2012 in review:

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

28 things.

Last year, I wrote this post on my 27th birthday. It was a list of 27 things that I wanted to do while I was 27. Today I am 28. It's been an entire year since I wrote that list, and I'll admit that I did not fulfill every single goal (although I did finish many of them!). All that being said, in my true list-loving manner, I am writing a new list for this year...

28 Things to Do while I'm 28!

1. Read through the entire Bible.
2. Learn to crochet or knit. (Opinions on which is easier??)
3. Stress less, especially when my plans don't go as planned.
4. Read more.
5. Focus more on being a mother, and less on being a housekeeper.
6. Enjoy more time as a family.
7. Reduce the amount of processed food that we eat. (Again!)
8. Take a little "me time" without feeling guilty.
9. Try new recipes more often. (Hello, Pinterest!)
10. Be more present in daily life.
11. Make small occasions special for our boys.
12. Spend more time with extended family.
13. Get involved in charity work as a family.
14. Waste less and save more.
15. Make homemade playdough.
16. Exercise more.
17. Go out on more date nights with my husband.
18. Trust that God is in control, and know that HIS plan is always right.
19. Enjoy my babies while they're young.
20. Tell my husband how much he means to me more often.
21. Find the ideal Christmas/Birthday gifts for my brothers. (This is more challenging than it seems..)
22. Reduce the clutter of stuff in our house.
23. Grow some of our own food.
24. Craft more.
25. Research/inform ourselves more about a family goal.
26. Pray more.
27. Write more.
28. Be more patient.

Snow day!

We got a bit of snow last night, and Nathaniel got to go outside to play in it this morning. (His first time ever to play in the snow!) We had a great time, and I think he'll be back outside for some more play before too long!

Roll over!

Guess who rolled over all by himself today?? My little Levi! He rolled from his belly to his back. Yay, Big Boy!

Tough days.

Last Friday night, Eric and I took Levi to the Emergency Room because he was wheezing and had labored breathing. They treated him with a breathing treatment, x-rayed his lungs, prescribed him steroids, and sent us home. Within 24 hours, we were back at the ER with a very sick baby boy. Levi was having even more trouble breathing, and he was admitted to the hospital.

Throughout the whole ordeal, my boy was a trooper. Despite being poked and prodded, he smiled at every nurse, doctor, and respiratory therapist who entered our room. His high spirits were the only thing that seemed to keep me going. I know that our ordeal was brief (only 2 days), but it was hard. (I slept a total of 6 hours, during a 72 hour stretch!) I've never liked the hospital (who does?), but I never imagined how much more miserable seeing my child as a patient could make it.

I watched my baby struggle to breathe. I watched people poke needles into his tender skin. I watched him fight his own exhaustion in an unfamiliar environment. I watched his oxygen levels drop too low, and watched a nurse hurry to fix them. I watched his oxygen monitor while he slept, begging it not to fall below 92%.

I sat in an uncomfortable chair, 2 days before Christmas, and held my boy. With cords tangled in my lap, a too-big gown falling off of his body in the chilly room, and alarms on his monitors beeping, I cried and I prayed. Around the clock, people entered our room to administer breathing treatments, inject medicine into his IV, and check his lungs. We were both exhausted. But, he smiled. Through it all, he smiled at me, and I knew that he would be okay. I knew that the resuscitation instructions taped next to his bed wouldn't be necessary, and I knew that we would go home soon.

Sitting in that hospital room, my priorities changed. Christmas preparations that had been on my to-do lists for weeks suddenly didn't matter. All I wanted was for my baby to be well, and for us to go home to be with family. (Nate wasn't allowed in the pediatric unit, and we didn't see each other at all during Levi's hospital stay--the longest time that we've ever been apart.) I realized that our family Christmas doesn't need anything but family.

Thankfully, Levi improved quickly, and we were able to come home on Christmas Eve. I felt peace, and I know that it came from the many prayers that were lifted on our behalf. When we got home, I didn't have any Christmas cookies made, our presents weren't all wrapped, the house wasn't "ready", we were missing my favorite church service, and I was more than exhausted. But, it was okay. I felt at peace, and knew that our Christmas would be wonderful simply because we were together.

And, not only was it wonderful, it was overwhelmingly perfect! We were shown so much love by so many family members--someone brought us Christmas Eve dinner, someone else brought us dozens of cookies, and more than one someone offered to host Christmas for us and do anything else that we needed. As it turned out, we went ahead and hosted Christmas (much to my unprepared OCD-personality's chagrin!). Our family came, and it was perfect. I didn't feel stressed or worried; I felt comfortable, peaceful and loved. My babies were with me, my family surrounded me, and our prayers were answered. Merry 1st Christmas, Little Levi!

Christmas.

These past few weeks have been exhausting, and not for fun reasons like shopping, baking, or wrapping. My babies have been sick, and we've spent more than our fair share of time in the hospital during the last week (more on that later). But, yesterday was Christmas, and it was good. Despite my lack of preparations, Christmas came, and we drank in the joy, the fellowship, and the relaxation. My boys were loved on and spoiled rotten, and we felt peace. Hope you enjoyed your Christmas as much as we did!

