A Simple Gift

I'm sitting in my mom's living room watching the snow gently fall, giving the great maple tree a layer of white dust. It's the kind of scene you see in pictures and Christmas cards. In the fore-ground there is the great snowy tree, and in the back-ground snow-covered rooftops, street lamps,and parked cars just waiting. Everything is still. No one wants to move, to be out in this cold beauty. I love everything about it. The way the snow falls like magic from the heavens, the way it makes me feel like snuggling up with a blanket... in all it's simplicity it reminds me of my creator. I am in awe. I have no words to describe the way I feel when I see a mountain covered in fresh snow with the sun glistening amongst the tree-tops. It's overwhelming, powerful, majestic to live where we live to see what we see.
My parents' house is surrounded by trees; my dad often calls it a tree house. And it feels that way from the inside because out every window there are leaves and branches..well now most of the leaves have fallen, only a few are hanging on for dear life. The green of summer has been replaced by winter's white. Both bring comfort in different ways, but for many the white represents peace and a season of coziness.
This house has always brought me comfort no matter the season. My family moved into it when I was nine, and I envision my parents growing old here. It will always be the place I come back to. Even when no one is here, I can feel their presence. I look around and see a hundred memories. I feel my mother's love in all the little things she has left there... things she's placed on the walls, put out on the coffee table. I know, I'm a little overly sentimental, but I try to see that as a strength. I also know that not everyone has a place like this where years of memories will always be preserved, or even a place where loved ones gather just to be.
I had an experience last week that just broke my heart. I saw the reality of the times we are living in at a food bank. The room was packed, you couldn't move. Everyone is in need, and it's not getting any better. I don't know how or when things will change, but I do know every little bit helps, and we are all in this together. Give what you have, and don't be afraid to accept help from others either. Our communities need love now more than ever... isn't that all anyone is looking for? You, me... we all want to be accepted for who we are right now. We want to be loved despite our short comings and defects whether we have anything to give or we are broken and at the end of our road. People are people.
Now as I see the snow silently falling out my parent's front window I am more grateful than I have ever been. I have a place, I am loved. I am filled again so that maybe I can go out and share this gift with others. I don't have money, but I have eyes, and ears, and a heart: to see, hear, and love someone. What do you have to give?

Cake and a Good Movie

First of all, I have to apoligize for my last blog; it was a little whiny. So to all of you who read it, thanks for bearing with me. And of course, I did have a wonderful birthday, despite my negative expectations.
Yesterday my mom took me out shopping and bought me a lovely birthday sweater dress and matching accessories! Thanks mom, you are amazing! Oh yeah, and the coffee lifted my day too!
Today I got to wear the planned birthday outfit, which looked mostly good, except I'm not completely satisfied with the way it accetuated my middle. For some reason I just can't seem to get those rolls to go away... any ways...
After church, I spent the day with my family. We had lunch together. Martin surprised me with a special desert- some fancy chocolate layered slice of heaven, complete with just the right amount of whipped cream and chocolate shavings to make it have that "I'm special appeal." He popped a candle in it and Elijah started the "happy birthday" song. That was one of my favorite parts... and when Elijah said, daddy's your friend, and my daddy."
My next surprise was a beautiful ivory coat from Martin. I'd tried it on about a month ago, and he remembered! It's so soft and the inside is like satin. Of course, this means I have to get rid of my red one that I bought last winter, but that's all right. It's actually a good thing because last winter I was fifteen pounds heavier, so now that coat doesn't quite fit right. Yay! Hopefully I can maintain my current weight. that's a dangerous staement heading into the holiday season.
After Martin presented the coat, we had to take a walk to really get a feel for it, so my parents watched the boys and we went out for coffee. It's been a wonderful day.
Now I'm twenty-five... does that mean I have to start acting like an adult? Like I know what I'm doing? ...because I don't. I still feel like the little girl excited for her birthday which always promises cake and a good movie.

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes. I am so blessed and so loved.

A Bummed Birthday Weekend

It's friday, yay, right? I mean that's probably what you are thinking. I however, have a long and most likely boring, lonely weekend ahead of me. Martin is working the graveyard shift all weekend long, and to make matters worse, it's my birthday weekend. I know, I know, I'm a grown up. I'm not suppose to care that it's my birthday and all of that. But I do. I'm still a kid at heart who looks forward to it all year in hopes that something special will happen. Maybe there will be a solar eclipse at exactly the moment that I wasw born and they'll name it after me, you know just something simple like that.
So I'm a little bummed, and there's no one to blame. That is the absolute worst. It would be so much easier if I could say, someone did this on purpose just so I would have a lousy birthday! But no one did, and it probably won't be lousy any ways. Even though Martin has to work, he'll still probably do something for me, ya know because he loves me and all that mushy kind of stuff. He'll probably look at me with those sparkly green eyes of his, and tell me something lovely that will make my day and surprise me with something I never expected.
I already kind of ruined a birthday gift he had planned for me, well it wasn't really my fault. As some of you might know, "Beauty and the Beast" was recently released. It happens to be my favorite Disney movie of all time. So when I saw that it was coming out, I went a little crazy, he would in no way miss that this is what I wanted for my birthday. Even Elijah got the message and reminded him when we saw it at Walmart. I did however realize after I had made this big deal about wanting the movie, that my sister would know even without any mention of it that I would want it. She did, and even sent it to me early for my birthday. Well, Martin had also already bought for me... oops. So we returned the one he bought, which I feel a little responsible for, since he might not have gotten it had I not made such a big del about it.
Anyways... I've decided that I'm going to save it to watch all by myself for my birthday. After the boys are asleep I'll put it in and sit back.
Happy Birthday-Me!