What a Snow Day!

As you can only imagine!
December 24th became a memory maker for our family.
The young folk started arriving around noon, and they all agreed,
we needed to spend time in the snow like the olden days.
Church was canceled and so the activities continued.
We quickly made a search for all the outer wear
that is stored from year to year.
Yes, and there was
something to cover everyone, except me.
By the time I wanted to get dressed,
they had used my snow pants, tuke, and mitts.
This Mama was not staying inside to cook.

Nobody was concerned about being trendy for that day, just Fun!

The afternoon started by pulling each other on our vintage toboggans.
It didn't take long until someone hollered.
"Dad, Hitch up the toboggans."
So out came the old Ford...

Hitched up the toboggans and away they went.
Laughing and screaming could be heard everywhere.

Standing, sitting, screaming, you name it....

Until KRUNCH....
Only the sound of a motor in the stillness,
then a burst of laughter,
and the poor driver is turning around to see what happened,
watching the excitement from behind....

"Hey, Dad, Look ahead, you hit the fence."

Guess who was caught up in the moment of time, and
thought he had wide open spaces?
Obviously he was watching the kids and he hit the fence.
That will be a tale sketched in their minds forever.

All was fine, until someone suggested......
Take a peak at the video.

Sledding into the evening hours.
How fun!

Yes, it's for real!
Out came the old aluminum canoe, attached it to the tractor,
adult kids had life jackets and paddles.
Oh, my goodness, but oh how much fun.

Christmas Morning dictated the activities of the day.
Rather than puzzling or playing games,
I put the turkey and stuffing in the oven,
and off we went up to Chilliwack River Lake,
looking for those steep hills.

We found them.

Even I, could not bear to be a spectator.

Many good laughs and spills.

The faster, the better.

And at 5:30 we were already for supper.
I'm sure the angels were helping with all the supper preparations.
We will remember this Christmas in a very special way.
One Snowy Christmas!

For the Record

I need to give a little update.
The blog that you read, dated Dec.24th"
To Mom,
From Suzanne & Mikki:

They received my passwords for my blog,
and posted the blog themselves.
On Christmas Eve, they passed me the laptop
and asked me to open my blog.....

In one of my earlier posts, I stated that there would
be many surprises this year,
as we were all making gifts for each other.
That was a huge surprise!
A thank-you note on my blog from my girls,
plus a set of pottery bowls that they made.
That's the last thing I expected.

I am totally overwhelmed by their appreciation
and will always cherish this post.
I could never of posted this myself.

So please remind me when I get crabby to
go back and read the post again
and believe that All is Well.
Thank you for your kind comments.

Potter's Hands

Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Isaiah 64:8

Dear Mom,

We both have been blessed beyond measure with the experience of beauty and love that comes only from a relationship between a mother and a daughter; a relationship that has been molded on the potter’s wheel of your own home and heart. You have created a unique and beautiful masterpiece in which every detail and colour have been chosen and formed to create the family that you are a part of. You have taken the flaws and bumps and turned them into magnificent defining features of your piece.

Gracefully, you have shown us how this work of art would never have been quite so stunning if any of those features were missing. This Christmas, as we work diligently at discovering what we can make to show our love to our family, we first and foremost want to recognize that you have been doing this all your life – carefully creating daily beauty within your home to show us your unconditional love. And in the meantime, without knowing it, you’ve shown the world a small glimpse of what a beautiful thing the family was meant to be.

Love always and forever,

Mikki and Suzanne

Tending the Inner Fire

The preparations are ready.
Is my heart?

Now, wouldn't it be nice if I could invite
invite my family, friends and blogging friends to come and
just sit down, enjoy a quiet cup of coffee,
listen to some music from Josh Groban's cd, 'Noel'
and enjoy a piece of Hazelnut Roll.
You can find the recipe posted on the MGCC blog.

And just to add to my early morning excitement,
the angels passed by last night
and put their final touch to all the details.
A fresh blanket of snow.
Our first Christmas with snow in a long time.

Yesterday, I was fretting around finding the right dish that
would complement my Hazelnut Roll.
You know how it is...

Later in the afternoon, a representative
from one of our local business's
stopped by and brought
us the most beautiful silver platter.
Just perfect for my Hazelnut Roll!


Then there was another knock at the shop door.
The most gorgeous center piece from my friends at the Hospital.

It's interesting how these little surprises remind me
that our heavenly Father hears about our little wants and desires
and knows how to add the finishing touches.
If he can take care of those needs, he knows the Big Needs.

If He has the ability to take care of our little wants,
I'm sure he can also provide the peace and joy
in our hearts, as we all work full throttle in the next days.

My prayer is that I will let Him tend to my inner fire,
and that I will be a stress releaser, rather than a stress-causer.

Grant me the grace to love the tradition of Christmas,
yet hear its message as though it was for the first time.

May you all have a blessed Christmas Season.

The Excitement and Wonder.

