Day 25: Light

I love the warm LIGHT of my Christmas tree, and all the memories had while hanging the ornaments.

(I really wanted a picture of a candle from the 11 service at church, one of my favorite Christmas memories from growing up, but my kiddos would never make it up that long.)

This has been a fun month counting down the days to Jesus' birthday! Merry Christmas!! I hope each one of you has a blessed holiday!

Day 24: Joy

JOY is seeing the light in my children's eye and the awe and wonder in their voices (or squeals).
JOY are the random kisses and hugs.
JOY is my baby boy asking to hold me hand, or Molley just taking it.
JOY is watching my kids play together...well, mostly play together.
JOY is looking at my kids and knowing how loved they are, knowing how many lives they have touched already and such a young age, and knowing how blessed I am to hear them call me mom.
JOY is knowing how amazing God's love can be!

Day 23: Neighboors

David loves his NEIGHBOORS from school, all of them. I don't know what he will do without seeing those kids everyday. Some have gone, and others have come. The guy on the end there has been with him since he was 8wks old. Those two can get into trouble faster than anyone I know.

Day 22: Sign

In grandma's house. How cool to have it recorded who lived there and when?

Day 21: Prophet

What is a PROPHET? Someone who has claimed to be contacted by the supernatural or devine, according to Wikipedia.            

This time of year, we hear a lot about the PROPHET Isaiah. Over 800yrs before Jesus' birth, Isaiah proclaimed that a new king would be born, and he would be a "wonderful counselor" and the "prince of peace." Isaiah spoke many times about mercy, compassion, love, and kindness.

I don't know any true PROPHETS today, but I know of oh so many people who speak of mercy, compassion, love, and kindness. These people inspire me. They challenge me. They make me a better me. They constantly put other people first and themselves last. They speak good words of all people.

We are all born knowing nothing but good and innocence. Then we grow up. I want my children to be like Isaiah. I want them to know good, speak kindly, and act compassionately. I want them to be able to love everyone equally, and treat all with the same kindness they want to be treated with. I want my children to always remember the gold rule, and of course to remember that mommy is always right. :)                                                                                          

Day 20: Good News

And the angel said "Fear not, for behold, I bring you GOOD NEWS of great joy..."

GOOD NEWS can be hard to come by. It seems as though the news is full of tragedy and heart ache. Those "fluff" pieces are fewer and farther in between. News of murder, burglary, destruction, and loss top the headlines more often than news of compassion, new life, small acts of kindness, or helpful neighbors. It's become an expectation that when you watch the news, you will be depressed.

But what about all of the GOOD NEWS out there. When was the last time you got really good news. Not just news of a 2hr delay from school or surprise money in your pocket, but really GOOD NEWS?

Ours was just over 2yrs ago. The GOOD NEWS of a baby. Prayers had been answered.

We wanted the GOOD NEWS to be remembered throughout Molley's life. Her middle name is Elizabeth, after Mary's cousin who also received GOOD NEWS. Molley was great news in our life, and we want her to always carry with her what a blessing she is in our lives. 

Day 19: Patient/Patience

"Lord, grant me the PATIENCE to deal with my blessings"

I recently saw this quote and thought YES! I need this for my house.

I am not always a PATIENT person. I'm the one who would open Christmas presents early to see what I was getting and then rewrap them. I know my mom knew what I was doing, but she never said anything.

Sometimes I'm not all that PATIENT with my children either. When I'm trying to cook and they are begging, a louder voice comes out. When all I want to do is go to the bathroom alone and 4 little feet follow me in, I want to scream.

When those things happen, I remember that times flies so fast and in a blink they'll be adults. Then I'll look back on these times and laugh. I'm sure that my parents still see us girls like this instead of moms with kids of our own.

Day 18: Mercy

There was no room for them in the inn...

How merciful of the inn keeper to give Mary and Joseph room to stay on that night oh so long ago.  It may not have been up to any of our standards, but the compassion shown was something to be proud of.

Each year the guidance department coordinates  Holiday Help for families in our school. The response is always overwhelming, and the families we help are well taken care of.  Here are a few pictures from this year. These are just a few of the families that we were able to help.

