The Nephew's Birthday

He's 12!!

It's hard to believe.

My first nephew.

The first one to be spoiled LOVED! :) 

I saw him before he was 24 hours old......and I immediately fell in love with him. 

His bright bright eyes. His long fingers. His tiny little nose. His unique ear--that is now totally normal. :) 

I stayed with my sister for week after he was born. Just to spoil him--because my sister said "she didn't need any help!!" Whatever. I didn't care how it was said, just so long I got to hold him. :) 

I remember him as the long, skinny baby screaming at his mother and I as we tried to get "just one cute photo"....{okay, so it really was more like 50!}....*sidenote: After many many photos, he is turning into quite the pro at posing for photos! I'm proud of him. :)

Now he's growing up. Actually he's been grown up for quite awhile now. He always was a mature kid. 

And then life made him grow up faster than I would have liked to see. 

But he's a sweet kid!! :)

Compassionate. A perfect big brother---always looking out for and protecting his little sisters. Generous. Kind. Creative. Smart. Funny. A soccer player. A warrior for Jesus.

I love my nephew!! :)

We continued on with the tradition of letting the birthday person decorate the cake. 

The little sisters were kept preoccupied with decorating cupcakes.

This made for less arguments over who got to be in charge of decorating the cake....and for less hands trying to all decorate a 9x13 cake at once! ;-)

In keeping with Dutch tradition, the kitchen was decorated the night before the big day...after the birthday boy went to bed. A birthday banner was hung. And balloons were decorated and hung. 

All by his adoring sisters. :)

{A special thanks to the dear friend who started this tradition! You are remembered! And missed!!!}

The finished cake. 

A soccer/football field :)

The best part...in the eyes of all little birthday people....the gifts :)

Opening a gift from his little sister...of things taken from her collection of "special things".

[What a generous girl she is!!]

Happy Birthday!! 

May God give you strength, grace and His peace as you face the coming year!

Communion

communion

kəˈmjuːnjən

noun

1. 1.

   the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially on a mental or spiritual level.
2. 2.

   the service of Christian worship at which bread and wine are consecrated and shared.

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   Ever since 2010, every time I partake in a Communion service my mind goes back to Nepal.

   That gorgeous country of beautiful mountains and terraced rice fields.

   And l.o.n.g. swinging bridges!!! :-)

In my mind I go back over that long BUMPY truck ride up the mountain to that tiny little apartment.

The one room apartment that serves as a kitchen, a dining room, a bedroom for 3 single missionaries, a church, and a meeting house.

 I picture the rice mats spread over the dirt floor. 

I feel the texture of the manure painted walls.

 I smell the smells of Nepal.

I miss that place.

The memories made there weren't all pleasant. 

But we look back on them now with fondness. 

It was a GOOD trip. :)

One of my favourite memories of those 10 short days was worshiping with my Nepalese brothers and sisters in Christ. I love being in a worship service where Christ is glorified in more than one language!

The faith of these Christians challenged me.

It still does today!

One of the highlights was being able to partake in a Communion service with the local church.

It was slightly different than the Communion service I attended last Sunday.

But the Presence of God was definately in that tiny one room apartment!

I will not forget the eagerness on the faces of all who came to that service....they were so eager to learn something new about Jesus!

The singing......

The crackers.....

The silver cup with the "wine"....

The seats of honour.....

Watching with interest at the way they drank from the cup.....wish I could learn that so I wouldn't have to  touch the cup that everyone else did. But, pretty sure that I would drop the crystal goblet for sure then!!

Wonder if in Bible times they ground their wheat/corn into flour in things similiar to what we saw cemented into the porches of the Nepalese houses??

 The chickens that attempted to see "if there was room for just one more inside the house"....

Oh the memories! :-)

 September 6th.

A day I will never forget.

 

Just last year on September 6th I was granted the blessing of missing classes and stealing away to cry, to journal, and to process what I had all been thru in the past year.

