A Year to Remember ~*

This year has been a very special one for me.

A year that began in spiritual turmoil, and heartache, bloomed into a year of celebration, healing, beauty and love.

As the year began I was experiencing a dark and difficult time in my walk with God. It was something that began back in 2008, and then became extremely difficult at the end of last year/beginning of this year. Looking back, I believe it was a time of strong attack (..and I'm not one to say those things). Spiritually, I felt in the dark. I just couldn't seem to find my footing. Each day, many times, I cried out in desperation, clinging to the very little I could get hold of...

"Jesus Christ is Lord."
"I believe that."
"Lord, help me."

Those were my prayers over and over again.

During that time I took refuge in the Psalms. So many days I didn't seem to have the strength of heart to take much in, but God has continued to use the Psalms in a special way.

At that time I felt so low. ..I looked for God to agree with me....condemn me... But then he would show his love. To me. With love he fought off my attackers. He began to lift the weight that had been burdening me, and brought in his light and truth to chase away the darkness.

After seeing how much I struggled and how difficult that time was for me, feeling God's faithful presence was amazing. He never ceases to amaze me with his faithfulness.

He then began to speak to me about a long held grief. The pain I would not let go of. -Didn't know how to let go of.

Hearing his voice of teaching was like a breath of the freshest air after experiencing that difficult time. The fact that he teaches me means he counts me as his own. ..And to know that, is the greatest thing there is.

So, he began to show me a new way. A narrower road that it was time to climb.

As I began to climb, though it was difficult, especially in the beginning, I began to see glimpses of a mountain top. Rays of sunlight shooting out from behind the big rock.

More and more he showed me my plan was done. More and more he opened my heart and healed my wound. (..and still does.) He began to touch on other wounded areas and he spoke truths that I had been unwilling to hear. He opened my heart to his love.

He pulled me to the top of the mountain, one I had so long been unable to reach. I was there.

As I stood looking out over the land that stretched to the horizon, I saw how beautiful it all was. But there were more mountains ahead. They look beautiful from the peaks, but are so hard to make out from the valleys.

My path lies straight ahead. I pray I follow the way I am supposed to go. What each remaining valley, peak, and climb will hold... I don't know. ..But to reach the horizon......!
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This year God has helped me let go.

He helped me to see my own beauty. ..And it's not based on what I see in the mirror, or what others think of me. He loves me. That's where my beauty comes from. I never, ever knew it like this before.

The garden.

A vacation.

The three of us, together. Dreaming. Growing. Loving. Laughing. Dancing. Living...

This little blog.
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Our family has lived with a feeling of such celebration this year since mine and North's anniversary. This is our 7th year. The year of Jubilee. A time of joy for all God has done.

He has done so much...

He has been so near..

He has let me know the gift of his love and receive it in a deeper way this year.. To see how he faithfully leads me through dark and uncertain times.. How his grace is sufficient to overcome grief and pain.. Receiving the blessing of the garden that grew here and reassured me in ways I can't explain.. So many things that have meant so much to me. Gifts from God.

This is a year to remember.

Thank you, Lord. ♥

Princess Warrior

(written a little while back..)

Tonight we watched, Legend of the Guardians : The Owls of the Ga'Hoole.

I had read Princess Jo's post about it a few months ago, and that's what made me want to see it. I couldn't remember many details, but remembered she thought it was good, and I trust her opinion, so knew it would be a good one.

The movie captured my husband's and my attention pretty quickly. Toward the end of the movie there is a battle scene, and I found my mind drifting a bit... Good battle scenes always do this to me. They make me remember the battle I am in.

I didn't let my husband or son know it, but tears filled my eyes, almost to overflowing. I thought of the battle that I have been through, a real battle against my faith, heart and soul. One that, like the battle the character, Lyze of Kiel went through in this movie, has left me with scars. Although many wounds are healing, the scars remind me that he has brought me through and I have survived.

...As my mind drifted into these thoughts, the most glorious feeling overwhelmed me... God has brought me through my first real battle. I am a Princess Warrior, like my friend Jo. And I realize being a Princess Warrior means, you are a small woman to whom God grants his great Strength and Daughtership. It doesn't mean you're strong and ready to conquer. It means you are weak and then He covers you with His Strength in the battle....

