Growing Joys!

Time is just speeding along!

Rachelle is 5 months old now and watches AnnaSophia any moment she can. AnnaSophia is thrilled to find that her presence is entertaining and calming to Rachelle. At this point in time, AnnaSophia wants to be involved in every thing that Rachelle is doing such as below...

AnnaSophia enjoying Rachelle's play mat/gym with her. The plush bird that played a tune when the ring was pulled was a big hit for both girls---until it wore out from use and only played the first 3 notes of the song!

Rachelle loves her high chair, sitting up with support. She'll play happily with her spinning toys and rattles while I'm cooking in the kitchen or we're eating dinner at the table. She loves to smile at Mommy, Daddy, and AnnaSophia. We are so excited that our newest family member loves family time just like we do!

Recently, AnnaSophia, Rachelle, and I went for a lovely February walk down the street to visit our friends. We had a great time with Chelsea, Eleanor, and Audrey Loftis. We made a delicious salad for the adults and mac and cheese for the girls. Then we went for a walk together. I am so thankful to have such a close friend that lives in our neighborhood. I know God's provided that for me. I'm not great at getting together with people (though I love them), but God makes sure I get some social time by having such a close, in many ways, friend. Our weather in Nebraska has been unseasonably warm, but this is good for the mommy of a busy, energetic preschooler!

Lately we've been enjoying a collection of picture books that also have a cassette tape or CD with narration. AnnaSophia will listen to them for 30 minutes at a time and listen to each book. She's gotten the hang of turning pages with the "page turn signal". :) She decided it would be a good idea to listen/read the book with Rachelle in the pack-n-play one day last week.

I have been back to work after maternity leave now for about 2 1/2 months. Staffing has been tight in my hospital unit, which has led to some late departures after my work days. It's also been more stressful than I expected, but I have found encouragement to persevere through my husband, my parents, and friends. Pray that things will ease up for myself and my coworkers. I really cherish my coworkers and pray that their burden will be eased as well.

Andy has been moving forward with more discipleship opportunities. Just in the last couple weeks, he and the other SV intern, Jake Loftis, have begun meeting weekly on Thursday evenings with 3 young men. They will be doing a book discussion of Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Please pray for insight, preparation, and spiritual growth.

Please also pray for us as we continue to adjust in marriage and parenting to two children and the changes that brings to our schedules, home, and relationships.

Praise God with us that we have been relatively healthy this winter season, even with a preschooler and a baby!

Rachelle Marie Petersen

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Life update in a nutshell

Andy sent one of our supporting partners this little update. I thought he wrote so well, it was a great idea to share with all of you!

"Our second daughter, Rachelle, was born a month ago, and AnnaSophia will be turning 3 in a couple days on Halloween. She is a great little helper with her younger sister, but we are certainly worn out by the end of the day after chasing her and also caring for a newborn. Our ministry to high school students is going well, but the number of students attending has dropped this Fall. That has been hard on morale at times. Much of it is just due to the ebb & flow of upper classmen graduating & having less underclassmen, but some of it is also due to curriculum. I have been trying to lead the students through deeper bible lessons & challenging them to take on spiritual disciplines like sincerely committing to reading the Bible every day. Although I have seen spiritual growth in several students lives because of this, fringe students have become less interested & have stopped coming. It's kind of a Catch 22. It's frustrating to see less faces at our meetings, but it's exciting to be closer to actual discipleship than just ordinary "youth group meetings! -Andy"

I hope you enjoyed! -Robyn

A Favorite Baby Picture

I love this picture Andy took with his cell phone when Rachelle was just a few hours old.

Good Morning!

This morning while I rock Rachelle to get drowsy again, I'm trying to send a post via email to our blog. So I'm trying to see how the post will appear once I email it.

In Student Venture news, we recently had our fellow staff members, Gary Warrick & Debi Emery, take several students & a college volunteer to Houston, Texas for a SV prayer conference, called "It's Time". It was a powerful experience for them & has stirred not only our group, but SV students & leaders across the US, with motivation to increase prayer & evangelism on their campuses to ensure that every teenager has a chance to hear about a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We are excited for the students who went; please pray that they would not become discouraged or disillusioned now, returning to "normal life".

Thanks for your love & prayers.
Robyn

Rachelle Marie Petersen is here!

We are so happy to have a family of 4 now! Rachelle Marie Petersen was born on September 21st, 2011 at 7:47 a.m. She was 8 lb, 6 oz and 19 1/2 inches. She began to nurse well right from the start and it is so wonderful to have a baby in our house again. With a newborn it's hard to tell their personality, but I think Rachelle likes to cuddle a lot. (Or maybe I do! :)) She also likes to have her diaper clean and dry and does not like to be strapped into the car seat! We'll see what else she develops personality-wise.

AnnaSophia is adjusting well and is very alert to Rachelle. Her most common phrases are: "Is Rachelle awake, Mommy?" "I think she's awake!" "She's looking at me!" "We both have eyes." "I'm taking care of her." "It's ok, it's ok." (last one said in an almost falsetto when Rachelle is crying.)

We are praying and learning lots of patience as the challenges of a newborn are combined with a very eager, 'helpful' toddler.

One little story, tonight at bedtime, AnnaSophia sang/made up her first song.

"Oh, I had a little froggy
and he liked to get in water;
so I called him over to me
and I named him Froggy.
Oh, my little froggy cried
and my little froggy begged;
My little froggy got out of the water.
buh-buhduh-buh-buh
Some Froggy"

We've been singing and making up songs about animals for her to the same tune/rhythm that she made up this song... Much of the song is lifted from those songs, except that she just sang it straight out to Andy (and had chosen the animal, and all his little characteristics/actions) needless to say, Andy and I were pretty proud. :)

We are so thankful for our two sweet daughters.

Funny things a girl says

As many of you already know, we are expecting baby #2. :)
I am still gaggy at times and Sprite is my friend. Today I emptied a generic water bottle and put my Sprite in it. AnnaSophia wanted some and so I said "you can try it."
She took a drink (barely  a sip) and made that  I-just-tasted-something-horrible look. Then she said,

"I can't like it. It's pop."

That made me giggle. At this age, she hasn't learned to say "I don't" , so she always says "I can't". It has made for some very funny situations!

Thought you all might enjoy!