There were squeals of delight and surprise from all around...

And after a few short moments of gift-wrap flying...the kids were hard at work playing with their loot!

At the start
He was there
He was there
In the end
He'll be there
He'll be there
And after all
Our hands have wrought
He forgives

Oh, the glory of it all
Is He came here
For the rescue of us all
That we may live
For the glory of it all
Oh, the glory of it all

All is lost
Find Him there
Find Him there
After night
Dawn is there
Dawn is there
And after all
Falls apart
He repairs
He repairs

Oh, He is here
With redemption from the fall
That we may live
For the glory of it all
Oh, the glory of it all

After night
Comes a light
Dawn is here
Dawn is here
It's a new day, a new day
Oh, everything will change
Things will never be the same
We will never be the same

Oh, everything will change
Things will never be the same
We will never be same

-lyrics by David Crowder-

So much of life passes us by with a blink and a nod. Very little acknowledgment beyond the catalog of events we try to maintain. We have so much going on...so many different plates spinning up in the air...different relationships...different activities...different encounters. We are speeding along this fast-track of life...trying to keep our heads above the water and maintain some sort of semblance of peace. But what do we treasure up in our heart? What do we ponder? What do we take out...when all is still and quiet...and reflect upon? What do we examine and recount to learn and grow from?

But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

Here is Mary. Just a simple young girl who had lived most of her days in humble deference to what society had dictated. Suddenly, that quiet, peaceful existence is replaced by.the divine intervention of  heralding angels..an immaculate conception...a surprised wedding...an unexpected trip...a subdued delivery...the arrival of breathless and excited shepherds...and a completely different purpose in life than what she had ever dreamed for herself.

What would this mean for her as a mother...what immense joys were up ahead? What excruciating trials would she endure? What role did she play in the grand scheme of this drama?

Our lives will not have the same divine disruption. We are not called to the same joys and burdens that Mary endured. But in each of our lives God has disturbed our simple...quiet existence. He has intervened into the monotony of our world and drawn us into the divine. If we look back over the landscape of our days...we too will find those little nuggets of treasures. Times that God showed us a glimpse of His plan. A peek at what He has set apart for us, specifically, to fulfill. An awareness of His presence. A display of His grace. And perhaps even a piercing of our hearts...followed by the comfort of His hand. 

Mary was surrounded by different voices...angels...shepherds...Joseph...Elizabeth...Anna...Simeon...but she did not allow those to become confused and then discarded. She stopped...and pondered. Treasured. Mulled them over. Meditated on each of them. Making a memory in her heart that she could return to. Empowering her to obey even through the toughest of circumstances. 

What is it that we will treasure up in our hearts? Being specific to take note of the presence of God in our lives...how will we recollect upon them? We...like Mary...cannot see what lies ahead. But we do have the treasures that would embolden us to walk confidently in the knowledge of His faithfulness. 

Treasure all these things up in your heart.

It was a super fun day with special friends!

Sadly, it was in the middle of our horrible bout with the flu.

Jackson spent that entire day in bed - missing out on all the fun activities...

and then...we passed it on...till everyone in the family had their turn.

 After two full weeks of being cooped up inside the house, 

the kids were more than ready to head for a holiday homeschool party!

They played games...made Christmas ornaments...and created a graham-cracker-Nativity scene.

Having spent two weeks in the house also put me scouring Pinterest for ideas we could create at home!

I'm not normally too enthusiastic to pull out the scissors and glue...but these fun crafts were actually a blast.

Amy has since informed me that there are actually families that craft ALL year long...not just on Christmas! 

We are obviously NOT that family!