Old Friends and New Additions

Dinner with college friends and their families

Meeting new friends...

Watching others grow up...

Goofing off and catching up

This is Love!

“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool."
                  - Isaiah 1:18

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
                                                          - 1 John 4:9-10


This love is something to celebrate!  May this joy be yours today and Merry Christmas!

Deck the Halls

We finally put up our tree and a few decorations.  Everyone got in on the Christmas cheer.

Emmanuel

Advent is in full swing and on the Church calendar we are looking forward as we look back to the arrival of Jesus.  This year has added expectation for our family as we look forward to an extra person joining us and continue a seven month search for a house.  Many times for me expectation is accompanied by uncertainty.  This uncertainty often reveals how shallow my faith runs because I am placing my hope in things on earth such as a clean, orderly house; a healthy baby boy; prettily placed Christmas decorations; and a completed nursery.  None of these are bad things in themselves but when I end up twisted out of shape because I have no certainty of any of these things happening, I find my hope in the things rather than the Giver.

This year, maybe due to events that declare the darkness of this sin-twisted world and our own hearts, I am delighting more in the birth of Jesus.  The Creator of the universe, the King of kings, worshipped by angels and archangels, Sovereign Ruler, 100% God who chose to become 100% man and be born in the blood, cries, filth, and humility of barn to a nothing couple.  Even his choosing to be born, an event that was in itself cursed by the Fall, rather than him only appearing, amazes me.

God is not aloof to the suffering, brokenness, and sinfulness to this dark world we live in.  He came, the Emmanuel, God with us, and experienced to the full our sadness and temptation.  He entered it, experienced it, accepted the judgement and wrath for it on the Cross all to conquer it and bring us peace with him and great hope in the darkness.  He dwelt with us and all of our grossness.  God is not separate or "other" from us in suffering and brokenness.  He is our Emmanuel and came to make all things new.  This truth brings a far deeper hope this Christmas than anything the world can offer.  

    

L.O.V.E.

I L.O.V.E. my class of elementary art students.  Last week, they were excited to present me with a very heavy gift bag.  When I opened it, inside was this plastic piggy bank full of change they had collected as a gift for the baby.  There was so much they couldn't fit it all in the piggy and had to include an extra bag.  

This note was included with a sweet gift of banana bread and apple butter.  It reads, "Dear Krissy, You have a great sense of humor.  Silly you putting underwear on the 'sculpsheres'.  God loves you."  This kills me.  I love it!

PS.  When I show PowerPoints of Greek, Roman, and Renaissance art, everything is G-rated even if this requires the addition of virtual underwear on the nude sculptures.  The kids make fun of me but they don't really want to see the nudes anyway.

Bubble Bath

Addict

After going a whole seven days pacifier-free, E found a hidden "nuk-nuk" in a drawer in his room.  Is there a twelve-step program for toddlers?

Small Boy, Big Words

Elijah has enough words now that he has begun to have his own "Elijah-isms".  These short phrases keep us laughing daily.  Here are a few we enjoyed recently...

1. Brooks' 37th birthday was this past weekend.  When I got E up from his crib that morning, I told him that the day was special because it was Daddy's birthday.  He looked up at me with a big grin on his face and said, "Cake!!!"  I am glad he has his priorities in order.

2.  If E tries to pull up your shirt, please don't be offended.  He is looking for your "belly-butt". 

3.  We often hear E awake in his crib in the morning talking to himself.  Usually, I wait a while before going to get him up.  One morning, I guess I waited too long because we heard him shout, "Mommy, come!"

4.  Ziva earns her keep by cleaning up behind a messy little boy who is especially bad at spilling milk on the floor.  One morning, I saw him pointing out to Ziva little puddles of milk in the livingroom  saying, "Zee Zee, milk!  Goo gurl (good girl)."

5.  When he spills, marks on himself, or something otherwise doesn't work the way he wants it to, he exclaims, "Oh, no!  Broke!"

28 Weeks

Ziva has found a new, round place for her head.

Who Needs a Dentist...

...when a cutie like this one wants to check out your teeth.

Two of a Kind

Chilly, Rainy, Fall Wednesday

The little one is a big fan of splashing in puddles with his boots but not so much a fan of warm mittens on his hands.

Things To Do On Your Second Halloween Day

 Go to the doctor for your 18 month check-up.  Hang out with Daddy and wear Mom's sweater while waiting.  Get shots (not so much fun).

Go get a pumpkin donut to begin the day's salute to poor nutrition (much more fun than getting shots).

Take a nap.  Get dressed in your "Dash" costume and watch Elmo so you don't mess up your slick-backed hair.

 Go downtown and visit our sweet friend Sarah at the Variety and Frame.

Hang out with Mom and Dad while waiting for the festivities to begin.  Watch the wind make your hair crazy.

 

Learn to trick-or-treat and the importance of holding one's own candy bag (Mom and Dad steal candy).

 

End the day tired out and on Daddy's shoulder...

Project #5

I finished my online class this week (with a 99.38%- whoo hoo!).  Although being constantly aware of deadlines is a good thing for the queen of procrastination, I enjoy having the extra time back.  Hooray!  Here are a few shots from from what we have been working on in art class.

We looked at paintings by Giotto and how he was "discovered" while working as a shepherd and drawing in a field.  He went to Florence where he apprenticed with a master fresco painter.  There he learned how to make paint using egg yolks and ground pigment.  

Students made their own "egg" tempera using ground sidewalk chalk and white glue (as our egg substitute)

Our homemade paint 

Students chose an emotion (something other than "happy" or "sad") and made a painting that communicated that emotion.  The paintings did not have to be representational and could use simple lines, shapes, and colors to communicate the emotion if they chose to.  

Can you guess the emotions these students are communicating?

Tired

Excited

Three Cousins

Aftermath

While Hurricane Sandy was on it's way to hit the Northeast, Hurricane Elijah struck while I was cleaning the house.  Experts say this may have been a Catagory 3 storm.  At least there was no permanent damage and I got the bathroom floor mopped.

Fall Has Fell!

As my friend Sarah would say, "Fall has fell!" and we are enjoying the cooler weather, all things pumpkin, sweaters on cold mornings, and changing leaves.  If only we didn't have to trade daylight hours for these good things!  I love fall and the new things it brings.  The long afternoon shadows make me look forward to Spring to come...

Stained Glass Windows

Project #4

Gothic Architecture:  Pointed arches and flying buttresses, anyone?

Thinner walls and lots of room for windows

Creating designs using the letters of our names

Clear Plexiglass

And lots of colored sharpies

Our Stained Glass Windows