever.
The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace.

Celebration!

Anna Grace is now 3 years old! We all had a splendid time celebrating with her. We asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday and we attempted to accommodate within reason.

She wanted a pink cake- so Lydia made her a yummy pink cake.
She wanted new boots and a pink coat for her birthday- no problem!
She wanted soup to eat- we went to Panera Bread (cheap date!).
She wanted to see Happy Feet- so we saw it in the IMax....worst movie I have seen in a long time. The anti-Christian message is outrageous. The premise is that religion is a farce that is trying to cover up the true meaning of existence- which happens to be rebellion and partying with penguins with Mexican accents. I could talk for hours about how much I hated that movie, but this post is about how Anna's birthday was ruined by a ridiculous movie... I mean this post is about the great time we had celebrating Anna's birthday.

She now claims that she is a big girl which means that she has a lot of new things that she has to do and things that she will no longer do- such as wear diapers to nap (that is scary).

Lydia is the one that made the day so great for her though- she even decorated the house while Anna was asleep so that when she woke up she would be surprised. It was fun.
(Click on the image to see a larger collage).

Happy Thanksgiving From Union Avenue!

Happy Thanksgiving from the Eshelmans of Union Avenue. We hope that you had a great day giving thanks to our covenant keeping God. He truly preserves his people from generation to generation.

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD,

all ye lands.

Serve the LORD with gladness:

come before his presence with singing.

Know ye that the LORD he is God:

it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,

and into his courts with praise:

be thankful

unto him,

and bless his name.

For the LORD is good;

his mercy is everlasting;

and his truth endureth

to all

generations.

Three?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNA GRACE!

Psalm 3:3

But thou, O LORD,

art a shield for me;

my glory,

and the lifter up of mine head.

A Good Reason For A Pretzel "Cigar"

There are many reasons in life to enjoy a fine Utz' Pretzel "Cigar" with those that you love. This week it is the near completion of the Wendler Avenue Apartment One redo. We have actually had a lot of fun this month amidst the busy schedule of work, school, family, church, remodel.
When I lived at Wendler we called this room the study. Our children refer to it as Brian's room. It is hard for them to understand why Brian does not live there anymore and why they have to keep going there despite the fact that he is not there any longer. We just smile.

We tore out the old carpet and painted it with a nice fresh color. We redid the floor as well as hung blinds and curtains. I said to Miss Moes that this would make a perfect nursery/reading room for the next tenants.

Here is the breakfast nook. This room was white (but I do not think that we painted it when I bought the house in 1998...so we can just say that it was time for a fresh coat of paint).
We like the color a lot. It looks more minty in the picture, but it is actually a Fire-King Green. Nothing says 1930 like Fire-King Green. We also hung new curtains and blinds in this room.
Here is the kitchen. We did the lower areas in the green that Ray Lanning will covet and we did the top in a fresh white. I am pleased with how well it goes in the kitchen.

Here is the new floor that I have been working on. It is in the hallway as well as in the bathroom. I cut my finger while laying it and Anna obsessed over that for awhile.
Here is what I call Brian's room.

It is the infamous room that burned out in 2001, leaving us as sojourners in Grand Rapids. (I am sure that everyone has a story to go with that experience... like the maid walking into Shawn and my room at the Residence Inn and we not knowing Spanish could not explain ourselves!)

We also did cadmeon leather walls in this room to help maintain flow. We added new curtains and blinds in here as well.

We will show more as we finish. We have about 20% still to finish. We we very glad to have all of the help from Miss Moes as well as Mrs. Lanning coming and kidknapping our children today so that we could paint. (And yes, they came back in fine shape.)

Upples and Ben Oh Nos

Anna and Owen have such a great time dancing. I think that they want to dance almost every day. We tell them that it is not Presbyterian to dance- but they do it anyways!

The fact is that when a home is filled with music and dancing- it is filled with joy. We take joy in the fact that our home is a great place to cut a rug!

Anna's New Joy

Anna has found cookie making to be a great joy. She has made two batches of cookies this week and they were a yummy treat. The first time she had enough Hershey Kisses for the cookies. Today she seemed to unwrap two too many. My thought is that she wanted to eat the extras before we saw her.

We caught her though!

Another political post. Sorry.

Stop racism in the state of Michigan.

Make sure to vote YES on proposal 2!

What is Proposal 2?

Proposal 2 is also known as the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (MCRI), and will be on the Michigan ballot on November 7, 2006. Proposal 2 would amend the state constitution to “prohibit state and local government from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment to any individual or group based on race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in the areas of public employment, public contracting and public education.”

More information here.

Autumn Time Goodness

I was just hoping that a friend of mine had made an apple crisp. Yummy warm apple crisp with vanilla ice-cream and drizzly caramel. Any suggestions?