Thursday, January 3, 2013

A Few of My Favorite Things






Christmas Eve 2012

These four are my favorites!  Cory noticed last night how the three blondies all have their little protective hands on their new sister.  She is so loved (and likely a little over stimulated :), but loved nonetheless!)

So, I took a little break from blogging for the holidays.  It has been both a busy and restful time and while I often wanted to sit down and write, sleep beckoned or a Christmas movie with my crew or Christmas cookies or some combination of it all!  Thank you to Cristen C. and Erica G. for requesting that I step back in.  Such a nice compliment....

Some more favorites to share...





Sweet William on the morning of his very first preschool Christmas music program.  

I love this picture.  First of all, Grace can rock the cleft lip.  So beautiful and cute even with that defect that we really don't see anymore.  And so happy.  She was playing with the leaves and loving her time outside.

Orphan no more.

This is Carter at his class Christmas party with his proud papa.  Today Carter and I sat and did a 200 piece puzzle.    While my heart hurts a little every time I catch glimpses of the young man he is becoming, I do love those moments when we are just friends.  Doing a puzzle.  And he is old enough to be thankful in the moment which is such a blessing to a mom's heart.  

This was a Sunday night a couple of days before Christmas.  The kids were still dressed up from church and we all decided to go to the mall.  We didn't need to buy any gifts but wanted to go see the lights and people and hustle and bustle, but stress free and with joy and fun.  And cheeseburgers.  We have a thing for cheeseburgers.  Cheeseburgers at Christmastime with music playing....let's just say that the restaurant got a lot of Barnett food inhaling/singing and dancing.  We like to bring the cheer.

I loved this night.  One of our favorite traditions is Christmas cookie making.  Homemade dough and homemade icing and a tripled recipe that has mounds of dough in the fridge for the duration of the holidays.  Grace was all in and is now a big fan of her family tradition!

Will and his buddy as cows in the nativity.  Really cute cows.

Grace in her Christmas nightgown standing on the dining room table touching the ornaments and jingle bell hanging from the light.  Big fun.

This girl is so cool.  Like her big sister, she can wear the tennis shoes and fleece and look amazing.

Grace's favorite Christmas present.  It sings and talks.  Totally obnoxious but every little girl needs a pink and purple pony.

I'm pretty sure that the drool was in response to her yelling some version of "YEE-HAH!"

This was so fun...cranberry cherry pie that smelled like Christmas.

Because, why not put stars on top?


Cory led us in starting a new tradition this year; writing a poem to Jesus or in His honor.  This was definitely one of my favorite things this Christmas.  We had full and amazed hearts in hearing what our children wrote.  Their poems were hands down better than their parent's poems.  


Not Like You by Claire Barnett

On Christmas the songs are sweet. 
But not as sweet as you.  
On Christmas it's joyful.  
But not as joyful as you.  
On Christmas it's fun.  But not as fun as you.  You're nice and good.  You're great!  
On Christmas it's great.  
But not as great as you.  
On Christmas it is wonderful.  
But not as wonderful as you.  There's candy and gifts.  But they're not as good as you.  If it's nice, you're nicer.  If it's good, you're gooder.  If it's great, you're greater.  You're awesome!  I love you!


Untitled Acrostic by Carter Barnett

J ohn, one of Jesus' disciples
E verlasting you are
S in He took away
U niverse in His hands
S ad, He took away

C ross, He died on
H appiness, He gave
R ighteousness, right with God
I Am is one of His names
S tephen, died for His glory
T emple, you told to take it down


William drew a cross for his poem and on each four sides wrote Baby, God, Joy and Worship.  He drew faces to accompany "Baby" and "God."  What I marveled at about Will's poem is that one of the things that trips people up about Jesus being fully God but coming as a human baby didn't really seem to bother this four year old.  It is what it is and causes him to have joy and worship.  

Please let me have faith like a child.  



Like Straw by Jen
There was once a time I thought that I would like to be the star
That shed the light and showed the way to where you laid your head.
To shine on you, the promised babe.
Or an angel or a shepherd or a lamb who all bowed low
But it doesn't seem low enough.  Or close enough.  To you, the promised babe.
For I am much more simple now, like straw.

I know that I am dry and cracked unless I'm near to you.  Nearer still.
Yet that hay seemed like the softest place where you could rest your head.  
It was the nearest place to you, yet much less than a kingly bed.
Where you first were cradled; the nearest to your baby sighs.  
I would have loved to have been the hay.

There was a time I thought that I would like to be sweet Mary.  
But I know her mother's heart could scarcely hold the promise, the destiny, the resounding joy and pain that was birthed on that night.
I see dimly through a mirror
the secrets that she kept, the mystery too beautiful and vast for spoken words.
She held and kissed her promised babe for it was all that she could do.

Yes, I think that I should be the straw.
Cut off, tossed away, but closest to you.
I wonder if it had new life - if where you laid your head breathed holy air into what was lost and sheathed from roots.  
Holy air that made a lowly bed a place instead for divine yet human slumber.  Baby slumber with heaven looking on.
Yes, I think that I'd like to have been the straw.




and Cory's poem....one of my favorite things as well....


Untitled by Cory
Darkness shrouds this silent night, stolen affection and a guilt-stained conscience hide the light.
A coronation is held in dirt and obscurity.

Heaven waits in constrained anticipation as time and eternity nod in agreement and the secret is finally shared.
Holiness rests with the scraps and the dung.

Silence can no longer restrain the Joy unspeakable!
Eternal wealth gifted, exchanged for poverty and the wisdom of man is laughed away.

Immanuel!








I LOVE this mantle of stockings all in a row
the dark haired girl with the big red bow,
her elder sister in beauty and light
the brave little boy near to love and to fight
and the older one beyond his years...
my glad tidings of comfort and joy.