It was a good Christmas

I feel like we celebrated Christmas all last week! We had chosen to spread out the small stocking-stuffer gifts over the course of the week, building anticipation and fun with the idea that the boys never knew when there could be something in their stocking. They loved waking up every morning and checking their stockings first thing. Nathaniel would sometimes check his stocking randomly several times a day saying, "I have to check and see if it is poofy!"

On Christmas Eve morning the boys woke up to a large treasure map. They had a blast hunting down their treasure. Which turned out to be 2 new Playmobil sets (pirates and knights & dragons) to add to their collection. We spent a quiet day at home playing and eating and just being together.

On Christmas morning we woke to snow! The first white Christmas in Georgia since 1969! We headed over to Steve & Brenda's a day earlier than planned. What a blast the boys had playing. It was the perfect kind of snow day, lots of big fluffy flakes, and not too cold so playing outside was fun. Uncle Caleb good-naturedly participated in a snowball fight and got pretty wet in the process. Uncle Chad participated in a much colder, much icier fight the next morning when he arrived.

We spent 2 days and nights at Steve & Brenda's, eating good food (way too much of it), reading books, playing video games, playing other games, and just enjoying each others company.

It was the year of Star Wars. The boys got more action figures to add to their collection (as Jeremiah calls it). But the greatest excitement of all was their new Lightsabers! They are simply thrilled and have played with them every spare minute since they got them on Monday morning. Jeremiah actually has some pretty convincing Jedi moves, not sure what I think about that.

It was fun to have a cousin toddling around this Christmas. This little girl loves shoes, chocolate, the color red, and foot rubs! And you can't tell from this picture but she also likes to give the boys kisses.

Yesterday we spent the day in Atlanta with Aaron's extended family. Today we are back home just relaxing and enjoying a whole week of free time that stretches before us since Aaron doesn't have to go back to work until next week Wednesday.

the year of imperfect decorations

Until our Christmas party last Sunday my heart wasn't really into decorating and stuff was just kind of put out randomly. But last weekend I decided to pull it all together with some magnolia leaves and call it done for the year. My decorating is just a hodge-podge of things that we have collected over the years that we love. I prefer a blue, white & metallic winter theme, but other colors and styles have made their way in. Perfectly imperfect for us.

The dining room with our bright colored Advent calendar from Holland and our Jesse tree.

The last minute, thrown together from bits and pieces, center piece.

The living room. The fabric on the wall is from Africa. I have had it for a few years but have never hung it because the edges are frayed and I never found time to finish sewing it into a finished wall hanging. This year I used thumb tacks and hung it on the wall for us to enjoy. I am glad I did.

The mantel with it's mismatched stockings.

Our basket of Christmas books. I add a few new ones every year.

My spot to curl up in the sun room. My beautiful IKEA finds from last year (50cents each!).

christmas through the years

2007 Jeremiah: almost 3 years, Nathaniel: 4 months

2008: Jeremiah: almost 4 years, Nathaniel: 1 year

2009: Jeremiah: almost 5 years, Nathaniel: 2 years

2010: Jeremiah: almost 6 years, Nathaniel: 3 years

My heart hurts a little bit when I look at these pictures. Four Christmases with 2 boys. There really are no words, the pictures tell it all.

More Randomness

One morning a few weeks ago Aaron woke at about 8:00 to a quiet house. Since the boys are normally early risers he went to check on them. Nathaniel was asleep in his bed but Jeremiah was out in the back yard, in the cold, in his pajamas. Aaron asked him what he was doing out there. Jeremiah replied, "I'm hunting breakfast."

We've been sick again this week. Both boys have really bad coughs and I just feel worn down and tired. It really is time to be intentional about slowing down. On Saturday we decided to do some shopping and run some errands as a family. Jeremiah started coughing really badly while we were out so Aaron bought some peppermints in an attempt to calm the coughing down. I have been talking lately to the boys about why we shouldn't eat a lot of sugar (depresses the immune system, turns into fat, takes our energy away). All of the sudden we hear Jeremiah from the back seat of the van, "Oh no! Papa! These have sugar in them! Now I am never going to feel better." A little dramatic perhaps but good to know that lesson is staying with him.

