Safe & Sound & on the Ground....

Thanks to US Airways, a helpful airport clerk, a change in flight and a storm that won't come for another day, my son has made his way safely home to us. It was a great relief to see his face walking through the exit towards us, I can tell you that! We had been praying for him all day, knowing the crazy weather around the country & the great possibility of delays. Then there's this giant snow storm that allegedly is headed our way and knowing that any significant delays at that point could put him sleeping in some airport for a few days instead of in his own warm bed. So, my absolute heart-felt & humble thanks to my Lord for answering our prayers! His faithfulness to my ever needy family leaves me with a heart full of gratitude, awe & love. Thanks also to all of you who were praying yesterday! May your loved ones travel to you, or you to them, safely & soundly this Christmas. And if this storm is as bad as they are predicting & not just another weather man's over-excitability, then grab some blankets and movies, make a pot of soup and enjoy some down time with those you love. Now that my son is home....let it snow!!

He Hears our Cries....

One of the families that I clean for has a 6-month old baby boy, and he's adorable! Anyway, this morning while cleaning downstairs, I heard him begin to cry upstairs. He wanted his Mom. He was hungry. Or he needed his diaper changed. Maybe too hot, or too cold, or too tired, or too awake. Either way, he was not comfortable in his present condition, so he cried out. He instinctively knew that someone would come to him & care for him. Nobody had to teach him that, it is something God placed in him from the moment he drew his first breath. He knows that when he cries out, he will be comforted. He will be cared for. I got to thinking how remarkable that instinct is and how interesting it is that God put that inside each of us in order to take care of our basic human needs. He teaches us from the very moment we arrive on this earth to cry out in need. Initially to cry out for human touch, comfort & care. As we grow older & hopefully grow in our dependency on God, that instinct translates into our need to cry out to Him when we need to be cared for, comforted, encouraged, directed. Do we trust this instinct He has given us? His Word teaches us that, "In my distress I called to the LORD; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears." 2 Samuel 22:7 Our Holy Lord gave us that in our basic human make up for a reason. And just like the loving arms of this baby's mother, God is there for us. He hears our cries. He wraps His arms around us...sometimes through others, and sometimes its just something you sense deep in your heart. He cares. He comforts. He loves us. And just like this comforted baby, we can then find rest.

Oh Christmas Tree....

When we were first married, Norm & I would always buy a real Christmas tree...that's what Norm grew up with & so that's what we began doing. But at some point when our kids were small we made the shift to the "dreaded" artificial tree. I know, I know...for you die hard "real trees only" people, this is a cardinal sin. But for a busy mom who had enough of real trees that fell over or lost needles too soon, not to mention the needles we were STILL finding stuck in the rug in July, we made the big leap to the artificial. Plus, the cost for the real ones just got plain ridiculous! Many people thought our tree was real it was so well made. So, what is the goal anyway? When you buy a really nice real tree people say "its so perfect it looks artificial", and if you buy a really nice artificial one, they'll say, "it looks so real"! You can't win...or lose!! And honestly, how long does the pine scent last anyway (and personally I've never really been a fan. I've never even used Pine Sol baby). When we lived in our house on Eastbrooke Place, our family room ceiling was so high that buying a decent real tree big enough would have used our Christmas budget! After moving to our new apartment, that first Christmas brought the reality that our beautiful artificial tree was just not going to fit. So, we've made the leap back. And, a few years ago we thought it would be fun, since now our kids were a little older, to cut down our tree ourselves. The cost is not too bad & it really has been a fun experience. As you can see by the look on my family's faces here.... Hahaha....

Anyway, its become our yearly tradition now that on Thanksgiving weekend, before the craziness of Christmas is upon us, to go as a family & cut down our tree. It was awesome this year to have Alex join us. I just HAD to take some pictures so he could show his Florida friends what crazy northerners do on a Saturday afternoon in 30 degree weather!

So, the tree is up, the house is decorated. Yeah, we only have about 5 Christmas gifts bought, but oh well...it'll all get done eventually. The gifts, the wrapping, the baking, the egg nog...yeah, I said it! The tree is always the beginning...so bring it on! Let the games begin!

Let me share a few more shots of our adventure in Clarence, New York (voted #34 out of 50 best small towns in the country to live, by the way).



Enjoy your holiday season my friends! And enjoy your tree, real or otherwise. No tree snobbery here!!

Surprise, Surprise!!

Well, as if I didn't have enough to be grateful for this Thanksgiving, I was blessed by the surprise homecoming of my son! We were in shock, since he very sneakily planned his homecoming with family members, all designed to surprise me and his dad. He showed up at my mother's home just as we were sitting down to our Thanksgiving dinner. Talk about having something to be grateful for! I wish I would have a picture of mine & Norm's faces! Shock & tears would cover it I'd say... How wonderful to have him back under our roof! So he grabbed a lovely, home-cooked turkey dinner compliments of Grandma, a shower, a quick nap, some time with his family, and then off to be with friends. Ahhh...life as usual! It's a beautiful thing.... Thank you Jesus!!

