I don't know how it is at your house...

but at mine, the ornaments are always jumping off the tree and congregating elsewhere while my back is turned.

Shopping Cart Fun

The doll's nearly as big as she is, but how she loves being the Momma!

What's Under My Christmas Tree This Year

Bags packed and ready to go. Tickets for four for a flight to California.
Child making faces is an added bonus.

After a two and a half year absence (the longest of my life) I get to go home for Christmas! Isn't my man wonderful!?!

Hannah will finally get to meet her Aunts, Uncles and cousins, and we will all get to be together for two whole weeks.

Now I just have to wait for Monday to come.

Heidi's Prayers Answered

Due to a recent letter from Aunt Summer (currently serving as a missionary in Ethiopia):

"Momma, Aunt Summer knows some people who don't know Jesus, that very sad."

"Yes, Heidi, that is sad."

"Let's pray about that, okay Momma?"

And so we do. I love that she is learning where to take all of her sorrows and concerns as well as her thanks and praise. A lesson I continue to learn.

And when we're done praying:

"I know Momma! Aunt Summer knows Jesus! Aunt Summer can teach those people about Him!"

"Yes, Aunt Summer is doing her best to teach people who don't know Jesus all about Him."

"God said YES Momma, He answered my prayer!!!!"

Isn't it wonderful that we serve a God who knows what we need even before we ask and puts into place that which is needed in His perfect timing!?!

She Speaks in Sentences

Hannah communicates very well. Oh, she may not have many words, but she lets us know what she does - or doesn't - want very clearly. Her comprehension is incredible, she can obey three and four step commands. She just hasn't seen a need to expand her vocabulary too quickly. She often mimics sounds tonally rather than articulately. Therefore, she'll say whole phrases, but they come out sounding like, "Da da da da dada". Imagine my surprise, then, yesterday, when I noticed Heidi carrying something she shouldn't, said, "Heidi, please put that down." and heard parroted VERY clearly from the lips of Hannah, "Heidi, put it down!"
Her first sentence and it's a command to her sister. Hmm, how does that bode for the future?

Tim and Zack Earning Their Keep

We have a new way of clearing the driveway this year.

It's a lot more quiet, and way more picturesque than the tractor.

I'm liking it!

O Christmas Tree!

Delight. Giggles. Shouts of admiration. Oohs and ahhs. Contented babble and coos. Wonder.

All this and more I would have missed had I gone the easy route, had I listened to the part of me that said, "It's just too much work if we're not even going to be here".
I'm so glad I caved. Glad that nostalgia (and Heidi's persistence) won and we put the tree up in spite of the fact that we'll be in California for Christmas. Glad that I get this front row seat to watching Hannah's reactions to the first Christmas tree she's truly noticing. Glad that I get to continue to make memories with Heidi, be amazed by what she remembers from last year and realize that tradition is already taking root. I'm so glad I get to be a part of them.

Heidi and Goliath

Heidi's been a bit obsessed with the story of David and Goliath lately. I'm hearing it told, retold, and acted out many times a day. Only instead of David, there's often a heroine named Heidi that I don't recall being in the original version. Everything is measured by its imagined relationship to the size of Goliath. ("Wow, that tree's as big as Goliath!!!" and so on.) And she wants a sling shot. An orange one. This does not surprise me.
What did surprise me was the request she came to me with a couple days ago.

"Momma, I would like a Goliath"
"You would like what?"
"A Goliath. You know, like David had. I will put a rock in my sling, my orange sling, and spin it around and around and around and I will trust God, I will believe Him when no one else does and I will kill Goliath!"
Does she realize what she's asking for? Oppression, killing, war? Not things I would wish for my little girl.
"Well, Heidi, I think there was only one Goliath and he died a long time ago."
"Why? I want one, I want to use my sling just like David"
"You could trust God just like David did."
"I know, Momma, we could pray about that!"
So she does, she asks God to send her a Goliath, and when she's done,
"Did He say yes, Momma? Will God give me a Goliath?"

I remind her that God always hears our prayers. That sometimes He says yes, sometimes He says no, sometimes He says wait, and sometimes... sometimes He answers our prayers in ways we could never fathom at the time that we prayed. His ways are above our ways and His answers often exceed our expectations. I'm sure that in a way He will send her a Goliath. Just as He sends each of us a Goliath (or a hundred depending on how quickly we learn or not). He will allow that in her life which will test her faith, which will let her choose to courageously believe that what God says is true despite all appearances to the contrary, or choose to cower in disbelief with the masses. I pray that the day she does face her Goliath that her choice will place her in the good company of those in faith's hall of fame. Those of whom the world was not worthy. Those who were sure of what they hoped for and certain of what they did not see (Hebrews11). May my Heidi choose to trust her God.

Daddy Daughter Dish Duty

Realizing that I wasn't up to the task this past week, Mr. Wonderful and our little princess stepped in and did the dishes. How blessed am I!

It Must Be December

I woke up to a winter wonderland today and an ecstatic little girl.

She's been waiting for this

since spring when the last of last winter's snow melted.

Hip Hip Hooray!