My Birthday

Yesterday was my 33rd birthday. I told Izabell that all I wanted for my birthday was to sleep in. I asked her to please play in her room if she woke up before me. Well, she did. Sort of. I heard her come check on me several times, and she played right outside my bedroom door for a while. When I woke up, she came and snuggled with me and said, "Aren't you glad I let you sleep in, Mommy?" She told me she was so excited it was my birthday because she loved cake and presents. I told her we weren't having cake and presents. She looked devastated. "Why not?", she asked. I asked, "Well, did you get me cake and presents?" She looked at me for a while, told me she would go wrap some presents and then left the room. I later went to her room and found that she had wrapped some boxes. Not in Christmas paper, but in Birthday paper. That's pretty significant because I spent most of my childhood not knowing the difference between my birthday and Christmas, but my mom always made sure to wrap my Birthday present in birthday paper. Anyway, I opened up the first box and it was the musical jewelery box Rachel had given Izabell for Christmas. Not an old worn out toy, but a brand new present. I said, "Izabell, this looks just like the music box that Rachel gave you." She said, "Yeah, except I don't have one anymore." That's the best birthday gift I have ever received. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful, thoughtful daughter.

Gingerbread men and God

Izabell and I made Gingerbread men today. I love gingerbread men. They're cute, they smell good and you can dress them how ever you want. Anyway, as I was moving the prettiest one from the cookie sheet to the cooling rack, I dropped him. I said, "OH NO, I broke my baby boy!" Izabell laughed, made fun of me a little and then we went on. But it got me to thinking about the similarities and differences in making gingerbread men and God creating us. Ginderbread men are made up of the same stuff and come from basically the same mold. We are made up of basically the same stuff, but we don't have a mold. We may be similar in shape, but we are all so different. Then I'm thinking about how many I dropped and broke. The difference there is that, when I break them it is purely accident and ruins the cookie. When God breaks us it was all part of the plan and usually ends in healing.
There are many more comparisons that went on in my head, but I am stopping before it gets weird. However, I encourage you to take what you know about God and what you know about gingerbread men and think on it for a while. If you don't know much about baking, get a cook book. If you don't know much about God, get a bible.

I can be so creative. I am still amazed at myself over how great this dresser looks. I wish I had taken pictures of it before I painted it. Izabell, Ben and my mother are the only witnesses as to how ugly it was.
I painted the shelf to match and next, is the toy boxes turn. If Santa brings her the new big bed she wants for Christmas, I will do it, too. Can't wait to get the whole room re-done. This is so much fun it almost makes it easier to deal with the fact that she is growing up.

Preschool Christmas Program

We had our Preschool Christmas Program tonight. If you think getting 40 three and four year olds together to perform is easy, I encourage you to think again. But it was worth it. They were all precious. Izabell got to wear her jammies and sing "Must be Santa". I somehow managed to stay sain and actually feel pretty good about how things went. I even got my picture made with Santa!!!!!!!!!!