Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts

Saturday, December 30, 2023

A Blessed Christmas Season

Some people start their Christmas season the day after Thanksgiving. Not us! We actually wait until about the second week of December, when we go to the Nutcracker, put on by Northern Plains Dance. (Plus, this year, both of us were still recovering from covid in November!) Every year, Faith loves to see her friends perform onstage and visit with them afterward. We have been going to this performance since 2017, and it never ceases to amaze us! It's been so fun to watch the growth of her ballet friends as they take on more challenging parts each year. 

Enjoying the Nutcracker for the 6th year in a row! 

One new thing that I was able to do this year was go to the Lorie Line Christmas Concert. She has been coming to Bismarck for 30 years and I have always wanted to go, but it has never worked out. This year I was going to try to go with my parents, but then decided not to, as by the time I was going to get tickets, it looked nearly sold out. But then a friend of mine asked if I could help transport her grandma (who uses a wheelchair) in our van to the concert. In exchange for helping, she bought me a ticket to the concert! 

I was just expecting to sit there and listen to Lorie Line play the piano, but it was so much more! She and her husband both interacted with the audience quite a bit and at one point, she even took requests. As people shouted out their favorite songs, she wrote them down and then came up with a medley that included several of the songs! The featured vocalist (Jimmy Finch) was a professional opera singer. He even sang my favorite Christmas carol, "O Holy Night". I just might have to make this event a tradition as well! 

Lorie Line Christmas concert - such a wonderful experience! 

On Saturday, the 23rd, Faith's dad came for a visit. She had a nice time hanging out with him and got to open a few gifts. On Christmas Eve, Faith and I went to church in the morning and then the candlelight service in the evening. My sisters met us there, which I was very surprised and happy about! It was a nice service and afterward, Faith and I drove around and looked at Christmas lights. 


Opening some gifts. 

At church for the Christmas Eve service. Photo credit: Tesa Graff 
Checking out some of the Christmas lights! 

The next day, Faith did a video chat with her Auntie Joh in Canada and got to see her two kitties. Finally, it was time for the big event at Grandma and Grandpa's. There was lots of food, fun, and laughter. 

Along with all the people, there was also a dog named Josie (who came with her family from Nebraska) and the Grinch. My brother and his family from South Dakota had also traveled to Bismarck. After a lively gift exchange game, Faith was tuckered out, so we ventured home. 

Gift exchange game. 
Faith's aunties, Tesa and Dawn helping her during the gift exchange game. 
Faith with Grandma, Grandpa, her cousins, and Josie the dog. 

No one will ever know what it took to get that Christmas tree placed there for family photos! 

Dawn and Faith taking a break from all the chaos and then the Grinch shows up. 

Another thing we have been blessed with this Christmas season is the nice weather. It hasn't been near as cold or snowy like last year. In fact, we have hardly gotten any snow at all and the temps in December have been well above freezing. That all changed overnight when half of the state got hit with a major ice storm! We began getting freezing rain overnight and by the time Tuesday morning rolled around, the streets and sidewalks had become a skating rink. Needless to say, Faith did not make it to therapy or her day program! 

That evening, I received a text from my mom asking for prayer for my brother-in-law who had slipped on the ice at their place and cracked his head open. I started praying right away. Thankfully, despite the ice-covered streets, my brother and his wife were able to get him to the ER in record time (good thing they have a brand-new truck with 4WD). My brother-in-law ended up needing stitches and got a concussion, but we are all so thankful that it wasn't worse. 

Look how shiny the ice made our street! 

The next day, the sun came out in full force and the temperatures reached above freezing, which helped to begin the thawing process. By the time I took Faith to her day program, the no travel advisory had been lifted and things had improved immensely. Another thing to be thankful for was that our power didn't go out, which happened to many people in the southeast part of the state. 

On Friday after taking Faith to her day program, I met my sister, her husband, and one of their sons, along with my parents, for lunch at the Pizza Ranch. That evening, my sister and her boys came over for one final visit, during which we played a fun game of, "Do You Really Know Your Family?" Faith had a blast hanging out with her cousins. 

