a year in review, 2010

little did i know when i did a similar post last year what would happen in 2010. it's been a CRAZY year!

january
i perfected a bloody mary recipe, i ran a wild 5k and subsequently injured myself the next day and it finally snowed in nashville! (and i took pictures)

february
we had an amazing and sweet valentines day with amazing flowers, and then...well, life kind of started exploding...and not in a great way.  it was mid-february that anthony's granddaddy entered the hospital with some sort of unknown (at the time) pain

march
anthony's granddaddy passed away only a few days after discovering that he had stage 4 cancer. i celebrated my birthday (anthony gave me a wii!) and found out that the mortgage company had made a huge error...

april
God remained ever faithful -- that seemed to be the theme of this month.  i got the official word that i had lost my house, and i had 10 days to move out.  and that's when the CRAZY God-stuff began happening. anthony's sister got baptized at church on the last day we were moving me out.  i was the featured WOW blogger one day. i had a massive asthma...event...among other things...and ended up in the ER and staying in the hospital overnight. i was thankful to see the calendar change from april to may until...

may
the first weekend in may, nashville flooded.
one of my best friends in indiana got married and i was in the wedding, anthony had his first published article, i spent a fantastic weekend in the gatlinburg area with my suitemates from college.

june
i spent a long weekend in delaware with laura and izzy, started a new summer nanny gig with two precious kids, i wrote a little about provision and other deeper subjects

july
God signed me up for a fantastic retreat weekend (no, really), anthony's grandma passed away, about 20 minutes after her graveside service my car was totaled when it was parked on the street -- hit and run, i headed to the beach for a whirlwind trip with some girlfriends
 
august
i began working for my friends as a nanny to their sweet little boy, we traveled to kansas city and loved our time with family there, i replaced my car

september
this was the month of CRAZY weekends!  we went to st louis with friends, had a retreat with the youth group,  we went to holiday world, i went to arkansas with natasha.

october
i attended an awesome prophetic conference where i actually was on a team that GAVE prophetic words...amazing, i got pretty real on the blog

november
i took the time to finally write out how God has orchestrated my every move for the last 2.5 years, we continued our tradition of visiting the christmas village, we found out a favorite nashville store was closing

december
we got not one but TWO white christmases!  we visited my family in indiana for our first christmas in mid-december...and it snowed.  and it snowed here christmas eve and christmas day which was a lovely thing.  it hadn't snowed here on christmas since anthony's childhood!  i joined a wonderful cell group of Spirit-filled and amazing girls.  december was pretty much a blur and i didn't blog very much of it...but that just means i was out living it :)

so 2010.  it was a very interesting year.  what a range we've been through!  heartache, loss, love, provision, abundance, and just crazy things!  i think i'll look back on 2010 as one of the best years of my life, as strange as that sounds.  yes, i lost so much in the material sense.  but what i gained in return -- what God has blessed me with -- is so much better than anything i had before. 

i can't WAIT to see what He has for me -- for us -- in 2011.  if this year was this crazy and amazing...just wait.  buckle up, guys.  i have a feeling it's going to be one awesome ride!

hey, it's ok (tuesday) .5

please visit amber for the original!

... to totally invite yourself to a new year's celebration. 
... to want to take pictures in the christmas snow, since it only happens in nashville every 20 years or so.  so, maybe when our future children are teenagers we can take more christmas snow pictures.
... to wish they had somehow figured out a way to get MORE caffeine into coffee.
... to be surprised by things you find on facebook.  for example, the guy from college who continually creeps you out suddenly being in a relationship.
... to not understand the appeal of silly bandz, but to buy them for the kids in your life anyway.
... to be so glad that it snowed in nashville more than once this year...and to be completely ready for spring to come.
... to possibly be plotting a trip to starbucks while taking kids to a fun outing.  hey, that makes it more fun for ME too!
... to have snuck the laptop into the bathroom to take a shower and listen to some awesome worship music while the kids have breakfast
(it's the only time the little one is contained enough for me to shower!)

can you tell i'm babysitting today?  i have two boys -- 3 years and 18 months -- monday through wednesday this week.  we're having a blast and i'm LOVING how early they go to bed.  not so much the wakeup call, but it's still later than i normally have to be at work, so hey.

much love, all!

