Holiday Season Part 3: Let it Snow!

We're out in North Bend this weekend for some good ol' family fun! I worked yesterday and left the hospital at 3:45 pm, it took me exactly 1 hour to move 1.5 miles in my car. In all, it was a 2 hour commute to get from the hospital to the in-laws. Plus...I was in charge of picking up KFC for dinner for the crowd of 8, and I was craving some crispy chicken to snack on for the remainder of the ride (and I have very specific cravings these days). You can only imagine how disappointed I was to find the KFC in Issaquah closed due to a main break. So we settled on McDs, which wasn't a part of my list of cravings...

I kept praying that this wasn't a sign for how this weekend would turn out...

After a night of reconnecting with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Greg and I headed to my parents to sleep (due to a shortage of beds). We decided to tour the housing development for Christmas lights and were happy to find a nice variety of displays! It was quite festive with the snow that was continuing to fall, adding to the inch of accumulation that was already on the ground. We found that LED lights are the new fad...though we're not Christmas light connoisseurs, we like to think we know a thing of two of outdoor illumination (we try to help my dad every year so he can compete in the annual competition). We're not so sure about the neon, rave look, but we know they're "green", so I guess that's a good thing : ) Greg refers to the new LED trend as a "Chernobyl Christmas".

Once we got to my parent's house at 11:30 at night, we settled into the "lodge" bedroom. There were no blinds to hide the icicle lights blinking furiously outside our three windows...Greg said it looked romantic on the ceiling...I said it looked like the house was on fire. But it was a nice touch none-the-less. We had a good couple of laughs over the experience, thinking back to a Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase (It's an annual tradition to watch the movie while decorating our Christmas Tree). I was happy to compliment my dad on his handiwork this morning.

So the snow is continuing to fall beautifully. Josie continues to say "bubbas (bubbles)" as she excitedly looks out the window. It's quite sweet really. She's enjoying the time she's spending with her 2 year old cousin, they're best-friends now...here are the pictures to prove it!

It has been a good weekend so far! We've still got the big party tonight! So I better go get the cake decorated!

Holiday Season Part 2: God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

Well our Holiday Season posting started off slow and trailed off from there. So here I am resurrecting the theme in the second post. There are many things that I love about Advent, aside from celebrating the incarnation of our Savior to enter into our world to identify with us in suffering and secure peace with the Father as the sacrificial Lamb, such as scarves. I recently got my yearly cold winter scarf and really enjoy it. It was cheap at the Gap and has a nice print on it. What I enjoy most about scarves, is the feeling of a proper English Gentleman that accompanies it (I will even don the wool coat to complete the ensemble). This year, I was feeling so proper I decided to shave off the 'ol beard, which is a standard this time of year. But it is so nice to snuggle up on the coach next to the illuminated yule tree with a scarf, a nice glass of scotch, and a feeling of rest.However, that is not where rest is. Rest is also in stay-cations. I am taking Wed-Thurs. off work until the last two weeks of December and am looking forward to relaxing at home. But the problem is always the hustle and bustle that it creates for the days surrounding the stay-cation. But I am going to try and be diligent to not fall into workaholic mode when I am off the clock. Additionally, it has been tough lately resting at night because Dolly's morning sickness seems to accompany bedtime, and sometimes after I have already fallen asleep. The waking up makes my body feel like it was naptime more than bedtime. This has lead to the only cure for insomnia I know; reading a biography of an obscure Dutch-Presbyterian Apologist. Nevertheless, true rest isn't found in stay-cations, dutch-Presbyterians, or cool winter scarves that make one feel like a Gentleman. It is ultimately in Christ, and it is exciting that we have a season that commemorates his incarnation in literal tidings of comfort and joy. His incarnation is our comfort and joy because the work that he came to do (atoning for our sin, saving us from Satan, sin, and death) is the only place that we find real rest.

God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy

The joys of toddlerhood have arrived!

Josie is now 14 months old! Time has truly flown by...that cute cooing baby is now a babbling machine with an outstanding dictionary of hundreds of words (only 15 are audible to the parent ear). It's definitely an exciting time! Right now I love how proud she gets when she says "light on/off" with the flick of her tiny fingers at the light switch. She'll glance up at me, her smile beaming as she points to the ceiling. Greg just leaned over and said "you can't overstate the sense of accomplishment she has." Her sense of wonder is hard for me to understand and relate to. If only I could translate that wonder into my view of Christ. One way I miss the joy of my salvation is by failing to see the wonder in Christ's amazing love for us and in his work on the cross. How much more he could reveal about himself to me if I was not so distracted, thus preventing me from experiencing the childlike wonder of faith? I wish I too could have a sense of wonder at the little things I encounter each day; thankfully, I have a little person with me all the time to help show me what these things mean.

So as joyous as this time has been, it has honestly been VERY challenging! Two weeks ago Josie learned how to whine and scream. She used to be "easy-going", and I was thankful for an infant who rolled with the punches, even with those extra long outings and delayed naps. Now I'm having to work harder at teaching her little heart! This came about too suddenly, and maybe it's just the added hormones of pregnancy impacting the drama that seems to be flooding upon me every morning when I change her diaper. But still...it's been difficult as I discuss with Greg how best to address these tantrums and screaming fests. I know children...they are my passion...but I'm just learning parenting! (This too came as a shock to my pride!) So...needless to say, I am having a heck of a time with her new mode of communication. I have found one thing that is helping is to get down on her level (literally), look at her in the eyes, and ask what's wrong. She recognizes a few signs, but does not perform them, so it's nice to have her whimper with the right one I sign. My patience has been tried about every 15 minutes, but the Lord is thankfully giving me more and more grace and passion to parent as each day comes. So it's getting late...and I will have to sleep to get more energy so that both hers and my own heart can go through more transformation tomorrow! Wish me luck as a new day approaches!