2008 in Review

Welcome to the Graham's 2008 Christmas Epistle


with the wonder of blogging it is easy for many of you to log on here and check out our daily comings and goings, but we thought we'd fill you in on some little known stuff about the Graham goings on during 2008


I predicted that John’s many travels, including Durban, Cape Town, Victoria Falls, London, Athens, Austin, Milan, New York, Salt Lake, and Scottsdale would be the highlights of ’08 for my favorite consultant. While he mentioned his many travels, his favorite was not abroad, but instead to Park City Utah, with us-his family-to enjoy the Alpine slide,escape the Texas summer and play with his wife and kids. Even more passionately, John enjoyed resuming his tradition of cooking Thanksgiving dinner now that we're back in the US, eating at many good restaurants (Uchi in Austin gets top nod this year), and taking a day off of work so his wife could enjoy a day at the spa. I thought he might mention the 13 new board games he's purchased this year, but only nodded to that idea as he took his turn playing Tigris and Euphrates on line with his loyal game playing pals.





I figured Mason would mention learning how to play the guitar, or making the district choir or even playing on the school soccer team as this year's best for him. Instead, Mason said that riding elephants in Victoria Falls, spending time with his little brother Porter, and hanging out with his cousins twice this year made up the best of ’08. Mason's favorite quote, or at least most frequent, is something he has to say nearly every day as his mother finds things he has misplaced. Kneeling on one knee, he kisses the hand of the “Great Finder” and recites; “oh great finder (kiss the hand) of all things lost (kiss the hand) thank you for finding (kiss the hand) what I could not. May I become (kiss the hand) like you (kiss) a great finder (kiss the hand) of all things lost (kiss)”.






I had Bryn pegged this year, the only child whose personal highlights matched her mom's predictions of what they'd be! Trips to Cape Town and Vic Falls, beginning gymnastics training, and visiting friends and cousins in Utah were favorite moments in Bryn's 'o8. Her quote of the year came out of her blessed mouth just this morning. As I, her hip and super-cool mom, danced and got a groove on to Sheryl Crow, Bryn observed my moves and said, “This is the kind of thing that makes kids want to run away, Mom.”





Madi, who has enjoyed singing in the school choir, advanced in school to the gifted learning program and taken not only summer soccer camp but weekly swim team did not chose these as her ’08 highlights. Her baptism, Cousin Camp in Utah, going to movies (she has seen 7-8 in theatres this year), and earning a new iPod were her personal picks. Madi's quote this year is from a recent church party, where a pig was roasted-whole “in the pit”- Texas style. Upon seeing the dead animal being consumed by fellow church-goers, Madi resolved to never eat pig again “unless it is bacon”, she said. “That stuff is just too yummy."





Being the super mom I am I just knew Porter would choose soccer camp, swimming lessons and karate class as highlights for the year. Nope, Porter instead mentioned having a pillow fight with aunt Jessa in Africa, playing rugby with Mason nearly every afternoon in Africa, and having cousins and grandparents come to Texas (for Madi’s baptism) as the year’s best stuff. He also said having his dog come home was one of the best parts of this year. Porter’s quote is a sad testament to the fact that mom doesn't have good carpools in Texas. “We’re here at soccer, Porter. We are just a little late,” said I. “Like always,” said he, as he skipped out of the car and joined his team in training.




Molly Molly Molly! She was napping when this epistle was penned so we may never know her personal favorite moments for 2008. My guess for Molly’s highlights would certainly include becoming fully POTTY TRAINED (which was a most difficult and challenging task for Molly and her mommy), and becoming a full fledged student - attending a neighborhood joy school twice a week and a local regular preschool twice a week. These are affectionately differentiated as “back pack school” and “school bag school”. Molly has learned in church and at her Methodist-based school-bag school about the resurrection of Jesus Christ and her quote for this year is a regular song out of her happy little body at least a few times each day right now. “After 3 days He came alive everybody! Jesus didn’t die forever, after 3 days he came alive again!” Oh how full of joy we all can be at this happy truth!




Lucy. I guessed that starting “school bag school” once each week (sometimes twice); tormenting the dog daily, including feeding him all kinds of people food and laying on his stomach for nap-time; and learning how to sing the Little Einstein’s theme song along with “Head, shoulders knees and toes” and “I am a Child of God” would be the highlights of this year for our littlest Graham. When I asked Lucy “What is the best thing about this year Lucy?” she answered these very words: “Jesus makes me Happy!"




Me? My highlights for this year include watching my children enjoy the affection of the orphans at Ethembeni House in Joburg, standing on Table Mountain as a family, seeing a long-dreamed-of dutch door installed in our new Texas house, and completing the Texas Ragnar Relay with some fun and fab friends. These experiences, however, pale in comparison to the lessons I have tenderly learned this year that God loves His children-even when we make mistakes-and that His son is “our partner, our friend, our advocate, our Redeemer.”







For all the fun we’ve had in the past 12 months, all the great places we’ve gone and things we’ve seen and done-the blessing of this knowledge stands supremely above it all. These are the truths that make the birth we celebrate at this Christmas time the miracle it is. We wish for the knowledge and wonder of these truths to permeate your lives and hearts in the coming year.

Merry Christmas from the Grahams!