A Blessed Holiday Season

Happy New Year! I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday season and are feeling refreshed and renewed to start out the New Year! We have all been enjoying our time off together… Aren had a little time off from work, Avery was off from school and I had a break in MOPS, my Bible study ended…and well life just slowed down so nicely for us.   

We had a wonderful Christmas and New Years Eve.  We spent the week of Christmas nursing Benjamin and Aren through their winter colds they caught…no fun for them and little sleep for all of us. And just when things started to wear us down, we were totally lifted up by the “AMAZING” Christmas Service our church (Bayside) held. It was truly the perspective we needed! The music was amazing…how can you ever go wrong with Lincoln Brewster…the awesome lighting and a crazy drum solo. Our Pastor Ray’s sermon was life giving and truly brought to us the true meaning of Christmas. A very special birthday…Christ being born for us. At one point in the service the music was so profound for me, that I had a sense of feeling close to Payton…through it…as if she was there with us. It was truly a gift…I craved more of it. It was such a wonderful service, I wanted to share it with all I knew. My friend Amber went with us the first night and two nights later I stood in line with my friend Nikki, her family and Avery (she loved it!) for an hour to get in without tickets (they use tickets cause over 30,000 people attend every year and it helps things work) and then I talked a friend into going to the 11 p.m.Christmas Eve service. I wanted to go…but had some “things” to take care of so had to sit that one out! She later told me it made her season! It was awesome.

Then we went with my in-laws and walked Christmas Street and enjoyed all the wonderful Christmas decorations…Avery and Ben loved it! Avery’s favorites were the “Princess/Disney” themed yards. I loved the ones where Santa was kneeling over baby Jesus praying…so sweet. Then we went to Christmas Eve service at Adventure Christian Church (our old church…but still in our hearts) with my in-laws and some friends. Then back to great-grandma’s for pizza. As we left we drove the neighborhood searching for “Rudolf’s” red blinking nose leading Santa’s sleigh and we found it! “Wink” Wink” Then it was off to bed so Santa could come.

Avery and Ben woke to their gifts under the tree. Avery was one happy little girl and got just what she had asked Santa for… “a blue bike, a guitar and a Barbie”. Ben of course got his very own baby drum and instrument set to play along in Avery’s band, a mini-four wheeler…that is absolutely hilarious to see him ride, and a ball pit. Then we headed over great-grandma Barnett’s for the morning to open presents with family in our P.J’s. It is quite the scene! There are 13 great-grandchildren all together (including our sweet Payton), ranging in the ages from the 3.5 month old twins to I believe 17 years old. Most of the kiddos are on the younger end. So it is kids running around like crazy monkeys, generous piles of presents (where inevitably someone will end up opening someone else’s gift...it happens every year and wouldn't be our Christmas if it didn't happen at least one time) and lots of chattering and laughter. It is chaotic but such a great time! And Avery loves it and adores playing with her cousins! We even had Christmas dinner twice that day. Once at my in-laws and later that evening we went to my dad’s and spent some time with my side of the family to celebrate. It was a long day and late night…but we loved spending time with everyone.  It is times like this we are beautifully reminded just how fortunate we are to have so many loved family and friends in our lives...we are truly grateful.

New Years Eve was spent having a sleepover at our house with one of my best friends, Nikki and her family. They all came over and we slaved away in the kitchen for about 4 hours and made my mom’s loaded potato soup and to die for sour kraut buns…YUMMO! Made me miss my mom. And later that evening we roasted marshmallows and drank hot chocolate by the fire pit out back. Lastly, we put the kiddos to bed and the adults hung out till the stroke of midnight chit chatting and watching the ball drop. Then it was lights out for us old folks. We had the pleasure to wake and start our New Year with great friends, Monkey Bread and the promise of a New Year! It was perfect and a great way to end and start out our year. We are blessed!

~Here are some pictures of our trip to Snowy Peaks Christmas Tree Farm and our 2009 Christmas Tree, Avery and her teacher Mrs. Ralston and her preschool Christmas Performance, and of course Avery and her baking face!  And lastly...Benjamin took his first steps!!!!  He walks about 1/4 of the time and the rest he crawls.  He looks like Frankenstein.  What happened to my little baby.. he is becoming a toddler.  So bittersweet...sniff sniff, but cute!