Here HE Is... Justice Emmanuel Desch

(although not obvious in this picture, Howie is crazy about Justice)

Well, it's official... the Desch family is now a family of 4!! Josh and I now have TWO BOYS! Justice Emmanuel finally arrived Wednesday 09/09/09- pretty much the coolest birthday ever. He is sweet as can be and looks a lot like infant Howie to me. Many more pics to come!

Howie Gets a Nativity Set in August

The other day we took Howie to pick out a new toy since he's going to be a big brother hopefully quite soon, and we came home with a nativity set complete with Mary, Joseph, some wise men, a shepherd, assorted animals, and of course, baby Jesus. Howie is completely obsessed with them. He has wanted to play with little else since these little people came into the house. One of his favorite things to do is to put little baby Jesus down for a nap in his manger and then say, "Get up, baby Jeje!!" (Howie's not really big on naps right now in his life.) The nativity scene has also hosted some people and animals that you wouldn't necessarily place there just from reading the biblical account, such as a fireman, policeman, 2 historical Vikings, and a dalmation. I guess the broader principle to be had is that Christ came for all, across every time and age.

Howie working on getting Mary's hat to stay on

Look closely for the dalmation, Vikings, and public service members

Howie rousing baby Jesus from his rest

Happy Bday, Noah and Nathan!

This past Sunday we had a wonderful time celebrating Nathan and Noah's birthdays at Stacy Park! It was probably the most beautiful day in the history of the world, and all of the kids ate lots of junk food as is fitting for a birthday party and had a great time. (Just as a side note, I think this is what Howie ate on Sunday: peanut butter cereal for breakfast and lunch, cheetos, pretzels, chips, cake, and a cookie at the party, Sun Chips and part of a Twizzler after evening church, and maybe one random apple thrown in for a pathetic nod to good nutrition. Yes, I am a good mom.) Anyway, it was so fun to be with friends on such a gorgeous afternoon and celebrate birthday #3 for Noah and Nathan!

Nathan and Noah, the birthday boys

Sharon and Abe

Me and Caroline Ruth- did you know it was possible for a little person to be this cute??

Rach, me, and Caroline... I think Caroline was hoping for some of Howie's junk food

Summer in Review

I can't believe this summer is coming to a close... Josh starts Year #2 bright and early tomorrow morning. While I'm happy for him that he gets to go off to school each day and take great classes, Howie and I will really miss him. The last however many weeks since Hebrew ended have been amazing... Howie has been ecstatic to have Daddy home for so much playing. So have I. The most common thing we hear every day is "Daddy COO COO TAIN!!" (read it out loud... that says choo choo train), or "Daddy TRACTOR!!" or "Daddy PAY PAY PAY!!" (PLAY NOW, DAD!) I'm sure we'll get used to having Josh around just a wee bit less once class gets underway, but we'll both miss him a lot. I was thinking about it today and then it hit me that we'll also have a new baby at home to adjust to while Josh is in class!! Oh yeah! Forgot about that one, even though we are wishing labor to begin itself at almost every moment.

I am also slightly envious that Josh gets to have the first-day-of-school experience tomorrow. I kind of miss that- the excitement of a new year, looking at a syllabus and saying "holy cow, I'm most definitely going to fail this class," seeing people you haven't seen all summer, etc. I guess Josh won't go to school with a new lunchbox or saddle shoes, but that was also a fun part of back to school back in the day. I'm glad that I don't have to put the work into all of the classes, but in some way I do miss the school routine.

Here are some pics for your viewing enjoyment from this summer that I missed posting for some reason...

That horse is so cool... Howie admires Louis astride his horse in Forest Park

Howie vs. spaghetti, round 500... spaghetti wins every time

Clean-up takes a while when you've had such an intense battle

Howie discovers the beaches of Lake Michigan on vacation with my family in July


Little better than beating the heat in the pool!!

Pouring fun with Mom and Aunt Jennie

Dude, that beach seriously did me in

My BFF Kelly visited us in July... college roommate, amazing friend... we had an awesome visit

Howie entertains Aunt Kelly at dinner at Panera... I think he kept drowning some chips and bread in Josh's soup. Mushy, soup-laden items give me the creeps.

Quick way to Howie's heart... read him a book

38 Weeks And Counting... Howie's Waiting For A Roommate

Do Yourself A Favor... Read These Books

I just finished this book yesterday, and it was truly amazing. It was written by a man from southern Sudan who fled his home to escape the attacks of the northern Sudanese government and lived for several years in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya before immigrating to the US. The thing that amazed me about this man was his faith in the Lord. This is not a book that is setting out to be Christian, but he talks about his undying faith in God through all of the difficulties in his life... all the bloodshed, loss of his family, extreme hunger and thirst, real poverty, and so many other things that would reduce me to nothing. I think any middle-class American can really learn from people like John because we're so comfortable. We have beautiful lives with so many things going for us, and yet I so often choose to complain about such minor things and doubt the Lord's goodness when confronted with the little challenges of every day life. I think reading books like this has reminded me that I have MUCH to be thankful for and also have an obligation as a Christian to remember those in poverty, as Jesus said, and live accordingly. It's so easy to forget about those who are hurting in our world in the rhythm of our everyday lives, but reading about people with experiences such as these has been a reminder to strive to live with the priorities of Christ.

War Child was another one of my favorites- this one told a horrific story about this man's experience as a child soldier fighting in the same war in Sudan and his painful journey out of that life. It was so sobering to read about how this man's life unfolded. I realized yet again how blessed I am, how blessed Howie is to live in a land where he is free to grow up in peace with plenty of food to eat, clean water to drink, good healthcare, the freedom to play and be a child, family who loves him, and a future that will Lord willing include a good education. Both of these books really served to broaden my view of the world and also give me more reason to thank the Lord for the many blessings of my life. Also, we as Christians must fight to see justice for the oppressed!! May we be moved to act on the behalf of those who need us!

Man-Party in the Pool

Howie had the time of his life in the pool this afternoon with his pals Nathan, Noah, and Isaac!! Too bad these pools aren't parent-sized.