2020's Best Blessings

 I don’t know that I have talked to anyone lately who would say 2020 was the best year of their life.  It was filled with challenges, heartache, and being stretched in many difficult ways.  However, as long as I have been writing, I have given you my top 10 blessings of the previous year (cause face it, I do NOT do resolutions) and I was determined that 2020 would be no different.  I may have had to look at blessings a little differently- many of them were new discoveries, so here are 10 of my favorite things from the past year.

 

10.  Lake Beaches

When it became apparent that there would be no beach vacation for our family this year, and many other summer recreation activities were a “no go”, we discovered the beaches at two large lakes- one near my parents’ in Indiana, and one near our home.  For several weeks out of the summer, we spent a day a week enjoying the water, sun, and sand.  It sure didn’t replace the white sand beaches of the Gulf Coast, but they are fantastic gems we would probably not have discovered otherwise.

 

9.  Shop Small Discoveries

I have always been a big fan of supporting small, local businesses, but this year more than ever it became so apparent how important that was.  As we watched businesses close down amid the pandemic and restaurants struggle to stay afloat with carry-out business, we became VERY intentional about where we spent our money.  In doing so, I discovered a lot of amazing little businesses and restaurants in our community and region.  I found great places to purchase my spring flowers, have cute t-shirts made, buy adorable clothes for our new nieces, get the supplies we need for our pony, the best donuts in southern Illinois, fantastic BBQ, delicious Mexican food, the list goes on and on.  These are places we will continue to frequent and support and I am so thankful that we found them!

 

8.  Pre-K

Some days it is hard to believe our (a) is old enough to be in Pre-K, but I have vowed to enjoy every step of their growing up.  The nerdy, teacher part of me just absolutely LOVES watching him develop reading and writing skills.  He can recognize all his letters and he wants to spell every single word he hears or sees.  He likes to write lists, write names, and create art.  While it is a constant reminder of how quickly he is growing, it fills me with so much joy to see him fall in love with learning.

 7.  Our Property

We were so very thankful, in 2018, when we moved to Illinois to find a home that worked well for us on 10 acres of property with a barn already in place for our future.  However, this year we had so much more time to explore and invest in the property more than ever before, and we realized just was a blessing it was.  There is a pretty little creek on the front of the property that (a) discovered in the spring while we were at home for several weeks.  MANY afternoons of our spring and summer were spent on that creek bank playing, looking for animal tracks, finding neat stones, and splashing in the water.  We spent time cleaning out the barn (lots of stuff left by the previous owner) to turn it into “The Pony Palace”.  And many, many hours were spent walking and riding the trails through our woods and making s'mores in the back yard.  In a year where we spent more time at home than ever before, we realized just how blessed we were with the “new” place we call home.

 6.  Special Neighbors

While it seems odd to say that we made friends during a global shutdown, it is exactly what happened for our family.  More time home in our yard, meant a chance to meet others who were out working in their yards.  A wave across the road, turned into visits out in the yard, turned into a new friendship that we absolutely cherish. 

 

5.  Wayne City Youth Rodeo

This past summer we began a new adventure as a jr rodeo family.  It was a lot of fun to watch (a) compete in something he loves (even though he truthfully isn’t very good yet), but more importantly it was so precious to watch him make new friends, look up to older kids, and learn how to be a respectful competitor.  It was a blessing for us as parents to find other families whose kids “speak the same language” as our cowboy, always stand for the flag, and pray in the name of Jesus.  Our youth rodeo experiences through the summer were huge highlights of our year.

 4.  Brotherly Love

Throughout the year we saw our sweet (b) turn from 6 months to 18 months as the first of each month rolled over.  While we watched him become more vocal and active he began to crawl, walk, run, and chase.  In doing so, we began to see more and more interaction between our two funny boys.  They really are the BEST of friends.  And now that they can keep up with each other, they are always involved in some sort of play or adventure together.  They want to dress alike, be in the same place at the same time, play with the same toys, and 99% of the time they are both very excited about it.  Watching them love each other so dearly makes my Momma heart swell to the point it could just explode.  Now, I just hope they will make room for baby number 3 to join their tight brother bond.

