Monday, Monday...

Today is Monday, and it feels good to fall back into the easy routine that is our early week. You may remember my last post about our semi-rotten week, and my determination to have a fabulous weekend. While there were plenty of things that didn't quite go as planned, we still managed to have ourselves a pretty great time. I'm learning to roll with the punches a bit more, I suppose...
Anyway, we got up bright and early on Saturday morning for a fun day of Christmas tree picking (and subsequent decorating!). I made pancakes for breakfast, and it seemed that we were ready for a perfect day...


After breakfast, we bundled up and headed for the Christmas tree farm. Oh, but before we drove away, we had a quick mishap....the boys were locked inside the car. And, the car was running. In the garage. And, they were both strapped into their carseats (just out of reach of the locks!). Oy. Thankfully, with the help of a little prayer and a wire hanger, Eric was able to get a door open!

THEN, we were off to the Christmas tree farm....and we got lost. For whatever reason, the directions that I looked up took us approximately 45 minutes out of our way via backroads. Not so much fun with a grumpy baby in the backseat. (By this time, it was nearing lunch and naptime!) Mommy and Daddy were not in good moods, and two whining boys were not helping the matter.

FINALLY, we arrived at the farm. And, it was truly fantastic! We took a wagon ride to the fields, and then tromped through the snow until we found our perfect tree! Eric chopped it down (really!), and then we headed back to the barn. The staff was super friendly, and they got our tree all ready for us to take home. While they prepped the tree, the boys made friends with a little dog and cat who they found in the barn.


By the time we headed for home, all of our spirits had lifted. A little snack in the car, and we were back in the Christmas spirit! Levi even napped on the way home....which, of course, meant that when we arrived home, he didn't want to nap again. If you're a parent, you know full well that quick 30 minute car naps don't suffice for naptime, so there was a naptime battle while Eric uprighted the tree in our living room.

Eventually, both little guys gave in to napping, and the house was quiet. Well, except for the incessant dripping of the snow/ice melting off of the Christmas tree on to the living room floor! Ah, the holidays!

By the time nap ended, we were ready to give it another go at Christmas cheer! We pulled out the lights and ornaments, and set to work decorating the tree. Ornaments, old and new, came out of boxes, and we reminisced (in between "No, no, no!"s and pulling Levi out of the tree about 40,000 times!). Two of my very favorites....


Within a couple of hours, the tree was trimmed...and we had homemade pizza was on the table for dinner, courtesy of Eric and Nate! (Seriously, could I have picked a better guy?!)


Dinner went smoothly--everyone ate well, Christmas carols played in the background, and we admired the gorgeous tree. It seemed as though all of the day's difficulties had been worth it (and they absolutely were!), and my stress slipped away. Did we have a picture perfect day? Not quite! But, it was still a family day, and we enjoyed ourselves amidst the chaos. Our holiday season might not be perfect--but we're not perfect either! And, no matter what kind of day we create or experience, there is nothing I'd like better than to spent time with my dear family preparing to celebrate our Saviour's birthday! Merry Christmas!


(^ Two sides of the same tree. At the same time. Ah, parenthood.)

Earthquake?

"Did you feel the earthquake?!" seems to be the BIG question today around here. Did I feel it? Yes. Did I know that I was feeling the aftershocks of a 5.9 magnitude earthquake? No.
I had just put Nathaniel down for his nap, grabbed my lunch, and sat down at the computer, when I felt like I was rocking back and forth. I tried to stop by pushing against the back of my chair, and when it didn't stop, I thought that I was really dizzy. A few seconds later, it stopped, and I continued on my way to check my Facebook page, where I saw a friend's status update about an earthquake--only a few seconds ago! In disbelief, I Googled it--but found no results. Within only a few minutes, I saw numerous friends from all over the country commenting about feeling the earthquake. And, of course, within only about 5 minutes, it was the big headline on every news site.
It's funny that when I didn't know what I was feeling, I wasn't scared. I thought that a random dizzy spell was strange, but I easily put it out of my mind when it passed. When I realized that I'd felt a real earthquake right here in WV, I was a little shaken up. (Yes, that was a funny little pun...) I wasn't terrified, but I suddenly didn't feel like eating my sandwich anymore. And, I really wished that my husband wasn't at work, but rather at home with us.

I think that what really got me was the realization that an earthquake could totally rock our world any time, any place. No warnings, no "safe place," no nothing--natural disasters are just that: disasterous. If we knew they were coming, we would prepare. So often, we hear about terrible tragedies that make us sad, but are far, far away in Japan or Missouri or Africa. But, today's aftershock reminded me that we are vulnerable, even here in our small community, hidden away in the hills--far away from big cities and fault lines.

As much as we feel safe with our feet on solid ground, it is no guarantee that we are. Rocks can move, mountains can move, entire coastlines can move. (As far as natural disasters go, I think that there is only one particular disaster that we can be sure will not occur, and that's promised in Genesis 9:13-15.)
Today's trembling, as slight as it was, reminded me of two verses. Obviously, Matthew 24:7-8, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains."
So, we've gotten our earthquake, and just in case you hadn't heard, East Africa is experiencing the worst drought/famine in 60 years right now. "These are the beginning of birth pains." Ever given birth? Because those beginning birth pains are nothin' compared to the end!

And, the other verse that I kept thinking of today was Luke 19:40, "'I tell you,' he replied, 'if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.'" I don't know why an earthquake reminded me of this verse; maybe just because I was thinking about rocks. I've always liked this verse, and I think of it often. We need to be praising HIM because if we don't, THE ROCKS WILL!! And, I don't know about you, but I'm not sure that I want to hear rocks singing. A little scary, a little funny--but absolutely an awesome verse! We're singing along with the Newsboys right now; what are you doing to praise HIM?!