Red Bows in the ER

It would have been such a delighted leap and ballet pirouette all in one from the sensible height of a bench at our kitchen table. But, then it ended with two front teeth ramrodded into and through a very perfectly smooth and pouty lower lip... all the way through.














SEE. They glued it.














Guess I'll smile like this now!

(Over the last couple of days her lip swolled to twice it's size and the skin peeled off in big sheets. The cavernous gouge on the inside is almost fully healed already after only four days.)

Devotions

In the mornings I have coffee and Bible devotions. Now, our kids have a creamy peppermint steamer and their own Bible time.














Most of my life I've paired the discipline of devotion with a treat. It reminds me what a privilege, treat it is to converse with my savior.

Wild Family

In the spirit of Christmas joy, let me introduce you to the new game my kidlets affectionately call Wild Family. Contest: be as jubilant and silly as possible. Rule #1: Don't break anything. Rule #2: Don't break anyone. Music optional, laughing essential. Yes, Daddy trained them well!




















Pretty much sums it up!















Who ever used a pillow for laying on?




















Dance baby, dance!















Best friends.

Goliath

The other night Janie said her prayers, and out of the blue, "God, help Momma to be strong and courageous and not be afraid at Lulu's doctor appointment."

This afternoon I confessed, yes, I was afraid. "Mom, let me pray for you," and all the confidence and courage of four years old, she prayed. She included part of David's address to Goliath before nailing him with the sling-shot. Shoulders back, legs slightly apart, she was poised for victory, her stance straight and fresh as a blade of grass.

Before we left, I told her, watch what I do when I am afraid, how I still smile, and take care of you kids, how I say, "Hi," to our doctor and visit with him, how I still do the right things I know to do. I want her to understand that we turn and face fear, that courage is strength when we are afraid.

Fear reminds us that now is the moment of courage.

Gingerbread Boys and Girls

Gingerbread!














Roll 'em out.



















Help when Momma's not looking. Flour everywhere!














Uh, oh, I think they see us...














Busted!



















That was fun.

School

Most days we do school. Maybe the best question I ask myself is, what appetites do I want my kids to have? Not everything we like is good, and many good things are not yummy at first blush. My momma has a quote in her office, "Feed what you want to grow stronger."

If only self-discipline could be setting our appetites free. How do we teach kids to point desire in the right direction? How wonderful to actually want the very thing they should do. Is there a moment when we learn to grow the good, the honorable, and starve off, shrink down the wicked?

Taste and see that the LORD is good. I suppose, maybe, then we gain an appetite for him.

Great-Gramma

I remember my Gramma making this same expression sometimes when she was thinking. One more flash of the incredible heritage we have in family. As if the antithesis to society's decay, we pass on a little bit of who we are. And like Gramma's expression, it appears in moments of its own choosing, echoes of who we came from.



















What a great work of art to be a part of - the hilarity and delight of looking like our generations, but also the elegance of souls linked together through time.














Always in motion.