The Year in Review

My little helpers left this morning . . . leaving the house feeling cold and empty. I think we’ll have to light a log in the fireplace today. The past few days I’ve seen again how children wake up to face each day like it’s a new adventure . . . joining Papa at his exercise bench first thing in the morning . . . excited about waffles with yummy sauce and later Grammy squished into the playhouse, pretending to drink coffee.

Just as they were heading out the door, Natalie suddenly had to run downstairs to find a little something . . . like a souvenir from amongst the toys strewn about. A small leather box with a lid and then a few treasures tucked inside . . . that’s what she took.

I understood. It’s what I feel like at the end of this year . . I don’t want to leave it all behind just yet, Maybe I can find a box and tuck in some special memories to take into the new year.

It has been a very good year! A year full of blessings I can’t take for granted. Going through my photos in my Picasa . . . my mind went back to the highs of the year, sometimes almost tumbling over each other. I remember now . . . one thing I was going to do this year was to count the number of airport visits . . . to pick up, drop off, leave from or come home to. I forgot to do that.

The year began with the anticipation of our first “local” grandchild to be born. Lacey Danielle was born on January 14. What fun it has been to watch her grow this past year.

In February . . . how can we forget the long awaited Winter 2010 Olympics finally upon us? My H had the privilege to be involved in some of the set up for the opening and closing ceremonies. We enjoyed a visit downtown with Shaun and Kristal as they had come home to see their new niece.

At the end of February and into March, we visited Chris and Julene in Indonesia.

One highlight of the trip was the River Boat ride to see the orangutans.

In April we spent some time in Palm Springs. A highlight was the hike in the Indian Canyon.

In May we began decisions on what the Mennonite Girls Can Cook cookbook would look like.

In May we also visited Shaun and Kristal in their new home and place of employment in Colorado.

In June . . . Chris and Julene came home via Los Angeles . . . so we all met in Disneyland for one weekend. This was the only time we had the whole family together this year and we made every moment count.

Chris and Julene spent the summer months in the valley and on the island. We had lots of time together around the patio table, picnics, celebrating birthdays, a gondola ride at Whistler, and playing at the park.

At the end of August the Mennonite Girls Can Cook met for our first retreat ever. All summer long we were busy cooking, practicing food presentation to photograph and editing recipes.

In September we flew down to CO again and welcomed baby Koen to the family!

In October we celebrated our 35th Wedding Anniversary.

In November I was happy to stay home, watch the falling snow and prepare for Christmas.

December came along, almost too quickly. It’s been a month of giving and taking . . . ending with a wonderful time at home with kids and grands. As always . . . I cherish the times we could spend around the table. In this photo Lacey and her uncle Shaun are checking each other out instead of looking at the camera . . . and that's how it goes.

My box is filled with wonderful treasures!

Simple Pleasures of the Day

Buns with strawberry jam for breakfast . . .
Forklift rides at Papa's place of work . . . and drawing pictures at his desk.
Lunch at Lacey's house . . .

Reading stories while the nail polish dried . . .

Playing pool (a.k.a. bowling)

Playing in the basement playhouse . . .

Eating apple slices while making apple pie . . .

Setting the table with "Chrismus" Napkins . . .

A breathtaking early evening skyline . . .

Sitting in the hot tub in the dark with twinkly lights on . . .

Telling stories about when Grammy was a little girl.

Still Wonderful!

These days don't lend themselves to spending time blogging . . . so I will just show proof that they are really here. The gifts are opened . . . little cars and doll shoes may be found tucked in between sofa cushions . . . the pool table has become a bowling alley . . . the playhouse is turned upside down . . . old story books are littered over the floor . . . food is disappearing faster than it's being made . . . and we are getting some almost uninterrupted time to watch a movie. It's all like it's supposed to be! We are making memories.

Christmas Eve

It’s Christmas Eve. The night when all things are possible. There’s a sigh of relief, as the shopping is finished. People leave their work wishing each other well. Dad comes home with treats from the office. The house is clean. The tree has never looked so pretty. Carefully wrapped gifts hold all that the kids imagine and only things that fit perfectly.

Christmas music befits the night. Joy to the world! Silent Night, Holy night. Candles are lit. Hearts are open to receive and believe the best. It’s a night of good news . . . a temporary truce upheld . . . in the fields and in our homes.

