sightings

things you see around the house when you're sharing it with a three year old again.  miss Z. has been creative and cute, and thanks to her the Haitian nativity scene has appeared in some unusual locations in recent days...

it's hard for me not to grab an immediate and obvious spiritual application, like how Jesus can be found in the unexpected places, in the messy chaos, or how He wishes to meet us right where we're at, etc...

nope, not gonna expand on this too much today. :)  you're welcome.  

i'm barely awake, after all.   

as we slide into Christmas and the season of Hope and Joy and Promise, may we find more of Jesus in the day to day...

love to all!

my unofficial official pastry chef

well, Layla just might have the job title~ the new pastry chef of the house, quite literally!  recently she helped me whip up some pie pastry and a couple apple pies as well, and it turned out to be some of the very best tasting, flakiest pie crust i've we've turned out from this very kitchen!  i was so impressed and admit it's taken years of practice and tinkering and just like that, first time ever, she stirred and floured and rolled out the best pastry we've tasted in awhile.  i was most impressed!

 

you're hired Layla! a batch of pastry every two to three months would be just perfect! :)

the list

a certain 11 year old in our home no longer buys into the Santa version of Christmas.  he knows where his wrapped treasures originate from and how they make their way to the base of the sparkling tree in our family room.  even still~ he made this Christmas list recently as store flyers and catalogues (Canadian Tire, Indigo, Toys R Us, Walmart!) have arrived in abundance to his hopeful, perusing eyes.  there has been much conversation about the selected items, lots of contemplation, and many edits to the list.  almost to the point of it crossing the line between excited anticipation to obsessive consumption of each and every "must have".

when i noticed the most recent edits to the list with the accompanying circled request just sitting there on the island, i realized he may need to face the harsh reality soon.  might need a bit of a Christmas message "reset" too...a couple good Christmas books or even a viewing of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" might do the trick.  

i remember the anticipation i felt as a kid too, not that different from AJ at all!  i can't blame him for his enthusiasm and this really did make me smile...got me to thinking that there probably won't be many more years of lists like this one! :) i'm trying to take it all in...

National Adoption Month

taking in this fourteen minute video is surely the best time you could possibly spend today staring at a screen.  if you do, you will be a participant in watching the wonder of how God's love moves through adoption.  it is jaw-droppingly fantastic, much like our very own miraculous adoption story and part two of the same. it's soooo like God, and it's worth every second.  i needed a Kleenex while viewing, you might as well.  but i assure you, they are tears of the best possible kind....

take in Chloe's story