Hold on for dear life!! This has been one wild ride!
Merry Christmas our dear friends and family...this year, our "card" is a little different. Between time and funds, this will have to do!! Most of you know where we are in our adventurous life, but for those of you who aren't as up to date, we are back in Maryland; back to our roots and our former life. Not really what we expected, but then again, when does God do what we expect in life? This has been a roller coaster experience for sure. One filled with joy and pain, sorrow and struggle, grief and growth. The pieces are far from put together, but I have a faithful God who has already made the pieces of our puzzle and is working to put them together in His time. I rest in that. Ok, so a little update on us...
Kathryn: she is just shy of 13. Our little Valentine is happy to be back. She is in 7th grade and loves life. She is a true joy to us. Kathryn's heart is full of compassion and full of love for her family and her friends. She is back to Irish dancing and loving every minute of it. She was able to compete in New Orleans in November in the Southern Region Oireachtas with an 8-hand team. And, she is getting ready to start practice for the same team to head to Worlds in Boston! She is getting around these days. We are trying hard to keep up! But it is a joy to try.
Mikey: he is 11. And. Such. A. Boy. He was not so eager to come back east, but he has grown so much for it. We see growth daily in this young man, and it is a joy to watch. He also is full of compassion and love for his family, although he has a funny way of showing it at times!! He is in the 5th grade and is currently playing basketball for our school The Fourth Presbyterian School. He was part of the newspaper club this semester and I think he has really found a love for picture taking. Which would make more sense, cause to get him to actually be in a picture or smile is quite the undertaking.
Gracie: she is 6! I can't believe 6 years has come and gone since this little gift of grace came into our lives. It was through carrying her that I finally and truly understood the Gospel and what grace meant. We are so very thankful for her....she is a whirlwind of joy around here. She is full of whit and her laughter is contagious. She is in the 1st grade and loves school. She throws herself fully into life. She also Irish dances and is just beginning to compete. Keeping up with two Irish dancers in the family, well, lets just say...Mama may have to get a job after all!!!
Michael: we won't advertise his age!!! He is currently working on getting his appraisal license reinstated, which has taken a lot more than we anticipated. But, as always, he has been faithful to get to all his classes and still work for his brother full time, be a husband and a daddy. I will never know how he does it all, but I am thankful for this faithful, hardworking man.
Alisha: I don't think I will say my age either! Well, let's see...we got back into town in June and 4, yes 4 days later I went to work full time in a doctors office! I worked there for three months filling in for two ladies who were on back to back maternity leave. What. A. Summer. Really, it was the hardest summer for our family. So much transition and pain and loneliness, especially for the kids with mama out of the house. But, we survived and I am now back at home full time. Whew!! I will help there when they need it, and am happy to keep my foot in the working door. For now though, home is where we need me to be and I am happy to oblige. These days are filled with laundry, meals, driving, driving, and more driving!! It's my stage of life, and I am trying to savor every moment.
In light of the recent tragedy in Newtown, my heart is ever more prone to thank my God for the gifts of grace He daily pours out. I am so keenly aware that there is NOTHING I can do to save myself; no good works, no good thoughts. He ALONE saves. I read today her blog, and the picture she paints is so vivid. She writes of the snake in Genesis who tempted and won over Eve in the garden to eat of the fruit. The snake was later cursed by God and told that "He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel" (Gen 3:15). She goes on to quote Revelation and the Christmas story that is depicted there (Rev. 12:1-6). She also writes about the neurology of a snake, how when it's head is crushed, it slashes around wildly for a long time. That snake that tempted Eve and caused the world to fall apart, his head is certainly crushed, but we still feel the impact of that to this day. In fact, we will feel the impact of that until the day our Lord returns. Oh, his head is crushed, but the tail still wildly thrashes about this world reeking havoc. We saw that this past Friday. Giving thanks is our only coping mechanism that we have that can right any pain in our lives. Coming to God in humility and thanking Him for His graces, this is how we move on toward Heaven. Many of us have one foot in heaven this day, let's thank Him for His grace and look heavenward knowing that not a hair can fall from our head without the will of God; that all things work together for our good...somehow.
We are thankful today and our list grows:
#268 school plays (KK)
#269 "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown"
#270 "Loosy and Peprmit Pade" (or...Lucy & Peppermint Patty-Grace)
#271 Mrs. W
#272 Friends who listen
#273 Food (Mikey)
#274 my Elf on the Shelf (Grace)
#275 Glow of candles
#276 Provision
#277 Timely words
#278 Church friends (KK)
#279 being able to stay home when my kids are sick
#280 Christmas cards from loved ones
#281 remembrance
Merry Christmas from the O'Halloran family. May God richly bless you this coming year.