For a precious little moment on the calendar we see glimpses of another world. Neighbors take time to greet each other, the newspaper publishes good news, sons call from far away, a meal is served to the homeless, there’s time to burst forth in carols and Jesus gets the glory.

It’s a night I wish could go on forever. And then I remember . . . something He said.
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18.19

So, on this Holy Night, I wish you the joy and peace that the angles proclaimed and Lord’s favor as you seek Him just like the wise men did.

The Rest of the Toy box Story

Unpacking is half the fun . . .

and then she settles down . . .

intrigued by the old toys from the 80's. . .

especially anything that produces sounds.

She can't understand why I'm taking so many pictures . . .

Can you?

Nine Ways to Sunday

The sun was almost ready to set when I asked him if he'd want to do me another favor. Lucky for me, he grinned and chuckled his way through the shoot. Crazy wife. I needed to do this for myself if not for anyone else, just to know I have enough options. I wore one skirt and changed up four tops and four sweaters.
This week I took note of the wreath on the pictures and realized I can't leave this post in draft for much longer . . . and that is the reason for this random post at this time. So here's to nine ways . . . to wish you a Merry Christmas!

The Toy Box Story

To be continued.

Coffee Table Munchies

I saw this in a magazine and decided to try it. I put out walnuts, dried fruit, banana chips and threw in some star anise and cinnamon sticks for looks . . . it's become a snack, surprisingly hard to resist.

Believing God Is Who He says He Is

For this is what the Lord says – He who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited – he says: “I am the Lord, and there is no other. I have not spoken in secret . . . " Isaiah 45: 18,19
We are not called to a blind faith. Children accept facts with child like faith, and God honors that kind of faith, but He has also left plenty of evidence in our world that testifies to the truth of what He has declared.

In the Old Testament David proclaims, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” Psalm 19:1

In the New Testament the apostle Paul writes, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” Romans 1:20

Beth Moore tells about a scientist and former atheist, John Clayton, who came to believe in God while attempting to prove that the Bible contradicts known scientific facts. In a book called The Source, which he co-authored with Nils Jarma, a case is made for creationism by assessing the vast improbability of our planet possessing all the conditions needed to support life by chance. With an explanation of how improbabilities work, these scientists came up with a mathematical equation of 1 in 15,000,000,000,000,000 odds that life on this world could have come about by chance. I don’t know how to read this number, but it seems to me that it may as well be a zero chance. The list of variables needed to spin our earth, with life as we know it, into motion is fascinating to read and only tells me that it had to be designed by someone who knew.

Beth puts out an interesting challenge. The challenge is to believers not only to have a stand of faith, but a walk of faith . . . being willing to access what we believe and learn about what we believe. I’ve had a number of chances to listen to Loui Giglio point out unbelievable things that the Hubble space telescope shows us today and scientific facts about our DNA that truly put Darwin in the dark ages. It turns out that the more we dig into science, the more we see how amazing God is and that He truly is Who He says He is. This is the foundation that helps me in times when I'm called to simply trust Him.

A Role Reversal

On Monday, around two AM in the morning we were sitting at the hospital, waiting with mom for her test results and wondering if we would be taking her home or leaving her there. She was in pain and discomfort from a nasty fall, and she was concerned . . . concerned about us staying up at all hours of the night with her. A nurse came around and simply said, “Something tells me that a few decades ago you were the one staying up at night with someone here. . . so maybe it’s just their turn.” Mom smiled. Of course she would not have thought of that.

It’s amazing how quickly things can change. One day she is going through her Christmas to do lists and the next day she cannot drive to do those things. She cannot write her cards, she cannot bake cookies . . . she has to rest in the fact that Christmas will be without finishing her list. It is obvious that it's the things she cannot do for others, that she is concerned about. Her first thoughts are not about the fact that she cannot even dress herself.

In the meantime, I am learning to care for her in a similar fashion that she cared for my needs as a very little girl. The one who bathed me and showed me how to bathe my babies, now has to sit as I wash her feet. It’s a humbling experience for her . . . but at the same time it gives me the chance to give back. I see I have big shoes to fill.

When a Son Becomes a Father

It's his turn . . . and I'm smiling.

How Can I Believe?

