Christmas Joy

Another Christmas has come and gone.  Like normal, it was a crazy busy time, but also crazy fun. We spent a lot of time with family, although it never seems like enough. It is so easy with everything going on this time of year to let the stress of the season take away the joy. As I was looking back through the pictures I took during our various Christmas activities this year, there are a few that stood out to me because they really capture the joy and love that we were surrounded with this year.

This one doesn't really need explanation. Laughter from the heart is always good for the soul.

Who doesn't want crackers for Christmas?  And when you get crackers for Christmas, why not lay in the floor and eat them whilst everyone around you continues to open gifts?

Giggling baby riding a tortured looking puppy.  Now that's a keeper.

The grandma that never wanted pets because they're dirty and messy letting my new puppy lick her in the face.  And she was laughing the whole time...pure, joy-filled laughter.

This picture just speaks to me of love and contentment. It is a simple moment, and that's what makes it so beautiful.  

Welcome Tripper

Last week, we surprised the kids with a puppy for Christmas.  We're either the coolest or the craziest parents I know.  Somehow, we did keep it a secret even though we've known since October.

Merle Tripper Nance, whom we call Tripper, is just 11 weeks old.  We decided on Tripper because he is our third dog, and Tripper is just a cute name for a cute puppy. He's a liver and white tri-color springer spaniel, which just means he has the lighter brown around his eyes and face.

I am partial, but I seriously think he's one of the cutest puppies I've ever seen.  The contrast of the chocolate brown and white is just adorable. 

But more than looks, he has an amazing personality.  He has all of the playfulness of a puppy, but he is also very relaxed.  He lets the kids pick him up and carry him around.  He will cuddle with them during his frequent naps, and I've only seen him nip them accidentally when they were playing.

We're still working on house-training, but I think he's starting to figure it out.  We're also starting to figure him out too.  He is sleeping in the bed with Billy and I at night, and I woke up this morning with him laying right on my belly.  I don't think he's really partial to any of us at this point.  He really loves all of his humans. I am going to say he likes me the best though because he helped me open my presents at Christmas.

He loves Stella too, and she loves him when she's not eating or sleeping.  That isn't very often, so most of the time he just plays with his humans.  When Stella will run around with him outside or chase a ball with him, he loves it.  It's been fun to watch them running in the show this past week in the back yard.

As crazy as I think we are, I also think we picked the perfect little pup for our family.  He's spunky, loving, easy-going, and smart.  We're so glad that Tripper has come to stay.

Another Year in the Record Books

The past months have brought a lot of change, both good and bad, in our lives.  We lost our beloved Jackson.  I started a new job.  Audrey and Barrett have continued to add activities to the daily routine, and each of our children has continued to grow and mature.  As I celebrate my birthday today, I have found myself looking back even further these last few months to my early and mid twenties.  My thoughts have been going back to the time when Billy and I were newly married, I was starting my career, and children were still only a thought.  There is so much I thought I knew.  I know better than that now; in fact, now I'd say I think I know very little....at least compared to what I thought I knew then. 

As I look back 10 years from now, there are a few things that I want to make sure I remember.  I am going to record them here for all to see.  Then, 10 years from now I can evaluate just how they've withstood the test of time. So, here are the three things I would've told myself 10 years ago and that I hope to live out daily over the next 10 years.

