December Reflections - Part 2

Two dear friends gave me cards this Christmas that touched me simply and deeply.

good company . . .

great times . . .

warm friendship.

these are the gifts I have thanks to you

and they keep me merry all year long.

all around us, beauty and wonder

all around us, love and peace.

all around us . . . the miracles of christmas.

I am so thankful to God for my amazing friends, especially this year!

And then there are some fun photos to sum up our anticipation and celebration of Christmas.

Jenny's Christmas program at church.

Simple joys of $1.49 mermaids!

What says Merry Christmas like a 4 foot Barbie Condo, complete with an elevator???

Bunk Beds for the lake!

Making Gingerbread houses with Jenny at school. It's funny how much I realized alike we are as she designed her house! Scary!

Jenny's new snowmobile helmet . . now she can "safely" go across the lake on a snowmobile!

The "REAL" Santa and Mrs. Claus live in Old Forge, NY.

Santa's reindeer looking thrilled!

Christmas on Main Street in Old Forge, one of our favorite Thanksgiving Weekend traditions!

Sunset over BML from our deck - Thanksgiving weekend. Sign of a beautiful winter to come!

Too much sugar?

December Reflections - Part 1

Colossians 2:6-7

Spiritual Fullness in Christ

⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,

continue to live your lives in him,

⁷ rooted and built up in him,

strengthened in the faith as you were taught,

and overflowing with thankfulness.

At times this month I felt like I was "missing it." I felt so overwhelmed with other things going on in life, that my mind was not always focused on that little baby born so long ago. That baby who came to this world to take away my anxiety, my hurt, my anger, my frustrations and my sin.

That beautiful baby.

During Advent this year I have been thinking about Heaven on Earth. Is the baby Jesus appealing to me? Is my life filled with the behaviors and attitudes of Christ? Am I living a heavenly life? Do I recognize my sin and live each day wanting to be cleansed? Am I receiving it? Am I living it?

I know it. I want it. I receive it. Is it always easy? No. Will I stray? Yes. But I know that ultimately my life on earth is a stepping stone to eternity with Him. I know that He has placed people and situations in my life for a purpose, all leading to recognize and remember that baby, born to set me free.

Twirling

I am thankful each day for both of my beautiful girls.

With this said, each day also brings new struggles and parenting issues that no one can prepare you for. My girls are emotional, much like their mom, and their two different personalities sometimes clash (lately that sometimes seems more like a lot!) They are the best of friends, and sometimes all it takes is something small for loud tears and screams to break out (tonight for example, Jenny didn't want Santa and Mrs. Claus in the manger scene, and Kirsten did!). I never know either, when these eruptions will happen. For example, Kirsten today was in time out 3 times for hitting. Who would think that adorable face could be such trouble? Jenny on the other hand takes her emotions to the extreme, and gets extremely frustrated with her sister. Again, each day is brings new opportunities for me as their mom to instruct them and guide them through these battles.

Tonight though, with many school and family related issues heavy on my mind, I went to put Kirsten to bed, and quite honestly, just wanted her sleeping, so I could get on with the tasks that consume my life after 9pm each night. We did our nightly routine, and I usually stick around and rub her back until she falls asleep (I know, I'm not supposed to do that!).

My sweet Kirsten is a Mommy's girl, and I am convinced she would crawl back inside of me if she could. When I sit by her bed, our cheeks have to be touching as she drifts to sleep. She also is a thumb sucker and hair twirler, and tonight she was sucking her thumb, twirling my hair, and we were cheek to cheek. Her short breaths turned long and she clung to me until she was fast asleep.

I put my thoughts aside, and tonight I cherished this time with my little one. How precious and grateful I am for these lives, that I sometimes take for granted.