"My Birthday".....

I was alittle anxious about this birthday. I would be celebrating the year my sister never had the chance to celebrate, before she went Home - age 37.  She was taken Home 5 months before she turned 37.  Honestly, 36 was very hard for me too because that was the age she was when she became so sick - her children were ages 6 and 3 when she went Home...., the same age my children are right now.  These years for me have been significantly difficult.

As this birthday approached, Jay suggested we go to the mountains for a few days just to get away and have a change of scenery. A dear family in our church had offered their mountain home to us back in the fall when Jay was on sabbatical, but due to several things, we never made the trip. He thought my birthday would be a better time, so we loaded up the van and headed north.

We only had about 48 hours there so we wanted to make the most of our time. However, we had a few glitches along the way....., a wreck in Atlanta made traffic very heavy delaying us by a few hours, and then GPS turned out not to be so "user friendly" on some of the mountain roads!  So, after what should have been about a 3 1/2 hour trip, we arrived safely 6 hours later! The kids did fantastic thankfully, and were so patient which was such a blessing. We finally got everyone settled down for the night about 9:30, and all slept well.  We woke up the next morning and noticed we were all very cold, and it was getting colder. I thought I would wash my face, so I turned on the hot water and it was FREEZING - I mean, mountain water, winter FREEZING. After letting it run for about 10 minutes, I realized that it was indeed not going to warm up. We checked the thermostat and it was falling quickly. We called the owner of the home and told him what was going on, and he said a truck would be out later in the day because it sounded like the propane tank was empty. We waited around until 2:00 that afternoon for the propane truck to come!  Sure enough, it was completely dry. He refilled the tank, but said that they couldn't turn it on until someone else came out to make sure there wasn't a gas leak!  By this time, we had been inside all day wrapped up in blankets - the fireplace was gas too so we couldn't make a fire.  Again, everyone had amazing attitudes which was miraculous, so we just enjoyed being inside as a family. If attitudes had been bad, it would have been a different story!  So, at 4:00, it was determined that there was no gas leak, so the propane tank was turned on and we were warm and toasty.  For all our troubles, the owner was so thoughtful that he made reservations for us at a very nice restaurant downtown for dinner that night!  So, we were finally able to get out and at least go out to eat which was so kind and thoughtful.

The next morning was my birthday. I had not watched the weather so I really didn't know what was going on except it was getting colder. Jay said there was a "slight possibility of snow showers", but I didn't really want to get my hopes up and be disappointed. Well, I woke up and flung open the curtains and was greeted by a winter wonderland!  I was beyond excited, and I turned around and said, "Jay, God has given this gift to me on my birthday, this is for me". I really believed that God, in His most tender way, gave me unexpected beauty and joy on a day that I was expecting to be dark and grey and difficult. I was reminded all day long that it is God, who makes beauty from ashes, and still allows us to experience joy in the midst of heartache, and happiness in the midst of sorrow.  The snow was so fresh, so quiet, so tranquil, so pure - again was reminded of God's redemption of my own sin and brokenness, and that He is allowing me to experience a new year of His grace, as I trust in His purity, His mercies, and His greater purposes for my life.

I received many sweet messages that day, laughed and danced and twirled in the snow, watched the joy in my children's eyes as they had never seen snow before, and thanked God for my faithful and loving husband who shoveled snow off the big hill all afternoon so that we could drive down the next morning. I thanked God for new beginnings. I also thought about my sister the entire day - I still wait for the phone to ring on my birthday thinking that somehow I will hear from her if I wait long enough in the day, but the call never comes.  However, God gave me an unexpected gift on my special day. He was so tender to my aching heart. He was speaking to me loud and clear, yet His voice was so gentle....., as gentle as a fresh snowfall.

our view from the back porch 

he wanted to climb up the side of the hill - he pulled himself up using the roots on the ground 

he made it! 

and Ellison preferred having her toenails painted rather than scaling the hill! 

and this was the scene I woke up to the next morning!!!!!!  It was very early when I woke up, flung open the curtains, and this is what I saw!  Happy Birthday ME!! 

We were not dressed appropriately for snow, and the kids' were cold and wet within minutes, so we made many trips back inside to warm up before going back out. The door was a revolving door all day! 

No gloves for Daddy while he is throwing snowballs! 

making her first snowball 

This girl can absolutely hang with the boys, and she was preparing to throw snowballs right back at them! 

Taking a break to make puzzles and get warm 

Back outside, wearing my scarf this time - and loving every minute of the snow! 

A wonderful birthday present for me! 

Tasting snow, wearing my gloves this time! 

She tasted snow and gave it a "thumbs up"! 

The little mountain town completely shut down for the day due to the snow/ice, and people not being able to get down the mountain. We had already been stuck in the house for 2 days, so after a few hours of hard snow shoveling (thanks to Jay), the hill was clear enough for us to drive down it. Once we got down the hill into the town, we found literally one tiny little pizza joint open for dinner - so pizza buffet for my birthday dinner it was!  The kids couldn't be happier! 

and the next morning, this was the view from the back porch!