Day 17: Free

Nothing is FREE at Christmas, at least that is what I think everytime I walk into a store to feed our banana habit in our house. 

What I have learnedis FREE all year long are the smiles I get when my kids do something cute, or I am trying to explain to them something in the store and someone overhears. I love the smiles I get then. Makes me feel normal for explaining the most random things in public. Such as the following...

"Mom, why would anyone want to wear that?" said near the bra department next to an older woman in Target

"Well honey, they are for girls only, so you won't need to worry about wearing one."

"Why mom?"

"Because girls need them and boys don't"

"Why mom?"

Ignored

"Mom, why do only girls need then? Is like why I have a peepee door and you don't?" (said much louder)

Giggling from the woman, and a big smile

I love those FREE smiles. 

Day 16: Strong

Mary Did You Know...

How STRONG must Mary have been! To see the angel come to her and tell her she was with child. Her, a meek and mild virgin was going to have a baby. Not just any baby, God's only son.

How STRONG must she have been to tell Joesph!

How STRONG must she have nee to flee when word of Harrod came to her.

How STRONG to watch your sone die on a cross for the sins of others. 

STRONGer than me, that is for sure. 

A STRONG Christmas memory for me is hearing my mom and her group sing Mary Did You Know a few years ago. So beautiful! I wish I had a recording of that. Instead, I'll sub my 2nd favorite group. 

Day 15: Rejoice

REJOICE in the Lord our God, for he is good!!

I sing his praises daily and REJOICE in my children. God is good, and he blessed me with two of the most amazing children in the world.

Day 14: Gather

Whenever this crew gets together, chaos is to follow - in a good way of course. Since this picture in 2011, we have added 3 more kids, and another is on the way!

Day 13: Justice

Of all the days so far, this has been the hardest for me. I just had a hard time tying JUSTICE to Christmas.

We all know that JUSTICE is about being fair. Fairness and Christmas...does that mean to have equal presents for all under the tree? Spending the same amount of time with everyone?

Maybe I'm thinking to hard about this one. Maybe JUSTICE and Christmas do go hand in hand. Maybe it's to remind us to treat others justly, not just at Christmas, but all year. Maybe it's about this little guy who is sure that it's not fair that there are others little boys who don't own any Hot Wheels cars or trains, and that is why he always needs to put money in the red bucket. "Mom, every boy needs a train."

Day 12: Hope

This is the ornament hanging on my tree for my angels. It reminds me to always have HOPE in what HE has in store for us.

Day 11: Steady/Steadfast

"STEADY as she goes!!!"

This is how I feel about God's love for me. There are not things I can do to make him love me more, nor are there things I can do to make him love me less.

This is also how I feel about my love for David and Molley. There is nothing that they can do to make me love them anymore than I already do, and there is nothing that they can do to make me love them any less.

I wonder if Mary felt the same about Jesus? What about Joseph?

As I go through life, I have come to like the STEADY constants more and more. I can rely on them - they are not going anywhere. They will be there on my best of best days, and there when all I want to do is curl up in a ball and cry.

STEADY is this guy in my life.

"STEADY as she goes!"

Day 10: Holy

Oh, HOLY night

My favorite Christmas carol. I have 10 different versions on my playlist right now. It just paints the perfect picture for what I think that night must have looked and felt. 

HOLY night, oh HOLY night.

Day 9: Delight

Oh how my children DELIGHT in so many things. To see the world through their eyes would be amazing.

To feel the excitement that they do in things that I have long forgotten about. I didn't know the eyes of my sweet babes could get as big as they have in the past weeks.

"Mom! Hurry. I need to hear the North Pole report!"
"Mom, can you believe it?! The hot coco machine went haywire! We have to let daddy hear it too!"

"AAAA" heard by all from Molley at the end of every Christmas song

"Mom, did you know that those red buckets help kids get food....and toys. Kids need toys. They don't help kids who are sick though, I do that when I ride my bike. Mom....can I put some money in the bucket?" (He did a Trike-A-Thon a few months ago.)

"Mom! Can I open the envelope tonight?! referring to our Advent calendar

"Did you know baby Jesus' birthday is almost here?"

"Where did Bury go? Let's find him!"

