Emmanuel

"Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel" continues to be one of my favorite songs of any season. It played softly last night as I finally crashed on the couch after a wild day with my two little goonies. I thought to myself, "Oh Emmanuel, God with us. Thank goodness because this momma needs you."

It's such a simple thought: Emmanuel, God with us. But it's really the most complex thing our minds could ever try to fathom. And it is definitely the one truth that can bring peace to any situation.

There have been a few times when I have complained, probably about something stupid, and my friend Kelly has responded with a simple, "Emmanuel, God with us."

What a great reminder! I'm crazy to ever forget it. Especially right now when the sweet image of God as man is everywhere. But still, I need reminding as I'm sure some of you do also.

So for all you moms out there running around like a crazy loon getting your kids and hubby dressed for the 50 bazillion stops of the day, trying not to forget to bring the dish you probably overcooked, and all the while wondering how you're really going to fit into the one pair of I-thought-I-could-wear-you jeans that you brought from home... oh wait, maybe that's just me ;)... so for all you fellow looney toons, take heart, a deep breath, a bite of chocolate and find rest in the beautiful assurance of Emmanuel, God with us! Merry Christmas!

Catch-Up

Ok.. This is going to be a long one. So for those of you who are interested, enjoy! To those who don't finish, thanks for stopping by! But.. I'm thinking you want to stick around for the end- it's a sweet one :)

Let's start back with our Trunk or Treat night. I found these great costumes that I think Granny Martha bought the kids. Aren't they the cutest little quackers??

Nope. Scratch that. Sophie decided, as we're walking out the door, she wanted to be "Princess Tangled"... So being the I-don't-care-whatever-brings-peace kind of mom I strive to be, my sweet friend Tawnye and I threw together some dress-up pieces and VOILA! Rapunzel!!

We had a great night. Did I mention we came home with more than just candy...? Meet Mr. Fishy.

Ok, so with October knocked out, we were WAY too excited to see November!! I'm sure you know why :)

To pass the time, we went outside A LOT, which Charlie got super excited about!

We also practiced some baking- homemade banana bread, cakes, biscuits, fried pickles...

"I not say cheese right now! I stirring!"

"Ok, I'm ready."

We finally made it! The night for our very own homecoming arrived!!!

As with anything in the Army, the wait was ridiculous. Charlie passed the time chatting up some other military cuties...

Sophie ran and twirled and danced and snuck into the back room to eat brownies...

So continues one of the longest waits of my life.. especially with the announcer saying, "Keep on cheering because they can hear you. They're right on the other side of that door!" Seriously dude?!? Let them in already!!!

And they did. And I couldn't find him for at least 5 minutes. And I was freaking out.

Finally :)

Got him!

Charlie was a little worn out from all the excitement.

You may be wondering, what now? Well, we play dress-up,

take naps,

read books,

build castles

and much more fun than you can imagine!

So here's to kids playing in daddy's lap, husbands and wives falling asleep cuddled in the same bed, and our most precious Savior who answered every midnight whisper from this fragile army wife with her cup now running over, spilling out, and splashing all around.

I'm sure you all are wondering how we're settling in, adjusting, coping... etc. Ponder no more; I'll fill you in on our glamorous Kansas life... ahem.

Most of the days are spent praying, "Lord, please make the clock speeeeeed up! Until November that is..."

Although, we do find ways to entertain ourselves.

You'll find us presenting Puppet shows,

taking truck rides,

gracefully sipping on tea

and lingering along the trails in the Kansas wind

(I'm pretty sure it's Charlie's favorite part of the day).

Obviously, our time is full of laughter and fun. There is only the occasional meltdown over chicken nuggets that don't cook fast enough.

And every now and then, I let them destroy the bathroom so I can blow-dry and fix my hair and put on make-up in the same sitting.

And I may or may not have, just once or twice, had a breakdown of overwhelming stress and crashed on the couch with popcorn and Pride and Prejudice til the wee hours of the morning... I'll spare you the picture of that one.

But, even during those crazy moments, the Lord still whispers his sweet truth to my oh so fragile heart...

