Merry Christmas! Since I didn't include any personal, get you up-to-date information in our Christmas card this year, I will take this opportunity to do our virtual Christmas card "insert" ;).
We received a card several years back from a friend of mine that has always stuck with me...I have thought of it and referenced it every year since and will use the concept here. I think it was so meaningful to me for two reasons: I love hearing (and singing!) Handel's Messiah, For Unto Us a Child is Born, and because I love reflecting on how our Awesome, Great God meets us just where we need him to in very intimate and personal ways. This past year, our family has felt God's presence in mighty, big, incomprehensible ways and also in the "ordinary" everyday motions of life. In talking about what Christmas is to Grady, we have been reminded again of who the baby in the manger came to earth to be...
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
Wonderful Counselor...
We have been humbly forced over this past year to allow Christ to be our Wonderful Counselor. Not that He wasn't already, but we are learning how to daily, hourly, even minutely, intentionally allow him to counsel us and guide us. In the first half of the year, this was manifested in the ways we were preparing to become a family of four and in the ways that we chose to parent Grady; parenting a 2 year old alone requires a Wonderful Counselor ;). In the later half of the year, this has been manifested in our care for Henry.
Mighty God...
We have been flooded with evidence of God's might through all of our friends, family, acquaintances, and even strangers pouring God's strength, love, comfort, and care on us in very tangible ways. We have felt His might and are comforted in knowing that He can do anything!
Everlasting Father...
These two boys bring abounding delight and joy to our lives! And to think that Christ takes even more delight in us, and Grady and Henry, as children of God, is simply amazing! Even in our lack of faith and moments of doubt, his love has remained steadfast.
Prince of Peace...
In the midst of all the chaos and turmoil of our lives and this world, God remains our sufficient peace. It is in Him that we find rest. We have experienced difficult trials and conversations, yet Christ has provided a peace "that surpasses all understanding."
Hoping that Christ will be all of these things to you and your families this Christmas Season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
We have had a fun month full of celebrations, family, and friends, and it isn't even Christmas yet! So much more to look forward to. We finally got our tree up and decorated. We let Grady put on the first 2 ornaments--one for him and one for Henry. I found his favorite one from last year, a yarn reindeer, that he put on as "his" ornament. The one he put on for Henry was a new one this year...a dear family friend actually gave it to Grady because he loves trains and the book, "The Little Engine that Could." He often whispers, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!" when going up a hill or doing anything that is a little difficult. Together as a family, we thought that this would be the perfect ornament to put on the tree for Henry this year. He is our little fighter, and has such a big mountain to climb ahead of him. But we all "think he can!"
We celebrated Cousin Bea's third birthday at the Tilden Christmas "Merry-Going-Around" and had Christmas movie night at Malin's, where the two ate pizza together, watched Curious George Christmas and ate popcorn and chocolate M's, made thumbprint Christmas lights, took a bath, and jumped on the bed! Those 2 little monkeys! We have opened a "door" to our Advent house most (I have to admit I skipped some) mornings to a little surprise...Grady collected pieces to his very own nativity and we have had many fun activities and crafts to do to prepare and learn about Christmas (I had so many hopes, ideas, and intentions to be more creative with this, but I simply didn't have it in me this year to execute! Next year I suppose...). We have had "Elf" the Elf come live with us this month...again, maybe next year "Elf" will be a little more on top on it and creative ;). And we have already seen Santa twice! He came to Nana and Papa's the other night (photos to come soon) and we saw him at the grocery store today! As much as G has obsessed over Santa this past year, you can imagine, he was a little star struck...not scared, but hardly made a peep and wouldn't look him in the eyes! He was mystified! We are really looking forward to next week!
Henry update...We have been back to CHO, to our pediatrician, and back to Stanford since my last post. We saw a different doctor last week at Stanford that John and I both felt more comfortable with. He has been there doing transplants for 18 years and is very well respected in his field. He didn't really have anything different to say, he just said it in a better way. His plan is to settle on a medication plan that keeps Henry stable and thriving as long as possible. He did say that it is very likely that he will need a heart transplant, sometime between 6 months- 2 years, but that it was hard to put a time frame on anything. Will you please join us in praying for a miracle...that God would heal Henry completely, and that in the meantime He would prepare our path ahead perfectly. Thank you so much.
