It's Beginning to Look (and FEEL!) A Lot Like Christmas!
Well, friends, I just logged on to dust off the blog when I uncovered this little beauty written BEFORE Christmas (I know, I know). Good news is that I am cleaning out the dust bunnies and hopefully will have this blog up to date soon with exciting stories on the horizon. But, for now, a little Christmas in March...hey, why not!
September? Really?!?! I could not have possibly left my absolutely favorite season -- FALL -- slip by with one mere post about this stressful growing season I seem to find myself in? 2 Words. BLOG.FAIL.
Really, Fall was FILLED with my all of my favorites...hot cider, kettle corn, apple picking, cider donuts, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, pumpkin carving, oranges and reds and yellows and browns...joy! But really, time seems to be flying by! As if life was not busy enough, I decided to take on a personal business selling Thirty-One Products this Fall to help with the finances and between being Mom.Wife.Working.Working again.Maintaing a Home - time is PRECIOUS! This blog has crossed my mind multiple times, but by the time my head hits the pillow at 1 AM, well, I am just plum.exhausted. You would not want to try to follow the delirious post that might come from that place! But I do miss you, my Blog Family! And I do miss capturing these moments to make time stand still, so here's a little life update...
Caby. Oh my Caby. Is this not the face of complete cuteness?
From the moment this little boy springs awake and starts jabbering away in his crib, he absolutely.steals.my.heart! He's got me completely enthralled! He is speaking in full sentences, and we daily have full on conversations. He is SMART. Seriously, I know I am biased, but this boy is SMART. Sometimes, he is too smart and too cute for his own good. He repeats EVERYTHING. He knows the first names of his family, but when asked "What is Mommy's name," he responds with a sheepish grin and big "HONEY!" Ah, like I said, he steals my heart. He doesn't play with many toys except for balls and drums. He's an artist...painting and coloring and stamping and making play-doh creations. He's a night owl like his father. 10:00 has become an "early bedtime." And while I have found this exhausting at times, there are other times I am SO thankful because this little guy can go.go.go.go. with no fear of meltdown. He is a seriously flexible and easy toddler. He's obsessed with fruit snacks and pops - eats fruit galore - asks for "noonies" (aka noodles) on a daily basis - but turns up his nose quickly at any green vegetable. He is such a gift, an absolute blessing, and I want to bottle up everything at each of these incredible stages of growth to remember!
And me. Oh me.
I am still finding myself amidst this "growing season." Lately, I feel like I've tiptoed the edge of burnout a little too closely. I am certain that "balance" will be a New Year's Resolution for me. Christmas is and has always been a tricky season when working in the church, as it is in essence, one of our "busiest seasons" of the year. And that is hard when my soul cries out for rest...to be able to sit still and revel in the awe that is the season of Christmas. I have to admit that this year until recently it hasn't really felt like Chritmas. But recently my wise husband e-mailed me two sermons that he thought I should listen to (he knows me SO well). After listening, God has convicted my heart in many good ways. Do you know that "Fear Not" is one of the most commonly used commands in the Bible? And so it occurred to me if God commands us to "fear not," every time I allow fear and anxiety to overwhelm me, my actions are showing my disbelief. Let's call it what it is...SIN. So I have adopted another life verse from the book of Luke, "Fear not, little flock." It seems that the more I allow this command and promise to sink in, the more I have been able to enjoy Christmas -- the more I have been able to enjoy life! I know my weakness, but I also know my Father, and my FATHER IS GREATER THAN MY WEAKNESS. Can I get an amen?
Really, Fall was FILLED with my all of my favorites...hot cider, kettle corn, apple picking, cider donuts, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, pumpkin carving, oranges and reds and yellows and browns...joy! But really, time seems to be flying by! As if life was not busy enough, I decided to take on a personal business selling Thirty-One Products this Fall to help with the finances and between being Mom.Wife.Working.Working again.Maintaing a Home - time is PRECIOUS! This blog has crossed my mind multiple times, but by the time my head hits the pillow at 1 AM, well, I am just plum.exhausted. You would not want to try to follow the delirious post that might come from that place! But I do miss you, my Blog Family! And I do miss capturing these moments to make time stand still, so here's a little life update...
Caby. Oh my Caby. Is this not the face of complete cuteness?
From the moment this little boy springs awake and starts jabbering away in his crib, he absolutely.steals.my.heart! He's got me completely enthralled! He is speaking in full sentences, and we daily have full on conversations. He is SMART. Seriously, I know I am biased, but this boy is SMART. Sometimes, he is too smart and too cute for his own good. He repeats EVERYTHING. He knows the first names of his family, but when asked "What is Mommy's name," he responds with a sheepish grin and big "HONEY!" Ah, like I said, he steals my heart. He doesn't play with many toys except for balls and drums. He's an artist...painting and coloring and stamping and making play-doh creations. He's a night owl like his father. 10:00 has become an "early bedtime." And while I have found this exhausting at times, there are other times I am SO thankful because this little guy can go.go.go.go. with no fear of meltdown. He is a seriously flexible and easy toddler. He's obsessed with fruit snacks and pops - eats fruit galore - asks for "noonies" (aka noodles) on a daily basis - but turns up his nose quickly at any green vegetable. He is such a gift, an absolute blessing, and I want to bottle up everything at each of these incredible stages of growth to remember!
And me. Oh me.
I am still finding myself amidst this "growing season." Lately, I feel like I've tiptoed the edge of burnout a little too closely. I am certain that "balance" will be a New Year's Resolution for me. Christmas is and has always been a tricky season when working in the church, as it is in essence, one of our "busiest seasons" of the year. And that is hard when my soul cries out for rest...to be able to sit still and revel in the awe that is the season of Christmas. I have to admit that this year until recently it hasn't really felt like Chritmas. But recently my wise husband e-mailed me two sermons that he thought I should listen to (he knows me SO well). After listening, God has convicted my heart in many good ways. Do you know that "Fear Not" is one of the most commonly used commands in the Bible? And so it occurred to me if God commands us to "fear not," every time I allow fear and anxiety to overwhelm me, my actions are showing my disbelief. Let's call it what it is...SIN. So I have adopted another life verse from the book of Luke, "Fear not, little flock." It seems that the more I allow this command and promise to sink in, the more I have been able to enjoy Christmas -- the more I have been able to enjoy life! I know my weakness, but I also know my Father, and my FATHER IS GREATER THAN MY WEAKNESS. Can I get an amen?
And so this is life. We are learning. We are growing. We are pushing through. We are enjoying the moment. We are anticipating an awesome "Happy Birthday Jesus" party this weekend, and just around the corner we'll be celebrating another special birthday :). Yes, it's truly beginning to look AND FEEL a lot like Christmas.
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