Mid-Week Momfessions

Last week all three kids had strep throat.

Strep throat is like my kryptonite. I swear, I can hear that some random person, I have never even met has strep throat and BAM! I'm in the bed feeling like death. Cross my heart- it's been that way as long as I remember.

And no sooner were we kinda sorta maybe on the upswing this week when it's like we have this nasty head cold- coughs, snot, low fevers, more snot, headaches, sinus aches, and snot. Lots of snot.

And when weeks are passing like this- wave after wave of something- there is not even a thought of cooking healthy family meals, preparing stunningly awesome family devotions, writing copious amounts of amazing blog posts- it's more like I have to make it through this sickness alive, if I die Ladybug will never go in public with her hair brushed again because OH MY GOODNESS if it doesn't seem to bother Hubby that he's walking out the door to take the kids to school and her hair looks like a commune for a colony of rats (again).

Can I be honest that that is really one of my main fears about my own premature death? Does that make me shallow?

Sweet Siblings

...and my heart is a puddle.

(And although I know they will want to kill me when they are 17 and 16 for sharing this with the interwebs at large - I just love it too much to keep it to myself. You're welcome.)

The Dentist vs. The Superheroes

You know what you don't want to hear two hours before you're supposed to be at the airport to catch a plane out of America?

"You need a root canal."

Now I'm half a world away and half-way done getting my first root canal. (I'm not sure if that's normal, but the dentist here said she's not done and I need to come back next week. Oh life overseas, you never cease to amaze.)

Luckily, I have these adorable superheroes on my side:

...and if stuff goes sour at the dentist on Friday, I know they'll be able to bring me around with their super-powered, sticky-handed hugs and super-strength, slobbery kisses.

from us to you

Christmas Guy

Stinkbug says, "I'm the Christmas guy!"

I think he means Joseph or maybe a shepherd. Either way this kid is hilarious.

Every time he sees a nativity scene set up he calls it an "Away in a Manger"-- Mommy, look they have an Away in a Manger! And then he gently starts moving the pieces around until they are all surrounding baby Jesus while singing Away in a Manger out loud to himself. 

And I'm treasuring all these things up and pondering them in my heart.

Christmas Thoughts

She wasn't married. But she was pregnant.

In her time, in her society, pregnancy outside of marriage was not acceptable. It caused more than curious glances and shoulder shrugs by passersby.

It was a crime punishable by death.

And yet this was the way He chose to reach out to humanity.

~~~~~~~~~~

He was a hard worker. A faithful man, and yet it appeared his betrothed had not been.

His dreams for a future and a family, crushed beneath the weight of an unexpected baby.

But a Rescuer, expected and anticipated by all of fallen creation.

~~~~~~~~~~

As beautiful and serene as we try to paint the Nativity, it wasn't. There was sweat and blood pooling around Mary as she pushed her Savior into the world. He didn't land in a confident midwife's arms, but in the outstretched, calloused hands of plain, hardworking Joseph-- the only one there to catch the baby, who would one day stretch out His own arms to save broken humanity.

~~~~~~~~~~

God didn't send the angelic choir to give the news to the most important people of the day-- most of us would have invited the governor, the senators, the city councilmen, the temple priests, the doctors and lawyers-- instead He chose to tell a rag tag group of shepherds. Men without beauty or wealth or fame. The most ordinary of ordinary. 

And He sends us a message with His message-- there is no one lowly or unworthy for this baby Savior... Come see! Come believe! Come be saved! Come all! Come seek the baby Savior!

~~~~~~~~~~

A King for all mankind, not robed in purple, but swaddled in plain cloth.

A Savior for the people, not hailed by the masses, but adored by dirty shepherds in a dingy stable.

It's a story riddled with scandal. If we hadn't have heard it so many times before, it might surprise us-- the way God chose to wrap Himself in flesh and present Himself to the world. 


But as we gaze upon the baby in a wooden manger bed, and see through His story, to the hard wood of His cross etching its marks forever upon His body of flesh, we can rejoice and with the angels sing

Joy to the World the Lord has come!Let earth receive her king!Let every heart prepare Him room!

Coats, Coats, Coats

Things in life don't ever seem to turn out as well as I imagine them. In spite of a yucky rainy day, we loaded the kids up and went to the bazaar in search of coats.

Of course everything had already gone wrong this morning-- baby with a fever, kids fighting, parents speaking unkind words to each other. Ain't that always the way it goes when you're trying to be a "good Christian" and do something like buy 14 coats to send to poor children who live in a cold, snowy, devastated place? That's how it seems to go for us anyway...

I think Hubby's face says it all here. But doesn't he look like St. Nick with his big bag o' coats?

We got 14 coats. We actually ended up having more than $100 to spend on coats. When I blogged yesterday, two people wanted me to buy a couple of coats from them to add in, so the blessing multiplies. God is good.

(I totally realize the picture of the coats is oriented wrong, and usually I would so care, but I just don't today. If you've ever dragged three kids- one sick- to the outdoor bazaar in the rain after a horrible night's sleep, you understand. Ahem.) 

In spite of the rain and the bad moods, we shared some sweet conversation with the kids about why we were buying so many coats and where they were going to go. 

Ladybug promptly burst into tears and said, "I don't want to go to Van!" I think she thought we were cancelling our trip to America for Christmas and heading to Van to deliver the coats instead. After that misunderstanding was cleared up, she was very happy to help get the coats.

And I may still be a little disappointed that I didn't win an iPad... but how can I be anything but joyful that he will have a coat this week?