Frosting.

As many of you know we have fake grass in our backyard (don't get Brad started, he should seriously be a salesman for Heavenly Greens). There are so many perks to fake grass--you don't have to water it, you can "plant" it under oak trees and they won't die, you can play on it almost instantly after the rain, etc. But one thing that is really funny is that fake grass doesn't get frost.

Every morning after I get the kids up from bed I look out the upstairs window to try to see how cold it might be outside. But I'm usually totally deceived because our grass is always bright green. It's not until we're usually out the door, way under dressed for the cold, and I see frost all over our neighbors lawns.

Today as we were heading out the door Jacob said, "Where did all the frosting go? Why don't we have frosting?" Frosting? Hmm...I didn't quite get it.

"Frosting? Where sweetie?" I said.

"The frosting on our neighbors lawns," he replied.

"Oh, you mean frost. The sun melts it. It's not frosting--you can't eat it."

"Oh, ok," he said with a little frown forming.

So I guess I found my first downside to fake grass. Your poor kids end up thinking there is frosting over all the neighbors lawns and are sadly disappointed when they realize it's not the same sugary stuff on top of cupcakes.

So it happened today.

I knew it was just a matter of time before it would happen. He's a boy after all.

I was sitting at my computer while Jacob was watching his movie (he boycotted his nap but was in desperate need of "quite time"--as was Mommy), and he was eating a bowl of trail mix.

"Uh-oh. UH-oh, UH-OH!" I could sense the panic in his voice immediately and I ran over to him to see what brought it on.

And what do you know. Two m&m's. One in each nostril. I quickly pulled the first red one out, but that yellow sucker was in there good. And for some reason he felt the need to keep sniffing, which just kept lodging it further and further into his nose, to the point where I couldn't even see it anymore.

Most of you know that I'm not a very calm person by nature. But for some reason I remained totally calm and tried to push down on the outside of his nose while I used my nail to scoop out that yellow candy. Finally these stupid acrylic nails have paid off--we avoided a trip to the ER and Jacob learned a much needed lesson in "noses are just for smelling."



But it was pretty funny that he had bright yellow-dye snot for the remainder of the afternoon.

Hoping for a cure.

Could this really be my first post of the new year? Where have I been? Busy, that's for sure. Honestly, I finally got around to taking down my Christmas decorations just last weekend. I was kind of putting it off, kind of dreading it, and kind of just wanted to leave everything up until next year.

But all good things have to come to an end, and suprisingly, I can actually say that this Christmas was good. It was good to be with family, it was good to see the look on our children's faces Christmas morning, and it was good to have our annual open house. In fact, that was great! Traditionally, our family hosts an annual open house as a time to get together with loved ones, to eat yummy food, and to just enjoy the holidays. This year was different. We decided to turn our open house into something that could honor my dad, that could spread the word about the American Cancer Society, and to raise money to fight this awful disease.

As a means to accomplish all of this, we created our first ever Tree of Hope. Our guests had the opportunity to purchase a purple snowflake ornament in memory or in honor of a loved one affected by cancer and decorate our tree with it. I was amazed at the outpouring that took place (especially considering the downpour that was taking place outside!) We had over 75 people attend and raised nearly $700 for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life event!

This is why I had such a difficult time taking down "Christmas" at our house. Because I knew that every single ornament on that tree represented someone who was and is deeply loved. Someone who will never be forgotten though time may pass. Someone who should have been there this holiday season.

So as I tucked away each ornament I thought about how each of those people heard the words, "You have cancer." How every year more and more people will face this awful reality and how we are getting so close to a cure. A cure that I know can and will happen. And I thought about how awesome it was to have this Tree this year. To give everyone the opportunity to remember, to give back, and to heal. I know it was healing for me and I hope that as we continue to have our annual Tree that others will find healing in it as well.

Santa Claus came to town.

We have had such a busy holiday season that it's nice to finally sit down and take it all in. I have too much to post for just one blog, so I thought I'd start with our Christmas morning.

Poor Abby woke up (or should I say, we woke her up) at 9:00 am with a 103 degree fever. Although she was visibly under the weather, she was a such a sport and was able to keep up with Jacob and all the excitement that comes Christmas morning. We started with pancakes and a Happy Birthday song to Jesus. As Christians we know the most important part of Christmas is our Savior's birth. We want to be sure that our children know that although the presents, lights, and carols are fun, what Christmas is really about is the day that Jesus came to earth as a baby to redeem us from our sins. Our goal is to keep Jesus as the focus and for our children to know this as well. So I really enjoyed our pancake tradition and birthday singing. It's something that our kids can understand and grasp at their age and it was great to see them get really excited about Jesus instead of just the presents under the tree.