Always and forever.

It's been a week, and I just cannot let this go. I thought about writing this post, then I've wondered if it's somehow insensitive to those who are being sensitive. In the end, I don't think it is. I hope and pray that every single family whose child attended Sandy Hook Elementary School last week is surrounded by God's comfort and strength.

If you're on Facebook, you've probably seen this ^ image floating around. Since the Newtown tragedy last week, it's been all over the internet. I've seen multiple Christian friends post this (or something similar), and it bothers me. A lot. Is this implying that God was not in Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday morning? That is quiet simply not true. Welcome or not, God was there. He was with every single student and staff member who walked through the door. He was with each emergency responder who ran through the door. And, he was with Adam Lanza too. Our God is omnipotent and omnipresent; He is always everywhere.
I don't know why last Friday played out in the way that it did at that school, I really don't. Bad things do happen to good people in our world--even innocent babies. That's our reality, and it's something that I've struggled to understand and accept. Our world is flawed, and our perfection as the human race is nonexistant. In the end, I've learned that I simply cannot comprehend it all. God has a plan, and it's much bigger than anything we can fathom. We have trust in God, and we know that he is in control. He is always in control, no matter what. Whether our public school are allowed to teach about God or not, He is still there. Always and forever. No matter what.

“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 46:10

Pre-Christmas sick.

Once again, our house has been hit with sick. Nathaniel spent three days coughing his throat raw (and often vomiting as a result) and running a fever of 103 degrees. He couldn't sleep or eat or play. Poor little guy was miserable. And, I've got a whole pharmacy of toddler-safe cold medicines on my kitchen counter! Thankfully, he's been back to normal since Tuesday (lingering cough, but nothing like previous).
Now, much to my dread, Levi is sick. So far, he's only had a teensy fever (99) and a cough that breaks my heart every time. He's still in generally good spirits, although sinus drainage bothers him when he goes to bed or wakes up. Since he's too young for any cold medicines at all, I'm counting on breastmilk to be his "miracle cure".
We've got our collective fingers crossed that everyone in the house is healthy and happy for Christmas this year! I've been spending lots of time wrapping gifts (Christmas as a parent is so much better than Christmas as a child; who knew?!), baking cookies, watching movies, and getting organized. Nate has his very first Christmas present secrets this year--so adorable! Levi has no idea what Christmas entails, but he's a big fan of the pretty lights!
We've got a big day of Christmas crafting, wrapping, and even a party to attend tonight. Tomorrow is the first day of winter, and our forecast is even calling for a bit of snow! (White Christmas this year??) Hope you're staying healthy, and enjoying Christmas prep as much as we are!

12/14/12.

I feel like I cannot let the tragedy of last Friday go unmentioned, yet there are no words to express what I want to say. I've typed, backspaced, typed, and deleted again. There truly is nothing that I (or anyone) can say to make it better. All weekend long, we've been bombarded by the news with chilling details of the shooter, and the sweet faces of innocent childen who are gone. We wonder why it happened, and we hug our own babies a little tighter. I know that nothing I can say will help the families in Newtown, but I still have to put something out there.

To The Families of Sandy Hook Students,
I am so sorry for your losses. I am sorry for what every single person in that elementary school endured last Friday. I know that it's not my fault, and I know that my sympathy doesn't make anything better. But, please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. You have the support of countless strangers, and life will get easier. God bless you all.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9

Meanwhile in Bethlehem...

As I mentioned before, Nathaniel's favorite pastime is playing with his Little People nativity set. Let's see what they're up to today....

Oh, here we have Joseph escorting Baby Jesus in a school bus!

And, Mary is having a little holiday treat......hey, a new momma needs her strength!

Looks like a couple of the wise men, their camels, and an angel are waiting around the stable for the honored guest! (Won't they be surprised when he rolls up in that school bus?!)

Hope you and yours are having fun preparing for Christmas!

Soft Christmas Ornaments.

Need a bunch of soft Christmas ornaments for the bottom portion of your Christmas tree? Last year, I discovered that our tree was sorely lacking in the "toddler-friendly" department, so I went on a mission to find some. And, the only ones that I found were much more expensive than any ornaments ought to be (let alone the non-breakable sort!). So, I made my own. Here's a tutorial for some super easy, kid-friendly, and cute Christmas tree ornaments!

Supplies:
felt
thread (in colors to match the felt)
ribbon
scissors
marker
circular object to trace (2" to 3" across)

1) Trace circles onto the felt. You will need approximately 7 circles for each ornament.

2) Cut out the circles.

3) Give scraps of felt to toddler for entertainment purposes.

(Hey vintage Nate!)

4) Fold a felt circle in half.

5) Fold the (already folded) circle in half again, and stitch in place. Place several stitches (one on top of the other) to hold felt in place. Repeat steps 4 and 5 without cutting the thread until you have all six felt circles attached.

6) Stitch the first and last (folded) circles together to form a ball.

7) Place a few more stitches along a length of thread (tied in a circle) to form the hanger. Knot the thread, and trim excess pieces off.

8) Enjoy your new ornaments!

(Nate enjoyed taking "his" ornaments off and on the tree approximately 100 times/day last year!)