A new Sunday...

A few months ago, I mentioned the girl who sits in front of us at church.  Yesterday she came with a boyfriend.  It made me smile.  Again, i don't know her or her story - have they been dating awhile this is the first time she was able to bring him to church?  Did they just start dating?  I don't know.  But I knew that it would be fun to watch her life progress through all the stages and maybe she is in the next one.  :)

We don't know everyone's story...

Sometimes I need a reminder that we don't know everyone's story.  Today I was eating at Subway and a lady and three school aged girls came in.  I didn't really get a good look at the girls good as my back was to them.  The lady was on her phone and they were waiting for someone.  I smiled in my head as I heard the girls bicker because it sounded like every meal I have ever eaten out with my kids.  I understood (I thought) what the lady was going through.  As I left, she apologized for the girls and I told her I completely understood as I got through the same with my kids.  She quickly explained that she they are foster kids.  Suddenly what I overheard made more sense.  Earlier she explained to one girls that "they don't hit each other in this family" and as I was leaving, she was holding one and she was screaming "I want MY MOM!!!" and the other girls were saying "she is your mom today."  I got in my car and realized that I didn't understand at all what they were going through.  I don't know these girls story or anything about them or why they are not with their moms.  I cried all the way back to my office.  I cried for these girls that do not have their mom and I cried for this lady as she was trying to help them.  I wished I could do more but said a little prayer for them all.

What do you see... Finding Jesus

This is what was on the front of our bulletin at church this morning.  What do you see?

We walked into church late this morning.  It's not unusual for us to walk into church late in the morning.  This morning had been a particularly difficult morning.  We are potty training Calvin and I am running out of patience.  In my head, I know that it will click for him at the right time.  This is what happened with Laci.  This is the advice everyone has told me.  It is easier to say this than to live it.  I am losing patience.  I threw a temper tantrum while changing him.  It was embarrassing as a mother to throw a temper tantrum and a diaper across the room.

By the time we got to church, I had calmed down.  After dropping the kids off at Sunday School, I sat down in the sanctuary.  I have mentioned before that church truly is my sanctuary.  It is the hour a week that I can just let go.  I am at peace.  I am with God.  I looked at the bulletin and saw a bunch of colors.  Colored what?  Colored Flowers?  Maybe a fuzzy cornucopia?  I was focused on the colors on the right.  I could not make out what the picture was and found it to be quite odd.  After a few minutes of staring, Jesus' face appeared.  It was so clear.  How in the world did I miss that?  I spent the rest of the hour staring at Jesus' face and wondering how many other times in my life Jesus is right in front of me and I am focused on something else.

Fourteen years ago....

Each week at church we sit roughly in the same spot.  Most everyone does.  We always sit behind a young lady.  She looks like she is in her early 20's.  I don't know her very well and can't remember her name right now.  We know she is an aide at an elementary school.  We exchange pleasantries and greetings and "have a good week" with her every week.  

When I look at her, I see myself 14 years ago.  I have been going to that church for 14 years now.  I was in my young twenties and didn't know anyone.  Eventually I became a little bit more involved in the church but I always sat by myself week after week.  After a few years I started to sit with Charlie.  First as friends.  Then as a dating couple.  Then as a married couple.  Soon we were bringing our baby to church every week.  Then we were a couple again as we enjoyed an hour of quiet with Laci and eventually Calvin in the nursery and Sunday school.

 

As much as I enjoy looking at myself 14 years ago, I am more looking forward to watching this young lady's life unfold, hopefully still at our church.  I look forward to seeing who she starts to eventually bring to church with her and I look forward to watching her family grow someday.  

Speaking of future spouses, I was watching a Bible DVD with the kids yesterday.  There was the story of Isaac and Rebekah.  I told Laci that I pray for her future spouse.  She then said "I also look forward to finding out who your son-in-law will be."  I love that instead of her looking forward to meeting her husband, she said my future son-in-law!

Unconditionally....

