One month old!

Lily-Anna is one month old today.  She is lovely.  The boys are very gentle with her and love to give her kisses and hugs.  She had a tongue-tie fixed and re-did a hearing test which she passed.  She also had thrush and therefore a very purple face for seven days.  She's not always the happiest when nursing but she is gaining weight well and the night feedings are usually good except for the fact that I fall asleep after two seconds and wake up a long time later.  Thankfully our nursing chair is comfortable.

I've never been a fan of the colour pink ... until now.  I now love pink and I'm happy to dress Lily-Anna in pink and have pink throughout her room.  I mentioned this at church on Sunday and another mom said the same thing happened to her when she had a daughter.  I was not expecting this.  I even care that her room looks sort of 'girly'. 

Graham explained in his birth announcement where Lily-Anna's name came from.  Her first name doesn't come from anyone in particular but the first Lily I met around age 13 was a nurse in the rheumatology department at Sick Kids Hospital.  It was my first visit at the clinic so I was no doubt nervous and Lily was incredibly lovely.  Lily is for beauty and Anna is for grace.  May our Lily-Anna use both of those for the glory of God.  By God's grace we have Lily-Anna.  We had a very early miscarriage a few months prior to finding out that Lily-Anna was on the way.  Thus, we weren't sure if we would be able to have another baby.  I only mention this here as a way to honour that baby whom we will meet one day.

Lily-Anna's birth went well.  It was our second easiest birth, after Josiah.  But, one never knows what birth will be like until after the fact.  I was thinking about the curses in Genesis and how even God's punishment is meant to turn us toward God for His help and to encourage us to trust in Him ... as it is all out of our control.  That lack of control is always so evident with a new baby ... though it seems easier to deal with this time as I realize that the different phases will pass.  I was able to use the first-week crazy hormones to cry about Josiah once.  It's interesting how I can have a beautiful new baby in my arms and love her dearly while longing for the baby who will never be in my arms again. 

Isaac had his last day of kindergarten yesterday.  In September he will head to a new school for grade one where he will also start French immersion.  I will miss his small school.  He is growing up so fast.  He loves knock-knock jokes and he has begun asking new questions about how big God is compared to the universe.

Kohen saw a cut on my finger and asked me what it was.  He then said, "Our Father, touch finger.  All better.  Amen."  The boys both like to sing the Lord's prayer (loudly) before some meals.  Kohen started to open our iPad cover.  I told him that we didn't need to use it then.  He responded, "Just checking the time."  He likes to say random numbers and tell me the time and he likes to open books and say things, pretending to read.   Actually, Kohen has been bringing up Josiah.  He was in the van and he asked me, "When go to Siah's house?"  I first thought he must have meant someone else but he said no and repeated his question.  I asked if he meant the grave and he said, "Yes."  Often when he mentions all the members of our family, he will include "Siah."

I came across a blog written by a mother of a daughter with a neuromuscular disorder.  Unfortunately I found it on the day her daughter passed away at the age of five.  The girl's name was Julianna and she was an amazing girl.  I really appreciated what her dad wrote about palliative care in this November 6 post (if you care to read it, you'll have to scroll down to the correct date and then read his comments closer to the middle and end of that post).  We weren't in the same place in many ways but I do wish we had tried to make more beautiful moments with Josiah. I would have put the boys in the bathtub together and had them be together more, I would have tried to find something delicious for Josiah, and of course I would have had more family photos.

Happy Birthday to my oldest nephew and to my cousin whom I think is celebrating in Iceland ... and Happy Canada Day (tomorrow)!  I'll post and then try to find some photos to add.

Thanks for any prayers!

Blessings,
Elizabeth

Luke 12:27
Consider the lilies, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin; yet I say unto you, Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Introducing Lily-Anna Faulkner

Dear family and friends,

God blessed us with a beautiful daughter this morning (May 30) at 9:12 AM.  Lily-Anna Elizabeth Rita Faulkner was 8 lbs 9 oz at birth and was 21 inches long.  Her brothers Isaac and Kohen met her this afternoon, and were instantly enthralled by their baby sister.  They were quite adorable, wanting to hug and kiss her and to hold her so proudly.  

