Advent: God With Us

Slowly, we are easing into the Christmas season around here.

I am so enjoying the preparation.

The girls are bubbling with excitement.

We are doing a little of this and a little of that to decorate.

And, amazingly, our days are slowing down.

With a baby in the midst of some pretty intense teething, I wouldn't say its peaceful but it is joyful and happy in our home.

We do Advent with the kids .

We are going to start our Advent on Dec. 1st.

It's probably my favorite thing about Christmas.

Taking time to focus on what this whole season is about.

To share the wonder of it all with our children.
To stop and be amazed and filled with gratitude once again.

Matt found an awesome band whose music we've been playing quite consistently lately -

Folk Angel.

Better yet - you can listen to all their music free online!
It's all Christmas music.

And it's good.

Really, really good.

Anyhow, there is a poem by Isaac Wimberly on one of their albums.

It is fantastic.

This is what Christmas is all about.

This is why that baby in the manger is worth remembering year after year.

This is why we magnify Jesus and not contrived substitutes.

This is what we celebrate!

GOD WITH US

Poem by Isaac Wimberley

The people had read of this rescue that was coming through the bloodline of Abraham

They had seen where Micah proclaimed about a ruler to be born in Bethlehem

Daniel prophesy about the restoration of Jerusalem

Isaiah’s cry about the Son of God coming to them

So for them—it was anticipation

This groaning was growing, generation after generation

Knowing He was holy, no matter what the situation

But they longed for Him

They yearned for Him

They waited for Him on the edge of their seat

On the edge of where excitement and containment meet

They waited

Like a child watches out the window for their father to return from work—they waited

Like a groom stares at the double doors at the back of the church—they waited

And in their waiting, they had hope

Hope that was fully pledged to a God they had not seen

To a God who had promised a King

A King who would reign over the enemy

Over Satan’s tyranny

They waited

So it was

Centuries of expectations, with various combinations of differing schools of thought

Some people expecting a political king who would rise to the throne through the wars that he fought

While others expecting a priest who would restore peace through the penetration of the Pharisee’s façade

Yet a baby—100% human, 100% God

So the Word became flesh and was here to dwell among us

In His fullness, grace upon grace, Jesus

Through Him and for Him, all things were created

And in Him all things are sustained

God had made Himself known for the glory of His name

And this child would one day rise as King

But it would not be by the sword or an insurgent regime

It would be by His life

A life that would revolutionize everything the world knew

He would endure temptation and persecution, all while staying true

Humbly healing the broken, the sick and hurting too

Ministering reconciliation, turning the old to new

A life that would be the very definition of what life really costs

Saying—if you desire life, then your current one must be lost

And He would portray that with His own life as His Father would pour out and exhaust

And Jesus would be obedient to the point of death, even death upon the cross

So just 33 years after the day that He laid swaddled in the hay

He hung on a tree suffocating, dying in our place

Absorbing wrath that is rightly ours, but we could never bear the weight

So He took that punishment and he put it in the grave

And He died

And when I say that He died, what I mean is that He died

No breath, noheartbeat, no sign of life

God is a God of justice, and the penalty for our sin equals death

That’s what Christ did on that cross

Then… On the third day, in accordance with scriptures, He was raised from the grave

And when I say that He was raised, what I mean is that He was raised

Lungs breathing, heart pumping, blood pulsing through His veins

The things that He promised were true

He is the risen Son of God, offering life to me and you

Turning our mourning into dancing

Our weeping into laughing

Our sadness into joy

By His mercy, we are called His own

By His grace, we will never be left alone

By His love, He is preparing our home

By His blood, we can sing before His throne

Jesus paid it all

All to Him I owe

Sin had left a crimson stain

He washed it white as snow

So now we, as His bride, are the ones waiting

Like the saints that came before, we’re anticipating

He has shown us that this world is fading

And He has caused our desire to be for Him

So church, stay ready

Keep your heart focused and your eyes steady

Worship Him freely, never forgetting

His great love for you

Immanuel, God with us

How To Take A Professional Headshot

The key is to simply, be yourself.

 

Portrait of a working mom:

 

Playful.

 



Driven to the brink of insanity.

 



And occassionally, yes, even professional.

 



Tweet Tweet

I FINALLY got a Twitter account. For the longest time, I was certain it was just a boring version of Facebook. I'm going to give it a try though.

And I want to follow you! Who has a Twitter .... handle? Is that what they call it?

I'm @LawAssociette. It's a work in progress.

