She.is.here.

Bekah that is.

Bekah is here.

And we get a glorious 5 days with her.

More later..... :~)

A different kind of Christmas this year

This Christmas season started out for us much like any other in years past.

We decorated our tree.

while Marvelly watched.

We made cookies, made crafts

and ate cookies...lots and lots of cookies...too many cookies. I'm pretty much cookied out by this point.

we made goody plates for the neighbors and shared some gospel love

 We hit up the Durham to see the massive indoor tree

 oh, and Mr. and Mrs. Claus and their reindeer (?) Wait, we don't encourage this...how did that happen!

But, in the midst of the sameness of our season, we sprinkled in some 'firsts'....

Sydaleigh participated in her school Christmas program-the first of many I'm sure.

 We went to see the African Children's Choir.

(which was absolutely AMAZING! The children were so precious and the songs and their little African voices and clothes and skin and dances...Ah! Loved every.minute of it. Amazing program. A-mazing. I love hearing about how God can give one person an idea that will literally change countless lives. I want to be that kind of person.)

 followed by dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant where we ate Ethiopian food.

 (Isaak wasn't a fan of the bread, which really isn't bread, it's some kind of pancake like consistency 

flat bread/tortilla. I happened to like it. )

We picked back up the "sameness" by going to Christmas Eve service at church (no blizzard this year!), and made our cupcakes in honor of Jesus' birthday and serenaded Him to the tune of "Happy Birthday"...

But then the girls wanted to change it back up and asked to sleep by the tree, to which we obliged. So they slept by the tree, all night, but not before we let them open a few presents firsts.  (Which was another first. I'm usually a stickler for waiting till Christmas. But this year I let them open up more than just their usual new Christmas eve movie and book, to which they were completely thrilled).

Come Christmas morning we did what we do. The girls excitedly woke up (after sleeping till almost 8!) and we opened gifts

we lounged around all morning and then got to work on dinner. 

We coordinated with friends on what to make and what to bring for our Christmas feast..

 potatoes, honey glazed ham, sweets...

"What if I told you
You have the power
To give someone hope
Beyond their wildest dreams
What if I told you
It’s right there in your hands, In your hands" 

but on this day, this year, we did something different. We still got together with friends, the Willis' and the Thompson's, but not at anyone's house. 

"It’s hard to imagine
How something so small
Can make all the difference
Tear down the tallest wall
What if December
Looked different this year "

This year we brought our Christmas dinner here...

"Give this Christmas away
If there’s love in your heart
Don’t let it stay there
Give this Christmas away
And your life will be changed
By the gifts you receive
When you give this Christmas away"

 We filled up four carts worth of food

 and served it to some kids who don't have the luxury of being home with their families.

"It’s feeding the hungry
Serving the poor
It’s telling the orphan
You’re not forgotten anymore
It’s doing what love does
Even when no one’s watching you" 

These kids, who are stuck in the system, no Christmas tree to wake up to, no parents to kiss hello, no traditions to partake in. Not an easy place to be any day, but even more so on the holidays.

So, we brought a Christmas tree, and set one on each table. We brought parents and siblings to talk to over dinner. We brought presents. We brought traditions as we sang hymns and carols to the beat of a guitar.

We talked and laughed and sang and served and colored and played...and shared Christ's love on this Christmas day. So that for one night, the five kids staying here could be a part of a family.

"Give this Christmas away
If there’s love in your heart
Don’t let it stay there
Give this Christmas away
And your life will be changed
By the gifts you receive
When you give this Christmas away
For God so loved the world
That He gave His only Son
So we could be
His hands, His feet, His love
His love"

It was a different kind of Christmas for us this year. The girls got to see where daddy goes each week, the kids he talks to, the lives he's helping to change. 

It wasn't just about presents and our family.

They got to see a bitter reality for some kids, but a simple way to be Christ's light in the midst of that. 

We talked a lot before going about why these kids were there. Sydaleigh wanting to know where their parents were, why they couldn't take care of them, how we could help. 

Sydaleigh decided to make each kid at the shelter a cut out construction paper heart to make them feel better. Her own way of sharing joy and making their day a bit brighter.

