Baby on the loose

We have now entered the "crawling stage" with Hudson. So far he likes to crawl and find tiny things he can put in his mouth. Some of those that we've rescued from his little paws include: hairballs, rug lint, old Christmas tree needles, and dust bunnies in the corners of the house. Yum, yum! And I thought our floor was clean...

When I'm working in the kitchen and he's playing in the living room, often I'll hear the little pitter patter of his hands hitting the wood floor. He shuffles along, makes his long journey to the kitchen, and proudly peeks his little face around the corner as if to say, "I'm here!"
How can I resist?

Snow

"Mom, it's this deep," Emma said as she showed me with her hands.

It was a fun day to be outside in the fresh snow.

Happy Birthday, Jeff!

Jeff's birthday was Saturday and he celebrated it like he lives his life...fully! We started with a big breakfast, then he took Emma on a date to Starbucks, demolished the attic with Clay, and went out on the town with me in the evening!
I am so thankful to be married to this amazing man! I admire his passion for life, for people, and for Jesus. I admire the way he serves as he leads our family and others. I love how he pushes, challenges, and encourages me to not just stay comfortable, but to take risks and live into the adventure God has for us. I love you, Jeff, and hope for many more full years to come. You're the best!

Sick Day

Emma stayed on the couch all day after throwing up this morning. I thought she looked so pretty sleeping in the sunshine this afternoon, all snuggled up in my great-grandma Frieda's quilt. Get well soon, Emmy Lu!

Christmas Memories

On Christmas Eve, our kids slept in sleeping bags beside the tree. When it was time for bed, Em asked, "Daddy, when Mommy goes to sleep, can you put on a Santa hat and come down and pretend you're Santa Claus?" Well, Jeff did better than that... He came up with quite a Santa costume--a maroon sweater, a red blanket "skirt," black belt, and white tank top beard. We heard some clatter and thumps upstairs. (That was the reindeer landing on the house.) Then pretty soon a very loud "Ho ho ho" shout came down the stairs. When they saw Daddy, they couldn't help but smile. Then Clay started singing that silly Christmas twangy song, "Santa looks a lot like Daddy, Daddy looks a lot like him...
The next morning, we had eggs and ham, pomegranates, and cinnamon rolls smothered in cream cheese frosting for breakfast. Here are Clay's presents to us. He hand-wrapped and taped them himself. He gave Jeff 36 cents, and Hudson 2 Legos. Emma also got in on the action and gave some money to us too. Clay had been asking for a Bible for awhile. He was thrilled to open this! Em's "new" vintage teacup held her hot cocoa that night.

It was a simple Christmas, but filled with lots of laughter and memorable moments. I am so thankful to God for this sweet little family He's given me. And so thankful that He sent Jesus, who came 2,000 years ago, but continues to come to us today.