"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse,

whose rider is called Faithful and True.

With justice he judges and makes war.

His eyes are like blazing fire,

and on his head are many crowns.

He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.

He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood,
and his name is the Word of God.

The armies of heaven were following him,

riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean."

Rev 19:11-14

See how he clothes us,
taking the stains,
making us clean.
Leading us,
going before us into the battle, with his great strength...

He covers me...

His Princess Warrior.

The Little Things...

These are some of the things I've been enjoying since Christmas. (..I hope this doesn't make me seem like I'm all about gifts, cause I'm not...)

We're a simple family, and it really is the little things that are, so many times, the most enjoyable.

These are some gifts from North.

I was so excited about the travel dvds. I would love to be able to travel around, so it is really fun watching and learning about all of these different places.

And, I think I'm finally ready for a journal. I used to try keeping them when I was growing up, and even a little into our marriage, but they were always stupid and pointless. Most times they were a way of letting out my frustrations. Blogging has helped me (in a lot of ways..). Since what I write is out there for others to see, it's helped me think through my feelings and process things more before writing them down. It's helped me to know that my frustrations are almost never worth writing down, and that if I'm that bothered about something, I need to take it to God so he can help me deal with it in a better way. I've gotten in the habit of writing down beautiful scriptures and good thoughts, instead of bad ones. So, now I think I'm ready to do that with my new pink journal. I've already enjoyed filling a few pages.

Isn't the tea container cute!?! I love it!

I have a real snap-putter-onner! Yay!

And, those chocolates with caramel are my fave!

We've also really had fun listening to some new music. Seriously, this song is awesome! This is the kind of music that just.... It just.. Well, I love it. ..And even though no one ever seems to listen to the music much, I have to keep posting it, cause it's good.

Enjoying the little things ♥

In Recovery

(Things started back quickly after Christmas for our family this year. North went back to work the day after Christmas (which just doesn't seem right), and so it's back to normal days. I'm glad we enjoyed lots of days before the holidays together, since it had to end so soon. So, while everyone else is probably still in holiday mode, I'm kind of getting on to the regular stuff. I've already started taking down the decorations. (Will be nice to have another holiday for the new year though.) ..All of that to somehow say, I have a small handful of posts that I had written over the past couple of weeks, that will start popping up this week. They're completely unholiday related, which is why I kind of held off on posting them. They're just me sharing thoughts and stuff that has been going on in my mind and heart. I'm afraid anyone reading may get sick of hearing my shpeals by the end of it, so sorry if it's a bit much.) Y



One day recently when I woke up, I had a few minutes before Buzz was going to get up, so I started to read something I saw online about some of the feelings that come with infertility. My first thought was, "Wow, I'm actually not feeling that right now!" It's still amazing to me that a real change is taking place in me.

I started to continue reading, but then felt a warning in my heart -reading much more could cause me to look backward, to feel those feelings that are all too familiar. So, I stopped. Later in the day I was faced with a difficult moment, and tempted (really tempted) to pick up those old feelings... I struggled not to..throughout the day.

I feel like I'm in recovery from a long illness and still susceptible to getting sick again.

The other day I read in the bible, about a time when Jesus spoke with a man who had been sick for a very long time...

When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him,

"Do you want to get well?"

Those words stuck with me. When I thought about that question in regards to where I am in my journey through infertility, there was a part of me that hesitated. I hesitated because getting well for me, means letting go of hurt, all of the hurt. At certain moments letting go of the hurt and allowing God to take it away, can feel like I'm saying "It never hurt," or "It doesn't matter to me." I had to realize, that letting go of the hurt means I will trust him and his plan. It means, I'm not going to keep hurting, because by not being hurt anymore, I'm saying I am content with what he has for me. It's me saying, "I'm really ready trust you, Lord." I have to remember that God knows all I've been through and all I've felt, letting go of the pain doesn't mean it was never there, and he doesn't forget it.