Truth

Every evening, I'm very excited to arrive home and walk through the door. The way it plays out in my head, it goes something like this: my older son runs to me and wraps his arms around my neck with a big grin. My younger son reaches his arms out for me and cuddles happily for a moment before returning to play with his toys on the floor. I whip up a quick meal while the kids entertain themselves, and then we sit down and eat together as a family as we talk about our day. Finally, we play a board game or do a quick puzzle before it's time for bed.

That's pretty much mom heaven for a weekday night.

Unfortunately, when I actually DO walk excitedly through the door, with expectations soaring high, I more often than not encounter a very different scene. One that often makes me want to step right back out the door.

First, Jacob is almost always on the couch, overly tired, and whinning nonstop. "I want a snack! I don't want dinner. I'm starving. No, I don't like chicken. I want to watch TV. Ryan is looking at me!"  He repeats this as he thrashes violently on the couch. Obviously, he did not have a nap.

Then Ryan takes one look at me, smiles with a dimply, wide grin, and reaches out for me. Finally! Some love! Something is going as imagined! But the second I pick him up, he turns into one of those miniature cling-on koala bear toys.

He won't let go. The second I put him down to change out of work clothes or make dinner, or go to the bathroom, he starts to whimper and cry. He's clearly tired as well and needs to go to bed. But I JUST walked in the door from my 2+ hour commute (which includes 2.5 miles of walkng and an hour long ferry ride). I'm exhausted. I'm freezing. I'm starving. And I'm freaking wearing panty hose!

So with a chubby human koala clutching to me and my four-year old having a major meltdown on the couch that would seriously put a pampered, indulgent celeb to shame, I throw together a pathetic dinner of pancakes with ONE HAND because I'm feeling uninspired and don't have any groceries.

Then, with both kids still crying and with pancake batter dripping from my free hand all over the floor, and over the cat, and over my nice dry-clean-only skirt, and my panty hose, I fall to the floor and just sit there for a moment. Oh look, there are run-away Cheerios under my oven. Oh look, the cat's food dish has somehow cracked in half, scattering pieces of fish-smelling catfood all over the floor. Oh look, Ryan just put a mysterious crumb in his mouth.

I sit in a pile of pancake batter and with Ryan in my lap, I scootch my butt over to my emergency candy drawer. I pull out a handful of minaiture Reese's, fling the wrappers half-heartedly in the general direction of the garbage can, and decidedly feast on a dinner of chocolate and processed peanut butter. In that moment, I almost wish some of my single, kidless friends could see me. If only for their pity. Or the entertainment of seeing the horror on their faces. Then...maybe THEN they will finally understand why it's not so easy to just show up at an impromptu invitation for happy hour.

Right in that moment, I'm thinking, man, I really deserve a "participation award" for surviving life today.

Our Thanksgiving

On Wednesday we headed out a bit earlier than planned for our Thanksgiving break because my cousin, Ashley’s (that is married to Tyler’s best friend) baby girl had been admitted to the hospital for a seizure.  We were so worried for this sweet baby girl.  After having a second seizure while in the hospital, they started a lot of testing.   When we arrived we dropped the little cowboys off with Tyler’s mom and rushed to the hospital.  The baby was heavily medicated and her parents were so tired and worried.  All we could do was pray for answers and for baby Brynlee to get well.  We stayed at my parents’ house with heavy hearts knowing that this poor family would be stuck in the hospital on Thanksgiving.  Luckily Ashley’s parents and sister came to town to help them at the hospital.

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Months ago my sister’s in-laws decided to participate in a Turkey Trot 5k on Thanksgiving morning.  My sister invited me and of course I was game.  I also knew my brother-in-law, Russell, would probably run so I asked him to go with us.  On Thanksgiving morning Russell, my dad and I headed out to meet my sister and her in-laws at the race.  Unfortunately, there were over 900 runners at the park so we weren't able to meet up with my sister until after the race.  It was a great time!  This was my dad’s (age 65) first 5k race.  He loved it and says he is ready to start training for the next one.  I had my best 5k time ever!  I ran right at 28 minutes.  The only bad thing is my right knee has been throbbing since the race so I haven’t ran since.  I plan to run this evening since I have rested for several days.

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After the race, we went back to my parents and helped my mom finish up the Thanksgiving meal.  My in-laws joined us for Thanksgiving as well as Ashley’s dad and sister.  It felt like a true Thanksgiving with the merge of families.  We all prayed before the meal and said an extra special prayer regarding Brynlee.  After a fabulous meal we received the best Thanksgiving news…  Brynlee was being discharged.  We got to see her shortly before they went home.  The doctors still are puzzled with what caused the seizures but are hopeful is was a fluke incident. 