This year is different.
Is there seldom a year where things stay the same?

This year our family decided to make gifts for each other.
Early in November the decision was made.
We all thought about it and discussed it...
Yup, everybody was up to the idea.
I concluded that "If this doesn't work, we'll change it next year again."

So it's been fun watching individuals from our family
work together in creating ideas I never new existed.
I didn't know we had such a creative bunch.

My last few weeks have been somewhat unusual,
as I try to portray Christmas through the eyes of my little Levi.
I love nothing more than having him help me prepare for the festive season.
He too is part of gift giving and making.
Just a little encouragement and he create his own ideas.
He's been a busy little elf this year.
This experience has allowed me to walk down memory lane,
and think about my own children as we created memories.

He's helped his Opa cut down the tree.

What little boy can go home without his own branches?


The colorful lights are lit and shining brightly.
They have their own unique order.
Looks like Opa has his helper.

"Where is the Jesus Thing, Oma?"
How else does a little man describe the manger scene?

"Let's make snakes."
That's my helper, when it comes to making Pfeffernusse.

"Nut's & Bolts for Daddy."
Daddy loves them hot and spicy.

While Oma is sewing PJ's for the little man,
he creates his own idea of sewing.
Threads and strings tied from the chair, and to the window.
I wonder what he's creating?

The window handle becomes the bobbin winder spindle.
He carefully examines the thread.

The door of a cabinet became his cutting edge.
I wonder what's inside that door?

Then he cuts the threads, just like Oma.

The finished product?
Can you tell me what that is?
Sh...I don't want to give away any secrets,
so come back after Christmas.

At night I always love to tip toe past his room
and tuck him in and cover him up once more.

My goodness, what did I see?
"What is he sleeping with on his feet?"
Another surprise?
~~~~~~
Christmas Eve will be different this year.
We will have our traditional fondue.
There will be festive baking and desserts.
There will be music.
Their spirits will all be merry.
There will be laughter.
There will be surprises that no one expected.
There will be the story of the Christ Child.
Yes the activities linger on and on.

~~~~~~

And yet, as I look at those tiny feet, I loose my thoughts.
Will he always know the Christ child?
My prayer is that he will know our Christian heritage,
believe it, and serve the same God.
I love this little boy.
This little man has brought so much joy into our lives.

May you all experience the true joy
as you prepare for the Christmas Season.

A Red Evening Sky

We inch up to Chrismas - prepare,
count days,
keep secrets,
watch for the signs.
A red evening sky,
every fleecy cloud on fire,
for a last few minutes before the night falls,
still brings a shout,
"Look! Christmas is coming!
The angles are baking!"
G.M. Nelson

Can you hear the music playing?
Our "First Snowfall" by Michael W. Smith
Check it out on the Sidebar.

Invite our quiet morning snowfall.
The rest of the day looks like a blizzard.
Ride it out before the storm hits our valley.

Play Tag with Me!

Who wants to play with Me?
Not often that I play blogger games, but this one is so simple and I could not resist.
My friend, Willow, the creator of Charles and Charlotte has asked me to play Tag.

TAG!

You're supposed to do the following:
1. Open the 4th picture folder on your computer
2. Open the 4th picture and post it on your blog.
3. Explain the picture.

4. Tag 4 people to do the same!



















I could not believe it when I opened up this picture. It's so true to my heart. Here's my little guy at three years of age. Yes, we had similar shirts and we loved wearing them together. This was the middle of summer and I won't forget when he came up with the idea that we both were wearing Candy Stripe shirts.

So here it is Christmas and I get to open this photo. How suitable for the Christmas Season.

Orange Candy Stripes? Whatever!
The imagination of this little one.
How Fun!

So now I get to choose 4 people and you can play along!

1. Anneleise
2. Julie
3. Bev
4. Kathy

Get adventuresome and try something new.
Let's see what you all come up with.

What's the Buzz?

I had a perfect morning, drinking coffee with Julie.
Julie is another blogging friend.
It's always a strange feeling walking into Starbucks
looking for someone you've never met.
Then we met and ask her the rest....

If you haven't met her,
she's a worthwhile keeper.
The time went by too quickly,
only to know we had common interests and
that my favorite cousin was one of her best camp friends
way back about 40 years ago at Camp Squeah?
Thanks Julie for taking the time to visit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then it was time to do some heavy duty Christmas shopping with hubby.
Off we drove in his truck and I had to pass by Sumas,
once more to pick up some more orders from SHIP Happens.
It didn't take long and I notice we are not on the road to the mall.
He runs up a familiar road.
I used to ride my 10 speed up that hill.
I always remind of my stomping grounds.
Before I knew it I see familiar surroundings.

"STOP! STOP! STOP!"
I recognize this place.
He stops shortly, while my head is out the window grabbing a picture.
Hm...He says, What's all the buzz?


Well blogging friends as you all know,
Sunday is the big day for the BIG Party.

