Inspired Gifts

Henry is just like so many other boys. He loves trains. No.. No... he LOVES trains. A few Christmas' ago, I crafted nearly every Christmas gift. Among the things I made for the kids, I did a road/neighborhood play mat. Around the edge of the road map, there was a drawn-on train track. We got them some train engines and matchbox cars that year to go with it.

Of course, nothing can compare to having train tracks with bridges, tunnels, hills and little buildings. We knew if we started buying those little sets, we could quickly head into hundreds of dollars in the attempt to acquire a decent collection.

A sweet, sweet person, who shall remain anonymous recently gifted our family with their WHOLE collection. I was told that their kids had stopped playing with them and were now too old. I was completely blown away!

Of course, my husband, when he found out, was just as excited as my kids. He likes putting the tracks together in various ways and having the kids go to town.

Just a couple of the configurations he came up with. (And he didn't even use all the tracks we have.)

The kids have been absolutely thrilled with it and I (almost) don't mind the inevitable mess. Thank you again to my dear, sweet friend who bequeathed us with this amazing gift!

Happy Blogging!

The Night Before Christmas

There is something magical about the Christmas season, when you let that magic creep it's way into your heart. I was so busy this year and overwhelmed with the expectations I had of myself, the Christmas Spirit didn't really hit me until it was almost too late.

Luckily, by the time Christmas Eve came, I was feeling anticipatory and happy for the upcoming day. I quietly padded upstairs to make the final preparations and assist Santa in filling the stockings and getting gifts under the tree.

The Advent House was empty and the children's mini nativity, found one by one behind the advent doors the last eleven days before Christmas, huddled under the small tree.

The Book Advent was slowly unwrapped and read all December long. We had finished with the last book read by my dear sister, Melissa who engaged the children with her insight and attentiveness. She was careful to point out the details in the pictures and, even Henry stayed still for almost half of the story.

The stillness and peace of Christmas Eve was calming and I found myself contemplating the Past, Present and Future Christmases of my life.

The very first ornament Ben and I got after we were married was this stag. The glitter on his antlers is slowly flaking off, but he is still one of my favorites.

This ornament came with the advent of children in our lives. The magic and mystery of Santa started all over for me again when I shared the tradition with my own family.

A new ornament that Ben's mother, Jacqueline, gave me for Christmas this year. Quite similar to my dream of a charming country home for my family.

Another ornament from Jacqueline, given to Ben. A slightly bigger country home...

Santa brings us a new ornament every year.

I was reminded of the wee hours of Christmas morn when I would wake up and sneak down the stairs to stare at the glory of the Christmas tree and the gifts. The tree was different then, the lights colorful and twinkling, most of the ornaments hand-made by my mother as well as by all of us children.

I imagine that as my children age and start to craft ornaments and other decorations, Christmas around my house will become more colorful, homespun and cozy. Until then, the frosty silver glow of my tree will warm my heart at Christmastime.

My best friend in grade school gave me this bear one year for Christmas. It was "accidentally" tossed into the coals in the fireplace the day I got it and has a tiny burnt spot on the bottom of one foot. I have been understandably protective of it ever since. I never properly named it. It has seen over twenty Christmases.

He has not complained once.

Everything was bigger and more magical when I was young. It seemed that I was forever looking up at everything with curiosity, wonder and excitement. At some point I stopped, perhaps when I foolishly thought most everything had reached eye-level. My children have helped me to remember the joy of those innocent days and try to regain those qualities that are natural and inborn to all humanity. 


While Christmas helps me to remember these things I want for myself and my family, it also reminds me that the new year is coming and with it, new promises to myself and a fresh start. These are feelings and experiences that I don't just want at Christmastime, but all the year through.


And we should never stop looking up in curiosity, wonder and excitement.

The Angel I didn't know I knew

I met an Angel today. Well, I already knew him... I just didn't know he was an Angel, which is usually the way it goes.

I had been suffering with this obnoxious heart-racing-because-my-body-is-retarded-when-I'm-pregnant issue ALL DAY. This time was worse because if I happened to be sitting up while it happened, I would get dizzy or light-headed. Laying down calmed it temporarily but the moment I returned to a sitting position it came back. Another side-effect of this problem was that it left me weak and shaky. We couldn't seem to figure out anything that would stop it or at least make it more manageable.

By about 2:30 I was at my wit's end and was contemplating going to the hospital to make sure there wasn't anything really wrong. I was finally hit by inspiration and asked Ben for a blessing. He started calling friends from the ward to find someone who could come and assist. He was able to contact Glen who just needed a ride to our house, so Ben ran out to pick him up.

Of course, the blessing itself was wonderful and made me feel much better. Glen asked what had been ailing me and upon explanation, he felt along my spine explaining something about the "T3" controlling the heart. Glen is a chiropractor and, with my permission, performed a mini-adjustment in my family room.

What he did seemed akin to the practices of a witch-doctor; unexplainable and somewhat magical. I have always been skeptical of chiropractic treatment and have placed it in the same category as acupuncture, massage therapy and other non-medical treatments. I suppose I will have to admit that I was wrong. Within a half-hour, I was sitting up fairly comfortably and felt more alert than I had all day.

I'm not sure how much of my current state of comfort is as a result of the blessing or Glen's skill. Ben threw out the possibility that part of the blessing was in bringing Glen to our house. Whatever the reason, I feel much better this evening and am grateful for it.

Angels are everywhere and sometimes I'm smart enough to recognize them when they show up.

Miracles and Angels

A bit more serious today...

A week ago I had a very bad evening. Without going into too many details (which are boring and convoluted) I had an extremely tense dissagreement with a good friend. After hanging up with my friend, I proceeded to cry for the next 2 hours. Ben had called me right after everything happened and because I was not very responsive, he said he would talk to me later when I was a little more coherant. Of course, I didn't say anything, but it was very painful for me when I hung up. He texted me right after and said he'd call at midnight if I didn't call him. This must have been at about 10 o'clock at night and I was exhausted as well as emotionally distressed.
I was lying on the couch crying harder than I have in a long time and feeling completely hopeless. I was terrified that I had lost this friend forever. I was thinking that if I ever needed a miracle in my life it was right then. I was praying and praying for God to send me an angel. Someone to hold me and comfort me and tell me what to do next so that I could get my friend back. I was imagining (and hoping) for someone in white to suddenly appear and impart amazing wisdom.
It was right then that Ben called. I was suprised because it wasn't midnight yet and because my heart instantly told me that my angel was calling. I don't remember what we talked about, but I remember being amazed that I hadn't seen it before:
I had been spending so much time looking for a "sign" or a "miracle", perhaps of biblical proportions that I wasn't seeing the little miracles every day and the mortal angels in our lives. I forgot, for just a moment, that God brings people into our lives that help, teach and bless us. As for miracles... every breath I take is a miracle. Every seed that BECOMES something; a flower, a tree, a fruit is a miracle. Every moment with my daughter is a miracle. Every touch, smile and soft word from my husband is a miracle. It is so easy to forget because they happen every day.

To all the Angels and miracles in my life, thank you for being there, no matter how large, small, amazing or mundane.