Our 2012 Christmas "Letter"

“Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.” -Anonymous

My dad took our family photos this year.  We kind of waited til the last minute due to Cooper being born and then a bunch of things going on after that, so a few Sundays ago he took these for us with his spiffy camera. (Thank you Dad!) In the rain.  And the cold and wind.  And right after this Cooper puked all over himself and me.  :) 
This year so very much has happened!  It is a year I look back on and think, Was that seriously just a few months ago that happened!?  It seems like it was a lot longer ago than that!! But no, in fact quite a bit was squeezed into our 2012. 
Abby turned 2 years old in January.  She is hilarious and joyful and musical and charming and beautiful and smoochable and funny all in one package. 
In February we found out we were expecting baby #3.  Yay!  I have felt for so long that someone was missing from our little family.  So this was awesome news, and a huge blessing!
In June we got to go on a trip to Hawaii with Washington Mom and Dad. :)  What an awesome place to be as a family.  What a huge blessing that was!  Despite the fact that Abby got ridiculously sick, we had a great time. 

In October Hannah turned 5!  I cannot believe it's been 5 years already since this little girl got here!  She is intelligent and beautiful, whitty and compassionate and extremely passionate and unconditionally loving this one. 
Shortly after Hannah's birthday, Cooper James got here!  I know I'm biased but he is one handsome little man and is starting to smile and "talk" to you and is coming out of that new and frustrated first few weeks.  He's working on jutting the lower lip out further and further and batting his bright baby blues at you.  He's going to be a heartbreaker...and by this I mean my heart.  This week he will be 2 months old and that seems hardly possible.  Our house seems smaller (and noisier) than ever! :) 
This year has also been full of a lot of things that seem to want to steal our peace.  It would be dreadfully boring to go in to it all, but there has been a lot of craziness that has occurred this year.  A lot of noise, a lot of trouble, a lot of discouragement, and lots of hard work.  I can honestly say, that despite it all I have a peace and a calm in my heart.  Life happens, as is said and sometimes it's far more difficult than other times.  Sometimes there are things that occur that try so very hard to steal that peace, that inner calmness.  Whether it be things others say or think about you, or circumstances beyond our control, or adding another kiddo to the bunch....the list is lengthy.  Regardless, I serve a God I know is in control of my life. And this year more than ever I feel more sure of who I am, and more at peace and confident in that. And no matter what happens in life, if I am in line with Him I can continue on in peace. 

I am so incredibly blessed.  As a mom to three kids I adore and love being around on a daily basis.  As a wife to a husband that I know loves me as fiercely as I love him and who I love being around and sharing life with.  As one person of many in all our extended families to each side.  On a daily basis we are surrounded by so much love and blessing!  These things, I believe, if focused on, can cancel out those stealers of peace.  I have so much to be thankful for!  To focus on those particular things makes more sense than to listen to the constant noise around me.
To quote Ferris Bueller in Ferris Bueller's Day Off...."Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."  :)
Merry Christmas dear friends and family!  Praying for and wishing you all a year of peace and calm hearts for 2013!
Now if you'll excuse me I've got a screaming baby to go snuggle.
 With Love...
    Mama

Tree Lighting

This year we went to the Newberg Library Tree Lighting.  We didn't have a ton of time as Adam gets home around 6 and we had worship practice at 7, but the girls were so excited to go.  They wanted to see Santa so bad!  Before we left both asked if they could give something special to Santa, and we decided a kiss would be a great gift. (hershey that is.)  However, I didn't know if we were actually going to get to SEE Santa since there were going to be lots of people there, and we were only going to be there a short amount of time but it couldn't have worked out any better actually!  We got there right before 6:30, when Santa was supposed to show up to light the tree.  The girls got jingle bells to shake and then Santa showed up on a Fire Engine! :)  After they lit the tree we realized we needed to go and on the way out stopped at the bottom of the stage, which turned out to be perfect timing because Santa and Mrs. Claus came down to stroll around and hug the kiddos and Hannah and Abby were able to give Santa their kisses and get a candy cane!  We were maybe there a half hour but it was the most perfectly worked out 30 minutes I can recall! :)

Martial Arts

Hannah had a trial class for martial arts today.  She LOVED it.  She responds so well to male teachers I've noticed and today was no exception.  She learned a couple things that she is already practicing (the bow she has to take before getting on and off the mats) and is really excited to go back.  I think this could be so good for her focus and discipline...and honestly her respect level right now.  Abby wants to join too and they've agreed to kind of let her hang out and take in some of the lessons on the side when there's an extra person.  I am actually really excited to have Hannah and possibly Abby in something like this for all that it will teach them, and for the respect they'll have for others and for themselves hopefully!! 

