The Actor

Christina had been outside playing when she came in, not really crying, but whining that she had fallen on the stairs and hurt her hands and her bottom. She asked if she could have some ice. I told her she could and she was on her way. Then David comes in. He asks, "Can I have some ice?" I was washing dishes and cleaning up, so I told him "Not right now." So, first he thought maybe he could get some by himself, so he dragged over the chair. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't reach the ice and he still wanted some.

So, after some thought, this is how he decided to get his ice. (This is a reenactment.)

"Ow. Ow. Mommy I fell and I need some ice."

Here he is with his prize.

Trying to get the Perfect Christmas Card Picture

It is definitely obvious that the kids are getting older, because we had a lot fewer attempts before we got an acceptable picture. They pretty much can understand "look at the camera" and "smile". The problem is smiling in a way that doesn't look odd. That was what Sam couldn't quite understand. Finally he just got so frustrated he started tearing up and said, "I just can't make my mouth smile." So, while we were "resetting" (we took a break for Sam to recover) I snapped a couple fun ones of the other kids.

Cutest Christmas Captures

Just some of the best pictures from our different celebrations.

As a parent I struggle with what my responsibility is to God and to my kids. Is it my responsibility to give them those wonderful memories of huge, long-anticipated gifts? Or is it my responsibility to be a good steward with my money and bless others and teach my kids thrift and contentment in little? It's probably some of both, but finding the balance is hard for me. It is only partially about money. I have the money to spend, but should I? So I tend to swing too far to one side and then back too far to the other. So last year we had a huge, over-the-top Christmas... bicycles, building forts, Lego set, American Girl accessories, watches. Within 6 months I had given away the fort and I can count on my fingers how many times Sam has ridden his bike. American Girl accessories get lost or left outside. The watches broke or wouldn't keep time. So it's not too much of a stretch to imagine this year was a more simple, laid-back Christmas.

I chose mostly things I knew they would use instead of the items on their wish lists which they were enamored by after seeing TV commercials or nice, glossy catalog layouts. The kids got one craft item (which for David was just a Wall E coloring book and some pens... he's an art snob, he won't color with crayons),

one toy (which for Taryn was just a large comic book... something she had asked for),
one Playmobil figure,

a water bottle,
and a couple small things in their stockings. That was ALL. And I was pleased to see that for the three days we were home after opening gifts, there were very few fights, nobody said they were bored, and nobody complained about not getting enough or not getting what they wanted. We just ate what we had in the house since I hadn't planned ahead and we couldn't go to the store on Christmas. I really was pleased with it, but I know that in 10 or 20 years, this won't be a Christmas they have any memory of. And I have to decide, does that matter? To me? To them? And what really matters for eternity? But really I just meant to show you cute pictures and didn't mean to get all philosophical.

Oh, this was one of my favorite gifts (though I could have done without the pictures of it):

They're dreaming of a white New Year

I mentioned earlier that the kids were faithful about praying for rain every day. So the other night when we were praying before bed this was Rebekah's prayer. "Lord, we need rain. Please send rain." [pause] "or maybe a little snow too."

Merry Christmas from LegoLand

Why of course the Lego minifigures would decorate for Christmas.


A fire roaring in the fireplace.





Wreaths hung on the front door:

Christmas trees:


And of course the big department store. This happens to be Macy's.

Because it just wouldn't be Christmas without a big department store. Thank you advertisers. I think your job is done here.

Influence

There is no hiding it. He is a little boy with sisters. Yesterday as we are leaving in the rain to take Christina to ballet, David finds a rock and picks it up. That is a fine, normal thing for a boy to do. He showed it to me. I gave the appropriately excited response to his discovery. Then, because it was wet, I told him to leave it on the deck and not take it with us in the car. So he puts it down and says in a sing-songy voice, "Goodbye cute, little rock."

Thankful

This morning my intellicast weather email said this:

5-Day Forecast for Clemson, South Carolina
Today: Few Showers, High: 66 F, Low: 54 F
Tomorrow: AM Showers, High: 71 F, Low: 57 F
Friday: Few Showers, High: 69 F, Low: 54 F
Saturday: Showers, High: 67 F, Low: 56 F
Sunday: Showers, High: 62 F, Low: 32 F

And the Newspaper said this last Friday (before the rain we are currently having):

Almost three inches of rain fell across much of the Upstate in the past two
days, soaking the area that has been listed under exceptional drought status and
dropping a month’s worth of precipitation in just two days.

Our whole family has been faithful to pray for rain every day for months. We are so grateful to see God's provision for our needs.

And as the economic outlook continues to look more bleak, we know that we can trust him to meet all our other needs too. (The difficult part might be learning what true needs really are and giving up all those things that really aren't... ouch).

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 (NIV)