Faith with her auntie and cousins. 

While it's fun to partake in so many events, do the decorating, eat the goodies, exchange gifts, and be with family, let us not forget the true reason for the season. God came to us in such a humble way, through a baby named Jesus born in a stable, and then died on a cross 33 years later so that our sins could be forgiven. 

Not only that, but those who believe in Him are sealed by the Holy Spirit, have full assurance of salvation, and will live with Him for eternity, which is much more than we could ever deserve! This is why we celebrate Christmas - He truly is the Reason for the Season! 


Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours! (Photo credit: Amber Lawlar) 




Thursday, July 6, 2023

Faith's Fun-Filled 4th

Faith and I had the best 4th of July ever! We started the day bright and early to go to the parade in Mandan. We haven't been there for many years, so I was surprised that she wanted to go. I think maybe it was because she heard everyone at her day program talking about it and making their own plans. 

Faith's grandpa went along with us, as well as her auntie Dawn (my youngest sister). Thanks to Dawn's connections with people who live in Mandan, we were able to park the van at her friend's house and then he drove us down to Main Street. Then, thanks to another friend of hers, we were able to enjoy the parade underneath a canopy right in the front row. I could not be more grateful to her friends for making it such so convenient for us!

One reason I was glad not to go to the parade in the past, was all the planning, parking, and walking it takes, not to mention sitting in the sun for almost 3 hours! Someone might wonder why it takes all that just to go to a parade. Mandan has been hosting this parade for 144 years and between 20,000 and 25,000 people come to it. Because of the crowds, parking is a major issue, and gets a little trickier for accessible vehicles because you can't just put the ramp down anywhere! But thankfully, Dawn had it all planned out and everything went very smoothly. In the end, Faith had a great time, and of course she and Grandpa made friends with those sitting around us. 

After waiting for over an hour, the parade finally gets to us on Main Street! 


One of my favorite parts was seeing all the horses!

It was a fun time with Grandpa and Auntie Dawn! 

After getting home, Faith needed a feeding and a bit of rest before going to our next event, a barbecue at Grandma and Grandpa's. There were hot dogs, burgers, chips, pasta salads, and of course plenty of desserts! My niece and her family were there as well and had fun lighting off little fireworks. Not even the rain could deter them. 

Enjoying the cooler weather on the front porch at Grandma and Grandpa's. 

Weatherwise, it was an unusual 4th of July because it was so cool outside. I was thankful for this, as a couple of years ago it was 107 degrees in July. However, it was also a little too cool, especially for sitting outside on the Capital grounds to watch a concert and fireworks. 

In the past, I wheeled Faith out to the sidewalk where we could watch the fireworks from a distance. However, in our new place, it wasn't really possible to do that. So, I asked if she wanted to just go to the capital instead. Not only was there a fireworks display, but there was also a free concert put on by the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra (BMSO). This was the main reason Faith was so excited to go, because one of our friends from church was playing in the symphony. 

After going back home for her final feeding of the day, we got ready to go to the fireworks event. I opened the closet and debated what to bring along. I grabbed a couple of sweatshirts and fuzzy blankets. I would soon find out I wished I had grabbed our winter gear instead! Not only was it barely 60 degrees, but the wind was blowing a bit, too. Plus, the clouds were hiding the sun. But at least there were no mosquitoes! 

My sister came along with us again and we were glad to find an accessible parking spot fairly quickly. After running into some old friends of ours and finding a place to park Faith's chair and our lawn chairs, we hunkered down to enjoy the concert. Everyone around us was bundled up (except for some of the kids, who the cold didn't seem to bother at all!) Faith didn't seem bothered by it either, but she did have the warmest fuzzy blanket! 

Getting ready for the concert to start! 

The Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra gets ready to perform.

The sun peaked out for just a little bit!

