It's a Christmas Miracle!

It's Christmas Eve. And my heart is so full. I want so badly to bottle up all the fresh, magical moments of Christmas we've had over the last few weeks and savor it for years to come. The best way I can think to do any such thing, is to write about it. To try as I might to express that bursting-from-the-seams feeling overflowing in my heart.

I think part of the intense emotion I feel is because this is Josiah's first Christmas that he really gets what's going on. And just like any 2.5 year old, it's mostly about the presents. Always wanting to open presents. But he also totally gets that it's Jesus' birthday that we're celebrating. That He's the One we're singing about. Yes, there's Santa. He was scary at first, but eventually won the little guy over because he brought the toy dinosaur that was very specifically requested. But it's definitely all about Jesus.
**I want to remember going to walk/drive around neighborhoods (both sets of grandparents'), looking at Christmas lights and Josiah being most excited about the candy canes. And I want to remember getting his first nativity set from Grandmommy and PapaJoe and making sure he knew where Baby Jesus was at all times. And the frequent exclamations of, "Mommy, I found Jesus!!!" Does a mommy's heart good. ;)

Maybe some of my deep feelings of gratefulness come from reflecting on what our Christmas was like last year, compared to this year. Not that it was bad in the slightest bit. There's ALWAYS something to be grateful for. But last year was a struggle, emotionally.  We had just (FINALLY!! and after way too many emotional roller-coasters) bought our very first home, but were still living with my (wonderfully gracious, generous, sacrificial...hi, Mom) parents. And we were also driving back and forth, painting and fixing and choosing and deciding and blah, blah, blah. It was crazy-stressful to be kind-of living in two different places with a toddler and not a whole lot of "just us" time. We fought for that home super hard and long and it took almost as long to get to move in.

So, needless to say...we spent two (or three or four) very wonderful Christmases with both my parents, in their home and with Matt's parents, in their home and with other various members of our extended families, in their homes. But not in our own. I honestly didn't even realize how much I was sad or affected by that lack until I had the chance for "Christmas Morning" in our own home this year.

I kept tearing up the whole morning. Waking up in our bed. My son running into my room, jumping on top of me yelling, "Merry Christmas, Mommy!!! It's Christmas! I get to open all 'mine' presents now!" Cuddling with my boy and his daddy. Reading the REAL Christmas story on the couch with my little family. Then getting to open our gifts to each other. (By the way, my husband is a most-excellent gift-giver. And a marvelous deal-finder. And so hott.) Then watching my husband cook Christmas breakfast in our kitchen while our beautiful, growing son ran around the entire house playing with each new toy.

I could go on and on.

The bottom line is this:
I have entirely too many things that I am ungrateful for. And too many things that I think I should have that I don't. And so many different things that simply haven't gone my way. So many, in fact, that it often becomes unbearable.

But all those things just seem to disappear when I really open my eyes and look around me at all the wonderful, marvelous, glorious things that surround my life. All the true gifts that prove a fierce faithfulness. All the countless times in the last few weeks I've said, "It's a Christmas miracle!" And the moment in my reflecting heart right now that wonders about that very first Christmas miracle. Is that what Mary and Joseph and the shepherds said?  Were they, just moments before, overwhelmed with all of life's insufficiency? Were they whining and complaining about a situation that was seemingly less than what they deserved? And did it all just instantaneously disappear once the LIGHT of reality appeared on the earth? Could they even find words to express the Christmas Miracle snuggling in their arms? It seems like in every nativity scene I see, they're all just staring at the tiny Miracle dressed in flesh.



I think I can learn something from the posture of the statues.

"Let us FIX OUR EYES on Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of our faith.  For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." 

And may you, in all your worries and struggles and stresses, also fix your eyes on Jesus, the Christmas Miracle, during this holiday season. 

Merry Christmas!

For the Sake of a Mommy's Memory

Just making a pop-in appearance because I have a few minutes to myself while my super thoughtful, wonderful, hard-working husband is grocery shopping (!!!) with my wild toddler (!!!!!!!!!!).

*Sigh*

He's the best.