Worship

At the end of this month I will be done leading worship at our church...I know it's what I'm supposed to do, I know God has a bigger plan for us and for the church...and there's a lot of change that has happened and is most likely going to happen and I know I need to trust that God has it all handled, after all He is the one who asked me to step down and allow for something new to happen.  I do trust, but there are many things I will miss. 

I will miss the friends we have made and gotten to know better as a result of worship team that are now moving on to other things.  I will miss collaborating with all these people who are SO, SO talented all of them!  I had it easy!  I didn't have to do much leading and directing...I was a part of something so awesome with this group of people.  Each had so much to bring to worship.  I will miss the times we spent chatting about nothing worship related and just getting to know each other.  I will miss my kids being able to come and hear the music and to sing and play along and be a part of it all.  I will miss leading with my husband...I have so loved being able to share this with him.  I have loved being able to stand up next to him and have him play guitar while I sang.  Without him committing to this along with me I wouldn't have been able to do it because I do not play any instruments well enough to sing and play together and lead.  I know he and I, regardless of where we end up in life will always do some form of worship and music together and that I love...but it has been so fun to be next to him and do what we've done for quite some time now.  Thank you Love for committing to doing this with me and doing it so well.  :)  I hope we always have music and worship as common ground.  Not just between us but among us as a whole family....I really will miss it.

Thanksgiving

We trooped up to Dad and Mom's in Washington and celebrated Thanksgiving there!  As usual we had a lovely time celebrating and spending time with them and some other friends.  :)  Cooper loved it because he was held almost 24/7, which right now is his most favorite activity.  The girls got to sleep together in the same bed and were super excited about that, and what's more Adam and I got to sleep together in the same bed!  This may sound strange but seriously it has been...um...a number of years (???) since we have been able to snooze in the same bed or even the same room.  In years past we've had a kiddo or two that freaked out at the thought of staying in an unfamiliar room and one of us would end up sleeping with said kiddo or splitting the kiddos up so they would actually get sleep.  This time the girls were both old enough and have been sharing a room for awhile so that made the sleeping arrangements lots easier!  One night the girls decorated gigantic gingerbread men with Gramma and a friend and there was lots of dress up time and fun to be had. 

Family Visit 2012

This was SO fun!  My sister Holly came home with Kevin and new niece Kiah for a wedding of a friend/brother and my other sister Becca was able to make it home too!  Yay!  This was the first time ALL four of us and our families had been together since...what...Holly's wedding. (Is that right!?) So it was so fun and chaotic and lovely to all be together and weave spending time together through out the week.  I got to meet and smooch on my beautiful niece Kiah and the girls got to love on all their aunts and uncles and new friends.  It was a great weekend.  :)

Some of our faves of Handsome Cooper

Whoever said you take less photos the more kids you have....never had a good camera phone on hand. This boy is so cute and smoochable!!  We are finding that right now he's rather colicky but he is starting to come out of it I can tell.  As he becomes more aware and his tummy seems to get used to doing what it needs to be we have more chill moments and less screaming all through the day moments.  But he sleeps....he sleeps well.  He kind of came out knowing night from day instead of having them switched around like so many babies do.  He wakes up at the appropriate times to eat and be changed and goes back to sleep.  Most likely because he spends his day awake and screaming...but I'll take it.  As hard as it is to get much done (I have to do speed chores around the house when he dozes off and lets me put him down!) he does well.  At his two week appointment he was almost 9 lbs!  So it will be interesting to see how much he weighs when we go for his 2 month check up in a couple weeks!  (2 months what!?) :)