This morning I was upset.  I was upset with something I did last night.  I couldn't sleep last night and I kept praying "Why do I keep doing this?  How can God forgive me?  How does God always forgive?  How will my kids forgive me?  How do I forgive myself."  I got to a stop light and stopped for a minute and heard this on the radio "Unconditionally".  It was Katy Perry's new song called "Unconditionally".  It was exactly what I needed to hear.  God does love us Unconditionally.  Always has.  Always will.  Our family loves us Unconditionally.  Always has.  Always will. 

Mama's Bible - Mel McDaniel

I don't know where I have been for the last 30 years but I just discovered Mel McDaniel yesterday.  I downloaded his greatest hits and found this gem.  If you aren't a fan of country music from the 80s (which apparently I am!) The lyrics are below.  This is the message I want my children to learn from me.  This is the greatest gift I can give them.  
Mama's Bible

Verse: 1 
I use to be afraid of dying when I’d think about having to go, 
now I know I’m gonna live forever mama’s bible tells me so, 
it said that just believing is the key to it all, 
and that I’m forgiven every time I fall. 

Chorus: 
Hallelujah, hallelujah, mama’s bible tells me so. 

Verse: 2 
When it rains I know he’s crying for the love of all mankind, 
and he hurts inside just like us when he’s left behind, 
but I know he is my shepherd and he’ll never walk away, 
because he gave us Jesus for a friend on judgment day. 

Verse: 3 
All I’d loved are cared for had either changed or gone, 
I reached for mama’s bible for strength to carry on, 
like my heart it gathered dust like it’s pages I was worn, 
and as to life for both of us oh Gabriel blow your horn. 

Ending: 
And I’ll trust in mama’s bible till it’s time for me to go, 
hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.

A wedding... The vows

Sometimes it seems like the wedding ceremony is glossed over in the wedding preparations.  But the wedding ceremony is the most important part.  As our photography called it "the good stuff". 

I think going to weddings should be required of all married people.  Go to as many weddings as you can. Crash the ceremonies if you have to.  When we were first married, we would go to weddings and remember our own.  The anticipation.  Walking down the aisle... The reception afterwards. 

Yesterday was different.  We have been married for almost 9 years now.  It seemed cliché at the time when everyone would talking about "the good times and the bad times".  When you are first married, it is the good times.  You can't imagine the "bad times".  We have been married long enough to have some bumps in the road... little ones and big ones.  I couldn't have imagined at the time the journey we would go through and are still on.  But even though the most difficult times, I know that I am married to the right person and that the tough times are times that you get through - they aren't about the person you married.

A wise women once said that when she was going through some tough times with her husband she would watch her wedding video.  Not to remember the love of that moment and the vows she said to her husband but to remember the vows she said to God.  The covenant she made was not only to her husband but also to God.

As we are going through "the tough times", I needed to see a wedding.  I needed to see that hope and to renew our vows with each other.  I don't think watching our wedding video would have had the impact of the vows that being in the middle of the wedding had for me.  I loved explaining all the traditions to Laci, especially the unity candle.  I love the unity candle and how it represents her family, his family and their new family newly created.  I keep my unity candle on my kitchen sink.  I can't think of a better place to keep it than right in the most used place in my house.  It is burned way down.  My mom offered to replace it with a new one.  I said no.  That burned down unity candle was at our wedding and is a daily reminder of our wedding and our vows, just like our rings. 

I wasn't sure why we were invited to the wedding.  We hadn't seen her in several years.  I would like to think I had bigger impact on her than I thought when she was a teenager.  But I really think that we were invited to that wedding because God knew that I needed to be at a wedding this summer.  He knew that I needed to experience that all again. 

Charlie pointed out the best line the pastor said at the wedding yesterday.... "Make sure that today is the day you love each other least."  I think that says it all.

