growing couches «

On a friend’s Facebook page the other day, she started a thread on what people did during the busy holiday season of Christmas to bring things down a little. Things that helped them to focus on the birth of Christ or on family instead of the “rat-race” that can be December. In our home we have a number of traditions that help us refocus and reconnect with each other and the birth of Jesus. Even without these traditions though, Christmas is my absolute favourite time of year. I love sitting beside a lit Christmas tree and reading a good book or drinking hot chocolate and snuggling one of my kiddos. While it can be chaotic it can also be one of the most fulfilling times of year.

As a Christ-follower, I feel that somehow I have an inherent sense of peace during this season. It’s almost as if December 1st hits me with an inexplicable joy and great sense of anticipation. In all honesty, it has nothing to do with presents. While I love giving gifts and, of course, receiving them, it’s more the festivities, colour, songs, etc. that sets my heart in a perpetual rhythm of gladness for one full month.

This year hasn’t been any different! Don’t get me wrong, I have had many moments of being completely frustrated, of being over the top angry and just all around overwhelmed (just ask my husband he’ll have a few stories). But the sense of quiet and “bubbling, beneath the surface excitement” is always there. Amidst the chaos of Christmas parties, Christmas baking, Christmas programs, Christmas shopping, Christmas dressing we find so many moments as a family to connect and hang out. Part of that is purposeful and part of that seems to be a natural inclination that we have as human beings to “need” each other. I realize that I am blessed to have family, both immediate and extended, that constantly seek out moments to re-connect. I have siblings that care to know each other, parents that cherish time with each of their children and grandchildren, in-laws that are more than eager to carve out time to spend with us, and a husband and children who actually try to be together and there for each other. I also have friends that are more than happy to interrupt an already busy season with impromptu gatherings, or scheduled bake-offs, or even just random, deep texts about the realities of life.

A perfect example of seeing this “need” for each other happened the other day when Annie came home reciting one of her many, little pieces for her Christmas program at preschool and the oldest three piped up how they were planning on attending. “Where else would they be”, they wondered!! Little did they realize that the program happened during school hours and they would all be in their classes during her performance. While I was thrilled that they were all planning on being there without question, I had my doubts about pulling them out of school just for a 15 minute program. A week and a bit rolled by and the weekend before, James and I headed out of town together. The kids were well taken care of by my brother and sister-in-law. The Sunday afternoon when we got home, the kids were so happy to see us. As the evening drew to a close, I realized that Annie’s program was the next morning and I hadn’t really given it too much thought. I took a moment to think through just how meaningful it was that all the big kids wanted to show their little sister support and be there in her excitement. We sat down and had a little chat about whether or not they really wanted to miss school, what they’d be missing, if they had projects, homework, etc. that was due and if perhaps they would like to just have a day at home all together afterward. I was thrilled that a spontaneous day of Christmas cheer turned into a relaxing day with my children. We saw Annie:

We had a few snacks with her:

And then I dropped the one child off who loves school for the rest of his day and the rest of us headed off to Wal-Mart to do some Christmas shopping. I was blessed to see my children having a wonderful time picking out gifts for their cousins, thinking of others, happily enjoying themselves, together, as a family.

The rest of the day consisted of homework, cookie baking, Christmas music and finished off with a belated Saint Nicholas Day celebration. While we couldn’t do everything we’d normally do for this celebration on this particular evening it was well worth the decision to follow through with a portion of it at least. Listening to Sam pray at the dinner table that we’d all understand that the reasons for why we’ve chosen to celebrate Saint Nicholas Day during the Christmas season as a family was because it would help remind us to be kind, to give to others in need and remember that Jesus asks us to help those in need, was such a huge reminder to me that Christmas does bring a depth of joy that we don’t feel any other time of year.

Later as the kids opened their Saint Nicholas Day stockings and we planned our yearly Angel Tree trip for later in the week, we laughed, we read our Christmas story for the evening, the girls and I sang a carol or two and I was reminded that God is good. He is good all the time, but we are so able to recognize His goodness during this time of year when we feel the joy of the gift He gave us. When we feel our families reaching towards each other and finding memories in the moments we share as we join in the traditions that we’ve created, uniquely, as an individual family.

So this year, I feel challenged to recognize each day a moment or two, when I feel the closeness of my Creator and to bask in it. To savour that moment so that when the rest of the year traipses on I’ll remember the peace I could rest in during this particular season.