"AAAAA" heard by all, again from Molley, when the tree is turned on

"Mom, do you think Santa will think our tree is perfect. I think it's perfect mom."

Yes, sweetie, I can guarantee that Santa will love our tree as much as you.

Day 8: Wisdom

I had an idea once. An idea that I would grow up, become a doctor, marry rich, have 4 kids, live in a huge house and have the perfect fairytale life.

WISDOM

My high school guidance counselor, as well as every career assessment I took said that I should work in education. I laughed.

WISDOM

I hate organic chemistry. I'm not a huge fan of needles either.

WISDOM

I don't need money to be happy. Would money make some things easier, sure, but make me happier? In the short term, maybe, but money can't buy everything.

WISDOM

I love my family. I do not have the patience for more than 2 children, and some days, I'm not sure I have the patience for the 2 I do have.

WISDOM

More house=more cleaning

WISDOM

I married the perfect man for me. I do have my fairytale life. Perfect, no, but exactly what I want.

WISDOM

God knew what he was doing. It just took me a little longer to realize that.

Day 7: Ready

READY or not, here I come!

Hide and Seek - a childhood favorite.

Sometimes I feel like faith can be like this. It's strong and great when all is well, weak and wavering when things are not.  It's often hard to keep it at a constant. I think that is the great thing about faith though- it is ever changing. Without our questions, we would not get answers that strengthen us. Without the lows, we would not know the highs. I always have my faith, but it is fluid - ever changing and developing. 

Molley is very much READY to take a leap of faith and run. She may not be READY to understand this magical season, but look out world here she comes!

Day 6 : Awake

When I think about AWAKE, I think about opening- our hearts, our minds, our eyes, our souls. Opening ourselves up to pain, sorrow, joy, and happiness. Opening ourselves up to the word, to the possibilities that there is something bigger than us out there.

I want to AWAKEn the feeling that I had as a kid at Christmas. That magical feeling that anything was possible, that everyone had some good in them, the wonder of Jesus' birth.

Of course, I also think of AWAKE and hope that I am not AWAKE with my little angel when Santa comes :)

(A rare nap last year at Christmas time.)

Day 5: Flood

What does the word FLOOD have to do with Christmas?

Maybe it's the FLOOD of emotions felt on that amazing night...
Maybe it's the FLOOD of people flocking to Bethlehem for the census...
Maybe the FLOOD of angels singing...
Or the FLOOD of people on Black Friday...

Maybe it's the FLOOD inside of me. The rush of emotions, of all the things I want to do with my family, all of the wonderful feelings I have of this time of year. The constant movement of everything around me, when all I want to do is stand still and take it all in.

Or maybe it's none of that.

Maybe it's the FLOOD of Christmas cards from years past reminding me that I need to do ours for this year. :)

Day 4 : Time

7:00 pm - the TIME of my first date with Nate
6:30(ish) pm - the TIME Nate proposed
1:30 pm - the TIME of our wedding
8:25 am - the TIME David was born
4:44 pm - the TIME Molley was born

TIME seems to pass by so quickly. Blink, and you've missed something.

Christmas comes and go so quickly, and then we're off to worry about or prepare for the next  big thing. I want to use my TIME wisely this year - spend time with family and friends, teach my children what is important about the season. I don't need to spend so much TIME on finding the perfect gifts, or the prefect decorations. That is not what it is all about.

I need to spend TIME this season remembering what blessings I have surrounding me and what a blessing I have in my faith.

Day 3: Peace

PEACE be with you...
...and also with you.

This is a response that we do often on Sunday mornings. We also "pass the PEACE" each Sunday during the service to greet our neighbors. This is David's favorite part of the service - it's when he is allowed to get up, shake hands, and talk. He has his favorite people that he likes to talk to, and those that he is still warming up to. Molley also enjoys this part because she can show off her walking skills.

PEACE is something that I have found is hard to teach. It's a concept that David doesn't get just yet. I am hopeful that this season, we can teach him more about PEACE through our readings and our actions.

Day 2 - Bound

Merry Christmas...
Merry X-Mas...
Happy Holidays...
Enjoy your winter break?

Over the years the way in which we share holiday greetings has changed. Sometimes I feel so BOUND to be politically correct, that even I can sometimes forget why I celebrate Christmas.

