Turkeys, A Ham, and Advent, Oh My!

Sunday, November 22
At 3:00pm, I undertook the enormous task of baking and decorating 90 turkey cupcakes. In honor of Owen’s 5th birthday, I volunteered to provide a dessert for the Mom’s Day Out Thanksgiving Feast, which involved 3 different classrooms. Somewhere around 6:00pm, I enlisted the help of my mom and Brandon in the turkey cupcake-decorating marathon. Mom was on frosting duty, Brandon was on eye duty, and I was on gobbler, wings, and feather duty. We finished up around 10:30pm. Who knew making turkey cupcakes was a full time job! Brandon and my mom loaded up the little turkeys and took them to church so they would be ready in the morning. Things I learned from this experience . . . 90 turkey cupcakes is a huge undertaking, my mom is not a great eye maker, you need 2 boxes of mini cupcakes to make that many turkeys. Everything turned out just great and all the little pilgrims and Indians had a delicious special treat at their Thanksgiving feast.



Friday, November 27
We spent Thanksgiving with Brandon’s family in Van Wert, Ohio. This week was jam packed with celebrations. On Wednesday we celebrated Owen’s birthday, on Thursday we celebrated Thanksgiving, and on Friday we celebrated Christmas. There were about 25 of us in the living room at my in-law’s home. Brandon’s Aunt Lorie was busy taking some pictures of the gathering. Miles was making the rounds and saying thank you for his Christmas gifts. Aunt Lorie wanted a quick picture of Miles. She said, “Miles, say cheeseburger for me!” He quickly responded by saying “Cheeseburger, for you!” The entire room erupted in laughter. What a ham!



Sunday, November 29
This past summer, I did a bible study called Feast. I learned about the feasts of the Bible and how these feasts helped people remember important events. This made me think about my own family and our lack of traditions. With this in mind, I began researching ideas to make Christmas a more meaningful celebration for our family. One of the major ways we will remember the reason for this season is through Advent. Advent means “to come” and is a great way for us to remember that we are celebrating how God came to earth as a baby and that we are now waiting for him to come again! Sunday is pizza night at our house. This week we sat at the dining room table and lit our first candle, the Prophecy candle. I talked about what prophecy means and Brandon read from the Bible. After our meal, we watched the new Veggie Tales movie “Saint Nicholas” which further explained the real meaning of Christmas. I hope that this new tradition will become a meaningful part of our family’s celebration in years to come!

Tantrums

Naptime is a happy time in my house. I get a break, the kids get some rest, and all is well in the world. The hour after naptime, however, is a different story. A typical after-nap scene in my home involves crying, screaming, and tantrums of all shapes and sizes compliments of my sweet little Miles. Recently, I’ve noticed a particular occurrence during this specific period of time. In the midst of all the crying, screaming, and tantruming, Miles wants to be held.

Now, there are a few non-negotiable demands related to the little guy’s request. First and foremost, not just any arms will do. Mom’s arms are apparently the only ones qualified enough to do the job. Secondly, the request to be held must be fulfilled on demand. No matter what is going on and how impossible it may be, an immediate response is expected. Lastly, it simply will not do to stoop down and hold the little guy in an embrace. He expects and demands to be lifted up.

Are these demands always fulfilled? Absolutely not! Does that mean I don’t love my child? Absolutely not! One evening, as I stooped down to give my tearful little guy a big hug I was struck by how much I am like him. How often do I expect God to answer my requests in a particular way, at a particular time, and in a particular manner.

How often do we miss out on his plans, his timing, and his comfort because we are too busy demanding our own way. Throughout Scripture, God assures us of his love and that his plans for us are good. Let’s not throw a tantrum and miss out on all God has for us!

Legacy

A few weeks ago, I hopped a plane to Denver, Colorado. I stayed just north of Denver with my Aunt and Uncle. While there I had many adventures, but none as special as my time with Grandma. Growing up, I always lived near my Grandpa and Grandma Schmidt. I enjoyed watching television on the big screen and seeing what treats they had stocked in the fridge. Grandma often treated me to lunch and shared stories of her life. While I was in college, Grandma began showing signs of dementia and Grandpa was struggling with his health. In 2006, Grandpa died and Grandma moved away to live with my Aunt and Uncle.

Grandma currently lives in an assisted living home near my Aunt, Uncle and cousins in Colorado. As I began to make plans for a visit, I realized Grandma might not recognize me. Still, I felt compelled to make the trip. It really didn’t matter if Grandma recognized me or not, she is my Grandma and I love her. I didn’t want to arrive empty handed, so I asked my Aunt for some gift suggestions. Along with some pictures of my family, I brought a bag of chocolates and a journal with a kitten on it. Grandma enjoyed the gifts, especially the chocolate, and hopefully the company.

While visiting with Grandma, she constantly told each of us how pretty we were. At times, she would lean over and give me a kiss. The women working at the home described Grandma as sweet. Here is one story of a conversation Grandma had with one of the women working at the home:

Grandma: I love Jesus!

Worker: He loves you too!

Grandma: Oh, good!

What a testimony! Despite physical and mental illnesses where part of her is stripped away, Grandma’s faith, hope and love remain. Now that’s a legacy!

Grandma showing off a picture of her great-grandson Owen.

My cousin Sarah, the trip photographer, took these pictures from the van while we were in Estes Park, Colorado.

My Aunt Lynette, me and Sarah in front of The Stanley Hotel. Apparently, this is the hotel that appears in Stephen King's movie "The Shining".

This is me in Rocky Mountain National Park. If this picture had been taken 5 seconds earlier you would have seen me nervously looking around for elk, deer, moose or bears!