today...

nora finally learned to backfloat! she was so excited!!!

we went to the hotel where my mom's friend was staying today... they had an awesome waterslide that was JUST nora's size!! i think we spent an hour on the slide!!

nora decided at one point that she was too cold and needed to snuggle up with mommy!!! i didn't complain!

seriously, could she be cuter??

the benefit of being here was that my mom was up in the room with james, who was sleeping... which was AWESOME, since he's miserable at the pool with his casts on...

downside... he doesn't get into many photos!!!

okay, so here's a video of the slide! she was SO BIG!! and she also spent a bit of the time swimming by herself to me! what a change over the course of this summer...

so, this morning was our first day of cbs... Bible study. this will be our third year. the first year, nora was in my class as a "babe in arms" (as they call it), with all the other nursing babies. last year, i was a leader of the babe in arms class. it was an awesome year that taught me a lot! (you know how when you are the leader, you end up being stretched and growing more? that was me last year!) and nora loved the ladies that took care of her and the other "babies/toddlers". she loved cbs and playing there.

this year, i am again just attending. it was tough to give up the wonderful fellowship and growth opportunities on the leader's team, but it was by far the right thing for my family and me. two kids is a little busier! but, i didn't want to give up cbs, especially because of their children's program for nora. so, we started today. we had been talking it up last night and this morning. we pulled up and nora started shaking in excitement, and said "cbs... i'm so excited!!!". it was so cute! and made me so happy that she was so happy!

i thought i had timed everything right, but after i fed james, i was a few minutes late to the beginning worship. when i walked in, we were singing a song with the lyric "i'm lost without you". it just reflected how i felt. lost without God. this summer, my study of the Bible hadn't been quite what i wanted it to be. i felt lost without God. and such a true reflection of how we all are without a relationship with Him.

and going back to cbs (a decision that i wrestled with in so many forms) felt like going home. i am so thrilled. we are studying genesis! i am so excited.

and lastly... in my long post of the day... tomorrow is james' surgery. today is today. and that is all we are guaranteed. i read gen 22 tonight, and spent time reflecting on that scenario. abraham is told to take his son and sacrifice him. i have so many questions about this story that just aren't answered in the Bible. what did abraham say to isaac and sarah as he left? or the whole way up the mountain? did sarah have any idea of how that journey might have ended?

at one point, i wanted to ask "what if God hadn't stopped abraham in time?". then, i realized that if God didn't stop abraham in time, it was because it wasn't time. a dear friend told me today that "God expects my unexpected". that's something i've been reminded of a lot these last few weeks. none of this has surprised God. He always knew james would have this surgery and go under general anesthesia. and He knows how it will end.

thankfully, that wasn't when God called isaac home. isaac got to live. and i pray that all will go so smoothly tomorrow... i know it might seem morbid to read a story about a man asked to sacrifice his son in preparation for my son's VERY minor surgery. but, even if i didn't express it well, it gave me such hope and reassurance that MY TIMES ARE IN HIS HANDS. how do i argue with the Creator of life about His plan?

(all that being said, i really don't feel morbid about tomorrow. just appropriately anxious for a mom who's little baby is going to be taken back into an operating room and put to sleep for a 30 minute procedure that i have NO CONTROL over!!!)

and lastly... i seriously COVET your prayers tomorrow at 8:30 am for james and for us! thanks so much... if i forget or get too sidetracked to post tomorrow... feel free to call or email!

okay, seriously lastly... james went into the nursery today. the same nursery nora was in last year. they LOVED nora last year and raved about what a great girl she was. so they asked if james was a good baby. i told them that he was the best. he really is... such a great smile and so much fun to be with!! his new favorite is blowing raspberries on me!!!