Lily-Anna Elizabeth Rita Faulkner

Lily-Anna's names have important meanings to us.  Lily is a reference to Jesus' words about the lilies of the field neither toiling nor spinning but having beautiful adornment.  It is a reminder of God's extravagant gift of beauty and grace in our lives and of His daily provision.  Anna was a prophetess in Jesus' time who blessed Jesus during his infant dedication at the temple.  She foresaw that Jesus was the saviour of the world. Our desire is that Lily-Anna would also experience Jesus personally and acknowledge His gift of salvation.  Elizabeth and Rita are the names of Lily-Anna's grandmothers, whom she got to meet for the first time today, and who will certainly be a godly influence in her life for years to come. We are thankful for Lily-Anna's godly heritage and want to honour that in her life and names.

Elizabeth and baby are both doing well and we're settling in for the night at the hospital before returning home in the morning. Thanks for all the well wishes and congratulations some of you have already shared.  We look forward to posting pictures and more updates at www.thefaulkners.ca.

Blessings,
Graham and Elizabeth

How many days?

The countdown is on for Baby Faulkner's arrival.   There are actually still four more weeks until the due date but people look at me and think I will go into labour imminently.  I feel great.  Isaac came three weeks early so we are thinking we should at least get a hospital bag ready ... and perhaps choose a name.  Unfortunately, at my doctor's visit last week, my doctor thought the baby had turned again and is in the breech position.  When I see the doctor next Thursday I am going to have an ultrasound to find out for sure which way the baby is resting.  I am certainly praying
that I can avoid a c-section. 

Thankfully the nursery is basically set up, the boys have transitioned to sharing a room with

bunk beds (Kohen is still coming to grips with his new found freedom from the crib), and we have a

minivan.  The purchase took a little longer than we expected but it was an extra special treat to receive it on Josiah's birthday (he would have turned four years old on April 13th if he had lived).  We took flowers to his grave and enjoyed birthday cake at home.  Kohen keeps singing 'Happy Birthday' to Josiah ('Siah') even now.  I have no idea why Kohen never figured out he could climb out of his crib if he wanted to, but I am happy he didn't.  I do miss being able to put him in the crib when he is in need of a time-out. 

Isaac made his first purchase.  He chose to spend his money on a scooter.  He had been enjoying Kohen's scooter, though it is designed for a younger child with two wheels on the front.  I did the research and checked out the reviews and waited for it to go on sale.  He is happy with his purchase.

Isaac enjoyed playing in his second piano recital, this time at a retirement home.  His year-end recital is at the end of May, a day before Baby Faulkner is due.  He knows his grandparents will take him if Graham and I are otherwise engaged.  He loves all of his lessons, though not necessarily his practices (I feel the same way).  We have a new saying that his teacher told him this week:  "It's not hard, it's new."  I really love the Music for Young Children program.  Kohen also loves "playing" the piano, especially when he hits the button that makes the electronic piano play a classical song.  He plays along and laughs and laughs. 

I'm not sure how it came up but Graham and I started talking about an 'iron' (to be used for ironing clothes).  Isaac asked, "What's an iron?"  Oh, it's that thing we've been storing in the laundry room since around the time of your birth five years ago.  You probably won't see it for a few years yet. 

I wondered this week what I would be like if I didn't have anger or fear.  Let's add in a little ambition (i.e. goals) for good measure.  What if I thought less and did more?  Let's give up the criticisms and self-focus while we're at it.  Finally, let me find the key to turn on feelings and keep them on (other feelings than anger or fear).  Oh yes, let's not forget contentment - an extra strong dose.  How would my kids' life change as a consequence?  I wish I could see more change and growth in my life.  I am thankful for God's grace.

I enjoyed reading this article about grief, written by a parent who lost a child.  I guess it went around FaceBook but thankfully my sister-in-law sent it to me, saying she was thinking of Josiah. 

These are three songs that I appreciated, especially around the time when we were waiting to hear about Baby Girl's health: God I Look To You, Be Still My Soul, Oceans. 

We went to a farm to see some day-old chicks today.  Isaac and Kohen were even blessed with a tractor ride.  Farmers certainly work hard. 

Graham and I had a date last night and actually slept in a different house than Isaac and Kohen for the first time since Kohen's birth.  We enjoyed a meal of Indian food, lots of laughter at a performance at our church by The Skit Guys, and we even had breakfast out this morning.  It might take us another two years after Baby Girl is born so I'm glad we made the most of it.  The boys didn't miss us as they were having too much fun with Grandma and Grandpa F. 

Thanks for any prayers.  I find labour and the aftermath with a newborn daunting and challenging.  Actually, my birth experience with Josiah was awesome and the easiest part of life with him:  epidural, sleep, push for 8 minutes, beautiful baby boy. 

