Celebrating Granbaby's 1st Christmas

There is something magical about the holiday season and this year was no exception. It was filled with a whirlwind of joyful celebrations focusing around my granbaby's first Christmas. How fortunate I felt to celebrate with Sierra Kathryn and both sides of her family at her home in Virginia. While she was too little to understand the significance of Christmas, it was delightful watching her smile her way through all the happenings and be part of many photo shoots. 

Now, after a weeklong stay in Virginia and a day of cleanup after my New Year's Eve party, I have time to quietly recall 2017's joyful Christmas visit. It was indeed a week to remember and so I record the blessed celebrations in photos taken with my iPhone.

Creating the following digital photo journal reminds me of when my children were little. Photo albums were filled with still photos from my 35 ml camera and processed at the local camera shop.  

CHRISTMAS 2017

C hristmas Card 

H artnett house lit up for Santa's arrival

p R e-Christmas fun

We were in awe of the outdoor decorations of this house in Reston.

People gathered to see the spectacular 2017 Festival of Lights at Morman Tabernacle in Maryland.

We were inspired by the United States Botanical Garden Exhibit of structures made from plant materials.

We enjoyed walking around the White House Outdoor Christmas Tree and then to the Capitol Building's tree.

Santa Team pajamas and hats were a hit on Christmas Eve!

Chr I stmas Day

My children posed in front of the beautiful Nativity Creche at St. John Neumann Church in Reston.

My sister and I enjoyed visiting the creche after Christmas Mass.

Grandpa and Sierra Kathryn relaxed after Mass.

Uncle Derek had so much fun with his goddaughter.

S ierra enjoyed gifts from Santa. 

Chris T mas dinner was luscious.

M ommy and baby had some cuddle time.

Gr A ndma Time was special.

S ierra surprised everyone with sitting up on her own.

A video of this milestone happening can be accessed here.

Joyful memories were made during the Christmas 2017 week. Now that I had time to collect the best photos, I can look back upon them while being away from my sweet little granbaby. 

I hope that your memories were as wonderful as mine and that your family time was filled with joy. Happy New Year to the all! 

I send warm greetings for 2018 to the following writing communities: #sol18 at Two Writing Teachers and

Celebrate This Week with Ruth Ayres.

2017 One Little Word Reflection

December is always a good time to step back and 
reflect on my one word journey. 

Questions I Pose:
Did I create a fluid journey story centered on my one little word? 
Were there opportunities to grow as a life learner? 
Did I meet my goals? 

2017 One Word Journey:
My story grew from one word, joy. This word guided me throughout the year. Sometimes it appeared in obvious ways. Other times, it eluded me. Sometimes, I felt like I could soar like an eagle. At times, I felt depleted and joy was snatched from my hands. Within every story, there are conflicts. Solutions need to be found to bring closure to a story and so it was with my one word journey.

My 2017 Creed: 

With a genuine spirit of wonderlust, I shall notice and wonder more about the ordinary, the commonplace, and the small things in life, seek joy daily, and share thoughts and feelings on positivity. By searching for joy, I hope to send it out into the world as a reminder that a "joyful heart is good medicine..." (Proverbs 17:22)

Quick Reflection:

2017 was a year of sparkling joy. I savored the ordinary as an opportunity to notice and wonder more deeply. As a new "Grandma", I found sparkling joy emanating from the smile of my beautiful grandbaby, Sierra Kathryn. I enjoyed a year of learning, loving, and gratitude, yet, I have reflective thoughts at the end of the 2017 journey. I will take one long, last look at my one word, joy, and my 2017 creed to see if I met my goals.

Goals Met Checklist:

✓  I noticed and wondered more about the ordinary, the commonplace, and the small things in life.

✓   I shared thoughts and feelings on positivity in my blogs. 

✓   I searched for and enjoyed joyful happenings. 

Perhaps on some days, I forgot about my one word, joy, and how a joyful heart is good medicine for when nagging troubles overshadow positivity.

Life Hacks to Overcome the Stumbling Blocks that Line the Path When Life Seems Challenging:

✓   Reflact, reflect with action. 

✓ Read positive thinking articles, such as The Science Behind the Joy of Sharing Joy, by Emma M. Seppala Ph.D. to promote a spirit of joyful living.

✓  Share  joy to increase joy (from E. Seppala's article). 

