New Griffin pictures

Temptation

Thomas A Kempis wrote: "More often than they might suspect, people of reputation have been in grave danger and didn't know it; they're good people, but they've extended their self-confidence beyond its natural limit. From this one could draw the conclusion that it's helpful to be tempted from time to time. One might even say that to be tempted to the point of endurance could help delfate the interior desolation and deflect exterior consolations."

Is temptation something to be viewed as positive in a life lived for Jesus Christ? Jesus taught us to pray " ... and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, ...". And then we have seen example after example of godly person who was tempted both in the past and in our present. And Jesus Himself, God in human body, was LED to the desert FOR THE PURPOSE of being tempted! God " ... who cannot be tempted, nor does He tempt anyone ..." (James 1) was tempted! That is just a little mind wrenching.

To be tempted or not to be tempted. That is the question.

Convenience

Have we, inadvertantly, in our quest to make life painless and joyful and efficient, begun to take from life that which actually makes it rich and meaningful. In an earlier post I mentioned that life is more like a woven blanket or rug wherein the whoop and warp are the good and difficult aspects of life purposefully woven together to make a beautiful piece of fabric. Take one of them out and you're left with just stretches of used string or wool ... not good for anything. So I'm wondering if, in essence, we are doing exactly that, with the seemingly good intention of making life easier.

In mentioning this to a friend they said that to them, it doesn't seem as though when people receive conveniences (cell phones, internet, dishwasher, microwave, car, etc.) that they are less busy. In fact, it appears that those people just move onto striving for the next convenience. Our lives can never be fully convenient, perhaps, because there are no end to the difficult things we have to do.

I say this because I have had a fascinating thought: that it seems to me that those things in life that are really the greatest and have a most positive influence on my life, are really anything but convenient. For example: my son, Griffin. He is anything but convenient. He didn't come out conveniently! It was a lot of work to get him into life, to get him breathing properly, to get him adjusted to home life and now we are trying to get him to learn to sleep in a regular pattern. Really, we're just waiting for him to do that. I have no control over the situation WHATSOEVER. He wants to feed, be awake, have a poop and sleep at all the most inconvenient times of the day. And yet, he is a source of such joy and wonder that it passes all understanding.

So, what think ye?

A whole new life

Phew,

Well, life has certainly changed in the Larson household in Hope. With the addition of Griffin to our family there has been no end to the excitement. Having a baby is certainly a change. This little gaffer now demands attention at the most ridiculous hours. My internal clock is completely out of wack. The first few days home have been: sleep two hours. eat one hour. change diaper. console baby after changing diaper. burp baby. change diaper. feed baby. sleep 1 hour. comfort baby for two hours in the middle of the night. change diaper. console baby after changing diaper ....... and so on.

Well, it sounds more mundane than it is. My wife and I are loving Griffin to pieces (not literally). We're seeing signs of his character all the time and of all the things I'm looking forward to, just getting to know who he is is one of the things I desire most.

We've had some pretty crazy pee stories. Ok, so, in the hospital, Kari is changing him in the nursery on his cradle. Right in the middle of things he decides to pee (which, apparently happens quite often). Well he shoots this stream up past my wife and RIGHT into the garbage can!! 3 POINTS!! Then we bring him home. The first three pees: 1 - Kari - pees all over her. 2 - Kari - pees a perfect shot right into his own eye! 3 - Tim - sprays me from shirt to pants despite my vain attempts to stop him. 4 - Kari - while washing his hair before his bath time, Kari wraps him up in a blanket without a diaper on. I'm washing the dishes, watching. Suddenly, Kari complains of water dripping on her sleeve (thinking I did a poor job filling the baby bath tub). Kari screams, realizing Griffin is peeing quite thoroughly and right through the blanket onto her shirt, down her pants and into her slipper! What a shot!

Ok, aside from embarrasing pee stories that my son will not appreciate knowing I posted on the internet later in his life ... this whole experience has had a profound affect on my relationship with my wife. I honestly have fallen more in love with my wife because of this experience. I don't know what it is exactly, but somehow, seeing her with my son who she worked so hard to deliver life, and realizing that he is a beautiful creation made possible through a commitment that we have already given our lives to ... it just has shot my respect and appreciation for this woman I love and know through the roof. I didn't know it was possible. But there you have it.

