blog header year in review!

2011 is coming to a close! I'm not working on New Year's resolutions, as many people do, but I do have a word of the year that I will share soon! For now, I thought I'd share my blog headers of the past year! I did this last year too--you can see 2010 headers here. I do love putting them together, but wonder if I might need to recycle some--like I do every year with my December header---I just love it so!! ***After loading the headers, I noticed I am missing July's header. The summer must have gotten away from me, or I just decided June's would still work. Who knows!

Joy to the world!

It's been nearly 2 weeks since I last posted. I usually try to never go that long without posting, but I just couldn't help but soak up family time and of course was busy trying to get things ready for Christmas! I really can't believe it has come and gone already---in a flash it was here and in a flash it has passed!

This was the year that both of our oldest boys understood the real meaning of Christmas! Charlie pointed out every "ah-tivity" scene he saw. The boys talked about Jesus being our most important gift ever. Joy to the World and Silent Night topped their most requested list at family devotional time. And while Santa wasn't as big of a focus, we were still excited about him! The boys loved seeing him at the Alpine Village and thought that was the best part of the entire event! He was SO nice! We enjoyed making cookies with Mimi and Grandpa and left some for Santa on Christmas Eve. Sprinkling reindeer food in the grass for Santa's buddies was fun too! This was the Christmas of Birds of Prey (books, posters, wings, toys) and Superheroes (books, toys, costumes, clothes) and balls (every size, color and flashing)! And usually, Christmas Eve service is one of my favorite moments of Christmas--a time when I can truly feel worshipful and joyful and full of anticipation--but this year, having Christmas on Sunday, was amazing and Chad and I wishing Christmas could always fall on a Sunday! How wonderful it was, to have family time and open presents at home, but then to go and worship and celebrate Jesus' birth, at church, on his birthday!!!

Oh, it has come and gone, but this Christmas was really special! Joy to the World, the Lord is come--indeed!!



FYI-Favorites on Friday

A few of my favorite things of the week. . .

1. Luke's Christmas program -- It was really sweet and I was extra thankful for our little wiseman! A wise one indeed!

2. Quality time with Charlie -- Charlie and I had fun attempting to make cute little Rudolph cookies! However, we quickly discovered just how quick you have to be at adorning the cookies with the pretzels and M&M's. We weren't very successful, but a few of the antlers stayed on!

3. Spreading joy -- Our family absolutely loves this one house we drive by almost every single day, multiple times a day, on the way to and from school and church! We decided to let them know! So, we filled a little cup with candy cane Hershey kisses, printed a little note that said something along the lines of. . .thanks for bringing happiness to our family, we want to share God's love with you by spreading joy. . and we delivered it to the family. We don't know them at all and they don't know us. It was a random act that I will never forget! The mom that opened the door and listened to why we brought her family a little treat was BEYOND thrilled. She told us that WE made her day and she was beaming! She was so sweet to our boys and so completely grateful for a cup full of hershey kisses and some little people who told her that her decorations were our family's favorite! Once we left it was amazing for me to hear my boys talk about how excited she was and how fun it was to spread joy! And that's what this season is all about. . .JOY!

it was bound to happen

 

Yep. This was our first trip to an Urgent Care for one of our littles. It was bound to happen, you know, having 3 boys and all! At around 5:30 last night, Luke and Charlie were rough housing. Not all that unusual. They are boys. They are physical. They have energy. It had been cold for a while (though today is quite warm) and dark early. It all just adds up to them wrestling and a big brother pushing a little brother into a wall. I was downstairs on the phone when I heard a bang and LOTS of loud crying. Hung up the phone and went up to hug and console Charlie. I pulled away from him to look at his face and get him to talk to me when I saw it. Blood everywhere!! I mean, pouring from the side of his head. I remembered that head wounds always bleed a lot, but this just seemed like A LOT!!! I kinda panicked and ran him to the bathtub, all the while he was screaming a break-the-glass kind of scream. I called Chad, though I knew he was driving to a meeting and told him I wasn't sure what to do. How do I know if it's just a lot of blood or serious enough for stitches? He didn't know. I called a couple of other mom friends to consult and ended up deciding to take him to Urgent Care. As I was gathering him and getting him dressed with blood still oozing, scooping up Miles and telling Luke to get his shoes on, Daddy walks in the door!

After a night to reflect. . .

Praise the Lord that Chad stayed home with Miles and Luke because Chuckles and I spent almost 3 hours in the Urgent Care (with all of the rest of our city) and the others could not have lasted that long! Praise the Lord that Rudolph was on in the lobby, even if it was quickly over! It was a good distraction! Praise the Lord for the numbing pack they put on Charlie, which took 45 minutes to take effect! Praise the Lord for a blue ice pop that quickly took Charlie's mind off of the 2 STAPLES that went in his head! Praise the Lord that I didn't faint when I watched and heard the staples go in! Praise the Lord that though I never want that to happen again, I would take that anyday over broken bones or much worse. Praise the Lord that He made Chuckles tough and brave! I was just so proud of him as he was slightly nervous, but so trusting and easily reassured! Praise the Lord that He gave us the wisdom to take him in to Urgent Care!

And, even after the events of last night, sweet Chuckles was ready to go for his little Christmas program this morning! He's front and center and did a wonderful job singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Joy to the World and We Wish You a Merry Christmas! My brain was still a little frazzled and I forgot my camera. Thank you, Ashley, for taking a few pics for us!! We loved your program, Charlie! And, we love you!!!

