Grace teasing me with her smile…
Faith working on her polymer clay figures…
Appreciating my last night with the glow of the Christmas village…
Gazing outside the schoolroom window at the snow…
Garnet building creatively with the new Magformers…
A reintroduction to Anne of Green Gables…
Bring the fun inside. Snow in the kitchen? Samuel thought I was hilarious!
While we waited for Samuel, we were blessed to see him online. Now? Daddy travels for work and Samuel (& everyone else) is blessed to connect with Stephen online. Ah Skype – you are a wonder.
Faith has been re-immersed in the world of toys these past few months. Being 12, that is a fairly cool thing for her Dad and I to see. She has begun collecting Schleich figures. They are so life-like and yet full of fantasy. Being Faith though, the ones in the store weren’t unique enough on their own. She decided to pursue making some of her own. Tonight it was a tiny little baby in a diaper and with a teeny little flower to go along with it. Faith has always loved to personalize and accessorize her life, so this newest bit of creativity at 12, is such a pleasure for us to watch!
Like most of us, I really love the weeks leading up to Christmas. The lights, the visiting, the anticipation – they bring out such a warmth in my spirit and in the demeanour of so many around me. Truly, what’s not to love?
Unlike many, I try to avoid the Boxing Week sales. The return lines in the mall, the 70% off everything signs, the bedraggled decorations – they put a damper on my glow, you know?
Today though, I decided to take James out to exchange a couple items. And as expected, folks were a bit more down in the mouth. And things didn’t have the sparkle that I’d noticed just a few short days before. Until, that is, we headed over to a new prosthetics office that we haven’t been to before.
I needed to pick up some spray that helps Samuel’s prosthetic liners suction a bit better. We go through a ton of that stuff. I ran in expecting a quick errand and stopped dead in my tracks. Amongst the clients and professionals, there was laughter and smiling; friendly banter and joking. I paused for a second while they waited for me to announce my reason for stopping in. Such a contrast and in such an unlikely place, or so one would think.
But that it the secret that we have discovered over the past five years. The key to happiness and joy has nothing to do with the packages and shiny lights and brand names and deep discounts. It has to do with perspective.
And today I realized, not for the first time, that I am one of the privileged few who have been let in on the secret to joy and maybe even the true essence of Christmas Spirit.
It was a wonderful reminder for a brand new year.
Welcome 2013!
(Don’t mind the late Santa photo – it needed a home here.)
Samuel trying out his brand new prosthetics with feet!
It was a very good week – full of the best!
{Hover the cursor over the individual photos to read the captions.
Click the individual photos to enlarge them.}
Samuel LOVED his first preschool party this year.
He makes an adorable Firefighter, doesn’t he?
James is only 3 months away from his independent drivers licence. He’s pretty smooth and I’m actually impressed. Okay, he’s smooth, I’m impressed and a taaad nervous. :).
While driving away from Fall sleepover camp:
Garnet: We carved pumpkins! We made one if ours stab the other one and the other one was throwing up!
Grace: we carved some too! It had a cross and on the other side had a beautiful flower….
Steve and I just about died laughing. LOL
This is my daughter. Fearless and Brave. She is her own person. She is strong of character. She knows what she likes. Seeks out what she wants. She finds it easier to be determined and harder to be tender. She is a force to be reckoned with.
{She’s a fair bit like her Mom.}
She’s growing up and we are seeing Time and Experiences mould her. More and more we are seeing the softer side of her peek out. Her love for Jesus gas been the catalyst. And what better mentor could there be?
We dearly love this girl. What a treat to be her Mom.