What a mystery this life is, but how absolutely remarkable. That God would choose to create us in such a way. I'm still a little overwhelmed by the whole thing.

We're all winners

Something to brighten your day: remember that everyone that is alive is really a winner. Because, on average, every person here was the result of one out of roughly 200 billion sperm that made it. YOU are #1! And to say you were first of 200 billion ... well, that's just fantastic!

We're home!

Yes, today we've arrived home after a long wait in Chilliwack Hospital. Which, I might add, was, as far as hospital experiences go, excellent. Excellent staff of nurses and doctors who did their very best to ensure both my wife and son were healthy and ready for the next step in caring for a newborn.

Now we're home in Hope and will be enjoying some time not catching up on sleep (maybe a little bit) as we begin a family life that is completely new. A brand new adventure as we embark with Griffin and his new life.

Here are some other favourite pics of the last few days for you to check out:

Griffin Bruce Larson

Here are some pictures of our new little son, Griffin. The pictures are in chronological order. Starting with Griffin here looking at us from inside his IC Unit during the first day, a little later yawning and sleeping in his nursery cradle, Grandma Denniston with Griffin, Mom and Griffin, the whole family, Griffin holding Dad's fingers, Great Grandma Larson with Griffin, Griffin sitting up and sleeping (this kid can sleep anywhere. here you see the little IV that he's had to wear to get his anitbiotics lately as well as what is left of the umbilical cord that has all but shriveled up and fallen off), the last two are some snapshots of funny faces he's made today (4th day). He's sleeping but ... maybe dreaming??

An update on Griffin and Mom

Hello to all. I'm sorry I have not been letting you know more about our little one. We do have lots of pictures but have yet to officially leave the hospital yet. Griffin's delivery was quite difficult for both Mom and he and we've learned he's contracted a little phnemonia through the process so he's obliged to stay here in Chilliwack hospital through until Monday. The staff (nurses and doctors) at Chilliwack hospital have been absolutely excellent and very caring. For that we are very grateful. We had a wonderful doctor who did an excellent job of helping Kari through bringing Griffin into life in this world.

So, what happened? Well, after much work and the baby still not surfacing, the doctor realized something was amiss. It was soon found out that my little boy had the cord wrapped around his head. Not only that, he had decided to come out doing the Superman pose. That is, having one hand up by his head and one down. Needless to say, that is not the easiest way to delivery a baby. What can I say, I have a super baby!

Mom is recovering well despite all and is in great spirits. She couldn't walk the first couple of days but is slowly getting around on her own two feet now. Myself, I just really want to take my family home and begin our life in Hope anew with Griffin. Thank you for all your prayers and notes and gifts and flowers. We have been loved extravagantly through the ordeal.

A new life!

At 5:14 am January 11th 2007, Griffin Bruce Larson was born weighing in at an unexpected 9 lbs 1 oz with blonde hair and blue eyes! We thank our God who allowed us the amazing opportunity to be privileged enough to be a part of the creation of a new life. What an amazing experience. You know that I will be writing a number of posts on this in the next while.

We have pictures but we're not home yet from the hospital. Kari's labour and delivery were somewhat complicated near the end and so little Griffin is being monitored closely for now while we wait there. If all is well, in a couple days we'll bring him home :).

Thanks also to all who have been such an amazing help through this whole process: Pat & Peggy stuck with us through all 19 hours of labour, as did Joanne, Kari's Mom. Kari is doing remarkably well for all that.

As far as the pool, all guesses are in and with the announcement above the pool closes. I will determine the winner shortly and post it here soon. If you have not yet paid your pool entrant fee, please do so soon, thank you. I'M A DAD!!!

T & K Larson baby pool! Enter and win!

T&K Larson Baby Pool Winner = Peggy Wiens!!!! of Hope BC

Winning guess: Boy: Franklin Bruce, 6:28 pm, 7lbs 4 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes - 120 points total out of a possible 170

Winner was chosen based on a points system calculated as follows:

Correct gender: 10 points

Correct hair colour: 10 points

Correct eye colour: 10 points

Every letter present in guessed names also present in matching true name: 10 points per letter

Weight guess closest to actual: 10 points

Time guess closest to actual: 10 points

Points were awarded, in decending order, for the next closest guesses for time & weight (i.e. 9 points for the 2nd closest guess, 8 for the 3rd, etc.)

