Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! We are spending the weekend at my parents. Pictures and stories to come...

but for now there are three sleeping children (anticipating a fun evening ahead of singing, reading, eating, opening, and playing), a table full of appetizers, and family that await me upstairs.

Wishing you a very, very Merry Christmas!

In Search of a Contented Christmas

Normal Christmas,
let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless
you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect
tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day I
shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch
myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world,
your return.

Mary Jean Iron

I have shared that quote before. (I changed the word day to the word Christmas just f.y.i.)

I love it.

It is a powerful reminder to me of the incredible gift it is when we are given the opportunity to live just another day.

It is especially true this time of year.

When our kitchen counters are covered with lists of presents to buy, cards to send, goodies to bake, parties to attend...

And while all that is such a part of the fun and such a part of Christmas - it is also not what I want my focus to be on this year.

I personally know some families who are hurting and struggling in a pretty major way this Christmas. One family recently lost their husband and father in a tragic way. Another family was recently told that the father and husband of the family was given less than three months to get his affairs in order as his cancer has spread to his liver, completely unknown and unexpected. Another woman, the mother of young children, was within the past few weeks diagnosed with breast cancer, underwent a double mastectomy and now will continue with radiation.

And the stress of decorating my home just so, getting my presents perfectly wrapped, scrubbing my house til it shines, baking fifty different varieties of Christmas cookie...well...the stress of it all, the importance of it all, just vanishes.

I would be content this year to sit with my family in our filthy home, eating day old popcorn and opening gifts of things that have lived in my drawers for years - just thanking God for this normal Christmas, where everyone was happy, everyone was healthy, and everyone was home.

None of us, none of us, know what the year ahead is going to bring.

I want to focus on what is truly valued and important right in front of my eyes.

I do not want to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the season, just to have it all pass me by without even stopping to enjoy it.

I want to get lost in the sparkle of my children's eyes as they witness the magic of it all.

I want the words to O Holy Night to truly sink in to my soul.

I want to soak it up. Every minute with my family.

Gathering around the piano at my parents singing carols.

Attending church together and seeing Adelyn dressed in her frilly little dress and little black shoes.

Laughing at my brother's house as we eat and joke and spend time together.

Seeing cousins I haven't seen in months.


Holding my husband's hand and adoring our children as they are little and here at home with us.

With tears streaming down my face I want to wish each one of you reading this a truly blessed, joyful, meaningful, deep Christmas. May it be one of your best yet.

Merry Christmas.

The Big 0-3 and the Partee!

Clever little rhyme eh? And that's all for 7:30 in the morning, so I'd say I'm not doing too shabby on this Monday morn!

It's the week before Christmas! Can you believe it? I reaaaallly wanted to be completely done with everything Christmas (baking, presents, wrapping) before the first weekend in December - and alas, here it is...December 19th, and while my baking is done and my presents are bought - there are still many, many, many that remain unwrapped. That is my goal for every evening this week!

We are loving having Chris's parents with us. Really loving it. This new home just seems so easy to have company in. I hope they agree! They will be with us for another week and will be with us as we spend Christmas with all of my family this weekend.

Now - back to the birthday boys.

I think the boys had a really special birthday and party. Both days, their actual birthday, and the party, were really nice.

On the morning of their birthday they came downstairs and Chris I greeted them in the kitchen with a happy birthday banner and the birthday song. They rubbed their little eyes as they adjusted to the light and got big ol' grins on their faces.

Showing their 3's!

For breakfast we had pancakes in the shape of a 3, and an orange used as a candle holder.

Ethan

Grayson

We then got dressed and headed out to KinderGym, which is offered a few times a week inside of a local gym. We were the only ones there, and the man in charge even blew up a bounce house. It truly felt like the boys own little personal birthday party! We spent about two hours there and had a blast!

After the gym the boys wanted to go to IHOP for lunch. This was my first time taking all three kids to a sit down restaurant by myself, and it went really well! The only problem we encountered was when I realized I had left my wallet in the car. I promised the waitress that I wasn't going to skip out on the bill, but would load my kiddos up and come back in and pay! She let me do it without even having to wash one dish (and I promise I did pay!)

We came home and had naps and then Daddy came home. For dinner we had corn dogs, pears, and cucumbers. The boys choice for their birthday dinner. :) After dinner the boys received their present from us. We gave them a set of Magneatos. I had been hearing a lot about these and they loved them!

Grayson and Ethan

My big boys!

One full (and blessed!) lap

And then the party...

We had their party this past Saturday evening. We had a great turnout and our house was so full of conversation, laughter, food, and noisy kids running around in circles. It was a lot of fun. There is just something about my home being filled with people that I love! Contentment. We really missed some family and friends who live far away and weren't able to make it though.

Here are a few pics...

We had a farm themed party and some of the guests even came dressed the part!

That night when I was tucking the boys in I asked them what their favorite part of their party was. Grayson said that the best part was running with his friends. Ethan said that his favorite part was blowing out his candles.

Happy 3rd Birthday sweet boys!

3 Years Ago

My Sons -

Three years ago on this very night I drifted off to sleep, albeit with seventy more pounds on my frame, completely unaware of what was to come the following morning.

The next morning you came.

There is very little resemblance to the life that we lived before your existence. It is hard to even recall much of the details of life in our home before the two of you came in to it!

You both fought hard in the NICU.

Grayson, you were born with a pretty severe case of pneumonia, and had to be put on a ventilator for the first 24 hours of your life.

Ethan, you had a PDA, and your Daddy and I were faced with the possibility of you needing surgery to have it repaired. We were so thankful when the medicine they gave you closed it so surgery was not needed.

Every day we would come in to the NICU not knowing what we would be facing. Would it be a good day or a bad day? A step forward or a step backward?

I will still never forget the day I walked in and the nurse told me, with a huge grin on her face, that you, Grayson, had a present for me. I walked up to your isolette and saw your precious round face for the very first time, completely clear of any tubes or wires. I cried and cried. You were perfect. You were two weeks old.

Slowly your strength grew. You both eventually went to being side by side in an open crib.

And then you came home... :) :) :)

Ethan, you were first.

Grayson, you followed a week later.

It was a sweet reunion when you were side by side again...

The doctor told us that once the two of you came home you would thrive.

He was right...

Grayson -

I love your fiesty personality.

The way you stand your ground and speak up for yourself.

You are a silly boy. Always wanting to make your family laugh through your made up "ga-ga" language, or by telling us, "No laughing!" and then if we do, you tickle us.

You also have such a gentle side. A cuddling side. You will often come to me during the day only to say, "Mommy, hold me." I wonder if you'll still ask me that a year from now. I hope so.

I love you deeply and dearly darling child.

Ethan -

Your sensitive heart still wins out. I love to see that in you.

You are so tender. So gentle. So thoughtful.

Your feelings get hurt easily.

At the same time though you can also be a mischevious little boy. You get this look in your eye and your Daddy and I know it means trouble. :)

You are also very independent. You often let us know that you can do it yourself. We love to see you try.

You are very inquisitive and love to know how the things around you tick.

You are easy to love. You are a pleasure to raise. I'm glad you're mine.

And now for just a million and a half pictures of the two of you together - just because you're pretty darn cute...

We love you SO much Ethan and Grayson.

You are making life a trip! We are so thankful for both of you in our family. Happy, happy, happy third birthday!

-Mommy-