When the hurt comes, I'm trying to remember to consciously turn away from it. To say, "Oo, that hurts, Lord. Help me not to hurt," and then turn away and keep walking. I know that God has given me a choice -to continue hurting, or to be made well. Getting better is not always easy. Like someone who has broken a leg and has to go to therapy to make it strong again, I have to keep working to become well. I couldn't do it without my therapist (God), as he faithfully helps me to become stronger.

I used to feel like I was walking around with an open wound, now I feel like I'm walking around with a bruise. It gets poked at times, and that doesn't feel good, but it's not as bad as it used to feel (when the wound was wide open and being stabbed with a big sharp knife all of the time.) ..And as that wounded place gets stronger, those pokes will not even be felt (I pray.). But since it's not fully healed, I know if it is beaten hard enough it will break open again. I must be careful during this time of healing.

Pokes from outside sources will not beat the wound open. They may hurt, but they will not break it open. ..Pride, self-pity, dwelling on hurtful moments, not wanting to get well..those are the things that will beat and break that old wound open ...

So this is my prayer,

Help me to be content. Help me to trust you, Lord. Help me to want to be well. Help me not to try in my own strength. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Holidays

Just a moment before tucking into bed for the night (technically the earliest hours of the day after Christmas) to say, we enjoyed our Christmas and Christmas Eve holidays around here. I hope you enjoyed yours too.


We got a nice snow on Christmas Eve and it was so pretty falling so quickly.

We always dress up on Christmas Eve, so we took a few family pictures, which was a lot of silly fun.

These were the toys North and I were really excited about giving to Buzz this year. He really does like them, but he was most excited about the Hershey bar in his stocking!


And this is a little comforter I made for Buzz, that I was excited about.

I've talked so much about Christmas in the days leading up to it, I don't feel like I have a whole lot to say now. ..But we had a lovely time and the Lord is good. ♥

* Merry Christmas *

As I sit in the warm glow and twinkle of Christmas lights, I think of two very meaningful gifts the Lord has given me this year, that I would like to share with you...

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Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight.

........................Prov 3:5&6

"...Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,

for I am gentle and humble in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls..."

The words of Jesus - Matt 11:29

These verses have been with me throughout many months. Placed in my hands and heart for his specific purposes. He speaks them to me, reminding me throughout my days. Teaching me over and over, so I will truly learn. They are treasures and lifelines. I am so thankful for His gifts!! Most of all for his son, who rescued me when their was no one to rescue me. Jesus, the Lover of my soul. The Savior of the world.

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Merry Christmas
♥

See you in a few days! :)

Nut

This girl is a nut.

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She has this weird habit when she eats.. Ever since she was a puppy, she's taken some of her food out of her bowl and put it on the floor before she eats it. It's never been something I've liked, but it hasn't really been a big deal, because she's always cleaned it up right away.

Until a few days ago.

She made a mess and just left it there. When I told her to go eat it, she wouldn't. After some coaxing, she ate most of it, but when it came down to the last few crumbs, she refused. Flat out refused. That's her, "refusing" in the picture. See the crumbs?

I made her stay there, thinking she would give up and eat it -No. I finally got her to eat it out of my hand about an hour later. I thought she was just having a stubborn moment, but then she pulled the same stunt the next day. Twice. Both times I sent her to 'bed.' Since then it's happened basically everyday.

I don't know what is going on with her. She is four years old and suddenly deciding to have this weird stubborn streak. She is usually so obedient. I wonder if she's just doing this to prove us wrong... Buzz had been telling on her whenever he saw her put food on the floor, and North and I kept telling him, it was okay because she was going to pick it up. She usually just puts it down and picks it right back up...

I don't know what we're going to do with her. ...Crazy, stubborn girl.

On another note...

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I've written a few posts over the last week or so that I want to share, but since it's just before the holiday I thought I would try to keep things lighter and more Christmasy around here. ..So, I'm planning to schedule them to pop up later. I'm a big fan of that scheduled post thing. I almost never write a post on the same day it pops up.

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..So, I hope you're all having a good Christmas week. ..And if you're not, if this year is particularly difficult for you, I am praying that God will surround you with his comfort and peace, and help you through this time. In Jesus' name. Y

Pitch-Ins

I know if I was a really good wife I would love making things for my husband's work pitch-ins, but the truth is, I really don't like doing those things. They make me so nervous. I never know what to make, and almost always feel silly about the things I send for one reason or another.