She is getting it. She is seeing that the world is a hard place to be for some people. Not everyone has what she has. And I see God stretching her and molding her. Marvelly is still a bit young, but God will take her there. 

By His grace He's taking us all there.

After yesterday we decided to make this a part of our Christmas day each year.

After all, what better way to share Christ's love than to give it away...

Christmas 2010

An eavsdropped prayer

I was walking by the girls bedroom door right after bedtime when I heard Sydaleigh very enthusiastically saying.... 

"and I love you so much, and more than my mom and more than my dad, and I had so much fun today I can't believe my eyes. Thank you God! Amen."

Well, amen indeed.

I think my heart just flew to the moon and back. That is one heck of kid I'm blessed with. 

What Christmas is really about

Standing up. In the middle of a food court. And proclaiming the Lord on high. Unashamed. Singing His praises and goodness for everyone to hear. That is Christmas. And He is why we celebrate.

"Hallelujah! King of Kings and Lord of Lords!"

  

Watch it. And take the next 4:57 to celebrate our reason for the season.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE&feature=player_embedded
(in case the video skips or stalls here is the link) 

These are a few of my favorite things

Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs

 These are a few of my favorite things

Hilton Head 2010

  

My beach. My favoritetess of all beaches anywhere I've been in the United States. It doesn't boast anything particularly special. No fancy boardwalk, no pier, no jaw dropping cliffs, or eye catching scenery. It's just, simple. And peaceful. And the sand is as fine and soft as any sand I've ever laid my toes on. 

It is never busy, in beach standards, when I come. It has special little nooks and crannies behind the non-busier sand paths with tall sweepy grasses and tiny dunes for resting. The spots I most enjoy to lay. To watch.

To watch the people pass by. To watch the sky and water merge together.

To close my eyes and breathe the salty air. And silently give thanks to Him for it all. It's my special place.

Hilton Head was a blast this year. It was one of our smaller years with only 38 people able to come. Probably a big head count for most families, but we usually average around 50+...so 38 feels small with us.

This was our 11th year meeting in Hilton Head for Thanksgiving. And we have our own little traditions by now on this charming little island. Wednesday night is Fuddruckers.

burgers and cousins and lots of love from aunts and uncles, and basketball and...chocolate.

Thursday is bird day. My mom is such a little Betty Crocker. She was very proud of her pretty little stuffed bird. You find a seat where you can,

and if you can't find a seat you go out here-which is where half of everyone ends up.

There is guaranteed to be poker every night. And this year me and my mom got in on the action. I have never played poker before, had no clue what I was doing, playing with all the mens who know cards inside and out...and yet, after three hours, and 13 players, little ole me came in third, boo-YEAH! and my mom came in 2nd! WHAT?!! We totally.rocked those guys!! Haaa.ha.ha.ha.haaaa!!!

(We went to bed that night at 1am and got up at 3:30am to go to Target off the island with a van full of cousins to do some early bird shopping. First time doing that. Got some great deals. Stood in line for nearly an hour. Probably won't do it next year. But it was still a load of fun!)

The beach we hit up everyday. And the weather was beautiful this year. It was actually in the 70's on Thanksgiving day.

me and my mom and Isaak's shadow-Hilton Head Island November 2010

oh.yeah. That's right. Don't be jealous that I just totally busted out an awesome one handed bald mermaid sculpture.  

The girls had their 2nd annual girls' night out party too. Which I have no pictures of. Because I was busy watching Harry and having an adults night out (my mom is awesome!)...but there was some serious girl time, complete with make-up, pizza, dancing, a night time walk, dress up, loads of giggles and squeaks.  

Victoria. My niece and an ever talked about favorite big cousin. They got to spend lots of time together.

Larry. Marvelly's adopted pelican statue friend, that she named Larry. They spent lots of time together.

Favorite family who we don't see nearly enough...

Aunt Abby and Uncle Joel

Uncle Jordan and Aunt Becca.

my brothers have a thing for beards of which Marvelly lovingly called the pokies.

It was a great time. We were sad to leave, as usual, but ready to be heading home. The girls were ready to see their cats and get ready for Christmas, our next big thing on the calendar.

Next stop, home bound.