Praying like Calvin

Recently Calvin has insisted on saying the prayer at dinner.  He has taken the simple prayer of a child a step further.  "Dear Lord... In Jesus Name.... Amen."  We usually have to remind him to say "Thank you for this food."  I love his simple prayer.  I like to believe that God and the Holy Spirit are interceding his prayers.  I am learning to pray like Calvin.  "Dear Lord... hear my unspoken prayers... You know my needs..  You know all of our needs...  hear the prayers of my heart...   In Jesus Name...  Amen."  I am learning to be quiet when I pray.  

However, I usually end it with Amen, unlike Calvin who occasionally end with "and that is all."  :)  

Deep thoughts at 3:00 a.m. ...

I was laying awake the other night at 3:00 a.m.  I do my best (and worst) thinking in the middle of the night.  I was working on my list of all the horrible, annoying habits I have.  We always get so down on ourselves and beat up ourselves.  I thought "I will just add this to Charlie's list of why I am a horrible, annoying person.  Everyone has that list for their spouse, right?"  Then I thought about "the list" I have for Charlie, all of his annoying, horrible habits.  The list is completely blank.  Not a thing on it.  Then I thought "That is what marriage is, right?  No list.  We don't keep score.  We don't have a list."  It was a nice thought and a nice reminder.

Of course, in the light of day, I can think of plenty silly little things for "a list": doesn't make the bed, forgets to turn the closet light off, doesn't do the dishes immediately.  But those things really aren't important.  I am thankful every day for Charlie and our marriage.

Yesterday

This one hit me close to home.  Not because I am a runner.  I am not a runner compared to the Boston Marathoners.  But because I am a sister.  My brother ran the marathon yesterday.  It was his biggest achievement.  He devoted the last 6 months of his life to training for this race and reached his goal.  His goal was 3 hr and he completed it in 2:55:59.  I am so proud of him.  It was his day.  

And then it wasn't.  His day, his memories of this day will forever be overshadowed with the tragic event.  This is not true of just him but of all the runners.  This was their day to shine.  And now it is a tragedy.  No one can take away his achievement.  

He finished the race at 1:00 p.m.  I heard about the explosions at 3 p.m.  My other brother and parents were with him.  I knew he had finished awhile ago and they had all met up so I had to assume that they were safely away from the finish line.  Fortunately, they had already made it back to the hotel.  But it was still scary not knowing where they were.  The what-ifs are scary.  The what-ifs have changed me.  The what-ifs linger on in my heart.  The what-happened for all of those other runners and spectators is scary and tragic.  I can not even imagine the emotions that went through everyone in Boston yesterday afternoon. 

I am a runner.  Not a runner like they are but a runner.  I will continue to run for all of them.  For all of those who trained and achieved their goals.  For all of those who trained and did not get to achieve their goals.  This was their day. This will always be their day. 

Surely the prescence of God is in this place...

Sunday morning on our trip was Easter Sunday.  Charlie lived in Nashville the first two years he was out of school.  So Sunday morning, we drove to Brentwood and drove by his old apartment, his old stomping grounds and went to his old church - Brentwood UMC.  This church was enormous.  We parked up front in the visitors lot.  The church was packed for Easter.  They didn't have Sunday school because it was Easter that day but they did have childcare for 2 and under.  It's a good thing we got there early because it took 15 minutes to find the right room (with two guides leading us) and get Calvin checked in. 

The sanctuary was beautiful.  We were obviously in an area of town with a lot of money.  Everything was grand.  As we waited for the service to start, I remember thinking "How do people find God amongst all of this 'stuff'.  Amongst all of this 'grandeur'".  Then I realized what a stupid thought that was.  Rich people have faith and God too.  If I went to my original theory, the only true faith and the only place to find God would be in small country, poor churches.  And that doesn't make sense either. 

I don't know if it was the choir, the music, the stained glass or what but God was there for me that day.  Easter is one of my favorite church Sundays.  It's what it is all about.  I was moved.  I was so honored to be able to share that experience with my daughter too. 

It's funny because later in the car, Charlie said the exact opposite.  He made the comment that the church is so big and so grand that it would be hard to find God there.  His comment was based on the fact that it seemed easy to get lost there.  I understand what he was talking about.  But I also know that if you look, God was definitely there that day and every day.