Mary, Joseph, the shepards, and the wise men felt BOUND to hide their great joy for fear of persecution. The felt BOUND to move forward to new lands until that threat had passed. They felt BOUND to keep their secret.

 

I wonder what it was like for Mary when the angel came to her. Did she feel BOUND to tell no one her joyous news? What about Joseph? Their parents?

 

This Christmas season, I don't want to feel BOUND to keep any secrets.  Lets feel BOUND to share our joy, our blessings, our love.

Day 1: Go

On your mark...Get set...GO!


...GO to find that perfect gift
...GO to make the house perfect
...GO to spend time with family
...GO to get the best deal
...GO to make the holiday season perfect

What makes a season perfect? The best decorations? Most expensive gift? The creative Christmas card? The best decorated cookie? The most original traditions?

What do we sacrifice when all we do is GO?

This year, I want things to be different. I want to feel like we GO with purpose, not obligation.

I don't want things to get left behind or forgotten. Last year, we simply ran out of time to do things, and one the first thing to get dropped was our nightly advent readings. This year will be different! We will spend that time as a family and GO on a spiritual journey to discover the real reason for the season. We will teach our children to GO forth in Christ. We will learn to GO in all that we do with love. We will GrOw in all that we do this season.

On your mark...get set...GO!

Advent Countdown

Last year I did the 25 days of Christmas countdown. I posted a picture a day to help countdown to Christmas. I enjoyed doing it. It helped me to stay in the holiday spirit. This year I wanted to do the same thing, but spend more time focused on Christ. A friend of mine posted this list on Facebook, and I decided to try this one. It comes from www.rethinkchurch.org. I like that each day I'll get to take a picture (or write) about the word and focus on the true meaning of Christmas.

1: Go
2: Bound
3: Peace
4: Time
5: Flood
6: Awake
7: Ready
8: Wisdom
9: Delight
10: Holy
11: Steady/Steadfast
12: Hope
13: Justice
14: Gather
15: Rejoice
16: Strong
17: Free
18: Mercy
19: Patient/Patience
20: Good News
21: Prophet
22: Sign
23: Neighbors
24: Joy
25: Light

Look at her go!!

This is how I see my little girl. Tiny and a baby.

 

 

In reality, this is my little girl. A toddler and mobile.

 

 



 

 

How did we get here? Wasn't she just born yesterday?

Bible

David has a Bible that we received from church when he was a toddler. It's a children's Bible with pictures and such. He has always loved his Bible, but recently has been "reading" it more and more by himself. He sleeps with it, and even takes it to school sometimes.

Today he took the Bible in Nate's car and left it there. On any other night, this probably would not be an issue, but tonight, Nate has a meeting.

David: Mom, I need my Bible.
Me: Where is it, buddy?
David: tears in eyes Daddy's car.
Me: Bud, I will bring it in as soon as daddy gets home. Let's pick another book for tonight.
David: still with tears in his eyes okay mommy.

90 minutes later

David: Mom, is daddy home yet?
Me: No David. You need to be asleep!
David: crocodile tears But I need my Bible, mom. I need to sleep with it.
Me: frantically texting Nate to see if he will be home soon, with no luck Go to bed buddy.
David: sobbing in his room

How do you not want to find your child a Bible, anything they love, when they ask like that.

A few minutes later

Me: David, I can't give you your Bible, but what if I give you another special one?
David: Where?
Me: I can let you sleep with mommy's Bible from when she was a little girl. You'll have to be careful. It's old and the pages are fragile.
David: Mommy, I'll be so careful. Even more gentle than I am with Molley. Mommy, will you read me a story from your Bible?
Me: Of course buddy. Which story?
David: Read me the story of when God mad the earth. Mommy, did you know that before I came out of your belly, I was with God watching and helping God protect the earth? I was sitting next to him. Then he put me in your belly.

Melt. I love my baby boy. So insightful.

Halloween Wreath

I was over my Halloween wreath. It was 5 years old and, gasp, store bought. I wanted to find something that said Halloween, but didn't scream it.

Of course, I went straight to Pintrest. This was my insipration.