They have one every year at Christmastime. Last year I had plenty of time to prepare and actually felt semi decent about what I sent. This year was very last minute. And it was a dessert pitch in. And I'm not very secure in my baking abilities. I guess all I can do is try. I just really want to do good for my husband's sake.

Everyone else at his work seems to have their "thing" -the thing they take every year, that everyone knows they're going to bring. I haven't found a "thing" yet. ..At least not one that's not already taken.

I should probably start coming up with somethings now for next year and get really comfortable with making them, and hopefully good at it, so I don't go through this nervousness the morning he goes to work with whatever I've made. (It's 5-something in the morning as I type this. He just left.)
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I made my pumpkin cake. It's one of the few things I usually feel pretty confident making, but on this day.. not feeling so confident.

What do you do for this kind of thing? Do you have something(s) you always make for pitch-ins? I could use some help.
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(originally written 12/19/10)

Less Than A Week...

Less than a week until Christmas! I'm excited! And the snow we've had just adds to the beauty during these days too. I do hope it's a white Christmas, it's so fun when that happens.

This year I feel like Buzz gets so much more of what Christmas is about and what is going to be happening. (..Of course, last year he was not quite 2 years old, so he couldn't have been expected to get much of it.. ;)) Everyday he asks me what we're going to do when it's Jesus' birthday, and I go through and tell him about the little things we're going to do that day. We bought a mix for the birthday cake we're going to make, and he is very excited about that part.

He also knows some of the presents under the tree are for him. There is one in particular that he keeps picking up and saying, "Is this one for me?" ..It's so sweet.


I have to admit, I'm excited about the presents God has blessed us to be able purchase this year too. This is the most we've done with gifts in a while. I can't wait for my big guy and my little guy to see their surprises! I hope they have as much fun with them as I think they will!!

I hope you're all enjoying your week. I pray you're able to truly celebrate this day we remember Jesus coming to our world. Although life can be difficult, Jesus is willing to come down into it. ..God didn't leave us alone, he didn't walk away from us and the mess we made, or the pain we feel.. . He came. . He loved. . He saved.

"...and they will call him Immanuel"
-which means, "God with us."
Matt 1:23

Winter Mornings

It wasn't that long ago, that I was waking up to bright sunshine pouring through my window, spending the first few minutes of the mornings on the front steps with Buzz, barefoot and wearing tanktops.

Those warm days are so wonderful... but winter mornings hold good things too...

Good breakfasts.. ;)

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Christmasy fingernail polish
and plenty of opportunities to use all my favorite mugs..
(..can still wear tanktops too. ..As long as I'm inside where it's warm.)
(P.S. I love that ring!)

Frost on the windows...

Snow on the ground...

And fresh crisp air...

The changes in the seasons are such a testament to God's creativity.
Unique beauty in each one.

Me & My Bad Sense of Direction... ..A Bit of Randomness...

This picture doesn't really have a point, it's just for decoration..

So, after all of the feedback I had on my "Santa" post, I found out that this is sort of a hot topic right now? Who knew? If I had known I probably wouldn't have posted it. Not that I didn't love hearing from everyone, cause I did, but I know if I would have known it was being talked about a lot, I would have shied away from the subject. Believe it or not, I tried to write that post last year, but couldn't ever get it to a point where I felt comfortable sharing it.

...In other news...

Last week I decided to go to the library to get a start on some of the books on my reading list -thanks for all of the help with that, by the way!

...I don't know if I've mentioned this here, but I have a serious problem with my sense of direction...

I've been to the library with my husband quite a few times, and even once or twice on my own. However, it had been a while, so I was sure to ask my husband early on the morning I planned to go, "If I go down 'this' road, I'll get there, right?" He said, yes.

I ventured off a few hours later with Buzz. He was all excited about going, but there was a little problem... I couldn't find it. I drove in circles in the area of town I knew it should be in, for, I don't know how long. I was on the road I had asked my husband about -Where was the library? I went the wrong way down 2 one way streets! (Those things are not well marked if you ask me!) When a policeman passed me on one of them, I was sure I was going to get pulled over and get a big ol' ticket. Thankfully, God had mercy on me and allowed him not to be able to turn around and get me. But I still couldn't find the library! I finally stopped to ask for directions and was told to go a few blocks over. After I got the directions... I turned the wrong way and had to back track -again! After almost an hour we finally made it to the library.

