Be Merry and Bright

Hey look! It's your Laniel holiday card!

You're welcome. :)

We are doing well and reveling in all the ways our lives are Merry and Bright.

Brian is still enjoying work and thriving at his job. He manages a few people and is learning the ropes of what that entails. He will be attending CU Denver to round out his education and we are so excited for this! He still cooks like a restaurant chef and enjoys cheering on the BRONCS! at home games with his brother in section 528. 

I am in my 9th year of teaching and am probably having my best year yet. 

Yes. You read that right. 

I am happy at my job right now.

I think I have truly settled into the rhythms of this ever changing profession and cling to the life giving friendships I have at work and the moments of great connections I have with kids.

I am OBSESSED with my nieces Nora and Georgia 

and I can't get enough of my family time with these two rascals. 

Other places of Merry and Bright this year were of course the

BRONCS! WINNING the Super Bowl ,

 

our AWESOME family reunion at the CABIN! and celebrating my parent's 50th wedding anniversary. 

Brian and I  are still loving our neighborhood, awesome neighbors, and friends that make our life Merry and Bright.

For the sake of keeping it real and for getting some of my thoughts in writing--I want to address a bit of the not so Merry and Bright of 2016 as well.

Over the last several years I have learned a lot about myself and my core beliefs. I have experienced a value shift that became clearer and clearer as 2016 trudged on. One catalyst for this was the infamous election. Since about mid-September I have experienced many, many emotions because of it. The majority of them have been anger, frustration, sadness and disbelief. I want to believe, as it is in my nature to do so, that Love always wins and despite brokenness, hope is possible. But man. This election took a toll on this belief for me. It will take a lot to have faith that the leaders of our country won't shit on the unalienable right that Liberty and Justice is for ALL.

My fears about people doing the right and best thing for ALL was challenged further when I read this article about the Christian organization, IVCF, that I was deeply involved with in my former life. Unfortunately they are choosing the path of becoming even more narrow, exclusive and hypocritical than ever before. Their stance on Gay marriage sickens me and I am overwhelmed with feelings of frustration and sadness when I consider what they think the Gospel is all about.
It fuels my Truth that Evangelical Christianity is a farce.  

Lastly, my stupid knee continues to affect how I get around. I am still not 100% mobile and I am very limited in what I can do without feeling pain. Ugh. I am in the process of figuring out if a knee replacement is in my near future. I know I need to do something, so hopefully I can figure it out sooner than later. 

It wouldn't be very Merry or Bright of me to end our holiday card on such a sour note, so here is a picture of Baxdeer. He makes everything better. 

We truly hope that as we head into 2017 we find more places of Light and Hope than we do ugliness and hatred. I hope we can come together and hold each other up--even if we don't feel strong enough to do so. Thank you for being a Merry and Bright part of our lives.

Cheers!

Communing With My Ancestors

"We are born thinking we have free will 

but the longer we live,

 the more we discover we've been

 programmed by our ancestors."

                                                                                                                               {~ Didi Gluck from an article in Real Simple}

My ancestors have given me a bounty of gifts. 
There are many intangible ways that they show up in my life. 
I get a "knowing" that they are a part of the way I interact with a person or a place. 
I make connections to stories and experiences in ways that I can't explain 
except that I am part of something bigger. 
Those that came before me are an important part of who I am and how I navigate the world. 

There are also tangible ways that they show up. 
Pictures, recipes, and of course,
 The CABIN! 

I know that I have written a lot about this piece of heaven and I appreciate this space to capture some of the ways that the CABIN! shapes me. I am about to go to the CABIN! for 2 weeks and I am feeling very sentimental and connected already.
 {Watch out @lifeonmadison Instagram, you're about to get a lot of action...}

When I am at the CABIN! I am not only experiencing the solitude and beauty it holds
 but I am communing with my ancestors. 
 I am humbled and grateful that my ancestors have programmed me to appreciate the sacrifice, hard work and joy that went into building this space. 
I am grateful that I get to visit this space so often and for several days at a time. 
I am excited to connect and re-connect with those that have given me hope.

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Feel free to read up on past CABIN! posts:
here
here
here
here
 here 
 I am sure there are others...these are a few highlights.
 I know. 
I'm obsessed with this place. 
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Thank you, CABIN!, for everything.

The CABIN! was everything it was supposed to be. 

That's because

this is a place of miracles.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a place of pure joy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a place of fond, deep, true memories.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a place where new memories are made and cherished.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

This is a place I call  home.