Sadly, this is the best family Easter picture I got.  Laci saw her muff in the car and had to put it on when I pulled the camera out.  She looks like she is about to rob a train!  :) 

Reflections...

I have finally gotten back into scrapbooking. I love documenting my kids lives.  To me, giving them the memories and timeline of their life is one of the greatest gifts I can give them so I work hard on staying up to date on it.  But it is hard.  I do one scrapbook a year for each child with one page for each month - sometimes two for special events.  I usually take a break in the fall / winter from scrapbooking because things get in the way but I am finally getting back to it.  I finished Calvin's "2" book and Laci's "5" book and started Calvin's "3" book.  This week I did the pages from August / September for Calvin's book. I keep a small journal with what we do each week.  It's not a lot of detail but it jogs my memories of what we did.  It makes the scrapbooks easier to do and I love documenting our lives.

August and September were hard for me to do for Calvin.  That is when we were in the midst of the seizures. His epilepsy is very under control now and we don't worry about it at all.  He has his medicine and we haven't had any problems since he started it.  Except for this month when I kept spilling it and we have to wait until insurance says we can refill it.  I can pick it up tonight and I had just enough for today!  But now that 6 months has gone by, I have had time to reflect on that time.  It was scary.  I think it is scarier now thinking back about it than it was going through it.  I was so scared for him.  I used to stand over his bed at night and just watch him sleep - praying that he wouldn't have another seizure and that he wouldn't be scared again.  I obviously didn't go into detail in his scrapbook but just wrote a quick note about it because it was something significant in his life.

I have had the same thoughts about his tubes and adenoid surgery.  They weren't major procedures and at the time you just go through it.  But now, thinking about it, I never want to have to give my baby to the nurse again and have him go under.  It's just too much.  The last set of tubes have worked so well that he hasn't any had ear infections or sinus infections since last spring!

I haven't been able to blog about my new mom superhero.  But I will later.  Now looking back at the small things we have gone through with Calvin makes me so in awe of a friend of mine.  She has gone through so much with her daughter and is now my mom superhero.  I know that she must have been on autopilot that first year of her daughter's life but she is amazing and their family is amazing for it. 

Some amusing Laci sayings: Fairies and Egypt

Last night I was putting Calvin to bed.  Charlie wasn't home yet so I asked Laci if she wanted to say his prayer.  She was happy to step in and help out.  I asked her to say the Lord's Prayer too.  She has been able to say the Lord's Prayer since she was about 2 years old but it is just now that she is learning what she is saying.  It was pretty funny when she said "and deliver us from Egypt."  I guess she was saying Moses' version.  

A little while later, we were watching a Disney Fairy movie.  I asked how Tinkerbell went from Pixie Hollow, where she lives in the Disney Fairy series to Neverland with Peter Pan.  She explained that it is not really Tinker Bell and went on to use the example of Debby Ryan and Jessie.  She's Debby Ryan in real life but Jessie on the show.  So apparently Tinker Bell is just acting on Peter Pan.  She is just a character.  Who knew?  :)

Reading herself to sleep

A few nights last week, Laci asked if she could read to herself before bed.  This is what she looked like when I went to check on her a little while later.  I love that it looks like she is reading to her animals.  

She often reminds me of the parable of the lost sheep with her animals.  She has about 15 - 20 stuffed animals on her bed at all times.  Every night she arranges them just so.  Occasionally she will cry out because one is missing.  We have to tear about her room looking for it.  I am always amazed she knows where each and every one goes and when one is missing.  I love how caring and nurturing she is. 

 

We had to rearrange everyone's sleeping spot a few nights ago because she kept falling out of bed.  There are so many on her bed, that she was sleeping on just a small sliver on the bed.  The funny thing is that she never realized she would fall out of bed.  Charlie would hear a thump and go find her still asleep curled up on the floor. 

