Huge Gray Lion

Days in the Life...

Monday Mom enjoyed spending the day with her friends from church and then came home from their weekend away in time for dinner. 

Dad had a meeting and so the rest of us played music loudly, did chores, helped the neighbors chase their escape dog, and got food whenever we were hungry. 

I had to leave around 5:00 pm to go babysit for the family with the five little boys and one little girl. If you weren't aware, traffic does not tend to only congest at times when you have plenty of time to sit stationary behind three transportation trucks for 20 minutes... 

The kids were great. They ate and we played games and they watched Curious George while I took a nap on the couch stayed awake ish. They were wide awake even when their parents returned at 10:30 (afternoon naps are great...). 

My drive home was just fine. I sang to stay awake.

Tuesday can be summarized by a lot of pictures and another edition of "I've been Pondering." 

This would be an entire stick of butter 

which I exploded all over the microwave. 

Making "Kitchen Trash." 

The second stick of butter did not explode. 

Chloe was trying so hard to make cinnamon rolls;

first she used twice as much milk and had to throw out the batch.

Then the milk boiled over. 

Then she spilled it.

Finally she got it going. 

Success! 

Hopefully... They weren't for us...

Another country sunset. 

I've been Pondering...

• I love my job. 

  
  
  

  
  After a day of over sleeping, missing breakfast to race out the door, driving 5 minutes the wrong direction, not knowing really where I was going, returning from my errand for Dad to more jobs to do at home, blowing up an entire stick of butter all over the microwave, having to use pink and purple wrapping paper because that's all we had left, and needing to make dinner that I didn't have time to eat with my family, it was so good to get to hold this precious baby. 

  
  It sort of sounds like I had a bad day, but really it wasn't. 

  
  The sun was shining, it was 70 degrees (on the first day of winter!!), I never hit any traffic while out, I got to have coffee, Dad and I invented new cookies together, I began writing another piano song, I saw ways that the Lord had been working this past week, and I enjoyed a fun text conversation. 

  
  Sometimes it's hard to look at the bright side (I struggle more with that on the days that it's cloudy and cold), but our God is faithful. 

  
  In a world where the radio is blasting messages of brokenness, dysfunction, hurt, and anger, and the people around us are striving to keep high their walls of self-protection and in the process hurt others because of the hurt they are experiencing, and where everyone is searching, but few are discovering, Jesus has come. 

  
  We are His messengers who share the news that He has come to mend broken hearts, set right the things off-kilter, soothe open wounds, and bring peace. We carry Him in us so that He can pour out of us. We get to show the world the One they are searching for. He has revealed Himself to us so we can share Him with others. 

  
  Be the light.

  
  
  Peppermint Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies,
  inspired by an off-hand comment.

Wednesday was Christmas celebration number two at Gramma's house with all of Dad's family. 

There was a time when we all took turns opening gifts one at a time for everyone to see what everyone else got, but that time is no more. There are 18 of us, that would be a long time... 

Gramma had all of the grandchildren's gifts in sacks for each one and everyone was encouraged to "have at it" until all the gifts were open. (That took about 12.5 minutes.) Then we could show each other what we'd received and watch the parents open their gifts. 

No socks needed. I love Texas.

Gramma made these aprons out of two shirts Dad had gotten rid of!

We always take pictures in the wrapping paper pile.

We ate BBQ for lunch, opened gifts, visited (or played), ate dessert, and headed home after 5:00 pm. 

At home gifts were taken to each person's bedroom and we finished getting to see what everyone received. 

Legos anyone? 

We finished the day with dinner in the living room while watching "Little Women." Pretty sure that movie is on my absolute favorite list. 

Thursday everyone slept in, I went for an interesting run, Mom made more cinnamon rolls and worked on Christmas cards to send out, everyone wrote thank you notes, the kids played with their new things, I read 100 pages in a book (haven't done that since Maui), Dad organized in his office and finished things up to take a break the next few days, Christian stayed in bed not feeling great, and we all in general enjoyed a quiet day. 

Christmas music played all day and the windows were open. The kids played outside. 

While on my run I got followed by a huge, gray lion dog. I do not like big dogs. Honestly, they scare me. So I was praying so hard that it would go away. Finally a lady driving by stopped and asked why the dog was following me. She knew where the dog belonged and jumped out to coax him home while I drove her really, really, really nice brand new car. 

That moment when...

You almost fall asleep babysitting.

You explode a whole stick of butter in the microwave.

Gabe takes off his shirt in the middle of church. 

Your little siblings get the same gift you got when you were their age. 

The Herd: Quoted 

"I'm awake...I mean, I'm home." -Me walking into the wall in Mom and Dad's room at 11:30 pm to let them know I was back from babysitting.

"If it wasn't so funny I'd be crying by now. Don't let Mom see any of this." -Chloe trying to make cinnamon rolls. 

"Write a song that actually sounds like you're doing something and that is not crying." -Chloe to me before I go to try composing a new song. 

"I keep checking every gift to be sure they are mine. I don't know why. It's like blowing on cold cereal." -Me opening the gifts in my Christmas sack. 

"Here's my heart, spend it wisely." -Christian 

"It looks like the Lego Store threw-up in here." -Chloe talking about the little girls' room.