I sat down at the computer tonight to write more about our Thanksgiving trip; but then I got totally distracted by a video my dad sent to me. Have you seen this one? I love it. Every single bit of it. But goodness, it makes me cold to see all that snow. It's a good thing the song is so glorious and the sign-holding so creative to make up for it. Enjoy!
You know, every time I see or hear the Hallelujah Chorus being sung or acted out in a different way, I wonder what Handel would think if he could see it now. I am certain he had no earthly idea how God would take the chorus ol' George penned so long ago and literally spread it around the globe--through so many different time periods and so many different cultures. What a gift!
And now I'll try to focus on what I intended to do in the first place. Thanksgiving trip pics, here I come! :)
Friday, November 25, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Thanksgiving 2011: The Journey Begins
We're home tonight from a wonderfully rich and memory-making Thanksgiving trip. So many times during the past two days, I paused to mentally soak in the pleasantness of our experiences. "I'm so glad we're doing this" ran through my head like the best kind of refrain. As we drove home through the darkness tonight, I passed some time by looking through the pictures on my camera --all 226 of them. It will take me a while to go through them all and get them posted; but for now, I want to make a start. This is how our journey began yesterday morning...
You've heard of The Three Tenors? Well, we have something even better: The Three Caners. Or Cane-Users. Or Cane-Holders. Or something like that. :)
This is how we looked in the car when we started out. I rode in a seat with Tobin and was amused by him wearing the goggly eye glasses that Jeff and David had gotten for Tobin at the dollar store the night before we left.
...and in front of her was my dad's...uh...beautiful handsome head?! ;-)
I love my family, and I do not take these days of riding--all eight of us--together for granted. But I am looking forward to adding to that number in the springtime. ;-)
While My Body Feasts on Food Today...
...my mind will be feasting on these words:
We have SO MUCH for which to give thanks!!!
A very happy and blessed Thanksgiving to you, from our family (picture taken earlier this week when our niece Hannah and her boyfriend Ben came to visit) to yours!
One final thought to meditate on between bites of turkey and pumpkin pie:
The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.
~ H.U. Westermayer
We have SO MUCH for which to give thanks!!!
A very happy and blessed Thanksgiving to you, from our family (picture taken earlier this week when our niece Hannah and her boyfriend Ben came to visit) to yours!
One final thought to meditate on between bites of turkey and pumpkin pie:
Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.
~ Native American saying
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Baby Girl's First Gift
At only 20 weeks of gestation, Baby Girl is a bit young to be getting mail addressed to her, don't you think? ;-) But the fact that this little one isn't due to be born for another four and half months didn't stop my very kind friend Valerie B. from sending a package to her.
I took the liberty of opening it for my daughter; I figured she'd need a little help. ;-)
Inside it, wrapped in *pink* tissue paper, was the sweetest bib and burp cloth set.
Isn't it adorable? :)
The card was even girly and beautiful: pink and green, probably my favorite color combination for a girl.
It's not the first time Valerie has blessed a child of mine with a first gift. When I was pregnant with Tobin, Valerie sent me a wonderful gift for him, just as soon as we had the ultrasound that showed us he was a boy. In many other ways through the years, she has thoughtfully and generously showered love and encouragement upon me and my family.
Every younger woman should have a "Valerie" in her life; I'm so grateful for mine and wish that we were all so blessed!
What's more, every woman should be a "Valerie" to someone else. Am I being one? How can I be one more and more?
While I reflect on that, I'll steal glimpses of our new bib and burp cloth...and smile every time I think of my daughter's first gift. :)
Inside it, wrapped in *pink* tissue paper, was the sweetest bib and burp cloth set.
The card was even girly and beautiful: pink and green, probably my favorite color combination for a girl.
It's not the first time Valerie has blessed a child of mine with a first gift. When I was pregnant with Tobin, Valerie sent me a wonderful gift for him, just as soon as we had the ultrasound that showed us he was a boy. In many other ways through the years, she has thoughtfully and generously showered love and encouragement upon me and my family.
Every younger woman should have a "Valerie" in her life; I'm so grateful for mine and wish that we were all so blessed!
What's more, every woman should be a "Valerie" to someone else. Am I being one? How can I be one more and more?
While I reflect on that, I'll steal glimpses of our new bib and burp cloth...and smile every time I think of my daughter's first gift. :)
Sunday, November 20, 2011
During the Concert
Tonight was Josiah's first official performance with the Treble Choir of the SVCC; and of course, he did phenomenally well. Not that I'm biased or anything... ;-) Actually, both choirs (Treble Choir and Concert Choir) were outstanding; but to be honest, that's so normal that it hardly merits mention (but I'll mention it anyway). :) I realized once again this evening how blessed we are in our humble corner of the world to have such an amazing musical opportunity for our children. I'm so very grateful.
