Remembering Christmas

As I look back on the past week or so, I think:  people.
We traveled a few times.  Some of the kids and I went to see my grandmothers.
We all spent Christmas Eve and Day at my parents with my brother and his family.
We had the weekend with Brian's family, both here and in Damascus where there were lots of aunts and uncles and cousins.
There is a richness in our family that I don't want to take lightly.

As we got closer to my grandma's house in the mountains of North Carolina, I could not help but let my mind wonder to when I was little.  And do you know what my heart rests on?   It's not the presents. It's the people, of course. 

*Grandma Lucy and Mom in the kitchen cooking for what seemed like all day Christmas Eve.  Opening the screens on the doors, even though is was freezing outside, because the windows were fogging up- it got so hot in there! 
                  Cooking + a wood stove in the basement + lots of people= Toasty!
*It always seemed that someone- one of Grandma's brothers or nephews or nieces- was popping in to say "Merry Christmas" and maybe stay for a while.
*Us kids walking up and down that road by ourselves to see great-aunts and uncles.  Their homes were also warm and they always had candy.  I think we had four, maybe five, houses to visit.
*Christmas morning: up early!  And tearing into presents while Papa and Grandma watched with a cup of coffee in their hand.
Then...
*Pulling into Papa and Grandma Crouse's driveway on Christmas Day.  In my mind I can always see Grandma at her kitchen window working on another big meal for all of us.
*Uncle Dennis carved the turkey with an electric knife- for some reason that fascinated me.
*Grandma always had her radio on and though it played many songs, "Star of Bethlehem" will always be what I remember hearing in her kitchen.
*Opening gifts one at a time so we could see what everyone got.
*Papa Crouse always had apples- sometimes a basketful.

Those are some of the bits and pieces that stir up a bittersweetness in my heart.  Those folks that have gone on- I miss them terribly at Christmas especially.  In some ways I'd love a quick taste of it all again.  I'm so thankful for that gift.

I wonder- what will our kids remember?  What will be special to them when they look back?

Christmas Baking

Baking plus a cloudy, cold day plus candles and Christmas music makes for my kind of day.  Kids have been in and out of the kitchen- I'm glad they like to help.  Much of our baking will be used as gifts but we enjoy snacking on it, too.  We've made several pans of gingerbread lately, pretzel treats and mom's Lemon Cranberry bread.  Some of our favorite Christmas recipes are here.

We dipped soft peppermint sticks in melted chocolate.  Probably the most fun for kids and certainly easy.

Last week we made a batch of these Oatmeal Fudge bars and gave most of it away.  Today Sam helped make another batch.  Maybe I should say I helped- he did most of the work.

Have you made the Muddy Buddies recipe off of a Chex cereal box?

  Addictive.  

It calls for peanut butter so we substituted soy butter.

And as an added bonus, I received this in the mail from

Amy at Hope Is the Word.  Her blog is full of book reviews.  Love it!  She also hosts Read Aloud Thursdays, which I occasionally link up to.  This is the first blog giveaway I've won.  Thanks Amy!

Around the House and a Few Books

It is still silent in our house except for the tapping of this keyboard.

The tree lights are on but other than that it is dark.  I kind of crave this bit of time lately.  We'll just say the kids are getting a wee bit excited about Christmas and not too interested in school.  So the older two have a couple of loose ends to tie up today and then it's Christmas break!  There's a little baking and delivering of treats to do so it should be a fun day.  Then tonight the boys and I are headed to the Steven Curtis Chapman/Third Day concert in Roanoke.  First concert and Jack especially is excited!!  We were given tickets and are grateful for them.

*On another note, it seems we have Christmas birds.  Most mornings we find them in the garage.  Once, a bird nearly flew into my head- that was one of my first clues that we had visitors.  Another time Kayla was looking out the living room window and announced ,"There are birds in the garage!"  Not quite sure how they are getting in.  Did they just forget to fly south?

*In my book stack lately:

Home and Gilead by Marilynne Robinson   I just love these books.  She draws me in these lives!  I feel the tension between what's in Ames' heart and what he knows to be right and they aren't always the same.  He, and other characters, are so torn.  Can we not relate to that??

I was given a book called Letters to Pastor's Wives and it is excellent.  Different pastor's wives wrote letters on various subjects and the wisdom they have gained from their experience is beautiful.  Even if you aren't a "ministry wife" I think you would glean greatly from it.

I am Half Sick of Shadows, a Flavia De Luce mystery by Alan Bradley is next.  She's an 11 year old sleuth in 1950s England.  This novel takes place around Christmas.  

Finally, for advent readings I always pick up Come Thou Long Expected Jesus, edited by Nancy Guthrie.  She chose selections across the ages: Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards, Spurgeon, Augustine, John Piper, Tim Keller, etc...  Each one ministers to my heart and brings it far past the busyness and sometimes frenzy of the season and back to a broken, needy world that was given a most holy, humble and beautiful gift.

A Big Step

Tonight marked a significant step in the life of the little church plant we call Providence Presbyterian.
We elected elders and deacons.
We officially called Brian as the pastor of PPC, instead of the planting pastor.  (I think those are the right words.)
And the church voted to petition the presbytery to allow us to "particularize" or become our own church and no longer a mission church.
If all goes well, our church will particularize March 1.
Wow.
I have to say it is humbling to see all God has done in His church.  It seems to me that there has been beautiful and sometimes painful growth flowing throughout this body.  Those two things often go together, don't they?
It also seems to me that PPC is a community of grace.  Not perfect people doing everything right but imperfect people seeking to love and encourage  and serve each other.  I really love that ministry happens across the board.  Brian and I are neither the best at nor the only ones pursuing  hospitality, service, or anything else.  It's the church learning, failing, forgiving, growing, loving.
We are grateful for it all.