 

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Since black Friday shopping started earlier everywhere my mom and I started shopping at 6 o’clock on Thursday.  We met up with my sister and her in-laws and were able to shop until about 8am Friday morning.  I got all my Christmas shopping completed except for my in-laws.  I also had to pick up a lot of items for work so it was a successful venture.  I am not a fan of the new Black FridayThursday.  I wish that we could keep Thanksgiving about family and go back to the early Friday morning sales.  However, I have heard the earlier time structure was a success so I better get used to it.  I'm thinking next year we get the door-busters completed, go home and sleep and then go back out in the morning.  This all night business is hard on a girl!

 Over the weekend we were able to spend time with family and friends.  It was a nice long visit.  We headed back on Sunday afternoon with a pickup full of shopping bags, tired boys and some candy.  Baby Kal is differently our candy man.  Give this boy a sucker and he is entertained for at least 30 minutes, not screaming (which is a true blessing) but covered from head to toe in sticky slobber.  It’s about the give and take...if he’s happy – we’ll take it!   

Undeservedly blessed.

 

I love the holidays.  The rush, the pick-up in everyone’s step.  Like there’s places to be and people to see.  Even on a  Monday night.  Maybe it’s because I love the hustle so much that I impose the excitement on everyone else.  I just imagine everyone to be out Christmas shopping, off to visit with family and friends, or grabbing an Egg Nog Latte from Starbucks.  Not returning from work in rush hour traffic, which is the more logical conclusion on the last Monday in November.

There’s something about that hustle motivates me.  I want to light holiday-scented candles, put up our tree, cut out felt banners that spell Merry Christmas and string them up across a wall.  I want to bake cookies and have friends over and sit by a fire.  I want to write.  An odd feeling after a six month hiatus. 

The hustle makes me want to slow down, too.  To take time and make it stretch over more days than it’s supposed to.  To have extended breaks with nothing scheduled but family time.  To relish in the now and cherish the precious moments I have with my boys.  

Introspectively, the value of the holidays has increased substantially in the past few years for me. There was a time, about two years ago, that I prayed for the peace I feel about life right now.  That this is where I’m supposed to be.  Here, in this moment, loving every second of my life and praising God for it. 

Undeservedly blessed. 

A Desert Detour

A few weekends ago Piper ever so sweetly asked if we could learn about the desert.

I'm not quite sure where the request came from but obviously she had heard something, somewhere about deserts and it had piqued her interest.

It was the first time she has ever made a special request in terms of her learning and thankfully our schedule is flexible enough that I could accommodate her!

Sunday night I searched around for some age appropriate material and finally settled on The Desert Habitat Unit at Teachers Pay Teachers.

It was well worth the few dollars I paid!

We spent time learning about the different animals and plants that are found in the desert and how they survive.

We talked about what mammals, reptiles, plants and arachnids are.

Piper then did a related activity sheet in which she had to catergorize the animals and plants shown.

This was followed with graphing her findings.

The girls learned many new vocabulary words.

We also learned some interesting facts about desert mice and iguanas.

We went on to compare the two animals and used a Venn diagram to record our findings.

Piper made a video asking what everyone's favorite desert animal is.

I posted it on Facebook and waited for people to vote!

We then took the data obtained from our 'questionaire' and filled in a graph!

Iguana won!

Piper loved this whole activity!

The girls also learned about cacti.

They made this paper craft and labeled it appropriately.

On the bottom, I recorded Piper's answer to "A cactus survives in the desert because..."

Our kitchen was full of desert info by the end of the week! 

We took a trip to a local greenhouse to observe some cacti.

Of course, we had to purchase the prettiest one!!

We did an experiment related to cacti, too.

We took 4 pieces of paper towel.

We wet each of them.

The first we laid flat, the second we rolled up, the third we scrunched up in a ball and the fourth we rolled and wrapped with wax paper.

Here Piper is making her predictions of what she thinks will happen.

She thought the one scrunched up in a ball would stay wet.

The next day we checked out what had happened.

ALL the paper towel was dry except the one wrapped in wax paper.

It was still soaking wet.

This provided a great opportunity to talk about the purpose of the cactus's waxy skin.

Finally, we did some sand art.

The girls enjoyed this so much!

There were so many cute little looks of concentration as they carefully worked at layering the sand in their bottles.

And they were so proud of the final products!

That was our desert week!

Time well spent even if it was a bit spontaneous!