Micaiah

Today I am thankful for new life. I got to visit my coworker's new baby: Micaiah. He is tiny and so precious. 

Sleep

We got the news that our dear friend, Rick, passed away from the cancer he's been fighting for a few years now. My heart aches for his loss, for the shortness of time, but ecpecially for his family. Rick left behind a 19-year-old son, a 12-year-old daughter, and a courageous wife.

Elissa and I really wanted to be there for the memorial, so we jumped in the car and drove all night so we could be there for the service in Maine in the morning. It was a bit dangerous to travel on no sleep, but God protected us and we arrived in the early morning hours and surprised our parents by walking in unannounced.

The service was really special. Many people came and it was evident that Rick touched many lives. His son, Nick, gave a beautiful Eulogy. There were many tears, and then a family meal for all the guests.

I was reminded of sleep in different ways today; this is but a sleep for Rick and we look forward to seeing him again soon.

By evening I was so tired that I was not able to function well. I gratefully dropped into bed exhausted. Today I am thankful for Rick, for sleep, and for the promise of new life.

Nick (front right) and family

A traditional Italian dessert at the memorial meal

Blogger at Heart

I wish I was a blogger. I wish I shared my life regularly and openly. But the truth is, I'm a terrible blogger. Not because I don't have things to say, oh, I have plenty to say. All the time I find myself thinking in the form of a blog post. Thinking of things I want to share, or moments I want to remember, yet I never post anything...or even write it down that often either. Somehow, even things that mean a lot to me, don't find room in my life. The good news is, that something can be done about that. 

Since work takes up most of my time, I have to be very intentional with the few remaining moments in my day. I am constantly reminded how important it is to love what you do. To do something you're passionate about—something that has purpose. This makes long days worthwhile, if not a bit easier. I've been taking a hard look at how I spend my time lately. What things do I love? What things do I make time for? What things don't I make time for that I love?

I love to run, I love to read, I love to cook, I love to create, I love order, I love to explore, I love to capture moments, I love to learn, I love to do things that will have a lasting impact, I love my family, I love to entertain, I love to travel, I love to come home...  

I am thankful for so many things, but right now I am thankful for the way God is constantly working in my life. Never leaving me where I am, ever drawing me. So, here’s to not staying where I’m at. 

Grandpa

We went to Texas for GYC after Christmas and I was determined to go see my grandfather who lives just a few hours away. He has not really been a part of my life and I haven't seen him for about 19 years I think. I was just a little thing when we visited his house once, yet I have distinct memories about the sights and smells of those few hours. 

My Dad's dad is in his late 80's now and I don't really know how much time I might have left. I figured this might be as close as I will get in the near future, so I grabbed the opportunity. It also happened to be 3 days after the passing of my Mom’s dad—the only grandfather I have even known, and for this reason it meant so much more.

I arrived near midnight and felt bad that they had to come and get me so late, but they didn't want me in a bus station alone. They said they were afraid they wouldn't recognize me, but as soon as I stepped off the bus, there was no mistaking the family resemblance. 

The next day I spent a few hours with my grandfather and his sweet wife. He recounting war stories and she filling in histories about their families. I enjoyed their company and all the old family pictures. The hours flew by too quickly and all too soon it was time to leave. 

I got some photos of and with my grandfather despite his protests that it would break my camera. However, somewhere between then and when I next checked, the memory card got lost, so all I have are a couple cellphone pics. 

When I left, Grandpa hugged and kissed me repeatedly and asked that I come again soon. It wasn't just a check on my bucket list that day, it was the repairing of a breach. 

 A drawing my grandfather made when he was young

A family photo

Common Ground

Last fall I went home to attend the Common Ground Fair with my mom. This was one of the last things I did with her when I was still at home and we had so much fun, that I just had to come home and go again with her. It is a fabulous place with intriguing people and so much to see. There are demonstrations by blacksmiths and bakers, fiddling and shaker style singing, canoe carving lessons and line dancing. There are contests and races, fresh produce and flowers. 

We had fun sampling maple candy and various foods, and I was in my element among the books and photography exhibits. There were so many cute handicrafts and amazing works of art. So many reasons to love the Common Ground Fair!

Gipfeltreff

In February I had the opportunity to go to Switzerland and Austria for ten days of snowboarding and hockey. It was a wonderful week with great friends, amazing food, terrific views, and uplifting messages every evening. A fantastic week to be sure, and I just can't get enough of those Alps!