I'm also a little worn out tonight--more emotionally than physically, I think--so all that I'll take the time to jot down tonight are a few things that David said during the concert. He was my date to it, since Jeff generously offered to stay home with Tobin and Shav. One part of the concert that David particularly liked was the last section when the youth orchestra was playing some of the dances from The Nutcracker, and some local ballet students danced to them. When one of the girls came out dressed so prettily as the Sugar Plum Fairy, I heard him catch his breath and say in a tone of awe, "Oh my!" And then, as her dance went on and David realized a little of the effort required to do what she was doing, he whispered to me, "She has to be a robot!" :)
His comment that made me laugh the most, however, came during the intermission when we were watching the stage being set up for the orchestra. I noticed the harpsichord and gave David an impromptu music history lesson, mentioning that during the time of J. S. Bach, for example, harpsichords were commonly used. I nearly cracked up when he innocently queried, "Were you alive when Bach lived?" Funny, funny boy. ;-)
I'm also a little worn out tonight--more emotionally than physically, I think--so all that I'll take the time to jot down tonight are a few things that David said during the concert. He was my date to it, since Jeff generously offered to stay home with Tobin and Shav. One part of the concert that David particularly liked was the last section when the youth orchestra was playing some of the dances from The Nutcracker, and some local ballet students danced to them. When one of the girls came out dressed so prettily as the Sugar Plum Fairy, I heard him catch his breath and say in a tone of awe, "Oh my!" And then, as her dance went on and David realized a little of the effort required to do what she was doing, he whispered to me, "She has to be a robot!" :)
His comment that made me laugh the most, however, came during the intermission when we were watching the stage being set up for the orchestra. I noticed the harpsichord and gave David an impromptu music history lesson, mentioning that during the time of J. S. Bach, for example, harpsichords were commonly used. I nearly cracked up when he innocently queried, "Were you alive when Bach lived?" Funny, funny boy. ;-)
Saturday, November 19, 2011
It Comes in Waves...
...this knowledge that I'm having a girl. Before the ultrasound, I was so convinced that it was a boy that I didn't think much about what I would do if it was a girl. After all, how could it be a girl?! :) But of course, as soon as I heard "girl" while laying there in that darkened room, my mind raced ahead to pink clothes and tea parties. In the weeks leading up to the ultrasound, I had not even let myself open the box of girl clothes stored in the top of Shav's closet; but it wasn't too long after we returned home from the ultrasound that I stole away and got down that box and opened it, rejoicing in the sight of--at long last!--pink.
But many other things about having a girl didn't pop into my mind right away; and obviously, there are still many, MANY more surprises ahead as I embark on the mothering-a-daughter journey. But a few waves of knowledge have broken on the beach of my consciousness, helped along by the things people have written and said to me in the few days since our big announcement. For example, in an email, Stacey mentioned dolls. And I thought, "Dolls? We don't have any, except an old cracked porcelain one that I saved from my childhood. Peaches is her name, and I am practically giddy about the thought of my daughter someday playing with her. But that's many years off; and long before then, she'll 'need' to have a soft doll!" Then I saw a post on Bonnie's blog about a doll she made for one of her daughters, and I regretted the fact that I can't sew a stitch and will never be able to make a doll for my daughter! So that was the doll wave, breaking into my mind.
Then Valerie mentioned in a comment about the first load of laundry with pink clothes. "Oh my!" raced through my head. "I've never thought about that! That WILL be different!!" :)
In an email, a friend mentioned the book 5 Conversations You Must Have with Your Daughter, and I realized that a whole new realm of parenting books just opened up to me: the mother-daughter books. Wow! So I added that book to my Christmas wish list, since Jeff has been asking me what I want for Christmas. I know, I know, it's a little too early to start having those conversations with my girl; but always be prepared, right?? ;-)
Valerie (a different one than mentioned above) left a comment about looking forward to the three-generation picture with my baby, me, and my mom. I hadn't even thought of that yet! I remember well how Valerie's daughter Aliesha posted a very special picture on her blog of four generations of women in her family (and the oldest was my kindergarten teacher!). How special to now have the chance to do a multi-generational female picture of my own!! :)
Valerie (the first one!) mentioned hair bows and wondered if they're popular for baby girls here in my part of Virginia. I emailed her back and had to confess that I had always thought those bows were slightly ridiculous for tiny girl babies. Some of those bows are almost bigger than the poor child's head!! :) But now that I'm a mother of a girl, will I look at hair bows in a different light?! This is something I *need* to think about now but never had to in the past. :)
Today the song "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman came on the radio, and suddenly the emotion and tears swept over me so strongly that I had to stop what I was doing and lean against the wall for support. Fortunately, no one was around to wonder what was wrong with me. ;-) I've always appreciated the sentiment of that song; but until I had a daughter, it never affected me with this much power. Another wave of understanding breaks on me: all the parent/daughter sappy :) songs now apply to our family!
