Christmas 2013

Christmas this year was not ideal in a lot of ways. We got the flu, came home from our trip later than anticipated because we were all too weak to travel, and we were missing half our family because they are living in Virginia. Honestly, I'm kind of ready for a do-over and for next year to hurry up and be here so we can try again. But, I don't want to skip over the good things that happened, so here are some highlights:

- We were able to do Advent consistently throughout December, and start a new routine of doing Family Bible time now that December is over.

- We got to be with family. Even if it wasn't ALL our family... and we get to look forward to being with everyone VERY soon!

- Both boys were old enough this year to grasp what Christmas morning held, and listening to the squeals over the monitor while I  stuffed their stockings was really fun.

- The few nights we drove around looking at Christmas lights it was beautiful. We live in an awesome neighborhood for looking at Christmas decorations, and I loved hearing the boys point out what they saw and hear the conversations they had:

Noah: Oh look Levi... Christmas lights!

Levi: Oh YEAH! Miss-iss lights! Oh, there's MORE Miss-iss lights. Oh! More Miss-iss lights!

Noah: Yeah, I see them! Look at that one!

Levi: Yeah! Mommy- look! Miss-iss lights!

Me: Yeah! Which lights are you looking at?

Levi: Those. I see it. But you miss it.

And I think my favorite part of this year was how excited both the boys would get when we read a book or saw anything that had to do with the first Christmas. And how Noah would correct whatever show he was watching that claimed to know what Christmas was about (like being kind, or giving presents, or just being a happy time of year) and say, "Uh... no it's not! It's about Jesus!" Yes it is buddy... yes it is :)

Pics from Christmas Morning

Happy boys in matching PJ's... I will milk this tradition  for as long as these two let me!

"Can we open these yet??"

Sweet boy.

Yay! More things to build with!

Snowman pancakes.

Playing with Christmas presents.

It will be sad putting all our Christmas stuff away... but so fun to look forward to celebrating next year!

"Vacation"

December has been a super busy month for us. But, when we were asked to fly down to see Grammy and Grampy in their newly renovated house, we couldn't say no. So we packed our bags and flew on an airplane down to California for a few days. I wish I had more pictures to show from the trip, but we all got the flu while we were there... so we only got one days worth of pictures. And that happened to be the day that Noah and I got to go to Pretend City with Aunt Becky and a boy that she nanny's for named Calvin. It was really fun making a new friend and running around a miniature city doing "jobs" together and earning a "paycheck" to cash out at their ATM's.

Designing their boats to sail in the "lake".

Driving his boat... by using a gun that blew air into the sails of his boat.

Being a dentist.

Crusin' in a bimmer (only in Southern California...)

Being a gas station attendant.

Shopping for food...

Checking out...

And running off to an emergency with Calvin.

I'm so glad that they were the ones on duty that day!

And then this happened...

He hid behind the curtain and I panicked because I thought he had run off... but no. He was just getting dressed for his night job. A DJ-ing Polar Bear.

The rest of our trip was mostly hanging around Grammy and Grampy's house being sick. Maybe not the ideal vacation, but being with family and friends is priceless... even if we're not at our best. And I am so grateful that we had such wonderful family to take care of us, and that they didn't get sick!

Friends

When we first moved to Oregon a few years ago it was a lonely beginning. We had so much going on that it was hard to find the time to get to know anyone. Things like finding a house before we had Levi, moving into said house, having Levi, getting settled into the house, replacing all the windows, remodeling our kitchen...the list goes on and on.

But two years from that beginning point we have found some amazing life long friends that I am so grateful for. Friends like what I remember growing up with. Ones that stop by randomly to say hi, call last minute to see if we want to come join them at a park, have random coffee dates with the whole family, and having the honor of standing with them on their wedding day. I am so grateful to be close to family, and I am also grateful for friends that feel like family too.

Sarah and Tim's Wedding

Christmas Concert and Dessert with the Marshells and Hemphills

Coffee Date with the Gentry Family

Park with the friends

Advent

December is here and thus, we have decided to finally start an advent tradition. We were on our way home from Nana and Papa's house and I started the conversation with Noah (and Levi) about what advent was, why we were going to do it, and why it was important:

Me: Hey boys, tonight when we get home we are going to do something called, "advent."

Levi: ok.

Noah: what is advent?

Me: It's a special time of year leading up to Christmas, where we read our Bibles and get ready to celebrate Jesus. We read special stories that remind us of why we needed Jesus to come rescue us and help us remember that Christmas is about Jesus, not about presents.

Levi: ok.

Noah: oh yeah. I love that story. Where the angel comes to Mary and says, "you're going to have a baby and his name will be Jesus".

Me (blown away): Yeah buddy! that's exactly right! And do you remember what Mary said to the angel?

Noah: Yeah! She said, "oh boy!"

OK, now I get to brag about my kid for a minute. I love that Noah listens when we read his Bible and that he really soaks it in. It amazes me how much he is absorbing when we go through his Bible and how he can retell the story to me pretty accurately. I am so grateful for a kid who is hungry to know the word and excited to tell us what he knows about it. I hope that he keeps that fire and changes lots of lives because of it. I am SO proud.

Oh, and I should also mention that chocolate kisses in our advent calendar after we read help to motivate the boys to sit and do our advent story together. Because, let's be real... reading our Bibles is an awesome thing, but chocolate is a good motivator, too.