I've noticed that it's sometimes hard for me to remember the little, everyday things that are full of joy and profound meaning - unless I write them down! We've had a gratitude-full and wonder-filled holiday season, starting with seeing family in MI for T-day, and now recently finishing with seeing all kinds of friends and fam around the city and then throughout MN for Xmas and New Yrs. I feel full of bright memories and meaningful moments; a few that I want to be sure to remember include:
- watching Eva tap dance her little heart out with her new shoes, fluffy skirt, (loud) recorder and (hipster) skull cap with the VerHage fam
- opening up our "Petersen Baby May 2012" cookie at Opart Thai
- Eva reading her fave books to herself, and to us, this season (Sergio, Party in Kalamazoo, B-Bears, The Skin You Live In, various Bible stories, etc.)
- Eva playing by the tree like I always did, just to stay close to it
- everyday - but such deeply good - friend time, like making cookies with Danielsons, caroling with Edstroms/crew, dinner with Marxs, soup with Nordlunds, museum with Leah, backyard fire with Bassetts, coffee with Al, late night chats with JR, etc.
- visits to Field and Shedd and Children's Museum in Mpls with Eva, and watching her run to each section with open-hearted joy
- having Bonnie in town for fun and on the run fried rice! - lunch with mom and talking with dad in Rochester
- best peanut-butter choc blossom cookie batch - ever - a la Mom!
- seeing animated lights with J and K in Mpls
- New Yrs party fun with mustaches, karaoke, and good friends
- SS Advent series with various music, space to listen, and hearing tender/wise thoughts from others
- Eva getting into the season by dressing up as Santa Lucia, playing her first part in a play as a little angel in the church Christmas story, and attending Santa Lucia at the Swedish museum - insisting that we walk with the mile-long parade of candles and lights together!
- watching Eva play fox and goose through snow trails with Gramps, and get out old Barbies and use homemade playdough with Grammy
- Little Town of Bethlehem at NPCC = unreal!
- Eva's preschool "concert" at her "PBS school" under the arched stained glass windows and twinkling Christmas lights
- seeing Eva delight in carefully crafting paintings, picture frames, sticker pages, etc. as gifts for others; and picking out a sweater that she loved to give to her dad
- long lunch with Molly and Eric, enjoying so much in common and so much to learn from each other
- playing with Joey (and Jeanne and Paul!), in their sunny, warm and beautiful home
- brunch with Satte and playing in the freezing cold car with Eva ("Now Sarah, you and mom are the girls and I will be the mom that drives us to the museum exhibit," says my three year old!)
- getting jeans that fit and discovering body sugar scrub for dry skin!
- Christmas Day night darts with Bo and Megs, Josh ("Have I seen you since Thailand?"), and having a Bruce sighting :)
- date night with Peter at Zzest, great long car drive conversations, and laughing a lot
- Blue Nativity night, with "The baby Jesus was just light, mom!" and "Why didn't the camel try to eat me?"
- Eva playing baby Jesus with me as Mary and Peter as the manger
- night out for just our family of three, shopping at Red Balloon, getting hot cider at Cafe Latte, and skipping up the sidewalks while singing in the frosty night air
- reading the Christmas story over and over and over to an eager listener/questioner at her bedtime
- drives and chats in the minivan while on the way to Owatonna, the airport, and around town with my fave Seattle family members
- walking around my home town and seeing the old/familiar and the new/surprising with equal delight
- Eva asking, "Mom, does God love monsters too?"
- driving while watching E dance to the music in the back seat, singing her heart out, along with "Do You Hear What I Hear?" - and then knowing she will always crescendo to a loud finish, with her arms flung wide open, "He will bring, us, goodness, and LIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!"
