A little note from me to you!

                                         

                                                         I thank the Lord for blessing me with my family! They are
                                                                gifts!

Dear Readers,
   Happy 2013!!
I honestly can't even believe it's here. I didn't really want 2013 to arrive...I kind of wanted to snuggle down in gingerbread, Christmas trees, and endless family time. But alas, Christmas passed and the new year began. We started school again today, and so although I still made some gingerbread cookies last weekend, I'm coming to accept the fact that Christmas is over whether I like it or not.
    Today we started back to school, as I know a lot of people did. It was a hard day, but not really because of the return of Geometry and Chemistry (although those were no fun!). I fainted at the gym this morning and so have just felt shaky and strange all day. I went to the doctor today and so we will see if they can figure out what's going on with me. I'm hopeful it was just a blood sugar problem and I'm really fine! Amazing how things can change in one minute. This morning I had my day perfectly planned out...how I would come in from the gym and do my devotion and get a head start on school, then walk the dog,  diligently work at my schoolwork and perfectly end the day with my first lesson with my new violin. hmm... That is not how my day turned out at all!! I did come home and do my devotion, but couldn't walk the dog, and ended up not getting to go to the much-anticipated lesson because I was at the doctor's. 
     ^"Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.'" ~James 4:13-15
     This verse came to mind as soon as I was alert and leaving the gym. I kind of laughed at my silliness in thinking I could plan out my day like that. I would have never added in fainting at the gym! And although I sincerely hope I never do that again, I will try my best to never plan like that again. Because the truth is--only God knows what tomorrow holds. If we try to plan it ourselves, well, that is just plain goofiness! So I'm going to try to stop planning like that...and stop worrying...and entirely surrender tomorrow and the next day and the next and the next to the Lord. I challenge you to do the same thing! 
   
   Any way...back to Christmas. 
 We had a wonderful Christmas! Although we felt like it was a little rushed...and although the surgery mid-December put a little damper on the mood...my mom has a gift for making things that could be unhappy the happiest of things ever. So we sewed matching Christmas aprons, baked over 200 Christmas cookies that spelled out the word JOY (our motto for the year),  saw a beautiful performance of The Nutcracker, and spent time just being together & watching some of our favorite Christmas movies (along with Newsies...four or five times!)

Christmas eve!!

     It was definitely a Christmas to remember! We had so much fun together.  

Baking fun! One of my favorite memories!!

It was such a sweet blessing to celebrate Christmas
with Stephanie this year!! She is a gift!

Another fun memory: making a Christmas sign to adorn our door
and bows to match!

It was such a wonderful Christmas! I hope yours was wonderful, as well. 
   Thank you for listening to me on my soap box as I talked about this morning, and for hearing me reminisce about Christmas! I pray your 2013 is filled with blessings, and that no matter what it holds, you will be able to find JOY and trust in the Lord!
Your blogger,
 Claire
  

My ramblings...

Dear Readers,

 Well, hello there! I apologize for not having blogged in...forever! I keep writing blog posts in my head but just haven't had time to sit down and write them out. Actually, I don't have time right now! But I'm going to write one any way because it's rather cathartic and I need to. So there. (And I wonder why I don't have good time management..hhmm...)

  

    December is upon us! Our Christmas trees are up and decorated, the radio is playing Christmas music, and we had hot chocolate last night.  I love this month! I especially love remembering Christmases past...so many laughs!! 


 But three of our family will leave later this month for surgery. That kind of puts a damper on the mood, huh? Actually, it does a lot more than that. I hate surgeries with a passion, and the fact that there are two in the very-near future stinks. Some days we can sing Christmas carols in the car at the top of our lungs and forget about it...but some days we can't. And I hate it when I can't just stick my head in the sand and forget about it, because surgeries are just plain depressing. ha

  
 I so appreciate your prayers for my family during this season!!

With all of this upcoming surgery, I can't help but wonder about the people around the world who need this same surgery that Benjamin is having this summer, but don't have access to medical care.  What about the children with Cerebral Palsy in Africa? What do they do? Although I hate that Benjamin has to have this surgery, I am ultimately grateful that my family has access to medical care for it. Please be praying for those people around the world who desperately need surgery but are unable to get it. 

    I also can't help but think of those who are in nursing homes, hospitals, institutions, and prisons this Christmas. As we drove through our neighborhood the other night, admiring the decorations and laughing as a family, I started thinking about the children all over the world whose families have abandoned them. In that moment I just wanted them all in the car with us, laughing, too! I wish no child ever had to watch a birthday or a Christmas pass without a family to love on them and tell them they are special and valued.  As hard as finding joy can be sometimes, I know it must be even harder when you are in a prison, hospital,  or nursing home. 

 Two years ago (okay..I think it was two years ago! I'm really not sure haha!)   I had the privilege of getting to sign some carols  at an Alzheimer's Home around Christmastime. This year I keep thinking of the residents, remembering how they kept asking my Mom to take them home. The staff did a wonderful job making this place home-like and cheerful, but there was a big difference between that and a HOME with your own family. 

    As you celebrate this Christmas with your dear ones, please remember those people who don't have family near to hug and hold! 
    But as you keep them near in your thoughts and prayers, take this time to thank the God who is with them and you for the great gift He has bestowed us with: His Son. 

Love, 
Your Blogger

P.S.-- "Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast." ~Psalm 139:7-10

Isn't this a beautiful reminder that God is with us, around our Christmas tree, but also in those prisons, nursing homes, and institutions around the world? Thank you, Lord! 

    

Dear Readers
  Have you ever felt like you just wanted to escape to a deserted island with your closest dear ones? Although no one ever really means this (how would you get healthcare, food, evangelical oppurtunites, etc??) I know sometimes my family jokes about it. When the weight of the world come crashing down full force, it can be easy to want to escape to your own tiny nook free from troubles!


   "For the Lamb at the center of the throne
            will be their shepherd;
      He will lead them to springs of living water.
   And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." ~Revelation 7:17

Doesn't that sound just like your island? Except even better.  Some days God gives us little glimpses into what it will be like, and I think Christmas generally does! The time to be goofy with your family is always  much appreciated in my house.

I tell Cate I want pictures..and this is what she does! haha love that girl

She does this,too...





Christmas baking makes for some goofy pictures,too!





And then there's the silliness that comes in a box full of gingerbread!

I thought you might like to see the final project just for fun...

This one's me being goofy...giving aerial photography a spin!
I thought this one turned out really pretty,though

Another birds eye view! Haha this one looks REALLY goofy!





And the triplets who wrapped all their gifts up in ridiculous boxes!

I looked forward to the sugar cookie decorating ALL DECEMBER. We finally did it on Christmas eve!

EVeryone pitched in--this is a very serious project, people! Haha





I hope everyone had a smiling-ful Christmas! And I also hope it provided a much needed breather from everything going on. I always feel like the world rushes,rushes,rushes, and while Christmas certainly isn't free from that, it does allow you to take a deep,collective breath and just 'be'.
  But my prayer is that this week, as everyone adjusts to going back to school,work, etc, it will be joyful! My mom always says joy is a choice and it is definitely a choice I'm working to make as we go back to school tomorrow.
  God has been amazing with already providing me an oppurtunity of joy. I started volunteering at our church's Special Needs Ministries this past weekend, and it was beyond amazing. I loved every minute and fell in love with the kids and the ministry. But not only that, I now get to interpret their Bible Study for a Deaf woman who attends. Those of you who know me know that this is a dream come true! I am thrilled and CAN'T WAIT for my first Bible Study this thursday. I will be blogging about it, I promise! Prayers would be appreciated. :)
  Also, I wanted to give a shout out to anyone reading this. I have fallen in love with Marcia (the orphan mentioned in my previous post) and feel desperate to get her out of the orphanage. I have emailed Jeanette and the blog "Life Rearranged" to request that she advocates for Marcia on her blog. If you or anyone you know would like to help this dear child find a home by featuring her on your blog, leave a comment! I would love that more than anything. You can also visit  this link for all the information you need on her. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

 Have a joy filled week, my friends. I am forever thankful for those who read my thoughts on here!
Your thankful blogger,
 Claire

Christmas.

It's almost Christmas!! I'm so excited. I love everything about this season- from October to December I'm in Heaven!! Although I love Easter dearly, I feel very close to Jesus around Christmas.
We should feel this way every day, I know, but at Christmas I feel like just the reminder that Jesus went through the same things as me and walked on this earth's dirt comforts me. a lot.

