We're having a baby ...

Outside the Royal Botanical Gardens

... GIRL - at least that's what the ultrasound technician thinks and she sounded very sure of herself.  I suspect a little girl is going to change the dynamics of the Faulkner household.  I guess we'd better figure out how to take care of a girl.  It's both exciting and scary.  It was reassuring to hear the technician say that the baby's heart and everything else looked good to her, though of course the photos need to be seen by a radiologist.  I still feel fine and I don't feel the baby so it was nice to hear that she was moving all over the place and is the right size for our due date. 

December has flown by faster than all the other months.  Early in the month we visited the Royal Botanical Gardens and enjoyed a train ride and a walk in the woods.  We then went to the annual memorial service at the Coping Centre during which we hung an ornament with Josiah's name on an outdoor Christmas tree.  Isaac always gets to pick the tree.

After Isaac's birthday party I crashed but I think it was a success.  The boys all seemed to have fun.  I think it was the morning of his party that he told me it would be fun to have a knight-themed party.  I let him know that he would enjoy his Paw Patrol party - and he agreed that he would.  :)  He still loves Paw Patrol.  We also had a family celebration for Isaac as well as a birthday celebration for my uncle.  It was wonderful that my cousin could be here from Switzerland for the celebration.

On the train at the Royal Botanical Gardens

Isaac has recently switched his attention to knights.  We were able to find a castle and some catapults on Kijiji for Christmas presents so he was excited to open them.  He's also been busy creating with his Magformers and Lego.  Kohen often wants to do whatever Isaac is doing but he also happily discovered an airplane and a bus under the Christmas tree along with other fun gifts, so the boys are certainly not wanting for toys.

We had a lovely Christmas, celebrating with my side of the family during the day of Christmas Eve and then we spent a few days with Graham's parents.  For the third year in a row we visited

Hanging Josiah's ornament on the tree

a Christian Reformed church on Christmas Day.  I enjoy being in church on Christmas as we always had a service when I was growing up but since Josiah passed away, it's a tradition that also helps me think about him.  Thankfully Christian Reformed churches also like to open on Christmas.

I think my desire to be in church also relates to something said in an online interview with J.C. Sproul Jr..  He was asked why he wanted to be in a church worship service hours after his wife's death.  In the following answer, he gave three reasons saying, "I wanted to be where the gospel was preached.  We have a tendency to treat the

Early morning reading

gospel likes it's a separate thing from our lives but when our lives touch death, now you need it ... and I wanted to be with God's people.  The third reason is a little odd.  It is my conviction, when we come together for worship, that when the Saints gather on the Lord's Day, the church militant is lifted up by the power of the Holy Spirit to join with the church triumphant.  So, I wanted to be with my wife."  I haven't tried to think about this belief Biblically or theologically but I like the picture of me singing and worshiping God from earth while Josiah is worshiping Him in Heaven.

Tonight we will ring in the new year, though I'm not sure if we'll be awake or asleep when the clock strikes midnight.  The boys will be asleep.

Merry Christmas!

Both Graham and I visited the cemetery today.  It was nice to be there once more in 2015.

I am thankful for 2015 and looking forward to 2016 and all that is to come.  We need His wisdom every day.  We are thankful to know that Josiah is with Jesus and we will see him again one day.

By the way, I of course ordered Christmas photo cards too late so they will be arriving late.  Thanks for your prayers.

Happy 2016 to you and yours!

Blessings,
Elizabeth

 

Mommy and her boys

Daddy and his boys