Our Top 10 of 2013

Yesterday was Reflection Sunday at our church and we sat in groups of 8-12 people looking back on the year; opening up about what we've learned and how we'd like to grow in the next year. Pastor Kevin encouraged us to celebrate the year, but also to examine it. Shane and I went on a dinner/movie date Sunday night and while we ate a delicious meal overlooking the Spokane Falls we made a Top 10 of 2013 list. It was meaningful, painful and graceful. And since this is my first year of being on Instagram, here is our list with some of my Instagrams (and a couple not mine) to help tell the story.

1. Bought a minivan and I couldn't be happier with it! First year as a family of five, yo.
   
2. Took a road trip to Redding, CA to visit Shane's grandmother and stopped in Bend, OR to visit his brother, Moshe. The scenery was incredible, the memories unique, and it felt like a real vacation!
   
3. My sister, Ali, as well as my parents flew up for a visit on separate occasions! Big blessings!
   
   
   
   
   
4. Found out my sister, Olivia, and her husband are having their first baby! So excited for baby Ezra to make his entrance this month!

   

   From Marcuss' Instagram. Photo Credit: Josh Adkins

5. Shane and I officially have all of our student loans paid off and are DEBT FREE.
   
6. Oliver started kindergarten this year and goes to a homeschool co-op 2-days a week.
   
7. Shane ran his first half-marathon.

   

   Not an Instagram shot. :) Photo Credit: Outdoor Monthly

8. We had a near-tragedy that shifted our priorities and deepened our gratitude. It's a story we are not yet ready to spread beyond family and a few close friends, but it was the defining moment of 2013 for us.
   
9. Shane applied for a job that he did not end up getting, but in the process we nailed down some very important vocational and family goals. This was huge for us and we're thankful for that late night of hard questions and honest, hopeful discoveries. "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." (Proverbs 16:9)
   
   
   
   
   
10. We connected with new people in our church and Oliver's school, hosting more people in our home this year than any year before. Hospitality was one of our goals for 2013, and even the times we didn't ask for it we accepted it. God is gracious to grow us when we are willing.
    
    
    
    

What would be on your top 10 list for the last year? What do you hope will end up on your 2014 list?

Mirabelle • Six Months

Gee whiz. This is a high-speed experience, raising children. I'm turning 29 next month, have 3 kids now, and my youngest is 6 months although it feels like I just came home from the hospital last month. Mirabelle is mystically growing like a pan of bread dough rising on the countertop. She's just going with it though and so are we. The world seems to be a natural and altogether good experience for Mirabelle. I'm so thankful for her easy temperament and good health. I'm also thankful that Oliver and Benjamin seem to not feel threatened at all, and daily embrace Mirabelle as an extension and vital component of their life. What I love most about my life right now goes beyond "my family." I love that we are so finely knit together that we are one unit and cannot function very independently from each other. I find it very hard to view them apart from myself to see how a stranger might see them. Each child feels like a limb on my body. Shane feels like my Siamese twin (I understand that "better half" phrase now). Sometimes I wish I could just remove myself for a bit only for that chance to look from the outside and appreciate it as a beautiful piece of art. That's what it really is. God's masterpiece for our life. It's a daily challenge to view my surroundings objectively and always with a thankful heart. I'm just surviving most days and functioning in default mode. It can get pretty chaotic and there isn't much organization to our household, honestly. But thankfully we do have simple routine. We have God as our center for decisions, priorities...life. If we can pinpoint our constants, than the variables are less likely to throw us all off.

By the way, Mirabelle is crawling now. I'm pretty sure the boys didn't crawl until 7 months. She's a go-getter. She's babbling, drooling and eating occasional solid foods. Isn't it amazing that my milk is enough to sustain that ball of dough?! No wonder I'm down to my high school weight (Don't hate. I'm feeble and without muscle other than my right arm that holds a baby on my hip.).

If you haven't already discovered Shane's blog, you will most likely find it a gazillion times more entertaining than mine. He's so creative and gives a glimpse into life as a stay-at-home dad. I'm more of a milestones blogger these days. :) You can follow me on Pinterest or Instagram to see more daily happenings and interests.

Mirabelle • Three months

I love this picture Shane took because her blue eyes stand out. But I couldn't decide which one of these is better...

We're full swing back into our routine except with an extra child on our hands. It's going really well considering. I'm very much enjoying my time at work and at home. Each brings a greater appreciation for the other. Life seems well balanced for the time being. The only things that have held me back this month are a kidney stone (Yeah, it's pretty close to the pain of childbirth…minus the pushing.) and giving up coffee, morning cartoons and eating out for Lent. All those who love me think I'm nuts. Why make things so hard on yourself? It's edifying and revealing though. Just believe me. If anything it's a way of arriving at a place of simplicity and purity while preparing inwardly for Easter.