Just saying that word gives most of us that are parents a slight shudder. Well, those of us that are just entering that phase anyway…if you’re a seasoned parent, past the pre-teen stage perhaps you sigh with relief knowing you don’t have to repeat those years.

Honestly these were the years I was most looking forward to…getting to see my child being shaped into the person they will spend their life being! It sounds silly, I realize, but in all truthfulness that period of time holds some of the best memories I have of my growing up years and I long to provide that same type of experience for my children.

What I couldn’t have possibly accounted for is the change that our world has experienced and the impact it would have on my own child-rearing years. Namely the explosion of connectedness. I’m very slowly reading a book I picked up at the local bookstore a few weeks ago…”Tough Guys and Drama Queens”. The first chapter is dedicated to addressing what is so different in the culture today than in the early 20th century. One fact stood out to me beyond all other…

“In the 1930s, written information doubled every thirty years. In the 1970s and 1980s, that amount
of information doubled every eleven years. Today, codified information doubles every eleven hours.
That means that you can end your workday being half as wise as you were when you woke up that
morning.”

That’s insane, and in some ways makes our children smarter than us because they, more often than not, know how to access that information far quicker than the average parent.

How scary is that to have to navigate as a parent already feeling slightly inadequate. My mom has often said that she doesn’t envy our generation, having to raise children in the fast-pace, connected world that we live in.

In truth I feel even more honoured in a way, that I was entrusted with the four children I have during this period in history. Does it raise the standard in terms of being more involved as a parent? Absolutely! Recently James attended a seminar hosted by an RCMP officer that specializes in social media, the internet and youth. Although my husband is quite savvy when it comes to such things I suggested he go instead of myself as he would be more likely to understand half the jargon AND when it comes to implementing techniques in relation to the “inter-web” and other connected devices he would probably be better at it. He came home, first and foremost, with a deeper sense of assurance that we were actually doing a pretty good job introducing our children to these different ways of connecting with the world BUT also a greater sense of urgency to openly communicate with our children what they already knew, not because we’d shared it, but because they’d encountered it at school, with their friends, stumbled across it, etc. Also a pressing desire to engage in constant discussion in regards to how to navigate these waters cautiously and together.

One of the things I have valued as a parent is openness. It means addressing the issue even if it’s uncomfortable. It gives kids the opportunity to ask the questions of me, as a parent, rather than their friends who don’t have all the information or maybe none yet. An example of my most recent experience was the first discussion I had with Sam regarding certain aspects of sexuality. While we hadn’t purposely avoided it, in all honesty, it just hadn’t entered our realm of discussion. Having the opportunity to sit down and talk with him had been on my mind and he hadn’t asked any questions yet so I felt the need to broach the subject with him. At first it was awkward, I wasn’t sure where to start, he wasn’t really excited to share what he already knew, but once we began the discussion it led to some great dialogue and I felt better that he knew I was approachable even with topics he wasn’t quite sure about. It wasn’t a long, drawn out discussion but I think he walked away with some things to think about.

Being willing to be open doesn’t just involve discussions related to sexuality…it has to overflow into every aspect of life related to your child’s growing experiences. For us open discussion has been key in helping us delay the introduction of a cellphones or any other personal device of that sort. It hasn’t been because we wanted to isolate or shelter them but discussing with them our reasoning, our desire to see them become more responsible, to understand the reasons for having said devices and how they will be used in our home has allowed us the luxury of introducing in the timing we feel appropriate for our children rather than what their peers deem appropriate. It isn’t always easy and sometimes we’ve been perceived as the bad guys but in the end it hasn’t been a battle.
I think one of the main lessons I’m learning during this stage is that the more open, up front and honest you are with your pre-teen/teenager, the more likely you will be to have the privilege of walking with them through the tumultuous years that have the greatest impact on shaping their character and values for the rest of their life.

