our tree {2009}

"Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall."
~ Larry Wilde, author 'The Merry Book of Christmas'.

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We have our tree.

We're not sure where to put it yet because we're not sure where we'll be on Christmas, and the ornaments are packed - along with most everything else, but we have it.

And that's what counts.

a little snow from heaven.

As Ian, Mack and I made our way home late (very late) Saturday night ... we got a phone call to tell us it was snowing at Bama's!

I'm certain that it was a gift straight from heaven for these sweet kids (Uncle Robert included) to enjoy on what could possibly have been their last {stay} at Merry Meadows.

Thank you Bama!

We're all missing you so much ~

Tall Grass.

Almost 5 years ago I became a mom.

Little did I know how it would change me.

I mean, I always knew that life would be different, but I guess I didn't realize how much I would learn from my children.

Daily.

There is a lot going on in our world right now, and the Christmas season has just added to it.

But you know what, we've still made time to sit & just be ... and enjoy each other.

And although doesn't look like we'll have decorations out or a tree in the house anytime soon, we're still celebrating.

Celebrating the birth of Jesus.

Celebrating life.

Celebrating grace.

And adding joy to everything we can.

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We're together.

We're moving forward on so many levels.

And we're resting.

Resting in tall grass.

Surrounded by His love!

Thanks Darcy for this picture. It has captured this 'season' we're in perfectly!

Resting.

Trusting.

Anticipating the best.

Are you finding time to rest during this busy time?

Are you trusting in His provision?

Are you anticipating the birthday of the Savior?

I hope and pray that you are.

Celebrating Life.

The ground was white with frost.

The fog rolled away and lifted as the sun light shone across the frozen farm land.

Mt. St. Helens was radiant above the tree line.

An early morning graveside service was just what Bama would have wanted.

And she got it.

It was perfect.

Clear.

Bright.

Beautiful.

Everything that she was.

Inside the church {her church} a few hours later, the sun light brought the stained glass to life.

Family and friends visited & ate together.

Remembering.

Celebrating a life well lived.

Encouraging one another to carry her legacy on.

And Mack ... well, he spent a good amount of time shouting praise and thanksgiving for Bama.

And I know she was smiling.

'You can't do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth' ~ Henry Louis Mencken

'And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.' ~ Abraham Lincoln

'Seek the wisdom of the ages, but look at the world through the eyes of a child.' ~ Ron Wild

Intentional.

Sometimes - whether it's intentional or not - reality stares you down.

I'm home this morning.

Folding laundry.

Packing.

About to leave for the dentist - in hopes that my broken tooth can be fixed.

I've got a few extra minutes.

I open Pandora.com ... turn up the volume and open up the blog I told you about yesterday.

Jenni Catron.

I don't know her.

We live states apart.

But she has written about things I need to be reading right now.

And I'm thankful for this woman that has helped me look reality in the face without even knowing it.

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I don't juggle life intentionally.

I don't try to 'do it all' intentionally.

But somehow ... someway ... I've become a juggler.

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Today & tomorrow ... and the days to come, I'm going to read these quotes again and again, and remember ...

“‘Having it all’ doesn’t mean having everything, all at once, all the time. ‘Having it all’ means taking yourself seriously. It means knowing yourself well enough to find your purpose in life. It means knowing what needs to change when you sense that you’ve lost that purpose. It means having the faith to believe that change is possible and the courage to make those changes. It means drawing strength from the relationships in your life, and, if there’s no strength to be drawn, knowing when to cut those relationships out of your life.

The conventional image of a successful woman today is that she’s a virtuoso juggler, somehow moving fast enough to keep all the many aspects of her busy life in the air at the same time. This is a common image, but it’s also quite sad. the core skill of juggling is throwing, not catching. To keep every object in the air, you have to get rid of each one as quickly as possible, barely allowing it to register on your fingertips before you toss it up and away, preparing for the next object to throw.

A strong life is the opposite of juggling. Juggling requires you to keep everything at bay, up in the air, away from you. The secret to living a strong life lies in knowing how to draw a few things in toward you. It asks you to be discriminating, selective, intentional. You can find energizing moments in each aspect of your life, but to do so you must learn how to catch them, hold on to them, to feel the pull of their weight and allow yourself to follow where they lead.”

From: Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham

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Can you guess what I'm going to buy with my Barnes & Noble gift card?

Galatians 6

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

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Found a new blog the other day ... LOVE it!

I think you may enjoy it too.

Jenni Catron ... check her out and be prepared to {grow}.

Bama.

Republished today ... Bama (age 95) is now in Heaven.

She will be missed so very, very much ... and our only hope is that her grace, humor, whit & radiant spirit will live on! Love you Bama ~

Originally published 11.29.07

Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while.....but our hearts forever.
~Author Unknown

I arrived home from school today with a runny nose, a sore throat, and tired eyes. The snow that covered our world this morning was now completely gone, leaving behind mud and a damp chill. I was ready to collapse on the couch, but had many things to accomplish before the 7:00 baby shower I had committed to attend. I rushed about the house and then noticed that Ian had brought the mail in. Most of it was junk mail. There were a couple of bills, a darling Christmas card from Tanya, a catalog, and some coupons. Quickly tossing the bills onto the counter, I spotted it...

~ the handwriting I've grown to cherish
~ the return address I love to see
~ the signature of Bama (Ian's grandma).

It was a postcard letting us know we were loved.
A postcard thanking us for making an effort to be there for Thanksgiving.
A postcard signed with hope and anticipation of another visit to come.

I hope and pray that at the "young" age of 92...

~ I will be writing notes to my grandchildren
~ I will share my love with those whom I hold dear
~ I will radiate wisdom & grace without saying a word
~ I will hold the hand of my 9th great-grandchild and smile.