Miracles and Thankfulness...

We are quickly approaching my favorite holiday of the year. Thanksgiving. I love this holiday because of its simplicity & for the sheer idea that its a day set aside to gather with those we love and just...be....grateful. I definitely think that this is a lost art in our society...the idea of being thankful for what we have. I know that there are others who have much more materially than I do, but I am sincerely grateful for the gifts I do have. My beautiful & healthy family, our cozy home, and friends & family to share the good & not so good times of our lives. Despite the challenges Norm & I have faced over the last few years, I am determined to be grateful to God for how He's brought us through & how beautifully He has provided for us. I have some friends who are going through a particularly difficult time in their lives. They are struggling to stay afloat financially as well as trying to discover what God's plans are for their lives. They are an inspiration to me. I know that they have their difficult moments, I've been privileged to have them share honestly the enormous weight of their situation. But they inspire because they are always grateful for whatever God blesses them with. One of the things that she always says is that each week, God brings them a miracle. Whether its an anonymous gift card to Wegman's, a word of encouragement or an unexpected job that will help pay for that bill they weren't sure how they would pay. She is in constant awe as to how God continually brings blessings their way. They have learned to trust & are building their faith in His provision each time that miracle comes their way. I think God sends all of us miracles, I just wonder how often we actually perceive them as such. Are we more likely to look upon that job, that clean bill of health, the food in our refrigerator, that paid bill, that respectful teen, that obedient child as merely an everyday event? Do we overlook the everyday miracles in our lives? On a couple of occasions I was able to bless on this family & she referred to ME as the miracle. I really don't think that I am, but I'm open to the idea that God would use me for His purposes and am grateful for it. I remember feeling like, "man, she gets a miracle every week??!! I would like that." Then I realized that if I paid close attention to His gifts, I'd see that I do receive miracles all the time. I also thought that in the moment when God prompts me to reach out to a friend in need, I think I'd rather BE the miracle than RECEIVE one. Either way, its awesome to know that God is working in our lives, giving us just what we need, or using us to show love to another. So, this Thanksgiving, I will be grateful to Him for how He blesses me and my family. But, I will also be thanking Him for the chance to be that miracle to someone in need, knowing that's how He shows His true love to us and how we should do likewise.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my
beautiful friends & family!
I Love You All!!!

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15

Love Them Like My Own...

Its a beautiful thing when children enter your life. Sometimes God blesses you with children of your own, sometimes you are blessed to have nieces/nephews, sometimes they are the children of friends. Although I know that babies are a thing of my past, God has seen fit to bless "Uncle Norm & Aunt Sandy" with some pretty awesome little ones! Here are some of their beautiful faces...

My beautiful niece Sophia (dressed here like a pink poodle!)












Elijah, Sydney & Morgan
(cowboy, zebra & Miss America!)














A closer shot of Elijah the cowboy!












Zackary (& his new Mommy Deidra!)















Adorable Cammy (as Dora!)












New baby Aidan (dressed as Tigger!)












My nephew Jake (with Uncle Norm at the Fair)

These children are all so incredibly special & I love them all!

"What children take from us, they give....We become people who feel more deeply, question more deeply, hurt more deeply and love more deeply." Sonia Taitz

How He Teaches Me...

I can honestly say that I have learned more about God & how He loves me through my own children, than in any other way. I can often hear Him whisper to me as I correct a stubborn child or when my heart breaks for them. I can so see how He loves us, so unconditionally, as a parent loves their child. I recently had a conversation with someone who had been babysitting a friend's baby. As this child slept in her arms, all she could think of was the awesome potential of this beautiful little girl & what amazing things might be in her future. At this point in their life, the sky's the limit! The potential is endless & you can't even imagine anything in their world that would not be beautiful & perfect. As I listened to my friend, I thought back to the many times that things didn't go the way I had hoped in the life of one of my children. You see them struggle & want so much to jump in & make everything all better, but you know you cannot. They learn through their struggles, through their mistakes. I can only offer loving arms to wrap around them and an ear to listen. You think back to that baby & all their potential, and wonder how you ever got to this place. My children are no different than me. Than any of you. Who of us hasn't struggled? Who of us hasn't fallen, stumbled or made mistakes. I know that it breaks my mother's heart because I only want good things in their lives. But no matter how many mistakes they may make, I in no way love them any less. I can just imagine God standing back watching me fail, sometimes time & time again, and I can imagine His father's heart breaking...for me. But I also know that no matter what, He promises to "never leave me nor forsake me". I know that because of His Son, I don't have to be perfect in order to earn His love for me. My children don't have to earn my love for them either. I love them simply because they are mine, gifts given to me by my Father. Holding them as infants it would never occur to me to think that I would only love them if they didn't screw up! Thankfully, we too have a Father who doesn't stop loving us when we screw up! I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He will always love me, just as I know I will always love my children. Unearned, unconditional, unending.