Merry Christmas!!!

We had a good Christmas, celebrating Christmas eve and Christmas day with family. We got to talk to my parents, T,J and E who were celebrating in Singapore! EP was the main chef for dinner with Megan and I helping. Here's a couple pictures leading up to Christmas.

and the sad days

today I was a part of telling an 8 and 4 year old that they get to see their parents one more time to say goodbye... it was really sad. The 4 yo was pretty interested in his snow globe. the 8yo had the puppy dog tears. new orphans today - James 1:27

on this journey

Friday night.

This week I got to take a family's picture for the first time. a 10 year old boy has a family for Christmas. a couple that is thrilled to be his new mom and dad! I've struggled in this new job over these past couple of months... but Wednesday night in that moment I saw the hope and joy in this little boys eyes.

My oldest sister comes home tomorrow from her round the world trip! I should be cleaning my room to get ready for her to move back in...

Christmas is next week! I've loved Christmas shopping this year. gifts for children, gifts for dear friends, gifts for my sweet family!

Last weekend I as in WI, I love making cookies and dinner with M. I loved decorating the tree and listening to Christmas music all weekend, including going to te TSO concert. We went to "Bethlehem" and heard about our Messiah who came, but how so many missed him. Emmanuel - God is with us! it wasn't as cold as I thought it was going to be, and the snow was still pretty.

I just have been weeding through some emails and have just listened to Toni share her story. I love this woman!

Quote from C.H. Spurgeon that Toni used:

"We know not which most to wonder at, the faithfulness of God or the unbelief of His people. He keeps His promise a thousand times, and yet the next trial makes us doubt Him. He never fails; He is never a dry well; He is never as a setting sun, a passing meteor, or a melting vapor; and yet we are as continually vexed with anxieties, molested with suspicions, and disturbed with fears, as if our God were the mirage of the desert."

11358

so I started writing this around thanksgiving:
my neighbor, who we consider as the cranky neigbor - told me happy thankgiving today. this same neighbor drives to go get his mail sometimes... our mail box is not far enough away to drive to... it makes me laugh everytime I see him doing this. I think really he's probably pretty bored - I think he'd be a good parking attendent.

so then today this same neighbor was friendly and said hello... maybe we both needed a couple years to become neighborly.

quotes from the week

"it's supposed to be weird."

"it's like you're in a real relationhip."

"she's more than the panda express lady."

saturday morning scribbles...

Would you rather date a bald man or a man with a pony tail? what if the man with the pony tail is balding?
Would you rather he picks you up on your first date on a horse or a motorcycle?
Would you rather never be able to say I love you or to never be able to kiss?
Would you rather be the sand castle or the the wave?
Would you rather have a mansion in the middle of nowhere or an apartment with 10 friends?

I do love to hold hands.
 
Last weekend we went up to the mountains, it was really relaxing! Mike, Kaitlin, Noah, Shawn and I played games all day on Saturday, literally all day! Claire and Jeff joined us and we all got in the Christmas spirit! I had been tempted to overload the weekend, but was really glad that I didn't. M and I ate at Beau Jo's in Idaho Springs - so he could have pizza maybe 5 times this past week ;) good thing he likes it.

Would you rather only be able to whisper or only be able to shout?
Would you rather give bad advice or take bad advice?