Day of the Dead Project

 

Check out this project that Madison helped create for her Spanish class!  It's related to the Día de los Muertos, a little monument to Antonio Del Castillo, a Spanish costume designer.  I know that because I just had to look it up.  Anyway, she did a great job on this - it's what we went out to get the black poster board for.  The end result was really good!

So the election didn't go well.  For anyone.  We don't know 100% who won the election, and that's the point.  There are all kinds of issues, and sure enough, the year 2020 is not through giving us reasons to hate it.  This season of Thanksgiving is always a wonderful opportunity to look back and find those reasons to be thankful, and this is one of those years where some might have to look for those things with a little more effort.  Actually, it won't take that much effort to find things to be thankful for, to be honest.  We're surrounded by grace, even in the most trying of circumstances.  We deserve so much punishment rained down upon us, and yet we are supernaturally shielded, and we know that all things work out for the good of those that love the Lord.  And in fact, times of pressure, sickness, and persecution are times that we tend to draw closer to the Lord, and as it says in James, when we draw close to Him, He draws close to us.  So perhaps a year like this is an opportunity for the closest relationship with our Heavenly Father that we've ever had, and perhaps that is needed.  Perhaps we've been complacent or going through the motions, or perhaps not putting Him first in all things.  That being said, possibly all these challenging waves of bad news are in fact opportunities and messages from God Himself.

Anyway, we'll still have much to say we're thankful for at Thanksgiving.  Even though all around looks to be burning.  Speaking of which, I've noticed that there aren't any riots going on right now.  Things look more favorable for the riot party, so they're not out destroying all those places of business.  Not yet, anyway.  Give them a reason, and they'll be out there burning things down again.  I mean, is it not so obvious?  One party wins, people flood the city and destroy stuff.  The other party wins, and there aren't any riots.  So...

Today we were listening to all our Christmas records as we put up some more decorations, and wow, we have a lot of Christmas albums.  Some are older ones that we've had for many, many years.  Others are recent finds at thrift shops, and some gems too, including Amy Grant's first Christmas record.  Last year, I was so happy to buy the John Denver and the Muppets Christmas record.  Nana and Ye-Ye gave me a couple of Perry Como records we used to listen to a long, long time ago.  We listened to all of these today, making spirits bright.

I got a late birthday present today:  the Jungle Cruise board game.  yes!  So excited about this one, as it looks like fun.  Aunt Shain got that for me, and I was pretty happy seeing this one.  Can't wait to try it out!

Madison had piano class tonight, and that went well.  She's moving forward with "Victor's Piano Solo" for her recital piece.  Her teacher feels like she's doing well with that one.  We came straight home afterwards, and we ate and watched some Christmas movies.  Madison was studying a little for a science test, part two of a unit test she took today as well.  She believes she's doing rather well with that.  This is one thing that's going amazingly right in 2020, come to think of it:  Madison's grades.  We don't even stress about these at all.  She doesn't either.  She's doing well in Spanish, enjoying drama, cruising through Science, and even kind of liking the short stories they're reading in ELA.  They're currently reading some murder mysteries.  Moo-ah-ah-ah.

Tonight's story was "Choices of One," which is picking up the pace a bit.  I believe that eventually Madison might do a Halloween as Mara Jade.  That would be fun.  We've got the red lightsaber.  And her sword practice in taekwondo seems to be going well too.  So yeah!  Anyway, we read, and after that, we prayed.  "Thy Will be done."  Not sure what that is this year, but that's okay.  We'll be fine!