Patience and Generosity

Saturday night we had our first Christmas party of the season at a neighbor's house. There was great food and fellowship as well as a visit from Mr. Claus. In our invitation we were told to bring a wrapped $5 gift for our child to the hostess a week before the party. I did my duty and found a harmonica for Cavett.

Santa arrived and began pulling gifts out of his bag. There were probably 35 kids there all seated on the ground waiting very patiently, mine right in front. His present was so small that it slipped all the way to the bottom of the bag. Cavett sat still while every single child 's name was called, they visited with Santa and received a gift. He was the next to last name called. It was a great lesson and he loved his gift.

We also went to the store this weekend and allowed him to pick out a gift that we were going to take to church. He picked out a Hot Wheels Stunt Motorcycle for a child that "doesn't have any toys." He took it to church and willingly placed it under the Christmas Tree.

He is able to understand so much more this Christmas and I hope that I am able to teach him what Christmas is all about. It's so neat to see the Light in his life, which lights up mine too!

In thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting Light.

Again, my sister blogs eloquently. The strange thing is, I was going to write something very similar this morning, but she beat me to it. I added my 2 cents in the comments. So, go check it out and search for His light in your life.

http://www.chaneylife.blogspot.com/

The Christmas Cluster

For anyone who has decorated a Christmas Tree with a 2-3 year old you know what this is. It is when every ornament you give the child is hung in the same place.

We decorated our tree last night so that we would just be able to relax after returning from our Thanksgiving travel. Cavett was very "helpful" in trying to place the bead garland. Then we let him hang a few ornaments. They were all 30" off the ground and in the front of the tree. It was precious. Watching him decide where to put each one was much better than teaching him about spacing. We will save that for another year. After he went to bed, we "re-decorated" and pulled out a few more ornaments.

We are headed to the "Big Salt" this afternoon for the rest of the Thanksgiving week. I pray you all have a blessed and safe holiday.

Default

Some of you have spoken on how much you like my blog. But again I say, my sister is far superior. Many times she speaks of our Dad or things in our family growing up and I feel the same way. She has just a better way with words and is truly introspective. So, today I am defaulting to her blog. Go read it. Dad gave Stephen and me the same blessing and I know he would have spoken the same words to my other sister, Karen, had he been there.

Manuh-manuh!

My sister, Candace and her daughter showed us their favorite YouTube clip this weekend. It is the first sketch from Season 1 of the Muppet Show. Great stuff!

Now we can't get it out of our head! We are passing it on to you! Manuh-manuh!

Enough.

This weekend we were blessed to have 2 out of 3 of my siblings and their husbands and children, as well as all the grandparents at our house. We enjoyed each other's company and watched the kids dance to clips of The Muppet Show on YouTube. We celebrated Thanksgiving Saturday night fitting everyone around a make-shift dining room table. I'm not sure we were ever all seated at once, but it was a good time.

The highlight of the weekend was Kendrick being baptised. Kendrick woke up this morning so happy. He was so smiley, that he couldn't even concentrate on eating breakfast. After taking family pictures, we made it to the church in time. I changed Kendrick's diaper and put on his clothes and he then proceed to explode on it, getting poop on his gown. As Uncle Jack said, "it [his baptism] will truly be a washing away of his sins." Kendrick slept soundly until Dr. Pace "sprinkled" him. He awoke with a start, but didn't really fuss. Dr. Pace held him up to the congregation and said, "This is our new son." Kendrick just looked at everyone with wide eyes. It was a beautiful moment in God's grace.

Dr. Pace gave his Thanksgiving sermon on how we should receive God's gifts to us and how we are blessed with enough. Afterwards, Ken Medema spontaneously sang a song using Kendrick as a point of reference in the song tying the sermon together. "Little Baby Kendrick" It was amazing.

We are so blessed and thankful for all God has given us--beautiful children, a caring and supportive family, food to eat, clothes to wear, a house to live in. He will always provide enough. Sometimes I even wonder if he gives us too much. In watching the movie, Pursuit of Happyness, you realize that none of that matters. Even if he didn't give us all the material things, it would be enough just to know that he gave us the best gift of all--His son.

P.S.- I've uploaded some of the pics from this weekend, but there will be many more to come on our website. http://www.hilldds.com/

Happy All Saints Day

In our end is our beginning, in our time infinity;
In our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity.
In our death a resuerrection; at the last, a victory,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

Words and Music: Natalie Sleeth, 1986

Unfortunately, this is the only digital pic I have of Dadoo. We got our camera just before his death and my scanner is broken. :(