A Very Girly Christmas!

Last Christmas, those of us gathered to celebrate, awaited anxiously for the news of Lil' Lady's arrival to this world.  Two days after Christmas Day,a most charming little granddaughter appeared.  The next day, we piled into Papa's red sleigh, and headed northward to oooh and ahhhh over this precious gift.  Eldest Admin, Miss Viv, Unca Joco and Papa and I shared a hotel room that night so we could spend some more time admiring this addition to our family.  I can remember clearly walking down the hospital corridor and seeing the open door to Baby Girl's room and noticing, from a distance of about 20 feet, the deepest, cutest dimples on my new granddaughter's nursing face.  I melted and fell in love all over again.  How could this be?  Miss Vivien had encompassed my grandmotherly heart yet, the same overwhelming love I felt for her, was showing up again.  Amazing.


Then this summer, I'll be darned if it didn't happen again!  Lovely Wife presented my Eldest Son with Sweet Adeline, our most tiny, adorable little baby girl.  Three Girls to fawn over, to engage with, to sew for, to admire and train up to be a most Proverbs 31 like woman.  Granted, most of the responsibility is in the hands of their very adept and capable parents, but I do believe there is much to learn from the grandparental units.  I constantly have to seek wisdom and guidance from the Lord to know just what it is/will be that I shall impart to these darling girls.


Then last Friday, it was revealed to this very happy family, that indeed, we shall be blessed with another wonderful female grandchild!!  Dare I tell you  that I am already gearing up for that magical moment when the first glance quadruples my Mimi heart to embrace this newest grandgirl into my life?  Months ago, I began the quilting of her sunshiny quilt.  Months ago, I have reserved in my scheduling, a time to go and help E/A 'nest'.  Months ago, I have prepared my emotions for the welcoming of a long awaited infant into E/A's eager heart and home and have girded myself with prayers for the safe carrying and delivery of this much planned and anticipated baby......


 At this wondrous time of year, when anticipation is high, joy is near and excitement is at it's apex, it is so good to think of the blessing of new life.  An old year wraps up and hopes for the new year all comes down to the advent of birth and rebirth.


This season exists because of the One Life that provides eternal life for us all.  God knew that we would respond to a babe.  He knew that the story of His Son's life would draw us.  He designed us to listen to Someone that had walked this earth and knew what we experience.  He knew His Son wrapped in humanity in the form of a helpless babe, would be the way we would respond to His message...


Thank you Lord for the blessing of babies and for the special gift of Your Son........
Amen and Alleluia.....

Christmas Debustle

 This is the extent of my bustle these days.
Haven't done gift exchanges with the kids for years.
Hubby and I haven't exchanged gifts forever.  We kinda like the ongoing, through the year, surprise you big time gifting.
This year, the bustle has quieted to some hours on the Internet searching for the right, green, local, organic gifties for the grandgirls.  The other time is spent in the sewing room making sure each one of the girls has a   Mimi Made gift and ornament.
 This extra time is a gift for me.  Time to appreciate time with friends.  Time to reflect on the source of the celebration.  Time to appreciate the talents of others.

 Last year, we started a Pink Tree Tradition.  Little pink trees have been purchased for each of the grandgirls.  We decorate each one with symbolic things of the little girls past year.  This year, we have a Mary Poppins tree, complete with a vintage Mary doll and lots of Mimi made kites.  A Happy Meal penguin from 1999 and a little pin that says 'lets go fly a kite' completes Miss Vivs theme this year.  She is quite the Poppins fan.  Last year was a Sea Booty (translated: Sleeping Beauty) tree due to her infatuation with the classic movie. 
 Lil' Lady's tree has sparkly royal blue ball ornaments,her favorite color.  She has some of her mama's ornaments to complete the look.  BG ordered lots of crocheted snowflakes this year for her home and Mimi got addicted and used up a whole skein of yarn for all three trees.  Our latest pink tree has some of her daddy's ornaments, her initial ornament and blocks and the sweetest snuggle bunny ornament.  This December 16, we shall find out if Mimi and Papa will be buying another pink or...dare I say it....a BLUE tree for next year??!!

 This past years redo in the living room screamed for new Christmas decorations.  Something simple.  Something turquoise.  Something in keeping with the New Look.  Think I found it....

