Friends, it has been an incredible year! As we have just finished celebrating Christmas and look forward to what the New Year has in store, we are again and again reminded of what we have been brought through this past year. Here's a brief update as to what our Christmas was like:
- Aaron arrived home late on the 18th, as we were sharing a "family" evening with Chris' girlfriends' parents and extended family - a great start to the holiday time! SOOO good to have him home again! (He is doing very well in college, and is not having too much pain in his back at this time - PTL!!)
- I was privileged to be included in a luncheon for the staff that I worked with at the orthodontic office where I worked for 10 years up until the accident - they are still so supportive and encouraging!
- Christmas Eve was shared at home with our sons and Chris and Jason's girlfriends - a wonderful, quiet, peaceful and joyful time!
- Christmas Day was a relaxing day of good company, good food and a good nap!
- Sunday we had an amazing time of worship and sharing the goodness of our Lord this past year.
- Monday dear friends of mine from the arts community - my 'sisters' on the stage and in life - had an incredible birthday dinner for me!
- Tuesday Ben planned a lovely surprise birthday party for me! Even though I found out about it (he accidentally emailed the invitation to me as well!) it was still a fantastic evening. My sister and her husband and my mother came up from the coast for a few days, and it has been so wonderful having them here!!
I have to honestly say that I have never enjoyed a Christmas more than this past one, at least that not that I can remember. And I have never been so happy to celebrate a birthday - my 50th at that!! The only word that I can use to describe how this whole season of celebration has been is "thankful"! I am so grateful to my Lord and Saviour for allowing me to still be here and celebrate with my family and friends what He has accomplished in and through us this year. Although the stiffness/soreness are still there, and there have been times where I felt myself getting frustrated, mostly I've been able to keep my sights where they should be, and look to the good things that are a part of my life now. Because of the accident, I've been able to relinquish all of my outside commitments, and focus on that which is most important right now, resulting in the quietest pre-Christmas season in the last few decades! I thought I would miss the concerts, recitals, programs and all the rest, but I found it so relaxing! I was even able to do a few things that I have been wanting to do for a very long time - like making new Christmas stockings for the family, and some beaded snowflakes for the windows. These projects and the wonderful food and other things that are part of our 'traditions' have all made this a very memorable end for a very memorable year!! Our hearts are full of thankfulness and praise to our Lord Jesus for His incredible gift, and most of all, for life!! I trust all of you have been able to experience the same, and that you will continue to look to Jesus for the joy of the season all year through!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Almost Christmastime!
Hey, friends and family! Sorry I let the Friday deadline come and go this week - with Aaron coming home, and in all the excitement for Christmas, it kinda slipped away! But what a weekend we've had already! It's so good to have all the boys home, and Chris and Jason's girlfriends as well. The tree is finally decorated, the new stockings are almost finished, and now we just need to plan and shop for the food! Our celebrations always include lots of good food - at least we think it's good!
It's been an interesting Christmas season. Usually this time of year I am very busy with concerts, recitals, programs, parties and so on. But this year there has been very little of that, and it's been good. There has been time to do things with my kids and husband, time to read and have coffee, time to sleep (!!) and just relax. Yes, we're still busy, but not hectically so. It's somewhat a forced quiet Christmas, but we're really appreciating it for what it's truly worth.
Today we enjoyed attending a performance of the Nutcracker, which was truly beautiful. I keep waiting for the time when I'll feel resentful or frustrated that I can't participate in productions like that any more, but it hasn't come!! I'm so thankful for what I do have, and for the many other things that I can do, that the other stuff just doesn't matter - honestly! I so enjoyed playing keyboards in church for the worship team again this morning - that is something that I find so fulfilling, and have great joy in serving that way, that I don't miss being able to sing. But I'm still working at it!
So as you all go into this week before the big day, may you also find peace, joy, love and a lot of good times with family and friends. And if you can't find it where you are, let me know when you'll be arriving here!!!
Much love, and Merry Christmas! May Jesus be the Reason for your Season!
It's been an interesting Christmas season. Usually this time of year I am very busy with concerts, recitals, programs, parties and so on. But this year there has been very little of that, and it's been good. There has been time to do things with my kids and husband, time to read and have coffee, time to sleep (!!) and just relax. Yes, we're still busy, but not hectically so. It's somewhat a forced quiet Christmas, but we're really appreciating it for what it's truly worth.
