Introducing Oliver!

We are in love with our newborn grandson, Oliver!  He was born on November 26, 2016. and just spent his first night at home. He is a precious gift and we are thankful for him.

November, Thanksgiving!

November is a month of giving thanks - for Thanksgiving Day, of course, and for the many occasions our family also celebrates during the month. Ben and Kristen plus Jeremy and Michala have wedding anniversaries. Michala, Skye, and I have birthdays!  We just celebrated Skye's fourteenth birthday.  So many images of her come to mind.  I am grateful that she has always lived near me and that I have been able to go to church with her, hear her ring handbells, enjoy cooking and gardening, and art with her. She is lovely, inside and out. Happy Birthday, Skye!

First 5K

I have loved watching my granddaughters grow. Lauren, Skye, Maddie, Jordann, and Nora have been the dearest blessings as they grow and change and meet each "first" thing- crawling, walking, running, skipping. First smile, first goodbye wave, first words, first books.  Jordann made us proud this week as she completed her first 5K run, with her Daddy by her side. She got ready for her race by training after school with Girls on the Run, a program that teaches life skills which celebrate the joy of  movement.     www.girlsontherun.org

I applaud Jordann for working toward her goal of this 5K, for her persistence in pushing through even though she had a toe  blister, and for all that she learned.  I am a proud Granmary.  And I am a proud Mom because my son did more than encourage her - he ran with her.  With is a powerful thing.

Starting Christmas

Everyone has their own idea about when it is the right time to start Christmas.  I don't mean shopping early (I am an all year long Christmas shopper, and make every effort to avoid going into stores after the middle of November!)  or seeing decorations hung on city streets as early as Halloween.  I understand that many resist being encouraged to begin thinking Christmas thoughts before Thanksgiving.  But I believe Christmas is more than decorations or gift exchanges, and seasonal foods. We need Christmas, the deep peace of knowing that God is with us, all the time, and it does not seem strange to me that this bubbles up at times with a desire for little things that show that need. For years, I have treated myself to beginning listening to my beloved Christmas music on my birthday, which is coming up soon. So I was really not surprised a couple of months ago when our 2 year old granddaughter Nora, began asking for a Mismas Tree. Perhaps she had seen the decorations when they went into the garage closet when we moved this summer.  Perhaps she saw a picture of a tree. But suddenly she was insistent.  She begged for a Mismas Tree with a star.  Her mom obligingly got this little tree out of the closet, we plugged in the lights, and then Nora wanted a star.  I cut one from cardboard for her and offered to cover it with foil.  She passed on the foil and I lifted her as high as I could for her to put her star where she wanted it.

So there is the start of our Christmas, before September's song or Halloween.  Note the pumpkins nearby!  We will do the rest of our decorating soon, since baby Oliver is due to make his appearance around Thanksgiving!  "For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself.” 
― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol