Year End

         2012 is almost over, and I just sit here in my bed with a smile. What a GREAT year, not easy or always fun but a year of the Holy Spirit moving like a tornado through my life.  I picture it like a home decorator coming into my heart picking things up “this needs to go, and this. Oh and you won’t be needing this anymore.”  Completely changing my house around. I laugh at myself had how hard I fought some of the changes. 

The latest thing that has been going on is the Lord bringing someone back into my life that has been gone for the past five years.  This person I am talking about it my best friend.  We have walked through all the hard stuff life throws together.   We had babies together, we have been in each other’s births, we have lost babies to miscarriage weeks apart of each other, she lost her uncle to suicide and one month later I lost my dad to suicide. Only God can create bonds that cut so deep to the heart like that. She is one person I trust with every fiber of my being to love and take care of my children when I couldn’t.

Without going into great detail of personal choices our lives together needed to hit a pause button until God took care of my heart.  I wait patiently for 5 years almost to the exact date just 2 days off until we sat face to face again.  I can tell you after having lunch that day in my home what complete forgiveness and love feels like in the heart. When NOTHING is left over but seeing your sister’s heart and just being in the moment of complete love.  I am so excited about this door opening after so long, we went for lunch on Sunday with no kids and like I said it was as if the pause button came off, there was no need to go back only forward, everything that needed to be said had no words.  After such an amazing year of restoration in so many areas of my life this just brings me so much joy that this is what He ended the year off with.

Wedding

My little sister got married on 12/12/12 last week.  As in "little" I mean I am 3 weeks older..... yea seriously, who does that?!?! LOL
Her wedding was breath taking, it wasn't that it was super fancy or that thousands of dollars were spent but God showed up that day. 

    The day was interesting for me, maybe bitter sweet is the right way to say it. It felt like a lot of things were happening all at once for me. Her vows were beautiful and reminded Chris and I of the promise we made to each other. I watched closely as each piece of the day unfolded as I watched I clearly could hear the Lord speak to my heart.

                     I have watch her change so much this year as she makes steps towards Christ.
Her journey towards Him has been at times painful to watch as the pull of our flesh feels really powerful at times. Yet slowly a little step at a time both her and my new brother in law are walking towards Him. I was able to have a moment with both of them that day and really tell them what I see happening in there lives. On the way home that night emotion bubbled over the top and a huge release of tears came. I understand that most of what I am saying has no words to explain and it really is a work of the Holy Spirit and maybe in 6 months I will be able to share more of what that day did, but for now this is all I got... It was pretty amazing. :)

Craft Time

Count Down

Once everyone goes to bed, the elf flies back to the North Pole to report back to Santa about what activities, good and bad, took place throughout the day. Before the family wakes up each night, the scout elf flies back from the North Pole and hides. By hiding in a new spot each morning around the house, the scout elf and the family play an on-going game of hide and seek. The Elf on the Shelf explains that elves get their magic by being named. In the back of each book, families have an opportunity to write their elf's name and the date that they adopted it. Once the elf is named, the scout elf receives its special Christmas magic which allows it to fly to and from the North Pole. However, the magic might go if touched, so the rule 9,000,000,000 for The Elf on the Shelf states: "There's only one rule that you have to follow so I will come back and be here tomorrow: Please do not touch me. My magic might go, and Santa won't hear all I've seen or I know." Although families aren't supposed to touch their scout elf, they can talk to it and tell it all their Christmas wishes so it can report back to Santa accurately. On Christmas Day your elf will leave for the rest of the year until Thanksgiving comes.

( Our children know there is no Santa or an elf that does naughty things but it sure it fun to play pretend)

We changed the house around for Christmas, it really opened up the space.

 My busy girl found the markers while I was busy on the phone one morning. She was a little unsure when I said "Oh no Hannie what did you do?" She was all smiles when the camera came out.