Christmas 2013

Well, all the boxes and wrapping paper have been cleared out and recycled so Christmas 2013 is history. We were blessed to have our daughter, son in law and grandson with us for a few days. It is surprising how noisy a house can be with only one two year old in residence! He certainly understands the concept of unwrapping and getting presents but Santa and Jesus are still pretty obscure at this point. We did get to the candlelight service on Christmas Eve but little grandson only made it five minutes into the service before having to “go play with the kids” due to making noise and squirming all over. Oh well, eventually we will teach him the sacred meaning. 

I tried a new chili recipe this year on Christmas Eve, a chicken and white bean recipe with green chilies. We got to decorate Christmas cookies and grandson was a good “shaker” putting all the colored sugars and toppings on after we applied the frosting. He really is a cookie monster though constantly asking for a cookie. We made him a special plate of very small cookies. His mama has a sweet tooth too though so it is no wonder that he does.

It was nice to spend some time with the other Van Courts this year too. On the Sunday before Christmas Myrna had us all over for a lovely meal along with her group from Texas which includes her daughter and son in law and their two daughters and two great grandsons and a grandson and a son in law. Pete our nephew and Steve’s sister Sharon were there as well. The two one year olds are very delightful and entertaining and as different as night and day.

There was just enough snow left in the backyard on Christmas for grandfather to pull Maverick around on the sled. He is much better about holding on this year but still tumbles out every now and then.

On Christmas Day we also got a brief visit from cousin Joe and his lady who we had not met yet. It is always good to make connections with family.

A highlight of Christmas Day was getting to Skype with Phil and his family in Kansas and also daughter Em who was visiting them.  Callie and Maverick got to show each other some of their presents and we got to see seven week old William in his cute Christmas outfit.

Today the day after it all Steve had an appointment but I just stayed in to do nothing at all. Nice. We hurried so much to get the house clean and decorated, I am not quite ready to undecorate and pack it all up yet!

A new grandson!

William James VC came into the world in the first hour of Saturday November 16^th. He weighed 8 lbs and 11 oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. We were in Cheyenne getting text message updates throughout the day into the late night hours from our son. The worst part of waiting was the last hour when the texts stopped for a time because too much was going on. William’s maternal great grandmother, grandmother and two of his maternal Aunts were present at his birth. Everything went well and both mom and baby are healthy.

He was born in Wichita but came home to Salina on Monday the 18^th. Grandmother U stayed all week to help out and we arrived on Sunday the 24nd (Thanksgiving week) for our visit to see him and our turn to help keep the house going while the family gets used to new routines. I was amazed to see their house all decorated for Christmas inside and on the front porch. Kristin said she wanted to get things done early because she was afraid it wouldn’t happen otherwise. Phil has been very tied up at work as his right hand guy left for a new job in Texas. 

Miss Callie my “best girl” was full of energy and seems to be accepting her new “baby broder” giving him lots of kisses and hugs. He doesn’t do much yet though, but when he cries she asks “Why baby broder crying? Grammie and Callie got to hang out in her playroom and play cars and paint and play dress-up. At times her two year molars were causing her pain when she bites into food, but she was liking her popcicles and ice cream!

On the 28^th we cooked up a traditional turkey dinner and both children slept through the dinner so we had a nice quiet adult meal! Steve kept himself busy with various carpentry and installation projects during his time there when he wasn’t helping me find things at the grocery store.The guys hung the train art in the baby’s room which took laser levels etc. He also helped string Christmas lights around the garage and the front door and back deck. I mostly just cooked meals and changed some diapers and held the baby and played with Callie.

On Saturday the 30^th the Urso family came to visit from Wichita. Auntie Daniel had not yet seen the baby as she lives in Texas and was home for Thanksgiving. Baby William got a half bath in a plastic basin while everyone watched.  We had pizza and lots of conversation.

On Sunday the family posed in their Christmas outfits for a Christmas card photo shoot with grandpa behind the camera. William snoozed through the whole thing. 

On Monday the baby had his second week appointment at the pediatrician so we helped get everyone dressed and into the car seats for that. He passed his check up with flying colors now weighing over 10 lbs! He won’t be wearing the newborn size clothes much longer.

Will is a very mellow baby so far. He only seems to get upset when he gets undressed to get his diaper changed. Once he is dressed and wrapped up again he is fine. He does make noises after some feedings like grunting every so often maybe that is his version of fussiness or gas. Otherwise he is looking around or blissfully asleep. None of my babies were as mellow as he is.

It was hard to leave because he will change a lot before we see him again. A snowstorm and arctic weather were heading our way so we had to get going. It was a very precious time.   

This year’s mystery quilt

On a Saturday a couple of weeks ago the quilters gathered for a full day of quilting. We were each told to bring 35 five inch squares of white and off white fabrics from our scrap piles and another 35 five inch squares of dark fabrics. The project turned out to be a queen size quilt top and even with eight women working on it and using precut fabric it has taken at least four quilt days to put together. All of the names of those who have not won a group quilt in the past will be put into the drawing and one will receive the quilt top to finish and keep.  Even though I have been quilting for over five years there are a couple others that have been participating longer and are still waiting to win. It seems the newcomers have a better record of winning.

The haphazardness of the colors is what makes it pretty I think. Some of the colors repeat and stand out but for the most part the fabrics are just a real hodgepodge of prints and patterns large and small.

We will be getting together for a Christmas brunch in December and we will draw for the winner there. I keep saying to the others that what I’d really like is to have a quilt that includes a block done by each of my quilting friends with their signatures on it. But I wouldn’t mind winning this one!

