The Word Became Flesh

John 1: 1- 18


1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' " 16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only,who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

Christmas Letter 2007

Here's Jim's yearly installment on the blog. He's taken over the Christmas letter for four years now. It's a task I'm thrilled to hand over to his capable hands. He also does a great job. Thanks for chronicling another year for us, honey! Nothing like trying to fit 365 days onto an 8.5 x 11.

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Greetings!!!


Here I (Jim) am again, hoping to convey all that has happened in the past year within one concise and well-worded page. Mind you, I’m doing all this while trying not to type too loud, and/or cause my chair to squeak so that Hudson continues to sleep. We rarely have a quiet moment, but I suppose that one day we will look back and miss all the shrieks, laughter, questions, and commentary.
Grace is our resident philosopher and ringmaster. She takes in the world around her in amazing detail. She loves to watch movies, though often she gets afraid when the characters are in a tense situation. Grace is undoubtedly the leader of the crew. She rarely goes anywhere in the house by herself. Somehow she always gets one of them to follow. They go on magic futon rides to school, the park, and Grandma’s house. All the while, the dogs are in tow with baby blankets strung through their collars for leashes. (Don’t feel too bad for them, it’s by choice most of the time.)
Patience is our strong-willed servant. Last week Patie got a gift of $5.00 in the mail from her Great Grandma for her birthday present. We asked her what she wanted to do with it and right away she said “I want to take Daddy on a date to get Icees. Then I'm going to give it to people that don't have food!" She wanted to give the rest of her birthday money to the Salvation Army. It’s amazing to see what’s in the heart of a child …I think I’ve still got some things to learn. Patie is a hard one to say “no” to; her innocent, direct, and persistent approach gets me almost every time.
Lily‘s personality is still revealing itself. We believe that she is going to be an artist. She has an affinity for highlighters and crayons and we hope that one day soon she will begin to share her gift with the world (rather than coloring the inside of her mouth). Lily is sweet, and sure of what she wants- mainly to do exactly what her big sisters do. Most of the time this is good (she cleans up her own plate, cup and place mat after meals) and sometimes it’s not. Do you know how long it takes to walk through a grocery store at the pace of a meandering 18 month old? She is a sweetheart a lot of the time. If you see her, there’s a good chance she’ll raise her arms so that you can pick her up.
Hudson James is our newest addition. Yes, the balance of power is beginning to shift the other way. (I know how worried you were for me.) Hudson was born September 9th, and weighed in at 8 lbs. 15 ounces and was 21 inches long. He’s becoming proficient at smiling, cooing, tooting, and pooping. We’re hoping that sleeping follows shortly. If you’d like to see him smile, show up to baby-sit from approximately 6 to 8 am on any given day. Please don’t think we’re rude if we go back to bed.
Megan is doing well, though cognitive thought has been hindered by sleep deprivation in recent months. I am always amazed at how she handles it all. I’m typically ready to head back to work for a break on Monday, but she keeps the ship aright and the kids learning and growing. I usually settle for one of the three when I’m in charge. One of Megan’s more recent passions is blogging, so if you’d like to receive more regular updates from us please check out the website at the bottom of the page. She tries to post most every day.
I’m still designing trusses for Timber Roots, at least when I’m not taking one of my beautiful ladies on dates for hot chocolate, icees, movies, or Italian. I’ve got a rather coveted position, Not many men get to date four ladies at one time. I also continue to listen to a lot of sermons online, and have actually read a number of books this year. Not watching much TV frees up some time for other things.
I think that about takes care of this year. I’m sure before I know it I’ll be writing another one of these to you. Between now and then, we hope that you will celebrate the risen Christ with us each day, for without Him, we have no hope. “Today in the town of David a Savior has born to you; He is Christ the Lord.” There is no other. Merry Christmas!!!


Jim, Megan, Grace, Patience, Lily and Hudson

The Shoes

Bebo knows what these mean. They mean Saturday. They mean car trips and disc golf and the dog park. They mean trips to places with great parking lots to check out from the van while we shop, and the occasional trip to Petco when he gets to come inside too. They mean so much more than the boring brown pairs of dress shoes that Jim wears to work 5 days a week and on Sundays for church. The brown shoes mean he'll be spending most of his day on the back of the couch watching other dogs go on walks while he stays home in front of the window (probably while sporting bows in his hair from the girls- see the tiara on his head in this picture?). When Jim puts the gray shoes on in the morning, Bebo stays within 2 inches of them at all times. He won't eat his breakfast, he won't let Jim leave his sight- because he knows something very good will happen that day and he doesn't want to miss it. Today is no exception.

