hello 2016!

The new year is here, and I'm hoping to get caught up a bit. This morning I took down the Christmas tree and I had two very sad kids. They thought it could stay up until next Christmas and I was clearly stomping on their joy for not hearing them out. But their protest was symbolic of how great of a Christmas we had. It was packed full of family time and our hearts are full. In the past week we have had the Groves Christmas, the Harrington Christmas, Harriet's baptism, a visit from my Uncle Mark, an outing to see Star Wars followed by an all family sleepover at my mom's, the clan out to our farm and last night we rang in the 9:00 new year at a friend's house where there were four babies under 3 months! 

And now we're here: January 1st.

Usually on the last day of the year I post my favorite annual blog post, The Best Of post. But that hasn't gotten done. I'm about half way through sorting through the (tens of?) thousands of pictures we took in 2015. And the rest is just going to take a bit of time, though I still plan on posting in January. I love working on that post as much as I love publishing it. It's fun to process the year through every single picture.

And I've been thinking about my one-little-word for the year. I loved my word from last year and sincerely lived into that word. And I think I've landed on my word for the next 365 days and am eager to share.

So that's my little new years update. I'll be back with christmas pictures, 2015 best of pics and my one-little word. Eventually.

Happy New Year!

JOY to the world

Tonight as we walked into our church, Harriet wailed and cried. She was still angry that we had put her in that blasted car seat. She is not a fan of the car and protests every minute of every drive. We entered loudly, but I realized quickly that the church was silent. The service had just begun, the doors to the sanctuary still open, and as I walked by the sanctuary with my screaming baby, trying to get to the nursery so I could close the door, the congregation sat in silence. 

Hattie was fine as soon as she was out of her car seat and when we got into the service our pastor was talking about the 400 years of silence when God's people did not hear from God. The 400 years where there was not a prophet speaking, no signs and wonders, nothing. And then, of all things to break the silence, a baby cried out. 

He is here. God is with us. Emmanuel. 

There are only a few Christmas' when you get to hold a baby in your arms. But this was one for me. As I held Hattie I thought about how bizarre of a beginning this Christmas story really is. A baby. Born to be our bridge back to God. Babies are so unpredictable. Hattie had tummy cramps and winced throughout the service, crying out once in a while. Jesus was a baby like this. Mary had to stand and bounce him, too. 

We sang carols, read scripture and again tried to wrap our mortal minds around the wonder of it all. 

christmas spirit

Well here we are...four days until Christmas! I don't quite know what to say except that emotions are high in this house. Contrary to the peaceful picture above (taken this morning) we have seen it all in these first few hours of the day. Tears, tantrums, silliness and happiness. Honestly, sometimes the most exhausting part of motherhood is just keeping up with everyone's feelings.

Also, I'm just plain tired. Hattie (did you see her in the yellow chair?) got a cold and her little nose is stuffy and wakes her up. We had a very wakeful night last night and today I have gone back to fully caffeinated coffee with enough maple syrup to make Buddy the Elf proud.

But! Can I tell you my best kept secret for getting into the proper Christmas spirit? Last night we started watching The Nativity Story. Oh it is just my favorite. We always are hesitant to put in...I mean, we know how the story goes! But that movie is so stunning, the dialogue so beautiful and the music so powerful. And then the meaning of all of these presents, gatherings, and festivities hits me anew and leaves me set right. Every year it does. So if the lack of snow has got you down, be sure to watch it in the next few nights. It will bring peace to your heart. Truly.

And if you need a dose of christmas spirit right this very minute, heeeeerrrrrre's Ivar!

christmas packets

If you haven't sent out a Christmas card in three years, you're going to want to send out a pretty picture. And if you send out a pretty picture, you're going to want to include a long letter. And if you include a long letter, you're going to think this is a good time to send out your baby's birth announcement. And as long as you're sending out the birth announcement, you might as well finally write those 52 thank you notes you have been putting off since her birth. And if you write the thank you's for her gifts, you may as well include the thank you's from your son's birthday in November, and your daughter's birthday way back in July.

And if you include those thank you notes, you might as well stuff in the kid's school pictures you've been meaning to give to grandparents and aunts and uncles. And if you include their school pictures, you may as well include the drawings the kids have made for others that you "promised to send."

Folks. That is a what we call bang for your postal stamp.

I spent the whole week on this project. I wrote every one of those thank you's. I tracked down every new address that hadn't been updated in three years. And then when I realized I only had 8 return address labels, I lovingly wrote my address on 162 envelopes. Bless my heart!

But man it felt good. So good that I took this completely staged picture to show you all that I had spread over my table. Here's a tip: I ALWAYS had hot tea, a lit candle and christmas music playing and it totally kept me merry and bright. I love staying connected to people this way.I actually enjoy writing thank you notes, because I do like to write...I'm just a little wordy, which means it takes me a long time. And I LOVE getting cards and letters in the mail so I must participate in this fun way to wish each other a Merry Christmas. And the gift to myself is that I now have updated addresses for everyone in my life, and big plans to order new return address labels!

santa gave me THE BEST idea this year

Elsie asked for "a car" and Ivar asked for "a race track." And then santa joked that they really wanted underwear and socks. Santa is so silly!

Ivar had mentioned "the race track" one other time. But it had been weeks and I hadn't heard him mention it again. I assumed that he had moved on to other things. So when I mentioned that I was surprised he asked for a race track he told me, "that's because you don't need to worry about it. That's the thing Santa is bringing me."

Hmmm.

But worry I must. So I got on facebook and asked if anyone had a race track that they were ready to hand-me-down or sell in a garage sale. And in the end, Santa and I have found a sweet racetrack for a fraction of the price.

So guess what I want to do next year?!! I want to set up a Toy Set Swap. Where each mom comes with three sets of toys that their kids have outgrown. I'm thinking little people sets, duplos, puzzles, thomas the train sets, k'nex, melissa and dough stuff, dress up costumes, book series, play food, barbie clothes etc... Stuff that their kids have outgrown, but other kids are just growing into. And then set everything on a long table, and draw numbers for who goes first, and have each mom go through the line and pick one thing, then go to the back of the line to go through two more times.

Wouldn't this be amazing?!! Because we don't all need to be buying this stuff brand new. And I would get more gifts at garage sales, but I never am quiet sure what my kids are going to be into by December. But I love this idea. Because I know that every mom come January 2 is purging all of her kids' toys anyway to make room for the new toys. So why not do that purge one month earlier and save some serious dough.

Anyway, I love the idea and can't wait for next year to organize this event.

Santa, you are so smart. Thank you for this awesome idea to find a race track through friends on facebook. The way you get these gifts and wrap them up under the tree is quite amazing. You really should get a whole lot more credit than you do.  It's a good thing we compensate your work with cookies.