Thanksgiving....and it's almost Christmas!!!

The holidays are here!! This is my all time favorite time of year. I would leave Christmas decorations up year round if that were socially acceptable. So, last weekend my helpers and I put up the Christmas tree. And it was significantly easier than last year.

I don't know why Walker wasn't dressed. There was probably a good reason.  And it was before Thanksgiving but who cares. We blasted Christmas music and had the best time.

The song below is beautiful.....and off my favorite Christmas album.




This is the first year Harris has been into putting up the tree. He watched me for a little while, then asked, "Can I have a turn?" He is as particular about where he thinks an ornament should go as I am. It's funny to see that manifested in a 3 year old boy. Walker was content to just hang out and be part of the action. He's been pretty good about leaving it alone. He did break one big red ball, but he had been carrrying it around and calling it an apple (Bap-ple, in Walker-speak). Honest mistake, I think.  This is definitely the first year Harris has really "gotten" Christmas at all. He's into it. We saw some random Santa in a parking lot, carrying his jeans and getting some other things out of his car. Harris was a little suspicious and seemed surprised to see him walking around like a regular guy. I waited for the hundreds of questions but they didn't come. It would not break my heart at all to tell him that there's no Santa, but I guess I'll wait for him to start asking. He will eventually because he is asking questions about EVERYTHING.
He felt the baby kick for the first time the other day. He gasped and said, "He likes me!!  He likes to play with me!!" Cute cute. And he still thinks the baby is a girl but just uses he indiscriminately. Here he is rocking his imaginary Baby Issa and playing her (him) some music.

We weren't going anywhere that day so I let him pick out his own clothes. He grabbed a button down and a tie, of course. He tried to get Walker to wear the same thing and that didn't go well. I think Walker ended up with a diaper and socks again. Whatever makes him happy.

So this Thanksgiving is different even than last year for me. I'm incredibly thankful. I'm overwhelmed with the life I've been given.  What an AWESOME time it was to sit back in awe of the God that loves me and gave me these blessings. But I think this means now I need to act.  I've read several times lately the story of Jesus' miracle of feeding the five thousand with just a few fish and some bread. Commentary on this story points out that the miracle hinged on the disciples and others passing on what they were given. They didn't just take the bread and become overwhelmed with gratitude. That wouldn't have been a miracle. God didn't multiply the food until they continued to pass on the blessings they were given. I had to re-read that a few times. GOD MULTIPLIES! But the people had to make a choice to act first, and then came the miracle. Tom and I have been talking and praying about what it looks like for our lives to pass on what we've been given. I'm so excited about 2012. Not only will we welcome a new life in our family but I think our lives will start looking different. So that is what I'm thinking about as I count my many blessings this year. Woo hooo!

We spent Thanksgiving morning in our pj's, eating pancakes and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Well, 3 of us ate panckaes and one of us won't eat pancakes, will only eat waffles, even though the rest of us CALLED them waffles and tried to be sneaky about it. There's no fooling the watchful eye of a two year old. I was really surprised that both kids were into the parade. It was a sweet morning hanging out together, relaxing and baking a few things. And I drank cranberry apple cider by the gallon. Here's the recipe, if anyone is interested. It's so nice to have a day with no agenda.
This was my facebook status yesterday:
Listening to uncontrollable giggling while my precious boys wrestle with their daddy. Drinking homemade apple cider and feeling the baby kick. Thank you Lord for a sweet, sweet life.

Really, what else could I ask for? I want to always remember those 2 little boys charging their daddy, with a look in their eye because they know it is going to be SO FUN. When the wrestling starts, whoever isn't in on it comes running from the other room, literally giddy with anticipation. It's so sweet. Yesterday was a good time to just reflect and relish our family.

After nap, we went over to a friend's house and had the BEST time. It was a random mix of people and it really showed that God's church is united in Christ, because coversation was awesome and edifying. There were 5 different countries (at least) represented, and a mix of college kids and adults, missionaries and business people. And it was one of the best Thanksgiving's ever. I missed my family, of course, but am so thankful to have been given family down here as well. We stayed till almost 10 and our kids miraculously hung in there and did great. Walker was an ANGEL. Yes, that's right. Walker was super well behaved. So proud of that sweet boy. He's growing up! Tom and I stayed up and chatted when we got home, re-hashing some of the things we talked about and just agreed that it had been an awesome night. Thank you, Allison, for hosting us and all the work that entailed for you. It was a blessing to everyone there!!

"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Colossians 3:17