Also, he knows he doesn't want to miss whatever's in the tall, skinny, striped bag under the tree. A few nights ago he was hanging out with me on the floor while I was fitting in some more boxes and bags under the tree. As I moved things around, he found the bag- the one he looks forward to every year. One whiff and he knew something great was waiting for him inside. He occasionally goes over to it now and sticks his nose down deep into the bag and spends some time dreaming about what good treats must be in there. He's been such a good boy, though. He hasn't even moved the tissue paper out of the way. He seems to know Christmas is coming soon, and until then, he'll just have to wait.

The Savior, The Icon

A funny thing happened at the library yesterday. Someone asked Grace what she wanted Santa to bring her for Christmas, and I overheard her say, "Santa doesn't come to our house." The sweet mom felt really bad, thinking she'd offended me somehow, and I tried to assure her there didn't need to be any worries- my kids are cool with Santa, but, Grace was right- he does not come to our house.

Ah, a slightly hot-button issue in christian circles...the issue of how to "deal" with Santa and other Christmas traditions like it that are not directly related to Jesus' birthday. Since it's on my mind, I thought I'd share some of our thoughts on the topic at the Koch house.

Even before marriage, Jim and I knew we weren't going to play the "Santa Game" with our own kids. We'd both grown up with Santa and had good memories of him, but, felt sure that we'd go a different direction with our family. Which brings me to the point that this, and all other issues of life that are not a Biblical black and white, need to be things you decide with the Lord's guidance. What works well for one family may not for another. What one struggles with may not affect another at all. We know lots of families that play "the game" and it's great for them- lots of fun- and it doesn't seem to interfere with the main event of celebrating Christ's birth. My friend Stephani has an amazing set of parents that I admire very much. She loved the Santa tradition growing up and says she always knew what Christmas was all about and even as a small child sort of knew Santa wasn't "real". James Dobson did the Santa thing with his kids, etc, etc. It is a fun tradition for lots of families. Jim and I are sure it isn't for us. Maybe our kids have a bent that would make it harder for them to separate the jolly man in red from Jesus, who knows, but we're going with the nudging the Holy Spirit gave us. Santa seems a little unnecessary to us, I guess, since it's all fun and games until some big misunderstandings about real truth could come into play. If you find a good balance for your family and Santa's a part of it and you want him to be, great- as long as families take into consideration the risks involved in combining the awesome season of celebrating the Birth of Grace with a non-Deity cultural icon.

John and Noel Piper are great spiritual mentors to us. We were elated to find they share many of our same thoughts on all subjects involved in parenting, including this one. I may be adding many quotes from Noel Piper's book, Treasuring God in Our Traditions, which I recommend highly.

Christmas is Jesus' birthday celebration, and in everything we do we want to celebrate Jesus Christ. We give gifts to remember and rejoice in the gift God gave in His Son. The lights everywhere at Christmas remind us that Jesus is the Light of the World who pierces the darkness with the light of life, etc... If you're thinking we feel Santa should be banned from your homes, keep reading, because he's still a part of our Christmas too. I'll share how we fit him in later.

First, though, here are a few thoughts on why Santa (at least celebrated the way American culture celebrates him) isn't included in our traditions.

1. Pretending and using our imaginations is fun, but not if we try to convince our kids it's actually real. We want our kids to know we always tell them the truth. There's a lot of imagination at our house, but, there's never a gray area- our kids know when it's a game and when it's for real. Some parents take Santa pretty far, making up wild answers for their kids' questions as they grow and get more wise to the complications in the Santa story. Eventually kids realize it isn't true at all- which for me wasn't a big deal, but it could be to some kids. We don't want to risk losing their trust in the integrity of our words.

