Life is for Celebrating

   
     Today is the anniversary of the passing of my Dad from this world. Eleven years ago was a very sad day, indeed. I deeply loved my Dad. He had a dry sense of humor. He loved to work, loved his kids and grandkids, and I'm sure he would have adored his great grandkids. Since his death, we have had several weddings in our family, and my Mom now has a dozen great grandchildren (with two more on the way).
     
                      So, today I am celebrating my Dad by enjoying my grand babies. 
     

     
     This morning, I was driving home with my littlest grandchild, Sam, in my car. He's my ten month-old bruiser who could be a clone of his Grandpa. He was blowing raspberries and singing his little baby songs along with the radio tunes. You talk about cute, well, he is way beyond that.

       And then we have Nathan. He's three years old but will be four on his pirate ship birthday which is in one month from today. This little guy is intense. Oh, did I tell you he's smart, too? He has shown me things on my Iphone that I didn't know about. Really, a three-year-old! He loves Veggie Tales, Angry Birds, playing his guitar, and singing.

     

     Elizabeth turned five years old in June with her twin sister. She is a tad shy with strangers. She's our songwriter. Well, she makes up songs all the time. She loves to set up scenarios in the pretend play of her and her siblings. I will say Lizzie is very creative and she is not afraid of using her imagination - or her vocabulary.

     Evelynn is the firstborn twin. She is our artist and dancer. She writes stories with pictures and will read the book to you if you'll sit and listen. She does a mean Bollywood dance. Evie likes to plan of all manner of activities and outings. Her smile is contagious.

      I know my Dad would have been extremely proud of all of his grandchildren and would have enjoyed his great grandchildren. He placed a high value on realizing growth and potential in children. I miss my Dad. In celebrating my kids and grandkids, I am celebrating the legacy that my parents have passed on down through generations. Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad.

Gifts

     I've been reading a book that is changing my life. I should say, God has been changing my life through practicing what this book proposes. Writing down the gifts that God gives ~ a thousand of them. It is Eucharisteo: thanks, grace, and joy. Now, I've always known that gratefulness is a good practice. I grew up singing "Count your many blessings, name them one by one". I have incorporated gratefulness in my life my whole life, really ~ but not as purposeful as this. A pastor of mine, when talking of communion (Eucharist) always described it as "grace flows". Flowing down like water ~ purifying water. The grace that is the everyday, where the rubber meets the road kind of getting through it grace.




Since my last blog, which was many months ago, God has blessed Bill and I with another grandchild. 

His name is Sam. Talk about gifts. He is amazing! 

I have known God's consistent, freeing grace in all my days. He is always Good!

     So I'm starting on this new journey. I'm chronicling the gifts that are mine everyday. I am being reminded how truly blessed I am and that this journey is exactly that - a journey. Traveling this road we call life on planet Earth. Oh, and pick up a copy of "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp. You will be glad you did.