 

3.  Time

2020 brought with it a gift I never expected, and that was the gift of time.  I spent more days, weeks, and months with my husband and boys than ever before.  The time my school was shut down followed by summer break was longer than any maternity leave or summer break I have ever had in my life.  Our evenings of no meetings or events lead to more consecutive family dinners than we have been able to experience in our entire marriage.  While there were many difficult and challenge things about staying home for so long, I will forever cherish the time it gave me.  I was able to experience so many milestones with the boys that I might have missed.  We crafted and read and played and snuggled for more uninterrupted hours than ever before, and for that I will forever be thankful.

2.  Snoopy

I’m convinced my (A) thought I was a little crazy when I told him it was time to give in to (a)’s pleadings and get him a pony for our home.  He has loved his ponies at the farm for a couple years, but he wanted to have one at our house so he could ride whenever he wanted to.  Thankfully (A) was willing to oblige me and the process began of preparing the barn, laying out a plan for fence, and most importantly we asked for some help in finding the perfect pony.  It was a search that took some time, but in the end we brought home the sweetest guy for our two cowboys.  The time we are spending together at the barn, the lessons in responsibility, and the chance he has to become more comfortable as a rider have all been worth it.  Having our pal, Snoopy, join our crazy crew as a major highlight of 2020.

 

 

1.  Baby #3

While 2020 took a lot from us, the best thing it gave us was sweet baby #3.  This little one was prayed for, planned for, has already shown us the faithfulness and goodness of God.  There are still many things to do to get ready for this arrival in the spring, but one thing is sure- our hearts are excited to welcome this little one into our lives.  While (b) has no clue what is happening, (a) is so very happy to be a big brother again, and he has lots of plans for the three of them together.  We, as parents, know we are about to be outnumbered and out energized, but we are still looking forward to every bit of the wild ride we will be on. 

 Thank you Lord, that though this year has been difficult, you have still filled it with abundant and gracious blessings!  Here’s to the excitement and joy set before us in 2021.  Happy New Year!

 

“Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.” Psalm 21:6

The Wonder of the Miracle

 Maybe it is just the hormones, but I have found that there is something about being with-child at Christmas that makes the whole season more reflective.  This is the third time I am expecting during a Christmas season, and the second time that I am far enough along that the baby’s presence is extremely evident both in how I look and that I can feel all the movements and kicks within me.  When I hear the account of Elizabeth seeing Mary and how the baby inside of her “leapt for joy” I can’t help but put a hand to my middle.  When I think of Mary taking a journey to another region on foot or by donkey, I can’t help but think of how her body must have felt the physical toll.  I find myself more aware of the reality of God’s love to come in the form of a human when I am growing a tiny human myself.

 

Our first two babies were visited in the hospital by friends and relatives.  There were pictures taken, gifts delivered, and a million oohs and aahs.  I was attended to by doctors and nurses and the baby was checked and rechecked around the clock for the first couple days.  I can’t help but think of what it must have been like to have been all alone in a stable- no midwife to help, no grandparents to marvel or friends to come be supportive.  Instead, the celebration visit came from strangers and her husband was all the help Mary had.  What a beautifully humble beginning God chose to make his grand entrance into our world. 

 

The celebration for the newborn Savior was nothing like I can image as a new mom- a special star to announce his arrival and a multitude of heavily hosts praising God as they spread the news.  What a beautiful and unique way of spreading the news compared to our calls, texts, and social media posts. 