Despite being chilly, it was a really nice event. The symphony was fantastic and together with a few singers, performed some really cool music, such as Purple Rain and Let's Go Crazy by Prince, a few songs by the Eagles, and Islands in the Stream. There were also a few songs that celebrated North Dakota and many patriotic numbers as well. 

The symphony also played a United States Armed Forces medley and had members of the audience stand when they heard their official service song. I thought that was really neat!  When the military members stood during their song, the rest of the audience applauded them. A few of my favorite songs the symphony played were Battle Hymn of the Republic and God Bless the USA

Finally, it got dark (which doesn't happen until about 10:15 in North Dakota during the summer) and they were able to do the fireworks display. It really was a wonderful event and I look forward to going again next year. Hopefully it will be a bit warmer, though! 

Faith was so happy to see the fireworks! 



All in all, it was a wonderful day to celebrate our country's birthday and remember how blessed we are to enjoy the freedoms that we have! 

Thursday, December 20, 2018

Our Shining Star

I know I have said this many times before, but I can't reiterate how thankful we are for the Inspire homeschooling group that Faith joined. Not only has she made some wonderful friends, her social skills have improved, she has more confidence, and she has learned a lot in science and history.

Besides all of that, she has gotten to take part in their annual Christmas program, which she absolutely loves. Last year, she played the part of an angel and had a few lines to say. This year, she played the one and only bright shining star. Not only did she get a narration part, for which she had to memorize and say an entire paragraph worth of words, but she got to say the best line of the play, "SO MANY STARS!"

This year's program, Starry Night, Noisy Night, told the birth of Jesus from the perspective of the animals that were present in the stable that night. There were sheep, chickens, cows, and of course a donkey. There were also shepherds, wise men, and angels. Mary and Joseph were there, too. And so was the star.

During practice one day, Julie, the music teacher at Inspire, had Faith say the lines, "and so many stars." (The two previous lines are, "So many sights! So many sounds!"). From that moment, Faith wanted that part. Even though the script called for other characters to say it, Julie generously gave her the part. Faith practiced every day - she knew all the songs, not to mention everyone else's lines. I kept telling her she could only say her lines during the program. I also told her that when there was a duet or solo, she couldn't sing their parts, even though she really wanted to.

At home, she sang the songs beautifully, but during Inspire, she only sang her favorites. At home, she recited all her favorite lines, but at Inspire, she did her best to restrain herself and let the other kids say their parts. I had no idea what would happen during the actual program.

Besides helping her, I had to come up with a star costume for her. One day while out shopping, I managed to find the perfect star outfit - a midnight blue dress with gold and silver stars, complete with a little gold jacket. I also grabbed a black pair of leggings with gold and silver stars because I honestly didn't think Faith would go for the dress. When it comes to clothes, she usually opts for comfort over style.

I also grabbed a ton of arts and crafts items in the hopes I would somehow be able to create a star to mount on her chair. I had no idea how to do it. Pinterest was of no help whatsoever. Apparently turning a wheelchair into a star is not really a thing that people do.  I bought some tag board, a string of gold garland, lots of glitter, a roll of gold wrapping paper, two strings of LED battery-operated lights, and some really cool sparkly gold duct tape.

When I got home and told Faith she could either wear the dress or the leggings (with a black shirt that I was somehow going to glue some stars on to), she surprised me by yelling, "The dress!" Little did she know that she had just made my life a little easier. Now, I wouldn't have to worry about the shirt. She wanted to try the dress on right away and we discovered that it fit her perfectly. We also discovered the black leggings looked great underneath, despite the fact they were black and not midnight blue. She wore her outfit to Inspire the Tuesday before the program. I had also strung some lights through the bottom of her chair. Everyone loved her star look. So far so good.