Other waves of knowledge that have washed over me include mother/daughter events (whereas before they didn't even cause a blip on my mental radar, now they actually mean something to me), the stages of maturation that a developing woman's body goes through (uh oh, now I can no longer put all "the talks" with our children on Jeff's shoulders!), and most of all, her wedding if she is blessed with a husband. When I think of my beloved Jeff walking his baby girl down the aisle at her wedding, I am completely at a loss as to how I will ever manage to hold it together and not turn into an absolute mess of tears and sobs. How do mothers of daughters do that anyway? :)
It's only been three days since we learned that a girl is on the way, and already so many waves have washed over me. You other mothers of daughters are hereby given permission to laugh freely at me, since from your perspective you know of the MANY things I haven't even begun to consider yet. :)
Ah, well, when the waves come, let 'em roll. I cherish every single one. :)
But many other things about having a girl didn't pop into my mind right away; and obviously, there are still many, MANY more surprises ahead as I embark on the mothering-a-daughter journey. But a few waves of knowledge have broken on the beach of my consciousness, helped along by the things people have written and said to me in the few days since our big announcement. For example, in an email, Stacey mentioned dolls. And I thought, "Dolls? We don't have any, except an old cracked porcelain one that I saved from my childhood. Peaches is her name, and I am practically giddy about the thought of my daughter someday playing with her. But that's many years off; and long before then, she'll 'need' to have a soft doll!" Then I saw a post on Bonnie's blog about a doll she made for one of her daughters, and I regretted the fact that I can't sew a stitch and will never be able to make a doll for my daughter! So that was the doll wave, breaking into my mind.
Then Valerie mentioned in a comment about the first load of laundry with pink clothes. "Oh my!" raced through my head. "I've never thought about that! That WILL be different!!" :)
In an email, a friend mentioned the book 5 Conversations You Must Have with Your Daughter, and I realized that a whole new realm of parenting books just opened up to me: the mother-daughter books. Wow! So I added that book to my Christmas wish list, since Jeff has been asking me what I want for Christmas. I know, I know, it's a little too early to start having those conversations with my girl; but always be prepared, right?? ;-)
Valerie (a different one than mentioned above) left a comment about looking forward to the three-generation picture with my baby, me, and my mom. I hadn't even thought of that yet! I remember well how Valerie's daughter Aliesha posted a very special picture on her blog of four generations of women in her family (and the oldest was my kindergarten teacher!). How special to now have the chance to do a multi-generational female picture of my own!! :)
Valerie (the first one!) mentioned hair bows and wondered if they're popular for baby girls here in my part of Virginia. I emailed her back and had to confess that I had always thought those bows were slightly ridiculous for tiny girl babies. Some of those bows are almost bigger than the poor child's head!! :) But now that I'm a mother of a girl, will I look at hair bows in a different light?! This is something I *need* to think about now but never had to in the past. :)
Today the song "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman came on the radio, and suddenly the emotion and tears swept over me so strongly that I had to stop what I was doing and lean against the wall for support. Fortunately, no one was around to wonder what was wrong with me. ;-) I've always appreciated the sentiment of that song; but until I had a daughter, it never affected me with this much power. Another wave of understanding breaks on me: all the parent/daughter sappy :) songs now apply to our family!
Other waves of knowledge that have washed over me include mother/daughter events (whereas before they didn't even cause a blip on my mental radar, now they actually mean something to me), the stages of maturation that a developing woman's body goes through (uh oh, now I can no longer put all "the talks" with our children on Jeff's shoulders!), and most of all, her wedding if she is blessed with a husband. When I think of my beloved Jeff walking his baby girl down the aisle at her wedding, I am completely at a loss as to how I will ever manage to hold it together and not turn into an absolute mess of tears and sobs. How do mothers of daughters do that anyway? :)
It's only been three days since we learned that a girl is on the way, and already so many waves have washed over me. You other mothers of daughters are hereby given permission to laugh freely at me, since from your perspective you know of the MANY things I haven't even begun to consider yet. :)
Ah, well, when the waves come, let 'em roll. I cherish every single one. :)
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