 

And while expecting our first at Christmastime, I really took hold of a verse that hit me in a way like never before.  Luke 2:19 tells us “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”  While I carried a child close to my own heart, got a glimpse for the first time of what it might have been like to have such a front row seat to the arrival of Emmanuel.  I don’t think Mary was anywhere near as clueless as the song “Mary Did You Know?” makes her out to be.  While there were many details that I would guess she didn’t know or understand- the angel make it pretty clear to her and Joseph that the baby she was carrying, delivering, and raising was the Son of God, that his kingdom would never end, that he would save his people from their sins, that his name meant God with us, and that NOTHING was impossible for God.  And his mother, cherished and thought about each of these things as she watched the miracle unfold.

 

I think of how I have tried to cherish the moments of my children’s birth stories- how and when we found out, how the news was spread, what the scene was like in the delivery room, what it felt like to get the first look at their sweet faces, and watching the joy on the faces of others as they met them for the first time.  I think of how I wonder what their futures will be like and who they will grow up to be, and I get a tiny glimpse of what it must have been like to watch God’s plan in motion. 

 

Through the lens of an expecting momma, I feel the miracle to be even more miraculous, the celebration to be even more exciting, the joy to be even more contagious, and the thankfulness I feel to be so much greater.  God loved us enough to come into the world with the most humble beginning, to experience humanity like us, to love the least of these of which I am, and to save sinners just like me.  Thank you God, for the gift of you Son, and the precious wonder of Christmas. 

 

Merry Christmas, from our home to yours!!

Life Lessons Making Christmas Cookies

 When I was a little girl, I always loved making Christmas cookies.  It was one of my favorite traditions we did at my house every year.  When I got married and moved out, I continued to make cookies to share with others because I loved doing it, and I dreamed of the day that I would make Christmas cookies with my own children.  Now my mom did a lot of baking for the holidays, but when I say Christmas cookies, I’m mean the sugar cookies that you cut out with cute festive cookie cutters and then decorate with beautiful icing and sprinkles. 

 

For the last two years, we have finally reached that stage I always dreamed of- the one where we make Christmas cookies together.  And I have had to learn something, it doesn’t go EXACTLY how I dreamed it would.  I quickly had to realize that, while he does love to help in the kitchen, my (a) doesn’t have the patience or attention span to both cut out AND decorate cookies.  I had to choose one focus.  That was hard for me, as I have always been a homemade kind of cook, and sugar cookies are no exception, but I had to give in and realize that if I wanted this to be fun and successful, at least for a few years I was going to need to retreat to the precut cookies I could purchase at the grocery.  That way he could still lay them out on the cookie sheet (which is what he currently thinks is successfully baking cookies) and feel very accomplished, but there was still excitement and attention span left for the decorating part.  I also had to learn, that my idea of beautiful icing and sprinkles wasn’t always his idea of the same thing.  I love for my cookies to look cute, festive, and appealing to eat.  He loves to add icing of many different colors and LOTS of sprinkles.  I find myself often wanting to “help” him, and he is quick to let me know he has it covered just the way he is doing it.

 

Last weekend was no exception as we began our annual cookie baking.  I had to remind myself there are important life lessons in cookie baking- you can’t control it all.  Sometimes the end product doesn’t look exactly how you want it to look, but that is ok, sometimes, even better than you could have planned yourself.  Sometimes, you have to pick your battles and decide what is most important.  While I prefer cutting out my own cookies, I would rather have fun and maintain his interest and investment in the project- so until he his old enough to handle it we will just keep using the precut cookies, it is not a battle I am willing to pick.

