Let It Snow

Today I am thankful for:

Snowmen. I moved back alone to the States from Kenya when I was 18. All of my belongings filled a storage trunk and duffle bag. No room for Christmas decorations. Delightfully, my  lovely grandmother sent a little tree with lights and tiny ornaments for the perfect first dorm-room Christmas.

When my husband and I got married, it was time to create our own special Christmas collection. I went to a craft show with friends and found this adorable little guy just waiting for a new home. He was a lovely start to our young-married Christmas.

From that year on, the collection grew. It expanded exponentially one year, when my secret sister, Molly, showered me with a multitude of tiny little cheery figurines. One of my favorites is a snowman my sister gave me for my birthday. Check out the snowman protesting for peace in the middle of this bunch. When my husband saw it he said, “I did not realize there was so much conflict in the snowman community.”

Another favorite is one my aunt-in-law gave me almost 20 years ago. He is cheery and hopeful, believing that another snowy day will come and he will dance again.

I love being reminded of so many beautiful friendships every time I see them. Precious gifts from friends and family. I also cherish the time my children and I dig through boxes and arrange snowmen all over the house. This year my kids asked me to step aside as they created their own masterpiece scenes. What beautiful memories we are making. So blessed. So grateful.

What are you thankful for today?

Before I go… I have an observation to make. I realized after writing this post how much the snowmen are a metaphor for my life since I was 18. When I moved to Texas, my family was in Kenya, I did not know anyone in the entire state, and I was alone (just like my young-married, lone snowman). Since that time, my friendships and family have grown just like the snowmen on my hearth. What a delight. God is good!