Christmas Greeting 2009

Do you ever still feel it...That child-like excitement over Christmas....That energy-charged feeling that surrounds everything in the season?  Where every little moment is filled with wonderment?

I'll admit I rarely feel it any more.  Every once in a while a phrase of a Christmas carol will bring back that nostalgic feeling -- but only for a moment.  I'm afraid I fall into the majority of people whom I know who feel a bit frazzled and unprepared. 

It certainly didn't help that yesterday, 3 days before Christmas, as I was trying to buy the final 5 gifts on my list, I ran into a bit of car trouble.  I was in a hurry and feeling guilty because my kids were already on Christmas vacation and sitting home by themselves, rather than playing games, making puzzles & eating cookies with dear old mom.

I was leaving the mall parking lot, when I notice this blinking warning on my dash -- "Check Tire Pressure".  I think to myself, "That's interesting, I'll need to ask Cal about that.  I hope it is like the 'Low Fuel' warning that allows me to drive another 40 miles before taking action."  Well, apparently that is not the case. As I pulled onto the road into the crazy, last-minute-Christmas-shopping traffic, I experienced a lurching "th-thump, th-thump".  Not good.  I manuever into the next shopping center parking lot and call Cal's cell...then his work...and then I text him. Where is he when I need him?  I have no idea what I should do.  I'll admit that I pride myself on being a relatively independent girl with an "I can handle anything" kind of attitude, but this was way past my limit.  Me? Change a tire in the slush and snow? I don't think so.  I figured I might as well shop while I wait to hear from Cal.  He called me back shortly to say he was on his way to rescue me.  He bravely faced the elements...changing my tire, while trying to keep his nice work clothes clean.  I sat in his warm car offering words of encouragement through the window and telling him I was paying attention so that I could do it myself next time. :)  An hour and a half later, I was on my way home.

Well -- with that fun adventure behind us and one more day of preparing for the festivities accomplished -- I am now looking forward to a joyous Christmas.  And in an attempt to bring some nostalgia back to our Christmas season-- I thought I would share Christmas through our children's eyes:

Christmas Lights

 Merry Christmas from our Home to yours.  According to our children, the simplicity our lighted wreath and trees is boring.  They would much rather our house looked like the Griswold's.

The Advent Calendar

An early morning ritual.  The anticipation of counting down is essential.

Let it Snow...

The snow is beautiful, but, unfortuneatly, has already ruined a few holiday plans as the biggest snow storm in 7 years is predicted for Christmas Eve.

Cutting down The Tree

Carter was almost "man" enough at 9-years-old to help carry the tree this year. However, in his naturally uninhibited way, he kept yelling "Ouch" and sharing with everyone exactly where the tree was hitting him.  I had to take over.

The Christmas Program

What could be better than little children singing their hearts out about Jesus' birth?

Taryn is still wearing her flower girl dress from this summer. We adapted it with red sweater and red shoes for Christmas. (Thank you Jesse and Emily -- we have gotten our use out of this dress. It was also part of her "Beauty Queen Costume" for Halloween.)

The Creche

Over the years, our kids have all pretended and played with these figures.  We figured it didn't hurt to  let their imaginations flow about baby Jesus in the manger.  However, this year Taryn maybe got a little carried away when she introduced Ken and Barbie to Mary and Joseph and the WiseMen.  I wasn't sure if that was crossing the line.  But perhaps that is just the point of Christmas -- Jesus crossed that line and made his home among us -- Barbies and all.

Sparkling Ornaments

The Santa Hat

This hat comes out every year in December and Carter sleeps with it on most nights -- "And I in my kerchief and ma in her cap" ...

Christmas Carols

 Paige plays a wonderful rendition of "O, Come all you Faithful" on the piano which she was able to share at church.

Christmas Cookies

Aren't our aprons cute? (Thanks Mom!)

I'm glad we looked "cute" when we baked because our finished product certainly did not.  As I was lamenting over our sloppy work, Paige said to me, "At least we had fun. And they taste good. And this way you won't give them away."

Family

As I look over all these pictures, I realize that while I might no longer get that giddy Christmas feeling, and cars will break down and schedules will stay hectic, life is sure good when you carve out a few minutes to do something special for Christmas. 

And upon reflection, while the child-like excitement of Christmas may not last into adulthood, the truth and wonder of Christmas is more real to us than ever.  The thought of God becoming a human baby...the idea that the Almighty creator of the Universe came to earth and cried and cooed, that He teethed and crawled and took first steps...is no longer just a sweet story -- it is an event that we can't even begin to grasp.  We can't fathom the depth of God's love for us that He would come and dwell among us.

So maybe it's just a different kind of feeling now...not a giddy excitement, but an awe-filled humility.   