I have written before about how difficult bedtime for us was for a long time.  Now it is so wonderful.  We read a book.  She reads a book.  I give her a hug and kiss, turn out the light and walk out.  Sometimes I need to go back a few minutes later.  Other times she goes right to sleep on her own.  She's growing up.

Christmas Morning

Christmas Morning was perfect.  Looking back, Christmas morning was perfect.  In the middle of it, everything was going wrong. 

We had spent the two days before Christmas at Charlie's parents house.  His mom had been sick for days with that horrible stomach flu that was going around.  I just prayed no one in our house would get it.  At about 5 pm that night, Laci was on the couch and clearly didn't feel well.  After discussing not going to church, she said she felt well enough to go.  She had her new doll dressed up for church and needed to go show her off.  At about 1:30 a.m., Laci cried out for me and got sick.  I felt so bad as she was brushing her teeth after throwing up saying "I don't want to be sick on Christmas!!!"  It broke my heart.  As any mother does, I jumped in bed to sleep with her and make her feel better.  She didn't sleep well the rest of the night and constantly cried out for me.  At 7, I heard Calvin and got up.

As I walked out of her room, I noticed it was pretty cold.  I checked the themostat and it said it was 60 degrees.  Our furnace was broken!  On Christmas morning.  Charlie and I are not good at these situations and started freaking out.  We both stood next to the furnace without any idea of what we should do.  We called the furnace company and they said they would call us back but they could come look at it today.  We smelled gas but assumed that it was from the broken furnace.  But I am scared of gas and after the explosions at Richmond Hill, I wasn't taking any chances.  We called the gas company and they said they would send someone out and we should leave the house.  So now it is Christmas morning, Laci is sleeping and sick, Calvin is happy watching Dora, we have no heat and were told to leave the house.  We went to the neighborhood clubhouse so Charlie could get his run in (1486 days and counting!).  It was the saddest thing ever to wake your child up on Christmas morning and walk right by their presents from Santa to leave the house. 

Sidenote - I mentioned before doing things differently from the way I did it growing up - My Santa didn't wrap his gifts and we always played with our Santa toys and stocking gifts before our parents woke up.  My kids Santa wraps his gifts and we all go down together to open presents. 

The gas company came within 20 minutes and the kids and I left to go let him in.  He was very nice and gave the house the All Clear.  Whew... one problem solved.  He also looked at the furnace and said that it was probably just a broken ignitor, an easy fix.  We turned on the gas fireplace. 

Charlie came home and we had our Christmas morning... a little later than planned but it was still only 8:30.  The excitement of the morning kept Laci going.  We played with the stocking toys, Santa's gifts and opened all the presents.  Calvin actually skipped 4 of his gifts but eventually found them later that afternoon.  But by 10:30, she was sick again.  She threw up and was back on the couch.  It was so sad to see her pile of new toys and see her stuck on the couch.  Fortunately, Santa came through and she could watch her new DVD of Annie. 

At 11:30, the furnace repairman came and it was an easy fix.  I am so thankful for people who volunteer to work on Christmas Day.  He lived  nearby so we were the first service call.  We had heat again.  Two problems solved.

I planned a supereasy Christmas dinner - all from Omaha Steaks.  This is breaking tradition and is not the turkey dinner I grew up with.  It was awesome.  I just had to pop the twice baked potatoes and steak in the oven.  I cooked carrots.  I got out the pineapple and blueberries (one of our new traditions is that everyone gets their favorite out of season fruit for Christmas.  Calvin's is blueberries, Charlie's is pineapple.)  Bam Christmas dinner was done.  After the crazy morning, I didn't bother with getting out the good china like I planned.  Laci didn't eat anything.  Calvin had chicken nuggets.  It was a great Christmas dinner. 

By 2:00 Laci was feeling better and back to her regular self.  Third problem solved.

