All the way from England ...

  ...I have a sweet friend - more like a far-away sister - who lives in England now. 

   She was born and grew up in Romania, and after knowing her for several years we even got to meet her in-person when she lived at the Christian Aid Ministries orphanage. Those two short days that we spent with her in 2003 will always be a special, treasured memory. 

    Life moves on so quickly, and it's hard to believe that was almost 9 years ago now! It didn't take very long at all for us three girls to become friends and sisters-for-life. Every now and then I pull out the big picture album and flip through the pictures that document that trip to Romania with Daddy & my sister, Heidi. 

     Time sure changes things. Today, I am happily married with 3 small children. England is now her home, and she too is married with a darling little girl of her own!  Thankfully, through snail-mail, emails, and now Facebook, we have been blessed to still continue to stay in touch with each other, even though we live half a world apart! 

 

   One day a couple weeks ago, I was shocked to pull a package out of the mailbox with the senders address from England!! Instantly I knew who it was from and tore into the wrapping. Out came two darling little outfits that dear Cristiana had mailed to us all the way from England for baby Lincoln! 

  

The miles are many between here and there - but thoughts and prayers can fly in an instant to reach clear across the world and make it seem much nearer.

He smiles for you, dear Cristiana, to tell you Thank you for your sweet, loving gifts. 

And just like that ...

... He's already 3 months old!

Lincoln Lee Root

March 16th came and went. The whole day long every time I looked at his sweet self I was thinking, 'Little man, HOW did your first 3 months in our family go whooshing by so very, very fast already??' 

Time and life doesn't just stop for you to enjoy the moment all by itself. There is only one day in their whole life that you can call them exactly three months old. Or for that matter same with 2 months, or 1 month, or 10 days, or 2 days old. You have to make an exact purpose and point to treasure and savor their tiny sweetness. Because it's so, so short.  

Most people call it the Newborn stage. But I think of it more like the Newborn DAYS. Yes, it is filled with days and a couple weeks. But just like that you blink, and he is 3 months old.

He's my #3 baby. And I've honest to goodness been asked already if I'm tired of the baby stage yet since this is the 3rd time in 3 years. But believe it or not, instead of getting tired of diapers, spit up, lost hours of sleep, whimpers (or make that screeches most the time), multiple outfit changes in a day, and lots more laundry ... I know I have fallen even deeper in love with newborn babies and all their cuddles, loves, and sweetness once again. 

We've decided it's a good addiction too. :)        

He grins a lot. His smiles make me giggle with him every time. 

And I love the way he's starts grinning at me in the early morning dark hours before I'm ready to start smiling.

He still sleeps a lot through the day. Eating is his favorite past-time. And he has plenty of moments when being with Mommy is all he wants.

But oh how we love his chubby, little fingers, and tiny dimples in his hands.  The short feet with five tiny toes each, that have already grown out of the teeny, tiny newborn socks. The way that little balls of lint get caught in his fists. How fast their fingernails grow and get scratchy. The way he grins at me and it makes his paci wobble in his mouth. And the fuzz of hair that is starting to grow back on the top of his head. 

Remember it. Oh how we want to remember it all. Treasuring the tiny sweetness, and trying to make it last as long as we can. Because the days are flying by... 

I've never stopped and counted - but I'm sure he gets a couple hundred kisses every day. 

... He's my serious guy. A TRUE mellow fellow!

He goes with the flow. Which sure is a good thing because #1 and #2 take a lot of Mommy's time as well. He fits well in our family. Big brother and Big sister are his biggest adoring fans. Who knows how many countless 'cat-naps' they have woke him up from by their slobbery kisses and cheerful "Hi Buddy boy!".

He is wanted. He is loved. He is ours. He's a Homegrown Root.

Introducing Homegrown Roots!

.... Here we are in our little corner spot. 
A journal of life with our busy little ones. 

      Starting with the Roots, we have already begun our lifetime Assignment as Parents by planting, nurturing and training our little Seedling Sprouts that have been given to our family. 

       

We are only Assistants to the Master Gardener.  

And our Mission is to be their Guide as they grow up to be giant, strong trees bearing much fruit, and are Rooted and grounded in the bedrock of Truth and Salvation in Jesus Christ.

       Come join alongside us as we continue through this Life-Long Journey to carefully Plant, Fertilize, Train, Prune, Water, Feed, Give Sunlight and Protection, and watch as our little precious seedlings GROW.

    Considering how great this huge responsibility is that our Master Gardener has given us ... We MUST take great care to plant them well where their Roots can flourish strong, deep, and Anchored unmovable in the only One True God.

This task has only just begun. 

    ... Our seedlings are still so small, and have not even reached the young sapling stage yet. 

         Willingly, we still seek and welcome any words of wisdom and advise from other Assistant Gardeners -with seedlings and saplings in their care- who have already learned valuable lessons from the Master Gardener that we have yet to discover and learn.

         As parents, we are so blessed and daily thank Our Father Above -The Master Gardener- who has given us Three Seedlings so far as our children to begin training and nurturing them here on this earth. 

    

           Very soon they will be Tall Trees growing down the avenue of Life ... but for now -TODAY- they are still our precious little gifts placed in our family.

... Home is where we spend most of our time growing!

 Thus, Homegrown Roots is where our story begins and is lived.