The pattern is made up of only half square triangles and four patch squares arranged to make repeating squares and chevrons.

For my son and son-in-law

My second grandson will be born any day now, we can’t wait to meet him. My first grandson is not quite 2 and a half and talks up a storm. Here is something I read awhile back by a blogger (Daniel Darling) that I follow. I think it is a good reminder of how crucial a father’s love and approval are to his children and specifically in this article to his boy. Link here. http://www.danieldarling.com/2013/02/5-things-every-son-needs-to-hear-from-his-dad/

”Fathering your sons is a serious job, men. And so in that spirit, I'd like to offer five things every son needs to hear from his father:

1) You are loved. Every boy needs to hear and know that his father loves him. Without this affirmation, a man carries deep wounds that affect his most important relationships. I've talked to men at all stages of life who yearn to hear those magic words that mean the most when they come from Dad: I love you. Today, my son is only four years old, so it's easy for me to do this. I suspect as he gets older, it grow a bit more awkward. But I plan on doing it still. Because behind the sometimes rough exterior of every young boy is a heart that longs to experience the love of their father. What you don't realize is that the first image your boy will have of their Heavenly Father will be the image of the human father looking down on them. So tell your boy you love him.

2) I'm proud of you. I can't tell you how many men I know who, to this day, are still living their lives in search of their father's approval. Down deep in their hearts they wonder, Am I good enough? Did I make it? Is Dad proud? I'm learning that it's important for us dads to be hard on our sons in many ways (see below), but we should never withhold our approval. They need to know, at periodic junctures in their lives, that they measure up, that there is nothing they have to do to earn our favor. Sure, at times they will disappoint and they should know and feel this. And yet we should not be the taskmaster who, in trying to motivate our sons to greatness, withhold the very ingredient that will fuel their success: confidence. I'm reminded of God's approval of Jesus as His Son was baptized by John the Baptist. "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17; Mark 19:35). Yes, there are important theological ramifications to that phrase beyond mere approval, but still I can't help see God's approval for Jesus as a model for our relationship with our sons. If your son doesn't make Division 1, if he gets accepted into a school other than Harvard, if he becomes a truck driver instead of a pastor, don't ever give him the impression you like him less. Don't damage his soul this way.

3) You are not a slacker, you're a soldier. Today the culture presents such a confusing picture of manhood. What is a man supposed to me, anyways? Pop culture tells him he's sort of unnecessary and the best he can do is idle away his adolescence by satisfying his sexual urges, simulating warfare with a joystick, and lacking any kind of noble ambition. But God did not make your son or my son to be a slacker, but a soldier. Now don't get uptight about the word soldier. It's okay to encourage our sons to be masculine. This doesn't have to mean a dear-hunting, truck driving survivalist. Plenty of real men sip lattes, drive minivans, and hate camouflage (guys like me). There is a vision of manhood in the Bible, one of nobility and strength, of sacrifice and courage. A real man fights for what he loves. A real man cherishes the woman God gives him. He doesn't exploit her. A real man pursues that calling God has stamped upon his soul, one that is discovered through intimacy with God, identification with gifts and talents, and meeting the world's deep needs (to paraphrase Buechner).  Nobody can help guide our sons along their mission more than us fathers. Let's not leave our sons' futures to chance. Let's stand beside them, modeling for them what it looks like to live on purpose.

4) Hard Work is a Gift, Not a Curse. Idleness, laziness, and indecision are the devil's best tools for ruining the lives of young men. Guys, our sons needs to see us work hard and to be encouraged, made to work hard. They need to see that work is harder because of the fall, but was actually given by God to experience His pleasure. Getting our hands dirty, straining, struggling, sweating--these are all good things, not bad. Sadly many young men have not seen what it actually looks like for a man to work. Let's show them that work brings joy. Work honors God. Work done well brings glory to the creator. It may be done with fingers on a keyboard or by swinging an ax-head or by maneuvering a fork lift. It can be done in air-conditioned offices, muddy swamps, and underneath a car. But make no mistake: work matters and what we do with our hands, done well, is a testament to the Creator.

5) You are gifted, but you are not God. Let's imbue our sons with a sense of confidence, of approval, of dignity. But let's remind them that while they are gifted by the Creator, they are actually not God. Let's teach them that genuine masculinity doesn't strut. It bows. It picks up a towel and washes feet. A real man is as comfortable praying as he is preaching. He knows that his strength isn't found in his exploits or what he thinks people think of him. His strength comes from God. This humility will fuel his compassion and will allow him to forgive those who deeply wound him. Let's let our sons know that their lives really begin, not when they walk down the aisle at 18 or when they get their first employment contract or when they fall in love with a woman. Their lives began on a dusty hill 2,000 years ago, at the foot of a Roman cross, where justice and forgiveness met in the bloody sacrifice of their Savior. Let's teach them that to live their whole lives without Jesus is like playing a concerto on the deck of the Titanic. It's beautiful while it lasts, but it ultimately ends with sorrow. If we do anything at all with our sons, men, let's point them to the Jesus we know.”

It is my prayer as a grandmother that my son and son-in-law will lavish love on their boys. That the little ones will know that their Dads love them and they will hear them tell them that often and they will see it in their Dad’s faces. That they will be embraced not for what they accomplish or by behaving properly, but just for who they are as beloved sons. This is a picture of our Heavenly Father, we don’t earn his love or approval, it is freely given not withheld conditionally. Grace is lacking in this world today. Grace changes everything and everyone it touches.