Christmas Letter 2017

Dear Family and Friends, 

I know many of you enjoy hearing our “Higgins Highlights”, so I will indulge you just a little and maybe it will fill your heart...

We are fast approaching 2 years living in the Old Stone House.  We still love it. We also discovered the house is much older than thought -1850. So it was standing while the Civil War raged and the Confederates marched nearby on their way to York and then Gettysburg.

Big Walter is chipping away at our new basement bathroom, we now have a shower that doesn’t leak! We singlehandedly liquidated Home Depot’s stash of clearance trees. We are hopeful the spring will unfold happy new crabapples and willow oaks. We made a trip to Little Rock this summer. I think we picked the hottest week of the summer to go but everyone had a good visit and no one got carsick!

Walter is in 2^nd grade. Over the past year he has become quite a proficient reader. He burns the midnight oil pouring over Star Wars books and whatever else he has brought home from the library. Rosie is in Kindergarten. She is breezing through her math book; I can hardly keep up with her. They both have been learning about American history and all the States and Capitals. We are proud of what they have retained. The two of them (I can hear them now) always play together. A princess drives a tank or Hess truck. Stuffed animals prepare for space travel or to visit Doc McStuffins. Somehow they mesh each other’s favorite toys to play together.

Little Walter, I think, has won over Rose’s heart for the singer Keith Green. Some of you will ask who is Keith Green? Keith Green was a Christian singer or par and friends with Bob Dylan. (A name you are more likely to know.) He was a prolific musician and songwriter in the 70s and early 80s. He wrote a treasure trove of worship songs. I read an autobiography about him many years ago and it literally transformed my life. So every once in awhile, usually around Easter, I pull out Keith Green. Walter just grew to love Keith Green’s music. He has many songs memorized. Rosie not so much, she would groan. But over the last couple weeks her tune has changed. I catch her singing along. She seems to love his music now. Keith Green died in a plane crash 35 years ago but what a legacy he left! His music is played in station wagons & minivans across America and churches throughout the world. YouTube is full of him. People are still listening and having their hearts changed, transformed and renewed. I am thankful my kids are among them.

Our real highlights are the little lights that shine in the hearts of our children as they play together. They shine when life looks a little dim and remind us as they sing along with Keith, “Oh Lord Your are Beautiful”, “There is a Redeemer” and “You Put this Love in My Heart” and these are all messages that are as timeless today as they were in 1979 and are the same truths that have been sung to a different tunes over the past 2000 years…

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2018 and may your heart be full of His Beauty and Love because -There is a Redeemer.

Blessings,

Walter, Liz, Walter and Rose

Be the Hero

From June 2016...

You are a little boy. You are too consumed with Legos to know the terrible things that go on in the world. It is as it should be.

However, one of the reasons for this blog is that you may learn from me in a different way someday down the road.  So....

You see I read this quote today.  "No matter how old your son is, now is a good time to start talking to him about how you expect him to be the Swedish bicyclist and not the Stanford swimmer." -Matthew Levie

In the news, this week is the story of a Stanford swimmer who assaulted a young woman. He claims it was the alcohol that made him do it. I am sure it contributed. The swimmer made bad choices and is unremorseful. For what he did though -the emotional scars the woman will deal with all her life- the punishment was hardly enough. It is a true judicial disgrace. People are all in an uproar.  

You can read about all the details just google: "Brock Turner Standford Swimmer"

This quote really struck me though. You know I am all about making the best choice. I give you choices all the time. I spell them out very clearly. I tell you what the consequences will be if you make the wrong choice.

Learning to make a good choice as a child, will help you make good choices as an adult.

I do this because I do want you to be the Swedish bicyclists. They saw something didn't look right and they didn't keep going. They asked the hard questions? They didn't let fear stop them from chasing down the bad guy. They were the heroes in this story.

I want you to be the hero. To be ready to stop and help. To ask the hard questions.  To protect the hurt and broken. To do the right thing. I expect it.

As your mom, I will do all that is in my power to help you learn what the best choices are. So when you are tempted or challenged or witness someone who needs your help, you can stand strong and make the right choice. Because heroes aren't made in a moment, they are made one right choice after another.

Be the hero of your story.

Why I Love Being Your Mom - 2017

Dear Walter,

Oh my boy, how emotional I was the day your first little tooth broke through you gum line. Your gummy grin was changed forever.  I was equally emotional the day that same tooth fell out. You have grown so much this year. You are secure and confident, when I drop you off for a Sunday school class, Kids Club and CC. Gone are the days when you clung to me. Part of me is a little sad because it means you are growing up but it most of me is proud because you can do it now. You can wave bye and go do your thing.

You read well.  Love to build things and with great patience too! You come up with great creations and clever ideas. You have this idea for "Walter's Outlet." You are always saying "At Walter's Outlet, I will have transforming ... and I will have ...." It sounds as though you want to meld together Walmart, Dutch Wonderland, Crayola, Home Depot, and an Army depo all into one place. With ample parking and nice bathrooms. I don't know what will become of this idea, but I like that you are full of ideas and I am trusting that as time marches on, as I know it will, that you will discover the plan God has for you. We are always talking about making right choices and making choices that will make God happy. I know you want this.  You say you just want to keep learning more and more about Jesus. There is also more to learn.

You love TobyMac and Keith Green, you have Psalm 23 nearly memorized. You love digging in the dirt and you hate writing and subtraction (so did I). You say I am cute and kiss my nose.

It doesn't seem quite fair that you have to grow up so fast. I wish I could go back just for little bit to little baby Wawa. But 7 year old Wawa is a pretty great too. I ask you to do something and you say, "Got it." I know you love me with all your heart and that is best feeling in the world.


Dear Rosie,
You are the princess. You snuggle me in the early morning. You are stubborn and want to do things on your own but you also want to be carried. You are my little helper in the garden and you love doing school work.

There are days I feel like I fail to give you everything you want. There just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day for all the tea parties you want to have. But you forgive me anyhow.

You are growing too fast that is for sure. You are fun to watch and listen to when you don't know I am listening. You make your dolls, critters, princesses talk and you make up funny songs to go along. You have quite the imagination that is for sure.

You both play so nicely together. It is always a marvel to me and source of great joy because I know many siblings don't get along as well as the two of you. You are the best of friends and I hope you will always be that way for one another.


Love,
Mom