Where have I been you ask…or maybe you don’t! Either way the truth is that I have had a multitude of things I could have blogged about over the last months but I haven’t really felt the desire to sit down and hash it all out via bloggo-sphere (not sure that’s an actual word but it came to mind). Life has been full and rich…full of great moments, family memories, laughter…rich with teachable moments, reflection, understanding and revelation. Lately I’ve been reminded of the fact that God has created me to be who I am and if I believe that, then I must honor that God has indeed created others to be who they are. In acknowledging that fact I feel that it’s opened a whole new set of questions and feelings of inadequately understanding our Creator. If I started listing them it’s unlikely that I’d be able to stop. In this realization I’ve become somewhat aware/disappointed in how Christians today are extremely judgemental and black and white in their view of the world. I know what I’ve been taught over the years in church about what’s right and wrong but I have also lived in this world for 33+ years and become a mother in this world. There are very few things in this world that is black and white and as such I think it’s fair to say that we must be willing and ready to navigate these muddy waters with care and empathy. More often than not I see a world full of people screaming out to be heard, listened to, loved and validated. Many of them have lived their lives being marginalized and their opinions squashed and as a result they lash out with their views. When their values are threatened, they attack and they don’t care who stands in their way. What I find myself wondering is how would God call us, us being those who have engaged in a personal relationship with him, to act? Or better yet what would Jesus have done? Would he have stood on the latest, greatest corner (ie. facebook, twitter, blogger, etc.) and yelled for the world to hear what he KNEW was truth. Or is his example much, much more difficult…personal relationships with those who then invited him to speak truth into their lives. I realize that Jesus had a major advantage in that he knew when a person’s heart was ready for acceptance but the amazing thing is that when we opt to develop deep, meaningful relationships with those around us we become aware of when they’re ready, sensitive, and actively seeking for truth to be revealed in their lives. I also recognize that some might say that Jesus did in fact stand on his proverbial soapbox, as he spoke in from of hundreds at a time but no where in those accounts were those people bashed over the head with his message. I’m determined to keep exploring how these ideas/revelations swirling in my head affect my daily faith journey. How to best live out God’s truth while honoring that he’s created an entire world of individuals walking their own walk, discovering who they are through their own set of trials, strengths, weaknesses and most importantly, valuing how God has chosen to reveal himself to them without judgement.

In light of recent, local and global events I felt compelled to blog a few thoughts. They’re personal opinions…nothing more…that’s the beauty of a blog.

In BC we’ve been overwhelmed with propaganda from all sides over the last two weeks. From the government, from the union, from the media. The reality is there is more than one side to every story and because we’re human our perspectives are always tainted with a little of our emotion rather than 100% truth.

I have opinions and ideas which at this moment I will choose to keep to myself! What I will say is what I chose to share with my 10 year old as he contemplated the job action and asked me who was winning…nobody. The answer plain and simple is that nobody in our current situation is “winning”. In fact at this point we are all losing.

But here is the dilemma I was hit by yesterday. This world has big problems everywhere. We live in a generation of connection. We’re connected to one another, across the globe 24/7. Our minds and eyes are full of the information to be analyzed, critiqued, processed and discussed on a regular basis and we rarely get a rest from it. When I popped onto Facebook yesterday I was assaulted by the sharing, reposting, commenting of a recently released video called Kony 2012. At first I ignored it…I’m a skeptic, when masses choose to share something it feels somehow contrived, forced. I want to discover on my own and not be told how to feel and think. Eventually the sheer number of people commenting and sharing the link caused me to start watching. I only got to watch the first 10 minutes and something unsettled me. I walked away for a meeting but felt sad at what I’d seen. Inexplicably my heart was heavy and I hadn’t even seen the bulk of the video yet. I determined to watch the rest but with a critical eye.

Later in the day I came back to it and watched the rest. I felt two reactions, one was an emotional reaction to the knowledge of the evil that exists in our world and the second was uncertainty. I knew the images I was seeing were truthful and that somehow, people in power continue to use and abuse children because they are small and weak, because they need protection. Uncertainty because the people that “represent” these children are often just as guilty of using and abusing the same children but in a different manner. Often more subtle and difficult to discern the actual motives.

This morning as I awoke with many of these ideas, thoughts, images and emotions swimming in my head I realized that personal evaluation, thoughtful discussion, informed decision-making is key to moving forward. People as a whole are emotional creatures. Even the most logical people are guided by what they feel and their own, internal perception of the “right” reaction.

In a day and age when we are inundated with information from all sides we HAVE to be aware and knowledgeable about how we intake and process said information. We have to be willing to take time, be patient, research and explore the implications of what we’re learning and how we proceed before we simply react.