Tonight is the last night of the Jobs for Life class that I have been teaching. It has been a challenging and rewarding experience. I have been praying through how best to volunteer my time when this class is done. I was called a few weeks ago by the Director of the Sage Center (the crisis pregnancy center in our town) and asked if I would be interested in leading a weekly moms group. I would be encouraging moms and teaching basic child care. It sounds really interesting.

Last night, after our Jesse Tree reading, we sang Christmas carols and played Uno. It was so fun to just hang out with the 4 of us. Jeremiah won the game and lorded it over us with appropriate 5 year old glee.

We are hosting our small group Christmas Party this Sunday. But after that Aaron will be home for 2 weeks! I am hoping that we can slow down enough to enjoy each other and get some rest.

1000 Gifts (34) - Traditions

The Christmas Parade
- new friends to watch it with
- anticipation
- coming out of the cold and having real hot chocolate

The Jesus Birthday Party
- growing boys who love Mrs. Linda's house
- a dining room table loaded down with cookies

- reading the Christmas story, every year the truth being proclaimed and the reminder of the light shining in the darkness
- these people (and many more not pictured) that are part of our spiritual family, who laugh with us, encourage us, and share their lives with us
- holding baby girls

Decorating Our Christmas Tree
- a quiet evening all together after a busy week
- the boys excitement and exclamation over every single ornament
- light reflected in big blue eyes
- hot chocolate and popcorn
- watching "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"
- being warm, and snug, and cozy in our home

- encouragement from God's Word; the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 1 John 1:8

We are getting further on in to December and the blog-o-sphere is full of posts about crafting, decorating, cooking, simplifying, surviving, and slowing not to mention the always hot debate of how Christians should celebrate the holiday intentionally.

I must admit, so far, I am not feeling much of the Christmas spirit. I am not really even feeling much of the Advent spirit (which is how our little family usually titles this season). The Jesse tree is up. Our Christmas tree is up and lit but as yet unadorned. The stockings are hung but I have no idea how else to dress up the mantle. I feel completely uninspired. I don't even really want to listen to the Christmas music that I usually have to make myself wait until Thanksgiving to put on.

I can't quite put my finger on it. This vague unrest I have. This undefinable weight I feel pressing me continually.

The boys are, of course, completely enthralled. They watch excitedly from the back of the van for Christmas lights. They sit in front of the (undecorated) tree and play with the Nativity (Nathaniel calls it his "activity" set) and read the special Christmas books. Jeremiah sits and looks at the World Vision Christmas catalog for hours debating whether we should buy someone a sheep or some chickens, or maybe a duck?

And I think that may be the source of my heaviness. I have learned a lot this year about children who live in poverty, children who are taken into slavery so that we can eat chocolate,
orphans, Haiti, child sex trafficking, people who are suffering for believing in Jesus. This week while 3 friends on Facebook posted their joy at the birth of a new child, I knew of 3 friends who had lost their unborn children, all at different stages of pregnancy.

I am overwhelmed.

Every day the knowledge of the darkness in this world presses on me and I feel the pressure building. Every day I feel like I am stumbling about in the darkness of my own sin.

I am a do-er. I fix things. I want action. I plan.

But outside of Jesus these things cannot be fixed.

As I type this out, trying to process, I realize: that is the waiting work of Advent. Acknowledging the dark is what makes the Light shine brighter.

And that is where I am right now. Lingering on the depth of the darkness. Not quite sure how to see the Light. Not quite sure how to be part of furthering the Light and pushing back the darkness.

Prayers

I thought I should write down some of the boys recent prayers, before I forget them.

A few weeks ago we were participating in a week of prayer for the persecuted church. Nathaniel had two prayers that week that were interesting:
"Dear Jesus, thank you for the people who are being persecuted, that they love you."
"Dear Jesus, thank you that you have given us more than we need...so....umm....you can stop now."

Today I got a phone call from a friend. Her car had broken down and she was stranded with her son (who is the little boy we keep 1 to 2 days a week). Jeremiah has taken on a responsible, big-brother type role with Jude. We picked them up and brought them home. Tonight during our regular thankful and prayer time Jeremiah told me that he was thankful that we got to see Jude today, even if it was only for a few minutes. He then prayed, "Dear Jesus, please please please help Jude's car to be fixed without too much trouble. Please!"

And of course, lest it get too spiritual around here, it should be mentioned that Nathaniel thanks God for his new bunk beds every night.