2008 * If only....

...I could write my family's 2008 resolutions for them:)

*Joel* will play as much soccer as possible because it makes him so happy--and I can't resist a man in soccer shorts...he he:)

*Parker* poop in the potty every time, continue to charm the ladies with his percussion skills, and wake up on the right side of the toddler bed...more often!

*Griffin* will try his darnedest to stop eating things he shouldn't, stay out of the toilet, walk proficiently, and use his dimples for something other than mischief!

Oh, and my resolutions not as fun to write for myself.. and I have too many to list. But here is one to document: I am going to be a healthier Amy by the end of the year. I'm not talking about looking good in jeans or being able to lift a whole bunch of weight (which would be cool), but this year has been a doozy as far as how I'm taking care of myself and my health has suffered. I have plans to make small changes and hopefully not be sick as often.

sweatpants and HGTV

I could think of no other title for this random, slightly uninteresting post!

So Parker has entered the stage of caring about what he wears. I knew that girls start this sort of thing earlier, but I really didn't think Parker would ever get to that. He always wants to wear his soccer shirts or guitar shirt...or his plain white t-shirts that look just like Daddy's. But now he just wants to wear sweatpants all of the time. Sweatpants?! He's very adamant that he doesn't want to wear his pajama pants--he wants his sweats! Okey dokey. He only had one pair that fit him so we went out this morning and stopped at Children's Place. If he has to wear sweats, I want them to be cool:) They were having a super-duper sale and got a couple really cheap. I especially like the camo.

We're hooked!! We're fairly new to satellite/cable TV and we literally just discovered HGTV. I'm not really sure how it happened, but Joel and I end up watching this stuff after the kids go to bed quite often! We're so close to starting construction on our unfinished basement and I guess we're just in that mode of thinking. I am so excited to have the opportunity to design it just how we want it to be for our family. And even more, I'm really looking forward to having twice the living space. We just need to get it done so we can stop watching all of this HGTV:)

night out with my sister

My little sister and I went out on the town last night...dinner, a little shopping, and a great movie (Twenty Seven Dresses, a pre-screening). I love going out with Kelsey to have girl time because she is one of the few people that I feel like I can be totally silly with or completely honest and not even think twice. Sometimes I wonder what people think when they listen in on our conversations. It is so fun to be able to laugh at strange family quirks, roll our eyes at common annoyances, and it is even great to laugh the exact same laugh at the exact same time!

{We had so much fun...despite the near fainting while in line at our favorite store. How embarrassing, but what can you do? Turns out, I was coming down with something. We made it out alive:}

But here is the thing...Kelsey is leaving in one month to study in Spain for a semester--six months! How could she? Actually, I couldn't be happier for her, but I'm still feeling sorry for myself. What am I going to do? Not sure...but I do know that one of the benefits of Kels being out of country is that I'll be able to raid her closet! She's only a few inches taller than me and I really feel like that would make me feel closer to her while she's gone. What do ya think, sista?
In the meantime, I'm just going to continue my state of denial and pretend that nothing big is about to happen. I've heard that denial is really healthy anyway!

Call Me Crazy?

Parker received a drum set for Christmas from unnamed sources;) Just kidding...we actually approved of the idea before the purchase. Honestly, I'm so excited about them! Music is Parker's passion--it's his thing. I love it...I'm so excited to see where his passion will take him. Sure, it will be a little annoying and loud sometimes, but the look on his face when he is in "the zone" is just priceless.

Christmas in pictures...

a costly love...

Listened to a great sermon this morning about the cost of love. My pastor said something about the power of love and how love always wins. Real love always perseveres, it always wins. Real love never gives up and gives until the end. I wish that I could love perfectly. This is why I love Jesus. He is the only human being who has ever loved perfectly. He loved me so much that he died. His love never gives up--it perseveres. His love is why I celebrate Christmas. And I'm so thankful for that.

This is a video of Parker that I recorded a few months ago as he was learning to push the pedals of his trike. He was also learning how to persevere. He's still learning that one. Me too:)

gifts!

Oh, so many gifts to be thankful for...

I didn't realize how sad I was about my husband having to work Christmas Day...until he was given the day off!! I had no idea that we would have a mini-Christmas break together, but it turns out vacation started the 21st and he doesn't go back until the 26th. I am so happy and giddy...finally in the Christmas spirit that I've been waiting for.

I also didn't realize how bad we needed a date until my sister came and babysat for us for a long, long time last night! We went to dinner (at the restaurant where he took me on our first date, no less), shopped at the GAP (lucky Joel), and went to a great movie--P.S. I Love You. We came back feeling more refreshed and connected...and our boys were tucked into bed, sound asleep. Thank you Auntie Kels!