If you have time and feel so challenged, below are links to two of the major issues I’ve seen dominating social media over the last week. Each has two, opposing views to the same issue. Try to watch/read both sides with a critical eye and make note of the times that you feel a check in your conscience.

http://cherylangst.wordpress.com/2012/02/29/teaching-in-bc-3/
http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/2012/03/key-information-on-bctf-strike.html

http://youtu.be/Y4MnpzG5Sqc
http://justiceinconflict.org/2012/03/07/taking-kony-2012-down-a-notch/

As an aside, I feel that because of my personal faith, there is another element that must be considered. I know that everything I read, watch, hear and think must be viewed through a biblical worldview. I should be on my knees, asking for wisdom, allowing the Holy Spirit to keep my reactions and perspective in balance. I know that in my imperfect being I will likely react wrongly in many ways but it should never affect my desire to continue putting all my perceptions through the lens of scripture. So for those of you who share my beliefs, spend time considering what we are called to. LOVE, is the basic foundation in all we know…for our Saviour, for people and all of creation.

I’ve been giving Valentines a lot of thought over the last week. It’s kind of ironic since I’m generally one who prefers to just let it pass as another day. Not because of some great aversion or post-traumatic Valentines disorder but because I’d rather not encourage my husband or my children to save their expressions of affection for one day of the year. I’d like them to know that all the nice things people tend to do on February 14th can be done at any time during the year.

However, this year I spent some time writing out little Valentines notes for the kids in my ministry area at church and thoroughly enjoyed having one time of the year to share with them how much I care about each of them individually. It gave me pause to realize that children perceive this day with almost as much excitement as Christmas because it’s a moment to celebrate love! They don’t need to do anything to earn it, it just happens and it always involves cards and little gifts. It’s the anticipation of opening something special just for them.

As I was preparing to write the cards I read through the teacher devotional for the lesson and it focused on St. Valentine. He lived during the time of Emperor Claudius and was apparently arrested for not worshiping Roman gods. Some say he was also performing Christian marriage ceremonies)…but the story says that Valentine prayed and witnessed to his jailer and through this all the jailer’s family (totally 46 people) came to know Christ. February 14th was the day that Valentine was martyred for his witness and worship of God. The devotional goes on to point out the passage in John 15:13 that no has greater love than he who will “lay down his life for his friends”. This reminder is a blessing to us and a good way to be reminded of Christ’s love for us. As part of the cards I wrote the children I found the most loving passage to put on the cards for the kids at church, but it served as a reminder to me of my significance and value…Isaiah 43: 1,2 &4:

But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush[a] and Seba in your stead.

Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life.

What an amazing reminder of just how much God loves us and how we can in turn love others.

This morning dawned bright and early with no particular sense of anticipation in my heart, and just to be clear no bitterness either, but a clear sense of excitement from my 7 year old and 5 year old (both of whom are great lovers of all things sentimental)…I was surprised by a wonderful man who had fabricated an early morning breakfast meeting in order to pick up a fresh cut, long-stemmed rose, a box of nice chocolates and a bag of cheap chocolates (my one indulgence)! I was blessed by the thought and the surprise. And what I loved most was that it was both for the sake of acknowledging how much I mean to him but also an intentional way of showing our children how to express love.

This day has given me a fresh perspective and although I wouldn’t classify myself as a Valetines scrooge, I will definitely acknowledge that I may have been less than enthusiastic about celebrating February 14th. From now on I will choose to be a little more thoughtful and aware of those who DO value this day as an opportunity to share unconditional love.

Now off to pick out something nice for my kiddos who WERE perhaps a little bitter that there was nothing for them to celebrate the day!

In November I posted about an upcoming interview that I was preparing for as part of my job. I spent hours preparing, pouring over the “right” answers to the questions that may be posed, talking to the people I trust to help guide me in my spiritual growth and then trusting that God would guide me to answer appropriately.

Yesterday dawned bright and clear, I was feeling nervous but extremely hopeful! I’d spent the night before re-reading my study notes with confidence that I could answer the questions they threw at me with some sense of confidence. I arrived at my destination with plenty of time to glance over my notes one last time and then relax. I was greeted and introduced to the four individuals who would conduct my interview and the usual pleasantries followed. I gave them a synopsis of my life, my family, my journey to my current position…then they dove right in.

