Here’s looking at you, Kid
May 29th, 2008 JeffDutch doesn’t feel good today. But he is real sweet. Here’s a pic of him last weekend enjoying the old Jeep.

Dutch doesn’t feel good today. But he is real sweet. Here’s a pic of him last weekend enjoying the old Jeep.

Yesterday we three ventured out for our first ‘08 hike in the woods. The single track trails were closed due to winter erosion but the old logging roads provided a good and wide path for us to let Dutch loose on the trails. We set out to go about 4 miles round trip, but that was cut short by an impatient little 16-month-old. In Kari’s words :
We did do our hike, although it is now confirmed that Dutch does NOT like hiking. That is, he loves hiking, as long as he’s the one hiking. He doesn’t like being stuffed into a backpack. So, our hike was significantly truncated because about 1/2 through we had to let him hike on his own. That meant going as fast as his little 16-month-old legs could carry him. It went something like this: step step step (stop to pick up a stick and wave it around) step step step (stop to pick up a bug, mom grabs it before it goes in the mouth) step step step-TRIP, BOOM, WAHHHHHHH!!!!! (tears, hugs, scraped hands…sniffs, whining to be put down) step step step (veers over toward cliff, daddy scoops him up and plops him in middle of trail). Anyway, you get the picture. But it was fun nonetheless. We just need to plan to hike one mile in three hours.
Here’s a little video of the Dutcher hiking away…
And hiking with Mommy…
Because we’re playing hide-n-seek…

And being silly

In other news, Dutch has started to wrestle with me. Makes a daddy feel oh so good.
Dutch is 16 months old today .
In the last month he has learned how to sit still and ‘read’ on our laps, and learned the difference between apples and ducks and trains and shoes and balls and dogs and cats (all in one picture book). Still waiting on talking with actual words, but those will come; no hurry! In the meantime, his motor sounds are in high gear. Plus he’s getting so terrifically awesome at following directions, like putting away his cars (mine when I was a boy, and I don’t think I ever learned to put away), and stacking books that have been scattered on the floor. What a precious boy we have! Happy 16 months Dutcher boy . We’ll be home from class soon to play.
Here are some pics from this weekend
Dutch the hiding boy

We woke up to Winter

Came home and it was beautiful Spring again

Dutch the preacherman; he likes the ESV

Mommy + Dutch playing …

Mother and son reading … (kept still for 45 minutes!)

Dutch is ready for Spring. Boy is he!

Praise Jesus for simple pleasures like running around the yard under the bright sun with our bright son.
The house is quiet tonight. Just returned from teaching our Foundations class. Kari and Dutch are not here with me, as they hopped on a plane this morning bound of Salt Lake City to visit her brother and his family.
Kari took this picture of Dutch with her phone…
Kari started her one-year no-new-clothes fast today (read about her LiveDifferent challenge #1).
Truly, I married up (!), and miss Kari already. As much fun as Dutch is and as much as I love Him, I could not live without my Karina.
I think it was J.C. Ryle who wrote: “The great thing I always desired to find was a woman who was a Christian, who was a real lady, and who was not a fool. Whether I was successful or not, others must judge the better than I can, but I call God to witness these were the three points I always kept steadily in view.”
Before dropping her off at PDX I asked her to send me lots o’ pics, so I could at least "see" how they were. A whole bunch were waiting in my inbox tonight when I arrived home. Uncle Kris taught Dutch how to throw rocks, our precious boy giving cousin Jennika a kiss on the cheek, then giving her a little frightening, and then one of his beautiful blue eyes.


May God be the glory for all His mercy in our lives and the abundant ways He lavishes us with His love, in practical evidences of His grace.
It’s 90 minutes until Earth Hour here on the West Coast. Join millions in giving our planet a break - power down between 8:00-9:00pm tonight .
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We’ve experienced unique weather during the first week of Spring. Yesterday and the day before last we had rain, snow, sleet and hail, plus clear blue skies intermingled at various times of the day. Much of the same today — it’s snowing as I type this. Here are some pics of Dutch and me on some adventures.




It snowed yesterday morning (and this morning too) but only a little bit; yep, it’s a week into Spring, and we live in a part of Oregon that rare sees snow. In one day we truly saw all four seasons.
Even still Dutch enjoyed his slide during the break in the weather…
He also enjoyed roaming around the grass with his Daddy… can you tell there’s something in my hand he wants?

Dutch is a walking billboard for his student parents


Pray for us as we persevere in the joyful seminary journey.
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