thanks-giving

I came across a post more lovely than words can describe.  Such perspective.  I can't think of a better thing to read to start your new year!

I give thanks for.....

...little girls in dresses

...a little one who still wants to nurse

...a God who is faithful to pull me out of spiritual funks

...grace that allows my spirit to transcend circumstance, leading to the joy of the Lord

...a propensity to love the underdog

...gingerbread

...silence at nighttime, so God can speak volumes

...giant-print Bibles

...sibling love

...cuddling with sleepy kids; smelling their shampooed hair

...kissing small feet

...a God who won't let me stay irritated at my husband, no matter how hard my flesh tries

...a husband who uses gentle words

...sons who eat up bits of spiritual wisdom

...grace, grace, and more grace

...failure, leading to humility, leading to the end of myself, leading to HIM

Psalm 100

 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

praying in the new year

What better way to pull out of a spiritual slump than to glance at photos of my two surprise December blessings?

Another holiday is upon us, spent alone, with husband working both days (shorter hours though).  The holidays can sure bring on some depression.  Dear God, for all those feeling my same loneliness and hopelessness, please provide abundant grace this weekend!

I hope 2011 brings an appropriate amount of leisure and laughter into our lives.  I've been raising these children virtually alone since early this year.  Two parents are needed to share the burden of a special-needs child.  When husband is home on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, I must leave the house to run errands for the week (we're still sharing a vehicle).  We are rarely home together.  The more drained I become, the worse I perform as a parent.

My gratitude list, because I know I'm blessed in comparison to much of the world.  My issues are a mere inconvenience compared to the pain many endure tonight.

- My children each have three siblings with whom they can share their lives and faith.

- My husband and I, although irritated at each other a lot now, are not contemplating divorce.  That's saying a whole lot, given our circumstances.

- A sweet friend and her husband sent us a nice gift, which will enable me to get an eye exam and new contacts--hopefully ending my reading woes.  An eye doctor once told me I'm nearly legally blind.  His comment didn't faze me though, since my vision has always been correctable with contact lenses.  I've worn them since the seventh grade!  No doctor ever warned me that after forty, my eyes would quickly deteriorate.  Correcting my distance vision now means I can barely decipher reasonably-sized print.  I hope the doctors have something up their sleeves for this dilemma!  I want to be able to drive and read--preferably without bifocals and/or glasses!

- Peter has an appointment with a neurologist on Jan. 4th.  Maybe some help?  I hope it will prove more fruitful than the visit with the psychiatrist early this year, who diagnosed Peter with Sensory Integration Disorder--which many think is a junk diagnosis.  I think the sensory characteristics are just a part of the AD/HD profile, but whether that is true or not, the tragedy is the same in both circumstances.  The sufferers look perfectly normal, but because they don't perform normally, they're judged and misunderstood.  Further, the level of frustration and anger they experience make them undesirable housemates; they tend to be over-criticized and over-punished.

The whole thing is a nightmare, with no right answers.

Grace.  All involved must embrace grace.  Live grace.


So very hard to do.

I pray, Lord, that we will cling more tightly to you and your grace--individually and as a family--in 2011.  May our hearts be ready to give thanks, always.

If you choose this year, Lord, to end our under-employment woes, may we never forget the feel of our heavy-laden hearts.  May we use the memory to reach out, without judgement, to those without adequate income, to those without adequate family support.  May this pain not be in vain.  May we be instruments of your grace and love.   


I pray all in your name, Amen.

I pray the same for you, friends, in this upcoming year.  May you cling tightly to Grace--to Him--individually and as a family.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Pageant group picture.  Dark church.  Cheap camera.

Salt dough ornaments.  Still have to put on glitter and some sequins and some paint accents.  

I had a very successful Goodwill visit.  New-looking books to give as Christmas gifts, costing only $.50 cents each.  They got a few in their stocking tonight (they never questioned where I got them), and more in a box under the tree for tomorrow.  Many are classic novels the boys will need in the next few years.

I worked out a tradition to adhere to in regards to presents:  something for their spiritual growth, something for homeschooling, and something they can do together as siblings and/or that we can do together as a family.  So all in all, three to four presents, although only the spiritual gift will be individual--the rest will be shared, like the brand-new looking dinosaur monopoly game I found at Goodwill for $1.50!

