seasons

These days, God is teaching me so much about seasons of life.  I think these lessons are magnified greatly by having a baby.  Because lately the seasons seem so apparent. 

I tend to be a bit black and white.  In this state of mind, it's easy to forget that certain times are temporary.  So when we go out to lunch with friends and don't share one word of an adult conversation because every moment is concerned with things like - ma'am do you have a high chair with a buckle that actually works and luke eat your green beans and don't throw that on the floor again and why is he screaming and can you hand me a wipe and I'll just walk him outside and then the bill comes and we've spent $36 to scarf down the lunch special as fast as we can so that little man doesn't disturb the dining patrons who are paying to enjoy a lunch without a toddler and we feel guilty and wasteful and wonder why we didn't just make PB&J at the house - I tend to imagine hundreds of lunches like this one with no relief.  Hello?  This is temporary. 

I remember when Luke was three or four months old and I cried to my husband and told him I would never ever never ever ever get to sleep through the night again.  I don't even know when it happened but I know Luke has slept through the night for months and months.  Hello!  That was temporary. 

Or when Luke was two weeks old and my friend Kathryn came to visit and I told her I hated breastfeeding because it took forty-five minutes every single time and I would never do anything else but sit in a chair and nurse.  And then, sometime around the three or four month mark, breastfeeding became so easy and nice and wonderful and I actually grew to love it.  And then my milk dried up and now I've weaned an almost twelve month old and I may or may not have cried myself to sleep about it the other night because I'm so sad that we're not nursing anymore.  Hello.  It was temporary.  And it was always going to be - temporary. 

There is a precious lovely interesting and satisfying state of mind when I let go - because the tough times will pass - and when I hold on - because these sweet moments are fleeting.  When I care a little less about the instances I want to forget, and care a little more about the times I love so much.  

gruene hall with the hembergers

On the second leg of our journey, we celebrated life and all things toddler with our friends at the Gristmill in Gruene, Tx.  It was a beautiful day and a yummy lunch...

... though between these two there wasn't much adult conversation.  And oh my gosh my kid has some crazy hair.

They're worth it, though.  Life is so much better with friends, Amen? 
By the way, that's not dandruff in their hair, it's bubble residue.  :)

a little catching up

We've had a busy January.  Check this out!

Guess where we are?  The airport!  :)

Can I just say that taking an 11 month old - by myself - through baggage drop, security, train to terminal, boarding plane, sitting on plane, leaving plane, public restrooms, baggage claim, other baggage claim, to passenger pickup - makes me feel invincible?  :)  And it makes me thankful for a Baby Bjorn, too.  

We flew to San Antonio to visit some friends.  Luke was excellent on the plane.  After he waved to all the passengers, made a big public spectacle of pooping - oh yes - and pulled the arm hairs of the middle aged male passenger next to us - he fell asleep and slept through the entire flight.

We spent the next few days with one of my favorite people on the earth and her adorable little girl. 
I got to celebrate my birthday with them, too! 

We had lunch at the health food store.

We drug the kiddos through Wal-Mart.

And had a fancy dinner overlooking the lake, thanks to favorite-person-on-earth's husband, who watched the babies one evening.  Happy birthday to me!  :)

Next, we met up with Adam and headed to another little town outside of San Antonio to visit more favorite-people-on-earth.  More details to come!  

remembering

Remembering you today, little brother. 
I miss you every day. 

week in review

It was a great week.  Filled with ...

Bringing in the new year with black eyed peas at Pops and Marley's house, which Luke loved ...

All bundled up to go on a run with mommy ...

Trying cottage cheese.  Not a fan...  (Why are all my pictures of Luke eating?)

Meeting Daddy at Fuddruckers for lunch... (Yes, lunch dates are still the secret to happiness.)

Sending in a big fat application to Shriners Hospital! ...

And lots of playing outside. 

look what we got!

We had a little credit at a sporting good's store around here, so we picked out this bike trailer for on a whim today.  I've had this purple bike since I was about 13.  Now we'll put it to good use!

Little man had his first bike ride, and I believe he liked it.
Now ... does anyone know where to find an infant helmet!?

christmas 2011

I remember thinking last year that this year would be so different.
I was right.  Maybe not in the way that I had imagined.  But I was right.

We had an absolutely beautiful Christmas.

(It wasn't necessarily captured in beautiful photographs ... but snapshots that might help me remember little man's very first holiday season!)

And here are the details - just so I remember!  

As tradition would have it, we spent Christmas Eve with Pops and Marley. 
Only this year was fajitas around our kitchen table, not a fancy steakhouse.  :)
But it was delicious and special and wonderful just the same.
Luke opened a few gifts played with some tissue paper and then headed to bed in his Christmas PJs.

On Christmas morning, Adam and I got up early to have a few minutes of quiet before the chaos. 
This, too, is a bit of a tradition.  And one of my favorite moments of the entire year.

When little man got up, he played with some new toys and some wrapping paper.
I don't think he knew it was a special day.  But he was spoiled and loved just the same! 

And in the late morning, Honey and Cramer came to celebrate. 
Adam made a turkey and we had traditional fixins.  Delicious! 
Little man played and played and played!

We spent the 26th with Adam's family this year at the Martin's.
All his sisters and all the kiddos were in town and it was gloriously loud and fun and crazy.
Paw-Paw made a yummy meal.  We all ate around big tables, and the kids told stories of Santa.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 
Isaiah 9:6.