✓  Spread positivity daily.

"At every moment of our life we have an opportunity to choose joy."
-Henry J. M. Nouwen

I choose joy and hope you do, too! 

It's Spiritual Journey 1st Thursday at my friend, Irene Latham's blog so I am heading over there to read my colleagues' one word reflections.

Holiday Spirit

It happens every December. The holidays creep up. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas leaves my house in a state of cluttered transition. What do I do to get organized? I stress over what comes first then, go into action mode but this year there is an added feature to the month of December. I am still under construction. 

Steps to bring the holiday spirit to life amidst clutter:

Day 1

-Frantically pile Thanksgiving on the table in an attempt to organize the items for packaging up.
-Give up on that attempt and pile the decorations in a box for storage. 
-Wrap the presents for the Giving the Tree at church.
-Take down (from the attic) the outdoor Christmas decorations because the sun is shining and there is a small window of time to prepare before the temperature drops.
-Try to balance decorating for Christmas outside with clearing Thanksgiving inside.
-Remember to be grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the holidays.

Day 2

-Wake up early since I dreamt about my dilemma during the night.
-Try to laugh and remember that my one word for 2017 is joy.
-Write this blogpost for Two Writing Teachers because writing helps me sort
my thoughts and lets peace and happiness flow.
-Drink my tea, smile, and begin the day anew. 

Wish me luck in getting everything ready!

My wish for all:

Take the time to fill your heart with quiet joy this holiday season!

New Beginnings

Have you ever stood in the middle of a field of sunflowers? I did last weekend while in Virginia visiting my granddaughter. It was a unique experience. There were rows upon rows of glorious yellow blossoms. Onlookers gathered, oohing and aahing over the beauty. Photos clicked constantly. 

I found myself amazed by what I saw. A sunkissed moment came upon me. While gazing across the sunflower fields, I felt the magnitude of nature's hand. Joy, my one word chosen in January, filled the air. A feeling of peace and contentment arose and I realized that I am a journeyer of life, choosing a path to finding joy. Have I succeeded this year in allowing joy to guide my travels?

I turn to my 2017 creed that I created for a mid-year check-in.

With a genuine spirit of wonderlust, I shall notice and wonder more about the ordinary, the commonplace, and the small things in life, seek joy daily, and share thoughts and feelings on positivity. By searching for joy, I hope to send it out into the world as a reminder that a "joyful heart is good medicine..."(Proverbs 17:22)

Beyond the great expanse

of poised sunflowers,

saluting the sun,

opportunity lies.

Joy exists.

©CV, 2017

a new chapter
new beginnings

a journey of faith-filled forevers

This month the Spiritual Journey first Thursday community under the leadership of Irene Latham is hosted by Julieanne Harmatz at To Read To Write To Be. I am heading over there now to read through the various responses. Join me! 

In the meantime, I leave you with a photo of my sunflower grandbaby, Sierra Kathryn, that brings immense joy to my family.

March Musings 2: Connection

The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention...A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well-intentioned words.                            -Rachel Naomi Remen

I chose the word listen as my one word a couple of years ago. It served me well but I must admit that I need to revisit this word often. Doraine Bennett, today's host of Spiritual Journey first Thursday, chose the word connection. I pause to savor a simple practice of reflection on these words, plus Leigh Anne Eck's OLW, rise and my 2017 OLW, joy.

I connect to the stillness of midday quiet.

As one heart searching for balance,

I visualize meandering down an uneven trail,

listening to the silence of hushed pathways.

Wisdom echoes through the stillness.
Stories rise from undisturbed corners.
Speechless sounds are muffled as

I savor the time to reflect alone. 

The mind recognizes the breath from within,
filling the the room with a spirit of peace.
©CVarsalona, 2017 

Yesterday, I opened the door to new journeys for the month of March: Two Writing Teachers' March Slice of Life Story Challenge and the season of Lent. The Lenten journey asks us to listen, to connect with those whose hearts need mending, and to share the spirit of energetic giving. If I can stitch a quilt of comfort to share each day, then perhaps the road to making connections with life, faith, and others may not be as uneven as I think. 

Joy is the reward.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

You can visit Spiritual Journey first Thursday at Doraine Bennett's site. 

This post is the second in a series titled March Musings for Two Writing Teachers' March Slice of Life Challenge.