Faith on stage with the shepherds, angels, and animals
The next day we got to work on the actual star. One of my friends had posted a picture of some Star of David cookies she had made for Hanukkah and I noticed the star was basically two triangles. I figured I would go for it. To my utter dismay, I couldn't make an equilateral triangle. It's harder than it seems! My sister-in-law said I should've used a protractor. Yes, I should have, I told her, while trying to remember what in the heck a protractor is. Math was not my strong suit and I had nearly failed high school geometry.

By this time, Faith was getting quite impatient about this whole star deal. I had to come up with a plan B. I basically used two squares to make the star. The trick was to make sure the star stayed put while resting on the push handle of Faith's chair. Somehow it all came together - the star just had to stay in place during the actual program.

Faith and friends
We had to be at the dress rehearsal at 5:00 p.m. The star looked great, I put lights on the star as well as her chair, and with her star outfit, she looked amazing! The other kids crowded around her telling her how much they loved her star costume. During the rehearsal, she was extremely excited. When it was her turn to be pushed up to the microphone for her narration part, her whole body tightened up, making it hard to enunciate. She said her other line, "So many stars" perfectly.

Faith's star all lit up - along with the candles for Silent Night
By the time the actual program rolled around, she was getting tired. It ended up being a good thing, though, because her body wasn't as tense which enabled her to say her lines loud and clear. She even tried to sing along with her friend, Maddie, with her solo. Maddie just smiled and kept on singing. It ended up being a great program, and even though Faith didn't sing like she did at home, I couldn't have been happier for her. Not only was she our shining star that evening, she is our joyful, sparkly girl all year round!

The entire Inspire group
Faith with her Grandma Deone, baby cousin Marla, and auntie Lisa




Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Faith's Thankful List 2018

In the past when Faith and I have done her annual Thankful List, I would write down the items as she told them to me. This year, I thought it would be fun for Faith to be sitting right next to me so I could show her how to do a blog post.

So here we are again giving Thanks to the Lord for His abundant blessings, which is the whole point of Thanksgiving!

One reason I like this tradition so well is because since Faith has a feeding tube, it's hard for her to get excited about turkey and all other other food that accompanies this special day.

This year, Faith says she is especially THANKFUL for the following people and things in her life:


Good Friends 

Faith has made some wonderful friends at a faith-based homeschooling group she attends once a week called Inspire. 

This year, she invited the girls from her class to the park for her birthday. (It was near miraculous that we had a 60-degree day with no wind at the end of October!) She had such a wonderful time. As her parents, Rob and I are beyond grateful she has found some other kids to connect with and who love and appreciate her. There are 2 girls in particular who have become very special to her and she enjoys hanging out with them.

Faith having fun with her friends on her birthday.
 Her New Pet 

For her birthday this year, Faith got a Betta fish that she named Raymond. He really is a good pet as she says good morning to him when she comes into the living room for breakfast, feeds him whenever she is getting a feeding, and says good night to him after she has read her good night story and is ready for bed. Raymond has even made a bubble nest in his fish bowl, which is a sign that he is happy and healthy. Even though he is just a fish, Raymond has already become very dear to us. 

Raymond and the bubble nest he made in his bowl
Wheel of Fortune 

This show continues to be one of Faith's all-time favorite things to watch. She has probably been watching it faithfully for years. Besides watching it, she loves playing  it on the PlayStation. One thing that is really fun for her is making her own players, based on people she knows in real life. Her goal is always to win the million dollars, which we have managed to do a handful of times. Here is a photo I took of some characters that we made, which included her Uncle Brock, herself and her dad.

Faith loves making her own characters on the Play Station 2 version of WOF
Doing School at Home 

One of the toughest parts Faith had with going to school is battling her startle reflex all day long, coming home completely exhausted, and then having to do it all over again the next day. Even though I was hesitant about homeschooling, I know this was the right decision for her and us as a family.
One thing I love about it is that on nice days we can get her outside and take mini field trips, which is a great way for her to learn and get some fresh air. One of her new hobbies is collecting rocks, so it's fun to look for those with her. Homeschooling has its advantages in the winter, too so that she doesn't have to go outside in the frigid air, which is never fun in North Dakota.

