sweet moments

We decided to do our gingerbread houses on New Year's Day instead of Christmas to avoid the rush...and it ended up being a lot of fun! Parker was really interested in helping me so I decided early on to surrender and let it be his moment. I was really proud of him for helping me and staying focused for so long. And it was also impressive that he touched (and tasted) the frosting....this is a big step. I frosted the entire structure and he decorated the entire thing....love it!

sweet stripes

I don't eat tons of junk food. I'm not a total health-nut, but I tend to be fairly disciplined. However, I have this little problem this time of the year...

Bob's Sweet Stripes

I have a hard time not eating the whole bag. They're old-fashioned, soft peppermint sticks. Yum! Watch out 2009...I might just have a mouthfull of rotten teeth!

un-orchestrated

Is it just me or do others become obsessed with the task of making the holidays special, memorable, God-centered? Okay, okay...that was a rhetorical question. I know the answer. However, something happened the other day that made me relax a bit...

It was last Friday, the day after Thanksgiving and we were just hanging out at home as a family. And then it it started snowing--the first snow of the year! Oh, it was magical! We usually have snow earlier than this so it was much anticipated and the boys were watching with wide eyes as the flakes covered the ground. I can't remember who said it first, but Joel and I were in agreement...we just had to put up the tree!

Typically, I would want everything to be at least semi-orderly, and would put a lot of effort into making the whole decorating process really special and memorable. But without any preparation at all, it just happened....the magic! You know, the magic:)

With Christmas music in the background, we tripped over boxes of ornaments and small children to get our little tree set up, lit, and decorated. We all ate peppermint sticks and everyone was allowed to hang ornaments. Then, as the decorative moss went flying everywhere, we brought the nativity scene out of the box and the boys had fun playing flying angel-guy.

No, our tree doesn't look perfect, and yes we had a few ornament casualties and sticky, peppermint fingerprints were everywhere....but it was perfect! It was festive, it was memorable, and we even had good conversation about how baby Jesus could be bigger and better than a super-hero.

I guess I just realized that the "moments" I strive and hope for during the holidays often cannot be orchestrated. My new hope for the weeks ahead is that we are flexible as a family and make time for those un-orchestrated Christmas moments to happen...

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:)

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!

preparing him room

Joy to the world! The Lord is come;

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare him room

And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

I love to send out Christmas cards each year. I'll be sending out the last of our cards this weekend. I know it sounds crazy and I think many people just think it is a lot of work, but it is such a special thing for me. I do something a little different every year. Some years I write a letter and others I do something more simple, but the motive remains the same...I like to let our friends and family know we're thinking of them and that they are special to us. I like to begin the holiday season by sending the cards out early to kick-start my heart for the season. It is part of how I prepare room in my heart for the true meaning of the Christmas celebration. Some people bake, some make homemade gifts, some sing, some do everything. Lately I've tried to simplify and if I do nothing else but get the tree up, buy some gifts, and send out cards...I'm a happy little Christmas elf:)

Breaking out the Christmas Music...

Well, I'm sitting here recovering from one heck of a stomach bug that went through three out of the four of us. Oh, my gosh...so bad, so disgusting. Of course, no need for details, but I will say it was the kind that defied gravity...a lot.

My babies are napping and I don't have enough energy to clean my messy house or even an appetite to eat my lunch. So what does one do in this situation? Blog, of course:)

My sister in law, Vicky, is famous for sending really awesome packages at just the right time. As I was laying on the couch this morning, feeling sorry for myself, I heard that delightful sound of the mailman leaving packages at my door. Woo Hoo! In addition to fun Halloween goodies for the boys, Vicky sent along quite a few new Christmas CD's for my collection. What a girl! She sure knows how to make my day! You see, I make a goal every year of not bringing out the Christmas music until November 1st--but I rarely make it. This year is no exception...I just can't help myself, I love it so much! And maybe, just maybe I can blame my cheating on Vicky this year, since she sent the new music a week or so early:))

The Sarah McLachlan album is one of the CD's in the great package. I highly recommend it...if you like her style. I think it is a great addition to our mix. The second to last track, In The Bleak Mid-Winter, reminded me how much I love this classic. The lyrics are just great. Here are a few lines...