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!  She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel,  which means ‘God is with us.’”  Matthew 1:23

Wishing you a wonder-filled Christmas!

Cal, Jen, Paige, Carter and Taryn

Bye-Bye Tooth

This is one of those years...one of those years that I am saying good bye to more and more things that I will never experience again as a mom.

Recently, my baby lost her first tooth.

Taryn came home from school one day to tell me her tooth was loose.  For two years she's been telling me she has loose teeth...always about the same time her brother was losing one. So this time I, again, didn't think anything of it.  But she kept begging me, "Wiggle it, Mom.  Come on, wiggle it."  So I thought I would humor her and put my fingers in her mouth -- and it MOVED!   I have to tell you, my heart literally fell.  I just couldn't believe it.  Last I remember she was slobbering all over breaking in those baby teeth and now those teeth are falling out!

When Paige was in Kindergarten and lost many teeth, it never even occured to me to feel that she was too young to lose teeth.  I had two other little ones at the time -- and she was my "big" girl.  Makes me wonder how much different I must treat Taryn at this age, then I treated Paige.

Well after 3 weeks of drama over this loose tooth, it finally fell out at school.  I was absolutely fine with her losing it at school -- I am terribly squemish about these kind of things.  Some of my friends LOVE to pull their kids teeth out.  I can't stand it -- I can't even stand looking at the thing hanging there. Anyway -- that's probably the reason her tooth held on stubbornly for 3 weeks -- I wasn't going to help loosen it any.

She was very proud as she came home with a special "tooth" card and her tooth in a baggie.  She couldn't wait to put it under her pillow and collect her dues from the tooth fairy.  She at least kept track of her tooth.  Carter seems to misplace his -- the last three times he's lost a tooth he's had to put a note under his pillow rather than the actual tooth.  His last note said "I don't know why I can't ever find my teeth.  Could you please give me $5.00?"  -- Yeah, right -- Our tooth fairy isn't that genrous!

So I say good-bye to Taryn's baby teeth...I wonder what little thing will hit me next as these kids of mine continue to grow...

Laughs on me!

I don't know what it is about my sister and me, but everything takes on a new note of hilarity when we are together.  Things that might not typically seem so funny, invoke ridiculous giggles that we can't seem to control.  Our time together during the Thanksgiving holiday proved no different.  And let me just add that if my mom joins in the laughing...well...we are all done for.  The males around us just look on and shake their heads.

Our Thanksgiving celebration started out with appetizers, as any good celebration should....stuff ourselves on snacks before dinner!  During this time, Becca thought it would be a good idea to take a picture of us siblings and our significant others, together, on one small couch. She also decided we should try to take a "serious" photo where none of us smile.  You can see below how well that worked out for Becca and me.

Then we moved on to dinner which was delicious!  My husband made me proud by finishing off three heaping helpings of food.  The man simply loves stuffing...what can I say?  Towards the end of his third helping, he leaned back in his chair, put his hands above his head and exclaimed "I'm done!"  Let me just say -- between the large number of people in the room and an overwhelming consumption of food, he had a mild case of perspiration.  He had also managed to spill in the middle of his shirt.  Becca and I looked at him revealing his pits and the stain on his stomach -- and then looked at each other and had a hard time containing ourselves for the next 5 minutes.  Poor guy!

But I must admit -- the last laugh was on me.  At one point in the meal, Paige asked for Ketchup.  (I know -- what a disgrace -- ketchup on turkey -- who raised this girl?!)  So I attempt to get up from the table to fetch the ketchup.  What happened next will now be talked about in my family with hilarious laughter for the next 20 years, I'm sure.  As I try to squeeze between my own chair and Taryn's chair my foot got stuck and I took a straight, but graceful, nose dive for the floor.  However, what stopped my face from hitting the floor was the kitchen door.  Yes, I did a direct face plant into the door.  Bam!  Time stood still for a moment.  Everyone held their breath -- I slowly put my hand to my face -- wondering how much damage I just did.  I knew it wasn't good.  Eventually, I dared to pull my hand away to discover it was full of blood. 

I dashed off for the bathroom followed by my mother.  (Apparently, that mother instinct never goes away.)  She was closely followed by my husband.  My nose was bleeding profusely and my lip was ridiculously fat.  My mother tenderly washed the blood from my hand as my husband held a cloth to my nose.  What a scene! I told them to both go back and enjoy their meal and I hid in the bathroom for a while.  I heard my husband announce to the group, "I think she's going to live."  The most humiliating part was when I had to go back to the table.  Once it was determined I had no life-threatening injuries...the laughter came.

So what can I say -- I'm glad I can laugh at myself!  I'm glad I have a sister and mother to laugh with.  And if this year the laughs on me, so be it!