1. Love yourself, but Love God More.  This seems simple.  But there is so much wrapped up in the meaning of these words.  10 years ago, I spent a lot of time trying to make myself better.  I focused on things like: looking better, doing better work than my peers, getting in better shape, being a better wife. These things may seem innocent enough, but my motives weren't.  Why did I want to be better?  Because I wanted the people around me to see how well I was doing.  I wanted them to like me, approve of me, and love me for it.  I didn't accept my human-ness.  I didn't take joy in who God had made me to be.  I loved the approval of the world more than I loved myself.  And God...I loved God, but I lived more for the approval of the world than I did for the glory of God.  My actions and motives were primarily driven my love of the world and desire to cement my place in it. And because the world preaches self-love, that came second.  God came third.  Since then, I have learned the freedom of putting aside the teachings of this world.  I have learned to appreciate who I am and focus on my opportunities to grow instead of my shortcomings. I have found the joy of laughing at my mistakes and the peace in trying to love others the way God loves them instead of judging them against the world's standards.  That is what happens when you learn to love yourself, but love God more.
2. Never hesitate to give or receive grace.  This one is a little tougher to accept at first glance.  I am sure there at some who would argue the truth of this statement.  But, the more of life I experience, the more I realize just how necessary this is.  Like many of you, I am my own worst critic.  And, when I am low, I often find I pick myself apart, give in to self-doubt, and just fall lower still.  In those moments, I find it nearly impossible to give myself grace.  But often, it's even harder to accept grace from others.  It seems impossible that someone else would be willing to look past the shortcomings that I refuse to accept. Yet, receiving that grace gives hope.  It revives me.  It gives me life.  Not because it comes from that person but because it comes from God.  And, when I give grace, I breath that same life into others.  Granted, some people take it for granted.  Sometimes I do too.  But the more grace becomes a normal part of who I am and how I act, the more of God's light I can reflect for others to see.  
3. Being honest with yourself and others builds both humility and confidence.  Honesty is the best policy...at least that's what they say. Then why is it so hard sometimes?  Personally, I find it most difficult to be honest with myself.  We all have those stories that we build in our minds; they are based on truth, but then we start to mix in assumptions, hearsay, and half-truths.  We end up with a muddled mess that tears others down along with us.  People get hurt because we've started to believe this story that isn't completely true.  We get hurt because of what we think other people are saying and doing.  When we're honest with both ourselves and others, it replaces assumptions with facts. It eliminates hearsay.  It chops off the part of the half-truth that isn't. We grow in humility, because we see ourselves and the world around us for what it is and what it isn't.  We can more easily recognize our mistakes for what they are and focus on recovering from them instead of covering them up.  And that awareness brings confidence.  We no longer have to try to be something we're not, because we've already admitted to ourselves and the world the truth.  That allows us to focus on growing and developing those things we're good at. 

Drama Queen

Audrey has been dancing since she was 4, but now she's also taking an interest in singing and acting.  The past couple of weeks she's had the opportunity to show off her skills on a couple of different stages.

First, she had her fall dance recital. She performed 4 dances there, and did a great job in each.  She loved the jazz number they did the best, but I enjoyed watching the ballet the most.  When she wants to, she has great poise and carries herself very well.  It is really fun to see how she is developing as a dancer.  Her moves are more precise and she is able to stay on rhythm with much less effort.

After the show on the drive home, she mentioned that she thought one of her friends was such a good dancer, which also showed me how much she has grown.  She is not only doing better at her own dancing, but she is really starting to appreciate the beauty in other people's dancing as well.  

Today, she had both a piano recital and a church concert.  Fortunately, she was able to wear the same outfit to both, which made logistics a lot easier to manage. At the piano recital, she did a fantastic job playing her piece "We Three Kings" by memory with no mistakes.  I am so proud of how hard she practiced.  She put so much time and effort into making her performance great.  It was wonderful to see the fruits of her labor come to fruition.  

Afterwards at the church concert, she sang in the choir and had a speaking part. She has rehearsed at church and at home for many weeks now.  She had arm motions and everything to go with both the speaking and singing.  It was a lot of fun to watch.

It makes me so proud to see how much time, effort, and patience she has put into practicing for each of these activities.  Speaking and performing in front of crowds is something that puts fear in the hearts of many adults.  And here, my 8 year old daughter is embracing that fear and going for it.  She is also not afraid to try now; for the longest time, she hated trying or doing anything that didn't come easily to her.  Now, three times in just one week she got to show to us and herself just what you can achieve with a little bit of hard work. 

Hockey Mom

This fall, Barrett started playing hockey in the mini-mites league in Kirkwood.  It has been a huge adjustment for our family, as both Saturday and Sunday mornings now involve hockey.  That means Billy and I having to do a lot of dividing and conquering to make sure Barrett is at practices and games on time.  I'll be honest though, Billy does the vast majority of the hockey running.  I am still not that proficient with putting on all of those pads, so it's just easier for everyone if dad helps Barrett out in that regard. I might be a hockey mom, but the hockey dad is still top dog when it comes to all of the equipment.

As the season has gone on, Barrett has really started to come into his own.  It's been fun to watch him improve week to week.  At the beginning of the season, he fell a lot.  Now he does fall accidentally sometimes, but I have noticed that he tends to fall more when he is hot and tired and wants to lay on the ice.

Last week, he was lucky enough to play a quick game during the first intermission at the Blues game.  It was so fun to see him play in the big arena, although those kids look so tiny on the ice compared to the NHL players.  Barrett had one breakaway during that game, but unfortunately, his skate got caught on some rough ice and he took a hard fall. That didn't dampen his spirits though.  Honestly, I think that is what is so fun about watching him play.  He just enjoys it so much.  Every time he comes out of the locker room he is grinning ear to ear and bragging about how sweaty he is.  And each time, I ask him if he tried his best and had fun.  As long as the answer to both of those questions is a yes, then I know the game was a success!