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

In the Bleak Midwinter, Christina Rossetti

Three generations of women

My mom, my Grandma Dee, me, and possibly a 4th generation girl growing in my tummy!

This year my grandma is 75, my mom is 50, and I'm 25. We just recently figured out that this was a pretty cool thing. Even more cool...if this baby is a girl, then a quarter century down the road, we are looking at a family celebration of women at 100, 75, 50 and 25! (I totally just stole the words in italics straight from my parent's Christmas letter...but I know they won't press charges because they like me:) In any case, I just think this is a pretty special picture taken on Christmas Eve and I wanted to share.

Christmas Letter 2006

Note to self: Do not take a 20 month old to Azteca with friends when it is anywhere near bedtime. It is always fun to be with our friends but Parker was less than cooperative. My tricks were so not working. Maybe it is because I am dog-tired. I just spent the day shopping without Parker because my lovely sister came over to play with the little man. It was so fun to take my time looking without feeling like I was torturing my boy by putting him in a stroller. Parker likes shopping that much:) Anyway, it was great to spend some time by myself, but now I'm paying for it!

Here is our Christmas letter that we sent out last week (for those of you who may not have received it in the mail). I don't think I really have any new information in here than what I already have on the blog, but I thought it would be fun. Enjoy...

Dear friends & family, I love Christmastime for so many reasons and one of them is being able to reconnect with friends and family through Christmas cards and letters. This time, however, I am having a hard time figuring out how to articulate everything the year has held without getting too lengthy! This year has just been so full and we’d love to share some of it with you.

Parker continues to be a great joy in our lives and I feel so happy to be able to stay home with him. He’s almost 20 months old and, of course, keeps us on our toes with his endless energy and zest for life. Parker has such a sweet spirit and enjoys charming everyone with his smile, sense of humor, and loving nature. Besides the people he loves, Parker has some great passions in his life: the outdoors, music, animals, balls, automobiles, and books. He certainly is all boy and is just like his daddy in many ways, including his dislike for shopping!

One of our biggest life changes came this year in August when Joel graduated from UW Medicine’s Physician Assistant School. We spent the past 2 ½ years moving numerous times and experiencing the challenges that come along with one spouse in school full time! After graduating in August, Joel passed his boards in September, was hired by ******* Respiratory Consultants in October and started his new job at the beginning of November. Whew! Needless to say, we are thrilled to be done with this phase of life. I’m still trying to figure out a concise and understandable way to describe what Joel does everyday, but here it goes: Joel practices internal medicine at ****** ***** Medical Center with a pulmonary critical care group and outpatient pulmonary medicine on some afternoons. There, I did it. Does anyone understand what I just wrote? In any case, we’re just thankful that Joel was hired by a great employer and that he’s able to do what he loves—treat patients.

We became homeowners in May! We bought a lovely Cape Cod style bungalow right next to *****. We are still giddy with excitement and have loved the process of making this house our home. I must admit that we now believe that the house should have come with an owner’s manual; no one ever told us that you’re supposed to change the air filter in the furnace! Joel and I often talk about how wonderful it is to feel like we’re home and to be able to enjoy developing relationships within our neighborhood and church. Already, we feel like we’ve developed long-lasting friendships—what a true blessing!

We celebrated our 5th anniversary in September by going on a five day cruise to the Bahamas; our first trip without Parker (thanks to my mom)! We were able to relax and reconnect after the last few years of craziness. We also ate a lot and enjoyed many of the activities onboard and on shore, but mostly we just enjoyed being together without responsibilities!

We found out in June that we’re expecting our 2nd baby in February. It hasn’t been as easy of a pregnancy as I had with Parker, but we’re so excited to meet our new son or daughter! This baby, so far, is much different than Parker was in utero, so we’re expecting some changes around our house! The baby hardly moves so we lovingly refer to him or her as “Lazy Bones”! The c-section is scheduled for February 7th, so stay tuned to find out more about Baby ******* #2! If you’re interested, check out www.amy-ohmy.blogspot.com for more updates as we get closer to the big day.

