Downtown adventure

We decided it would be a fun treat to take the kids downtown and stay in a hotel before Christmas.  Last year we went to Hawaii over Christmas and stayed in a nice hotel the weekend before Christmas.  This was such a memorable experience last year we wanted so bad to try to recreate the memories.  We choose the Hyatt and boy was it fun!

We started our adventure by walking around and seeing all the Christmas displays downtown after about an hour the kids were all ready to go back and have some lunch and swim.

L wanted only to be in the hot tub I think she liked that she could reach.

                                  K is my little mermaid she is under water more than above.

This sad face was the story of J every time I attempted a picture.  I am pretty sure by this point he

     had lost several privileges.  Oh the joys of parenting.

 

L my little gymnast, this was in our 1st room on the 5th floor.  We had two rooms booked that adjoined but we were waiting for the other one to be ready.  We ended up being moved to the 14th floor due to

                   a hotel issue and they gave us our second room free with 4 free breakfasts, which rocked!

We took the kids to our favorite restaurant downtown, Palominos.  It was fun for them to see where we like to go out on dates.

 

We ran outside right when dinner was over to see Santa repel from the Macy's building.

Enjoying the doughnuts that we got from Palomino's to go.  They dipped them chocolate, yummy!  We then went back to the hotel to watch a movie.  The kids didn't fall asleep till 11, way past their bedtime.  They at first didn't like all the sirens but later felt comforted by them because they thought the wind blowing sounded like a wolf and the police could keep them safe.

Good morning girls!  The girls loved looking at the city so much to see.

Our free and very cold carriage ride.

Our last adventure of the trip was to take the trolley around town.  What good trip, thanks kids for all the memories.

Baby Love crashed in

Each Christmas I am starting to grasp more of the incredible reason we are excited about Christ's birth.  There were a few things that were impactful this year.  Christmas eve morning we went to the Crossroads Christmas performance with both sides of the family, wow it was good!  They spoke very Clearly about why Christ had to come to the earth.  During the show they used so many beautiful types of art to display the Christmas story.  It was all very powerful and moving.  I encourage you to go to their site and download for free any of their music written by them, my favorite is "Love Crashed In", http://www.crossroads.net/my/media/music.php .  This will be something I do every year!  I left incredibly encouraged.  We then went and got Indian with all our family, that was just plain fun to be with most everyone and truly enjoy everybody's company.  We then continued on to Williamstown and Dry Ridge to deliver gifts for Angel Tree to 2 families.  One of the families I was given an opportunity to pray with the grandmother who was caring for her grandchildren, it was moving because I didn't expect God to use me at this house I thought for sure I would be better used at the next house.  It was powerful to speak God's truth to her.  We then had a nice dinner at home (by candlelight) together, played a game and watched The Nativity, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G78OdmY32IM.  It was so sweet to see Christ's birth come alive, I really enjoyed watching this movie! 

So this was our Christmas eve,  I can only share what Christ has done in my own life and how he has moved my heart toward him.  I come away with a thankful heart for Christ choosing to come to this earth only to die for our sins.  Jesus coming as a baby to this earth reaffirms that God's ways are different often then the way we would of planned them.  Thank you Lord that your ways are greater than ours!

Gingerbread house

Last Saturday we stayed home with the kids and made a gingerbread house together.  I think they enjoyed dumping all the bags of candy into bowls more than decorating the actual house.

J refuses to smile for pictures.

This is a small taste of my family!

Babies in Bed

I love after the morning feeding and the happy mood that a baby can be in it's so sweet.  S was in bed with us this morning crawling all over us, blowing raspberries, chewing on Ben's ear.  I want to not forget the moments that make me smile.  I am mostly OK with my babies getting older but I will miss these kind of moments.  S's sweet spirit makes me smile even more.  In the last five minutes I rescued S from behind our Christmas tree, he likes to terrorize it.  A few minutes later he was scooting around with a Nerf dart hanging out of his mouth and did not want to let it go.  Now he is making laps around the middle part of our house.  We'll back to being a mom!

Stuck in the middle

Lately stuck is how I have felt.  It makes me a little sad because I know that I have not chose to have joy always.  I struggle with how to be a mom to four children and fulfilling that role with love and grace.  We are also engaged in a college ministry through Young Life, which I really love but feel torn constantly.  In the past I have always been able to make YL and motherhood work together but lately it's been more than difficult.  When I am with my college girls I love and enjoy my time, what a fun age group!  But as I drive home or end a night somewhere I feel sad that I have to put my children aside.  Mind you these are all feeling that I am working through and I believe that it's good for your children to see you be outward focused.  I just wonder if my kids are starting to be at a age where I need to invest in their spiritual lives more deeply.  I read Romans 1-3 today and it was refreshing to be in God's word, I read it out loud to myself, that's what I needed.  I aiming to take one day at a time and be diligent where I am in each moment of the day.  I can only do this in your strength Lord and choosing to renew my mind daily!

Good frustrations

Today and the last few days I have felt this underlying frustration in ministry.  Ben and I work hard to share our life with many people and sometimes that can feel messy.  If I really stop and look it makes sense we are sinful people mixing with sinful people.  I sometimes don't get lack of unity in the body of believers, aren't we all called to love the other believers around us regardless of our feelings?  I know that as I have grown in my relationship with Christ this is a area that God has challenged me in, I still have a lot of growing to do!  I understand having a conflict with someone that is natural but why not use the power of Christ's love and work those differences out?  These are just broad questions that have been weighing on me.  I was reading Ephesians 4: 2-4 today and haven't been able to stop thinking of these verses.  "Always be humble and gentle.  Be Patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.  Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.  For there is one body and one spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future."  Today I am committing to make every effort with my brothers and sisters in Christ to stay untied!  I look forward to Heaven knowing that this tension will not be present.  Aim to love today!

Tears

Our 1st real snow Saturday December 4th!

Last night was so sweet we decided to watch some old videos we found.  The first one was Easter 2006 K was barely one and J almost 3.  I had forgotten how sweet K was at that age and how much I loved her.  Lately she has been a challenge, she can be dramatic and I feel like we don't always connect.  It just reminded me to not be caught up in these sometimes difficult moments and just to show love.  I was really struck with the way I interacted with her I was so loving and patient, I often think because she is older she no longer needs me to treat her that way.  In the video J and K did a egg hunt, K waddled all over our yard searching, she had a giant pink dress on, it was adorable.  J got Narnia in his Easter basket and boy was he excited!  Hearing his little voice was so sweet.  We also watched Christmas morning 2006.  J opened all the gifts without stopping and K took her sweet time and played with each gift as she opened it.  K got a kitchen that year, it was the one my dad made me as a child.  This year L is going to get kitchen stuff it's funny how that really is a timeless gift. 

We got our Christmas tree last night, I really like having a big Christmas, tree growing up we had huge ones.  I sent Ben to get one and really tried hard to be content with what he brought back, sometimes that's hard for me to not be critical.  He brought back one that seemed fine but slowly I could feel myself be frustrated and discontent feeling like he didn't listen to me.  Of course it turned to tears and I wasn't very sweet, I know he is thinking it's just a tree.  It was good in the end Ben and I talked and could see each others side of the situation.  He is so sweet he went and got Indian and a bottle of wine, we had a great family dinner and decorated the tree.

On a fun note S is sitting up really good!  If he is on the carpet I can leave him sitting and he does fine.  He is growing fast!