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Monday, January 29, 2018

Ordinary Winter Days

A glimpse of life for our family these last weeks - or months - some of these are before Christmas.


First snow excitement.


Daddy's dish washing helper on a Saturday morning.


Winter evenings call for stories.


Our children surprised us with a Christmas presentation complete with a nativity play and music.


Cousins and toe socks.


Christmas Eve game playing.


All I wanted for Christmas is to sit with my husband by the fire. So grateful that Ed is feeling so well these past months.


Strict diets are no fun - especially at holidays, but I tried to supply some special desserts for Ed.


Birthday girls. Is there anything more fun than four-year-olds?


And how did our baby get to two years already?


Finally enough snow for sledding - but my daughter tells me we haven't had a snowman yet.


We took a weekend trip to visit Ed's sister in North Carolina. 


On the way down we stopped to stretch our legs on some of the trails in Richmond along the James River.


Still snowy but a lovely day for January.


In North Carolina we found cousins, a pond, a boat, a raft = hours of boy fun.


Warm enough for a January picnic along the Roanoke River.


Where there were more rocks and water for the boys.

I love looking at these pictures. So much fun, ordinary life; we don't take it for granted. (Though we have bickering and tears and frustration that don't get photographed. Lots of growth still needed at our house.) 

Thanks so much for your prayers for our family. I almost can hardly believe that our family has had such a happy, healthy winter. Ed just finished his seventh round of chemo. Whether it is God's grace, learning to deal with the side effects, or some other reason, it seems that every round gets a little easier. Other than a little fatigue, Ed worked right through the week. So thankful.

And special thanks for your prayers for my infant nephew. Parker will be three weeks old tomorrow. He is making slow improvements with breathing, though he is likely to be in the hospital yet for a while. I don't think we realized how close we were to losing him, and we are so thankful for God's healing in his small body. 

But a long hospital stay is hard on the whole family so please continue to pray for them. My sister-in-law said that she never imagined that you could experience such peace in the midst of a trauma like this. 

Truly God's grace does carry us when we are too weak to walk on our own.
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2)

12 comments:

  1. What great pictures! Iam so happy that you are all doing well, and those children are growing so fast! I haven't posted in a while, but I always read and I'm still praying for you all. Blessings to you..Barb

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  2. That is the verse my mother often quoted and was underlined AND highlighted in her Bible.
    I’m so happy that you’ve had a good winter so far are and living each day to the fullest. I will continue to be in prayer for your sweet family and your nephew too.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  3. Beautiful pictures and wonderful stories behind them. Praying for Ed and Parker. A co-worker gave birth the first week of May, 2017. That would not have been a problem if only the baby had not been due until mid August. He spent the summer in the NICU and had to go to a rehab hospital to learn some skills such as taking a bottle. He finally came home in September and is doing well now, at least as well as can be expected for a baby that premature. They have their own schedules and milestones to meet and he's been doing well with those and with gaining weight. Tell Parker's parents to hang in there, they will get through this.

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  4. I love the pictures and I am so thankful all is going as well as it is for your family. I pray for you all regularly. God bless.

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  5. Please encourage your sister-in-law with this story. Almost three years ago my granddaughter had a stroke at birth and then contracted meningitis. She was in the hospital for 3 months but today is a happy, healthy little girl with only a few minimal reminders of those scary months.

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  6. Love the family pictures!! A Christmas play! So fun, that is the sort of thing I used to 'force' my little brother to participate in! And how DID your baby get to two already??!! So very glad and grateful that Ed is doing so well! Praise and prayers continue. Prayers for little Parker also...fearfully and wonderfully made.

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  7. Wonderful family memories and pictures, Gina! So happy to hear that Ed is doing so well. And yes, the verses at the end ... sometimes I think we just do not comprehend that the Maker of heaven and earth is our Helper. There is no greater power than that. All-wise, all-knowing, all-powerful -- this is our Helper! And even greater, this is our Father!

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  8. Thank you for sharing such wonderful pictures. I hope you enjoyed your visit to NC, that is where I live. :) I am so glad that Ed is doing so well and you were able to take a family trip. I will continue to keep you and your family in prayer. Have a blessed week.

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  9. Gina, I don't know you personally, but have followed you for years. We are singing the most beautiful song in our church choir, and as the lyrics were running through my head this morning, I thought of you. It is called The Lord of the Small, by Dan Forrest. http://danforrest.com/music-catalog/lord-of-the-small/

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  10. Gina, Thank you for sharing your pictures! My father’s motto was “savor the small”, and it came to me as I read your blog this morning. Please know that out here in (much too) sunny California, a Jewish Temple holds your family in our prayers every Friday night...and now baby Parker too. As we say: May you go from strength to strength in quiet grace. I think G-d must love your blog as it brings the sound of whispered prayers from so many different tongues to Him.

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  11. I always love seeing family pictures, especially pictures of Ed & his children around him. Ed is so blessed to have such a loving and happy family to support him on his journey to renewed health. You are all in our prayers. God is great! Let us thank Him for His daily blessings! God bless you all.

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  12. Your honesty is golden. I also am not at my prime when guests are scheduled to arrive. I snap at my family when I feel that they are not pulling their weight. Yes, pride has taken a seat on my shoulder. It makes me so angry with myself when I see the look in my daughters eyes that says her mother is not at her best right now. I know we try so hard to be all to everyone, I found I have had to dial back to entertaining in hopes that I can honor my family with my love and laughter rather than sharp words just to have guests over. Not worth the health and well being of my family. Thank you for sharing. I love following you and your family. You all are very inspiring.

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