Jesus blesses each of us, I believe, with little encounters to remind us of Him. I wish we could just see Him now, but these gifts He gives us can be pretty sweet. So I have a story to share.
My family and I were at the airport, and this girl came up to us- just dying to say hi. She was in a wheelchair, and someone I presumed to be her brother told us-as she came up excusing herself profusely-that she just really wanted to say hi.
So she introduced herself, and then as we told her our names she just kept shaking her head and telling us how much she loved us, and how much she was praying for us. And she meant it! It wasn't just an ' oh, I'll be praying for you...'. It was an 'oh! I love you! I just LOVE you! And I'll be praying for you because I love you.'

How often do you get that from a stranger?? Not often enough is my guess. I was touched by dear Bridget, to say the least. I've been thinking about her these last few weeks, as I promised to pray for her, too. She embodied Jesus' love- unashamedly and freely giving it to all. It blessed my heart to meet her.
After we met her, Mom and Dad told me what her parents had told them. Bridget had been a junior in college when she was in a car accident. She suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury.
My first thought was sadness. Even as a freshman in high school, I have dreams. I know she probably had big dreams and goals, too. How would I have felt if that had happened to me? Life really is so fragile. But I remembered this Bible verse as I thought of her recently...

 "For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. " Jeremiah 29:11

 Hope. A future. The life Bridget lives today may not be what she imagined when she was my age, but her life is in perfect alignment with God's vision. And it is beautiful. I know my family isn't the only one she has touched, and my prayer is that she will continue to be able to touch many more. She is following God's perfect plan, and is living proof that Jeremiah 29:11 is true. God does NOT mean to harm us. He gives us a future. As hard to see as that may have been for Bridget's family after that accident, it is clear that He has a perfect plan for her and that He is using her in amazing ways to bring people to Him.
Isn't it comforting to know this is true for each of us? Whether we minister from a hut in Africa, a classroom at home, or a wheelchair at the airport, God has a plan for us. And it is perfect.
May you rest without worry for the year 2012 as you enjoy this Christmas. Your Blogger,
Claire

The joy not just of the season, but in your heart!

                                    

From the day of his (Jesus) birth, the forces of darkness began plotting against the Babe in the manger. Why? Because the adversary and his wicked hoards knew that this was the Child who would ultimately crush Satan and bring an end to wickedness in this world. God is so grieved over evil, that he sent his only Son to die in order that righteousness and peace, truth and love would prevail... in order that we might escape the clutches of hell and be welcomed into heaven. God permits what he hates to accomplish that which he loves.

Celebrate the defeat of darkness by singing this verse today from the Christmas carol, "Joy to the World": No more let sin or sorrow reign, nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings known far as the curse is found!

God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay, remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day: to save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray, O tidings of comfort and joy!    

 From Joni Eareckson Tada

Dear Readers,

 It's the most wonderful time of the year.....there'll be much mistletoe (ing) and hearts will be glowing when loved ones are near! You all know the words. This season is filled with warmth, joy, family, and the celebration of Christ's birth. Of GOD coming down to earth to save US. Wow.

  Now, I've been working on this post for a while. I am having a very hard time deciding if I should write about how for those in orphanages, nursing homes, hospitals, the homeless, etc. this Christmas season still hurts. And sometimes it causes even more hurt. Or, I could just focus on the pure JOY of this season. And as I type that up, I think I will focus on the joy. Because anyone can walk out the door and find suffering every morning. I think the biggest trick is to find joy amidst your suffering.

 

   I think everyone has their own traditions that bring the most joy. Even if they're little things they still hold so much meaning! For example, one of my favorite things to do at Christmas is to go through and watch all of our Christmas cartoons and holiday specials. My family does this year after year, and it is so much fun! I also love making batches and batches of goodies for neighbors, and I have been bugging my mom to make sugar cookies and oatmeal lace cookies since September! Those two are my favorite and they are a lot of fun to make. We have a huge stock of red and green sprinkles ready, ha! 

For anyone who has ever had to spend a holiday away from home, you know how hard it is.
No matter where you are, you will always miss those small little details that make Christmas so special. That is a big reason why those in hospitals need your love and prayers especially during this season. Can you imagine Christmas dinner at the Ronald McDonald House while your child is on chemotherapy or critically ill?? Many families face that this Christmas.

This weekend my friend, Breana, and I got to help with Ballet Academy of AZ's Holiday Festival!
It was fun- I love my little ballerinas!!

This is from last Christmas. What does a thirteen year old do with her new camera? :)

Let's DECORATE!!

Family time is my favorite part!