2. "...celebrating with Santa and a manger will postpone a child's clear understanding of what the real truth of God is. It's very difficult for a young child to pick through a marble cake of part truth and part imagination to find the crumbs of reality (Traditions, p.80)."
You could try to keep it light, keep it a game, but small kids have a hard time separating truth from fantasy.

3. Santa sure sounds a lot like God sometimes.

• "He's omniscient-- he sees everything you do.
• He rewards you if you're good.
• He's omnipresent-- at least, he can be everywhere in one night.
• He gives you good gifts.
• He's the most famous 'old man in the sky' figure (Traditions, p. 81)."

But really, Santa's not that much like God. And there are some big problems with these Santa facts.

1. NO ONE holds the world in the palm of their hand but God. I'd hate to confuse my children with that one... No one sees everything but the Lord.

2. Santa rewards you on whether or not you were good enough. God gives richly through grace, and we never deserve it. His love is not conditional. And Santa really isn't concerned if you're naughty or nice, is he? Even the naughty kids seem to always get all their toys anyway, right? This is also used as an accountability (and guilt) tool by some parents to encourage their kids to be good. Two nights ago I heard a frustrated mother at Target reminding her disobedient daughter to be good, because Santa is watching. Hmmm...I'm not even going to get into saying all the things that are wrong with that.... Kids will be much more richly blessed to know that, "...their parents, who live with them all year and know all the worst things about them, still show their love at Christmas (Traditions, p. 81)."

3. NO ONE is omnipresent for every intimate detail of every thing and person on earth and in heaven, past, present and future but the LORD. Saying there's a mortal man- well, mortal but he's extremely old- that could supernaturally be everywhere in one night- that's just not possible. This also brings me to the thing that irks me most about the Santa game. Telling kids Santa goes everywhere in one night to deliver toys to children all over the world infers that the entire world celebrates Christmas. This glosses over the truth that the world is FULL of lost people- many who've never even heard the Name of Jesus- and we need to care very much about that. From the youngest age possible, we want our kids to know there's a huge, dying world out there that they can impact for Christ as He works through them.

Also, if kids think they can ask Santa for anything and expect to receive it, they're either going to get very let down or they're going to get really selfish at Christmastime. They also might not see the need to reach out to others, since Santa can take care of that for them. They may miss the opportunity to reach out to others at Christmas (and to gain the desire to do so the rest of the year). "Santa" can't bless anyone, but we can, through Christ, in countless ways.

As I said before, Santa does fit well into our traditions. He is a derivative of St. Nicholas, whose story you can research on your own or read a little about here in a post of mine from last year. What an incredible example of love for Christ, spurring on to love for people! Wow. I won't rewrite the ways we incorporate St. Nicholas into our Christmas morning- you can read it later if you'd like. However, I will add that next year we'll be doing stockings on December 6th, St. Nicholas Day, instead. I had planned on starting that this year, then realized the 6th was the day before and I'd already missed it...oops.

So, to close this very long post, our kids totally know who Santa is, they think he's fun and always point him out in the store. But, when we see him, we remember St. Nicholas, who largely inspired the American Santa we have today, and we remember that God reached down to humanity to offer salvation and friendship with Him through Christ, who's birth we celebrate in December. We remember that His grace to offer His Son for us spurs us on to extend that love and grace to others. The gift of Christ, for us and for this entire world- that's why we celebrate Christmas.

A Dose of Nostalgia

Does anyone remember these lights? They're, obviously enough, called "Bubble Lights" if you search for them on eBay. They were really popular in the 50's and 60's before the little lights we have today eventually stole the show. We had a really old set of them when I was very young and I had completely forgotten about them until a couple of weeks ago. They just popped into my mind out of nowhere and I was transported to a lovely place, a place of childhood wonder, if you will. These colorful "magic" lights would bubble and make really beautiful reflections on the walls at night as I watched the tree in the dark. I desperately tried to explain them to Jim but he had no idea what I was talking about. Then, the very next day I saw a string of them on a tree at the Salvation Army. It wasn't a good buy or obviously I would've gone for it- the strand was part of an old, pre-lit table top tree from the 60's and most of the bubble lights didn't work anymore anyway, and the store was using the tree to display ornaments that you could buy. Anyway, I thought it was so sweet that I saw some right after the fuzzy warm flashback and especially after trying so hard to explain them to said spouse. I took a picture of one of the lights. An old man in the store looked at me like I was a little crazy, but, here it is. You can find them on eBay and I've got my sights set on getting some for next year, you know, so I can pass on some of the warm fuzzy memories to my own little kids.