Photo scanned from Dec. 2008 issue of the Focus on the Family Canada magazine

So, if faith is so important, the question that comes up is, “How do I get it?”

First of all, I can ask.
In the time of Jesus, a father came to Him and asked Him to take pity on his son. This father’s contrasting sentiments echo how I have often felt.
“I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24)

A second way to acquire or increase my faith is to listen.
Romans 10 :17 says, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” This verse answers a question a few verses earlier where it says, "How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?”
It is by word of mouth and by reading God’s word that we come to believe.

Thirdly, and the one that resonates most with me, is to feed on God’s faithfulness. This involves remembering what God has done in the past. A heart that stores up memories of what God has already done, has more to draw on when our belief is tested. Remembering increases our faith.

Dear Lord, sometimes it's just hard to know what to believe. I have faith that you can do the impossible, but then I wonder if it's your will. So I ask that you gjive me the faith to ask boldly or show me how to pray according to your will and give me peace in that. Your peace in a difficult situation is a miracle too . . . I want to trust that you see things from an eternal perspective . . . and one day I will understand fully . . . just as I am fully understood by you now.

Window Washing and Window Shopping

We began our day in the city with breakfast. He had a ham omelet and I had raisin brioche French toast with mandarin/orange syrup.

Outside . . . dangling from another high rise . . . two window washers were busy at work in the cool morning. He saw them just before we sat down to eat, and chuckled, “how would you like that, me and you washing windows on a Saturday morning?”

After breakfast we milled about the display of Christmas trees, at the Four Seasons and the Pacific Center Mall. The trees are put up by individuals and corporate sponsors to raise money for the BC Children’s Hospital. Some are beautiful, some are interesting and unique, while others bring smiles, as they showcase the interests of the sponsor involved. The mermaid with the loot was sponsored by a Law Firm.

For a while we joined the shoppers in the underground mall, getting out our lists and checking them twice even as late ones were coming in on his blackberry. We had a quick lunch in the food court and then emerged onto the street above where we huddled close under our umbrella, as we ducked in and out of the shops.

We’ve done this two years in a row now. Maybe it’s becoming a tradition? Such an enjoyable way to spend the day together and find that special something on each list. Yes . . . the kids are grown . . . but continue to bind us together as we build upon the years and continue to make choices on how to bless them in this stage of their lives.

We came home in time to heat left-overs for dinner. The next afternoon, I was standing by the sink and preparing a meal for company, while he was on the ladder, in the cold, quickly washing our back windows. I must say this man knows where he is needed.

Happy 30th Anniversary!

It was November 29, 1980 when my sister, Monika, got married to Bob a, then yet mysterious to us, new fella' to BC having moved out from Manitoba on his own. I was pregnant when he gave her the ring and, because I did not want to walk down the isle as a matron on honor, being 8 months pregnant, they postponed their wedding by two months. In those days it was not considered cute to be at that stage.

Thirty years have gone by and I can't help but reminisce about life back then and all that has happened. Monika and Bob had two boys and then two girls. The two boys are married and one is a daddy already. One daughter, Larissa, is engaged to be married to a boy from Victoria . . . and then they will be left with just one daughter at home.

Bob and Monika . . . I have loved watching the miracle of your relationship. A relationship built on matter-of-fact openness and total trust. It's not sappy or fake. You both have been open to changes in your life and grown through difficulties. Bob, I remember how, even as a very young man, you regularly picked up a man in a wheelchair and took him to church. Both of you have used your gifts behind the scenes in many ways, making sure there is food for everyone and that everyone has a seat, whether it be at church, at the lake or in your home. Your children have cause to rise up and bless you for the example you have been to them.

Wishing you a Happy Anniversary and many more blessings along the way!

Snow, Cookies and Jam

Have you ever noticed how quiet the world sounds when it’s snowing? Yesterday I got up and stood amazed as I watched the snow coming down. I cancelled my trip to Surrey and enjoyed a day just being home.

Do you make sugar cookies for Christmas? I mixed up a batch and put the pastry in the fridge for a few hours. I did laundry and played on my blog with pictures.

Later I baked …

I also took frozen plums out the freezer

and cooked some jam.

These may come in handy in the days to come.

While the lights were twinkling in our back yard, I sat here and figured out how to print invitations on blank cards . . . and got them done. And then it was just about time for coffee with my H.

I love snow days.