WARNING: Lots of grandbaby and “White Christmas” talk here tonight.

A GIRL’S GOTTA EAT
Lots of baby food making and testing this week. Lucy has some food allergies, and some food particularities. So, it can be a challenge to make sure she eats enough solid food, with enough variety. I don’t dive into new recipes quickly, because…well, I rarely do anything that without a lot of contemplation, unless God says, “Do this.” So, I did a lot of research last Saturday, and this week I’ve done some cooking and testing. The goals were to add more protein, iron, and variety.

Vegetables are so beautiful! I think it’s safe to say sweet potatoes are her favorite, with butternut squash a close second.

Teeny-tiny, gluten free, vegan, buckwheat pancakes. She hasn’t tried them, yet. I hope she likes them. They have lots of goodness in them—black strap molasses, apple cider vinegar, and flax.

Marble-sized chicken, quinoa and zucchini meatballs. With just a dab of barbecue sauce, she liked them a lot. This makes me very happy!

WE ALL DREAM OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS
“White Christmas” is now a part of any visit with Lucy.  It started with a snow globe Hannah gave me years ago. I unpacked it with my Christmas decorations, and Lucy not only liked the snow globe action, but the snippet of the song it plays every time you set the snow globe down. She quickly learned that there is a button on the bottom of the snow globe that she can push to hear the song.

The next step into this winter wonderland with Lucy was a little souvenir book, also a gift from Hannah. It’s not a storybook, just a trivia book about the movie, the stars, etc., but everyday this week it has been her favorite book. We make up a story each time, or just sing the songs that match the pictures, and she sings along with us! You know the beginning of the song, the slow and almost ominous “Iiiiiiii’m…”? This is what she sings most. It’s bizarre! And, each time she sees Bing Crosby’s picture, she sings a “B-b-b” sound, which is her trying to copy the sound Doug sings, mimicking Bing’s famous B-b-b-Bing nickname (inspired by his scatting).

The last “White Christmas” story I have to share.  One day last week, I received a text from Hannah: “So, guess what Lucy took off the DVD shelf and brought to me? She was pulling movies off, as per usual, and purposely brought this over….”

She recognized the artwork! Such a funny and sweet girl. I love that she loves this movie, and I certainly don’t mind watching it with her everyday—at least, not yet. Besides, watching her watching it is a lot of fun, too!

Just relaxing in her Poppa’s arms.

She sat up with this song started. She really like this one and the version with Bob and Phil.

No, I don’t let her stand that close to the TV, but sometimes she just needs to get reallyclosetothescreen, and then we move her back. I couldn’t resist taking a picture, though.

LITTLE SNOW BIG COLD
You have no doubt heard about the snow hurricane that hit New England this week. Perhaps, you experienced it firsthand. It gave us all a few days inside, grateful for heat and power and running water. The seacoast was hit very hard. Temps have been painfully low, but I hear it will be in the high 40’s by Friday.

WE KEEP TRYING
About once a week, we try to get a picture of ourselves with Lucy. Here is attempt #39,452. This is the best one from the past two weeks.

HAPPY NEW YEAR
I was thinking today about lessons I learned in 2017, things I will take with me. I’d like to write them down, maybe in my journal, and just meditate on them. I want to make sure I really learn the lessons and remember the important experiences. I failed in some very important areas in 2017, and I am bringing into 2018 some of those failures and personal disappointments. There is a lot of work to be done in me. I want to keep those things before me as I go forward, so that I can keep asking the Holy Spirit to correct me.  I don’t want to arrive in Heaven’s throne room in my present condition, you know what I mean? God has a lot of work to do.

I do, too.

God bless and keep you all! ❤