Simple and cute. Perfect. The third requirement was to not break the bank. Chevron fabric is in, and the fabric stores know that. An alternative was needed. 

Not to shabby. :)

Total cost was $3. Yes, $3. I had the spider rings (2 on flowers are not glued, so they can be removed if I get tired of them. The dangling one if just tied with fishing line.) I also had the wreath form from another wreath that I decided I hated. I also already had the Happy Halloween sign from my previous wreath. All I needed was 3 fat quarters. I only used 1 1/2 of the black/white and 1/2 of the orange, so really it cost less than $3.

The Great Pumpkin!

Last week, we made our annual trip to Tuttle's for all of our pumpkin needs. It was a little chilly, but still a beautiful evening to go! David needed to find the perfect pumpkin, and had fun checking them all out. Molley was just a long for the ride. :)

David pointing out the p's

Not so sure about it all.

 The great pumpkin!

Lantern Launch 2013

A few weeks ago, we did a lantern launch at church to raise money for missions. Raising the money may have been the primary reason, but for us, it was so much more.

We used the launch to thank God and remember our angels, and the angels of others who had experienced a loss. I had also invited a group of students from school to come. They had all lost a parent at some point in the last year. I was excited when we got there to see two of them. I had looked forward to this event for a long time, and it did not disappoint. Seeing the lanterns was an amazing experience - the perfect event for remembrance and thanksgiving.

David wanted to know what would happen to the lantern after it was let go. I asked him what he thought. He said that God would catch it.

After the launch, he was insistent on going to look at the stars. We went out and laid on the grass to look up. I asked what we were looking for.
David: a star - the brightest.
Me: Why buddy?
David: It's my lantern, mom. God caught it and sent it back as a star.
Me: Is it because God loves you David?
David: No mom, it because God loves everyone, not just me.

Who knew a 4 year old could be so smart.

Fire Prevention Week

This week is Fire Prevention Week. David's teacher has been working hard to make sure all of the kids know what to do in case of a fire. Fear not Miss Lori - David knows what to do!

David: "Mom...MOM! Do YOU know what to do in case of a fire"
Me: "Yes"
David: "No, no you don't. Let me tell you. First you have to drop mom. You have to crawl under the smoke."
Me: "Okay, then what."
David: "Then you have to feel the door mom. But don't open it if its hot! Hot is dangerous mom. I don't want you to get hurt."
Me: giggling at his enthusiasm and seriousness
David: "If it's hot, then you go to your window, open it, and scream. Not hot is okay, mom. Then you can open the door. But don't stand up - crawling only in a fire to stay under the smoke mom. Smoke is bad!"
Me: "Yes, smoke is bad. What happens when we get out of the house?"
David: "We need someplace to meet in case we all come out different doors."
Me: "And where should we meet?"
David: "Nene's house."
Me: giggling as my mom lives 8 miles away "How will we get there"
David: "The car mom."
Me: "Do you think maybe we need someplace closer to home to meet first. Like the mailbox?"
David: "Good idea mom. But we'll need to take the mailbox with us so it doesn't catch fire too."

They have also learned how to call 9-1-1 (on pretend phones). They are learning their address, which David already knows pretty well. "You ONLY call in an emergency mom. It's serious and not something to play with." Good job, kiddo!

They are also learning to spell colors. Being fire week and all, they learned red this week. Who knew that there were songs for this. (Probably everyone out there except me.)

Sung to Are You Sleeping

R-E-D, red

R-E-D, red

I can spell red

I can spell red

Firetrucks are red, stop signs are too

R-E-D

R-E-D 

Upon learning this song, David needed to to know the song for all of the colors. Thank you Google!

 

I Like to Move It!

David has been singing, "I Like to Move It" for weeks now. It's on one of the CD's from school that they use during rotations. Last week, I found the video on YouTube for him to watch. Oh my, did I score some major mom points with that! He has asked to watch it almost daily since. Even Molley has learned to love the song. We had to watch it twice tonight, and the dancing had me grinning from ear to ear. These two kiddos had so much fun dancing!

In the 1st video, you see more of David's rad moves. In the 2nd video, you see more of Molley's.

 

Slide Fun

Molley has a new favorite activity! (And David has a new favorite part about being a big brother!)

