Aidan came home from the hospital last Friday, and is all better now. Mike is too! SO Saturday, we finally got our tree, and then Calli got sick! She is ok though, and on antibiotics, but feeling very tired and worn out. I am happy and joyous for not getting sick so that I could care for my family.
These past weeks have been just so busy. I mean it probably is for everyone, but it just seemed like my phone never stopped ringing. There were so many chores, and lists of things needing to be done, schoolwork piled waiting to be done, many things need to be done around here. It is so easy to get lost in the middle of all of this busyness and chaos....to lose focus and pay attention to the things that really do not matter-is an easy thing to do.
Calli and Aidan were crying last week, saying it did not seem like Christmas yet. In reality, it didn't. Nothing was hung or decorated, we had not shopped or smelled a tree....but I think it was really deeper than that. This year is so different. We are and always have been busy, but this year, it is like chaos- all at once-
Deep in our hearts, we just want everything to be normal- We want our biggest dilemma to be ..."What to get dad?"
Normalcy.
Ya know?
Tidings of comfort and joy
and peace on earth
and all that stuff.
I felt like Charlie Brown just now...I guess I often do...people can get distracted with the shiny trees and presents and all we really want is a simple little tree that we can sing around with our really big open mouths :)
Funny thing, the other day, I opened my door and there was a Charlie Brown Popcorn Tin on my doorstep. My mom had dropped it off in the still of the morning, while we were all sleeping. Thanks Mama.
So we ventured out to get the tree over the weekend, and Aidan picked it out- a simple tree. We managed to put up a few small decorations that are meaningful and simple. Aidan made cookies and we had the fireplace on and music playing.
As we placed each ornament on the tree, we remembered the days and times we made them. My ornaments took me right back to North Wales Elementary School.... making those clothespin reindeer, the macaroni ornament I made in my second grade class...the card ornaments we made with my mom, and the hearts I sewed with my Aunt Alison, when Calli was a baby.... Then we hung the ornament that was given the year Mike's dad died, and both baby's first Christmas ornaments, our first Christmas together....my children's painted hands- so little, so small, pictures of them through the years are all over the tree, snowmen and angels and wreaths they made for me, bells from choir, and starfish from Calli's trip to Turks and Caicos......each one takes us back to a time and a place....a memory.
It is not always easy to remember things, I mean... sometimes it brings sorrow and tears. Memories, good or bad, can do that. Tears stained my cheek through the night as I thought of beloved friends that are gone, my precious father-in-law, our foster children who we all miss and love so much...family troubles.....I thought of times when Calli and Aidan were so small and the winter nights we have spent together doing this same thing. I thought of the time Mike picked out a tree that was much larger than our 9 ft ceilings...I thought of our first tree less than 2 ft tall. My brain unsealed thoughts of turmoil, and conflict....and then, I thought of peace and love. I cried remembering....all we have gone through, the many years of joy and sorrow and they have all made us who we are. I am so thankful for my husband and my children, I love them so much. God is so gracious to let me call them my own, to bless me with such love.
We are comforted and have joy with our simple but complex lives. We must take the rain along with the sunshine...that is how we grow. I am so full of HOPE and I BELIEVE in God, in what He came to earth to do. He came to show us how to be humble, how to be servants, how to live simply... He came to show us a better way.
May you find Joy and Peace and comfort and contentment in the simple everyday things of life-
All I want for Christmas, I already have- God has given me so much, how can I ever complain? How can I ever ask or want anything more?
These past weeks have been just so busy. I mean it probably is for everyone, but it just seemed like my phone never stopped ringing. There were so many chores, and lists of things needing to be done, schoolwork piled waiting to be done, many things need to be done around here. It is so easy to get lost in the middle of all of this busyness and chaos....to lose focus and pay attention to the things that really do not matter-is an easy thing to do.
Calli and Aidan were crying last week, saying it did not seem like Christmas yet. In reality, it didn't. Nothing was hung or decorated, we had not shopped or smelled a tree....but I think it was really deeper than that. This year is so different. We are and always have been busy, but this year, it is like chaos- all at once-
Deep in our hearts, we just want everything to be normal- We want our biggest dilemma to be ..."What to get dad?"
Normalcy.
Ya know?
Tidings of comfort and joy
and peace on earth
and all that stuff.
