Caught In The Act...

There are moments when we catch our children misbehaving or doing something they should not be doing. There are other moments when we catch our children doing something wonderful, entertaining or just plain funny.  Such is the case here, when Wade walked silently in the back door and heard Colton belting out a song while playing the piano. Gifted with a voice like his sister, Sierra, we are always encouraging Colton to sing. He does not flatter us, but rather gives a sharp, "No" and runs off.  So, as Wade walked in and caught this precious moment, he had to grab his phone to film it.  Colton had no idea Wade was in the house, so he is completely startled at the end. I wasn't home, so I'm grateful to have this little snippet, which always makes me chuckle.....

Colton...caught practicing :) from Sheila Pettit on Vimeo.

And here is a second clip of Colton performing this same song, without vocals, for his 4th grade classmates at school.  Colton is such a complex, wonderful child and I am always amazed by the pure joy he has for absolutely everything he undertakes. His passion for sports, PE and all things competitive is unquenchable, while he also has the kindest heart and the most caring soul, with a love of music that is truly a gift. It isn't easy to perform in front of your peers, so I was very proud of his courage and he did fantastic!

16

His alarm rang at 4:45 AM. Quietly, he krept into the library with a laptop and a camera, to make a priceless birthday gift for his sister Audra, who would be waking at 6:00 AM to welcome in her 16th year.  Watching the video brought tears to my eyes....both for our sweet daughter and the 16 years that have sprinted past and for the tender heart of her loving brother.

Audra 16 birthday from Sheila Pettit on Vimeo.

In Florida...

Almost as quickly as Christmas came, it was gone. The taking down of Christmas, unlike the putting up, always comes with little fanfare and even less help. As Wade and I quietly took the tree down while the kids were back in school, we discussed a post-Christmas fall that my sweet grandmother took and whether I should fly out to Florida, to aide in her recovery. In her 90's, this is her second hip fracture in three years and I flew immediatey back the last time she fell to assist with her long, painful recovery.

After talking through all of it with Wade and the kids, I made the prayerful decision to fly to Florida with my mom to help with my grandma's painful journey.  With underlying cardiac issues, there was initial concern that my grandma would not actually make it through the grueling recovery process. My mom needed to be with her mom and with my dad no longer here to travel with her, I felt it was best for me to step up and assist both my mom and her mom.

We flew into Tampa a week ago today. We have a hotel on the beach in Clearwater...just 10 minutes from the hospital. We wake up each morning to the splashing waves, looking out at the beautiful water in the gulf before heading into the hospital for very long days, spent encouraging my grandma. She has made huge strides in her recovery thus far and I am so proud of her courage as she pushes herself through the painful, twice-daily physical therapy. 

Here's a photo of my mom with her mom, my sweet grandma Love.

And one with me and my precious grandma, whom I love so very much...

Although I miss my family terribly, am missing Colton's 10th birthday TODAY and am missing Audra's softball team playing in CA this weekend, I know that I am right where God wants me to be. I am blessed to be here! I'm praying that my grandma continues to improve and that my final four days here will be a blessing to her.

Happy New Year

As our family hides away from the world in our tree-top cabin these final days of 2011, we are grateful for the past week we've had to step away from our hectic schedules and to-do lists so that we might enjoy just being together. No alarm clocks, no schedules, no TV, no hurries and no pressure. Instead, we've enjoyed late night movies, lazy slow mornings, lots of board games, hot chocolate, the warmth of the fireplace, sledding in the snow, daily walks through the beautiful, cool outdoors and precious, unhurried family time. My heart has been warmed watching siblings huddled together, truly enjoying each other and I woke this morning to the sweet sounds of our sons playing imaginary games. This doesn't often happen at home, where the stress, chaos and hectic pace of our everyday lives diminishes our ability to truly enjoy each other on this same level.

As we get ready to ring in the New Year, we do so with hearts overflowing with gratitude. We are thankful that God wove the friendship and love of so many amazing people into our lives. Many blessings to you and yours in the coming year.  God bless!

Christmas Blessings

It's been so long since I've managed a post, but I've stepped away from the Christmas cheer long enough to say Merry Christmas!

The kids came home from church last night, singing Christmas carols and hymns, bouncing off the walls with the exuberant excitement that only Christmas Eve can bring. Colton, previously 100% sure about the validity of Santa, declared that he was "50/50" this year, which brought a small pain to my heart. Kids too soon grow up.

The morning came early. Wild footsteps, giggles and whispers filled our room as small voices declared the day...Merry Christmas! We celebrated, with great joy, the birth of our Savior after enjoying the advent season, waiting in anticipation for His big day. The weeks of shopping and wrapping were unveiled in mere moments with shreds of paper, squeals, hugs, shrieks and many more hugs. Sierra baked the traditional birthday cake as we gathered around, young and old, to sing happy birthday to our King. 

Peace abides in our hearts and our home, the peace that we find in the birth of that tiny baby who came so that we might truly live. The grace of our loving God, who extends His greatest gift that we forever carry in our hearts.

Christmas blessings and much peace, love and joy in the coming year!