Snowflakes and Joy

Earlier today we visited our local indoor ice rink. They let people skate for FREE! That price is perfect for the budget.  It was Snowflake's 3rd time on ice skates.  We don't go often because it throws me into a flare up which leaves me in enough pain to be home bound for a couple of days, or I have to take the pain meds I hate. Today though we went.  We made memories and exercised on the ice.  It took 47 minutes but we made it around that rink 3 times! Last time out she hugged the side for 10 minutes and refused to move. Moving is progress.  She even let go of the wall some and while holding my hand she tried to, "Push push glide.  Push push glide." After slipping on her tush my girl got back up and said, "That was ok.  I made a mistake.  It is ok to make mistakes cuz I'm little. I make lots of mistakes.  But less than when I was 2. When I was 2 I made thousands!" As we were getting ready to go she informed me, "Ice slipping is not my...

I keep hearing the Charlie Brown Christmas music playing in my head. The soundtrack is great. Christmastime was here. Now we move on and prepare to hang our new calendars. Yet, does the Christmas spirit have to leave? The tree, baubles and Nativity scenes may get packed away till late November but the joy, peace, thankfulness and love should remain. We need to always be thankful that God came and dwelt among us. Christmas is when God's redemptive plan went into overdrive. Because of Christmas we have Easter and those 2 events are what allow each of us the promise of Heaven. Don't go around wishing people a Merry Christmas in March or July  (you might get a ticket to CrazyTown) but do keep the reason and the gratitude for Christmas with you year round.

Snowflake and I enjoy our elf adventures.  She knows he is just for fun, but it is still exciting for her to wake up and see what he is up to. In early December he broke his leg and couldn't move for 2 weeks.  Every night and during the day his girl read him stories. Now that he is fully mobile again his handler who normally is fairly creative has been struggling for ideas! It will be a relief to see the end of having to come up with fun ideas that take minimal effort (let's face it, once the kiddo is in bed and I can give in to my fatigue the elf is not what I want to spend an hour setting up). Joy comes though when I hear the giggles of my daughter as she discovers his little antics.

It is no secret that Snowflake struggles to sleep.  It is just not her thing.  We are working on it because as humans Snowflake and her mom really do need sleep.  At least I do. The other night er morning I wake up with Snowflake's face 2 inches from mine.  "Mommy my blankets are wet and my pjs are wet and I don't know why. " 3 something in the bloody morning.  So I go about changing the sheets and getting the bed all fixed back up for sleeping.  Just as I am about finished and we can both go back to Dreamland I twist my ankle and  stub my pinkie toe to the point that I rip off the nail and it is leaking blood.  I say a naughty word.  Not my best moment! I get my toe clean and bandaged up.  By now Snowflake is wide awake.  Really not what I want! I just want to take my fatigued, exhausted body that now has extra aches back to bed. Snowflake is full of vim and vigor.  For those who haven't met her, she is sweet and tende...

It is no secret to anyone who knows me that I am a bit of a winter buff. I love chilly weather and all things snow.  The higher the snow count the happier I am.  There is something special for me about those frozen crystals of dihydrogen monoxide (water). Last year and all through the first few months of 2017 I was gifted with FEET of the stuff.  So far this year it has been bleak. It looks to be a brown Christmas. Too chilly for croquet but too warm and dry for sledding. The messy in between. Isn't that what Christmas is all about? God coming into our messy and making us clean and pure. Last night was the first night of Hanukkah.  I started celebrating the festival last year.  Once again this year it snuck up on me.  My Menorah remains in my wish list on Amazon and not in my house! Oops. We still celebrated.  I gathered 8 mismatched candles and 1 more in a holder.  We lit the light and prayed the blessings. Hanukkah is a time to focus o...

I have been doing a lot of thinking recently about identity. Who am I? How should I describe myself? What is my identity? These are all important questions that we each need to answer.  Somewhat they may change slightly over time, but mostly we are who we are. First I am a daughter of the King.  A Christian.  I believe the Bible is true and shows us who God is and how we should relate to Him. I believe that I am a sinner. I know that I am.  I know and believe the Bible states that I need forgiveness and Christ offers it.  Having accepted it I will be spending eternity in Heaven.  Due to my belief in the Bible I try my best to live according to Biblical principles. I am a mother.  I have been given an amazing daughter to raise.  Right now it is her and me. We are close. She is a priority right now due to her age.  I am in a season of full time mothering and I love it.  Frustrating.  Stressful.  Scary.  Wonderful.  ...

This morning as I dropped my daughter off at school she walked into her classroom and her face lit up with joy! Her former student teacher was there to sub.  Snowflake loves her regular teacher, but seeing this other gal come back made her day.   I have been pondering her reaction.  This is a hard time of the year for me.  The anniversary of my wedding (marriage lasted for just the blink of an eye), the anniversary of my Grandma's entrance to Heaven and now another loved family member has passed to Heaven and I am still trying to celebrate and enjoy Advent while giving my daughter precious memories.  So many different emotions at war with each other.  Snowflake's joy this morning was a wake-up call. It was a gift for her to have this teacher back for the day.  Snowflake was going to enjoy it.   Do I make the most of the little gifts God sends me each day? Do I fully enjoy them, or do I ignore them and focus on the pain? I need to be mor...

Yesterday we left our smallish town to visit The Ranch in southern Montana and go on our annual tree relocating foray. It was Snowflake's first time.  I have been taking part in this tradition for decades. It is sunny and WARM.  No snow or even any mud in sight.  It was handy but may I admit a bit sad? It is December and this part of the globe should be white and you should see your breath when you breathe. Still it was a blessed day full of friends, family, food and Christmas trees.  We not only found trees but real dinosaur bones.  Mockers may say they came from a deer, but Snowflake and I say a deerosaurus. We tramped hither and yon, here and there and back again.  We finally found our perfect Charlie Brown tree for our deck! Joy is passing on beloved traditions to the next generation.