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Friends

A Party

By Leslie Parks - Tuesday, December 30, 2014
I walk into the house after church and look around. There are boys everywhere.  I started to name the boys I saw but they kept popping up from the floor and couches. I felt like I was in the 101 Dalmatian movie only with boys instead of puppies. It was Isaac's 2nd Annual December Football Party.  I think that he would have had...

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Activity

A Christmas Recital

By Leslie Parks - Tuesday, December 30, 2014
I'm not sure how many years Lona has been playing the piano but we have enjoyed taking lessons from Sue Gault.  She's strict and makes Lona work hard but she's also kind and patient.  She has a heart for kids and music.  I have seen Lona flourish in piano with Sue.  Every year we have a piano recital and I mark down music...

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Holiday

Reaching Out

By Leslie Parks - Sunday, December 28, 2014
I walk in the gym and look around. It's quiet with a few people hunched over tables. The back of the gym is piled high with boxes, floor to ceiling. The food is stacked deep around the edges. The large plastic bags are filled with clothes and toys and needed items like diapers.  I walk over to someone and ask about the procedure...

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Holiday

Christmas

By Leslie Parks - Thursday, December 25, 2014
I told the kids that we were not doing stockings this year but I did anyway. A box of gum from Costco, some chocolate from France that I was saving, a pair of socks each, and a small personal gift. I see stockings as a way to sleep in.  It gives them something to do when I'm not ready to get up yet...

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Holiday

A tradition: Gingerbread

By Leslie Parks - Sunday, December 21, 2014
Where did the tradition of gingerbread houses start? We've embraced it here though. One year we tried making our own gingerbread house. What a nightmare. A friend told me about the pre-built houses at various stores. That has got to be the way to go. Kids don't want to mix, roll, cut out and bake.  All they really want to do is decorate...

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Holiday

Christmas Treats

By Leslie Parks - Friday, December 19, 2014
A mother of a player on Job's soccer team was telling me that her family looks forward to a box of treats from another family member each year. This woman spends 12 days baking 12+ dozen cookies. Each day is a different type of cookie.  At the end she has 12 types of cookies to package up and send out to family and...

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Holiday

A Tradition: Gifts

By Leslie Parks - Thursday, December 18, 2014
I walked over to the display case and looked at each shelf very carefully, scanning row after row looking for the perfect one.  I looked at the next shelf and the next. I walked around to the other side of the display case looking and looking. I couldn't find it.  I thought hard about it, contemplating another option. Maybe I can use something...

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Holiday

A Run

By Leslie Parks - Saturday, December 13, 2014
As we walk down the sidewalk, the air is filled with the musical sound of bells. They are everywhere. People have attached them to everything from their hats to their shoes. The dogs are wearing bells on their collars, their leashes and even their sweaters. The jingling and jangling is growing louders as people meet up with friends.Their is laughter in the air...

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Holiday

A word: Hope

By Leslie Parks - Tuesday, December 09, 2014
Hope. I look down the row of parked cars, my eyes scanning each side looking for a parking space. I turn down another row again looking for a place to park. After 10 minutes of circling the parking lot I finally find an empty spot. I squeeze out of the car, since I can't open the door very wide. The parking spots are...

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