Oh Happy Day

Growing up I have such incredibly fond memories of children's choir, caroling, live nativity, and pageants.  Singing all of those amazing hymns about egg shells and wee babies.  Such wonderful memories.  Times are definitely different now and finding that simple space to just let kids sing about baby Jesus is harder.  Our church this year offered a Christmas choir for my girls and we signed them up.

They only sang one song and it was a rendition of Oh Happy Day! (Why can I only think of Sister Act II?).  They practiced every Monday for the past 6 weeks and it was hard to fit it in.  With Lily's swim going until 5:30, we had a few Monday's of tears over it, but we committed and I am so glad we did.

I went all out this Sunday.  Thank you Amazon for a quick return on Christmas dresses!  My husband may have questioned my sanity banging pots and pans at 5:45 in the morning.  All of us were fed, curled, clean, make uped and dressed up by 7:30.  I had to take my camera to the church so that we could snap the pics not while we were racing out the door but we all showed up!

What a sweet time of life it is for us.  Yes, I am healing and not completely well, but we are deeply and richly blessed.  My heart is truly full and our family is celebrating this season for we have received the greatest gift of all....Jesus.

Their moment on stage touched my heart more than I can truly put into words.  There is something so life changing and moving about watching the two halves of your heart dwell in the presence of the Most Holy and sing in his praise.  Come....like a child.......for their place is first.

Oh what a Happy Day it is Jesus.  For you came, as a babe, and taught us how to love and live and give of ourselves.  Thank you for the gifts that are mine and the joy of sharing life with them.  Thank you deeply for my own wee babes and for this chance to watch them in awe.

Just 5 More Minutes!

So, we have some pretty amazing friends.  Rebekah and I have birthdays just mere days apart and for the past two years Ashley has bought us an Escape Room experience. The 6 of us have a blast trying to navigate out of an escape room and we work really well together.

This year was more challenging with cancer and chemo and brain surgery and mono trying to derail us, but by golly, we picked a day and we made it happen.  Our room was Quest for the Throne and it was surprisingly challenging. We got set back a few minutes at the beginning when we had the right idea, but the wrong execution of a clue.  That set us behind and even though we all came together to solve each piece we needed 5 more minute at the end.

Honestly we were all stoked that they gave us the opportunity to solve the puzzle and we just had a blast....again.  What a great experience and gift.  And YES, we eventually did escape.

After we escaped our room we went for a walk in Downtown Mesa.  It really is beautiful this time of year and so jolly.  We found ourselves at a Cider House and played games while drinking.  Gosh adulting is awesome.

Late, rowdy nights are not in anyones vocabulary right now so we enjoyed our walk back to the car, hugged each other and finished out the evening.

Relishing in another year to spend with these people and the beauty of finding joy even amidst the storms!