It's time for bed.  Lord, I need to figure out how to juggle ... soon. 

Blessings,
Elizabeth

1 Corinthians 15:42-43

⁴² So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; ⁴³ it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;

Happy Belated Easter!

Kohen turns 2!

It is a rainy, windy end to March.  I can hear the thunder as I type.  Kohen's umbrella flew out of his hands and down the road this afternoon when we were walking from the van to Isaac's school.  Thankfully I was able to find it later in a driveway.

Unless Baby Girl Faulkner comes early, I have about two months to go.  The boys are both very excited about this new arrival.  Isaac told me tonight that he can't wait to see her and she'll be beautiful.  One of his piano pieces is a lullaby so he said I can rock the baby while he plays it for her.  Kohen often excitedly exclaims, "Baby sister!" 

Isaac is 40 pounds and in a booster!

Kohen started wearing Size 3 pajamas right before his second birthday this month.  Our doctor said he may end up being tall.   One of his gifts was a cd of Bible verse songs.  The boys started singing along the very first time they heard them.  Tonight during Isaac's Bible reading he heard a verse that is on the cd so he proceeded to sing the song.  The songs are always playing when we are driving so we may need to expand our options soon, though I enjoy singing them too.

Speaking of driving, our wonderful, trusty '97 Tercel died a little earlier than planned.  Graham and Isaac were driving on the highway when they heard bad sounds from the car.  Thankfully they were able to get off the highway.  Graham said that it was a structural problem but we're not exactly sure what happened as we didn't want to put any money into the car as we knew we would be getting a van.  Thankfully we have been able to use my parent's van while we've searched for a van to purchase.  It looks like we have a lead on one now.

We were able to donate our Tercel to Teen Challenge.  They may just be able to get scrap money for it but at least that is something.  It certainly hasn't had any big problems during the eight years we have owned it.  As the tow truck was driving it away, Graham noted that it was the only car that Josiah ever knew.  Thankfully that set off some tears for me as I hadn't thought about that but I can picture him in the backseat even now. 

It looks like we may be able to stay with the Toyota family with a used Sienna minivan.  I am a marketer's dream - very impressionable and easily convinced (depending on the subject matter).  The reason I was thrilled when Graham called me years ago to say he had found a Tercel was because years before I was at my aunt and uncle's home with a friend and they happened to ask my friend what car he drove.  When he told them it was a Corolla, they seemed very impressed and confirmed that Toyotas were great cars.  Well, that was all it took to convince me.  I also like to research purchases and I found a website that gives some vehicles a "Seal of Awesome."  How great is that!?!  Yes, I am ridiculous at times.  Our vehicle may only have the "Seal of Pretty Good" but that should help me be humble.         

Fun times at the hotel

Graham took March Break off so it was lovely to all be together.  Isaac has been asking us since January when we could go to a hotel again and we told him we would go over March Break.  Graham came up with the great idea of going to a hotel close by.  We went to one by the St. Jacob's market with the three main draws for Isaac (a pool, coloured cheerios with breakfast, and tv).  We had fun at the Lego store prior to accessing our room.  Kohen thoroughly enjoyed being in the pool as well and he still brings it up. 

I am thankful that Isaac was able to have an Ice Day (a day off school) last week.  I think kids should have at least one day a year when they wake up thinking they are going to school but find out they don't have to.  We spent a lovely Easter with Graham's parents.  We were even able to spend a little time at the sugar shack watching Grandpa Ray make maple syrup and collecting some sap.

Good Friday

I am fine with the fact that my Christian tradition likes to celebrate the resurrection even on Good Friday but one day I do want to be part of a service in a different denomination that tries to evoke some of the feelings of the original Good Friday that felt like anything but a good Friday.  The resurrection of Jesus changed everything ... because Jesus actually suffered and died ... to save us ... because God so loved the world .... 

A friend let me know that she had signed her son up for a science camp and wondered if I wanted to sign up Isaac.  At first I didn't think we would but then I thought about the fact that Isaac could ride the bus with Graham to and from the university where the camp is held and I thought that would be such a good memory for him.  I knew he would be excited about being at the same university as his Daddy and taking the bus with him and also being with his friend at the camp.  He told me that he and this friend are going to have a lemonade stand all summer.  It brought back memories of Andrew (my brother) and I having a lemonade stand at the end of the path in Cannington when I was small. 

Easter eggs!