 

But here is the good news, there are some parts of cookie baking that have been everything I ever dreamed of!  He gets SO excited when the opportunity presents itself.  Last weekend, our elf delivered our cookie making supplies on Saturday morning.  Our boys are exceptionally early risers, so he was up by a little after 6 and was SO excited to find everything we needed that by 6:30 he was BEGGING to start our cookie project.  He feels so proud and independent as he arranges all the precut cookies on the cookie stone the way he wants them, and he giggles as we ask Siri to set our timer (though he is frustrated she only responds to my voice, not his haha).  As we work, we turn up the Christmas music in the kitchen and have our own singing/dance party, that usually finds us both in fits of giggles as we work.  And the best part, is hearing him decide who he wants to share his cookies with.  He often will finish one and announce “this one is for daddy”, “this one is for (b)”, or “I’m going to eat this one!”  Last weekend, he was aware that our neighbor, who (a) loves, was recovering from some surgery, so he proudly announced he was going to take cookies to him.  He carefully selected the ones he wanted to send over, and put them on a plate to deliver.  I’m not sure who was more excited- (a) to give them, or the neighbors to receive them.

 

And after a successful cookie adventure like that, I remember there are other important life lessons learned while making Christmas cookies.  Every project is better with laughter, music, and dancing. Whether cleaning, doing yard work, or cookie baking- turn up the music and dance until you laugh.  Good things are better when shared with others. The best part of the cookies is who you share them with. 

 

It’s amazing how may life lessons a mom can learn by simply making Christmas cookies.

“I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw” Proverbs 24:32

Seek and Find

 I will admit it, I’m a sucker for Christmas light displays.  As a little girl I loved when we would drive around and see the beautiful light displays at homes and neighborhoods, and I really have never outgrown it.  In many way (a) is my mini-me.  One of those ways is that he also LOVES Christmas and he really enjoys light displays as well.  We are fortunate that there are several homes in our town that do a spectacular job.  There is also a great park display both in our town and in a town 20 minutes away.  A fun element to the park displays and even a couple home displays, is a “seek and find” character.  In our park you are looking for Wanda, an elf who moves each week.  The park at Carlyle has you searching for Pyper the Penguin.  A local home encourages you to find their Orphan (the local high school mascot) of moves each day.  (a) loves to drive by the light displays often, but he is also a huge fan of the seek and find characters.  Sometimes he even asks to go by a second time if he didn’t find the character on his first look.  I also love that all these displays have a nativity with them as well.  In our car it is just as exciting when we spot the baby Jesus as when we find one of the characters.  Someone will announce “There he is!!” and everyone else gets excited to oooo and ahhh over the light-up version of the sweet baby Savior. 

 

In our home this year, we began the adventures of an “Elf on the Shelf.” I realize secular traditions such as Santa and elves can be controversial, but in our home, we choose to do them for fun and work very hard to keep them in proper context compared to the real star of the show- Jesus.  For the last few mornings, it has been fun to watch (a) get up and go looking for his pal, Elfie, to see where he is and what he was supposedly up to while we were sleeping. 

 

I have a confession to make.  If I’m being honest, I feel like this year is bringing in a Christmas season where I am having do so some “seek and find” myself to discover the joy of the season.  So many of our normal traditions have either been cancelled, or have been modified in such a way that they are stressful instead of fun.  Shopping is pretty awkward these days, and I have a hard time falling in love with the hassle of the online shopping experience.  I have no idea how to plan visits to grandparents and such as we never know when someone might end up in quarantine and change all the plans.  I am trying so hard to find ways to still make Christmas fun for my students, but restrictions have made it impossible to do many of my usual activities, and our school Christmas program is completely out this year.  Even my usual festive Christmas dresses aren’t fitting very well over my growing baby bump haha!

 

I keep reminding myself, that the true reason for the season- the true joy- is still there, it will never change.  I just have to look for it, go searching after it, and try again if I miss it the first time.  The joy isn’t found in the programs, activities, traditions, or even family visits.  Those are so much FUN, but they aren’t the real JOY.  The true joy is in the gift of a Savior, the love God showed us by such a humble beginning, the faithfulness of a God who was willing to become human and walk among us.  When I seek those things, they really aren’t so hard to find.  Even in a year where Christmas feels so different, I pray that I am able to keep seeking the most important things, because I KNOW they are there for me to find.

 

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13