Did I mention a blizzard was predicted for Wednesday.  The day we were planning to drive to my sister's to celebrate with my family?  Since the heat was back on and Laci was feeling better, we decided to go to her house on Tuesday night and miss the storm and come home Thursday as originally planned.  The storm didn't turn out to be as bad as predicted and we got home fine on Thursday.  Whew.... fourth problem solved.  Christmas really was a perfect day!

 

Christmas Eve

I had really high hopes for Christmas Eve church service and all of our "traditions".  I love Christmas traditions and I love making them up as I go.  I am a pretty stuck in my ways and not-flexible on so many things that I have really surprised myself in how we do Christmas.  I thought I would do Christmas like I did when I was a kid. But I do very little of those traditions.  I love our traditions now and the way we do them. 

The week before Christmas, I started listening to Christmas music.  Silent Night is one of my favorites. Christmas Eve church service is one of my favorite times of year.  The candles and Silent Night at amazing.  I had dreams of sitting in the church pew with Calvin on my lap and Laci sitting beside me reading along in her Bible the Christmas story as they read the Scriptures.  We would sing together.  We would hold our candles high together.  What dream world am I living in?!?   Christmas Eve was nothing like that.

Charlie volunteered to usher that night.  I had to sit in the church pew with both kids by myself.  My kids don't normally go to church services and are not used to it.  Laci went to church with us the day before and she is just now at the point where she can sit quietly and color or listen for an hour.  Calvin is not there at all.  Laci wanted to sit in the second row down front.  I hate sitting that close. But the church was filling up so everyone was sitting down front.  We ended up being crowded in a pew with a couple for our small group and their parents.  Calvin was on my lap.  He did okay for the first 20 minutes coloring in his new books.  Not coloring books but coloring quietly in his regular books. I emphasize quietly so I allowed it.  But after about 20 minutes, he wanted to run up and down the aisles.  I gave up and took him to the back.  Charlie was nice enough to take him from me so I could sit back with Laci.

Laci can't read the Bible yet so of course she was not following along in the Bible as they read the Scriptures as she did in my dream.  But she did sit there very quietly and stood to sing with us at the right time.  At the end of the service, as they were getting ready to light the candles, I went back to get Calvin again so Charlie could help light the candles.  I went back to my seat, held my baby (I mean, big boy), hugged my little girl and we held candles high and sang Silent Night.  At least I had that moment.  That moment was enough to salvage my perfect Christmas Eve. 

I've got the joy wiggles

Lately, I have been pretty wiggly.  I don't know if it is the coffee or the Christmas season.  But I am wiggly.  At work I'm wiggly.  I just want to dance around the office.  Skip down the hallway.  How goofy is that.  It's totally not work related.  I am in the middle of a very stressful time at work.  I don't remember the last time I was so overwhelmed and stressed at work.  But I can't stop dancing.  Maybe it really is the coffee and Diet Coke.  Or maybe it's just in the afternoon and I have the afternoon wiggles.  I have to confess that a couple of times I have snuck off to the bathroom to do a little dance.  Others can not see the little dance.  They wouldn't understand.

But I know what the real reason is.  It's joy.  Not happiness... Joy.  I always read about the "secret of happiness" or the "search for happiness".  I am not looking to be happy.  I want joy.  Real joy.  Joy that lives in my heart.  Joy that overcomes external circumstances.  Joy is real and unconditional.  To me, happiness is external and can be conditional.  Joy is the Holy Spirit living in my heart.  My wish for all is joy.  I am so thankful to be filled with joy. 

The Christmas Story

As Laci is getting older, I am reminded how difficult it is to teach the true meaning of Christmas in the middle of Santa, lights, music, etc.  Even I have trouble focusing on it.  I realized we need to work harder teacher Laci when one day she asked where Santa was in the Bible Christmas Story and pointed out that the only thing not Christmas-y at the Reynold's light display was the church.

But she is 5 and the Christmas magic and fun activites are still important.  I like to try to do something a little Christmas-y every weekend in December.  This weekend was Charlie's company Christmas party.  Let me remind you that he works with his parents so their Christmas party is more of a family outing.  We went to a museum downtown to see a train exhibit.  Then we went to a nice lunch. 