I forgot to mention last month that I was able to take Isaac and Kohen out separately for a Valentine's date with Mommy.  Kohen was excited by Timbits and Isaac liked his cakepop and hot chocolate at Starbucks.  Graham and I enjoyed chocolate and a movie as well.

To Kohen, anything can be a skateboard.  He can get on an oven mitt on the floor or a car, etc.  I am hoping to get him a scooter soon as this boy just wants to move.  I had been excited last fall to find a Scuttlebug on Kijiji but he just knows it doesn't have pedals like Isaac's bike.  He always wants to be on Isaac's bike.  I think he will like riding a scooter.

After dropping off Isaac at school in the mornings Kohen always wants to drive.  He can tell if we are approaching home and he says, "Drive, drive."  One day after going on a longer drive and then returning home he still wanted to drive.  He told me to go to Grandma and Papa's house but I said we wouldn't because he was a little sick with a cold and we didn't want to spread it.  He responded, "Pray!"  I prayed for his cold and as soon as I was finished he said, "Grandma and Papa's house."   I love that he knows when to pray.  He is a boy who wants to have fun and move and be with others.  I remember when he was little and he used to wake up in the night or morning and the first thing I would hear would be his legs hitting the mattress as they went up and down, up and down.  If I put him in the crib to discipline him, the first thing he does is jump up and down.  It will be interesting to observe our daughter's personality. 

Isaac and I were talking about his "picture maker" one day (sort of his memory).  He said he can't take pictures of facts but just things.  Then out of the blue he told me that Josiah is and will always be in his mind. He keeps his picture there.

Congratulations to my cousin who married in Northern Ireland yesterday.  May God richly bless you both as you serve and live for Him together.  I look forward to seeing photos! 


I am a person who thinks about what other people think (and I like to be part of controlling that sometimes).  So, I wouldn't want people to think that I think any reader is actually interested in all of these little stories about the boys (apart from Grandparents) but I do think I will be interested in reading them when I am 80 and I also think the boys may enjoy these stories when they are older.  Hopefully they one day see this as a gift to them.

Thanks for any prayers!

Blessings,
Elizabeth

Hebrews 10:14
For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. 

Happy Leap Year!

I can now travel the world as I've renewed my passport that expired in 2013.  The boys can come too as they now have passports.  Graham renewed his in the fall due to some training in the States for work.  I doubt there will be any major travelling any time soon, but it's good to be prepared.  I took the boys with me to the passport service centre one morning.  We obviously don't go to downtown Kitchener very often as Isaac said that it was like Toronto due to all the cars.  There is a special place in Isaac's heart for downtown Toronto.  It reminds me of his Grandpa Lucas.

Isaac told us one day how all of his best friends became his best friends (note: Isaac refers to most of his friends as best friends):  #1 Be friendly.  #2 Follow them around.  #3 Do what they do.  #4 Do more of those things.

In the car today Isaac was pondering what Baby Girl Faulkner will look like and he wonders what her name will be (he's partial to "Salt and Pepper").  Actually, a couple of times he has kissed my big covered tummy and called Baby, "My sweet little pumpkin."  This month we have received a beautiful dress and jumper, a blanket, and a knit sweater for the baby.  After we received the dress Isaac had the following conversation with me:

Isaac: What is she going to wear with the dress Mommy?
Me: I don't know.
Isaac Will she have any of those things that Iris wears?  They are not pants but they are girly things.
Me: Tights?
Isaac: Yes.  

Yes, there will be a few things I need to buy that are not in the boys' clothing bins.

On the way to and from Isaac's piano class we pass the cemetery with Josiah's grave.  Isaac and I always say hi to Josiah or sing our song to him or blow him kisses.  A couple of weeks ago Isaac told me shortly after we passed the cemetery that Josiah sang a song back to both of us and then to him.  The song to Isaac was about what a good big brother he was.  I told him I thought that was a nice gift from God.

We have discovered that there are dangers to not monitoring what Isaac is reading.  One morning at breakfast he told me that the children's book he was reading said, "We need to use nature, be nature, and follow nature."  Okay, let's talk.  God created nature and we need to follow Him!

Bye Bye Soother!

Kohen has been busy growing up this month, through no choice of his own.  I have a list of things that I'd like to see happen before the baby arrives and number one was to say goodbye to the soother.  I gave him two days of warning and then he said good-bye to it in the morning and put it in a bag and chose a stuffed animal that he wanted to sleep with.  Our timing was a little off because that afternoon he ended up throwing up in the car for some reason (unrelated to the soother) so we gave it back to him that night.  We started the good-bye process again later that week (I value closure) and he refused to nap for three days in a row.  Only the first night was a little hard and since then things have been fine.