The List

The January issue of Real Simple is full of ideas for things that "don't disappoint". They're things the staff and readers swear by and can always call on as faithful constants in an unpredictable world. These are your favorite things, your good companions that make life easier, more meaningful, cleaner, more lovely, or just more fun. The things you found and swore to never be without again- a certain detergent or pizza cutter, a person, a movie, whatever. The editor's list included a wide range of things- from Dove soap to Starbucks coffee, from a certain kind of gum to the contractor that just finished her kitchen remodel. I decided to make my own List, randomly picking my own Top 10 Things that Don't Disappoint. Here they are in no particular order, and I'm sure I could think of many, many more.



1. Pottery Barn. Few things in my mailbox get me as excited as the new Pottery Barn catalog. From it I draw inspiration, motivation and guidance in how I decorate and organize our home. I love Pottery Barn. I only own a handful of things that are actually from there, though. Thankfully, lots of other people love Pottery Barn too, so there are knockoffs everywhere- you just have to wait a few months. The day several years ago when I realized my new dining room table was a Pottery Barn knockoff, I was elated. Right down to the shape of the legs and how the wood is joined together- it was exactly the same. I love, love, love Pottery Barn.



2. Sara Groves' music. The soundtrack to my life, I could listen to the sounds of Sara Groves every day for the rest of time and never grow tired of it.



3. Target. Target never gets old. I can see everything they've got and still not mind walking the entire store a few days later.



4. Cooks Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen. These people know what they are doing. Get a couple of their cookbooks and you'll never need to buy another one again. Their 30 minute meals really do only take 30 minutes, the recipes are tested hundreds of times and seamlessly streamlined to work every time- even the first time you try it. They accept no advertising so they give honest, real recommendations of the best products out there, and everything you make is homemade with real, basic ingredients.



5. Beth Moore's Bible Studies. If you want to dive in to the Word for the first time, or the 1000th, these are incredible. These studies never disappoint- what an amazing journey you take with the Lord- every time. And, of course, no time in the Word is ever a disappointment.



6. Torani Syrup. Unlike other flavored syrups you can grab at any grocery store, these never seem to taste "funky". The sugar free syrups are made with Splenda (my probably-carcinogenic sugar-free sweetener of choice) and taste really great. They make very tasty lattes, steamers, or flavored hot chocolate. I mix it with some skim milk and I've got a wonderful creamer for my morning coffee- since all sugar free varieties in the store taste, well, terrible.



7. Time with Jim. Growing up I always had friends I just loved hanging out with but, inevitably, we'd spend a little too much time together and then we'd just start annoying each other and I'd be thrilled to get away from them. Not so with Jim- we can spend hours and hours together and I never, ever, grow tired of being with him. Sure we can annoy and frustrate each other, but I can honestly say I've never, ever, in six years, thought I needed a break from spending time with him, or wished I could go on a trip to get away from him for a weekend. I've actually heard good friends of mine say that, and I don't get it. Getting some time away from my children, however, that I understand!* Anywhere Jim is, that's home to me and there's no place better.



*Yes, Koch children, when you read this someday- you're sweet, wonderful, and precious and I love you deeply- and I did just say I like to get away from you every once in a while. When you have your own wonderful, precious children you'll understand. And that time I get away from you is always better if your dad is there.



8. The Office. This is one of the greatest TV shows ever. It is always funny and I never get sick of it.



9. Pride and Prejudice. The book, the movie (the one with Colin Firth in it, of course, but the newer one with Keira will do in a time pinch). Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth, Mr. Bingley, that scoundrel Wickham- you can't go wrong.



10. Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. These work everywhere. A Magic Eraser got permanent marker off my kitchen wall. Enough said.



So, now it's your turn. What are the things you couldn't live without? What do you faithfully purchase time after time? I'm always interested in adding some things to "The List".

Three Months

We can't believe it. Hudson is getting
sooo big.

