New Year brings New Home

Nick and I visited our new Church home this morning. Over the Christmas Holiday, within the span of about 7 days, Nick was offered a Youth Pastor position at a nearby church and he accepted. I compare my feelings of sitting in the pew this morning to the feelings I had when we did our first "walk through" in the house that we live in now. It just felt right. I looked at the structure of the sanctuary and the lighting. I closed my eyes and listened to the organ and the piano play. I smiled back at hundreds of welcoming faces and most importantly I received inspiration from the sermon and restoration through Communion. When we looked at our house, the same day we made the offer to buy, I walked into the back yard and all the way back to the fence. I wanted to see what our home looked like from a point of view that not many people would see. Yes, curb appeal is important, but for me I wanted to picture this house as my home by looking at it through the eyes of a girl expecting big things to happen at this home: nights spent on the porch with friends, reading a book while basking in the sun, playing ball with our little Ali Carrie, and chasing toddlers around with bare feet. Sitting in the front of the church I did a similar exercise. I wondered who I would see give testimonies. I pictured youth going through Confirmation under the leadership and guidance of Nick. I pictured that my own children would be called for the kids' minute in front of everyone before heading off to their own services during Children's Church. Big decisions need assuring moments and visions such as these to help us be at peace and have expectation for the upcoming journey.

I could not be happier for my husband as I know that he is excited and rejuvenated to serve in this area of ministry. Mentoring kids, particularly, junior and senior high school youth aged people is a big responsibility... a task that quite frankly I feel he could not be more "qualified" to do. I love that my husband loves his job. I love that he appreciates and savors every moment of his daily routine in the commute to work, the preparations and correspondences he conducts at his desk while sipping his coffee and listening to some Mr. Tony or other podcast no doubt, the contacts and relationships, the traveling for mission trips and retreats, as well as some of the challenges. I hope that I will be a useful partner to him in ministry... I wake up most mornings feeling like, "thank goodness I married him... where would I be had if not been for our swift dating period, engagement and marriage?" I shutter at the thought of whom else I could have settled for and my life without my children. I am also very thankful for the so much more than just "approval" that my family has for him. It has been such a blessing to see him grow as a person, husband, student, and youth pastor over the past 4 1/2 years. I cannot wait to see my expectations and visions for us and our future unfold. Congratulations my Love!

I Don't Want A Lot For Christmas...

It would seem that "blogging is dead" as one friend of mine put it. I don't want that to be the case. It is just that I don't make the time to sit down and enjoy this ole' hobby like I used to. Another friend posted in his blog about writing letters to Santa. So here is mine.

Dear Santa,

I know I have been a naughty girl this year, and the year before that, and the year before that. But hopefully there are some nice things I have done that will out-weigh all of the bad. I watched "Miracle on 34th" last night and smiled at the end when Doris signed off of Susan's letter to you saying "I believe in you too." So if I deserve to make any requests here is what I am asking for, though none of it can be wrapped and be put under our tree...

A new year with new attitudes and new changes that will make my life better (this is not a resolutions post). I mean it. I want to really experience and express gratitude every day both for what has been given to me and for what I have worked for. I want to learn to share. I want to clean out what is not needed to make room for what truly is. I want to stop being my worst critic. I want to make goals and actually follow through in achieving those goals. I want to start making and keeping promises. I want to stop complaining. I want to learn to forgive. I want to stop being afraid, nervous, and anxious at times. I want to do something I didn't think that it was possible for me to do. I want to go to church. I want to everyday with my husband and my babies to be the best day. I want to teach my children lessons that they will use when doing good in the world. I want to start writing things down for them. I want to start writing captions on the backs of photos like our ancestors did and making photo albums. I want to hang a lot of pictures on the walls like families do in the movies.

That is really all I can think of right now. It isn't a complicated list and like I said, you can't wrap any of this up for under the tree and you can't unwrap it and show it off to your friends. But I have given it thought, and am still giving it thought, and for Christmas this year, these are the things that I really really want.

Sincerely,

Laura

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day. We went to my mom and dad's house and visited and filled our plates! We ate a non traditional meal of standing rib roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, rice pilaf, spinach souffle, and of course pecan pie. My favorite dish was the from scratch green bean casserole my dad made with "real" green beans, cream, mushrooms, butter, and home made onion rings. It was so good I had two large helpings. We took our mom and dad Christmas picture as seen below. After lunch the babies played in the fall leaves. Every year I have more and more to be thankful for which is sometimes just overwhelming. This time last year my children were battling RSV and pneumonia and just barely over 8 pounds. Now they are so healthy, walking, and asking "wha's Daaa!?" for "what's that!?" Also, I think Harper has picked up some of my language and started saying, "das shwee" for "that's sweet." Love it.