I felt like Charlie Brown just now...I guess I often do...people can get distracted with the shiny trees and presents and all we really want is a simple little tree that we can sing around with our really big open mouths :)
Funny thing, the other day, I opened my door and there was a Charlie Brown Popcorn Tin on my doorstep. My mom had dropped it off in the still of the morning, while we were all sleeping. Thanks Mama.
So we ventured out to get the tree over the weekend, and Aidan picked it out- a simple tree. We managed to put up a few small decorations that are meaningful and simple. Aidan made cookies and we had the fireplace on and music playing.
As we placed each ornament on the tree, we remembered the days and times we made them. My ornaments took me right back to North Wales Elementary School.... making those clothespin reindeer, the macaroni ornament I made in my second grade class...the card ornaments we made with my mom, and the hearts I sewed with my Aunt Alison, when Calli was a baby.... Then we hung the ornament that was given the year Mike's dad died, and both baby's first Christmas ornaments, our first Christmas together....my children's painted hands- so little, so small, pictures of them through the years are all over the tree, snowmen and angels and wreaths they made for me, bells from choir, and starfish from Calli's trip to Turks and Caicos......each one takes us back to a time and a place....a memory.
It is not always easy to remember things, I mean... sometimes it brings sorrow and tears. Memories, good or bad, can do that. Tears stained my cheek through the night as I thought of beloved friends that are gone, my precious father-in-law, our foster children who we all miss and love so much...family troubles.....I thought of times when Calli and Aidan were so small and the winter nights we have spent together doing this same thing. I thought of the time Mike picked out a tree that was much larger than our 9 ft ceilings...I thought of our first tree less than 2 ft tall. My brain unsealed thoughts of turmoil, and conflict....and then, I thought of peace and love. I cried remembering....all we have gone through, the many years of joy and sorrow and they have all made us who we are. I am so thankful for my husband and my children, I love them so much. God is so gracious to let me call them my own, to bless me with such love.
 |
| HOPE AND BELIEVE- God our Living Hope |
 |
| Calli said, "Mom I made the mistletoe last year, this year you have to get the real stuff." |
 |
| Yes, he is feeling much better! (and he got to pick the tree) |
 |
| trying to screw in the screws! |
 |
| crooked- ugh |
 |
| Dad took over :) |
 |
| Butchy LOVES daddy :) |
 |
| Scotty |
 |
| Setting up one of two nativity scenes we have |
 |
 |
| The kids and I made this years ago :) |
 |
| sugar cookies |
 |
| all done- now for the star-last year was Aidan's turn, so this year Calli gets to do it. |
 |
| I LOVE THIS! Mike was asking her if she wanted him to pick her up to put it on the tree- her face is like- NO! :) |
 |
| HELP ME MOM! |
 |
| this is not scripted, it was sweet |
 |
| except...the top needed to be cut off and we forgot to plug it in..so here we go again! |
 |
| Mom, really? |
 |
| again..not scripted totally cute and very Mike and Calli. |
 |
| lol- she is taller than the tree |
 |
| got it |
 |
| happy |
 |
| content |
 |
| nutty |
 |
 |
| she loves me, and I love her, and we still love to cuddle each and every single day |
 |
| my sweets |
 |
| pretty |
 |
| The stockings are hung |
 |
| I made Mike, Calli and Aidan;s stockings, mine is the stocking I have had as long as I can remember that my Nana made me. |
 |
| Merry Christmas 2011 |
We are comforted and have joy with our simple but complex lives. We must take the rain along with the sunshine...that is how we grow. I am so full of HOPE and I BELIEVE in God, in what He came to earth to do. He came to show us how to be humble, how to be servants, how to live simply... He came to show us a better way.
May you find Joy and Peace and comfort and contentment in the simple everyday things of life-
All I want for Christmas, I already have- God has given me so much, how can I ever complain? How can I ever ask or want anything more?
I love the tree! Oh, and by the way, I got an early present from one of our family friends on Wednesday....a Living Hope Bracelet! (:
ReplyDeleteIt's beautiful, thank you for taking the time to pick one out for me!
Merry Christmas!
<3
Lydia
Love the pictures! So glad to hear Aiden is feeling better and that you haven't gotten sick. Praise the Lord for that! Merry Christmas Derstines!
ReplyDeleteLucy, I laughed and I cried reading this and seeing all the pictures. So meaningful to me. Thanks for sharing. The picture of all three dogs I saved. :) Love those puppies.
ReplyDeleteWe love you all, your tree is beautiful - like you <3
Merry Christmas.
I love your tree.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you found it;
simplicity.