Bully Saturday

The girls love coffee shops. Bully Blends is by far the best coffee shop in town- and the girls love it just as much as I do because their drinks come in mugs if you're not on the go. That means they get to enjoy pretty chocolate syrup designs on top of their hot chocolate's whipped cream. This is a big deal for a little kid. Really, it's a big deal to me too, and I'm not quite a little kid anymore... Here are some pictures of our Girls' Afternoon Out we took last weekend.

Storybook Island 2007

Leaving your preschooler outside in 15 degree weather for an hour would probably be called child abuse...UNLESS you're taking them to Storybook Island at Christmastime. Then it's considered good old fashioned family fun. Grace, Patie and I headed out to check out all the lights and Christmas fun last Saturday night- they were so excited. Grace thought it was so fun. Patie was a real trooper, but mostly she thought it was so cold. It was really, really, really cold- but a fun childhood tradition. Here are some pictures...

O Holy Night

Oh holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
Oh night divine, Oh night when Christ was born;
Oh night divine, Oh night, Oh night Divine.

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here come the wise men from Orient land.
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friend.
He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King, Behold your King.

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim.

This Makes Sense

I love Joyce Meyer. I usually listen to her podcasts at least twice and I think her direct, honest and encouraging approach is really refreshing. Recently, she was talking about how we can love others as we love ourselves when they fail us. She explained it in a way that struck me as new and really helped me understand it in a fresh way. I mean, of course, loving others as yourself means you're really kind to them, just like you'd like to be treated, but, she helped me see how I treat myself when I sin, and how I can give others that same treatment. When I sin I (hopefully) pray about it and work it out with God, then (hopefully) get on a road headed the opposite direction of ever doing it again. If I do sin again, the process repeats itself. I give myself a lot of mercy, really, when I fail. When I fail what I don't feel tempted to do is tell other people and talk about it, which can really be a temptation if someone's hurt me or someone I love. I don't feel like holding it against myself- I feel like finding reconciliation with God as soon as possible so "all can be right" in the world again. The next time someone wrongs me I'm hoping to remember to view them that way- to at least give them the same mercy I give myself, if not more, and maybe even throw in some extra grace, showing extra love and kindness to them in spite of the shortcomings. If that's how I'd love for others to treat me when I fail (which is often), hopefully I can give that to them as well- with God at work in and through me, of course- because I could never do it on my own. Isn't it amazing, how infinite His patience, mercy and grace are with us? We can enjoy such freedom to fail and come back to God without fear that He's done with us forever! How good would it be if we all started extending that same grace to others?

Computer-Illiterate Mother Leaves Child Unattended

So, not to bore you with my techno-drama any more than I have to, but, I still don't have the video thing figured out. As I sat trying my hardest to "crack the code"- you know, the one a billion YouTube users have figured out- there was a big ray of light. Brian from InterVarsity called, wanting to know if I could bring enough chili to the big end of the semester Christmas Party to feed around 50 starving college students. I said yes, knowing the numbers for the Christmas Party are usually more like 75 or more. However, I was happy to feed the collegiate masses my sub-standard chili. College students are so easy to please. Really, I was thinking I was SAVED. After a hasty yes and a working out of the details, I finally got a chance to ask him what was burning on my mind. I asked Brian (student at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, which is FULL of engineering, science, and computer super-minds) if he could PLEASE explain this simple process to me?? His reply made my heart sink. He is one of the (self-proclaimed) lesser tech-savvy "around here". AGH!

While I was at the computer wallowing in my own "I majored in English, all I needed to do with the computer was find Microsoft Word and the Cliff's Notes website"self pity, Lily had all kinds of plans. Grace and Patie were still downstairs. She saw where I was and thought, "Mom's on the computer... Oh! And now she's on the phone to boot! I might as well be home alone!" I came downstairs to find her surrounded by half-eaten cookies at the coffee table- fresh-baked cookies from the cooling racks on the counter. The effect of all the fresh-baked goodness gave her a sort of "half-baked" look in her eyes- like she was on the edge of a serious sugar coma. She had also rebelled and torn out her pony tail, explaining the crazy hair. All of this in a matter of minutes.

Because A College Education is NOT Enough Sometimes...