Lucy Turns 5

 

So the baby of the family turned 5 yesterday.

Sigh.  This morning she looked at me with huge eyes when I picked her up and said, "Mommy!!  You can still hold me even though I'm5!"

I think she had a great day.  We had a little party in the morning complete with a gingerbread man cake that ran away and left clues for us all around the house!

Sam loved being able to read the clues.

 

 

We found the little guy back in the dining room and ate him up before he could get away again.  You could see on the littlest one's faces that they kind of knew this couldn't be real and yet they weren't convinced that it wasn't either.  Cute.

We had a taco dinner with Granny and Granpa.  

We do love this little girl.  She is super sweet and affectionate, giving multiple hugs and kisses all day.  Don't be fooled though.  She has spunk to rival us all.  She prefers camo and superheros to pink and princesses.  She likes trying out accents- especially a British one lately.  Her dance moves are pretty interesting, and Kayla says she's crazy.  She asked for a trampoline, a hot tub, and a debit card for her birthday.  (She didn't get any of those!)  She still likes to go off and play by herself for long stretches.  Fruit continues to be a favorite with her- clementines in particular.  She might be little but her personality is big and we are so thankful for our Lucy.

Playing Catch Up!

*Hope your Thanksgiving was full of gratitude!  Really, both that day and every day.
We spent the day at my Grandma Lucy's.  Mom and Dad were there along with mom's sister.  Of course there was plenty of delicious food.  Even snow.  Very picturesque!

*Last night I had a chance to go to the Virginia Tech/UVA football game.  Super fun and super cold!  I think it was something like 28 degrees at kickoff.  Brrr.... 

*The kids are itching to decorate for Christmas so I let them pull out a few things.  I'm noticing more and more that Kayla is so capable and willing to take on some of these tasks.  She put up the greenery on the stair rail and helped the younger two hang stockings.  She also baked cut-out sugar cookies yesterday- start to finish.  I love that because as much as I like the idea of cutting out cookies and decorating them, I don't really enjoy the process.  But she does!

*Tonight I told Sam he was so loveable.  He asked what that meant and I told him a few things.  Then he said, "So basically I'm easy to love."  Aaahhhh...yes.  That's exactly what it means.

 

Since I am so very far behind on posting pictures I think I'll add a few here and there.  This one is from sometime this summer when the boys rode bikes and I ran.

Kayla got to go to a VT game back in October.  It was just a bit warmer then!  Jack's been to two games but doesn't always like to have his picture taken...

 

This picture is so Sam.  The girls covered him up in pine needles and he came out like a monster.

The guys took their annual trip to the Raptor Observatory in September or October- can't remember which!

This is pretty much how Sam starts most mornings although now he wears a robe and slippers.

Lucy in all  her cuteness.

Kayla giving Sammy a spelling test.

 

Snuggling up with Daddy.

 

These two found a snake in the road one morning and shoveled into a pencil box.  Fortunately it was already dead.  They were so proud.  We had to keep it all day before they finally buried it.

 

Kayla really wanted to be a bridesmaid for Halloween.  She borrowed a dress and had so much fun getting ready.  However.  Halloween was cold and rainy so she decided to change costumes right after pictures.   

Don't Forget to Read to the Kids!

One day last week I walked into the kitchen and it was 10:00.  

I  thought to myself- we haven't done a thing yet.  The day is getting away from us.

And then I remembered- we had been reading.  Together in the living room.

That's our usual routine- to read aloud in the morning after we do Bible reading and prayer.  

I had called it unimportant that day- as if reading together had somehow not counted.

I'm struck by how easily reading can get pushed to the side in favor of "more pressing" tasks: math, picking up, doing laundry, washing dishes, etc...  

I'm finally understanding that age old advice people give you- "the laundry will still be there..."

That used to drive me crazy!  The laundry has to get done!  So do other chores.

But here's the thing- I will not always have time to spend with these guys when they are young. I will wish I had spent more time chatting with them, coloring, exploring.  

I will not regret the time we spent reading together.

So what is it about read-aloud times that is so important?  Even with the oldest kids?  (And they are always in on it, too!)

*It's family time.  Away from the tv and the store and whatever else can pull families in different directions.  Together in comfy chairs, spread out on the floor.  Sometimes with blankets, sometimes with a snack.  It's all of us hearing the same story, laughing, talking about the same characters, the same events.  I especially like being able to tackle and discuss tough issues together.

*It's language.  Strong words and details and ideas that the littlest can't read yet and the oldest might skim past.  It's pouring in all that good vocabulary and structure so that it becomes familiar and one day will be used.

*It's memories.  I still remember my mom reading A Wrinkle in Time to me.  Jack and Kayla will always remember their dad reading  the Harry Potter books to them.  I hope Sam and Lucy will remember snuggling up before bed and reading Henry and Mudge and Earl the Squirrel and The Peterkin's and whatever else we got into.

So get those kids- even the ones who can read on their own- and settle in this chilly night with a good book.

Here are some of our favorite read-aloud chapter books over the years:

Little House series

The Family Under the Bridge

Rabbit Hill

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Johnny Tremain (current)

Carry on Mr. Bowditch

The Phantom Tollbooth

Island of the Blue Dolphins

Strawberry Girl

The Railway Children

The Saturdays

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