Happy Birthday

Elizabeth turned ten today. She didn't want to go out on a date to a restaurant with Mom and Dad. She opted to stay at home. She requested Basil Pesto Chicken Pasta for dinner and her usual yellow cake with orange buttercream frosting. Her cousin, Raphaella, came to help us celebrate. The girls made little chocolate truffle mice after dinner. I had gotten all the ingredients for the candies at Christmas time and never got around to making them, so the girls got their chance tonight. Lots of chocolate everywhere and lots of giggles, too.

Elizabeth is a unique child. She walked on her knees until she was eighteen months old. She didn't talk until she was nearly three. She has always been a homebody. She'd rather stay home than go just about anywhere, especially if more than a half hour drive is involved. She's the person in the family who keeps everyone on schedule. She's also very precise. The Christmas before last, my Dad and I walked in from church and Elizabeth announced that Daddy had overcooked the beautiful prime rib we were to have for dinner. "He didn't pull it out of the oven until 136F and he was supposed to pull it out at 135F!" She has an excellent memory and we often turn to her when we don't remember a date or an event.

Tonight, Daddy said a blessing over Elizabeth at dinner, asking that the Lord would grow her into a wise and godly woman. By the Lord's grace, it will be so.

Epiphany

Today is Epiphany, the day we remember the visit of the Magi to see the Christ child. Our family had our annual Epiphany party this past Sunday. We invited another family over and had a Middle Eastern-type chicken dish for dinner. It was simple to prepare and it was a big hit, so I think it will become an Epiphany staple. The dads and kids played a board game after dinner while the mommies talked. I found some really neat ornaments at Walmart this year with scriptures about the Magi on them. I gave them as gifts for the occasion. When we finally looked up at the clock it was 8:45 p.m.--past bedtimes, so we quickly ended the party, much to the dismay of all the kids.

It's interesting to consider that the Wisemen were Gentiles and that they were some of the first on the scene to worship Jesus. It reminds me of God's grace and how we, as Gentiles, are grafted into the olive tree. (Rom. 11:17) Praise God for His marvelous workings among men!

Chicken Troubles

Our small flock of eighteen chickens is now an even smaller flock of five. Yesterday while we were at church, something got into the chickens. This morning, the freshly fallen snow provided Matt with an easy way to track a raccoon to the chicken house, but it doesn't look like it was the culprit of yesterday's carnage. We suspect it was a dog, the most likely animal to have carried out a brazen daylight attack.

We just sold our first two dozen eggs to a friend this past weekend. We had hoped to start a little jar fund for the kids to spend on an outing of their choosing, but now it looks like we'll be out of the chicken egg business for a while. We'll look at building an entirely enclosed chicken run as soon as the weather permits and we'll try to replace the hens we lost with new chicks in the spring.

Paul, by far, is the most disappointed with this turn of events. Matt dreaded telling him that his favorite chicken, Sgt. Charlie Floyd II, was amongst the dead/missing. Paul had named the chicken after the only member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition to have died. I suppose that in some sort of sad way it's fitting that the namesake chicken died, too. Paul shed a few tears when he heard the news, but he was somewhat consoled by the fact that he will be Daddy's helper in the building of the new chicken run.

In the meantime, even though it's a bummer, we're keeping our perspective that there are many problems much worse to have than a few lost chickens.

Duck Hunt

Paul has been after Grandpa Tom to go duck hunting. Yesterday, Paul got his wish. Matt and Paul drove to Grandma and Grandpa's on Thursday night so they could leave from their house early in the morning. Before they left, I asked Paul if he had enough socks packed. "I have four pairs, Mom."
"What about underwear, do you have underwear?"
"Ahhhhh," was his disappointed reply as he ran back to his room to grab some underwear. "Moooom, I already changed my underwear today."

Unfortunately, it snowed during the night. Grandpa Tom, Matt and Paul were late in getting to the duck blind because they got stuck driving behind a snow plow. When they arrived at the blind, some of the decoys were frozen beneath the blanket of new snow. The decoys that weren't frozen were bobbing in the water with two inches of snow on top of their heads. The real ducks didn't fall for it, but the guys did get in some good "guy time" and were able to trade stories about their grandpas (after the hunt, of course).

Hand in the Cookie Jar

I walked into the family room this noon and found Joel saddled up to the popcorn tin and a stack of about eight Mrs. Hanes' ginger crisps (a Macduff clan Christmas tradition) in his hands. He gave me his cheesy grin that he reserves for such guilty situations and then handed me one cookie.

Resolutions 2009

I've always thought that New Year's resolutions were rather silly. The roving reporter on the evening news asks, "What's your resolution this year?" and the unsurprising reply, "Lose weight, get out of debt, work less" or whatever. Then a month later you read in the newspaper that 98% of New Year's resolutions have already been abandoned. "Why bother," has always been my reasoning. This year is the exception. I feel the Lord tugging at my heart to bring a clearer focus to areas He's been working on in me for a long time.

My heart is burdened to treat my body better ("Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" 1Cor. 3:16). More sleep is not an option right now, but eating better and exercising is.

My heart is also burdened to create a more detailed daily schedule so that my days run more smoothly ("Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil." Ephes. 5:15,16).

My heart is burdened to spend more time in prayer and the study of His Word, for my own sake, but also for the sake of my family. ("I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Ps. 119:11, "Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" Heb 4:16).

Problem is, my flesh doesn't want to do any of these things ("the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matt. 26:41, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts." Rom. 13:14). I'm also aware that diet, exercise and schedules can easily become idols and be distractions that keep me from what is truly important, Jesus Himself. I've heard it said that the only obsession you can have that won't consume you is Jesus. More of Jesus, less of me, that's my ultimate resolution. So, at the beginning of this new year, I will step out in faith and know that He will provide the strength I need to do that which I know I should and the grace to get back up again when I fall.

Lydia's New Best Friend

Whoever happens to be with Lydia at any given moment is referred to as her "best friend." This might be Grandma one day, a little girl who comes over to play the next or the little girl she sat beside during the children's sermon at church on any given Sunday.
Lydia's new best friend and almost constant companion since Christmas has been Mickey Mouse, a three-foot tall stuffed toy she received from Grandma Jane. As we readied ourselves for church this past Sunday, I made the final call--"It's time to be in the van!" The older kids began the mad dash, still throwing on shoes and coats and grabbing the diaper bag on the way out the door. I went to check on Lydia, who had received orders a few minutes prior to put on her church shoes. I found her on the floor of her bedroom, pulling on her shoes, with Mickey laying beside her, wearing one of Lydia's dresses. "See, Mickey's ready for church, too." So Mickey went to church with us and sat in the front row right beside Lydia with his ears peeking up over the chair for all behind us to see. Mickey was very reverent during the service. His "best friend" Lydia could take a few lessons from him.