1. Where have you found unexpected magic or delight this holiday season?
See collage above. We decided last Friday night to take a quick trip to northeastern Washington state to see our kids who can’t make the trip to be with us on Christmas day. It was worth the drive to enjoy the day and a half and to see all Addy’s new skills and expressions and to enjoy time and meals with her fabulous parents.
The other delight for me is sitting in view of the Christmas tree with it’s lights on and enjoying Christmas music.
2. What’s your favorite type of holiday gathering? Will you/have you gathered in your favorite way this month?
Gatherings that include good food and Christian fellowship are my favorite. Besides my immediate family gatherings on Christmas Eve and Christmas day my favorite is our annual Christmas gathering with the Mennonite Girls and our husbands. The only thing that would make it even better is if our Manitoba girls could fly in for the party.
3. Time has named ‘The Silence Breakers’ (women who came forward with stories of harassment) ‘person of the year’ for 2017. Would you agree? If not, who do you think deserves the title?
I’ll consider the source for this yearly announcement and honor in giving my opinion. I don’t expect high standards from “Time” anymore. It really is the season of discontent and finding fault in our nation. I don’t discredit women who have suffered harassment. I hope women in the future will be able to speak up boldly as it happens and not hold onto the grief for years.
Who I think deserve the title this year are Firefighters and other First Responders who have come to the aid of so many during hurricanes and wild fires, sacrificing their own lives!
Then from a Christian perspective I’d have R.C. Sproul on the cover, the founder of Renewing Your Mind, who went to be with His Lord this past week. He was a faithful servant and teacher of God’s Truth.
Renewing Your Mind is an outreach of Ligonier Ministries, an international Christian discipleship organization founded in 1971 by Dr. R.C. Sproul. We know that God uses his Word to change lives. In Romans 12:2, Paul tells Christians to “be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” That is our aim. We’re committed to faithfully presenting the unvarnished truth of Scripture, helping you to know what you believe, why you believe, how to live it and how to share it.
4. How did you spend your time this year? Are you happy about that? Elaborate
Accepting and embracing changes that have come to us. Accepting the retirement stage and the reality of what comes with that. Accepting the fact that we will be making a major move across our state next year and preparing for that. Accepting the new aches and pains that come with our stage of life. Embracing our freedom of doing what we want each day without many time restrictions. Totally embracing our new family dynamic with the addition of sweet little Addy into our family. This has been fun from a grandparenting perspective but also amazing to watch our children in a parenting role and our other children in an auntie/uncle nurturing role.
Yes, I am content and happy about it.
5. Bid farewell to 2017 in ten words or less.
Thank you for introducing us to the world of grandparenting.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
As I’m typing this my tree is getting it’s last string of lights so I can start putting the ornaments on it. I’m okay with the delay since our 3 day travel diversion yielded some sweet memories of Addy’s new skills.
We finally figured out her little tongue was feeling a new upper tooth that was trying to pop out.
Yum, unsweetened canned pears from Baba’s and Gramps’ pear tree.
She’s standing a lot more without holding on and still only takes a couple of steps at a time. Walking isn’t far off.
I just want to clap my hands! She really is enjoying clapping.
Thank you to Joyce From This Side of the Pond for asking the questions for Wednesday Hodgepodge! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read my answers.
Yahoo! The tree is finally decorated so soon I’ll have my Mystery Tree post ready to go.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 
Ellen – such an ‘adorable’ post! I can see why you made a last-minute trip – she is magnetic in photos, so it’s not hard to imagine how she might be in person. Your answers were inspirational and intriguing – thanks for being so open and honest. Praying you have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Enjoy your blog. We also have a Addy /Addie. Ours is in the US Army. Ft Lewis. WA. Thankful She is Stateside. God bless all our Military, especially this time of year, when they are away from family.
Thanks for your comment. We appreciate our military. Our Son in law is a Marine.
Hi Ellen, I enjoyed this post very much. I am so happy you had a visit with Addy and her parents and thank you for sharing the photos. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a blessed new year.
I agree with your comment about your fire fighters. They have had such a difficult year. More gorgeous photos of Addy. Bet you can’t wait to move near her :). B x
Love your answer to Nr. 5. Spot on, for me too! So exciting to see the little one learn to walk. I still have many videos on my phone of that. haha
What a dolly! Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas! Happy Hodgepodge!
I love the song Noel. I hadn’t heard it until a couple of weeks ago when a young woman with a beautiful voice performed it as special music in our church service. I’m glad you had time with your family and granddaughter. Merry Christmas!
What a beautiful grandbaby! Have a Merry Christmas!
Love all the photos of Addy. The new grandma’s that I know have the same answer! The firefighters is a great answer. I agree with you on the aches and pains along with the retirement adjustments. Merry Christmas!
Ellen,
What a joy it must be to be a grandparent! I miss the days that ours were small. Maybe in time, we’ll know this joy, too. I enjoyed reading your responses. I just can’t believe Christmas is almost here and a new year fixing to come in. I hope 2018 slow down just a bit but I don’t think that will happen. Have a blessed Christmas season and may God gracious hands be upon you and yours in the new year! 😉
Hello, your sweet granddaughter Addy was a happy addition to the year 2017. Spending time with your family is a blessing and a joy. Love the cute photos.
Thanks always for your visits and comments this past year. Have a happy day and week ahead. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Your grandbaby is adorable and I enjoyed all the pictures of her. I know you are reveling in many delights since she came along. You are the second one who has mentioned the firefighters and first responders, as well as R. C. Sproul. I believe there were many other people who deserved Person of the Year, but Time magazine just doesn’t t see things quite the way we do. Blessings for a Merry Christmas.
Dear Ellen, it has been wonderful to follow your blog and grandparenting adventures especially in the past year and see how little Addy is progressing! What a blessing!
Thank you for sharing from hymns and God’s Word. I greatly appreciate this!
Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas!
Ellen, I so enjoyed your post! Glad you were spontaneous in dashing over the mountains before the big snow fell! Your picture at the top shows what a beautiful country you will be moving to. Addy is precious, with such light in her eyes! Wishing you a very Happy Christmas!
Having grandkids was the best thing that ever happened to us. Seeing Addy makes me nostalgic for the time ours were babies. Enjoy every minute of it.
…how many pictures of this sweet little child do you have? Keep snapping.
What a sweet post and great answers! That little Addy is just adorable and no wonder you made the trip! Your Christmases, let alone your life is forever changed! Your answer to #3 was really right on and you put a lot of great truth in it.You #4 answer is also what we are about to embark on, God willing. Merry Christmas, Ellen….and I love Chris Tomlin too! 🙂
Love your hodgepodge, Ellen! What joy sweet Addy has brought to your lives this past year!
Noel is one of my favortites too! And it’s always amazing how good your mystery tree looks.
You have some sweet new memories in photos. I love that you became grandparents this past year.
Ellen, just as I was posting a comment here the other day, our power went out so I don’t think it went through. Just wanted to say, Adorable! But then you know that – you’re Addy’s gran! Wishing all of you all the best!