And speaking of gifts...Griffin is into re-gifting lately. It is really quite sweet. He takes his sucked on food out of his mouth and holds his hand out like he's giving me a diamond ring. He's really so generous;)

good thing he is cute...

Can't stay mad at him for long.

Okay, so I'm not really a huge fan of my son right now...the first one. I realize he's just having a bad day, week, whatever. And he just is emotional and tired. So am I...so he's driving me absolutely crazy! He has become a hitter. He pretty much only does it when we're in our own home to his friends and his brother. It makes me so mad! Sometimes it feels so good to just get it out and say that I'm mad at him. But I love him more than words. Aaaahhhhh!!! Now I'm going to go and read the verse below. Again. And again. And then some more....

Happy week before Christmas!

What is love?

A couple of days ago I started reading 1 Corinthians 13 to Parker and I'm working on memorizing part of it with him. We started with the first sentence. I love how much expression he uses to recite his first verse. He shakes his head with plenty of conviction and says...

"Love NEVER gives up."

This has been rolling through my head today. Love is so hard...but love is everything. Real love never gives up. Never. It will be good for me to memorize this passage in a new version (The Message). I need the reminder all of the time...every single minute, it seems.

I betcha Parker will have it memorized before me!

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

I couldn't help it....

Yeah, so didn't I just write a post about avoiding the hustle and bustle of the holidays? So of course, I decided to head out to the mall this morning with the boys. Nothing like the peace and quiet of a mall and hauling around two tired children to soothe the soul:) I'm not sure what I was thinking or IF I was thinking. But looky what I came home with!

Ho Ho Ho!!!

I have to admit, it was really fun and Parker LOVED meeting Santa. He asked him for a motorcycle. I had planned on going to the mall to pick up one thing (which never really works out) and to let the kiddos play a bit. However, there HE was and there was no turning back once we saw the jolly red elf. I kind of wish I had dressed the kids for the part and that Griffin didn't look so bald and double chinned--because he isn't! But whatever...it was fun and I think I'll continue the tradition. Aren't Santa pictures supposed to look weird anyway?

And doesn't our Santa look authentic? That isn't a fake beard...or fake belly:)

*quiet for christmas*

I'm not exactly sure why, but we feel like being quiet this season. All around us, life seems big and slightly stressful. Nothing too terrible at the moment, but we've just had some seriousness about our days. But the quiet haven of our home feels welcome right now and we are enjoying life within our walls for a time. Not that we aren't going out at all, but the typical rush and busyness of the season isn't something we're pursuing this time around. Until yesterday, I was feeling guilty for my lack of festivity, but I'm now feeling good about how we're spending our time. My heart feels reflective and I'm pleased that life is allowing us some breathing room.

This DVD, Behold The Lamb of God has been playing over and over for the last couple of days. We got it a few years ago from a good friend and it has now become a huge part of Christmas for me. The songs have changed how I view this holiday. It is no longer just a celebration of the birth of Christ, but about celebrating the entire, intricate story of God's love--start to finish. This is a quote from Andrew Peterson (the song write) about the concert...

"What I wrote is a concert that tells a story. There's no speaking--only songs, some of which are intimate, some epic, some humorous, all with a purpose, which is to convey the true tall tale of the coming of God into the world."

The cd is good too. If you don't have them, you should buy a Christmas present for yourself:)

back home and good things

I've been avoiding getting back online because I am so behind on just about everything related to this crazy online life! I have so many emails to return, bills to pay, blog posts to write (okay, so not super important), things I need to research...not to mention phone calls I need to return and the grocery store that keeps calling my name. Oh yeah, and this Christmas fanatic only has a tree with lights up--nothing else. Ugh! But of course, I'm just going to ignore my to-do list and procrastinate. It is really a good strategy. Try it:) A few things to share...

~We just returned from a week-long holiday whirlwind trip to visit Joel's family. We spent a couple days with Joel's siblings, then each set of parents. Last year we decided to start spending the first week of December celebrating the holidays with this part of the family instead of traveling over Thanksgiving and Christmas. We love it! It is honestly now one of my favorite holiday traditions. We get to spend quality time with our family instead of rushing all over. And we get to preserve our time during this season as a young family. So important!

~No pictures. I too absolutely no pictures during our trip. I was in camera rebellion. I just didn't feel like it and it felt good to not worry about capturing the moment. I just lived it instead. Now I'm just hoping

~Question: Is it a bad thing when my two year old starts asking for a Starbuck's scone every time we go through a drive-thru? He's even asked for a latte before. I'm wondering if this is a reflection of my habit? Don't answer that.

~Christmas cards in the mailbox. We came home to a full box full of Christmas cards and it was so exciting! I loved reading the letters and looking at all the pictures. It is one of the best parts of the season. Send me your cards!