Faith learning about trees out by her uncle's property on a nice fall day
Her Dad 

Faith loves her Dad and I'm so grateful for the special and wonderful relationship that they have. Faith especially enjoys it when her Dad reads her stories and is always making up silly songs and dances to make her laugh. She likes that he takes good care of her and always prays with her, for her, and over her.

Faith's dad in one of his favorite spots celebrating Father's Day at Tim Hortons in Grand Forks

People in our Building - Faith has made some special friends with some of our neighbors (and their family members) in our building and she enjoys getting together with them on a regular basis, including once a month for a potluck and playing games.

Her Grandparents - Faith is blessed to have all four of her Grandparents in her life. Even though we don't see her Canadian grandparents nearly enough, they are only a phone call away! She also enjoys house sitting for her other grandparents and seeing them whenever she can.

Barnes & Noble - this has become one of Faith's favorite places to shop and hang out.

Our Van - Even though it has racked up the miles since getting it in 2011 and the ramp doesn't work as well as it used to, Faith is thankful for a way to get around town!

Doing activities with her mom - As I mentioned earlier, one of Faith's new hobbies is collecting rocks. For her birthday, she received a rock art kit so that she can paint and decorate her own rocks. I love finding these kinds of activities and enjoy doing them with her!
  
Rob and I are very grateful that despite some of the challenges she has faced this past year, Faith is always ready to provide encouragement to those around her. We are truly blessed!





Saturday, September 8, 2018

Summer Highlights

Summer. It sure doesn't last long in North Dakota. And since Faith started school earlier this week, I figured it was a great day to reminisce about the summer we had. In June we took a trip to Fargo and somehow ended up at Tim Horton's in Grand Forks. Faith and I figured it was a great way to celebrate Father's Day a little bit early!



While my brother and his wife were away for a couple of weeks, we went out to their place to check on their dogs for them. Faith loved her new role as dog sitter. She especially enjoyed reading Clifford the Big Red Dog books to them. Besides dog sitting, Faith also enjoyed house sitting her grandparents' house while they were on vacation.



Unfortunately, Faith wasn't feeling the best over the 4th of July so we didn't make it to the parade this year, or any other fun festivities, although she did get to see the fireworks from our parking lot in our building. Later in the week, we made it up to Grandma and Grandpa's so she could see her cousins from Nebraska and South Dakota.


During the summer, Faith was able to get together with a few of her friends from the homeschooling group we go to called Inspire. She loves going to the park with them and having them push her chair around the playground. One day, the weather was even perfect for kite flying. During another adventure, she was able to see her friends perform in a play called "The Girl with the Golden Locks" put on by the Shade Tree Players.


In July I went on the Lewis and Clark Riverboat Cruise to help my Aunt Sharon celebrate her 70th birthday. Then in August, my college roomies came to town for their annual teacher's conference. We always have so much fun catching up with one another!



Between the heat, humidity, and smoke from the wildfires out west, we didn't spend as much time outdoors as we usually do during the summer. Plus, Faith came down with a pretty bad cold in August, which we all three ended up getting.

We did manage to have one last hurrah at my parents' for another family get together. Not only did Faith get to see all of her "big cousins" but her baby cousins, too. Faith even got to see her grandpa's impressive rock collection that he put around their house.



If he ever tried to be cool you might say Daddy rocks, but he definitely brings rocks home from work. Faith started her own rock collection earlier this summer when helping Daddy by the gate on the west side.


We started school the day after Labor Day, which isn't typical in North Dakota but it is kind of nice as the holiday feels like it brings summer to a close. Faith is super excited to see her Inspire friends in less than a month and is already starting to count down the days.



I hope everyone had a great summer! 
We can't wait for fall and all the fun and cooler temperatures that it brings!

