Please welcome Adia Faith Bowen. Her debut was January 31, 2006 at 12:22 a.m. She weighed in at a whopping 8 lbs and 15 oz. She was 21 1/2 inches long. She has her daddy's legs...lucky girl. She was delivered by her daddy at home with the assistance of our lovely midwife. She was welcomed by her mama and daddy and her excited older siblings. She came quickly and relatively easily, and with her eyes wide open and her arms spread, she screamed at us, "HERE I AM! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?!!"

Faith, as we call her, is looking forward to meeting all of you soon. At the present we are planning to drive to Michigan on Saturday, March 11 and stay until the following Thursday morning. Grace has Spring Break that week and Bobby will be out of town...(singing at Chet's on the 10th and 11th, by the way).

Mary and Kristy have blogs and I think they're a nice way to see what's going in someone else's life. I was messing around trying to get y'all an announcement in the mail. Bah! This is easier and less expensive...and I can send more than one picture. Don't worry, I won't be sending you emails every time I post in my blog. If you're nosy and you want to see what someone's been up to, you put their blog address into your "favorites" and then you can click on it at your leisure.

Kristy's blog spot is http://thehallconnection.blogspot.com/

Kris and Mary both have blogs and they're both pretty interesting. Shoot, they have a family website which is where you go first and then you can choose a blog to read. Their web address is www.kelsofamily.net

My blog spot is http://thebowenarrows.blogspot.com/

I made my first post a week ago. My intentions were to post 3 or 4 times per week and maybe even daily depending on what's going on. I'm posting on Sunday morning because I'm home with Hope (and Faith). Hope has a fever this morning. We both hate that. She had a fever of 103 and was up and following me around as I got Grace and Landis ready for church telling me she could get herself dressed and gathering her clothes around herself in an attempt to "get dvessed." After Bobby and the two oldest left, she cried and said she wanted to go too. I understood because I wanted to go. I absolutely HATE staying home from church. As I sat feeding Faith I asked Hope if she wanted to pray and then maybe we could still get ready to go. She agreed. We prayed and she went to sleep. :) Very little has kept us home. I once was so brave as to say that "we never stay home from church because of sickness; sickness is of the Devil and of course he doesn't want us to go to church. If we're sick then the altar is where we need to be anyway." I know that even though there is truth in all of that, there comes a time when a mother needs to keep her children safely at home wrapped up in bed. And I guess this morning I just didn't have the desire to fight it because I'm so tired. The thought of lying on the couch and napping sounded just oh so good. Lately Faith, even though she sleeps 5 hours at a time, doesn't seem to want to close her big eyes after 10:00 pm. After she gets her little belly filled, she's just as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as can be. Not cranky, just AWAKE. I think she needs a spanking. :)

I read this earlier in the week and was reminded of it again this morning:

"Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry and He will say, 'Here I am.'

If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday. The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; (your immune system is in your bones) you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. Those from among you shall build the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.

If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.

The mouth of the LORD has spoken."
Isaiah 58:6-14

Lord help me to always honor Your Sabbath... I guess that means I need to step away from the computer and go honor the LORD.

It's Sunday evening, the kids have just been put to bed and the baby is stirring. Feeding time is in 30 minutes. (Bobby just looked over my shoulder and said, "stirring what?") This is MY time. Time to send an email, or better yet, start a blog. I actually hesitated in starting a blog right now because I really need to be spending my time with Bobby. He'll leave for Waverly again in the morning and be gone until Wednesday night. But Bobby said to go ahead and start my blog in case I had any questions, then he'd be here to help me. What a guy!

None the less, I'll keep this short. I decided at the end of last year that I should probably start a blog since I don't keep a journal or diary. I've always said that I keep my emails and those serve as a sort of diary. True, but this will probably be easier. Two of my sisters keep blogs and several friends - it's time to join in the fun.

I'd better keep my promise about keeping this short. Looking forward to a blogging future!

Oh, let's include a picture of the latest addition to our family.