When I mentioned to my husband that the library was NOT on the road I had asked him about, he said, "Oh yeah, I thought you knew you would have to turn and go down to such and such street." ....This man has been married to me for almost 8 years. He knows how bad I am with stuff like this. What was he thinking!?!?!? Of course...part of the problem could have been that I asked him about it at 4:50 in the morning, right after he woke up.. ;)

I ended up checking out two books, one of them is "The Boxcar Children." I read a little of it out loud to Buzz after we got home from our library-finding fiasco. I thought he would lose interest after a few pages, because there are very few pictures and it's a long story (longer than he's used to), but he listened for a long time. So, we've been reading it out loud together each day. I think we're almost ready for chapter 8! I know he doesn't understand what the whole story is about, but he's remembering things from it and pretending to be one of the characters.

In one part of the story, the children eat bread and drink cold water. So, after we got done reading, that's what Buzz wanted to do. -Except he wanted *toast bread.* So we made a piece of toast and cut it into 4 pieces just like they did, and called each other Benny while we talked and ate. (Benny is the youngest character.. Buzz's favorite.) :)

Something Good!

When I was in high school, one of my friends worked at a pizza place. She introduced me to a new pizza - broccoli, tomato, and cheese - and I loved it!

Since we went our separate ways, I haven't had that yummy pizza, but I always remembered how good it was. I don't know why it took this long for the light to come on, but I finally thought to add some broccoli to my (frozen) cheese pizza the other evening, and it was soooooooooooo good! (I didn't have any tomatoes or I would have added them too.)

I cooked my broccoli for just a couple of minutes (it was frozen too) before adding it to the pizza, and then topped it with an extra layer of cheese. Mmmm!

I'm excited, because I recently bought a new cookbook. It's an Italian cookbook, and among other deliciousness, it has recipes for different pizzas. Soon I'm hoping to attempt to make my first homemade pizza and top it with some stuff I'm sure to enjoy!

What do you like on your pizza?

Sunday Scriptures : Love in the Morning

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,*

for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the way I should go,

for to you I lift up my soul.

Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord,

for I hide myself in you.

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God;
may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

Psalm 143:8-10


*Cat posted the link to this amazing song on her blog, and I had to share it here too. Even if you never take the time to listen to songs that are posted, this is one that you will not be sorry you took the time for.. For we who believe, it is more than just a song.

Santa . . . .

I've been going over this post for a month or more... It's something I've wanted to share for a long time, I just wasn't sure quite how to do it. I'm still not sure it came out the way I hope for it to, but I hope my heart comes through...


One morning a few years ago, I was talking with a little girl who I had gotten to know (just a little) at church. In the course of conversation, she started saying something about Christmas. She mentioned that someone had told her, Santa Claus isn't real. Then she said, they said, Jesus isn't real. ..No, I mean Santa isn't real... She went back and forth for a little while. She was confused.

I listened to all she had to say, and I tried to reassure her of the truth that I knew, that Jesus is real, while tiptoeing around the Santa issue, and left that day with a different perspective.

After that day my take on Santa Claus changed. From all that this little girl told me, she was really confused about how Santa could not be real and Jesus could be. ..And, once I thought about it, I could totally understand why...

Grown ups you trust tell you that there is a Santa. He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake. He knows when you've been bad or good. He knows what you want for Christmas, even if you don't get to see him before then. On Christmas Eve when he comes to leave you presents you can't stay up to see him, you just have to believe he will come...

Then you're also told there is a God -Jesus. He sees you all the time (when you're asleep and when you're awake). He knows when you do right and when you do wrong (if you've been bad or good). He knows your heart's desires and listens to your prayers (kind of like Santa knows the presents you want). You can't see him, but he is there, you have to believe...

