A Song to Remember

This is one of those posts that I am writing for the sake of remembering a milestone. I have such a bad memory at times....even for things that I find precious, important or especially "memorable" at the time...so this is one of the purposes of my blog: to help me remember those things that I never want to forget! So, here goes...it is short and sweet.

This morning, as the girls were working on their spelling seatwork at the kitchen table, I had a CD playing that has a song to help remember the presidents of the United States. It is a simple acapella song, with only one vocalist. I was in the other room, when I suddenly heard what seemed to be a whole other song being sung by one of the girls. It turned out to be Marah, who was actually singing her own HARMONY part...and she was spot on.

She is still wondering how she made Mommy cry. ;)

The Boys

This is Cameron, my cousin--well, second cousin, I believe. Is that what the child of your cousin is considered to be....a second cousin? Anyway...this is Scott and Debbie's son, and he goes to school with Andrew. They are both in the eighth grade, and get along well--they both spur one another on to weirdness and obnoxious behavior at times...but that's okay, we love them anyway. ;) And this is Drewbie (Andrew). He is busy figuring out direction for his life. For the last couple of months he has been in training to become a ninja. But this last week he has decided to become a male model. He cracks us up. It's been good for him to have another guy his age to hang out with at family functions.

Holiday Pictures, Pt. II

Moo, Gigi & Belle.

Ah, the ornament exchange--we walked away with a glass flamingo dressed in hawaiian clothes. Would you believe that is our second flamingo ornament that we have ended up with over the past two years?

More ornament exchange shots.

My beloved family...so cute.

Some Holiday Photos, Pt. I

My sister Kristen, and her hubby, Nick. The evening of the 24th they announced that they are having a baby boy in about 20 weeks.

My babies.

At 94 years young, my Grandma shows her great granddaughters how to prepare sugo (that's spaghetti sauce, for all my non-italian readers).

They love their Gigi.

We are just now learning to use the timer function on our camera....now I just have to master using the right setting for the lighting! Argh!

The Toddler Whisperer

This is my cousin Scott who has just come back into our lives within the last year or so. We are all really enjoying becoming reacquainted with he and his wife Debbie and son Cameron. Part of the fun of getting to know Scott is discovering that he is a real softy. This is a great quality, and is most readily seen the moment he is around babies. Jaiden just loves to sit and babble with Scott for a good long time. I guess you have to know that Jaiden does NOT stop and sit for just anything or anybody...so this is a super-rare occurrence, and one that deserves applause. So, bravo, Scott! You are the Jaiden whisperer! :)

It's Addicting!

So here are a couple of my most recent knitting projects that I have completed. I have been focused on making dishcloths--that way I have the gratification of seeing a project completed, since dishcloths are fairly short projects. My first several were simple all-knitted squares. Then, I "graduated" up to this round cloth that I made for my Mom: And then there is this "Eighth Note" cloth that is a knit & purl pattern that I made for my Aunt Swede:

I will share more of my projects as they are completed...that way, after I have given them away there is a permanent cyber-record of my handiwork!

The Power of Light

When our souls are kindled by the light of the Messiah, our light grows and shines before men as the Master said it should.

2 Maccabees 10:6-8 "And they kept the eight days with gladness, as in the feast of the tabernacles, remembering that not long before they had held the feast of the tabernacles, when as they wandered in the mountains and dens like beasts.Therefore they bare branches, and fair boughs, and palms also, and sang psalms unto Him that had given them good success in cleansing His place."

The word Hanukkah, or Chanukah, literally means "dedication." It celebrates the Jewish victory over the Greeks. The Greeks had taken over Jerusalem, and had enforced brutal and bloody consequences to those who chose to remain obedient to God and His commands. Under the rule of the wicked king Antiochus, the Greeks sought to uproot the Torah way of life--forbidding Sabbath observance, circumcision, dietary rules, or reading of the Scriptures--and even went so far as to have the Temple defiled by having idols erected on the holy site. A priest named Mattityahu, outraged by what was happening, gathered his sons together to have them fight the Greeks and to reclaim the Holy Temple. No matter how many troops Antiochus sent (at one point it was up to 40,000), he could not overpower the Maccabees. The Maccabees went to Jerusalem to reclaim the holy site and built a new altar. Upon lighting a newly built menorah (the original was stolen by the Syrians), the Maccabees discovered that the oil supply was defiled. They managed to find one vessel that was not defiled bearing the seal of the High Priest Yochanan. However, it would only be enough oil to light the menorah for one day and it would be eight days before a new batch could be made. Legend states that God allowed the oil to burn for eight days and eight nights. We memorialize this event by lighting the Chanukah menorah for eight days--but the heart of the celebration is the miraculous victory that a small band of God's people had over the vast armies of Antiochus IV. Antiochus, by the way, was spoken of in the book of Daniel as placing 'the Abomination of Desolation' in the Temple....so the horrific and then miraculous events of Chanukah are spoken of in our Bibles, in both the Old Testament and the Apostolic writings.