Or most of the time? OK, so Jim and I (without really consulting the owner's manual for our camcorder..ahem...because I don't know where it is...) are hoping someone could tell us how to save video files to our computer from the DVD from the camera. I've searched our computer's help section forever. I can of course play the DVD- now how do I save the video so I can upload it to blogger? I realize this is probably a really easy thing to do and I'm missing it. I need to eventually figure this out- so could someone much more knowledgeable than me just tell me what to do?? Thanks. If no one comments I'm going to just cry, or wait for Jim to come home so he can figure it out.

True love ennobles and dignifies the material labors of life; and homely services rendered for love’s sake have in them a poetry that is immortal. - Harriet Beecher Stowe

Freedom

In a Bible study a few weeks ago, I was asked to describe what I love most and what I dislike the most about the stage of life I'm in. I thought for a moment and knew without a doubt that my answer to each question was the same. Freedom. Freedom is what I love most right now, and freedom (the lack of it) is what I most often struggle with in these years of my life.

What freedom our family has right now! I don't need to be reminded that this is a precious time for us. We are all together, all the time. No one's in school, no one is being rushed around for practice, music lessons, or parties at friends' houses. We have so much freedom to do whatever we want with the five other most special people on earth to us. Every day we're all together, sharing life together, with little interruption from the outside world. We can go to the mall to hang out, or spend all day at the park discovering leaves and feeding ducks. We can take long leisurely afternoons to read books and work on puzzles. Every Friday night is Family Night, no question. We can make cookies (real ones that don't come from a tube) and there's three little sets of feet standing on tip-toes on chairs eagerly trying to reach the mixer to dig in and help mix them up. We are all together (with the absence of Daddy who's at work during the day) to sit around our table for three meals and a snack every day, no question. We all get at least 2 hours for napping and "quiet" time every single day. I love being a family. I love, love, love this time of our life.

On the flip side...we have very limited freedom too. It takes some time to get six people ready and out the door to do something. I am, 24 hours a day, surrounded by four people who need me to do most everything for them, or help them so they can do it themselves. My time is not my own, so I need to be insanely intentional to make sure I get some of that time for myself every day. We have specific wake up, nap, and bed-times that we need to get home for when we're out. I almost never shower or go to the bathroom without someone talking to me from the other side of the door. I almost never pick up and go anywhere without serious preparations. We get dates together a couple of times a week at home after 8:00 when every one's in bed but, Jim and I have to do some serious planning to get out of the house together alone- you know, like adults do. We have to find a sitter, give them instructions, and of course, we need to pay them when we get back. Our time out is limited and we are always checking the clock to make sure we're back in time. We often dream of days to come when we can take a walk together in the afternoon for 20 minutes and leave the kids at home alone. Ahhhh. Can't wait.

I know, I'm certain, that someday when these sweet children are grown I'll look back on these times and never regret the years we spent with so little freedom, because the years of time we're spending together now and the fruit that will come from them will be well worth it.

Jim Dates Other Women

Jim has made a practice of dating his daughters from they time they were very small (he started taking Grace out for special "Daddy Dates" when she was about one). Maybe they'll go to the library, a movie, McDonald's, or out for bagels but, whatever they do, it's of course a favorite activity for them. In a family like ours, getting one-on-one time is really important. Last week Patie got a gift of $5.00 in the mail from her Great Grandma for her birthday present. I asked her what she wanted to do with it and right away she said she wanted to take Daddy on a date to get Icees. (Am I spelling that right? How am I supposed to spell it??) She called him at work and asked him if he wanted to go on a date with her. Of course he said yes. As she was talking to him I heard her excitedly say, "Then I'm going to give it to people that don't have food!" After she hung up I asked her what she had talked to Daddy about. Apparently she had told Daddy that after their Icees, she wanted to give the rest of her money to the "people who don't have food, or houses, or drinks." She wanted to give the rest of her birthday money to the Salvation Army- how precious is that? Patie's always been our "helper" child, the one who sees needs and tries to fill them- we are so thankful for the way the Lord is growing her heart to give to and bless others. So, Friday night Patie took Daddy out for some Icees, and then they walked the mall. There wasn't a bell ringer at Target, so she had to save her money and she'll give it next time we see one- she is so excited about it. Here's a picture of her blue Icee face when they got home.

