Overheard

Kylee received a doctor Barbie from Grandpa and Grandma Lori for Christmas. She was playing with it this morning and said: "This is the nurse Barbie. She tells the Doctor what to do."

That's my girl. :)

December 18th

Well, folks, tomorrow is our 10 year wedding anniversary.

As I reflect on all the changes that the last 10 years has brought, it is amazing. To see where God has brought us...how He's led us as we've gotten there....and the lessons we've learned along the way...incredible.

Anyone who is married knows that marriage teaches you not only about your spouse, but also about yourself. Brandon and I were talking the other night about what we believe makes a marriage successful. We concluded that the success of a marriage depends, of course, on a shared belief system, but also, on the willingness of both partners to put their spouse's needs ahead of their own. I have been blessed to spend the last ten years with a man who consistently loves me as Christ loved the Church. I am very humbled. At our wedding, the Pastor's message was on Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. We have carried that Scripture with us throughout your marriage and it has been such a blessing to us, time and time again.

We have navigated a great deal over the last 10 years...having four children, telling one of them goodbye, job losses, a Master's degree, job changes, new houses, births, deaths, weddings, friendships...and the hustle and bustle that is simply life. I can't imagine that the next 10 years will be nearly as full as the last 10 years have, but somehow, with three children in our home, I know that they will bring a fullness that we have yet to discover. Along the way, there have been many times where complete brokenness seemed inevitable, and yet, we navigated trials together, and, often, our marriage came out stronger as a result of having to endure them.

There are many things that I love about Brandon. But I have to say that my favorite thing is that he is my best friend in the whole world. He sees the worst of me (including my hair first thing in the morning), and still stays. He lets me tease him and understands that sarcasm is often how I show someone that I love them. He encourages me, laughs with me, and takes the time to explain politics to me even though he knows there isn't much space in my brain to hear it. Conversely, he lets me talk through things 1,000 times, knowing that I need to process out loud (even when he doesn't have space in his brain to hear it). He does the dishes before sitting down to watch TV because he knows dishes in the sink make me crazy. He tolerates my intolerance of all things technical, and he knows that, chances are, I won't have my cell phone with me...but he still calls.

He is an AMAZING father to our children...my prayer for our daughters is that they find a man as wonderful as their Daddy is to marry someday...and that our son learns, through the example that Brandon is, of what it means to lead a family as a Godly husband. We've navigated so many things together...as husband and wife....but also as two people who genuinely LIKE each other. When I am with him, I have a strong sense that everything is going to be okay, which has been a gift to me over and over again in our marriage.

I look at our wedding pictures and think about how wonderful that day was, but I also have to think how naive we were at that time in our lives. I think "if we had known then what we know now..."

I am happy to say, even if we had known then what we know now, it wouldn't have changed a thing.

Thanks, Brandon James.

Two are better than one,

because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down, his friend can help him up.

But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.

But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Is It Christmas Yet?!?!?!

We had a great Thanksgiving. It was the first Thanksgiving in our ten years of marriage that we weren't either travelling or having company. Now, no offense to our family that we travel to see or host here at our home, but it was HEAVENLY to have a low-key holiday. We did drive to Baldwin City for Thanksgiving Day, where we obligingly ate way too much at Dad and Lori's (and had a great time doing it), but the rest of the weekend was "just us" family time...and involved A LOT of Mario Kart playing on the Wii.

Thank you to those of you who have been praying for us since our last post. Your prayers are making a difference and our spirits are lifting as a result of your kindness. Your continued support through prayer means so much!

Part of our Thanksgiving weekend involved pulling out the Christmas decorations. The kids thought this meant that Christmas was the next day...so it has been interesting to tell them, on almost a daily basis, that Christmas is still a little ways away. I love a child's enthusiasm for this time of year.

We were standing in the kitchen the other night getting ready for dinner. Connor asked THE QUESTION point blank..."Is Santa really even REAL, Mom?" I froze.

Some background...certain family members (who shall remain nameless) have given us some good natured trash for fostering the belief in our house that Santa is real. Santa was a big part of my family's Christmas growing up, and the year I found out that he didn't actually exist was DEVASTATING for me (it was the Christmas of my third grade year...I remember it like it was yesterday). So, I have allowed our children to participate in the "Santa rituals" that surround Christmas because it brought me so much joy as a child. What's the harm?

Anyway...back to the story....

Brandon and I looked at each other. We both smiled. We had talked previously about how this exact moment was going to happen anytime. I looked at Connor and then said "Daddy, what do you think?" Brandon said "No, Buddy. He isn't real." Connor smiled...like he had decoded a big mystery.

That night, as I tucked him into bed, I explained to Connor that Santa was just something fun...and that he should be careful about saying he wasn't real, because some children (including his sister) still believe in him. He asked "Then where do the Santa presents come from?" I shared that they came from Mommy and Daddy, secretly gleeful that at long last, we, not Santa, would receive credit for the REALLY cool Christmas presents he has been given over the years. ;) He smiled at me again.

While I completely understand that Jesus, not Santa, is the center of our season, having some good-natured holiday fun with the guy in the red suit has always been special (we throw out reindeer food and the whole bit). This is another sign that our little man is growing up...

Thank goodness the tooth fairy is real, right?