The Hard Way
The kiddos have been battling either allergies, or the crud, seemingly since school began in the fall. Really, we all have, despite our best efforts to essential-oil ourselves up, eat right, drink raw apple cider wonder potions, or, most of all, keep our distance and try not to share germs. In the midst of it, they, at least, have done what kids do: wipe their noses on their sleeves and power through, maintaining a pretty decent mood. The last couple of weeks of unseasonably warm and spring-like weather have been especially bad. With allergy counts off the charts, we've all been hit hard. Brody, especially, had been running pretty thick and gross, so Dr. Mimmie decided his allergies...
Snow Day
Last night, I laid my head down, humming with a finely-tuned plan for the next couple of days. When my alarm went off this morning, however, I was quickly and dramatically reminded that I'm not the one in charge. A thick blanket of winter white currently covers our rugged landscape, softening its rough edges, draping its leafless trees with another kind of dressing. My internet is out, and the electricity is flickering, leaving me thankful for a fresh stockpile of wood for the fireplace. We need these reminders now, and again, that we don't solely hold the reigns on our own lives. We exercise our gift of free will, but there is a Bigger Plan in play. We can fight it, or we can learn...
Eat Your Greens!
One of the side dishes I served for Christmas dinner was Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Reduction and Cranberries. They were delicious, and this is coming from the girl who hated them so much, growing up, that she faced down her father at dinner and was left sitting at the table, long after everyone else had finished, until she ate them. Last night, I reheated some to go with the chicken I made for dinner. The kids were THRILLED to see them again! They fell at my feet and WORSHIPED my culinary prowess! They promised to love me FOREVER if I would but serve them Brussels sprouts EVERY NIGHT! Lilli: "I don't want Brussels sprouts today, or Thursday, or Friday!" Brody: "...or...
Aftermath
Here I sit, amidst the wreckage. Piles of boxes and gifts everywhere. Toys, shiny and new, lining the walls. My babies are asleep in their beds, and their mother has hit the road for a much needed vacation, so they are with us for the next eight days. Yesterday was a wonderful day. Lots of laughter, fun, excitement, and surprise. However, by the time we sat down to the beautiful dinner I had prepared, laid out on my new-to-me, family china, we were all a little tired. I had included the children in our dinner, thinking that it's never too early to teach them how to eat with manners at a fancy table, but suffice to say that next year's dinner will begin just after their bedtime. Maybe not...
Advent Day 24: Sacrifice
I thought I might do a little something, this year, that would help me focus on what this season is really about, and maybe it could help you, too. I’m going to take the story of Jesus’s birth, found in Luke 2, and go verse by verse, 1 through 24, to see what happens. Here we go… ...and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons. ~ Luke 2:24 NIV So, here they came, the young parents and their extraordinary son, to the temple, ready to make the required sacrifice in order to consecrate Him to God. Typically, a lamb would be offered, unless those offering were very poor. In that case, doves or pigeons could be...