I could smell coffee brewing, shop lights were on.
Fresh smells coming from the oven.
The vacuum cleaner sounded overloaded.
Shudders were being dusted.
Floors were being scrubbed.

"Do I or don't I?"
"You can't just stop in unexpected." he says to me.
"That's the Flag that she always talks about."


OK, well do any of you know what I'm referring to?
Do any of you recognize these pictures?
I thought I would post the pictures for those who could not follow
directions. The directions looked like a maze to me.

He whizzed past the house and all I got, was a quick glimpse.

Then I pinched myself.
I was in dreamland, only wishing it was true.
Unfortunately, due to heavy scheduling, I am unable to attend.
(but my representative is on it's way)

Please do have fun and you know I would love to meet you all.

Reuniting Cousins

Today was the day!

I received a parcel in the mail.

I've been on a journey looking for my lost cousins.
I checked out the internet sites and guess what I discovered?

It was way back in October that I spotted my favorite
cousins coming up North.
I looked at them thinking.
Could I ever adopt them and give them a new home?

Sure enough they found their way across the border.
Yesterday, I drove all the way to SHIP HAPPENS!
As I walked in, I heard whimpering and sniffling noises
coming from the packaged boxes.
I asked what was all the fuss about?
They had just received a package looking for it's new parents.

I responded quickly and said, "That's Me!"

They handed me the box,
and I could feel that them settling down.
They were so excited that I had arrived.
Inside the building people were smiling and cheering
as they saw me reuniting with the cousins,
assuring them that everything would be all right.

When I got home, they were not comfortable.
They looked rather fridgid.
I asked them what was wrong.
They whispered to each other.
"They thought they were arriving to meet
their other cousins William & Anna."

Oh My, I had already disappointed them.
I showed them their adoption papers.
Then they agreed, that they would just settle down.

It didn't take long and they asked,
"How long will it take to get to our cousins?"
Well, I told them, "They would have to wait till the new Year."

They started sulking and crying....
What was I to do...?
So I showed them pictures of their cousins and talked
about how well they had adjusted in to their new home.
They agreed, that the process of adjustment was difficult.

This morning when I woke up, I tip-toed past their room.
They actually looked like they were snuggling and giggling,
getting used to their new surroundings.

When I told them about the plans for the day,
they started building up a storm.
They were in total agreement that they would
help me get ready for the big party!

If you would like to consider adopting some more cousins,
please, by all means check out Willows Cottage.

Please welcome Charles & Charlotte to my family!

Another Incredible Lady!

It was just over two years ago....
The phone rang,
"Mikki?"

"No, She's not Home."

"This is UBC calling to let you know Mikki has been accepted into
the Masters of Occupational Therapy Program.
She needs to give notice immediately as her spot will otherwise be taken."


Oh my, my girl was no where to be found.
She was on a roadtrip between Colorado and Arizona.
After calling on her cell, she finally responded.
She was sitting at the top of the Grand Canyon with her sister.
What a mountain top experience for her!!
She had totally forgotten that she was on a waiting list....

How could we hold a spot for her?
Money talks big.

"Yes, we will secure her spot and notify her immediately."
"Yes, Here's our credit card number ......."

Two years have past and she still identifies herself as #40.
She was the last person on the wait list to enroll.

Last month we received an invitation to attend her
graduation ceremony at the Chan Center at UBC
What a beautiful venue.
The orchestra was playing from the top balcony as
the graduates walked down the aisles.

Meanwhile, who would of ever known,
that there was a big fuss going on in my mind?
I visited my local florist and told him about this big occasion.
It's a milestone, it's a celebration, it's my Daughter!!!
I want something special and unique that reflects who she is.

We talked back and forth about different ideas.
Roses are beautiful, but I wanted something different.
In my mind I was dreaming...Orchids?
We exhausted the list.

Hm....he finally said,
What about a Lei with orchids?

This can't be true. I had to pinch myself.
This girl of mine, has spent summers working in a day
camp in Hawaii. Hawaii is her second home. She calls herself a local.
Could there be a better tribute than a Lei?
By now, tears are rolling down my eyes.
My florist knew what my heart was saying.
This would be the perfect bouquet.

I carefully unpacked the delicate flowers.
So beautiful, so artistic, so creative!
Someone knew what he was doing.

I entered the Chan Center all excited to make this presentation.
We sat way back in the upper balcony
squinting to see her walk proudly across the stage.
The whole time I was thinking.....
"How am I going to get these flowers to her?"

Then came the moment.

I decided to step out 10 minutes early and meet her while she
was being escorted out of the side entrance.

There she was!
My strategy worked!
I presented her with her Lei.

I fussed as I laid it around her shoulders
and quickly dried my tears.
What a cherished moment.

Congratulations Mikki!
You've worked hard.
You've played hard.
You're still #40!

"Within every celebrated ending, a new opportunity beckons.
Within every ending there lies a new beginning
that calls us to reach out and explore."