 Years ago, Kindred Spirit's daughter, Emily (The Fashion Designer) made these fabu ( a word I first heard from her!) Christmas Stockings for me.  Made from vintage sheets and just the right colors, you'd think she was positively clairvoyant, seeing my turquoise/orange/yellow Christmas needs years ago.  The size will be perfect for the Grandgirlies toys.

In case you have noticed an absence of a big tree, you are absolutely astute.  Since this is the year that all the chickies spend with their other families, Hubby and I will be on our own and we just didn't see the need to put up the big tree.  We shall enjoy our little pink trees and what they mean to us and save our energies for other fun Christmas projects and people.

 Last night, during a Mad Men a thon with Hubby, I  made the felt ornaments for the girl's trees.  On the way to and back from church yesterday, I finished up the crocheted snowflakes, courtesy of Attic24.

http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/crochet-snowflake.html  (can you see Lil Lady's dolly to be peeking around the snowflakes?  Her First Birthday is two days following Christmas.)

And after a year or so of working on Pretend Granddaughter Sara's Big Girl Quilt, I am finally at the point to do the yarn tying......PGS is an animal lover, particularly doggies, so I don't even think she'll mind the Miss Dixie popped into the photo shoot...


Hoping you're taking the time to drink in the wonder of this season.....

A Christmas Story

Thirty one years ago this Christmas season, my life looked pretty overwhelming.
Two months before the holiday season, I was told by my daughter's orthopedic surgeon, that there was a very good chance that my daughter would never walk.
Mistakes made to correct severe hip dysplasia, deemed her small, under one year old bones, to atrophy in the process of 'healing'.
Not any news a new mama wants to hear.

Christmas brought a season over hanging with an impending surgery in January and expectations, with no guarantees, of perhaps, an alteration in her grim prognosis.
Anger, disappointment in the medical community, frustration with her limitations and just general crappy attitude, kept me grim and not nice to be around. Friends avoided me and my family got tired of being my cheerleader. Poor Hubby had his own issues. A handicapped daughter AND a shrew (nice word) of a wife. (Had to take it out on someone, right?)

One night, rocking my little girl while she was weighed down in her oddly angled full body cast, reaching for the ornaments, that she could not move to get, that I literally sighed out loud, 'No one understands this! It's upsetting but there is soo much worse,that I feel guilty for feeling so badly about this! I want to get on but I am so stuck! No one gets it!!'

Since I was raised Catholic and knew it was my 'duty' to place my creche in a visible place in my quasi Catholic grown up home. Knew it would please our parents, but had no personal interest in the whole religious thing. Especially now.

Then, as my Eldest daughter drifted off to sleep, my eyes cast to the neglected nativity scene. As I stared at the tiny manger, a very clear thought came to me. I knew enough catechism from all those years in Catholic school, that God had a very intended purpose for sending Christ into this world. And He, omniscient and sovereign as He is, knew exactly the course His relatively short life would follow. And it was grim. The Stations of the Cross at Easter time told me of the travails that Christ suffered in the hands of sinful men. Me being chief among them.

So God knew exactly what His Son would suffer. That there was a purpose for it all. And He loved ME enough to allow it all. God understood my 'little' pain. He knew ALL my dear, little 11 month old Rhiannon would go through with her cross. He knew what I would need to get through it all. And He promised to go through it all with me.

While my baby slept on me, I quietly wept tears of relief, joy, penitence and hope. I knew, for the first time in my life, that the birth, death and resurrection of my Savior was not just stories or good religion, but it was personal. It was for me. For you. Forever.

I embraced the love of Christ with all my heart and all that meant. Good and Bad. Because I now knew that I was not alone. That my Heavenly Father had designed just what I needed, no matter how I perceived it; His view of the tapestry of my life was much clearer than my muddled perspective.

How He sustained me through the days, months, years to follow, would fill volumes.
He allowed me in all my spiritual naivete, to view His amazing healing power. He showed me how all the irritations and pain in this life, prepares us for a greater work...

It is all good. With Him.

And this day we commemorate the incarnation, God becoming human, to be the perfect sacrifice for our sin filled lives.....For the hope of an eternity spent with Him..
How wonderful is that?

My prayer is for all that are reading this, that you would consider your eternity. There is a grand plan authored by an amazing God that not only created us for this earth, but has planned for our eternal life as well....How loving is that...

Ask Him to explain this all to you. He will.
And may you be blessed.....

Merry, blessed Christmas to you all.....
Love,
Deb.....