The Everything Christmas!

This holiday season has been....everything! The Lord continues to share many blessings.  It was wonderful to have a houseful of laughing, energetic people. We had a great time.  Christ was in our Christmas and we celebrated His birth and His life.  Where would we be without either?  It was so great to go to a candlelight service with Kristin and Aaron, sing Christmas caroles, hear the Word, have communion together and watch the most amazing artist transform her work from one portrait into another.  It was a very special, important time with loved ones.  A time I'll always be grateful I was able to be a part of.

Everyone that's on Facebook has already seen this amazing gift I received.  Aaron and I have talked several times over the last several months about his t-shirt collection.  He has created many and over the years we've collected many from the shows he's been involved with from high school and forward and those he's had from organizations he has supported through his talent and efforts.  It's quite a collection and I didn't want them to just disappear.  They represent a history of what has been and is important in the life of our son.  They tell a story of his life and what he believes in. I had thought that I might take some of these shirts and design teddy bears for the Children's Oncology ward at the hospital.  Aaron had a different idea.  He worked with his mother-in-law Ruth, who is an absolute artist when it comes to sewing, and created a quilt for me that is beyond description.

Every single square is a story.  It's a lifetime of memories that I will cherish forever! Here are a few shots of single panels to give you and idea of how spectacular this gift really is.

The Platapus

The Serious Question

Choose Joy signed by the "Lost Dogs"

working days left until retirement. I'm off this week beginning the preparation to relocate to Aaron and Kristin's.  The transition will give us time to spend with the kids and help them out and at the same time help us get our things organized and packed. I'm really looking forward to the time of being together. A time of sharing and talking, of helping when I can, a time of feeling like I'm able to do something besides just sitting by and watching it all happen.  We'll have time to play games, play Wii, have meals together, laugh and share stories, create new memories. We're not living in a dream world here.  We've talked and know that there will be challenges along the way.  There will be times when we all want a break.  During those times we'll go to our own "corners" and chill out.  It's going to be more of a time of "what will be right" than one of "what could go wrong".

Today begins another step in our journey.  A journey that only God knows where the rocks are.  A journey where every step is a step of faith counting on my heavenly Father to show me the rocks.

Look for the Miracles God HAS Given

Sunday we celebrate 40 Christmases together Ray and I..  As is said so often, "seems like only yesterday".  I don't know where the years have gone.  What have we done with 40 years?  They have certainly been packed full and life has never been boring.  At times things have been very tough, sometimes full of tears, sometimes happy, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, but we've remained best friends, love each other more now than the first day we met (and I honestly didn't think that would ever be possible), and through it all we continue to know and experience joy in our lives. Happy 40th Anniversary Suggie!

This weekend as we quietly celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary we're looking forward to that quiet weekend and to doing one of our favorite things, decorating our home for the holidays. Christmas has always had a very special meaning to our family. This year, for me, it is steeped in the realization of the gift another mother, in another time long ago, gave to the world.  Now before I go any further here, please understand that I am NOT comparing myself to the gift God gave us through Mary and the birth of his Son. God was providing a way for us to have eternal life through that miraculous birth,  I can take no credit and say I know how Mary felt.  There's no one who can say they know how Mary felt.  You can bet that's a question I have on my mind to ask when I get to heaven.  I most likely won't care a whit once I get there.  Well enough rambling.

Just let me say that amazingly, there is no sadness today, only wonder.  As I sat at Kristin's 30th  birthday party last night it was amazing to see all the joy, laughter and fun.  It wasn't by any means a fancy event, there was birthday cake and everyone brought snacks.  It was about celebrating life and my son was leading the charge. (The only reason I'm using the "I" and "my" pronouns here is that this is my blog. I do know that his father is as proud of him as I am.)  Aaron is everything we ever dreamed of in a son.  The only thing we've ever asked of him is "do your best" along with "be Aaron" every time he leaves the house.  He still hears that every time he goes out our door, "be Aaron".  What an Aaron he is.  He's smart, he's funny, he's talented, he finds joy in everything, he loves life, he has a great marriage and is a great husband, he's a great pappa to our grand- puppy Belle, he's a great son-in-law, he accepts people as they come to him, he's thankful for everything in his life, he exudes joy.  What mother could ever ask for more?.

As I enjoyed the evening last night and listened to him sing I just wonder if I will ever understand why God would give one person so much talent only to take him away in the prime of his life?  You know what? Ain't goin' there.  If God wanted me to know that He would have already told me.  What God wants me to do right now is celebrate both the birth of His son and my son and that's exactly what's going to happen.  We are going to have a killer holiday season and spend very little.  We're going to decorate and celebrate.  We're going to spend time with family and friends.  We're going to give to others.  We're going to sing Christmas Carols.  We're going to, and have been since November so we can get them all in, watch Christmas movies. We're going to hug, cry, laugh, look at old pictures of Christmases past and make new memories.

As I sat and listened to Aaron sing last night I'm thankful for the miracle God put in my life, my son.  He has such a beautiful voice, he plays guitar, he composes songs, he writes like none I've ever read, he loves His heavenly father and shares that love with everyone he meets, he has more talent for drama than can be imagined, he has an imagination that is unsurpassed, and he's my son!  What a miracle God gave me!  So in one sense, I can imagine what Mary felt like.  We both have received miracles!