Grace came along with me last night for some time out shopping just the two of us. We shopped

for a couple of hours, then she had wanted to go to Bully Blends for some hot chocolate.

We left the mall right at dinner time and she loves Chili's (hot cinnamon apples...) so I asked if she would rather do that- of course that sounded great to her. We always have a lot of fun when we go out to do girl stuff together. She made lots of comments about how much she loves to shop with me, that it's fun to do stuff "just Mom and me" and how much less time it takes to do things when we don't have everyone else with us. Ha! No kidding!

Why Does the Jail Bird Sing?

Here's that picture of Patie's cake from the previous post. Here's the side you didn't see...
That's right, look even closer...
Yes, there is something missing, isn't there?

So after quiet time was done the girls were sitting at the table with coloring books (Lily was still sleeping) and I went upstairs to feed Hudson. They knew the cake was for the party and of course they shouldn't touch it yet, but I went ahead and gave them very clear instructions not to anyway, you know, just to cover my bases. I would never expect Lily to leave it alone, but hadn't thought for a second that Grace or Patie would have touched it. It's way within their boundaries for self control to be fine with leaving it alone. Well, apparently yesterday was an exception.

I came downstairs to see a slightly altered cake on the table, and two little girls eager to tell me how it happened. Apparently, they knew the right thing to do, knew how fun the disobedience would be, weighed the consequences and went for it. I couldn't believe they'd thought it all out and decided whatever Mama dished out for a consequence and discipline would be worth the sweet sweet forbidden sugar. I tried really, really, hard to keep my "serious face" while I talked it out with them and then took them to the basement for a time out, Grace in the guest bathroom with the door shut, Patie at the foot of the stairs. Really, I thought it was hilarious, but in no way wanted them to know- you know, because this was really, really disobedient. As I took them down, Grace said happily, "Mommy, I won't cry!!" Patie chimed in, "I won't cry either!!"

I went up to the kitchen and shut the basement door.

"PAAAAAYTEEEEEEEE!!!" (They were yelling across the basement to one another)

"WHAT?!"

"WHERE ARE YOU??"

"BY THE STEPS!"

Then a moment of silence...

"GWAAAACIEEEEEEEEEEE!!"

"WHAT?!"

"WHERE ARE YOU?"

"I'M IN THE BATHROOM!"

Then they started singing back and forth to one another.

First it was the "ABC song", then "Angels We Have Heard on High", taking turns singing, then sometimes singing together. The songs continued, but I was reading with Lily and lost track of what they sang. I kept giggling to myself, the whole thing was just too funny. Mostly because, though I know the two stories have nothing to do with one another, they just reminded me so much of Paul and Silas singing through the night they spent in prison together in Rome. It was so funny- but what a great way to pass the time for the well-worth-it discipline. No earthquake came and got them out of it, though. They were having so much fun I left them down there twice as long as I had originally planned.

THREE!

Patience Isobel has finally arrived at what, to her, is the pinnacle of being a little kid. She turned three yesterday. (She gets to have a quiet time with books instead of a nap every day.) Her milestone was celebrated in many ways, all leading up to a pizza party and lots of gifts to celebrate the beautiful gift God gave to us when he put Patie in our family.

I was reading a Sally Clarkson book yesterday (The Ministry of Motherhood) and in it she asks for you think about how God has specially gifted each of your children and make a list, then think of ways you can inspire them to use those gifts for His glory throughout their lives. I wrote the list down in the book about a year and a half ago, but as I read the list for Patie I could have written it today. Here it is:

"Great endurance, not easily discouraged, very practical, HELPER, always finding solutions, not afraid of failure, not self-conscious, not easily distracted in pursuit of a vision, good with tasks, freedom from fear=very smooth learning, discovering and growing"

Patie Belle, we love you so much and you are such a precious gift to us. God has shown us so much about Himself through you and we know without a doubt He will use you to reveal Himself to this world in countless ways. Happy Birthday.

The cake. We had a puzzle theme (Patie loves puzzles). The puzzle was a picture of Eric Carle's Grouchy Lady Bug, Patie Belle loves LMNO's (M&Ms), and so we went for what she likes. Definitely not my most creative cake, but she really liked it.
Britney Spears has got nothing on us. Soda in a sippy cup. How's that for bad parenting?? I love Lily's excited face in the background.
Waiting to open her presents.
Putting together the new puzzle with Dad.

