Our Littlest Sunflower

Jon and I were SO elated when we opened the message telling us this last baby would be a girl, for many reasons, but one of them being that we were really over naming boys. 

You may remember that Jon likes traditional easy to spell and pronounce names and I prefer them to be off the charts unusual, but not hard to spell or understand. 

This time, Jon gave me a gift in allowing us to branch out to a very unique name. It’s probably safe to say no one else has ever had quite her combination of names.

Introducing....

Aphia Girasol Charles 🌻 

Aphia comes from the book of Philemon in the Bible. It means Increasing. She was likely Philemon’s wife and it is perfect that she was referred to as “beloved sister.” We took the liberty of removing the extra P the Bible uses (Apphia) to make it easier to spell and pronounce.

Girasol is the Spanish word for Sunflower. It literally means Turn to the Sun. It was Angie’s original name in Bolivia before she switched to Angelica (see story here.)

So Aphia Girasol means Increasingly Turn to the Sun.

I love the thought of our beloved Aphia being a ray of sunshine in this sometimes dark world. She is already a beautiful light to our family. And our goal for her life is that she would increasingly turn to the Son, Jesus. If she reflects His glorious Light I'm sure others will increasingly turn toward the Son through her little life. 

I'll leave you with this excerpt from Angie's 16th birthday post about Sunflowers:

Angie, mi Girasol, if you remember from the vast fields of sunflowers in Bolivia, they are drawn to the direction of the Sun, and when they face skyward they are in their full glory. Sweet Girl, you too, will be your most glorious, your most beautiful, exactly the perfection you were created to be, when you face heavenward, and look to the Son. Thank you for bringing so much light into our family. I know God will use you to shine into the lives of so many others for a long long time. 

Aphia, that applies to you as well now, mi Girasol.

Mis dos Girasoles 🌻 

Here is her print of the scriptures we chose for her, some from the book of Philemon and others about Increasing as her name suggests.

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." -Matthew 5:16

Jon's Mini-Me Turns 5

Isaiah is everything his little brother is not. He is careful, meticulous, articulate, sensitive, and deliberate. His vocabulary and speech impress us all sometimes. He is curious but in the genuine kind of way, not just asking "Why?" all the time because that's what kids his age do, but because he truly wants to know. He wants to know the difference between toads and frogs. He doesn't want to just memorize the history on our timeline, he wants to know about the events. He begs to do conversation starter cards with the family at dinner to start meaningful discussions. He invents intricate games and makes up songs about the Bible. He really likes chess, and we argue about how to castle!

At their 3 and 5 year check-ups there was one question I was able to easily and confidently answer the same for both boys though, "Do they show concern for others?" "Yes!" They are both sweet sweet little guys (most of the time.) 

Isaiah loves Home Depot Kids' Workshops, math, new toys, building things, and his family.  

4 has been a fun year. He's been old enough to sit still and appreciate outings. Jon took him to a monster truck rally, I took him to a Paw Patrol production, Angie and I took him to the movies, and we've been to multiple plays. He's tall enough, and now brave enough, to enjoy some big kid rides at amusement parks and even try out skiing. He started a homeschool community this fall, and he looks forward to it every week.

At Legoland, Paulie raced simple cars, we helped him put together, down the track dozens of times, while Isaiah spent half an hour with his Daddy constructing a fancy helicopter with treads (pictured below). He is rarely in a rush, which I could surely learn something from if I wasn't always trying to compensate for his unhurriedness by trying to get us out the door for crying out loud!

You guys, God decided that giving me Jon wasn't enough to refine me. Although I've had Jon demonstrating this laid back pace and calm attitude for 10 years, the Lord still saw fit to give me a mini-Jon in Isaiah. Let us pray that I am learning these lessons that God wanted to show me, about patience and appreciating other's differences, from these two and He doesn't decide to give me a third teacher on Monday in our Baby Girl!

4 is an age that comes with some awkward fake smiles, but here are some truly happy moments that I don't want to forget.

He methodically placed each peg in rows one by one...

Flying Helicopter with Treads

 

Homemade snow ice cream tasting!

His first official day of school.

My Mini-Me Turns 3

This guy has personality oozing out of every orifice! He is wild! He is stubborn, independent, challenging, persistent, strong, daring, and out of control. I have asked him on more than one occasion recently if he is 4 yet. Unfortunately, he is not, and there are no guarantees 4 will be calmer or more obedient than 2 or 3.

Thank the Lord He gives us small victories that melt me and encourage me to keep him. Tonight, after a long day of Isaiah being jealous it was Paul's birthday and me being ~1 million months pregnant, the boys were fighting over rainbow stickers. We made sure to get a package that had 2 rainbow stickers so they could each have one for their Valentine's box, but one of them was bigger than the other, so obviously they both had to have that one. We were really struggling to find a solution, Paulie even suggested the Biblical approach of cutting the beloved sticker in half, but I think Isaiah returned with offering to cut Paulie in half. Then as Isaiah fussed and spiraled further into a depression, Paul just casually gave it to him. He can be so kind. So, I'll keep him another day.

Even his Sunday School teachers who he has duped into thinking he's a fabulous helper and all around sweet kid, call him things like "The One and Only Paul." They barely even see the cheesy grin we are blessed with constantly, but something about him captures their hearts.

It is no coincidence that Paul's birthday fell on Taco Tuesday, God knows how to give His children good gifts. I heard once of a parent who had to call everything "Frosting" to get her toddler to eat it. Spaghetti Sauce is "Noodle Frosting," Ranch Dressing is "Salad Frosting," etc. We have implemented the same strategy with Paul using Tacos. One night of the week we have Tacos, another night we have Taco Noodles, another night we have Taco Soup or Taco Nachos, he's obsessed.

He is our first I-Do-It-Myself kid, although, he says "Ma" (a mix of me and I.) "Ma do it myself." "Ma got it." "Ma can do it." And he's often right, or at least you better let him prove to himself that he needs help, or you're in for a long battle. 

Someday, he will speak clearly and possibly act reasonably, and I will miss these crazy days when the word "No" means nothing to him, well maybe I won't miss that part specifically. But I do recognize that I'll long for the time when his world revolved around me. At least till Baby Sissy comes, he is still a Mama's Boy, and if you tell him you love him, he may very well answer with "Me Wuv Mama!"

Now, I think I'll go smother him in kisses while I'm feeling fondly toward him before he wakes up and starts driving me up the wall with his shenanigans again. 

One thing is pretty clear, he is going to change the world! Now to shepherd him in such a way that he does it for Christ.

Here are some of the pictures of him that I hope to remember from this year for the rest of my life: