Christmas Video 2012

Joyful and Triumphant

It is quite tempting to be a scrouge this year. With one sickness rolling into the next in our house, I have felt neither joyful nor triumphant a majority of the time. In the last month, I have only been out of the house to do some minor Christmas shopping (like maybe 3 hours), and to take my 2 month old to the Emergency Room.  Friends with kids can't stop by because you'll just keep passing each sickness around.  I've had lots of sleepless nights, comforting children, nursing the baby, helping the girls go potty... One day runs into the next until it occurred to me the other day that I hadn't even seen the church decorated for Christmas.  We only made ONE of the gazillion Christmas parties we were invited to, and that was with MUCH effort finding a babysitter to watch flu-ridden kids. I've missed the entire Advent Season with our church due to sickness! The only thing up in our house this year is the tree and it looks terrible.  The kids (in particular, Lydia) can't stop messing with it, so all of the ornaments are either broken, on the floor, or up high as to keep little fingers away from them.  I have had no desire to put anything else up and quite honestly I feel a little depressed.  And, of course, Charleston won't have snow any time soon, but I'm not even going there...

But as I was in the ER, holding Caleb who was screaming hot with a fever, I started thinking about the Father sending his Son to us.  Emmanuel.  God with us.  I started thinking about what it would be like to have thought up and created the universe, only to be limited to the body and mind of an infant.  Willingly.  I looked at my son, helpless, and couldn't imagine entrusting anyone else with him.  I was wondering what it must've been like for the Father to trust Mary and Joseph with Jesus, knowing everything probably wouldn't be handled perfectly, or the way he would've done it himself.  I was thinking about what it would be like to entrust my son to an 8 year old or something.  Who would do that?  Tough for Jesus. Tough for his Father.  Glorious for us.

As I sing about our Savior's birth this year, I am wearing sweats in my kitchen and I'm usually singing alone.  There hasn't been anyone to sing for except Jesus, and usually that's with my kids in the background telling me to stop singing. Nothing very holly or jolly about this Christmas. No cookies, maybe 2 presents, no decorations, no fun Christmas cards to send out. Nothing.  In fact, I told Russ today that this is probably the worst Christmas I've ever had.  But without those distractions, in some ways it has also been the best one. It has been stripped down to Jesus!  Jesus + nothing = everything. When I think about what Jesus sacrificed for MY sake, how can I be anything but joyful and triumphant? God is with me.

O Come, all ye faithful
Joyful and Triumphant
O Come ye, O Come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold him
Born the King of angels
O Come let us adore Him
O Come let us adore Him
O Come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord

Where Has the Time Gone?

Oh my goodness.  It has been forever since I've updated this blog!  Part of it has been computer problems, and part of it has been sheer exhaustion.  4 kids ain't no joke!  I find that on a normal day, I just don't stop.  If I stop, something goes wrong.  Even after the kids go down, we're usually folding laundry, cleaning the kitchen, getting things ready for the next day...  I can't wait until the girls are old enough to help with some of it.  They help a little bit now, but it is with MUCH assistance, and sometimes I'd rather do it by myself.  :)  Anyway, here's some pictures from the last month, in no particular order, because that would take about 45 minutes longer... 

Ruthie has a baby in her tummy!

Noa has a baby in her tummy!

The girls watching TV.  This is when Ruthie had some stash of soap that we couldn't find and after a bath, she kept slicking down her hair with it.  I was the happiest Mom alive the day I found that darn soap.

Noa and Ruthie had dentist appointments with Dr. Chris.  They were both CHAMPS and went through the whole appointment without any problems.  This is a stark contrast to the appointment 6 months ago when I took all 3 girls to MY appointment (while pregnant) and they crushed Pringles all over Dr. Chris' office while watching Veggie Tales. They were allowed to pick out a prize since they were so "good" and I (still pregnant) had to carry Ruthie out of the office kicking and screaming (while pushing Lydia in the stroller) because she wouldn't choose just one prize.  I had to pry them from her hands.  Needless to say, things have progressed.  I'm not sure why I thought taking 3 kids to my appointment would work, but live and learn...

We've decided that pig tails is Ya's best look.

Ruthie lovin' on Brothie.

Sweet kids.  I love this picture.

Brother Boy. Brothie. Buddy Boy. K-Bob. Caleb.
No shortage of nicknames in our house.

Went to the lights and rode the carousel.  Daddy braved it while Mommy held Caleb.  Noa is somewhere else, goin' it alone.

Ya-baby stealing a moment on Ruthie's bike.  I'm sure that 5 seconds later, Ruthie screamed and assaulted her for riding it, but she seems to be enjoying this moment.  Poor baby.

This is some kind of bunk bed that the girls came up with.
Whatever keeps them busy...

Day at Brownswood Nursery with Pops and Cousin Micah. Ruthie got to go by herself since everyone else was sick...or just getting sick...or something.  I can't quite remember. Anyway, she was the big-shot that day.

Noa and Lyd play well together.
Here they are laying in Noa's bed, being buddies.