Today Nick is out picking up our Christmas tree for our traditional day after Thanksgiving Christmas decorating. I am really really looking forward to this Holiday season because the babies will be true participants. They stare in wonder at the pink tree in their room. They enjoy ripping paper and they listen to stories. We have the perfect Nativity for them to hold and play with as they get older as they listen to the story of how baby Jesus was born. I picture my Nativity being passed down to my great great grandchildren and their mother telling them they can hold the lamb and the shepherd and her thinking how special it will be that generations of little sticky fingers have played and listened with these little figurines.

Just the Way I Like It.

Lately. It has been a whirlwind of events. So much that I wish that I had been posting all along but I didn't so now I will give abbreviated versions.

A much needed vacation. Last weekend I spent 4 wonderful relaxing days in Destin with my family. This was the first beach trip I have taken in 5 years... and I LOVE the beach so much. This was also the first time Nick and I have ever been to the beach together... and of course the first time the babies have ever been as well. Harper and Lily were so perfect on this trip. They napped well, they ate well, they played well, they went to bed awesome! I took long walks on the beach. I read a book. I ate a lot of delicious (not so low cal) foods, I drank wine, I played Bananas, watched football, ate at a really fancy restaurant, and even did a little outlet mall shopping. This trip came on the heels of a pretty stressful first 11 weeks of work/school year...

The job. My co workers and I were all reassigned to new schools and I picked up 5 new schools to serve... total is 7. This is really really exciting news for me. Not only do I get to meet and work with a new caseload of kids but these kids have disabilities and other issues that are sure to challenge me personally and professionally in a good way... one that will make me a better teacher and coworker. I cannot express how excited I am to start this new journey/chapter in my career. November 4th marked the 5 year mark in my job and these five years have both crept and flown by... kind of weird. I'll tell you all about it sometime... come over, have a glass of wine... there are way to many details to spill out here.

While at the beach...my mother said, "is that your makeup caked under your eyes or are those just really dark circles?" (gee, thanks... but no, really thanks) Answer: "probably both." A long time ago I gave up spending too much on things I don't really "need." Under eye concealer was one of those things. I started buying a cheap brand at the grocery store and moved on. But Mom's question sealed the deal... it is ok to spend a little more on a product that "conceals" fatigue and makes me feel better about myself... and actually works. So while I was at the outlet mall I splurged a little and bought my favorite cosmetic: Bobbi Brown face touch up kit... includes concealer, blemish corrector, base, and yellow finishing powder...a dab of all of it for under $50. So worth it. I kid you not, the very first day back to work I had people that have seen my tired face every day for 3 years say, "you look great... so rested and so happy." I just smiled and said, "I feel good inside and out."

My babies. They are sick tonight. They both have colds and respiratory flare ups. This really isn't that uncommon in our household but what makes this time different is that they are bigger and older now and don't deal with pain and discomfort as well as they do when they are tiny infants and they don't know any better. Lily is so much more active now that she is a walker and it is impossible to explain (or make) an 18 month sit still long enough for her little congested wheezing lungs to heal. Harper, on top of this crud, has a condition that is giving her a urinary tract infection. We are treating this with 2 ointments and hoping that we won't need to have a more invasive "procedure" done in the future... so if you are the praying type please lift up the babies.

The Biggest Loser I Know. I am really proud of my friend Jason. He is showing me every day what it means to make health a top priority... making better food choices and getting up and moving...did you know that doing both of those things will help you lose extra weight and live longer?

T.V. I really enjoy The Biggest Loser, SYTYCD, Project Runway, Top Chef, Mad Men, and Jeopardy. I just recently started tvoing Dr. Phil again... he has one more chance but the next time I see T.D. Jakes or "the Doctors"... delete delete. Also, I watched the latest episode of Modern Family and think I could get into this. I am really excited about when Friday Night Lights will start airing re-runs.

The Bible. I have been reading it a lot lately (not to pat myself on the back). Wow. There is so much to learn from it. And there is a reason that it is called "living." I have really been going back to passages on "Simon/Peter" and "Lazarus" over the past month and what I have learned from them has changed my life.

Dr. Charles Stanley... thanks to him I a) read the Bible b) understand what I am reading.

Tonight. I am thankful for a great day at home with my babies... being a mom really is the best job ever for me. Pizza and a movie with my Love.

Tomorrow. Absolutely no plans. Just the way I like it.