When I listened to this little girl, for the first time I saw how strong the parallels were between what we tell kids about Santa and what we tell them about Jesus. We have really made Santa into a God-like person. I can see how confusion could come to a kid who believes in Santa and is also being taught about Jesus. I had really never given it a whole lot of thought up to that point.

When I was a kid, my family and I were not Christians, so I didn't have to deal with the God aspect of things then. ..But when I found out that Santa was not real (at least not in the way I had been led to believe), I was upset. I felt like I had been lied to. ..And really, I had. (Not that it was intended as a lie or intended to be anything other than good fun..) I think that's kind of how this little girl was feeling, only she had been learning about Jesus during this same time in her life and it brought a lot of confusion to her.

Since that encounter, I've really felt that I didn't want to do the whole Santa Claus thing if I had children of my own.

I know there are a lot of opinions out there on this kind of thing, and there are probably a lot of seasoned Christian parents who could tell me how their children never had an issue with any of this. (Which is great!) I'm sure there are ways to help children understand the whole thing without doing away with the Santa Claus tradition. ..But my mind was pretty much made up after my experience with that little girl.

The more I have thought about it, (and I've thought about it a lot) the more I have felt that this is the right decision for us.

As long as God doesn't show me differently, this is how I'm planning to deal with Santa...

*I want us to acknowledge that the gifts we give and receive, have come because God has provided for them and allowed us to bless each other with them. I want Buzz to know that our gifts are given and received in celebration of the day Jesus came to us, and in celebration of the great gift He is to us and gives to us by letting us know him!

*I would like to tell our son the story of the real Santa Claus. -Which is a great story and shows how we can be like Jesus...giving gifts to those around us, being generous and listening for the needs of others.

*I want to make sure he knows that some families play pretend about Santa coming to their house on Christmas Eve, and that he needs to respect that. (As in, not going around and telling other little kids that there is no Santa.)

In teaching him these few things, I think I will feel comfortable knowing that he knows what he needs to know, and will not be confused. He will know who Jesus is and that he is the one we celebrate. He'll know the true story of Santa, and he won't be confused because Santa will remain a real man, not a magical character who is somewhat God-like.

If we're at the store at some point down the road, and he sees the other kids sitting on Santa's lap and wants to try it, I don't see any harm in it since he will know the truth. I don't plan on bringing it up, but I also don't want to create a home life where he ends up feeling burdened by unnecessary do's and dont's. (I heard this tip from another mom and really liked the idea of not making it into a big deal.)

I think our Christmas celebration will still be fun and exciting and full of all of the anticipation that kids have on that very special day. It will just be done without Santa Claus. I hope he will anticipate the celebrations of Jesus, and begin to see the deep truth and beauty that Christmas holds. In his excitement for gifts, I hope he will realize that it is God who has blessed him with whatever he has received, and that he will give Him thanks for it.

In all we decide to do, or not do, because of our faith and convictions, I hope to show our son the love, grace and freedom we have in Jesus. I want him to learn about this awesome Life that we have come into because of the Lord, and the joy that He brings.. and nothing else can compare with that joy.


I have hesitated to post about this, because I don't want to come off as a Santa basher. I realize this is something each family has to decide for themselves and I know not every family is going to choose the same thing. My goal is not to try to make families who do keep the Santa tradition feel bad or anything, just like I hope they won't try to make me feel bad. I feel like this is one of those areas where we just have to decide what we think is best.

I know not having Santa is not a very popular choice. ..I remember a few kids from my childhood, whose families didn't do the Santa thing, and I thought their parents were awful for not letting them just have fun. So, I know the judgements that can be out there. ..And I have heard some harsh judgements on both sides, I don't want to add to them. I have just felt such a desire to share these thoughts, and the decision I have come to, after my experience with that little girl.. Just in case anyone else may benefit from it like I did.

If you would like to share, I would love to hear your thoughts on this too -even if they're different than mine.

Book List...and stuff..

I need to read more. And, I really want to read more.

When I was growing up, I was not much of a reader. One of the reasons, I think, is because we read really boring stuff in school, so reading started to feel boring early on. Those stories they make you read in your reading book in second grade - Yuck!

Boring.

And it never got any better.