Chanukah symbolizes the power of light and its ability to dispel darkness from the world. As a new flame is kindled each night, the light grows stronger representing our spreading of light to others in the world around us which in turn causes a brighter light to shine. The basic idea is dispelling darkness with the power of light.
A similar theme is found in the Gospel of John when he says, "In him was life, and the life was the light of the sons of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:4-5, my translation). John goes on to say that "the true light which gives light to all mankind was coming to the world" (John 1:9). A rabbinic writer commenting on Genesis chapter 1, has said the following: Rabbi Abba said, 'And light dwells with him' (Daniel 2:22)--this is King Messiah, as it says: 'Rise, shine, for your light has come' (Isaiah 60:1). Just as the Chanukah menorah has a servant candle that in turn lights the individual candles, so too, Messiah is the servant spoken of in Isaiah 53 (this interpretation is seen in the rabbinic writings) who brings the light of God into the world just as John said that this life was the light of the sons of men.

There are so many powerful teachings and themes in this celebration--the power of God to bring victory over insurmountable odds, the fight against compromise, the cleansing and rededicating of our hearts for God--we can't help but pause this time of year to light the candles and remember the Light of the World whose Light now shines in our hearts.

(portions taken from ffoz.org's "Themes of Chanukah")

Little Victories

I did it! I really did it! I conquered my fear of the double-pointed needle! I just had to share!!! I know, this may seem like the LAMEST post EVER....I don't care! I will post this to memorialize forever in cyberspace my ability to overcome the intimidation caused by foreign knitting utensils and stitches.

So you think you are afraid of something? Say...public speaking, giant fuzzy spiders, pandemic, global depression or severe social unrest?

Well, I say you don't know fear until you have read an intermediate knitting pattern.

Sledding Silliness

Yes, we got a bit of snow and sleet which made for very icy conditions on the roads....but were the kids (or my husband) worried about this? Nope. They saw it as an opportunity to go sledding. Do you know how fast you can go when the sledding hill is solid ice???

Fast. Very, very fast.

Moo was a bit hesitant, as was her mother. Belle? Well, she has a need...for speed!

Gearing up for a slick ride with three of them on a two person sled.

The girls insisted that I go down with them once or twice just on our bottoms. My poor bottom.

They came, they saw, they sledded. Good times.

More Party Photos

I finally had time to upload some more photos of the birthday party that we had for my Dad and Moo. OOOhhhhh...a cupcake tower!!! Tres chic!

A brilliant gift from us: a hitch cover for the back of his truck...in the shape of a deer with a target on his belly...that lights up red when the brakes are hit, and the deer raises his arms as if to say "don't shoot!". You know you're a redneck if....

One of Moo's favorite gifts: a pair of fake glasses from Auntie Dani & Uncle Jon.

And, to top it off: glow in the dark dinosaur footie pajamas for my Dad.

Perfect.

Long Lost Chicago Trip Pix

My Mom, Dani & I took the kiddos to Chicago this summer. We took the train downtown to see "Walking with Dinosaurs", and then we went to Millenium Park.

These are the pictures that I just now found on my Mom's camera:

Drew, climbing.
Moo, smiling on the train.

Lily, smiling on the bus.

Drew & Canaan, ready to be off the train.

All four of the little kids, under the famous "Bean".

Quality Time at Grandma's

Just to add a sense of 'balance' to the image of making gingerbread houses at Mimi's. This happens at Mimi's too--they seem to be oddly happy with being caged up with my Mom's one-eyed bull dog/shih tzu mix, "Pirate". That one eye sure can glow, can't it?!? Creepy.

Happy Birthday, Dad & Moo!

Being the good daughter that I am, I had my firstborn daughter the day after my Father's birthday! That was 10 years ago this Monday, December 15th. Wow, how time flies...

Sweet Things

Ah, the gingerbread house...I am so glad that I could subcontract this out to my Mom. She is a much better home economics instructor than I am.

My Little Parrot

Today we have a lot of exciting things to look forward to, like hair cuts at one o'clock, and a visit to Mimi's. (I know, really exciting, huh?! My kids look so forward to simple changes in routine.)

Anyway, Belle asked me what time it was. Before I could answer her, she started jabbering away: "I think it feels like it's almost one o'clock. Mom, what time does it feel like in your little mind?"

I KNOW she has heard this from her Dad and I....it's just so funny hearing it coming back my way!

*sniff*

I originally took this picture to send to a friend who had purchased these velour jackets for my girls. But after I looked at it, I was just taken by how my baby girls are growing up so fast...both of them are developing into young ladies in front of me. Ack! I am way too emotional to be blogging this right now! I should always check my estrogen levels before posting about my girls. *sniff*

Suzuki Sisters

Afternoons at the Grant home...violin practice...hold on, where are my ear plugs??? (Don't tell the girls I said that!) Seriously, they are coming along. They both get very frustrated that they don't sound like their teacher Miss Honna, but then they don't have 26 years of practicing under their belt like she does! They have polished a number of versions of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", and are working on polishing "Lightly Row" and "The Song of the Wind". It's really cute when they play together. When they aren't whining at their sound or are dreadfully out of tune with each other, that is...

