Hi, everyone…it’s been a while since we have written and updated you on our lives.  I think I have a couple of minutes now while Jack thinks a big orange balloon is cooler than me.

Today we experienced two firsts that were inevitable:

Jack clapped all by himself.  He can now begin the process of congratulating himself and others for the rest of his life.
I was asked if I had twins.  Well, no, not exactly, it just happens that one is 22 lbs and the other is 18.  Yes, there is 19 month difference, but the gap is closing fast, and the next trip to the Dr. will probably put him in front.  Soon the standard response will be, yes, one is brilliant and the other is, well, not so brilliant. J

Life has gone by pretty fast lately.  Jack continues to have a new diagnosis every time he’s at the doctor.  I don’t think we even wrote or told anyone about the pneumonia he had about a month ago.  I think we had become certifiably numb.  Jack being sick with pneumonia was about as commonplace as taking out the trash.  Since he’s been sick since Thanksgiving, we just go to the doctor, nod our little heads, head to the pharmacy (if by chance this particular ailment can be remedied with drugs) and start the new regimen of medicine.  He finished his antibiotics for the pneumonia and about four days later, I said to Buddy, “he’s getting sick again, I can tell”.  We happened to have a well baby appointment (well baby, yeah right!) a couple days later, and now he’s on another antibiotic for a sinus infection.  The fun continues.

Through it all, he’s been a trooper for the most part.  At night, however, both Buddy and I are ready to sell him to the lowest bidder.  Thankfully, during the day, his stock is at a premium, because he’s just so stinking cute and cuddly.   

Adrianne continues to be well, and very light, as you can tell from the 22 pound status.  It’s actually very convenient because it’s much easier to throw her around, do flips, etc.  Her latest stage is demanding that everyone, “Watch, watch, watch”.  Apparently, one time I said to her that “my eyes were glued to her”, and yesterday she informed me that “her eyes were gluing to me”.  I laughed.  She’s putting so much together these days.  Even this week, it seems like she’s made language strides.  One of the ladies in my class was shocked that she even spoke at all (helps that she looks like an 18 month old) and I thought “if this lady only knew”.  She brings so much joy to us.

On the ministry front, we have a lot going on in the upcoming month and a half.  It breaks out like this:

March 4-7:  Jen gone to Tokyo for an All Japan Evangelical Ladies Conference
March 7:  Small Group Overnight for Buddy
March 20-22:  Bible Study Retreat
April 7-11:  Shorebreak 03 (A high school Malachi-wide retreat that we are involved with)

Some other irons in the fire that we would appreciate prayer for are:

-Getting our mission trip(s) together for the summer
-Thinking through and implementing a different Student Leader Training this summer for the high school student leaders

I don’t know if we’ve told you that the Cadence missionaries that run the high school ministry are leaving this summer.  That could potentially put us more involved with the High School youth, in case you’re wondering why there are some high school events on the docket for us Junior High folks! :-)

I better run.  Jack is now attacking the vacuum cleaner and he usually wins these days.  The sun is peaking out, so hopefully we can go play outside for a while before dinner.  The days have been beautiful here lately.  My Mom said she was sending Adrianne a jacket and I thought, “hey that will be her first jacket…she doesn’t even own one!”  Couple sweatshirts, but no jacket.  :-)

Thanks so much for your prayers and financial support. We are very indebted to you and can’t wait for you to meet the students you have changed forever in Heaven.  

Love, the balmy Rathmells.