Sunday, December 31, 2017

A Fun and Festive December


This December has definitely been a fun and festive one for our family! Normally we don't get too crazy over the holidays, but this year we did a few things that we normally don't do. I have probably mentioned that Faith is in a homeschooling group called Inspire Collective. She has been having so much fun hanging out with other kids and becoming friends with some of the girls in her class. Four of these girls are involved in Northern Plains Dance and this year we were invited by one of the moms to come and check out their performance of the Nutcracker.

We had never actually seen the Nutcracker before and the three of us absolutely loved it! The music, the dancing, the acting, and the costumes all made it a really good production. I'm so thankful we were able to experience it. Who knows, it just might be a new tradition for us!

Faith waiting for the Nutcracker to begin
Having a fun time at the ballet!
The next weekend we had to get ready for the Inspire Christmas program. The kids did a rendition of a play called "The Reluctant Innkeeper" and the music teacher was kind enough to add in a part and a few lines just for Faith. She played the angel who said, "Fear not for I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For unto is born this day in Bethlehem, a savior who is Christ the Lord." Faith put a lot of time and energy into memorizing all the songs and not only her lines, but the lines of everyone else as well! One time after practicing at home, she yelled, "I am the greatest actress in the universe!"

In the days leading up to the program, she kept asking me if I was going to be on stage with her and I kept telling her no. Thankfully, one of her friends got to stand right next to her during the production so she was chosen to get Faith on the stage and make sure she was in the right place for her lines. Faith actually seemed very comfortable on stage and didn't seem nervous or anxious at all. She was mostly excited and had a lot of fun.

Faith was glad that her grandma and grandpa, along with her great aunt came to the program. Her grandparents and aunt from Canada were able to watch it online. Her grandmother said she watched it with "happy tears."

Some of the Inspire kids on stage
Faith in her angel costume
Faith was so glad Grandma and Grandpa came to her program!
 During our time at Inspire this year, I have loved watching Faith grow, mature, and become a little bit more independent. She has made some good friends and looks forward to going each and every week, even when she's really tired or not feeling the best.

After the program, Faith started a 3-week break from Inspire, which she was pretty sad about. She can't wait to get back to it. I for one am glad for the break however, especially in light of the below zero temperatures and all the windchill warnings that have been in effect. It's a good thing we have had some visitors that have helped to pass the time. One of her favorite visitors was the newest addition to our family!

Faith meeting her newest cousin, Malachi Daniel

Rob and Marla hanging out - she thought our remote was a phone!
Thankfully, it wasn't so cold on Christmas Eve, which is when we went to Grandma and Grandpa's. Three out of four of my siblings were there, along with most of Faith's cousins, and her three baby cousins. We didn't stay long but it was nice to see everyone, even if just for a little bit and to get some fun photos.

When we got home, Faith was excited to play with one of her Christmas gifts - the latest and greatest version of Wheel of Fortune on the PS4.
Parents and siblings, including Todd

The 3 of us at Grandma and Grandpa's on Christmas Eve
Faith with her little cousins
My niece Justine and great niece GracieLynn
Christmas Day was extremely cold so we stayed in and opened presents and had a nice dinner, which included a turkey breast, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans w/ feta and walnuts, and stuffing. We also had a nice conversation with our family in Canada.

Having fun with Faith

It just wouldn't be Christmas without a new Tim Horton's mug from Canada!

Last week, I got the chance to hang out with my sisters when we went out for lunch, and even though it was freezing cold outside, we braved the weather to make it to my niece's baby shower. It was a fun time of games, food, and lots of gifts for my great nephew who will be born any day now!


Sister time!
My sister and niece at the baby shower
Faith, Rob, and Malachi
Tonight as I type type this, it is New Year's Eve and once again we are experiencing frigid temperatures. Right now it is -16 degrees with a windchill of -31. Rob braved the temperatures to pick up Applebee's for our dinner and for the rest of the night we're going to be watching our new favorite TV show, Heartland along with Spider-man Homecoming.

It has certainly been a fun and festive December! We pray that everyone has a warm and safe New Year's as we say goodbye to one year and transition into the next.

Happy 2018!