She loves the slide! She did this for 30 minutes, when we got tired of putting her back at the top. She squealed and giggled, and David did too. I love watching her learn new skills!

Peanut Butter S'more Dip

Who like s'mores?

We do...a lot.

What makes a plain 'ole s'more even better?

Using a peanut butter cup instead of plain chocolate.

Amazing.

Of course, we can't have s'mores all year long easily, or can we?

I was dying to try one of those s'more dips that have been popping up all over Pinterest. They looked easy enough, and could satisfy our need for s'mores all year long.

I started out with this recipe. You all know that I couldn't leave it as it came, so I did some tweaking, and what resulted was heaven on a graham cracker (or Nilla Waffer).

Peanut Butter S'more Dip

1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 3/4 cup chocolate chips
1ish cup marshmallow cream (I wasn't exact - just eyeballed it)
1/2-3/4 cup of peanut butter (I started with 1/2 and added some more for our taste preference)

Place chocolate chips and condensed milk in small crock pot on high for about 30min or until melted
Add marshmallow cream and peanut butter
Stir to combine and leave on high for another 30 minutes
Enjoy with graham crackers or Nilla Waffers

Once everything melted together, I turned the pot down to low to just keep it warm. You can do this in a dish in the microwave as well, but we wanted it to stay melty for our whole party. It is super easy to refill by melting everything in the microwave and adding it to the pot.

This stuff is amazing. It's like crack - you get one taste of it and you keep coming back for more. We will definitely be making this for more parties!

David and Mommy Time

Last year, I wrote this post. I was so worried about adding a baby to our family and what that would do to David.  (Turns out I should have been more worried about what it would do to my sleep schedule, but that is not the point.) I told myself that David and I would have all of this special mommy/David one-on-one time.

Then life happened.

It's not that David and I don't spend time together, because we do, and a lot of it. We go to the zoo, museum, Conner Prairie, parks, bowling.... It's that we don't get as much of that one-on-one time that I need with my ever growing baby boy.

Last Saturday we had our first outing together, alone. He was very concerned that we were not taking Molley with us. "She goes everywhere with us, mom." I know sweetie. We need to change that.

We started at Home Depot, yup, the hardware store. The first Saturday of the month they do a build clinic. Despite David thinking that only daddy can build stuff, we built a pretty darn good truck! Mommy did have the help paint (didn't know that would be an option, and we had other things to do!).

After our truck building, we went to Tuttle Orchards to pick up some corn and honey. Of course we had to take some time to play in the tractor.

Our last stop was for lunch. He "needed" ice cream, so we went to Culvers. I think he just wanted to see the water.

These outings will become more frequent, not only with David, but with Molley as well. I want them to remember the time he got to spend with both mommy and daddy together, but also that special one-on-one time that will be harder and harder to get as they get older.

1 year old!

Age: Molley is 1 year old
Weight: 23.5lbs (I'll get official stats on Monday)
Length: She wasn't very still today, but around 28 inches. 
Sizes: She is in size 4 diapers and in 12 month clothes.
Eyes: Hazel maybe?
Hair: The summer has lightened it up a lot. It's still brown, but much lighter
Sleeping:  It's a 80/20 split between sleeping all night and getting up. If she gets up, she just needs a couple of oz of water and she'll go back to sleep.
Eating: Finally found some sippy cups that she will use! She loves string cheese, and hates anything with much texture to it. Cereal is a favorite in the morning, and she will eat almost anything if David gives it to her.
Milestones: Last month she mastered sitting up from her belly. She is starting to pull up more now.
Memorable outings: She watched us bowl for the 1st time. Not as exciting for her. We've been out and about all summer long, and she loves to watch David and study everything around her.
Favorite toys/activities: Scooting and putting everything she can in her mouth. Taking toys that her brother loves in a new fun thing to do.
Words/sounds: dada, baba,
Nicknames: Sweet Pea, Molley-Molls, MuMu, Scooter
Funny moments: She doesn't like it if someone else gets something and she doesn't. If I'm hugging Nate, she sure as better be getting a hug too. She loves everything David does, even if all he says in boo. I love watching them play together.
Looking forward to: walking, talking

Happy birthday sweet baby girl!