Anyway, I've had so many thoughts recently of things Josiah says or does that I want to write down so I can remember.

Lately, Josiah's response any time Matt or I ask him, "Why?" is "Why." Often with a big, goofy grin on his face.

For example...

Josiah: "Omon (come on), Mommy, get up."
Mommy: "Okay, why?"
Josiah: "Why."

Or...

Daddy: "Josiah, WHY did you do that?"
Josiah: "Why."

So frustrating. For all of us. But so darn cute...and kinda funny. 

Something else that I'm having a hard time not reinforcing is how he says, "In there." It sounds more like, "In nare."

And when someone is leaving he says, "See you laduh, A-doo-gaduh."  I keep trying to get a video of him saying it so I can document his lips. So cute. But he always turns away. Little Booger. 

It's just so much fun to watch him grow and learn and figure out how to articulate what he wants or what he means. We often can't understand what he's saying, but he's REALLY good (too good) at repeating himself over and over and over until one of us figures it out. Usually Mommy.

The funniest thing is that he repeats just about everything Mommy says. Now, I don't have a dirty mouth and I don't really say things that shouldn't be repeated, but ever so often I get frustrated with something enough where I'll say a loud, firm, "Dang it!" And of course...Josiah quickly (and just as loudly) echos. Sometimes several times. In a store. Daddy doesn't think it's very funny.

The sweetest thing lately is that for the last two Sundays, Matt and I will still be napping in our bed (Sunday afternoon naps are essential in our household...whenever possible) and Josiah will wake up and come find us. He'll crawl into bed with us and ask to look at pictures on Mommy's phone of his Tia (my sister, Allison). She is his favorite person in the world and he misses her pretty bad these days since she's at camp for the summer. Because I currently don't have any on my phone of her, we just look through her Instagram and he sees her, himself and a few of her friends that he knows. It's just really sweet, because he cuddles with me with his head on my shoulder for at least half an hour while we look at pictures.

He's really into swimming right now.

Is learning possessive. "Josiah's bed." "Josiah's chair." "Mommy's water." "Daddy's phone." "Mommy and Daddy's bed."

Is learning to fall asleep by himself in his own bed. (Yes, I know he's 2. It's complicated.)

He's becoming VERY independent. Wants to do everything "by self." Or "Josiah do it."

He's gotten really, really bossy. With us and with everyone. BUT...he's also already learned great manners and mostly uses them unprompted. Please, thank you, yes ma'am, yes sir, etc.

Still very interested in learning people's names and practicing. We go through every picture of people in our home.

He actually gets it that our friend, Nicole, ("Cole") has "Baby Evie" in her belly and pulled his shirt up to look for a baby in his belly. And when I ask him if he wants Mommy to have a baby in her belly, he promptly and very emphatically says, "No, thanks."We get the same response when we ask him if he wants a brother or a sister. Sometimes, the answer is, "No way!" Ha!
(For the record...I do not have a baby in belly. But we do hope to someday in the future shatter his dreams of being an only child.)

Of course...there's SO MUCH MORE!! Two is such a fun, learning age. There's something new everyday. And there really is nothing like getting a front-row seat to watch someone grow and learn the way a toddler does. He astounds me.

And of course...what kind of post would this be without painfully adorable pictures of the subject.

Favorite Pics of the Year!

It would be such a HUGE task to try to sum up our past year in words. So much happened and we experienced so much joy as we lived out our first full year with our little boy. Watching him grow has been so fun! 

So, instead of writing a novel, I'll just do a quick review of some of my favorite photos for each month.

January

Beautiful family day in the park with Daddy.

February

"Mom, please."

March

Starting to take a few steps!

First pic in the bluebonnets on St. Patrick's Day.

Loves his Daddy.

April

Easter

Lovin' those blackberries.

May

June

First Freebirds with Daddy while Mommy's out of town.

This actually happens ALL the time. Like father, like son.

Hoogendoorn Family trip to Port O'Connor...wearing Daddy's fishin' hat. 

This is just up through June. I'll try to get the rest of the year up soon.

Happy New Year to you! May this be the best year yet!