Home After Christmas

I am getting back to daily life after our typically well traveled Christmas. For us it means all the weeks leading up to Christmas we try to squeeze as much work, friend time, local family events and spiritual balance into them as possible so that we can spend time our sons if they are available...they live out of town so we are the travelers. 

We spent the week with our younger son and family arriving in time for the youngest granddaughters 5th birthday. The kiddos grow up so fast-we're so glad we are able to spend moments where we can.

The party was themed around teddy bears this birthday with lots of fun balloons, gifts and Lauren made yummy cupcakes too! 

Teddy Bear Balloons

Presents piled high!

 

Waiting to open presents

I pick this one first.

Making cupcakes :)

Here are a few of our shared moments...

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The balloons lasted all the way through Christmas!

Part of the time the family shared the sickie bug...what a thing to share! 

So far Tom & I have avoided it, we'll see. 

Scraps of Life, Friendship Bread and Relationship

Today I started out thinking about my new project that came from my sister Kathi. Perhaps you've heard of it,  Amish Friendship Bread. Today it is time to feed the starter some flour, milk and sugar. This starter came in the form of a gift for Christmas...(we celebrate in January to accommodate Christmas travel etc.). My sister Kathi started the bread starter and we are now on day 6 for this starter. Time to feed the starter...ha-ha! It kinda sounds like "time to bake the donuts!" It is now busy bubbling and fed.

Earlier I wrote about some other thoughts on my blog dedicated to my Nana called Nanas inspiration. Of the life she shared, it often it took place in the kitchen and started while making food, eating or cleaning up. As I reflected on what this bread represents I thought about how simple things like bread, sharing our workload, our interests and our energy in life build relationships and that can influence one life so powerfully. I also shared about a friend who had a heart for being there to help in life and what it meant for so many. That friend and his sweet wife are two amazing people who know how to share life with others. They have built relationship in life simply by sharing their life...all of it with those around them. Sometimes it is food at the table, sometimes it is time and other times it has been in asking others to help them with a moment in life. What did it all add up to when we said goodbye to our sweet friend in April his year? Lives forever changed in powerful ways...So today was just about feeding the starter and by day 10 it will be about baking bread but is it really? Does it have to be just that? Maybe it is about a life you can touch, or about that moment where we gift our time and heart to someone. Today may be your day to reach out...and if you haven't taken a moment today to share your life whether in sharing a "friendship bread starter, calling a friend, connecting in person or just a simple text or comment on social media. Remember, "Friendship isn't a big thing, it is a million little things."