On
Tuesday, November 8, we had the long-awaited visit from grandma. The husband
and I had decided that we would keep the visit a surprise for the boys. As the
date approached, I was very excited myself and wanted to put something on our
calendar and give the kids some sort of hint (this is why you should never ask
me to plan a surprise party for anybody). So, I decided to tell them that on
Wednesday morning, we were gonna have a Breakfast Party.
Keeping it all a surprise was a little hard, specially when we brought in a queen mattress someone had lent us. 'Who's coming, mama?' 'who is that for?' To which I limited myself to just saying, 'well, I have to move around some things in the house, and I need it for something I'm working on.'
Anticipation, the waiting for something that is to come, is for me one of the most uncomfortable feelings. There is the part of it that waits in excitement; there is also the part that waits in dissatisfaction; there is the part that waits in fear of the unknown.
As dinner approached, and we talked about the upcoming Breakfast Party, I told the boys that there would be a surprise at breakfast the next morning. Something very fascinating happened. David looked up in excitement, and asked 'what is it, mama?' and I jokingly replied, quoting one of our favorite books, 'The surprise, is a surprise.' He laughed, and then his face lit up and said, 'I KNOW! Santa is gonna come!' I couldn't help but laugh a little because Santa has never been part of our household stories, so why he was even thinking about Santa and why this would bring excitement was far beyond me.
And then, it quickly deteriorated. First, he got really concerned about the fact that we do not have a chimney, so how could Santa come in. Then, I don't know exactly this happened, but next thing I knew, I had a boy crying over the fear that a strange man was gonna come and break into his house.
Managing to get the boys in bed in the midst of excitement was a feat, but they finally fell asleep, and then the husband was able to go pick grandma up at the airport. As I waited for them, I watched the US election unravel, and kept up with people's takes on these changes - the hope and loss thereof that the results incited.
The next morning, David got up and ran into grandma in the hallway. He just stared, got a huge smile on his face, and started screaming 'DANIEL! DANIEL COME HERE!' They ran up and down and celebrated the surprise that far exceeded their expectations. We've had a great time during these past few weeks, and are getting ready to say (sadly) goodbye and let grandma go home. As a way to end her trip, we decided to go ahead and decorate for Christmas yesterday. So, the season of Advent has officially starting here... I love this season. It reminds me that God is faithful: He promised. He fulfilled. He has promised. He will fulfill.
 |
| Setting up the Nativity Scene |
 | |
| Baked goods prep |
 |
| Putting up the tree with papa |
 |
| Enjoying the tree and some grandma reading time |
I start this week thinking of these quotes and verse:
"...Ask the questions that have no answers.
Invest
in the millennium. Plant sequoias.
Say
that your main crop is the forest
that
you did not plant,
that
you will not live to harvest.
Say
that the leaves are harvested a
when
they have rotted into the mold.
Call
that profit. Prophesy such returns.
Put
your faith in the two inches of humus
that
will build under the trees
every
thousand years.
...Practice
resurrection."
-
Wendell Berry, Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front
“Hope waits but does not sit. It strains with eager anticipation to see what may be coming on the horizon. Hope does not pacify; it does not make us docile and mediocre. Instead, it draws us to greater risk and perseverance”
-
Dan B. Allender
"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure..." Hebrews 6:19
