It's Cold!

I checked the weather sometime in the middle of the night last night (I had one child with a fever and another with growing pains - thankfully they each took turns needing me) and it said it felt like -39 degrees!  I wore snow pants to pick up the boys from school and that helped.  I am very happy for my in-laws who are currently enjoying sunny California with family.

Lily-Anna has an ear infection as well as a cold but she remains in pretty good form.  Kohen is over his cold but my cough is hanging on.  Thankfully we were all well enough last Friday to go to Legoland at the Vaughan Mills Mall.   The boys had a PD Day so Graham took the day off.  The tickets were a Christmas gift from Graham's brother and family.  It wasn't very busy and we had a great time.  As an added bonus, I was even able to find new bedding at the mall for the boys' room that all of us actually like.  Kohen had been using a comforter from my childhood and Isaac was not sad to say goodbye to his Thomas the Tank Engine comforter. 

The biggest news this month is that my mother had hip replacement surgery on her left hip.  This was a total answer to prayer.  She was told that she would have it done in June so a number of people were praying that she would get a cancellation in January.  We celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday, January 5th and the call came Monday morning to be at St. Michael's Hospital by 2:00 that afternoon to be admitted for pre-op as the surgery would be the next day.  She was back home after lunch on Wednesday, 24 hours after surgery.  She still has a lot of pain but she's making progress.

I didn't mention it in my last short post but Isaac enjoyed his science birthday party with friends in December.  I've let Isaac know that I would like to try to do his birthday party at the end of November next year as I find fitting everything into December is quite challenging for me.  We'd still have an extended family birthday meal in December as well as celebrate on his actual birthday.  Now, I need to start thinking about Kohen's birthday party in early March.

Here are a few conversations that occurred in December and January:

Isaac runs to me in the morning after reading his daily Bible chapter.  I forget the exact verse he read.  He said, "Mommy, it says that women are not in authority over men.  So, you are not in authority over me."  Wrong!  We had a little chat.

**

I was putting Lily-Anna into her car seat.

Lily-Anna: We can't give Josiah hugs.
Me: We can ask Jesus to give him a hug for us.  Would you like me to do that now?
Lily-Anna: Yes.
Me: [I asked]
Lily-Anna: Josiah can't give us hugs.
Me: No.  But, one day ...

**

I was passing by the baby section at the grocery store.  I asked Lily-Anna if she wanted to see what we used to buy for Josiah.  I showed her the food Josiah liked and she said, "I want a hug from him."

**

I heard Kohen talking to Lily-Anna in the kitchen.

Kohen: [In a slightly angry voice] I only gave you one candy because you grabbed it.  And that's grace Lily-Anna!

**

I could hear that things weren't smooth sailing in the living room.  Lily-Anna ran to see me in the kitchen:

Lily-Anna: Kohen said he's not making water for me.
Me: I know.  Were you being kind?
Lily-Anna: No.
Me: People don't want to play with you when you're unkind.
Lily-Anna: I'm going to go and say sorry. [She runs to the living room.]

Lily-Anna returns quickly saying, "Kohen kicked me."

**

Lily-Anna talking with me before she went to sleep:

Lily-Anna: Where Josiah is?
Me: With Jesus.
Lily-Anna: I want a hug from him.

I'm thankful that Lily-Anna likes hugs. 

**

This month I enjoyed read Lysa Terkeurst's new book It's Not Supposed to be This Way as well as Bob Goff's book, Everybody Always.  I started to read Everybody Always (love everybody all the time) to Graham but it was due back at the library so I'm waiting to get it out again.  I also browsed through The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie and tried to get a number of the books she suggested from the library.  I've finally joined the Waterloo Public Library (I'm already a member of the Kitchener Public Library) so that I could access some of the books on the recommended lists.  The first one I started reading to Isaac was "Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat."  We loved it but I couldn't resist reading ahead so then Isaac also finished the book himself.  I think it would have been more fun to read the whole thing together but I am finding it challenging to find the time for read-alouds, especially if it is one for only Isaac.

Our small group Bible study started up again this month.  We are studying the books of Jonah, Joel, and Amos.  I was reminded again how great The Bible Project videos are.

It's time to post and then try to add some photos.

Thank you for any prayers, especially for my mom, that her pain would be alleviated and that she would have increased mobility.

Blessings,
Elizabeth

Psalm 34:8
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!  Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!