I started listening to Christmas music this weekend. You might think it’s a tad bit early, but this holiday season I’m planning on soaking up all I can of Christmas and enjoying every moment. And why not? After all, I haven’t really had a normal holiday season two years in a row. We’ll start with a nice calm Thanksgiving – no time in the hospital (first time in 3 years), no traumatic events that turn the Christmas season into an exhausting time mingled with joy and grief. Everything is going to be perfect and filled with laughter and joy.  That all sounds good, but those were my same expectations last year…and it certainly didn’t turn out that way. The other day I started wondering what’s going to happen this Thanksgiving…maybe my appendix will explode, maybe something will happen to Josh or Becca, maybe….”Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God” (Psalm 42:5).

I can choose to live in fear about what’s going to happen this year or I can hope in God. Hope – trusting that He does use all things for His own glory. Hope – looking at our little girl whose body (shoulders to bottom) was the length of a spoon at birth and who now is a very active, happy, talkative almost 2 year old. Hope – knowing that God uses miscarriages for the good for His children and for His own glory. So I’m looking forward to this season by hoping in God. I’m breaking out the Christmas music early, teaching Becca how to dance to the music, and enjoying hearing my girl squeal with delight as I twirl her around the room as we start of our holiday season.

All is well here in the Jensen household. I teach piano lessons 3 to 4 days a week.  Becca continues to be a very busy little girl. She also has an interesting sense of humor – last evening I told her to eat all her refried beans by saying each bite was a different one of her animal friends. She loved eating all her friends! Becca’s talking up a storm and has plans to keep me busy all day long: “Mama play Becca!” “Mama sit here!” “Mama play!” “Mama color Becca!” “Mama talk Becca!” “Mama clean it up.”  “Mama eat it up!” “Mama read!” (“Mama read self!” – that was going a bit too far…my 23 month year old was telling me to read to myself!?!) Josh continues to work on his dissertation research. He’s also been busy fulfilling his work obligations as the department chair’s research assistant. (Plus, in the last few weeks, doing a website for AM Fabrication in Fort Worth, owned by some friends of ours.) I have an amazing husband who, though he has many responsibilities screaming out to him, still continues to be a wonderful husband and father. So glad God gave me my man!