Some of the seasons blessings thus far

Asher Timothy turned two! We celebrated family-style with vehicle themed decorations and activities and food, and a milk bar to boot.

My Thanksgiving blessing boy, two years old!!

 

After a relaxing “jammy day” as a family (complete with sweet potato cheesecake for lunch!!), we had a lovely birthday-Thanksgiving celebratory feast out at one of our very favorite places. What delight!This year's Thanksgiving blessing was that the holiday landed on Steven's birthday! We celebrated in high style and great deliciousness, and took my parents out with us to add to the joy!

And while we seek to bring some tangible realities and especially joyful activities into our family’s routine during Advent this year, here we are, setting out on a family hike around our property at the end of which we victoriously dragged a 12-foot-tall pine tree into our home to deck with lights, sparkle, and bobbles.
Our first Advent outing this year involved a tree hunt in our "backyard" forest while it snowed! Perfect.

What are some of the ways you are bringing Advent “to life” this year in your home??
Besides decorations, we’ve got Advent calendars, chocolates, readings and Bible stories, candle lighting each Sunday, Sabbath meals with family at which we sing boisterously (perhaps, after all, there will someday be a family band… because we’re already showing fruit!), plans to have people over for more singing and eating of good food, gifts for the kids, and continual talking about Jesus and His birth and His life and His death and the redemption He accomplished and so. much. more.!
What blessedness this is, to use these things to remind one another of the bigger glories at work through God’s redemptive plan and the material things He bestows upon us as well.
And what joy to have a generation after us to be teaching about all of this. I’m so humbled by that.

Our own fairy-tale

When we step into the family, by the act of being born, we do step into a world which is incalculable, into a world which has its own strange laws, into a world which could do without us, into a world that we have not made. In other words, when we step into the family we step into a fairy-tale.

Our existence may cease to be a song; it may cease even to be a  beautiful lament. Our existence may not be an intelligible justice, or even a recognizable wrong. but our existence is still a story. In the fiery alphabet of every sunset is written, “to be continued in our next.”

~G. K. Chesterton~

 

Smoke, Sky, and Sea

A filmy western sky of smoky red,
Blossoming into stars above a sea
Of soft mysterious dim silver spread
Beyond the long gray dunes’ serenity;
Where the salt grasses and sea poppies press
Together in a wild sweet loneliness.

~from “Twilight in Abegweit” by L.M. Montgomery~

Family on the Oregon Coast

We had a lovely week on the Oregon Coast with my side of the family. We had fantastic times at the beach, hours and hours in the pool, explored the tide pools, squeezed in a few fun dates, played games and played with cousins… it was a fantastic time. What good little travelers our sweet children are too! It was a blessing. Here are a couple quick glimpses of our super duper fun.P1010157 P1010143 P1010158

Merry Christmas to all!

“Happy Christmas Eve, Mommy!” was what greeted me this morning. And then an excited little jammy clad boy jumping into my arms explaining that tomorrow is the day he will say “Merry Christmas” to me though. 🙂 We began our Christmas celebrations yesterday, doing Christmas gift exchanging with long-distance family via webcam. Today we will enjoy a Christmas celebration with my brother’s family before heading to church for the evening service, and tomorrow we will enjoy a morning here with our own wee family & then enjoy the remainder of the day next door with Grandpapa & Grandmama. So many fun festivities to remind us of the abundance of God’s great grace and countless gifts and immeasurable joys. What marvelous, tangible, edible, material, physical reminders of both the spiritual & material things God did for us not only once in Bethlehem but forever & for all time! Amen.

This year for Christmas cards, we “went small.” I printed up a handful to hand out, but decided against taking a bundle to the post office. Instead, I email it to some friends, and above I am sharing with you the picture we used. I’m not one for the whole process of letter writing to sum-up-the-year, so you’re not missing out on that. If you’ve browsed around the blog at all this year, you are already aware of many of the ups and downs that God has seen fit to provide us for our blessing and growth. He is glorious! May we glorify Him more!

Merry Christmas, all. Enjoy the fat of the land that God has provided. Sing praises! Eat lavishly! Give gifts! Laugh and be merry! The curse is reversed, the earth is being renewed, the Lord our God shall come, and He shall reign for ever and ever! AMEN!

Isaiah 9:6-7
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Psalm 93:1
The Lord reigns; He is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed; He has put on strength as His belt.
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.

Revelation 11:15
Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”

Resurrection Sunday

Our family enjoying one another and Christ’s goodness on Resurrection Sunday… thankful that the Resurrection means (among many other glorious things) we will see the rest of our children again someday! Hallelujah!

Our Christmas as Four

Our first Christmas as four… remembering the other seven of our family who were celebrating Christmas in the glorious beauties of heaven with Christ Himself! It was a truly sweet weekend. Here is a glimpse of our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; feasting, celebrating, gifting, even sleeping. 🙂 Enjoying the biggest gifts of all that God has given us: Himself and each other. Amen!