Thank you, Lord, for taking care of your precious Charlie!

FYI Friday--5 favorite Christmas books

A tradition in our family every Christmas season, is to get our boys a new Christmas book! It started before we had kiddos, actually! We all love books so much, and it's such fun on the day when Read a new Christmas book appears in our Advent calendar! So, for FYI Friday, I thought I'd share several of our favorites in no particular order!

1. This is the Stable by Cynthia Cotten -- We love this book! It tells the story of Jesus' birth and has a rhythm that makes the words flow. The book paints a clear and simple picture of that special night long ago! A favorite that we enjoy reading together! A must have in your Christmas book collection!

2. You Are My Miracle by Maryann K. Cusimano -- If you've read You Are My I Love You, then you know how sweet this book is too! I love the illustrations in both books and the word choices she makes just jump out in pictures! Such a sweet book about Christmas traditions, the ones we love sharing with our boys!

3. Song of the Stars by Sally Lloyd-Jones-- This is our new book for this Christmas season! The boys immediately loved it, as it was told by animals! A precious viewpoint, as God's animals were telling of the amazing event of Jesus' birth that was happening. So glad we added this to our list!

4. Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore --A Christmas classic! There are all different kinds of copies of this rhyming story, but I particularly (along with the boys) like this one because of  Mary Engelbreit's colorful and detailed pictures. There is so much to look at while listening to the fun rhymes!

5. The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg -- This book hasn't been in our collection long. It's a more detailed story and not for toddlers attention spans. However, now Luke and Charlie can both appreciate it! I love it because it tells a story of the background of the candy cane, the real meaning behind Christmas and God's love for us. A perfect way to enjoy a Christmas season night---eating candy canes and reading of the story of Jesus!

Anyone want to share your favorite Christmas books?

a heart matter

Our morning started as an unexpected winter wonderland! Beautiful, pouring white flakes were falling from the sky, and I of course was giddy! The cold wasn't freezing my heart. Yet. Skip through my day, a day spent with my Dad and sister, out shopping and having fun with family! However, once home with my littles, I was trying to soak them up, but they were full of cooped up energy and just boy energy. We had dinner and entertainment plans fall through, and I was weary after a long day and hubby being gone for a couple of nights already, trying to figure out what was next. After dinner, the cooped up, boy energy came to a head and littles were hurt, discipline insued. I felt like melting, but actually my heart frosty.

But then.

We sat down on the couch, boo-boo's healed, grace and forgiveness given and talked about our Advent message today. Give a gift to a child in need. We opened our Samaritan's Purse catalog and I began to read Franklin Graham's message about the true meaning of Christmas. I talked through some of the items in the catalog, reading their descriptions. Feed a hungry baby for a week, "for He satisfies the thristy and fills the hungry with good things" --Psalm 107:9, provide a blanket for a hurting child to snuggle with, supply a soccer ball for some children and lead them to an opportunity to hear about Christ, give a life-saving mosquito net, milk, food, a lovie, etc. I asked my littles to choose one thing each they would like to give to someone in need.

And then.

I could see the warmth in the eyes. I could hear compassion in his voice. "But Mommy, I can't just choose one!" My oldest little explaining to me that he really wanted to give food to a hungry baby and he also wanted people to be protected from the mosquitos bringing malaria. He wanted to give them milk to make their bones strong and a warm blanket to cuddle with. And sweet Chuckles, so sports minded, wanting to give a soccer ball for kiddos to play with and a Jesus Loves me Lamb for someone to snuggle and hear the song.

And then.

That's when my frosty heart warmed again. If there is anything that Chad and I want for our children, the most important thing, is for them to know and love the Lord. And they are young. But to see and hear their hearts tonight, made this heart warm. Thank you, Lord, for these little warming moments!

"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these. . .you did for Me."

--Matthew 15:40b

FYI Friday--faith

Today, while we were having lunch, little Charlie asked, "Mommy, what does Rudolph (as in the red-nosed reindeer) mean?" I didn't know.  He then asked me what the Grinch means. Then Frosty. And he was about to ask me another meaning, before I jumped in and explained that names usually do have meanings, and that parents think long and hard about naming their children and giving them special names. Charlie then asked me, "What does Miles mean?" I told Charlie (and I know we've told Luke and Charlie this before) that Miles means Heart of Compassion and went on to explain why we named him that. He seemed appeased, something else came up and we moved on.
And later I was reading and was reminded of Isaiah 9:6 and how the prophet tells us of the names that Jesus will be and is called and all of the names that have been given to our Lord. What a wonderful way to teach our boys more about the Lord! For a while now, we've been having family devotions at dinner (when we are all home). The boys love it! We all love it! Chad has been leading us as we've been following through the Bible, along the path that Chad is studying at Downline. Every night the boys ask for devotion time, which also includes praying, praising and hymn singing. However, now that Advent has begun, we've put our current path through the Bible on hold and are doing some Advent devotionals and talking about the birth of baby Jesus. I'm jumping in on some of those and think that one of our devotionals is going to be about names. Our boys names. Maybe even why Chad and I were named. And ultimately, the amazing names Isaiah spoke of before Jesus was even born!  I may be wrong, but I think every parent spends time picking out special names for their children. It's with you for life. And Jesus' many names were with Him for life and continue to spread across our world!

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. . .and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."  --Isaiah 9:6