Christmas Carnage

Here's a picture of the aftermath. If only you could've seen the absolute insanity that began the moment we opened the Advent calendar 's door this morning to reveal not just three pieces of candy, but also a special gift for Patie- a lipsmacker and a special note from Daddy. (It's her birthday today- the big three. More on that tomorrow after her party tonight...) All three girls lunged for the Advent calendar, which is on top of the mantel, knocking over everything in their path, including these guys. The rest of the Nativity scene is on the mantel, but I always like to have the Wise Men somewhere else in the room, like they're "travelling"- since they weren't there the day Jesus was born. Thankfully it looks like a clean break, a little superglue should mend him quite nicely. But for now, until I've got time to fix him, my Nativity set reminds me a little more of the story of John the Baptist than the birth of our Lord.

The Heavens Declare...

Hudson's medicine wore off a little early this morning and so he was up coughing and struggling to breathe at 4:45 instead of 6:00 when we usually get up for the day. Of course I would've liked more sleep, but any Mama knows you'll do anything for your baby when they're feeling sick and they can't help themselves. So I was up with him, giving him back his pacifier after each coughing fit so he could comfort himself until 6:00 when it was time for another round of meds from the nebulizer and his breakfast, too. Needless to say, I had a hard time staying awake during his feeding, and I passed out sometime during his meal. I woke up gently to a room that had filled with a soft light (meaning, I realized I'd been sleeping a while). Then, I saw it. I looked up and from my bed I could see the sky filled with a glorious, intense light of pink, purple and blue. It was absolutely beautiful. (This picture in no way does it justice). I felt God whispering in my heart, "Good morning! I knew you had a hard night (I was right there with you!) and I thought you'd like to see this before it was gone. I know this is one of your favorite ways to start the day. I made it because I love you, and I can't wait to spend the day with you." My heart warmed and I was thrilled to wake up to such a beautiful gift. It's amazing to think that God didn't have to make the sky beautiful, but it is a work of art, just to show us a little of what He can do, a little of His great glory.

Next, I turned to see Hudson staring deeply and intently at my face. He seemed to know Mama needed to sleep too, because my sweet boy had waited patiently for me to wake up without stirring at all to let me know I'd passed out and left him to eat alone. A glance at the alarm clock revealed it was already 7:00 and he'd really been sweet, waiting almost an hour for me to wake up.

Show Shakes!

As I mentioned before, it snowed today! It started when the girls got up, and they were crazy excited right away hoping we'd be drinking snow shakes tonight! They monitored the snowfall all day long, checking how much stuff was covered with snow and how deep it was.







If it snows a ton, you can fill your blender right off the top of a snow bank on your patio. If it snows 1 or 2 inches like it did today, you have to skim it off the top forever till you've got a blender-full. Jim had an incredible idea this year and just set some big bowls outside to collect the snow for us all day. Genious.






The girls were really pumped to use their new glasses we bought just for snow shakes, complete with snowmen on the outside. They are the kind of glasses for kids with the double wall with glitter and snowflakes inside so it "snows" when you shake them. We've had them since October. You can imagine they're happy to finally get to use them.








The girls watch as Jim creates.








Mom and Dad have their own special glasses too, complete with a snowflake that I etched onto them myself (I'm no Martha, it's an easy project, trust me). You can barely see it in the picture, but, there it is...

Fezziwig!

Today Megan, Kate and I headed to Hill City for Prairie Berry Winery's fourth annual Fezziwig Festival. I've been excited to go since I got home from the last one, and Megan and I have been eagerly anticipating (like, for a month) the much needed day reserved for girl fun. Thankfully, Kate was able to join us- we had SO MUCH FUN. The food was really, really good and of course the wine was too. It was a perfect winter day and such a fun thing to take time out for to enjoy the season in the Hills. We also laughed so hard I was tired of laughing by the end of the day. That's a good day!
Here we are freezing, freezing cold...but it was super important to get a picture of us outside in the beautiful falling snow... no, really, it was really beautiful, but of course it didn't show up in the picture.