This is about where I’ll end the commentary and say that I am so thankful that my guarantee of entry into Heaven was so much easier than facing this panel of individuals. I’m very glad that God has given me the reassurance of salvation beyond my futile efforts at remembering references down to the chapter and verse or memorizing word for word large portions of scripture or the entirety of scripture. I am a proponent of scripture memory, there’s no question about that, but I will be the first to admit that it is not my strong point and from the first question asked of me I felt frozen in place by my inability to answer correctly many of the questions initially asked.

I feel blessed that God honored my desire to serve him and the prayer that I prayed as I drove in, that He would allow my passion for the children I serve and my love for Him to shine through despite anything I might say. That answer to prayer was my saving grace when it came down to the wire. I can celebrate that I was successful in fulfilling the obligation I had, to meet those specific requirements as part of my employment but I was reminded again, through this process that God is gracious. That He alone holds the knowledge of the world, that He has no expectation of any human being to accurately and adequately explain who He is and what His purpose is. That faith is much simpler than that and as believers we can hold tight to His ability to reveal himself to us in many, many ways. One of the verses that will be forever burned into my brain (mainly because it was one of the many that I could not direct the panel to) is Hebrews 11:1 and it reaffirms to me my responsibility to God but also the basic truth of everything I stand for.

My beliefs and knowledge of scripture may come into question (by those both for me and against me), I may be asked to explain what has led me where I am today, somebody may want to know whether my theology is correct or incorrect and really I’m okay with being held accountable and questioned but what I am most relieved about is that the ultimate judgement and questioning comes from the One who created me, the One who knows me inside and out, the One who loves me more than anything else. My hope and joy remains with the One who is PERFECT!

There isn’t much happening here these days! Life has been quieter than usual which is AWESOME! I have loved the time to relax in the evenings with my kids, chat with James (or to be more correct, watch him fall asleep on the couch), go to the gym, make sure meals are on the table, etc.

In the quiet of these days we have decided to add a few things I’ve always wanted my kiddos to take part in…MUSIC LESSONS!!! Something I did as a child but we had yet to find time and money to have them participate in both athletics and the arts. It came up in a conversation with a friend of mine that she had been interested in beginning lessons with a few students. She was currently taking lessons herself but far enough along and avidly learning still, that she felt confident she could more than adequately teach beginner students. I liked the thought of presenting this opportunity to Lanae as she seemed eager to do something a little different (and to be honest I wasn’t interested in another kid opting for outdoor activities)! In the excitement of engaging Lanae in said piano lessons, Jake expressed an interest and Sam again expressed his desire to learn how to play guitar. Now don’t get all excited…we didn’t register them all in lessons (that would be a bit much on the bank account even with the new tax deduction the government offers for endeavors into the arts)! We decided to go ahead with lessons for Lanae with my friend and with Jake opted to use the material my mom had been using to teach Sam a few years ago. Although I am not a pianist by any stretch of the imagination I do know enough of the basics, note reading, rudiments, etc. to give Jake a good start and much of the material that’s out there seems to be geared to those who wish to self-teach. In Sam’s case it is much easier as James is an avid guitar player (or at least was, he hasn’t had the time or desire over the last few years to play) and knows a good deal about playing! We rented a smaller guitar from a local music store and James is setting up lesson times and plans to give Sam this opportunity.

In all the excitement of giving our kids this musical opportunity I feel inspired to brush up on my piano and learn the guitar as well. So far Lanae has had two lessons, I have done one with Jake, and Sam is gearing up for his first lesson this weekend with his dad and I have spent 15-20 minutes everyday on both the piano and the guitar reviving the small bits of musical talent I possess.

I am so excited to see where this takes us, although to be honest my main desire here is just to give our children an outlet to continue expressing their love of music. I have no intentions of pushing them to be concert pianists, rock star band members or anything beyond playing, singing, strumming for the sheer joy of music.

So a new year begins and everyone is making resolutions, promises, brainstorming ways to make this year better, etc. Although I’ve succumbed to a bit of that, mainly the desire to get back to my regular routine of exercising which helps me feel healthy and more energetic, the truth is I’ve been a bit shocked at the fact that this past year flew by. As any year before, it’s been full of ups and downs, memory making activities, soul searching moments and all around fun but I can’t believe it’s over.

