Epiphany

We celebrated Epiphany quietly this year. Always the puzzle of the Magi graces the table in the living room. Always we invite somebody to share a sweet treat and look for the hidden baby Jesus inside. 

Last year, we invited a family with small ones to come to our house. This year, we went to a home with many small ones and several big ones, too, and shared our chili and our cottage cheese cake. Then, we sang hymns around the table and enjoyed a sweet time of worship together.

Kicking Off 2026

2026 kicked off with a bang! A few things we did in the first week of the new year:

Katherine, Aaron, and I joined several other cellists for some sightreading fun at her teacher's house. Cello choirs are amazing inventions.

I got invited to speak in front a group of young ladies who were raising money to support Sarah. I grew up participating in Girls Missionary Auxiliary, so this was a kind of homecoming for me. This group focuses on missions and God's Word, and they were instrumental in my spriritual formation. 

As I continue to test my strength and stamina, Aaron and I are trying longer hikes. We visited the Luna Moth and Tarantula Hawk Loop for a lovely stroll and chat.

Family and a New Year

We closed 2025 and began 2026 in one of most favorite ways...with family. New Year's Eve found us at my cousins' home, practicing our bow shots, laughing, playing with small children, and roasting hot dogs over the fire.

On New Year's Day, we were up early and on the road to meet the rest of Meat Cheato at Devil's Den to hike the Yellow Rock Trail.

Everyone made sacrifices to be present.

Because it was our last time together as Meat Cheato before we put Sarah on a plane to return to the Solomon Islands.

We laughed so hard my abs cramped. We hauled insulated lunch boxes for a picnic (including chocolate ice cream) at a scenic point, then realized we didn't have spoons :-) So we hauled the ice cream back to the van where we improvised and quickly ate the melting ice cream.

I love how intentional these young adults are about spending time together and making every moment count!

 

Sweet Sabbath

"One of the reasons I'm so compelled by the life of habit is that I see habits as a way for light to shine in an age of darkness. Cultivating a life of habits means our ordinary ways of living stand out in a culture, dancing like candles in the night."

~Justin Whitmel Early, "The Common Rule: Youth Edition"

 This quote made me think of some of my favorite Bible verses, Phillipians 2:12b-16:

...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling or arguing, that you may become blameless and pure children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation". Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.

Everything I've read by this author points me to orderly habits that build a trellis to support the fruit the Lord grows in our lives. Early's newest book is no exception, and I'm soaking up every word during the dark, cold winter mornings.

Lots of Babies

So many of our friends and family have babies right now, and I'm loving all of the practice as we prepare to hold our own grandbaby.

We drove to visit my cousin and his family shortly after Christmas. With three small ones in the house, life is never boring!

One of my favorite farmers market vendors, Cloud of Sawdust Farms, creates beautiful and sturdy wooden toys. When the farmers market isn't convening during the colder months, he will meet with customers and deliver! We have several of his unique and whimsical toys.

When we got an invitation to celebrate a first birthday, I knew I wanted to share one of these sweet gifts with our friends. Celebrating with this family was a fabulous way to close 2025.

Christmas Day #2

We love that our married kids have fabulous in-laws, and we don't mind sharing the holidays with them. So on Christmas morning, the actual December 25th, the house was quiet with only four of us still hanging around. 

Sarah joined me at the gym and was a very good accountability buddy, as always.

Then we loaded up the van and adventured on a beautiful hike together.

The Cove Creek Natural Area was perfect for exploring and chatting as we walked.

Our December has been so mild, and we were very comfortable in shorts and t-shirts.

What a great way to spend the day together!

Christmas Day

Our Christmas day (really Christmas Eve, but who cares when you are all together?!?) began with our traditional gingerbread waffles and fruit salad in my great-grandmother's compote bowl.

Then we transitioned to a few gifts. Books,

a computer bag made from a PNG coffee bag,

and a handmade blanket for the new baby.

A ham arrived from a thoughtful but distant family member, and the dry ice gave us hours of fun.

We played board games inside,

And the backyard hosted a rousing game of croquet.

I enjoyed an extra walking buddy in the unseasonably warm weather. Most of all, we just enjoyed celebrating our Savior's birth. Together.

 

Gingerbread House

One of the Christmas activities that brings the most laughter is building gingerbread houses together.

 From humble beginnings, each year has grown progressively more elaborate and creative.

The tropical weather and the availability of materials definitely influence what we can create,

but when we have everyone together and a wide array of materials at our disposal in a cool, dry climate,

the possibilities are endless.

So is the laughter.

I love watching each person display a unique sense of creativity and skill.

Or a lack of those things. 

It doesn't matter, because we are all working together.

The results are always beautiful and delicious.

We make lots of memories along the way and strengthen our ties.

#meatcheato

Stewardship

"Bringing our body under subjection doesn't begin with diet and exercise, but with searching for and confessing idols of the heart that interfere with the discipline to which we have been called and which grace makes possible. You see, the stewardship of our physical body is not an addition to our gospel ministry calling; it is a significant part of of it." 

~P.D. Tripp, "Lead"

As I'm trying to jog more, my knees have been rebelling. I've added a simple turmeric latte to my daily routine. Using this inexpensive turmeric with black pepper extract, I use one caplet for every 1/3 cup milk. Drinking this helps me pause each afternoon, something I often forget to do. And my knees are happier, too!

In addition to stewarding our bodies well, we strive to serve our community effectively. Sometimes that looks like standing in line to vote.

And sometimes it looks like buying from local farmers who work hard to grow sustainable meat and produce. Our Thanksgiving turkey once again came from Shaky K Farms. I sure do love this farmer friend!

Carrot Cake Oatmeal always shows up on the menu when the days get colder. Saturday breakfast on the back patio is a treat and a refreshing way to begin the weekend.

Christmas Caroling

Christmas caroling is one of my favorite things we do together as a family each year. 

Our young adults added a new twist this year, 

they drove around to each of their grandparents to sing while Aaron and I caught our collective breath after the show.

The next night, we all joined together again to drive around town to sing to our "regulars". We even included a walk around the neighborhood with the Davis family to sing to several families in the area.

 What a lovely way to spread joy this time of year!

Sunday Together

We bought our tickets to attend Aaron's last show, since it was the only one we could attend all together. But first, our day began by filling up a pew at church and delighting my heart by singing and worshiping together.

 

Because this was Sarah's last Sunday in our hometown, the pastor and elders invited us to come up to the front so they could pray over her as she prepared to leave for the Solomon Islands. Such a special time.

After church, we quickly ate lunch (yay for crockpots!) and got Aaron out the door to get dressed for his final performance.

Our young adults had some strong opinions about Aaron's facial hair for his role as Fred. Clean-shaven with mutton chops was great for playing a character from a Dicken's novel, but as Dad, they were ready for him to go back to a beard.

We were all extremely proud of his hard work to get back on stage. Watching him thrive through rehearsals and performances was a joy.