Happy New Year 2020... thanks to 2019.

I just watched the countdown to the new year in New York as my hope is to crawl into bed as soon as I can.  I'm wiped out.  Jennings is sleeping next to me and I know the girls will be up by 6 so I best get on my way.  But before I jump into bed, I wanted to pause to look back and reflect on the goodness that was brought to us in 2019.

The biggest blessing was him...

 

I prayed for many weeks that we would get to bring a healthy into our lives and that he or she would complete our family.  We couldn't have been any more blessed than what we have been with Jennings.

Each week that passed by was a huge blessing and I never took one day of my pregnancy with Jennings for granted.  I savored every day and was thankful for each day I was given. I  never looked at it like I had to get to a certain point but that I wanted to live in the moment of each day I had.  

And tonight as I get ready to go to bed, I look at this picture of our family and I realize just how lucky I am. Ten years ago when we turned the calendar to 2010, I was not a mother and it was my biggest dream.  Now just ten years later and I have been blessed to be a mom multiple times over to babies here on earth and even above.  

2019 was a great year, and I look forward to 2020 with cautious excitement.  I look forward to continuing my education, to watching the kids grow and to helping them with their goals. I also plan to make this a year of making time to take care of myself.  I think as of late, I've dedicated the majority of my time to caring for the others and my tank has been running on empty too much.

Tonight I give thanks for the dreams answered in 2019, for the prayers heard and for the gifts we were given. Giving thanks for all 2019 entailed and cheers to what 2020 will bring.

Until 2020, 

Angie

Joy, our elf on a shelf...

For the past many years we've had a holiday visitor that first the boys got to enjoy and now the girls.  It is Joy our Elf, our Elf on a Shelf.  She was given to use a few years ago when the boys were young.  They loved having her visit and they may have called her by a different name.  Now that they are growing up and beyond the Elf on a Shelf years, the girls are enjoying their friend Joy's presence in our home during the Christmas season.

The girls get a tru ekick out of waking up each morning to see where she is.  Some mornings she is in the same spot as the night before (she must have thought it was a comfy spot) and other mornings she is in a new place.  

The girls this year wrote notes to joy and asked if they could  have a second elf come as well.  Joy told them she was the one assigned to our family and that we needed to be thankful to get a least her.  The girls semed to understand.

Here are a few photos from the silly places Joy seemed to hang out this Christmas season.  

Hanging from the air vent. To...

I guess Joy needed some sugar too.  Here she is hanging in the bin that has the left over Halloween candy in.

I saw a person I follow on Instagram posted this about what their elf was doing... I had to crack up given that I can relate to being Jenning's source of food.

One morning we woke up to see that Joy had played a trick on the girls' Elsa and froze her.  Poor Elsa was stuck in a block of ice for most of the morning.  

The girls were so interested and kept checking back in to see if anything changed.

A few days later, Joy made herself into a snow globe after seeing one of Michael's decorations he had made a few years prior.

Only silly Joy used sprinkles instead of snow.

Joy left us for the next 350 plus days on Christmas Eve and returned to be with Santa.  Isabelle is always talking about how much she misses her and about all the questions she wants to ask her again.  I told her maybe she can write her a letter at the north pole, to which Isabelle said, "Maybe she can come to my birthday party in February!"  We shall see I told her.

Isabelle and Madelyn truly loved the Elf on the Shelf activity this season and as much as they looked forward to Christmas Eve, each night before then seemed to be just as fun as they guessed where Joy would be and what she would be up to in the morning when they woke up.

Until next time,

Angie

Christmas moments become cherished memories.

Its hard to believe today is Christmas.  Where has the year gone?  Tomorrow we wake up and get back into the swing of things and it feels like life goes back to the crazy hustle and bustle.  These last few weeks have been a lot of fun as we celebrate Christmas really for more than one day in our home. 

I've always loved Christmas and so we try to squeeze every ouce of joy we can out of it.  It starts before Thanksgiving and lasts through the holiday.  This year I, feeling quite tired, mentioned perhaps we wouldn't put up all of our decorations that we normally do.  We have 9 trees in our home and that on top of outside lights, other decorations, holiday baking and shopping, I was wiped out even thinking about it.  However, when I mentioned maybe we wouldn't put up all the trees this year, and maybe just have one, the kids and Jarrett wouldn't have it.  The kids said, "But mom, no we have to have it all up, it isn't Christmas unless the whole house is decorated."  And Jarrett just asked me if I was sick?  I told the kids they were going to have to help me as it is a lot to do just one person.  They obliged and so all the decorations were put up. 

Below are a few, okay a lot, of pictures about how we've been celebrating the holidays in our home.

The Christmas tree set up... it takes me a couple of weeks to get all the trees up.  Here Michael is helping me with one of our 12 foot trees.  The first picture is the mid-way photo and the right one is us starting.... it transforms into a really pretty tree I think.

 

Thanks to several trips to Lowes and Home Depot.  How come the lights seem to only last one season.  Oh well, it allows us to browse for other decorations.

Isabelle and Madelyn were quite excited to see Santa.  Isabelle even got some air time in her jumping for joy.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care... the mantle is quite full now huh? I love it.

Some of our Christmas trees.  Man do I love how warm and cozy they make the house feel  Each one unique, each one a theme per say, each one with special memories. 

 Jennings loved the trees this year too.  He liked to watch the lights and star at the ornaments.

During the holidays we love to go see movies at the theater.  In fact today we went to see Jumanji, it was cute!  A few weeks ago we went to see Frozen (twice), it was so good.  

Then came the turn for the outside lights and I recruited Gabe and Michael to help me as Jarrett hurt his knee, had to have surgery and has been on crutches for several weeks.  

Gabe didn't mind climbing all the way up on the roof (some 25 feet in the air), although it made me nervous he was very careful and seemed to enjoy "being the man of the house" to do it.

I took this picture one night before we went to bed and I had to smile as Jarrett sitting next to the tree seems so small compared to the giant evergreen.

One of our dear friends gave us this gift this year and I love how it lights up and that it's personalized with our name.  It is right at the front door as one enters.  We truly do believe in the magic of Christmas. 

Frosty the snowbaby...aka Jennings has truly loved this holiday too, although he doesn't quite understand all the chaos happening in our home.

Madelyn knows this year and she is loving some of the other traditions we've been having, like the Elf on the Shelf (for another post)

Side note: She loves to dress herself now picking out her pretty clothes.  I love how she loves rainbows and naturally seems to gravitate to them too.

Gabe posing for a rare photo.

There's something special about the glow of Christmas trees and a baby sleeping nearby.   

Don't the girls look so cute?  With the rainy weather we've been having lately, the girls got a chance to wear their matching rain jackets.  Super cute!

And Daddy is finishing up his final weeks of leave here at home, which has been nice for the holiday season.  Jennings is loving the extra time he gets with dad.

Last weekend at our church they had Christmas in the Courtyard complete with a Christmas train.  Nana and Papa came to it and the girls got to ride the train with them.

The girls didn't enjoy it at all. ;-)

Another fun activity we did this Christmas season was have a gingerbread house making competition.  Everyone was given graham crackers, frosting and toppings and had to come up with a sturdy house that was decorated.  It was a friendly competition and all seemed to have fun.

Another annual Christmas activity we do it paint Christmas photos.  I know we have many around the house now and someday I hope to pass them onto the kids (I know they probably won't want them and their spouses will ask them to toss them, but that's okay- its for fun now and they all love it).

Below is Gabe's picture for this year... he rushed through his as he instead wanted to talk with his friends (no surprise)

The rest had fun and painted beyond their canvas (the table, the chairs, even a few spots on the wall-thanks Madelyn). 

And Michael celebrated his first attempt at making a Nutella/banana crepe.  Isabelle and Madelyn enjoyed it too.

Oh yes this Christmas has been magical.  I remember last Christmas wishing so much for the baby growing inside me to get to be with us this Christmas.  And he is such a wonderful addition into our family.  We are so grateful he is here, they the other 4 are too.  This Christmas I was very intentional about not trying to soak up each moment, for my greatest wishes have come true and great thanks is what I have to give. 

Merry Christmas to all.  Wishing you all happiness, joy, love and good health.

Until next time,

Angie

Kind Isabelle

On Halloween, Isabelle's school had an awards assembly where she was recognized along with some of her peers for their strengths.  Some strengths recognized are humor, perseverance, friendly, helpful and more.  Isabelle was recognized for the strength of kindness.  

That's her up there with the cat headband and the black and orange attire (that's how they can dress up for Halloween at their school- colors).  

All of the strengths are ones to be proud of and I am especially proud of Isabelle and her award for kindness.  Her teacher shared that Isabelle is kind to everyone, that she always sees the best in other people and how she always want to try to help others with her genuine care.  I am so proud of her because of the many qualities I value and hope to instill in my children, it is that they are kind.

In a world that in my opinion, is lacking in kindness, it gives me hope that our future, our children embody these strengths and that I'm lucky enough to get to raise a beautiful young girl who every day shows kindness to others.

Tonight as I tucked Isabelle and Madelyn into bed I read them the story "When God found us you"  It is a story given to us when the boys came home and one I loved reading with them.  Now I read it with Isabelle and Madelyn and soak up every minute.  It was the first time Madelyn had heard it and she listened attentively and at first, I didn't think Isabelle was paying as close of attention as Madelyn.  It is a story of a momma fox who prayed, hoped and longed for a baby fox and after a long time of waiting and almost giving up hope, God brought her a baby fox.  The momma fox says in the book it was one of the happiest days of her life.  At the end of the book, Isabelle said, "Mom I think... " an di thought she was going to say something about being adopted as she is starting to understand what it means.  I waited for her to finish her sentence... "Mom, I think we should get another pet." I laughed, not what I was expecting.  I declined her ask, we have enough stuff to keep track of Isabelle, and then we went onto say our prayers.  As we said, "Amen" I leaned over to kiss her goodnight and she said, "Mom, will you tell me about when God found me for you?"  I smiled ... I'd love to Isabelle.  I explained that she was a tiny precious baby and they called us to ask us if we wanted to be her parents.  I told her that we said yes right away and were so excited to meet her.  She smiled.  Then she said, "Mom, why did my other mom give up on me?"  As she said the words, my heart broke, and I said, "Isabelle sometimes moms and dad's have babies and they realize they can't provide the life and the things their babies need, so sometimes those babies go to families who can give them the best life they can.  Isabelle, we are so grateful we get to be your parents, and honey, just like in the book... "the day God found us you was one of the happiest days of my life.  We love you."  In hearing my words, Isabelle pulled her blanket up under her chin and cuddled with it and wearing a smile from ear to ear she said, I love you, mom."  

I hope she always knows how much we love her, cherish her and think of her always as our own.  I never want her to think or feel like her story is less than any other of our children.  We love all of them, those here on earth and above the same and while we came to be together in different ways, and our time together is longer with some than others.... my heart feels love differently, abundantly and eternally for all of them.

Isabelle you are growing up so quickly and we are oh so proud of you.  Keep on being kind.  It is one of many qualities that make you shine so beautifully. 

Love you always, 

Mom