Entrants will be accepted until results (babies actual statistics) are released (birth). Inducement completed.

Delivery update: Labour done and completed; baby born!

Current Pool Winnings amount (collected & confirmed en route. Includes monies given to boost pool amount): $121.00

Total Pool Winnings amount (all guesses included): $151.00

Winnings: $75.00; Baby education fund deposit: $76.00

Total # of guesses to date: 73

# of girls: 37

# of boys: 36

All guesses listed below

Pool fee minimum: $2.00

Entrants must guestimate the baby's weight (in lbs & oz's), hair colour, eye colour, gender, name (first & middle) and time of birth (hour & minutes only; due to birth garanteed to happen within the next week). Entrant whose combined guesses are nearest the actual will win. Winner will receive half the pool money. The other half of the winnings will go towards the child's education fund to be set up by the parents.

Only three guesses per participant. $2.00 fee per guess required.

Once submitted to the parents, the guesses will stand and cannot be changed or swapped or removed.

Winnings cannot be awarded until winner's entrant fee is submitted. If winner does not submit fee within a week of disclosed winning specifics, winnings will go to the next closest entrant whose guess and fee are submitted.

Weight, name and time of birth guesses nearest to the actual will add to the probability of a win. For example: if actual name is Ferdinand Englebert and guessed name is Frank Vince, points towards the guess are awarded for the correct first letter of the first name. Also, if actual time is 6:42 pm and closest guessed time is 6:40 pm, points towards that guess are awarded to deciding the winner.

Time guesses must include a.m. or p.m. suffixes.

Entrants may otherwise scheme, plot, conspire, collude and machinate to their hearts content but may not, in any way, request leading information from the parents.

The pool is open to anyone wishing to join who is at least acquainted with the parents.

Pool closes when the actual information is disclosed to the populace. Disclosure will be formally done on Tim's blog: www.greycladmystery.blogspot.com.

Guestimates may be entered on paper in person, via e-mail (to fearlessone99@hotmail.com), via snail mail (Box 183 Hope BC V0X 1L0) or on Tim's blog posted as a comment below on this post.

Pool fees may be done via cash or cheque. Cheques may be made out to Tim or Kari Larson. Pool fees are non-refundable.

Thank you and good luck!!

Current guesses (in order they were received):

