In between

Well today I am finally putting away all of my Christmas platters etc. and cleaning out my refrigerator. I am looking at recipes that use ham, as I really need to use up what I had left over. I had some then my sister brought out some on Tuesday so I have guite a bit in there and hate to see it go to waste. I must admit that I am finding just as much joy in putting them all away as I did in getting them out. Still need to do some more organizing but decided to sit and write awhile.

I am preparing to preach on Sunday. I am enjoying preparing this teaching. It is going to focus on family. I think it will be fun and hopefully encouraging. I really am aiming at giving people encouragment and direction. Just a refocusing on their families and there ministry to them. Really just now taking all my notes and refrences and putting them together so now is when I really start to see the direction that the Lord has for it to go.

You must see Alex’s blog. He took a picture of Cassie and Codi (really want to start calling them by their names. If there were just one bably I would not say baby but I would use the name---right.) Anyway, he took a beautiful picture. He has the ability to capture a moment so uniqly. He has made me a big fan of black and white. I was already a big fan of his.

I love NewYears. Not neccesarily the holiday as much as the newness of it. The fresh start, the new beginings, the chance to look back and to look ahead with new focus or confirmation that what you started is the right direction. I also like the year end shows. What has happened in the last year etc. On NewYears day or the next I fill in my planner. I make notes all year long for the upcoming year and fill all of that in my new one. Fresh pages with no mistakes and nothing crossed out. All of the white pages looking neat as a pin ready for the upcoming year and all it holds to be put down on paper and planned.

My Mom is in the hospital. She has been struggling for a long time with being tired and short of breath. She has seen many doctors but each of them has not been able to help her long term. She is on an inhaler now because she has asthma. We bought her an air purifier but she is still not great. She is so tired and her color is not good.
She was out here on Christmas and she walked from her car to the door and she was worn out. She tried to do some dishes for me and she was exhausted. Larry came up to talk to her while she was doing dishes and she turned to talk to him and had to catch her breath. My sister took her to a doctor who specializes in liver problems because her family doctor said that her liver enzymes were high and the area around her gallbladder was inflamed. So he suggested that they hospitalize her and get all of the test run while she was there. She has gone from doctor to doctor and it is wearing her out. Also I am sure that there is more to do with her heart. So pray for her and I will post more later as soon as I have updates.

Happy New Year,
“B”

The Day After

Good Morning
It is the day after Christmas. I am taking a little chill time this morning before we crank up again for another Christmas celebration. This time with my Dad. My brother, his son, my sister and our kids and grandkids(still sounds wierd-its been almost 4 years but still sounds strange.)

Oh this morning coffee taste so good. Especially combined with sweat pants, a sweat shirt and slippers.

We had a nice Christmas. Sunday afternoon Larry's family came over and most stayed and went with us to Christmas Eve service. This year I promised myself to get to know some part of Larry's family better so at dinner I sat down with two of his nephews and a niece. I ate with them and talked about what is going on in there life. It was fun getting to know them better. So different for my kids than when I was growing up. I was very close to my cousins. We did a lot of things together and still love to get together. But now for the boys. They are not close to their cousins. At dinners everyone is pretty segregated. My goal this year was to start breaking that down a little. I think that I accomplished it.
Can I tell you something. Most people like tradition. I do also to some extent.
Tradition is o.k. if it does not rule a persons life or cause you to not go beyond that. If it is regulating and confining or better yet used as a symbol and not conducive to growth then its law and not life.
This side of the family lives in tradition. They are not very outgoing people. It is difficult for them to press beyond so many times they seem bound to me. Bound by tradition.
I cannot be with people just because they are called family and not have some sort of tie beyond that. I want to know them. Care about them. I want them to know that I am interested in who they are. That is what I wanted to accomplish on Sunday .I think I made a start.

Loved having the kids around all day and spending the night with us. Its always great.

Larry and I took the night feedings of new McGinnis's. Cassie and Cody. The slept between us and we feed them twice. At 1:30 and 4:00. Oh did that bring back memories. It was great fun to smell that new baby skin and hear there little squeaks and squaks. But come Monday night we enjoyed getting a full night of sleep.
Makes me appreciate what a wonderful mother Sara is. Taking care of twins is a lot of work and she is great at it.

Hope you are enjoying your day after.

"B"