To be honest I’m looking forward to a fresh start…a new attempt at deepening my friendships, strengthening my marriage, becoming more adept at understanding my children, exploring more of what makes me tick, and generally just allowing God to continue molding me. These are not so much resolutions as extensions of on-going personal betterment that flows through each year.

Christmas was a great time of rest. It was busy as I’m sure most people found their time over the holidays. But it was filled with laughter, joy, sleep, pajamas, gifts, family, friends, fun (a few tears but they were tears that led to deeper understanding and therefore good), and all good things that the season usually brings. My iPhone camera stayed tucked away for the most part (my only regret to this season) but the snapshots of important moments are tucked away in my mind’s eye! We had the opportunity to spend some time with all extended family on both sides at various times through the two weeks of “vacation” and then rang in the New Year with family and a few visits with dear friends. It was a great way to end one year and begin another.

As we have headed into another year of “normal” life I am EXCITED! I’m not 100% sure why I feel this anticipation but it’s a good feeling. I think that whether or not this year is just a year like any other or holds something new and different, it’s going to be special. Perhaps it’s perspective…perhaps it’s the joy of the Holy Spirit…perhaps it’s a bit of both! Whatever the case I’m going to enjoy this feeling of contented expectation.

I pray the same for those who are reading this and look forward to hearing how life in 2012 pans out!!!

A great picture of my beautiful kiddos as they wait to open their gifts Christmas morning. They were so excited but patient and attentive! A moment I will always cherish.

com·mu·ni·ca·tion [kuh-myoo-ni-key-shuhn] – the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs.

You might wonder why such an obvious post but really who doesn’t understand the importance of this concept. I am NOT an expert in this area…I struggle daily with the best way to communicate, who to communicate with, boundaries in communication, etc. However, I think my pet peeve is people who do not understand that we should constantly be seeking BETTER ways to communicate.

Of course, there’s a reason for the timing of this post but it’s not really an important or integral piece of information that I need to share…it was just a glaring reminder to me that people have NOT PERFECTED this skill.

What I love about the above definition is that it gives so many, DIFFERENT ways in which we can communicate. In this day and age of technology there is really no excuse for not communicating with those around you and yet I wonder if the ease of communication has made us completely ignorant of the need for effective, appropriate communication. The funny thing is the other day I was watching a talk show and one of the guests was joking about how her young children are really only asking for “i” devices for Christmas (nothing much really, wink, wink). Then the conversation veered to how well versed children are in operating these devices at such a young age and how one day there will likely be a university course on “eye-contact”! Kind of a sad statement on society if that really is something we regularly jest about. It means we’ve lost the art of face to face contact which is definitely one of the MOST effective ways to communicate.

I know and understand that so many factors play a role in our individual communication…upbringing, personal tendancies, knowledge, family dynamic, etc. Really if you asked someone who has actually studied communication I’m sure they could write a thesis on what factors cause an individual to be strong in communicating or desperately lacking!

Really I have no words of wisdom to impart in this area but I have a eager request…could we all agree that we each individually need to seek better ways to communicate with each other. Could we all agree that we each have lots to learn in this area and commit to doing better. A resolution for the New Year perhaps…find two or three ways to improve your communication with your spouse, your children, your family, your co-workers, really anybody in your sphere of influence.

I know that’s going to be a priority for me this year. If you know me, then feel free to challenge me on it:0 I’d love it if someone would say, “hey Elise, I really think it would be helpful if you tried _______________ in your communication with me this year!” Trust me folks, we’ll get on much better with each other if we just choose to expand our communication skills;)

Annie has always been a bit of a character. Not sure if it’s because she’s the baby of the family (although the most recent book I’ve picked up assures me that has something to do with it) or if her personality is just so incredibly unique and charming.

Either way this video is a clear indication of the fun and laughter she has brought to our household since the day she was born. I would love to show this video on her wedding day or at the very least save it for some special occasion when she’s older, not to embarrass her but to give her a sense of how much fun we had with her as a child.

Many of you have already enjoyed this so it’s mostly for my benefit to remain in the journaling I do to be able to go back and be reminded of days in my past. Either to laugh or to reflect on how blessed I really am:)

growing couches

Christmas Traditions

Pre-teens

Getting back into things…

Bigger Things

Happy Valentines Day

Ticket to Heaven

Keeping up-to-date

2012…How time flies

Communication

Crazy, silly