Saturday night we went to a Night in Bethlehem.  I was so impressed.  You entered the church and took a tour of Bethlehem.  First we registered for the census.  Everyone was dressed appropriate for the time period and we met Shepherds, tax collectors, even Roman Soldiers.  We were told about a rumor of a baby being born.  The first stop was the marketplace.  All the kids got coins and could go shopping at the marketplace.  There were about 15 booths and Laci made a bookmark, sheep ornament, got a wood craft to do at home, made a pottery bowl, kneaded bread, etc.  I was really impressed.  We had to stay out of the tax collectors way or he would take all your money.  There was even a begger woman at the well.  After we were done with the marketplace, we headed off to meet the king.  We had to give the rest of our money to the king for taxes.  Then we were denied room at the inn but met Shepherds that told us of a star, an angel and a baby being born in the manger.  In the sanctuary the kids learned the story of the Candy cane and were led by the Wise man to the stable.  It was funn because they had two teenagers as Mary and Joseph with a doll baby but there were real sheep for the kids to pet. 

I thought it was really well done.  A little bit cheesy but good for the kids.  Charlie and I talked the next day about what we hoped Laci got out of it.  I don't know yet but we hope that every year she "gets" just a little bit more.  Calvin boycotted his nap and therefore fell asleep on the 3 mile drive there.  He slept for the entire time.  Next year he may get more out of it - if he can stay awake.

The next morning our church had their cantata.  It was exactly what I needed to feel the spirit again.  Every Sunday at the start of church, the tears just flow, especially this week.  I think it is just the stress of the week building up and finally being in a safe place that the worry and stress can drain away.  I felt ready to continue on with Christmas after church.

Of course, what did we do Sunday afternoon?  Visit Santa!  So it is still a balancing act between Santa and the story of Jesus.  We'll get there.  We do the Advent Candle at dinner every night and I would like to find a family advent devotional for next year. 

By the way - Laci only asked Santa for one thing - the movie Annie!   But I was not prepared for Santa questions when she asked me if we were seeing the real Santa or not.  I was truthful and said that he was not the real Santa but a helper.  She was content with the response that he is an elf.  Whatever works!

We visit the same Santa each year and I love that I have the same picture
of them growing up each year.  Sitting in his sled after is a highlight!

The Prince of Egypt - The Play

We rented The Prince of Egypt this week from the library. Laci and I have watched it a few times this week. One night I told her we were only going to watch half but when we got to the halfway point, I was glad it was a short movie because I realized I couldn't stop it. It is a pretty dark beginning and it was not a happy spot to stop it at. I love watching Biblical movies with Laci and try to use it as a way to teach her. The Old Testament is full of the great superheroes of the Bible. But it really had me thinking. And reminded me that I have a daughter that doesn't miss any details. In the last few nights we have talked about a lot of dark subjects - jealousy, anger, selling people into slavery, slavery, jail, difference in ethnic groups, famine, faith in God during the hard times and the one that really threw me was having to explain plural marriage and why Joseph and his brothers had different mothers. I hope she got the faith point out of the movie.

 

I could still hear her talking last night long after she was supposed to be asleep.  I went to tell her to go to sleep. She had her bears and stuffed animals all lined up on the bed. She explained that she was doing the movie we just watched. I asked her what part she was at. She said she was just handing out the roles. She showed me Joseph, his wife, his mom and dad and three brothers (she couldn't find 11 boy bears). I wish it wasn't so late or I would have asked to watch the play. :) I love her creativity.

It's me... Laci

The last few nights that Laci has said the prayer before dinner have been so cute.  She tends to wander in her prayers and I usually have to remind her to thank God for the food.  But she lists her family to pray for.  One night she was direct and used our first names but I love how she includes herself.  "Thank you for Daddy, Mommy, Calvin and Laci...  That's me... The one whose talking... " I always laugh in my head and remind her that God knows who she is.