In closing, we want to express how much we love you all and thank you for supporting us through another full year. We hope that you are enjoying the Christmas season by taking time to reflect on God’s gifts and spending time with those you love.

With love, Joel, Amy & Parker

Tradition

Traditions are sort of funny little things. I read once that children really long for family traditions (whether they know it or not) and it doesn't matter what they are; they just produce a feeling of inclusiveness. I consider Joel and I to still be newly married and we're especially new with having children and being responsible for starting traditions for our little family. We're still trying to figure things out. But the thing is, you can't force traditions; they just happen...you know? We'll probably look back on these early years and try to remember when our silly or special traditions started.

We have a funny thing we do every year that we didn't plan on becoming a tradition....but of course, I think it is going to stick. Joel and I aren't perfectionists on most things, which I like. However, it has sort of become a badge of pride for us during the Christmas season when everyone else is struggling to find that perfect tree and have a perfect experience in the process. While I wouldn't have a problem with going to cut down a tree, I've never really cared enough and this year this was especially the case with me 7 months pregnant, Parker freezing his little buns off in 20 degree weather and Joel, who really doesn't care:) This year we went to a lot right beside Dairy Queen with lovely Nobles. The lot came highly recommended by my sister because she was so impressed with the cute guys in the carhartt pants last year....ha!

So here is our tradition and it really makes no sense at all: we try to pick out the tree in the least amount of time without looking at all angles and then when we get it home and in a stand, I try to get the lights and decorations on in the least amount of time, as well. I know, you're totally jealous of our tradition. You should try it...you might like it:)

When we got to the lot we asked where the shorter trees were hiding and then looked at about three different trees for about three minutes, we picked the one with the least amount of defects, paid for it and left. I think the entire trip from the time we left home was about 25 minutes! Nice. The lights and ornaments were a piece of cake. Everything was so quick and then we got to sit back and enjoy our work without stress! We always crack up because our tradition is sort of silly but it is so fun and no one is stressed out! So maybe we don't appear to have the "perfect" experience, but it is our experience and our tradition and I hope that it continues with even more fun as our kids get older. I can just imagine all of us running through a DQ parking lot, slipping on the ice, in order to find the tree in a faster time than last year!

Of course, we both have traditions from our childhood that we are carrying on, but I think it is important for a family to have their own, as well. We do special movies, music, new pajamas, a new ornament, a new book, and certain timing of gifts in addition to the tree race. It is so fun, isn't it? Please share some of your silly holiday traditions and maybe we can pick up some new ones!

And I just had to add this picture because it totally represents my day yesterday... and I can share an everyday-type of tradition that we have: Parker and I often share a little bag of popcorn when he isn't feeling well, but yesterday he swiped the bag and took it to his bedroom. This is what happens when a toddler eats popcorn by himself:)

Nostalgia...

I am very nostalgic these days, especially in my choice of Christmas music. I admit that I start very early....beginning of November! I have been buying a new Christmas CD each winter because I want it stay fresh and new, all while being nostalgic...hmmm.

This year, I have been a bit indulgent and have bought TWO new CD's for the season! The first one I bought was Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. I think it is from an old radio recording, which I think is very cool.

And last night I picked up Burl Ives' Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer! Oh my gosh...I love it so much! The music reminds me so much of my childhood and the cute little movie with Clarice:) Maybe I'm so into the old stuff right now because our house was built in the 40's and I love imagining what kind of music was playing here back then. It is crazy to think about how many people have lived in and loved this home. Did you know Bing Crosby is from our little city? Maybe he lived in this very house:)

Even though I buy a new Christmas CD every year and I love almost all of the music of the season, the favorite will always be Roger Whittaker. It is totally 70's retro and very much an acquired taste, but we love it because we grew up with it! Please share your favorite so I can put it on my list for next year!