Wow, a whole month just flew by as months can do these days! I had a lovely time slowly preparing around the house for Christmas after I recouped from being hit by a whopper of a sickness at the very end of November. I actually missed four days of work, got to pray through being concerned about the financial ramifications of that and let it go and then got to experience God's blessings at work showing me how everything's all taken care of! Our God is so good!
After church this morning, I walked around the yard and spotted some good pics. A new thing this year was Livia and I decorating some of our outside trees with bulbs that were meant for the courtyard Christmas tree I would put up at our old house. Our regular inside Christmas tree is a not a tree of order and storybook beauty but of meaningful childhood craft ornaments still, favorite year's old ornaments and big, colorful lights. Some day our tree theme might change, but for now I still love it. I'm hoping to post some more Christmas pics this week, we'll see.
A Christmas Eve pic!
I'm grateful that I am somewhat pulled together. I mean literally, I had about 32 seconds to run a brush through my hair. It was a full day of doing music at services at a local retirement community (even William got into the second one, contributing some saxophone playing of carols with a trumpet, viola and violin...quite an ensemble, eh? Ha! It actually worked though, yay!) and then running off to Christmas with my family right after, all good and enjoyable events. But, I leave no time scheduled to do much personal prep time. (-: The new church directory is being put together in January and they said we could submit our own pic. Since Lara will be gone to college during their scheduled pics time I decided to grab this moment, with other people present to cajole the kids into cooperating, hahaha, to get a shot. I think it turned out great! That's my mom's painting in the background.
Walking around the yard. (-:
This year, I am able to look back at Ben's last Christmas with us. Not without tears but at least I'm able to also remember and feel with fondness the memories of that time. This is our third Christmas without him.
Christmas Day, 2015.
I had gotten both Ben and Lara the newest Huron T-shirts. Ben liked his so much he wore it to church.
My heart both melts and aches seeing Harrison smile Ben's way as Ben was being Ben and soaking up the rays. Big brother.
That year I had the kids write out Christmas lists. I needed help for sure, it was by far the most difficult year I'd ever experienced and thinking about gifts for five kids was a tricky one. Ben wrote, "crazy socks" or "funny socks", I can't recall exactly. So, I got him these socks and some fruitloop socks. I remember him wearing the fruitloop socks with his shorts and tennis shoes often. Ben would do that, he loved making people laugh!
So...how to conclude...this popped to mind, watch something from Messiah...and this then popped to mind.
He Shall Feed His Flock
He shall feed His flock like a shepherd; and He shall gather the lambs
With His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are
With young. (Isaiah 40:11)
Come unto Him, all ye that labour, come unto Him that are heavy laden, and
He will give you rest. Take His yoke upon you, and learn of Him, for He
Is meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
(Matthew 11:28-29)
Ok...not the most outright Christmassy maybe, but one of my favorites and was what I needed after sharing some Christmas past I guess as it quickly popped to mind. Be sure to watch to minute 2:42 where the singer transitions into the part of the song that is typically sung by the soprano, the opening is usually done by the alto.
And then, to end on a Merry Christmas note...
For Unto us a Child is born...