Of course that can't be totally to blame.. I have always been able to keep myself entertained easily, being creative and using my own imagination, so stopping to read has not been a natural thing for me. If a book isn't REALLY good, I won't waste time on it, because I know of a million other ways I could be enjoying myself. I'm never bored.

Over the last few years I've tried to get a little better, and I have read a few books, but still not many. ..A few for fun, and a few for learning.

Right now our son loves being read to. I really want him to continue to love reading. As soon as he's old enough to really get into a longer story, I want to read together each day as a family. (North and I did this with The Hobbit, and it was so much fun!) I am really looking forward to introducing Buzz to good books. ..Which means I need to start finding them.

I'm trying to make a little reading list of the (few) books I can remember really liking as a kid, and I would like to reread them to see what I think of them now. Here are the ones I remember loving when I was a kid...

• The Boxcar Children
• The Indian in the Cupboard
• Where the Red Fern Grows
• A Wrinkle In Time

That's about it.

In the last few years I've read, The Hobbit and The Chronicles of Narnia, and they were both great!! I'm really looking forward to reading those with Buzz as soon as he's ready.

I've been hearing a lot about the "Little House" books. I think I would like to try reading them. I'm not sure if they would be good for us as a family since I'm the only girl... Are they geared towards girls? Anyone know? Pilgrim's Progress, is another one I would like to read together, especially if I can find a modern english version. And a few years ago, I heard a story on the radio... I think it was called "At the Back of the North Wind," I enjoyed listening to it whenever I caught it, but I missed parts of it.

So this is my book list. It's pitiful, I know. Very small.

So, does anyone out there have any books to recommend? I mean really good books that capture your imagination? If so please tell me about them. I would like to make up a list and start trying to read through some now, so I'm ready.


Something else I'm excited about...

I recently found some dvds about different countries around the world, and I'm hoping to get them, and others like them, so we can learn a little by watching them together.

I'm hoping to get some of the Planet Earth dvds also. We have one and it is so neat seeing all of the different landscapes and animals God has put on this planet. There is so much more here than I realize.

..Sorry to back track, but I just thought of something else...
The radio program I used to listen to..the one where I heard the North Wind story... I'm pretty sure it was Focus on the Family -Radio Theater... They had so many good stories on there, and they were so well done. I need to find out if I can get some of them. They would be great to have here so we could listen to them together.

I think it will be really fun if we can have some interesting, yet educational, things to watch/read/listen to. I don't know if you can tell, but I am extremely excited about learning along with Buzz. I feel like I get a chance to relearn/learn for the first time, and really make it fun and interesting. Even just doing ABC's and 123's with him is already so much fun!

Enjoying!

Some things I'm enjoying right now...

Warm tea...
..Especially warm tea, with my love, after the wee one is in bed.

The glow of Christmas lights...
..and their reflections in the windows.

Unexpected loveliness in the mail...

Snow.. I love that we have had such an early, lasting, snow.And enjoying many other little pieces of life as well..
Hope you are enjoying some things right now too!

Remembering & Rejoicing

The other night I was clicking around and happened upon a sad story...

The life of a woman, who really knew nothing but broken, hurtful relationships, and a sad hard life. After reading her story, I felt like praying for her, and as I prayed I began to think more and more - about life before I knew God. My life was not nearly as difficult as hers, but it was without God and without hope. I prayed that God would intervene. ...Intervene for her and her family, as he did for me and my family.

Next year marks a special point for me. In August, I will have lived as much of my life with God, as I did without him.

I love him.

He intervened for me when I was 15. It seems like such a young age, but it doesn't really feel that long ago. ..So many decisions to be made at that age.. paths to be chosen.. It was such a critical time for me... and for my family. We all needed our Savior so badly.

What God has done..... I can't even put into words. ..My family...they are saved. ...I am saved.

We could have gone on in darkness to our deaths, but Jesus rescued us!

Thank you, Lord for intervening in the life of my family. Nothing is impossible for you! This woman whose story I read, she is not beyond your reach.

He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts though bars of iron.
Psalm 107:14-16

AMEN!

..And again, I find this song coming to mind...

Tiny Talk Tuesday

Tiny Talk is something I've seen on my friend Tracey's blog for a while now. I've been wanting to join in for quite some time, but kept forgetting to record the things Buzz has been saying. I finally remembered this time!