Jacob was very different this year than last. He unwrapped his presents much slower and took time to assemble them all before moving on to the next. I am amazed at what a big boy he is becoming and it's so great to see him grow and learn. Abby, on the other hand, tore into each and every present and couldn't wait to get to the next. Santa brought her an Ariel costume as well as her first ballerina tutu and she immediately insisted on putting them on. She is definitely all girl and loves to play dress up more than anything.

Santa also dropped off something in the garage for the kiddos--their very own John Deere riding tractor. Both Jacob and Abby had so much fun riding that thing around in our court on Christmas morning. I can't believe what a good driver Jacob is! He's got the whole turning, steering, and even reversing thing down to a science!

We had a wonderful Christmas morning and I hope all of you did as well.

All decked out.

Merry Christmas

I never used to be a crier. It would always take a lot to bring me to tears. Most of the time I only recall crying when I would get really angry. I would get so frustrated that crying was the only thing I could do.

Motherhood completely changed that. Three years ago, after giving birth to a baby boy, I became an official crier. Everything makes me cry. The first time I heard the words, "Mama" or when Jacob was old enough to say, "I love you" completely reduced me to a puddle of tears.

But I vividly remember one crying session three years ago today. It was my first Christmas Eve as a mother. I remember sitting at church, holding my precious baby boy in my arms and hearing about my own Savior as a baby. It was the first time I could actually relate to Mary, Jesus' mother, on a personal level. How much joy she must have felt as she held the baby that she carried for nine months for the first time outside her body. How she must have stayed awake like so many mothers do all night just watching his little chest rise and fall with every breath. How much love she must have instantly felt when looking into his eyes.

All of these things I have felt as a mother. But for Mary, when she looked into her precious newborn's eyes she was looking into the face of God. How incredible, how holy, how completely perfect. This realization, that Mary gave birth to not just a son, but to God's own son, made me weep with gratitude. The thought of God, coming down from his throne in heaven in the form of a baby so that we can spend eternity with Him makes me cry out to him in awe, in thankfulness, and in love.

I've cried for many reasons already this holiday season. Mostly because my heart is breaking that I can't be with my father here on earth any more to celebrate this wonderful time of year. But I've also cried when rejoicing in the fact that my dad is with my eternal Father forever. And so tonight at our Christmas Eve service I cried once again at the thought of a baby, born of a virgin, coming to earth to save the world from sin.

I am so thankful for that baby boy. A boy who would grow into a perfect man who would hang on the cross for me. Who would face ridicule, scorn, and death so that I can spend eternity with Him. What a wonderfully amazing gift from my perfect Savior. What a truly holy night. And what a great reason to cry. To cry out to Jesus in humility, in gratitude, and in true awe of the one who came to earth to redeem a fallen world. Thank you Jesus for this truly awesome Christmas gift.

The best teacher.

I love when God chooses to humble me through my children. Just the other day Jacob was telling me that God doesn't like it when I did this or that. Many times I have been quoted saying that Abby "doesn't talk as much as Jacob did at that age" or that she didn't "walk as early as Jacob did." I never realized how much I compared the two, or how unfair it is to even do that. They are two different people. And I have also raised them differently. Poor Abby doesn't get as much reading time as Jacob did. But that's because I have two children now. When it was just Jacob he was my only focus. Therefore, we had lots of one on one time because it was just that--just the two of us. Now there are three of us on a daily basis (and four when Daddy gets off work). That means less one on one time for Abby.

So I'm always so impressed when she seems to pick up on things that I don't deliberately sit down and teach her. With Jacob I worked on his colors, numbers, and shapes on a daily basis. I realize that I just don't do this as much with Abby. So this morning when I went in to pick her up out of her crib (my favorite daily interaction with her) and she shouted, "Mommy...purple!" while pointing at my purple sweater I couldn't help but be so proud of my little girl. It's amazing how much she aborbs and takes in.

And then I also realized that she has two teachers now...both myself and Jacob. So instead of getting down on myself when I don't always have the time to sit with her individually and teach her the things that I taught Jacob, my heart is warmed by the thought that her "big" brother is now a teacher, taking the things that I have taught him and passing them on to his sister.