So, come on November! Until then, we'll push along and make-due with the ever-unpredictable Skype and family phone-calls :)

New Mercies

Did I ever tell you how cute my hubby is?? :) This picture was taken my senior year of college (Go Rams!).
One of our first conversations happened outside Weaver Hall when I was freaking out over class- probably some issue that resulted from my beautiful ability to procrastinate on every. single. assignment. Anyway, he gently reminded me about Matthew 6 telling me not to worry, God's going to take care of my needs, and don't stress about tomorrow. At the time, it was exactly what I needed to hear- God's got today and He'll have tomorrow too.

Having just moved to KS, I made up my mind I WOULD NOT sit inside all day in my PJ's waiting for November. So, when the pastor's wife called yesterday to invite us over with some other families, I thought, "OK, get up, get the kids and go be social... isn't this what you were just praying about?" So yes, I was excited. But, these are the things that popped in my head:

1) You can't even make it through one Target run without Sophie screaming "I POO POO!!" and Charlie doing the make-you-want-to-rip-your-ears-off squeal coupled with the arched back (I thought that didn't happen until 2??!?)

2) It's someone else's house. If you can't keep your own kid from eating the remote buttons, playing in the toilet, and emptying every cabinet within reach, how will you stop them where everything is new and exciting?

3) Bottom line, you'll be a freak show.

Harsh I know, but that's what I thought.

So as I was finally brushing my hair for the first time that day, I felt the Holy Spirit reminding me of something I read the night before and had been told by an oh so handsome gentlemen a few years ago.

"Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lam. 3:22-23

Piper puts it best in his A Godward Life:

"Often we feel like our reservoir of strength is not going to last for another day. The fact is, it won't. Today's resources are for today, and part of those resources is the confidence that new resources will be given tomorrow. The basis of this assurance is the wonderful teaching of the Bible that God assigns only as much trouble to each day as that day can bear. God will not let his children be tested in any given day beyond what his mercy for that day will sustain. That's what Paul means when he says, 'No test has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tested beyond what you are able, but with the test will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.' 1 Corinthians 10:13... With every day's measure of (trouble), he gives new mercies. This is the point of Lamentations 3:22-23."

So, we went. Sophie only pushed a kid down one time and Charlie ate 1 piece of chalk :) Even though all they ate was a brownie, it was fun and I was reminded of the beautiful fellowship of the Body of Christ, and that the next day and the next and the next... God's mercies will be new and He'll meet each need. So I choose to enjoy the ride.

Unpacked!

No more boxes! Well, except those I just can't seem to get rid of so they end up stashed in closets... but for the most part, we're done :)

The great thing about unpacking is finding stuff you forgot you had- like my cute glasses "Granny Martha" gave me!
And this great storage crate for shoes... thanks mom :)
The kiddos are adjusting pretty well. Charlie still likes to climb in cabinets.
And I'm pretty sure he thinks this is his chair... I have a feeling daddy won't mind sharing...
Sophie's doing better. She was a little off for a few days, doing things like having an absolute breakdown in the grocery store, screaming and sobbing in the middle of Hobby Lobby, "But I want to go to Hobby Lobbilly!!!" and the rip-your-heart-out, "Mommy don't leave me..." at bedtime. But now she's back to singing to the stars and calling every kid her "friend." She's even found an old rocking horse she named "Barney." We try to check on him daily since he's not in the best health. Poor thing's missing his eyes and is down to only one ear. The only thing left is to take back nap time! She will at least give me a good 2 hour nap if she's in my bed.Here are a couple of pictures for mom and Mrs. Pam :)

Now we're all settled and it won't be long until November!

Not Home Yet

Anyone else feeling a little unsettled? I just realized this will be my 6th move in 4 years. With that said, I'm reminded that life is about change...

We begin to build our family...

It grows and shapes along the way...Pictures and blogs and videos are feeble attempts to freeze the memories...

All the while, grace abounds and we ride through the journey hoping to shed the unnecessary while clinging to the things that really matter...

Like the sweet mercies of our God that are new each morning reminding us there's more to come... and we're not home yet.