Shane's helping our friends move out of their house today before they leave for Tanzania for three long years. One thing we can never forget is that life doesn't stop changing and God never stops moving. Let's be thankful.

P.S. Take a look at these amazing faces! These gifts from God.

Mirabelle • Two Months

Mirabelle is gaining some nice rolls, yeah? She's semi-giggling too (about time). Her smiles are soul-enriching, her temperament is peaceful and the one thing she loves almost as much as milk is what you can expect from any girl: being adored. She's happiest when someone is loving on her and talking to her, and yet she never demands it. She kindly seems to understand that there are sometimes other priorities. I don't know how she does it.

This picture was taken on the 10th (exactly 2 months after her birth). But due to an impromptu family road trip to northern California, this post got a bit delayed. We visited Shane's 90-year-old grandmother and aunt for a few days but split the trip up both ways by spending time with his older brother who lives in Bend, Oregon. It was a great way to end maternity leave with a bang. It's hard to describe these last 12 weeks at home in full sentences - too many juxtapositions for my wee mind to express (Know what I mean?!).

But in all, I've realized a lot about the current state of my family and my role in it. It has been difficult to stretch myself between being a passionate wife, passionate mother and full-time flippin' passionate designer for a passionate ministry!  *wipes brow*  It feels like I'm never giving enough to anything. Wouldn't I be much more effective if I poured myself into one thing instead of four or five? But I'm starting to better see how God is orchestrating pieces within each of these areas of life and how they all benefit one another. It's more cohesive than I thought.

Time is good for us. It shows us where we've come from and what a gift today is, which in turns gives motion to what's ahead.

11 months...whaaat?

This is crazy. Benjamin is almost 1 year old! Life has moved so fast this last year I'm almost falling out of my chair. He's a strong walker and climber. Our predictions from the womb are holding true. We figured this boy would be a go-getter with lots of energy. He doesn't have much desire for learning words and reading books. There are too many other things to do! Like learn to climb up on couches and beds, bang on Dad's djembe, find a way to sneak into the bathroom and splash in the toilet (not a joke). I'm not saying he doesn't care about communicating. He LOVES to tell you what he thinks. You WILL hear his side of the story. You might not understand, but you'll know he cares. He is the loudest when he knows you aren't listening. He is probably going to be one of those tantrum-throwing 2-year-olds. So, I need to start working on showing him that I am listening and I do understand how it feels. It's tragic when you want to play with sharp, pointy pencils and no one will let you. Poor guy.

I'm wondering if Benjamin will be a good artist though. I handed him a crayon when Oliver and I were drawing pictures and instead of holding it in a fist like most babies do, he turns the crayon around and holds it like a paintbrush and start scribbling away. Made Shane and I exclaim proudly.

This last month Benjamin has started taking a liking to brushing his teeth. That took us by surprise. He sees  us doing it and wants to join in the fun. He's pretty good at it, but needs more than 2 teeth if he wants to spend 5 whole minutes scrubbing.

It sure is fun to see how children can look and act so differently. Makes me want another one just to see what else our genes can come up with! Haha. ...I'm not in any hurry though. I'm enjoying not having any baby fat. This isn't likely to last forever.

10 months, yo.

Leaps and bounds this past month!

Benjamin is now walking. But only in straight lines. :)
He has two beautiful bottom teeth!
He's getting even LOUDER.
He can clap, wave and say "haaaa" (hi).
His hair is getting much lighter and even curly in the back.
His diet is consisting of more table food and water.
He is more clingy and shies away from other people.
We started leaving him in the nursery at church and he has a really great time it seems. He's just way too loud for the church service!
If you say, "I'm gonna get you!" He squeals and crawls in the other direction.
He dances every time he hears a beat.
Benjamin celebrated his first Fourth of July. We don't have pictures of the ground fireworks we played with, but here he is that same weekend.

Benjamin is 9 months!

This little booger wants to grow up. He's toothless, but already standing up on his own without holding onto anything. Yesterday he took his first step! It was just one, and we'll let you know when walking really begins. We noticed he doesn't learn for the sake of learning or reward, but progresses when he's having fun. I'm not even sure he realizes he's learning to walk. He doesn't respond as much as Oliver did to our praise and excitement. He's just having fun and doing his own thing. Confident, independent, vocal. He cries and yells for just about everything, but I don't think it's an emotional thing. He just wants you to know what he thinks. He wants to be heard and gets over it once you acknowledge his point.

We're having a lot of fun with Benjamin. He has added a whole new personality to our home. We're exhausted, but very much in love with God's gift of family.