Malachai bought Selma a sparkling blue pendant for Christmas this year.
"it's made of real silver" the flea market vendor promised him.
(I'm pretty sure it's not)

This pendant is Selma's great treasure.

I heard Malachai scolding her the other day when he found out that she was wearing it when she rode the metro "Selmaaaaa . . . you wore it on the metro!? It could have been stolen!"
"Don't worry" she reassured him "I tucked it under my shirt so that no one could see it"
"Oh;  good."

Ah.  this is our city.  We are learning to thrive in it. 

When we ventured into the city with Marilyn: 

Part II

Joshua and I were on the metro last month and spied an add for the Museo de la Luz plastered onto one of the metro billboards: tickets were 2x1 during the month of December.  

This was good news for us because

a long,

long,

long

time ago, Josu's kindergarten teacher asked his class to visit the museum of light.  Somehow, we never made it. (I'm sure it's not because we're not responsible parents . . . because we totally are . . . fyi)

 

The museum was fantastic:  so many kid-friendly and hands-on displays.

I think my favorite part though, 

was the light.

When we ventured into the city with Marilyn:
 PART I

The riot police were out;  we see them often here, because this is where manifestations are made when the people want their voices to be heard.

I took a picture of a guy playing a trumpet. I tried to sneak it in, without him noticing:  a picture without a tip.  he noticed, and then glared at me.  then I felt guilty - because I didn't follow the rule for cordial musician/photographer interaction. I should have known better.

We walked down some streets downtown that I have never walked down before.  That always makes me feel accomplished.

My new year has started . . .  it has been filled with friends sharing meals in our home, legos on my coffee table, and a bit more fear and anger in my heart than I'm comfortable with (completely unrelated to the friends and the legos, I assure you.)

I have some ideas of things I would like to implement in this new year; they are vague ideas - swimming around somewhat aimlessly in my heart and mind:   I have a new stack of books piled onto my beside table that I'm purposing to read (but that stack may grow or shrink).  I have a new chore chart mapped out for my kiddos that I hope will keep us all a bit more disciplined and tidy (but - who knows?  I may need to shuffle those chores around).  I would like to sign up for a photography class (or maybe I should just sew more;  should I sew?)

Amidst my vague propositions for the new year, though, this one is certain:  I want to persistently seek the face of my Creator, and to delight in Him.

because
this
will shape every moment of every day this year.
It will be a filter for the books I read; it will influence the way I speak to my children when the chore chart isn't adhered to the way I was hoping it would be; it will  allow me to me to pursue personal projects for God's glory and not my own.

Seek the face of my Creator, and delight in Him.
This is what I was made for.