Audio Books

A great tool for parents who love to read to their kids...but who sometimes find their throats sore, their eyes tired and their minds too busy to sit down with a book: Visit Librivox.org

The kids and I are currently listening to Verne's "Journey to the Interior of the Earth". If we ever decide to see the movie, we will have a grasp of the author's original work. If you are interested in listening along with us, here is the link: http://librivox.org/a-journey-to-the-interior-of-the-earth-by-jules-verne/

My Songbirds

Moo & Belle at their first showcase performance for the 2008-09 season; held at a local retirement village.

They did so well...I am one proud Mom!

Crepes are So Delicious...

The girls are in choir this year, and one of their holiday pieces is entitled "J'aime La Galette". It is a sweet French folk song that sings the praises of the crepe. We have talked a little about what a crepe is, and I think I likened it to a really thin pancake. Anyway, I love to hear the girls sing the French portion of the song...but I guess I wasn't paying close attention to Belle's pronunciation....because upon rising this morning she asked her Dad: "Daddy, I want some of that pancake crap".

Oh Belle...how you make us laugh!

What You See is What You Are

A convicting thought from this week's FFOZ.org eDrash, from the Torah Portion:

Vayetze - ויצא : "And he went out"
Torah : Genesis 28:10-32:3
Haftarah : Hosea 12:12-14:10
Gospel : Matthew 15-16

Commentary
So the flocks mated by the rods,
and the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. (Genesis 30:39)

Laban agreed to give Jacob all the striped, spotted, speckled and dappled born among his flocks. Immediately after making the agreement, he removed all but the solid-colored animals, to eliminate the possibility that Jacob would receive any livestock.
Not to be so easily outmaneuvered, Jacob engaged in a genetic-engineering experiment. He peeled sticks to make spotted, striped, speckled and dappled patterns on them and placed the peeled sticks near the water troughs during mating season. It was a common belief that a vivid sight during pregnancy or conception would leave its mark on the embryo. Therefore, if the solid-colored livestock saw the sticks while pregnant, they would give birth to striped, spotted, speckled young. It seemed to work. Jacob became exceedingly prosperous.
From our modern perspective, this incident sounds dubious. Even Jacob was dubious about the trick. He later admitted to his wives that it was God's miraculous intervention that brought the results, not his stick-peeling trick:

If [Laban] spoke thus, "The speckled shall be your wages," then all the flock brought forth speckled; and if he spoke thus, "The striped shall be your wages," then all the flock brought forth striped. Thus God has taken away your father's livestock and given them to me. (Genesis 31:8-9)

There is a lesson to be learned here. That which we place before our eyes impacts the inner person. Jacob believed that sheep looking at striped sticks would bear striped young. That may or may not be the case, but it is certainly true that when we view things that are shocking, disturbing, immoral, violent or perverse, those images leave an impact on us. Sometime later, we give birth, as it were, through deeds, action and speech patterned after the things we have been placing before our eyes.

For example, a person who watches television regularly cannot help but absorb the culture and values expressed on the television programs. The images he sees become a permanent part of his internal being because they are imprinted on his brain. The dialogue he hears begins to write new speech patterns in his mind. This is why King David declared, "I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not fasten its grip on me. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will know no evil" (Psalm 101:3-4).

There Might Be Giants

Belle: Mom, when do people decide to move?
Me: What do you mean?
Belle: When do people decide it's time to move from one house to a new house?
Me: Well, sometimes if their Mom or Dad get a new job in a different state...
Belle: ...or if they get tired of the house that they are in, right??
Me: (Wanting to make a point about our culture) Well, people might get tired of the house they are in...instead of being thankful for what they have, yes. But I think a lot of times people grow out of their home...their family gets bigger, and they don't have enough room anymore.
Belle: (silence)
Me: Sometimes they probably don't need ALL the room they have, but they think they do...(Belle grows silent again....wait for it....wait for it.....)
Belle: You mean they become giants?
Me: What?!?
Belle: They grow out of their home and have to find a bigger one?
Me: (Stifled laugh) No, not exactly...

The Bell

THE BELL

I KNOW WHO I AM

I am God's child (John 1:12)

I am Christ's friend (John 15:15 )

I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17)

I am bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20)

I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)

I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8)

I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt 5:13-14)

I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)

I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8: 1-2)

I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil 3:20)

I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31 -34)

I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor 5:17-21)

I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)

I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)

I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39)

I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor 1:21-22 )

I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28 )

I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 )

I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12 )

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)

I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)

I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16). I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)

I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). I have been justified (Romans 5:1)

I am God's co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1). I am God's workmanship (Eph. 2:10)

I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil. 1:5)

I have been redeemed and forgiven ( Col 1:14). I have been adopted as God's child (Eph 1:5)

I belong to God

Do you know

Who you are?

I got this email this morning from my friend Anna. Although the text forms a perfect bell shape in the original email, it is not cooperating with my blog editor....I thought I would pass it along.