Now, we are on to potty training.  He's surprised me by doing really well.  We haven't had too many accidents and I haven't had to set any timers like I did with Isaac.  His last diaper rash hasn't completely healed so he is still wearing a diaper during his nap and at bedtime so that I can put cream on his bottom.  I think I'll try to get rid of those too as soon as his bottom is all better.

After toilet training comes being in a big boy bed and then sharing a room with Isaac, both of which will hopefully happen in March.  The boys are looking forward to sharing a room.

One of Graham's colleague's retired today.  The boys and I went and said good-bye.  We wish him every blessing in his retirement.

In January I had an extra ultrasound as the imagining from a previous ultrasound did not show everything.  The ultrasound in January showed a little extra fluid in the baby.  My ObGyn said she had one other patient with this and it had disappeared after a couple of weeks so I went for a third ultrasound earlier this month and it still showed a small amount of extra fluid.  So, I went for an echocardiogram at McMaster with the amazing cardiologist who cared for Josiah when he went to the clinic at McMaster.  The cardiologist said the baby looked fine and he wouldn't even note the extra fluid.  So, we praise God for this news and answer to prayer.  I had two good cries over this and peace in between.   It was a blessing to have a day away with Graham and to be able to thank the cardiologist again for the blessing he has been to our family.

Speaking of crying, Isaac was blessed to be invited to go to the Aquarium in Toronto on his PD Day last week.  He has a wonderful time and I think it's great for him to do things without his parents around.  He went with this same friend to the Science Centre over the Christmas holidays.  For some reason I kept thinking about what if something bad happened to Isaac.  The boys were eating breakfast while I went to my room and bawled after giving him permission to go.  I am very glad we didn't allow my fears to stop him from having his adventure and I hope I won't entertain these thoughts again.  I don't want the boys to be limited because I am scared of losing them.

Sadly, my new record this month is sending Christmas cards in February (sigh!).  I never sent any overseas so now I need to cut off the Christmas message part and just send out the family photo in a regular card.  I am thankful for and always in need of grace.

It is time to say good-night and to thank you for your prayers.

Blessings,
Elizabeth

Isaiah 40:30-31
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Happy New Year!

Making Ebelskivers

We began the new year by enjoying some ebelskivers for breakfast together.  The next day Isaac became sick and ended up missing the first three days of school.  We established a new record this month - three times to the emergency room.  Praise God for OHIP.  Isaac went twice with Graham and I took Kohen once.  We were able to get help each time, though sweet Kohen had to go into the Pigg-O-Stat for a chest x-ray as I couldn't hold him because I'm pregnant.  He was less than impressed.  We are still unsure why Isaac's stomach hurts him regularly but both boys are in good form and we're trying to get Isaac more help.

Sledding with Daddy

We always say goodbye to Graham when he leaves for work and we often sing a "Good-bye Daddy" song as we watch him through the front window as he walks down the road.  One day after singing our song, Isaac turned to me and asked, "Do all families have songs like this?"  He is beginning to realize that we are a little different.

My pregnancy care has now switched from my GP to my OBGYN.  It's nice to see her again and she is a wonderful doctor, as is my GP.  Each week Isaac and I watch a short video that shows what the baby should look like inside me.  I'll be 23 weeks tomorrow.  Around week 10, Isaac informed me that the baby no longer looked like a dinosaur.

Painting

Isaac told me the other day that "ice cream is 1000% sugar grams."  He enjoys playing with numbers. On Saturday he asked me for paper so that he could do his "math homework" and then he proceeded to add and subtract some numbers with joy.  He asked if he could take it to school.

Kohen is a fun boy.  He gets great delight from running away from Graham or I in order to hide on the couch with great anticipation.  He wants to do everything himself and always wants to help in the kitchen.  He now loves to have books read to him.  He also gets joy from moving all the kitchen chairs down the hall to make a train or a spaceship.  The other day I told him that Isaac had gone to the hospital and was sick.  We started reading a book and a minute or so later he turned to me and said, "Mommy, pray Isaac?" and put his hands together.  We prayed for Isaac.  They love each other.

Fun times!

We are enjoying studying 1 Corinthians on Wednesday evenings with our small group.

I need to post some photos and head to bed.

Thank you for your prayers.

Blessings,
Elizabeth

1 Corinthians 1:18
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

Fun with chopsticks

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