• Boy: Jamie Clay, 11:40 pm, 7 lbs 13 oz, light brown hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Yvonne Alaya, 9:00 pm, 7 lbs 2 oz, light brown hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Lonnie Bruce, 2:30 pm, 7 lbs 15 oz, light brown hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Rebekka Anne, 10:55 am, 7 lbs 3 oz, blonde hair, brown eyes
• Girl: Jennifer Rachel, 6:42 pm, 7 lbs 1 oz, blonde hair, brown eyes
• Girl: Cassandra Kimberly, 3:04 am, 6 lbs 13 oz, strawberry blonde hair, brown eyes
• Girl: Willow Faith, 11:00 am, 8lbs 10 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Daniel Timothy, 6:48 am, 7 lbs 14 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Caroline Elizabeth, 7:15 am, 8 lbs 5 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Kate Lynn, 6:30 pm, 7 lbs 7 oz, blonde hair, green eyes
• Boy: Timothy Gandalf, 3:14 pm, 7 lbs 14 oz, no hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Eowyn Grace, 6:27 am, 7 lbs 6 oz, brown hair, grey eyes
• Boy: Jacob Daniel, 9:14 am, 8lbs 2 oz, light brown hair, hazel eyes
• Girl: Iris Leona, 2:53 pm, 7 lbs 11 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Jacob Bruce, 3:52 am, 8 lbs 2 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Lucas Thor, 1900 hrs (7:00 pm), 7 lbs 0 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Samuel Timothy Bruce, 10:38 am , 7 lbs 8 oz, light brown hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Jonathan Daniel, 6:05 am, 7 lbs 3 oz, curly red hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Noah David, 3:40 am, 6 lbs 8 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Emma Christine, 1:15 am, 6 lbs 13 oz, strawberry blonde hair, green eyes
• Girl: Eva Grace, 6:14 am, 7 lbs 1 oz, brown hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Kimberly Joy, 1:58 pm, 8 lbs 7 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Jack Daniel, 3:16 am, 8 lbs 10 oz, sandy brown hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Mackenzie Clay, 4:00 am, 8 lbs 6 oz, sandy brown hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Xavier Scott, 6:00 am, 8 lbs 4 oz, sandy brown hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Natalia May, 8:00 am, 7 lbs 9 oz, sandy brown hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Angelina Ingrid, 2:21 am, 7 lbs 0 oz, strawberry blonde hair, brown eyes
• Girl: Alexia Cadean, 5:35 am, 7 lbs 5 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Avelyn Joy, 4:50 pm, 8 lbs 0z, dirty blonde hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Moira Elizabeth, 8:07 am, 8 lbs 9 oz, blonde hair, green eyes
• Girl: Kassandra Tamara, 8:15 pm, 7 lbs 7 oz, light strawberry brown hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Brennan David, 8:03 am, 7 lbs 15 oz, no hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Abigail Katherine, 11:00 pm, 8 lbs 3 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Ross Jacob, 7:34 am, 8 lbs 11 oz, brown hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Monica Joy, 9:57 pm, 9 lbs 2 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Victoria Penelope, 6:55 pm, 8 lbs 7 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Daniel Isaiah, 4:35 pm, 8 lbs 5 oz, no hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Cameron Bruce, 10:30 am, 7 lbs 12 oz, light brown hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Jordan Tyler, 2:47 pm, 8 lbs 6 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Sandra Lyn, 2:37 pm, 8 lbs 6 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Sarah Leanne, 11:55 pm, 6 lbs 12 oz, redish blonde hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Deborah Nadine, 6:35 pm, 7 lbs 10 oz, dark hair, hazel eyes
• Boy: Aaron James, 1:45 pm, 7 lbs 8 oz, dark hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Ethan Joel, 8:20 am, 8 lbs 2 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Timothy Isaac, 8:48 pm, 7 lbs 2 oz, brown hair, green eyes
• Girl: Anna Joy, 3:18 pm, 6 lbs 8 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Kevin James, 7:38 pm, 7 lbs 11 oz, brown hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Grant Timothy, 10:14 am, 7 lbs 8 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Estelle Anne, 5:24 am, 7 lbs 2 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Jamiroquai Len, 12:00 pm, 6 lbs 5 oz, brown hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Tanner Jerrick, 3:00 am, 8 lbs 0 oz, brown hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Awesomest Ever, 25:00 pm, 14 lbs 200 0z, pink hair, purple eyes
• Boy: Franklin Bruce, 6:28 pm, 7 lbs 4 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Isaiah John, 5:31 pm, 7 lbs 12 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Nathan Peter, 7:10 am, 7 lbs 6 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Evan Andrew, 3:42 pm, 7 lbs 5 oz, brown hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Amilia Elisabeth, 2:43 am, 7 lbs 1 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Lara Lydia, 3:18 pm, 8 lbs 4 oz, dirty blonde hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Paul Aragorn, 4:23 am, 7 lbs 0 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Kristin Galadriel, 8:15 am, 6 lbs 11 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Tom Bombadil, 12:01 pm, 8 lbs 8 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Anessa Joann, 3:13 am, 7 lbs 8 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Caleb Bruce, 7:06 am, 8 lbs 3 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Mary Grace, 3:00 pm, 8 lbs 0 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Emma Louise, 4:15 pm, 7 lbs 13 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Emily Kari, 9:20 pm, 8 lbs 2 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Sarah Joanne, 3:30 pm, 8 lbs 5 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Benjamin Tim, 1:30 am, 9 lbs 2 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Girl: Katrina Joy, 3:33 am, 7 lbs 7 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Derek Paul, 5:55 am, 7 lbs 10 oz, blonde hair blue eyes
• Girl: Clarisa Theresa, 2:10 pm, 7 lbs 3 oz, blonde hair blue eyes
• Boy: Leonard James, 1:35 am, 7 lbs 2 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Mark Timothy, 1:00 pm, 6 lbs 8 oz, blonde hair, blue eyes
• Boy: Samuel John, 8:06 am, 6 lbs 10 oz, brown hair, blue eyes