Just a game to him!

For the past few days, we have been using a thermometer to monitor Elliot's temperature. The thermometer we use goes across the forehead and makes a beeping sound in the process. Elliot thinks this is hilarious! Needless to say, he gets his temperature checked way more than is really needed!

A little under the weather!

For the past two days, Elliot has been a bit under the weather. His temperature has ranged from 99 to 100 (a bit high from his normal temp.). He has taken this time as an opportunity to lounge around the house and get some extra lovin' from his mommy and daddy! :)

On another note, We enjoyed our first road trip as a family of 3!

Many posts to come from our trip to NC!!

(And for those we did not get to see this trip,

we hope to see you when we come back in December!)

A Shout Out

This is a shout out to my cousin Aiden, who was born August 29th

(13 days after me)

My mommy and daddy told me we would be playmates and I was like...

WORD

Peace Out Cuz'

First Month's Check Up

Yesterday, our sweet boy had his first month's check up (he will be one month on the 16th). And would you believe that we have a growing boy?

When he was born, he weighed 8 pounds 15 ounces

and was 20 inches long

At his check up, Elliot weighed 10 pounds 8 ounces...

and was 23 inches long... wow 3 inches in 3 weeks!

Return to blogging

Well, it has been a long while since we have updated the blog.  I know there are many of you out there waiting so patiently for updates and pictures of our adventures in Alabama, including the recent arrival of Elliot John Kengla!  We would have brought you up to date sooner, but our computer decided to crash just before our son made his grand entrance into this world.  We are back up and running, so expect the posts to start flowing.  In the meantime, enjoy these videos of Elliot.

Something to Chew On

I found the following post on a pastor's blog I happened upon... I was encouraged and hoped you would be as well:

The Problem with Sin

"Let me never forget that the heinousness of sin lies not so much in the nature the sin committed, as in the greatness of the Person sinned against."

-The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers

We all have a tendency to rate our sins based on how bad they seem to us. That’s why we find murder and adultery worse than hate and lust in our hearts (see Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28, and 1 John 3:15). But as long as we’re rating how bad our sin is based on what it is, we’ll never be really convicted. And if we’re never really convicted, we’ll never really experience grace, love, and abundant life.

It’s only when we encounter the glory of God and the incredible scandal of the gospel that we can see sin in it’s proper light. It’s not about what the sin is. It’s about who the sin is against. It’s time we all stopped comparing our sins to a list of ratings and started getting acquainted with the glory of God. If we do, we’ll feel the true weight of our sin and find freedom and forgiveness at the cross. If we don’t, we’ll keep on living this normal life instead of an abundant one.

Grace Beyond Measure

It has been a long time since our last post but there is good reason for this. Truly these past few weeks have been physically demanding and extremely hard. I have lost about 14 pounds due to nausea and dehydration (visiting the emergency room once). Many days I am too sick to get out of bed. I've also experienced sever abdominal pain caused by constipation. Headaches and many other numerous problems have occured. And I have longed to be near family and friends from N.C., as during these trials they seem so far away!

But even in this and in all things, God is so good! And I have so much to praise Him for! I am so thankful for a husband who purposefully and diligently loves and cares for me everyday! I am thankful for the many prayers of those brothers and sisters in Christ, both near and far! And, of course, I am so very thankful for the blessing that God is kniting together in my womb!

No words can describe the emotions felt when I saw our child for the first time! Tears streamed down my face as we heard the heart beat, and as we saw our quite active little one moving about! Joy overcame me! Though I believed God was growing a child in me, nothing could describe what it was like to see and hear the child... these trials endured over the past weeks had not been in vain! Ah, what a sweet foretaste of what is to come when I see my Savior for the first time! When my faith shall be sight!

I remember turning to the Whitney (the ultrasound lady) and telling her, "It is nice to know that I am going through all of this for a purpose." Once again, a reminder... for every trial we endure really is for a purpose and that purpose is to be conformed into the image of Christ! Praise God!


Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. II Corinthians 4: 16-18