Mile-long update

Okay, okay. I know I should go to bed and I'll regret this in the morning, but I've known for a long while that my blog needs updating and I've been procrastinating. I don't know if anyone even checks this thing anymore, but here's a little bit of what's been going on. (Sorry...Mr. Ely has our digital camera with him in Mexico, so no pics this time.)

Growing Belly
My belly is indeed growing, and starting to kick me (well, the baby inside it is kicking). I'm just beginning my 18th week of pregnancy and the "morning sickness" has finally waned (not sure I can say it's totally gone, but I'm not vomitting anymore!). At this point, we're planning for another home-birth, and I had my first prenatal with my midwife last week. Heard a strong and steady heartbeat and that is always comforting and joyous. We plan to have a ultrasound in a couple of weeks, and yes, we plan to take a peek at the gender. :) Will let you know.

Mr. Ely in Chiapas
Where is Chiapas you might ask? It is the poorest and southernmost state in Mexico. Mr. Ely left this morning for Houston, from which he was to fly south. He will be helping with a Church Planting work among the Tzotzil people. The indigenous Tzotzil are farmers who grow most their own food, and have lived in their present location (the mountainous jungles) since 100 B.C. Their belief system is a mixture of old Mayan religion (animistic tribal practices) and elements of Roman Catholicism. And though the Church among the Tzotzil has a history of persecution and martyrdom, the Tzotzil Church Planting movement remains committed to sharing the Gospel, developing indigenous leaders, planting churches, and teaching the Tzotzil how to provide a better life for their families. Anyway, Mr. Ely will be helping with this work during the 7 days he is there. We covet your prayers for him (and us, while he is away).

AWANA Cubbies
Back in May, "Banana" completed her first year in the AWANA program. AWANA is a Bible "club" for children that emphasizes Scripture memorization and application. AWANA stands for "Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed" and comes from the verse: II Timothy 2:15, "Do your best to present yourself to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth." Banana was in the "Cubbies" club (which is for 3 & 4 year olds) and was excited to wear her little blue & red vest each week. She earned 9 patches this year. We had already begun to teach Scripture to Banana, but this program helped keep us consistent and accountable. She now has a total of 48 full-length verses memorized. And Papaya is excited that she will be old enough to attend in the Fall!

Dedication, Consecration
Whether it takes place formally at a dedication service, or informally in the sanctuary of the heart, all who belong to God in Christ must promise their children to Him. The giving of our children is a holy thing. It is something that God Himself has done by giving His only Son. When we dedicate a child to the Lord, our children become part of a covenant we make with God. It is still left to them to believe on the Lord Jesus at some point, but now they are part of something that will shape their lives—we have placed Christ before them as their goal. And, the dedication of a child has just as significant an impact on the parents as on the child, perhaps more. For they too become part of a covenant and a promise. They pledge to take on the task of rearing the child to know Jesus. And as the world rages against them, that becomes an increasingly difficult task. In dedicating their baby they are at the same time dedicating themselves.
     All that to say, we finally got around to formally dedicating "Lil' Prince" during a special service at our church on this past Mother's Day. It was our wonderful privilege to publicly dedicate (consecrate, set apart) our son (as we did our daughters) to the Lord Jesus. And while our consecration may not require the supreme sacrifice like that of Abraham who was called upon to offer his son on the altar, or that of Hannah who left her young son Samuel to serve in the Temple with Eli, at the same time, this dedication service was not just another ritual or tradition to get through. It was (and is, daily) a sober commitment by us the parents to responsibly care for our dear son which God has given, and to be prepared to release him to God’s work when that time comes. We thank God for His grace.

Visits with Grandparents
During one of Mr. Ely's last trips to Mexico, I took the kids to my parents' place for a few days. We hadn't been there since Christmas, so a visit was in order. The kids, even Lil' Prince, got to ride their beloved pony Cody. Banana can finally reach the stirrups and is getting quite good at riding by herself.
     Then, earlier this week, we stole away to Mr. Ely's parents' home for 2 days. We hadn't been there since Thanksgiving, so again, a visit was overdue. They have a pool, so swimming was the popular pastime there.

Up Next?
So what does the rest of our summer hold? A few things, some small and some bigger...
- The kids and I have returned to our weekly library visit.
- There'll be more prenatal appointments and an ultrasound.
- Next month, I turn the big 3-0! And Papaya will turn 3!
- We'd like to move into a bigger place...our 2-bedroom duplex is feeling smaller, especially with a 6th family member on the way.
- We'd like to fit in a trip to Ft. Worth (our old home) to visit friends. We'll see about that.
- And we'd really like to have a small family vacation to Sea World. We'll see about that, too.

I think that's about it....for now. :)