Happy 1st Birthday, Luke!

It does not seem like an entire year has passed since we were at the hospital meeting Luke for the first time, as narrated in this previous post. Describing the joys of this past year seems impossible, and my eyes have become misty at the attempt to do so. God has shown us His kindness in a way that I've never before experienced. Other than what we know of Luke, we know little about babies, so we are unable to compare him to what the "average" baby is like- nor do we see any good purpose in that. We just thank the Lord for a little boy who stays happy; who thrives being around other people yet also enjoys playing by himself when we need him to do so; who rarely whines; who already knows that he is to obey his mommy and daddy (and hopefully he's learning that obedience is a good thing!); who recognizes a green Mazda coming down our street and excitedly giggles and bounces when he sees his daddy in blue scrubs get out of that car every day; and who enjoys almost every moment of his day, whether he is playing, eating, or sleeping! Children truly are a blessing from the Lord, and we are overwhelmed with gratitude to God for giving us Luke. 

 Happy 1st Birthday, little Luke!

Luke, 1 Month

Luke, 2 Months

Luke, 3 Months

Luke, 4 Months 

Luke, 5 Months

Luke, 6 Months

Luke, 7 Months

Luke, 8 Months

Luke, 9 Months

Luke, 10 Months

Luke, 11 Months

Luke, 12 Months

Baby Tennant #2 is a...

We are thrilled!  How fun it will be for Luke and our second little boy to grow up so close in age.  As of now he is healthy, and his growth and development seem to be right on track.  We are so eager to meet our little boy sometime around December 4!  

Here he is with his legs flipped up above his body.  Already adorable!

And right there below you are looking at two teeny little feet.  "For God's invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made."  Romans 1:20.  Amen!  

We are so thankful for a healthy baby boy so far, and we appreciate prayers for continued health and a safe delivery!

Happy 11 Months, Luke!

 Luke turned 11 months old on Monday!  What joy this little one brings to our family.  As we prepare for baby #2 to arrive around Thanksgiving (and we will find out this Friday whether Luke will have a brother or a sister!), we are soaking up as much one-on-one time with Luke as we can. Here are pictures of some of the events of last month.

We recently traveled with Daddy while he worked some shifts in northern KY.  This little guy knew how to have fun- even in a call room!

While in northern KY, we went to the Creation Museum and visited their petting zoo.  Let's just say the donkey liked Luke a little bit more than the goats did, but the feelings were mutual. 

We also traveled to Memphis a couple of weeks ago, where  we spent some quality time with  Mama T, Pap, Uncle Adam, and Aunt Sharon.  Here's Luke admiring Uncle Adam's new ride. 

And here he is admiring Uncle Adam...

While Mama T made sure he remained well fed...

Pap soaked up some quality time with this little guy!

And he had to prove to Mama T and Aunt Sharon what a  water bug he is.  This little boy loves bath time!

And Luke especially loves his Aunt Sharon!

One of the highlights of our trip:  getting to visit with the "Grandpa Rick" and "Grandma Debra" and "Aunt Julie" and swimming in their pool!  He swam for a few hours, and given the opportunity, he would have stayed in that pool all day!

This fearless water baby will be in swim lessons asap!  

We are true Tennants!  Here is Luke eating some home-grown zucchini from our backyard (thanks to Aunt Kathleen's green thumb during her last visit!).

Preciousness...

Time has flown, little Luke.  You are a delightful, adorable, irresistible blessing to us.  We love you more than we ever thought was possible, and the only One who deserves credit for that is the One who made you and who sustains your every breath.  May we, your parents, fix our eyes on Jesus as we rear you, and may you live your life for His glory, which is your greatest joy.  Happy 11 months, Luke!

Life with Luke

We love this little guy more than we ever thought was possible.  These days Luke is crawling, pulling up, pointing at people, giving kisses, high-fiving, and eating finger foods! His favorite things seem to be our dogs and his rubber duck (I just wish the dogs' feelings were mutual!). His personality is happy and pleasant at baseline, and it takes very little to make him chuckle.  Like any 10-month old, this boy is curious and adventurous, so these first time parents are learning how to follow him with our eyes as he's venturing throughout the house! 


Below are some pictures of our "Father's Day Photo Shoot."  It took 69 tries for the right smile to come along, probably because Luke was focused more on eating grass than posing for pictures.  However, I was able to snag some cute candid pictures of this handsome boy along the way!  (Sorry it took so long to post some pictures, Gran!  These are for you!).

Don't be fooled.  He's really not a shy one.

"I can't handle it, Mom- this grass tastes so good!"

Almost there...

Finally!  We got the right picture!

Now time for hand print finger painting (which was later replaced by hand print stamping!).

The finished product!

And some fun Father's Day coasters, thanks to Pinterest!

"Did someone say HAM?"

"Thanks, Uncle Van, for the Tar Heel hat and the UNC ram!  What am I going to be?  A Clemson Tiger?  An Auburn Tiger?  A Memphis Tiger?  A UNC Tar Heel? A USC Gamecock?  None of the above!  I'm going to be a WKU HILLTOPPER!"

"For the Glory of God..."

Paul and I celebrated five years of marriage this past Saturday, June 2.  Unlike last year, our celebration this year was drama-free and relaxing.  Our sweet friend, Elise, babysat Luke while we ate at one of my favorite restaurants, Varanese.  We enjoyed the wonder that is Varanese, and what a treat it was to spend time alone together!

God deserves much praise for the ways He has blessed our marriage.  Our first day of marriage marked the one-year anniversary of us as a couple, so obviously, we were not experts on how to "do marriage well." In fact, as I became consumed in the commotion of wedding planning during our short 5 1/2 month engagement, Paul would encourage me to invest my preparation on us "being married" more than on us "getting married."  The problem was that we didn't know how to "be married," because at the time, our relationship was primarily a blissful feeling. We had no experience under our belts to teach us yet that marriage is a decision- a good decision.

On our wedding day, we recited the traditional vows to each other.  At the end of the vow, we added the phrase, "for the glory of God, through Christ Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit."  We knew that  we were getting married to glorify God and that the words in this phrase were the only means of fulfilling our vows, but we struggled to glorify God with marriage.  I don't know that anyone can fully prepare for that.  But in His perfect providence, God did not delay in showing us our selfishness and how much selflessness was necessary to make marriage thrive.  He taught us that the only way we could love each other well was to keep Him in the center of it.

And there was no better reminder of that than the sermon that Denny Burk preached  this past Sunday.  He reminded us that according to the Bible, marriage exists for the glory of God. What a helpful and convicting reminder this was! While Paul and I certainly do not claim to have the perfect marriage and while I am forever a wife-in-training, I'm so thankful that the One who created marriage is the One who will sustain it!  Praise Jesus!