Excuse the man in the back...this was on our way home from our Thanksgiving trip to MS.
See- we LOVE getting ready for Christmas as soon as we can! We were all wearing Christmas shirts. :)

Sorry for having to use so many recycled pictures...our computer is messed up and it won't hold my pictures!
But there will be more Christmas to come, I promise! Now, please don't think I'm trying to give the impression that my life is perfect. I hate it when blogs look like that. But I wanted to share a little of the JOY of Christmas today. And these bring me joy! I hope they brought you some, too, as you enjoy the cold weather and hug your family today! Your blogger,
 Claire

Okay- I have a prayer request! I want to start always including prayer requests in my posts, so feel free to comment and leave one and I will include it in my next post! But my brother, Mason, is having surgery today. It's been so encouraging to see all the comments of prayers on Facebook! I just wanted to mention it on here. :) Thank y'all!



   

We wish you a merry CHRISTMAS!

  Dear Readers,


a blur of our tree



   I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas! We sure did. In fact, I'm quite reluctant to admit the celebration is over. I'm happy, though, to reminisce through this post.

Benjamin has been excited about
Epic Mickey all year.
It's a little less accessible than we have hoped for,
 but with a little teamwork he's doing great!

 

                                          . 

  Honestly, the whole month of December has been fantastic. Filled with wonderful Hallmark moments and decorated with Christmas cheer, this has been one amazing season. The boys were stars in Snoopy!The musical. Benjamin made the audience hoot with lines he made up! Mason sang a solo about how Snoopy didn't love him any more (he was Charlie Brown), and made many eyes shed a tear.
    Cate was in the Nutcracker this week, and was the cutest mouse and snowflake ever!    Here's some of my favorite parts of Christmas:
1. Mom and Dad took me out to eat last week just us, and that was really amazing. I also got to sneak in Cate's week by spending some time with Mom while Cate practiced.
  2. Benjamin, Mason ,and I were so blessed in that we were  able to give 13 small farm animals, a custom fit wheelchair, life-saving medicine, 4 Bibles, and 100 dollars to help sexually exploited girls to World Vision.
 3.  I worked really hard on a cross-stitched apron for Mom, and seeing her open it was a gift to me.
     One more - I got a camera for Christmas! A lot of these photos are from my camera! I think Mom is as excited as I am - I won't use hers all the time!


  So, we had a really amazing Christmas. And now we are going to Jacksonville for MSU's bowl game! Whoo hoo! I will blog later with lots of pictures and a review of the book "Oogy." Mom and Dad gave me this book about a dog who was injured in a dog fight and now has special needs, and I would love to share with you! And while I'm at it, I might share a story out of my "Sister Freaks' book from Uncle Len.

I recently learned we've been renting my sax and violin for so long
we own them! I had an early Christmas gift.

 Don't you love Christmas?

  Your Blogger,

  Claire

 P.S. Scroll down for a picture of our gingerbread house - we've started a tradition that is now my favorite! Even though it's not perfect, we had  a blast making it and the gingerbread snowmen appreciate Dad's engineering advice, I'm sure!

                                         





Santa brought lots of goodies for Cate!

    


Another one of my favorite things - making this  wonderfully unperfect gingerbread house!



Noel in ASL





Dear Readers,

This weekend was absolutely wonderful. My wonderful  family ran all over town for me on Saturday and didn't complain once. Thank you so much all of you - you're so supportive!

After violin rehearsal,  we ran home and drove to Rosson House for Arizona Friends in Sign. We were

 signing  there in the morning and at Glendale Glitters that night.




Aren't they adorable?!







  My friend, Jamie, and I signed Frosty the Snowman as a duet. It was amazing... 

 



I'm signing "Sleigh"



I joined AZ Friends in Sign because ever since I met a girl in my third grade class who was Deaf, I have loved sign language and had a desire to serve the Deaf. This group has been really great for me to have a part in, and I love it. Our group goes to nursing homes, girl scout meetings, the fair, and others. We go to teach people who want to learn sign language and to increase the public's awareness of ASL and Deafness, as well as to reach out to the Deaf Community.  How many of you, my wonderful Readers, know sign language? It is really such a wonderful skill to have and truly a gift to give to others.

  Before I let you go, let me say one quick thing. One of my mom's friends has a Deaf friend. One day my mom's friend asked his Deaf Friend what his dreams were. He said "In my dreams, everyone signs."

  They made that dream come true on the television show Sesame Street, why can't we make it true???

  Your Blogger, (who would love to teach all of you sign language)

Claire

Arizona Friends in Sign