Proverbs Thirty One: Thirty

 

The Christmas season has come up quick this year!  Jon and I were talking today about how it was a good thing we got our shopping done early this year because Christmas has completely snuck up on us!  This week has been filled with cookie baking, present wrapping, preventing present and ornament destroying, and enjoying family time together.  Breyton is at an age that he loves lights, any lights!  So, he loves the Christmas tree and touching the lights.  He also likes going around and touching each ornament and pointing them out (he knows to not take them off the tree).  He hasn't really touched the presents except for trying to use them as stepstools to the ornaments.

Under our tree is abundantly full this year.  Mostly full of "grandparent gifts" and gifts to the rest of the family.  I don't say this to impress but to make a bigger point.  Reflecting on this last year, I think God has abundantly filled our lives this year with grace, blessing, and love.  Looking under the tree, it's good to remember that this season isn't about our Christmas list or gifts that we receive.  It's about remembering why Jesus was sent to this earth and how that has played into our lives today.  Tonight, as our Christmas eve tradition goes, we read about Jesus' birth with Breyton.  (But since he does not have the attention span to listen to the biblical version, we read a story that plays music and has blinking lights for stars!)  We reinforced the baby Jesus and all the people that came to see him.  Then took him to our mantle to show him our nativity with the same people and animals there.  I hope he sees a picture that is more than just a book but a {real live} story.  I love that soon he will be telling us about this story!

We have so much to be thankful for this year.  We have this amazing son that puts smiles on our faces every day with what he is learning and doing.  He astonishes us with his engineering mind just like his dad's.  He is organized, neat, and thoughtful in his actions.  He loves puzzles, music, and starting to play pretend more everyday.  He learns quickly, is very active, and loves to help.  He is such a joy to us.  We have loved being parents!  He does not always make it easy on us but the sweet times make up for the latter.  We have loved teaching him, shaping him, and loving him!

God has blessed us with a coming new baby this year.  What a rollercoaster that ride has been this year but we are settling into pregnancy again and looking forward to this new little guy/gal that will be joining us in May.  Children are a blessing from the Lord and we are delighted to be blessed with another one soon!

We are thankful for where we are and what we are doing!  Jon has stayed very busy with work this year, even to the point of stress some weeks.  He has been such an incredible husband though and provider to our family!  And now with a toddler and pregnant wife, I'm sure we don't make it easy on him but he is so loving and patient.  So many reasons why I married this man!  I was encouraged to get a new position early this year on the Pediatric floor at my hospital working part-time.  How nice it has been to be home more than working!

We are thankful for our friends and our church that has become our second family since we first came here to CSU for school.  God has given us amazing friends that encourage us, pursue us, teach us, lead us, and support us.  Some of Jon's friends from high school have been a part of his family's life from a young age.  We talk all the time about how we hope our kids will be friends with our friend's kids into adulthood.  (So that means, no one is allowed to move away!! ;)

We love Christmas for so many reasons, but mainly to remember Christ in His humbleness came to earth as a man to experience all that we do, share His love with us and invite us personally into that love.

We hope you have a merry Christmas, enjoy family and friends, gifts and giving, and especially the reason for this day!