 All in one of the cutest coffee shops in Thailand. 

{Did you know that cute coffee shops, coffee, chocolate,tears & great friends are healing? Well, they are.}

Later that day, I was blessed beyond words to be surrounded by some exceptionally caring friends. There is nothing sweeter than being surrounded by friends that genuinely care! {You all go down in my book as heroes!! You know who you are!} 

 

Two years ago on Semptember 6th.....

It was one of the hardest days of my life.

It was the day I said goodbye to my sister.

 

Life hasn't been the same since.

 

They say the pain lessens with time.

{That is debateable.}

 

True, the tears might not be as frequent with the passing of time.

[But they are still there.]

 

Came across this quote again recently,

"I'm holding on for the day when Jesus wipes ALL my tears away."

Yup, that's me! :-)

What a day that will be!!!!

 

 

 

This year, I went out to watch the sunset over the lake.

I picked up a hot apple cider from Timmies. {The drink that my sister and I used to sip at to pass the time while we were in the hospital.}

It was good to have some time to think.
I was reminded how my sister and I would go out to the lake when we were younger. Oh the chats we would have. :-)
I miss those times.

I miss picking up the phone and calling her........just to chat.

                      Yellow goldenrods

 I remember a few summers ago when large bouquets of these weeds graced my sister's kitchen table....and the kitchen cupboards.....and any jar that was empty in the house. :-) My nieces loved to give their mommy flowers. And she loved to accept them as if they were a bouquet of a dozen long-stemmed roses!

 She was a good momma!

 

 

 

 

 

 "grief is life the ocean; it comes in waves, ebbing and flowing. sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. all we can do is learn to swim." ~Vicki Harrison 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So maybe I wasn't alone after all.

I've been thinking about "my" kiddos over in Cambodia lately.

Maybe it's because a year ago I was excitedly

{and somewhat nervously!}

 preparing to spend 4 months in Asia.

 

What an amazing [though not all easy] four months they were! :-)

How I miss those dear friends!!!

 

I threw these random photos of my dear friends together

and added Sara Grove's song

"I saw what I saw".

[the song rights belong to her]

 

My wish is that each one of us would be inspired to see God in those around us.

And that we would not forget the things God has taught us.

May you be inspired to love with God's love and to dream God's dreams.

 

Gift #283: a handful of weeds.....from an adoreable little girl at the daycare....

 

{These weeds reminded me how my sister used to be so delighted with the many [MANY!] handfuls of weeds that my neices would give to her--almost ran out out of cupboard space to display them on! Yet she always fussed over how beautiful each 'bouqet' was! :-) She was a good mom.}

 

 

The little brother is...married!!!

Here are just a few photos from the big day:

 

the lovely bride

the handsome groom

the bridal party....who cooperated very well especially considering the VERY cold weather!! 

 

And the best for last.....

my adoreable neice

 

All photos copyright of Krista Roth 2013

 

 

I [should] could have been decorating a cake today

....had life been different.....

 

Instead, I am left to wonder what type of birthday parties Jesus throws

???!!!???

Do they even celebrate birthdays in Heaven?

Maybe you are celebrating by spending time with your sisters there.

 

 

I wonder what type of cake I would have had to decorate this year

Black forest cake?

Chiffon cake?

A fancy cake?

Or a crazy fun cake?

 

I wonder what your personality would be like by now, Bro......

Would you still like to tease and joke around?

Wonder what career you would have decided to pursue....

What would your life goals and dreams been like?

Would you have been married by now?

Would you be a big Maple Leafs fan like your brothers?

 [If so, you probably would of celebrated your birthday here watching the game tonight!]

 

So many questions....

Life would have been so different....

My little human brain can't make sense of it.

 

But THIS is the way that God intended life to be!

[Life IS hard].

But life is good.

GOD IS GOOD!!!

 

*But my human heart still kinda wishes I could send a birthday wish to Heaven.....

I miss you, Craig!