New giant-print Bibles for the boys, and the Jesus Storybook Bible for the girls.  The Bible covers didn't fit, unfortunately. :(  The Christian bookstore, believe it or not, had only one Bible cover and it was for a woman.  They also had no giant-print Bibles.  I had to get the boys' Bibles at Walmart, of all places!  And the covers.

The bookstore did have an Interactive Nativity Set put out by Family Life Today.  It teaches the meaning of Christmas, much like Resurrection Eggs teach the meaning of Easter.  I can tell you more tomorrow, after the kids open it.

 
Paint is dry (used poster paint), some have glitter glue coats, but need paint accents and sequins, etc.

Today, Daddy had time to replace our wonderful Harry the Hamster, who met with an untimely death last week.  Meet Peter's gerbils, Freddy and Teddy!  They like people and are not nocturnal.  They are friendly pets, especially when they have a friend in their cage.  They sleep on top of each other, all cuddled up.  Cute.

But a little rat-looking compared to Harry the Hamster, if you ask me.  These little guys stand on their back legs like kangaroos.

Husband doesn't have much time off (not even all of Christmas day).  I'm trying to put together a nice celebration, nevertheless.  We used the Bibles to do our own Christmas Eve service, as husband's schedule didn't allow us to go to the 6:00 PM Christmas Eve service at church.  The candy canes, put in the stockings, helped keep the girls quiet and still for a short time during our home service.  Emphasis on short.  We also had prayer and sang some Christmas carols together.

I thought of another tradition this week.  I want to ask each child, each year, what they think the meaning of Christmas is, and record the answers in a Christmas Memory Book, along with what we did that year to celebrate. It would be so neat to see how the answers change over the years.

We didn't have any family to see on Thanksgiving, and the same this year for Christmas.  I have aunts here, but they have big families of their own, and our family of six takes up a lot of room.  My closest aunt goes to Florida at the beginning of December now, so that doesn't help.  They used to have us over for Christmas dessert.  Things are a little lonely this year, but I reminded the kids how full and wonderful their holidays will be when they grow up and have four siblings and the siblings' families to share them with.  Boy, that filled their eyes with joy!

Merry Christmas, Dear Friends!  Love you!

salt-dough ornaments

I found this post detailing an easy salt-dough ornament project, but the author didn't mention what kind of paint she uses.  Have any of you made these ornaments lately?  I have some puffy paints and some tempura in the house, but nothing else.  Would one of those work?  Hoping to do this tomorrow with the kids.

Thank you!

P.S. Did one of you pray for my Beth?  She took her medicine nicely this morning.  I was so relieved!!  I immediately thought that maybe someone (besides us) had prayed.  Thank you, if you did!  It worked!

P.S.S. I checked the Internet briefly and found another link.  This mom has some neat ideas for decorating the salt-dough ornaments.  Here is a comprehensive link on salt-dough crafting.

but it is good, no?

This Mommy is at the end of herself.  Nothing I've planned  is coming to fruition, in terms of baking to bless others, and getting the house spiffy and comfy for Christmas.

Each child has consuming issues right now.

Grace.

When I get to the end of myself, He carries me.  

Slows me down.

I give it all to Him readily because is there any other choice?  Keeping the joy means giving Him the angst.

Beth is on a second round of antibiotics for a UTI--my first child to have one.  I always wipe her properly as I've done all the others.  I just don't understand why this is happening.  No family history of diabetes and if it were a congenital problem, she would've had trouble before now.

Unfortunately, the antibiotics upset her tummy and cause looser stool, which in turn makes it harder for bacteria to stay out of the urethra.  Sorry for the detailed unpleasantness, but I'm discouraged!  This second antibiotic tastes badly--just getting her to take it depletes much energy.  She had a coughing fit this morning and spit it all up.  And the pharmacy said, of course, you'll have just enough.

Today, day one of a cold for Beth.  More reason to sleep poorly and keep Momma red-eyed.

The more children under your roof, and the closer their ages, the more you say goodbye to your own agenda.  I'm still getting used to it--this lack of control, this utter reliance on grace.

But it is good, no?  Children bless in unexpected ways.

What better way to grow in depth and fortitude, than to need to love more deeply--selflessly--everyday?