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Everyone Needs to be Held
Winter. What are the things that come to mind without a second thought? Take a minute and make note of these things. Personally, I am a cold-weather (some may see as obnoxious) lover! The way I see it is, if you’re cold you can put more layers on. But when you’re hot, there is only so many layers this world will allow you to take off. And when you are someone who can wear shorts and a t-shirt most of the year and still be warm, the cold is a wonderful gift! 😊 So this is the first thing that comes to mind for me! RELIEF 💕 The Christmas Season!…
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Can I get a Hallelujah?
“We are dazzled by arrays of Christmas lights. In recent years, seeing them through the eyes of my two young children has awakened something in me I’d lost to the subtle and insidious cynicism that often sets in with age: longing. Light is a wonderment because of its promise that there’s something brilliant veiled behind the darkness, waiting to be found, pulsing with life, on the brink of unfolding before us.” Jay Y. Kim, The Promised One: Advent Readings From Christianity Today 2022 I read this earlier this week, and I said, aloud to myself, “YES! That’s it!” Children are our magnificent examples of these words! If we only slow…
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The JOY of Buster
Tomorrow my nephew will be eight years old! And no his name is not really Buster, he just decided one day that would be his name, but it only lasted that one day! His name is John, but goes by Jack, Jackman, little man, Lucy’s Applesauce King 😊 Since he will be turning 8, allow me to share with you eight things that make Jack, uniquely and lovable JACK! 💕 And of course I wouldn’t be able to witness and be apart of Jack (and Lilly’s) life, if it were not for my brother and sister in law. So to them, Thank you for this enormous blessing! Life Book of…
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Swaddled No More!!!
Words we hear around Christmas: Longing. Expecting. Arrival. Welcoming. Receiving. Giving. These words have me really digging and searching this Christmas season. I’m not completely sure why, but I have a couple of thoughts, and I would just like to share them with you today. The picture for today’s post is the Christmas BEFORE Lucy arrived. I know I know, crazy prepared, maybe, but she was set for about five or six Christmas’s and birthdays 😊 That was IF i could keep it all out of reach 😂! (this was the “scene” for around 4 Christmas before she arrived). The “stuff” is not the point of what I am wanting…
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Days Gone By
A fun “Unless you know me well” fact: although this is my favorite weather and holiday season, this time of year tends to bring out “oops did I just say that out loud?” moments. I tend to be a bit sarcastic and a tad rebellious to the “assignments” of the world around us. A few examples: Thanksgiving: I love family and traditions, but when it comes to assignments of listing what you are thankful for… well, I was the kid who always listed the same things, Mom, Dad, Brother, Jesus, Friends. I was often perplexed by this assignment, especially in a Christian School, because why wasn’t this an assignment throughout…
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Asking for Help, Not the “Fixing” Kind
“I need to remember that I live in a culture of doers and fixers.” – Christine Rhyner, How Much Did You Pay for Her? Nailed it! This quote is from one of the many amazing books I read in “the waiting” for my little girl to arrive. I have to often remind myself of these words, and remember to give grace, because I need just as much grace. I tend to have a cut and dry outlook, not necessarily optimistic but not pessimistic. More of a “please don’t try to fix me or the situation that cannot be fixed, and I will do the same for you.” Give me Jesus,…
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every child. every parent. every family.
“I was in the grocery store, and a woman looked at me and my daughter. I’m white and my daughter is African-American. ‘Is that your daughter?’ she asked. I said, ‘Yes.’ ‘Her father must have been very dark,’ she said. I couldn’t resist answering, ‘I don’t know, I’ve never met the man.'” – Adopting on Your Own: The Complete Guide to Adopting as a Single Parent, by Lee Varon I have stories for days like the one above. Some that others have told me, and some of my very own. We humans tend to assume and can sometimes be very narrow-minded. We don’t mean to be, but it’s ingrained in…
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Life and Lollipop Toes
I am going to jump right in today, and lay out what I believe with great conviction and also find important to make clear before moving forward today… I know that was a lot to get to what I actually want to write today, but my hope was to make clear where I am coming from and where my heart is. November is National Adoption Month. So this month I hope to bring some light to some areas of adoption that may be new or a little less familiar to you. Today, I want to share one of the very real and heart breaking realizations I discovered and researched that…
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What ever happened to PLAYtime?
Play. What are the first things you see, feel, smell, taste, hear when you think of this word? Color. Smiles. Activity. Concentration. Comfortable. Welcoming. Happy. Play-doh. Finger paints. Goldfish. Juice. Giggles. Conversation. Pitter-patters. Music. Squeals. These are just the beginning of what pops into my head when I think about “play.” Children have the raw instinct to just know to play. They don’t need instruction, they simply begin. They start by learning the noises and voices that are safe and familiar. Then slowly they begin to develop their focusing skills, and start to discover their hands, feet, and those around them. They gradually learn they can kick, grab, roll over,…
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One Wave at a Time
Just a note before I start today’s writing: I am so grateful for the picture above, along with many more, you never know when these moments will no longer exist. And we have the opportunity in our pockets (phones), to take glimpses of these moments. I encourage you to not hesitate, take the pictures! Video all the firsts, seconds, thirds, the moments that you can’t get back! I know how these priceless treasures can make my day just a little bit more do-able, I never wish this on anyone, but believe me if you are ever left with just pictures and videos and memories, you won’t regret a second of…