Today we enjoyed attending a performance of the Nutcracker, which was truly beautiful. I keep waiting for the time when I'll feel resentful or frustrated that I can't participate in productions like that any more, but it hasn't come!! I'm so thankful for what I do have, and for the many other things that I can do, that the other stuff just doesn't matter - honestly! I so enjoyed playing keyboards in church for the worship team again this morning - that is something that I find so fulfilling, and have great joy in serving that way, that I don't miss being able to sing. But I'm still working at it!
So as you all go into this week before the big day, may you also find peace, joy, love and a lot of good times with family and friends. And if you can't find it where you are, let me know when you'll be arriving here!!!
Much love, and Merry Christmas! May Jesus be the Reason for your Season!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Once more, home again!
Greetings from the cold north! Sorry that I haven't been able to post while we were away, but the internet connections were VERY slow, and quite expensive. So I had to make you all wait! But we have had an awesome trip, and a very enjoyable time with my siblings and their spouses in Cuba! Even though my luggage didn't arrive until 5 days after we got there, we didn't let anything spoil our trip. We had a great time of relaxing and resting, reading, snorkeling, and just having fun! We celebrated the fact that we were all alive and well, our anniversaries, and they even had the staff at one dinner sing me "happy birthday" and bring out a cake! Trust my siblings not to forget!! But it was also more than just a vacation - my sister called it "a vacation with a purpose". We were able to deliver medical and practical supplies to two doctors, an orphanage and 2 churches! We were also able to attend one of the churches, and shared an amazing time of worship and fellowship with them, even though we understood very few of the words being spoken. The pastor's wife translated for us, but the meaning and spirit of the service was more than clear! To see God at work transcends language barriers!
After arriving in Vancouver, I spent 2 days there having appointments again. I met with the urologist, the voice clinic, my physiotherapist from GF Strong, and the neuro-ophthalmologist. The urologist wants to run some more tests on me, so I'll be back for that in January. The doctors at the voice clinic noted that my voice has improved a lot, and that I am doing what I need to do to keep improving. The best news came from the neuro-ophthalmologist. My eyes have improved as much as they are going to, and so now he wants to have me see a specialist that will schedule surgery to correct them completely! We had hoped that they would improve on their own, but that's okay - the surgery will set everything back to normal. The success rate is 90 - 95 %, so that sounds great to me! It's day surgery done under local anesthetic, so it won't even be that bad. That will be scheduled for sometime next spring.
So we're back at home, relaxed, refreshed and ready to get into Christmas. Things were just starting to show up in the stores before we left (except at Costco, which has Christmas stuff out in August!), but things are sure in full swing now! Usually we are able to ease into the season - this year I feel like I've been hit with a Christmas sledgehammer!! But it will be a meaningful celebration this year, that's for sure. Aaron will be coming home next week Friday, and it will be so good to be back together as a family again. It should be the most restful Christmas that we've had in a while, as I am not involved in anything at all! Usually this time of year is so busy with concerts, recitals, church programs to prepare and be involved in, but not this year! So it should actually be a time of doing what we should be doing - celebrating the birth of our dear Saviour and Lord, and enjoying our family!!
We trust that this season will be as meaningful for you as it will be for us! May you find the time you need to focus on what is important, and to treasure the ones you love!
After arriving in Vancouver, I spent 2 days there having appointments again. I met with the urologist, the voice clinic, my physiotherapist from GF Strong, and the neuro-ophthalmologist. The urologist wants to run some more tests on me, so I'll be back for that in January. The doctors at the voice clinic noted that my voice has improved a lot, and that I am doing what I need to do to keep improving. The best news came from the neuro-ophthalmologist. My eyes have improved as much as they are going to, and so now he wants to have me see a specialist that will schedule surgery to correct them completely! We had hoped that they would improve on their own, but that's okay - the surgery will set everything back to normal. The success rate is 90 - 95 %, so that sounds great to me! It's day surgery done under local anesthetic, so it won't even be that bad. That will be scheduled for sometime next spring.
So we're back at home, relaxed, refreshed and ready to get into Christmas. Things were just starting to show up in the stores before we left (except at Costco, which has Christmas stuff out in August!), but things are sure in full swing now! Usually we are able to ease into the season - this year I feel like I've been hit with a Christmas sledgehammer!! But it will be a meaningful celebration this year, that's for sure. Aaron will be coming home next week Friday, and it will be so good to be back together as a family again. It should be the most restful Christmas that we've had in a while, as I am not involved in anything at all! Usually this time of year is so busy with concerts, recitals, church programs to prepare and be involved in, but not this year! So it should actually be a time of doing what we should be doing - celebrating the birth of our dear Saviour and Lord, and enjoying our family!!
We trust that this season will be as meaningful for you as it will be for us! May you find the time you need to focus on what is important, and to treasure the ones you love!
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