Echo Benediction

Kiddo learned this "Echo Benediction" at preschool--they sing it at the end of the day before putting on their coats and getting ready to go home. Mommy and Daddy used to sing this song when they were camp counselors! Kiddo loves the song so much that he insists on singing it each night as well, at the end of his bedtime prayers. I just had to take a video of it tonight:



LH

Quick update...

Things have been busy both at work and personally, which means basically that I've got a ton to write about and no time to actually DO the writing. C'est la vie. =)

A quick look at the highlights, with hopefully more complete postings to come:

• This past weekend I took a group of high school kids to a choral festival in the Twin Cities called Sounds Like Love. Amazing experience--500 high schoolers singing and doing choreography to Christian choral music is hard to describe, but an incredible sight to behold...and as a result I have 23 kids VOLUNTARILY singing and doing choreography for two songs in church this coming Sunday. I just love these kids. I really do. I was telling a parent about this on the way back from Minnesota late on Sunday and she said "you sound just like a proud parent." And I suppose I do...I couldn't be more proud of them if they were my kids.
• Took the minivan in to repair some minor damage caused by a renegade stop sign...while it was in the shop there was some sort of a short in the alternator, causing a strange smell as the wires and casing to the alternator melted and the alternator itself went bad. The guy at the garage told me it was a good thing it happened when people were around, otherwise it could have burned down the shop. So I've been driving a rental for the past week. Except the insurance company just told me today that since the accident repairs were done last Thursday (they've been working on the alternator stuff since then), as of last Friday they're no longer covering the cost of my rental. Makes sense from where they stand...but methinks I'm gonna have to raise some hell with Chrysler to see if they'll cover the cost, since it was their alternator that went out after 13,000 miles. **sigh** I don't have time for drama right now.
• My dad and I drove to Lawrence to watch Nebraska get pummeled by Kansas. Yet, strangely, it was a really great day.
• Sweetie and I went to our first "parent-teacher conference" for Kiddo. It's only preschool, but it gives parents a chance to check in and see how their child's acclimating to the preschool environment, see some journaling the teachers do on each student, hear who they're playing with, etc. His teacher said that she's not supposed to have favorites, but Kiddo's a favorite of hers. He's a favorite of ours, too. =)

There's probably more going on right now, but those are the biggies off the top of my head. As things start to slow down, hopefully there will be more time for reflection.

It'll be soon. Just not now. =)

LH

It's (going to be) a...

Hello world!!!

Well, Sweetie had her 2nd trimester ultrasound on Wednesday afternoon (yep, that's right, Halloween). Kiddo and I were both there--usually, they won't let kids into the ultrasound room--too much of a distraction, and if something ends up being wrong they don't have to worry about what they do or say in front of the kid. Smart policy, but I'm glad they waived it in our case--one of the perks to being married to an OB/GYN nurse!

And we found out that we're having a girl.

I couldn't be happier. Literally. Kiddo is going to have a sister. I'm going to be a daddy to a little girl. I smile whenever I think about it. And I can't stop thinking about it.

Hmmm...I need to start saving up for a shotgun.

Just kidding. Mostly.

They printed out some still pictures for us, and we also got a video of what the ultrasonographer saw. Those of you who have ever sat in on an ultrasound know of which I speak when I say that the still pics just don't do it justice. We got to see her sucking her thumb, and watched her do flips and cartwheels for us. She was really moving around.

No wonder Sweetie's been feeling sick to her stomach. Can't even imagine.

We do have a name picked out, but we're going to keep that to ourselves until after the baby's born. Gotta have some sense of surprise for folks.

And so the countdown continues to February 28, 2008.

LH