"Oh, holy night! The stars are brightly shining It is the night of the dear Savior's birth Long lay the world in sin and error pining Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices Oh, night divine Oh, night when Christ was born"
A weary world
Weary from tiring days and restless nights. Weary from heavy burdens. Weary of brokenness, pain, sickness, shame. Weary of violence and lies. Weary.
But a light breaks into our darkness Our weariness and weakness remind us of our need for a Savior In awe we wonder at a God who came to save
A baby wrapped in a manger A thrill of hope
Jesus
In dependence and in worship we fall to our knees. In hope we rejoice in salvation that is here and salvation to come - a new and glorious morn!
May your hearts and home be filled with the goodness and glory of Jesus our Savior, who day by day shines light into our darkness and offers hope, joy and peace.
I have 19 children. Three of them I am lucky enough to have with me every day ;) but the rest of them come in and out of our home throughout the week. They make me laugh - a lot. They probably think I am crazy (and they are probably right). They stretch my creativity (and sometimes my patience) and are continually refining me as a teacher and musician. Sometimes I get to be a counselor too. And always a friend. I am blessed and honored to have them as my students! It has also been a blessing to be able to provide for my family while doing something I love. God is so good.
We had our Holiday Recital yesterday and I was overwhelmed by the blessing of having all of them in one room at the same time! I am proud of them all and their courage, hard work, and growth as musicians. I am also grateful for their wonderful supportive families who have become friends as well!
This was Isaiah's first recital. He may be a 4 year old with little fingers, but he has a great musical ear and strong sense of rhythm. Good job buddy!
Zoë played piano and sang 3 lovely solos. I am so proud of her expressive piano playing and confident sweet voice! Zoë has developed strong note reading skills and quickly moved through the last of the primer books this fall. She played one of her recital songs out of the Level 1 Christmas book like it was a piece of cake! Excellent work, Zoë!
Cousins, great aunts, a great uncle and a grandma gathered today to celebrate Isabelle's 1st birthday with unicorn party! We had a magical time smothering our precious little girl with love, attention and gifts galore. Happy 1st Birthday, sweet Isabelle!
The cousins made Unicorn Horns (dipped waffle cones for their ice cream and painted or colored beautiful unicorn pictures. We also had a "find the missing magical unicorn" game that got a little carried away when the kids did the hiding and the adults spent a good deal of time trying to find their very secret spot. :)
Zoë's coloring
Isaiah's painting
I need to have Isabelle paint one too!
She was just too busy being passed around. :)
Mesmerized by the candle
The aftermath
Zoë was SO excited for Isabelle's birthday!
Thank you Auntie Gloria for hosting!
And thank you to all the family who came to celebrate
and helped to make this such a special day!
Earlier this morning Isabelle was dedicated to God during our church service. We promised to love her, pray for her and point her to Jesus. We read Matthew 5:14-16 over her, a verse we chose for her before she was born when we decide to give her the middle name "Lucille" (light):
“You are the light of the world.
A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.
Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
Isabelle Lucille, you are a light in our lives and we pray that you would continue to be a light of joy as you grow. May you come to know the true Light - Jesus - and as your little feet learn to walk in this world, may your heart learn to walk in His light. We love you, Isabelle!
One year. What a year it has been!
Isabelle is in constant motion - crawling, climbing, standing, working on those steps. Her favorite pastimes are playing piano and all of the percussion instruments, blowing "raspberries", splashing in the toilet, touching the toilet cleaning brush, emptying the diaper bag, chewing on shoes, pulling out all everything in the kitchen cupboards, looking out the windows, and joining in on whatever her big siblings are up to.
Isabelle loves to clap and dance, points her little finger at everything, has started to wave and says "Ah-done" (all done). She loves to be tickled. She loves to make people laugh and her giggles are contagious. She is so wiggly it is almost impossible to change her diaper. She is not a huge fan of food. She is not a huge fan of sleep either. She is very intelligent and has an incredibly strong grip. Isabelle loves Violet - her purple puppy, her pacifier, her big sister (the most), Mommy (a close second) and Daddy and Isaiah (tied for third).
One year of Isabelle in pictures:
1 Week
1 Month
2 Months
3 Months
4 Months
5 Months
6 Months
7 Months
8 Months
9 Months
10 Months
11 Months
ONE
Isabelle Lucille, you have brought so much life and laughter and love into our family this past year. You are such a gift to us. We love you beyond the moon - to the stars and back!
I sat in the ER this past Monday with my two daughters. Zoë was on the patient bed with a bad cough, fever and pain in her chest and neck. Isabelle was scratching through the skin on my arm and pulling my hair in attempts to make me put her down to crawl around on the hospital floor (no way). I was hungry as we had rushed off before dinner when we received a call back from the clinic nurse who expressed concern about Zoë's symptoms. Isaiah was home with Didi and Daddy was several hundred miles away, and all were worried about the potential of meningitis, pneumonia or bronchitis.
And as I sat there, the words from 1 Thessalonians 5 came to my head:
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Give thanks in all circumstances.
All circumstances. In plenty and in want, in sickness and in health. In good times and in hard times. In the face of fear and doubt, and in the midst of pure joy. Give thanks.
This wasn't exactly how I imagined our Thanksgiving week to begin. Zoë and I prayed together in the triage room, before the x-ray and again before they took the flu test and I am thankful for the peace of God's presence that surrounded us for those 3 and a half hours giving me strength and courage for Zoë (who was so brave! That flu test is no joke!).
I am thankful that after all that, we were sent home being told it was "just" a fever virus on top of her 3 week old sinus infection.
I am thankful that Didi was there to stay with Isaiah so that at least he had a normal night's sleep.
And Zoë is thankful for a couple extra hours of watching cartoons. ;)
Thankful.
In all circumstances.
Extra thankful for Didi who stayed with us
for 4 days while Zac was away at a conference!
Our hearts are full of thanks on this Thanksgiving day.
Family.
Friends.
Food.
Faith in a good and gracious God who loves without measure and provides abundantly more than we can ask or even imagine.
May we be thankful today and everyday!
The cousins table
Thanksgiving feast at Adam and Kristin's home!
It has been a full few weeks! Here are pictures from Halloween, Isabelle turning 11 months, Zoë and Isaiah's half birthday, Skate Night, last soccer game, Thanksgiving parties, the Dragon Dash and more:
"Willa the Welli Wisher" - Book Parade
Pumpkin project
The cutest
Homemade pizzas with "Auntie" Susan
11 months old!! Clapping, standing alone, very playful...
and very opinionated.
Happy half-birthday treat ;)
Friends
The Rockettes
PreK Thanksgiving Feast
Caught praying with his eyes open... ;P
Pumpkin Pie in a cup
The Dragon Dash -
one of Zoë's favorite parts of the school year!
"Party With a Purpose" -
a Live Thankfully food drive event that will become a family tradition!
