This is such a common experience for parents, it’s barely worth mentioning, but here goes… we decided to buy a new piece of furniture (a recliner) and we’re so excited about it. Wanting to share the joy with them, we were like: “go ahead! Try it out!”’ They spent about 45 seconds, patted us on the head and said “that’s great mom & dad”…. and spent the next hour pretending the box was a pirate ship
Last week Abigail and Evelyn spent the day with us. Opa and I were scheduled to make one of the six 6 foot green wreaths, b/c of Covid restrictions, we 4 were in the great hall alone for our 2 hour shift. The girls enjoyed playing on the stage but they did help with adding greenery to the wreath. Yesterday, Wed, we went back to the Epiphany sanctuary to see our wreath hug up between the stain glass windows. They will adorn the sanctuary for today’s 4 Christmas Eve services and tomorrow’s Christmas morning service (reservations & masks required).
We love having the girls often and I’m glad the girls like going to church to help with Christmas preparations.
Not sure what it means, but I take it somebody is unhappy about something…
This weekend, we had an amazing opportunity that really restores my faith in humanity. We attended the Christmas Spectacular at New Life Church in Renton, WA. They invited foster families and other adoptive-families from the Seattle area to celebrate Christmas. It was lovely to feel so well served and loved by others.
The basic idea is to put on a Christmas show, while keeping everyone safe/socially distant. Their answer (check out the pictures below, to imagine it) was to invite us to stay parked, spaced out in every-other parking spot so we were safe. Meanwhile, they had an emcee on a 30-foot-high platform speaking to us. The audio was available on our radio station, so we could hear without opening our windows. Meanwhile, they offered food, Christmas carols sung live, raffle prizes, and Christmas presents via some 40-50 volunteer “elves” that would walk around the parking lot for anyone who needed something. The whole thing lasted an hour.
To me, the most special part of the night was the creativity of humans to come up with a way to serve others amidst obstacles. We all know how difficult it is to live life and interact with other these days. This church wanted to give light and hope to others, in the middle of those obstacles. And they did an amazing job at accomplishing this.
We had a little drama tonight and my mind immediately went to the old saying “It’s the thought that counts.” But in this case, it didn’t really fit. “Thought” can mean several things. It can mean what people think of you, or how you react to an idea. But in this sentence, it does not make a lot of sense. If you were to swap the word “Intention” in there, then it has a real setting, if you know what I mean. Our thoughts can be anything. It’s the intentions that really matter. What we try to do, not what people think we try to do. Or excuses for that intention. The next time you use that sentence, please think twice about what you are saying (or doing) and what you are trying to say.
November has been an unusual month for us. Tim and I got Covid the first week so for the last three weeks, we have been at home with our kids, recovering while working, managing the older girls’ online schooling and caring for our two youngest (who haven’t been able to go to daycare because of their exposure).
This first day of Thanksgiving week, I am grateful for many things, including:
*Our community of friends and family (especially the amazing Kelley and Kelli) who showered us with meals, grocery runs, toys to keep the kids busy, frequent checking in and lots of encouragement!
*A true partner in life and love. I think it is a little amazing that Tim and I were able to make it through these three weeks without fighting when we were constantly having to negotiate which one of us would be responsible for the kids. (i.e. Who has the worst symptoms and needs more rest right now? Who has the more important work meeting?, etc.)
*And finally, I >think< it is safe to say we have recovered from Covid. I still can’t taste, though!
Hello,fabulous viewers of our blog.You probably know me as Abigail,the oldest daughter of Tim and Cynthia Kniffin.If you don’t, hello,new people! Now,you probably want to know what I’ve been doing while my mom and dad have had Covid and how I was feeling.The truth is,the first week was REALLY HARD. Evelyn,my sister,cried a lot and J and K (my little brother and sister)were CRAZY.But then mom caught covid and dad came home.Yay!:) Anyway, dad delt with us while mom rested.Soon,me and Evie were allowed to socialize again and mom was feeling better. Our family is not back to normal yet, but we are a whole lot better now. In a way,my family getting covid was a blessing in disguise because now we are immune for a while.Awesome,right? Anyways, now we can see friends,go to the park,and do a lot more things than when we had our 2 and a 1/2 week pandemic. I feel way better now. And if you have read our posts on our foster kids, then you know we are keeping ourselves entertained! It feels like we have a hurricane in our house now! In some ways that’s good, in some ways it’s bad. I love all the exitement, but I don’t appreciate the lack of privacy.We are just fine now.No need to worry about us…but please think of us.
Verse 1:
Thanksgiving’s coming turkey is worried he’ll be the main course at Thanksgiving
Verse 2:
Run Turkey Run farmer is coming with a butcher’s knife to make you his feast
Verse 3(sad):
Turkey is dead farmer cut off his head at least he was yummy but now he’s in my tummy
Verse 3(happy):
Turkey escaped he ran away into the woods I think that’s good
2020 brought a funny but delightful to Halloween: an active neighborhood. I discussed this with many of my neighbors, and we agreed on two things: 1) we had never seen the neighborhood more active for Halloween and 2) that was ironic given that COVID made people more worried about social interaction.
But here’s my explanation: people WANT interaction more than ever, and the challenge of coming up with a safe way to celebrate actually caused them MORE participation. It was pretty fun- we did a “Halloween parade” in the picture below, where kids are announced in their costumes and people throw candy at them. And neighbors had “candy chutes”, where do they didn’t have to get too close.