Buzz is just over 21/2 years old, and here is some of what he has been talking about...

*One day we were out shopping and North told Buzz we were going to another store, and he said it was the Christian bookstore. When we pulled up in front of the store, Buzz said, "We'll have to see if there's any toys in that Christian, Dad."

*The other day we were listening to the radio, and we heard the song, O Come Let Us Adore Him. I didn't know Buzz was listening, but he really was, because soon he said, "He's talking about lettuce!!"

*One day while Buzz was eating, we heard a train whistle blow in the distance. And it started a little conversation...
Buzz - I hear a train!
Me - I hear it too!
Buzz - Can we move our house so we can see the engines?!
Me - Our house is too big to move.
Buzz - Can we move it?
Me - It's too big to move, but it would be fun if we could move it around.
Buzz - Can we move it?
Me - You can try to move it.
Buzz - (Trying..) It's too hard to move this house. It has to stay in the grass.

*A few hours later I walked by him and rubbed his head, and he said, "Nice meeting you, Mom!"

*Winter Wonderland*

One evening, a few nights ago, the snow started falling...
The next morning we woke up to our own little winter wonderland!
.

I love snow!

Look at these flakes!

They landed perfectly -right on Buzz's hat.
God is an amazing creator!

This was the first time the three of us built a snowman together!

We all had fun!

Our dog is a snow nut!
She loves it!...
She was feeling so good she even 'attacked' my husband
while he was making a snow angel. ;)

This snow was perfect for making snowmen.... and snowballs!
..A few of them went flying ~*

Then we had to take advantage of the opportunity to get another picture by our tree...

Y

Sunday Scriptures : Jesus

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made;
without him nothing was made that has been made.
In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
John 1:1-5

He was in the world,
and though the world was made through him,
the world did not recognize him.
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name,
he gave the right to become children of God- children born not of natural descent,
nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,
who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:10-14

A Christmas Favorite!

O Holy Night, is my favorite Christmas song. I've heard many different versions of it, and I think I've enjoyed them all. ...But this one is my absolute favorite! It's the one that first made me stop a really hear what the song was saying. I love it!! One of my favorite things is to turn this up really loud and sing it with all my heart. Hope you enjoy it too! Y

I'm somewhere else today...

A little while ago, my blog friend, Glenna, asked if I would be interested in doing an interview type post with her, for her infertility blog. I felt a little hesitant, but at the same time. I was glad for the opportunity to share.

Last night, as I was working on the answers to my questions, I accidentally hit 'send' instead of 'save.' I thought about emailing her and telling her it was a mistake, (...I was a little nervous about it because I feel like I put a lot 'out there.') but I prayed about it and decided to just let it be. (Blast if I didn't make some typing mistakes though! ..But it's okay.)

So, if you are someone who is dealing with infertility, my little interview is over at Glenna's today.


*Edit* This interview is now also located on my blog - HERE. Thanks to Glenna, for sharing.

It's Christmastime!

Yesterday, we had our first snow! It wasn't a very big one, but enough to give a slight covering to the ground.... And enough to play in!

We went out for a little while in the morning... Me, Buzz and our dog (Wee). We ran around in the snow a lot and filled Buzz's toy dump truck. He spent a lot of time bulldozing the snow with his little bulldozer. (He loves that toy!)



Then it was time to decorate for Christmas! We turned up the music (..we've had Christmas music playing for quite a while now...) set up the tree, and put decorations all over. Buzz was a big help. He really enjoyed setting up and decorating the tree.


Yesterday he learned that Christmas is Jesus' birthday. And we sang, Happy Birthday Jesus!

Then we made some Christmas cookies together! They aren't beauties, but they taste good and that's all that matters.


We couldn't wait for Daddy to get home, so we could surprise him with all we had done! We even have some presents wrapped and underneath the tree! Yay! We are ready!

This was such a fun way to begin our Christmas season.. playing in the snow, decorating the house, baking cookies and wrapping presents... I love our Christmas traditions!

Here's a tiny little video of Buzz dancing by our tree... I love watching him dance!

Whoops! It's sideways.