Skype Christmas

For the first time ever, not all my kids were home for Christmas but we made the best of it with Skype. We started with some greetings in the office with the cousins and then moved the computer into the living room for the rest of the evening. I briefly read the Christmas story for all the grand kids...not sure how well that worked on skype, but we tried. Daniel's family in North Carolina were able to see and hear all we were doing all night. That was better than nothing but I know just how Tori felt every time she reached for the screen to touch Graham or Braxton. Brooks parents were able to go be with them for Christmas except today Daniel stayed home with the kids while Brooke and her folks were given a boat tour of the inland waterway. It is supposed to snow there tonight so I know it is cold! The funny thing though is the boat broke down and last I heard they were paddling it back to a boat ramp. It is not really dangerous. They are on an inland waterway and very close to hundreds of boat docks and piers in the back yards of very nice homes. They can get out anytime they want to....I think...Anyway I did not hear any more so I assume they got home safely. Other than the kids being in North Carolina and Mom in the rehab center, it was a perfect Christmas for me. All my other grand kids and Daughter's in law gathered early in the morning to make our traditional German fare. I spent the day sampling the progress and playing with the grand kids. Watching the girls together in the kitchen was every parents dream come true. They had FUN together and they really helped Dee out a lot. They laughed and teased their way through the day. It was the best present I could ever hope for. What A great Christmas. I hope your day went as well. For the last time this year MERRY CHRISTMAS....and have a GREAT new Year!

Wrapping the Box

There is a cute commercial running on TV right now. Grandpa is asking Dad on Skype how the baby likes the present he sent for Christmas. Techno savvy teen shows grandpa that the baby is having a ball with the box and ignoring the present. That happens every year. Babies always play with the box, but as they mature the box is just in the way of what they want. Sure they admire it and maybe even open it gently, (ok not with my grandson's but it could happen). Make it as pretty as you want and they still just want what's inside! All that money and effort gone in seconds, reduced to a pile of rubble. As a small child I remember seeing a huge box under my grandfathers tree. How I wanted it to be for me. Something that big must be wonderful to own. My whole attitude about boxes changed when Aunt Helen (I think) opened it. It was a suitcase! What a dumb gift! A box in a box! Of course I was to young to realize that the suitcase was just a way of announcing a future trip...that was the real gift. For fun I once got the biggest box I could find to put my gift to my sister in. It was ear rings. I used as many boxes in boxes with as much tape as I could find to make it hard to open. Now that was fun! Since I had to get her a gift anyway, I might as well make her work for it! That whole Present/box thing is to often a picture of the season. The real gift of the season, the reason for the season is not the box. As a matter of fact I have never seen a BOX that even remotely could contain the real gift the BOX is supposed to represent.....a real, personal relationship with JESUS, . To often Christians get so wrapped up with the box they never get to the true gift. There is nothing wrong with Boxes, just keep in mind they are ONLY BOXES and don't let them replace the real gift of God, a real relationship with His Son.

Grandma's Cookies

Just thought I'd get a jump on the Christmas Nostalgia. Remember Grandma Z's (Anna) German Springerle (sp?) Cookies? This is the crystal bowl she used to make the impressions on the cookies. My sister Annette, gave it to Deanna after my mother's death. To be honest the cookies were not my favorite but the memories are. I didn't care all that much for the hot chestnuts either but I still love the smell.

From The Father's Heart

It's been a while since I suggested a good book, but I really like the message Charles Slagel bring in this daily devotional. Charles takes a passage of scripture and turns in into a brief letter from God that is in keeping with what the passage says and it totally affirming to all struggling children. In one letter Slagel reminds us that God is never ashamed of us as his children. He gives us time to grow and left infinite room for our imperfections and failures in the process. He reminds us that God's ways are NOT like man's ways (Isa 55:7-10). He is all about forgiveness. I haven't read it all yet, but every letter has blessed and encouraged me. Plus I got it for .99 from Albris.com.

Mom's Accident

Sorry this is so late, but I just got the data cable to download pics to my computer from my new phone.

Last Thursday a very excited friend of mom's came banging on the door yelling that mom had fallen and was hurt. Sure enough, mom had driven down to the trash and bent over to pick up a nail off the ground, losing her balance and falling/rolling behind the trash can. Her friend did not see her on the way up the driveway but went looking for her when she could not find her in her apartment. Mom fell at 9 AM and was not found until 9:40. Fortunately it was a warm morning. The Fire Dept. crew loaded her into an ambulance at 10:30 for her ride to the hospital. Tests revealed a broken hip...but not pelvis. Emergency surgery the next afternoon replaced the top of the femur where it enters the socket. She came through the surgery well and is now in a rehab center about 20 minuets from the house. We are expecting her to be there a couple of weeks, hopefully no more. When she comes home she will not return to her apartment immediately. She will stay with Dee and I in the main house where she and Poppy lived for a couple of years before we built the apartment. It was always the plan to have mom live with us at some point. Only the Lord knows if this it the time. Thanks for your prayers and concern for her.