Generations

My daughter-in-law Gretchen came over early so we could all cook together and prepare for Stacia's baby shower.  Gretchen brought Jordan and put her in a little swinging baby seat where she could bounce around and watch us all.  Gretchen is a great cook and she started preparing her soups.  Then she arranged beautiful flowers in vases and decorated the dining room with the girls helping her. Each of us would stop in our work to love on Jordan in her swing.  Gretchen created a hot cocoa bar with whipped cream and crushed cinnamon candies.  What a sweet treat! I am not good at entertaining or planning, so I was so grateful for all the help.  When Jordan got fussy and was put in her baby chair, Liana rocked her to sleep.  All these girls in our family are so efficient and talented. 

At one point in our bustling around I recognized God's gift of this particular morning. I had so many little boys at one time and took such pleasure in their childhood and boyish activity.  Now here are my tiny granddaughter, my two daughters, and my daughter-in-law, all of us working together in one room, the conversation light, anticipating the fun of the shower.  Why am I so blessed?  Gretchen said one day we will be doing this in the future, but the roles will be changed.  Jordan will be the one rocking someone's baby, Gretchen will be the old mom and my girls will be the young moms at the stove.  Maybe I won't be there at all.  But that's okay.  It's how it's meant to be.  Others carrying on the family traditions.  Others carrying the faith.  "One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts."  (Psalm 145)  We must not forget to tell the stories of God's blessings.

Our house fills with women, family and friends. Joey, almost one year old now, practices his new walking skills while we all cheer him on. Then it's a wonderful celebration of a new mama and a new baby to come. Life is good.  God is gracious.

Christmas 2012

The Old and the New

We ended 2012 with a celebration of God's goodness toward us and our families.  The girls and Fred and I have our own New Year's Eve tradition and as we ate our seafood feast, we reflected on our gifts.  First, the gift of life.  We indeed have another year to celebrate!  I think of the year 2004 when I was very sick with my mysterious lung condition.  A top doctor at a top hospital diagnosed me with a terminal disease.  I had never heard of it, so I looked it up.  To my devastation I saw that the prognosis was poor and most people who had it did not live past 7 years.  My girls were so little!  But the doctor was wrong and God has given me many more years.  Fred's broken leg and then his surgical incident didn't stop us for long either.   I am very grateful for the full and rich lives God has given us.

We had another wonderful gathering of family for Christmas too.  Babies!  What joy in our lives!  Jordan in her Santa suit and Joey in his pjs adorned with Christmas lights. The food, the crazy chaos, the laughter, the gift wrap everywhere while Fred walked around compulsively with a black trash bag.  The week of school break brought staying-in family time with rousing games of Catan and Wizard and us overeating all the leftover snack food we normally don't have.  New Year's Day gave us dear friends who moved to California years ago, but still return to bless us with their sweet children and good friendship.  Our traditional New Year's pork loin and sauerkraut (in honor of my Polish husband) became Korean Braised Beef over rice (in honor of them). 

Then right when we were going back to work, the girls and I had fun taking care of Jordan.  Arielle and Liana are going to be great mothers someday.  They are both so nurturing and loving.  We loved on that baby all afternoon!  What a gift she is to our family!

So now we are back in our school routine, and teaching my classes at the co-op is looming.  I have yet to crack the books.  It's so hard to break out of that lazy cycle we've been indulging in.  Both girls battled with the Sabouri Brothers today as they did math and Algebra II. (Teaching Textbooks.)  Arielle has a science fair project due in two weeks, but she is distracted by a winter formal coming up.  But we remember, life is good!  Every day is good!  We've already just about used up four days in 2013!  Did we treasure each one?  Did we bless others?  Did we waste our precious time here on earth? 

My New Year's resolution comes from Proverbs 3:27 and Galatians 6:10:  "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it."  "So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone..."  I don't want to withhold a blessing when it is in my power to give one.  Feel free to call me on this one if I am not doing right.  I really want to be a blessing.  Only through God's grace.

I had pictures...Blogger won't let me upload for some reason. Maybe later.