Christmas, 2010

when it all comes down to it

it doesn't matter if we wrapped our gifts perfectly
with creased paper and curled ribbons

it doesn't matter if the presents contained in the beautiful wrappings
are perfect for each recipient

it doesn't matter if we gather with a small family unit
or a large ball of chaos

or if the food is perfect
or if the table settings match

it doesn't matter if we've pleasantly wished holiday greetings
or militantly insisted that only CHRISTmas be used

it matters that in the most unlikely place
to the most unlikely people
and in the most unlikely way
a tiny Child was born

and He would save the world

merry Christmas, all
and much love

hey, it's ok (tuesday) .5

hey, it's ok

... to have equally wanted all 4 groups left to win the sing-off.  mostly.  but to have been quite excited about the top two, and to have been proud of the US for choosing in the right order :-)
... to love fruit snacks, even though you know there's little "fruit" in them
... to sometimes leave the christmas tree lights on all.night.long
... to get just as excited as the 3 year old co-chef about making sugar cookies together.  and to indulge in a heavily decorated by said 3 year old's sugar cookie.
... to buy 99 cent mint water from trader joe's on occasion just because it's yummy.
... to be overwhelmed with laughter at times when you think about God's provision in your life
... to ignore the healthy options at home and head straight through a drive-thru after a rather stressful last-minute shopping trip.  salads can be had tomorrow.  :D

:-)

look up

when i was little i thought there was something magical about the christmas tree.
and i still remember deciding that what i wanted more than anything
was to be able to sleep underneath it
with all the lights on
and the nativity scene behind me

my parents realized that this was a true desire
and eventually they allowed me to spend ONE NIGHT every year under the tree

it was a night i always looked forward to
i think it was looking up in the lights and branches that enthralled me
that seemingly endless beauty
that lifted up, to where my young eyes could barely catch a glimpse of the angel

it was looking up
that was my favorite part

and as i look at my tree
sitting by a seemingly unfamiliar window
a window that isn't "mine" really

i'm captured again by the lights
the beauty
the simplicity
and i'm reminded
to look UP

in this season of the year, it's important
and in this season of my life...
well, it's vital.


(...peace on earth...)

Monday's Memory: the one with the white elephant exchange

once upon a time, in that wonderful small group i was in

(before things came to light that eventually caused our necessary disbanding)

we gathered for a Christmas party, complete with a white elephant gift exchange

all of us aimed for goofy gifts.

and they were all fantastically silly

but i will never forget that when i opened the gift i had selected from the pile

(right before the laughter broke out)

my friend michael (his son is the one i now nanny for)

said calmly and dryly

"well, you can be assured that no one will want to steal THAT one."

(here's about the point where he said it, actually.  i had no idea i had photos of that moment!)

 yeah...if you can't tell, i'm holding two identical plastic bags

both of which contained a fish

the look on my face kind of says it all.

(i told the group that if they stayed at my house they would be named "cat" and "food".  thankfully i taught across the hall from a teacher who had a fish tank in her classroom...so they became extra Christmas gifts for her!)

what's the funniest gift YOU have ever received?

it's a great day for a tea...and more!

this week's wordle:

(gee, wonder what time of the year it is!)

and

teaching, tea and making some cash!

that pretty much sums up today.  a piano lesson this morning, a tea party with some girlfriends this afternoon and an evening of babysitting first for all the children of a small group and then for the hosts kids while they attend a work party!

it'll be crazy, but productive and definitely fun :0)  i may even don a cute little dress for the tea! :-)

LOVE this

enjoy!

tonight's gonna be fun because it's our youth group outing to buy items for Youth Encouragement Services holiday store...followed by a little party. time spent with middle schoolers who are passionate about making a difference? that makes a pretty good night.

what about you?

Thursday's Ten: Christmas traditions

today's list: your favorite personal or family traditions for this time of year :0)



1. opening one (just one!) gift on Christmas Eve
my parents always let me, and i loved it.  i think i'll continue the tradition with my kids with Christmas pajamas :)
2. Christmas Eve Mass
i'm not catholic, but i love the service
3. sleeping just one night per season underneath the Christmas tree
that wouldn't be hard for me this year...considering the tree is just across the room from where i sleep anyway...
4. black Friday Christmas shopping -- online and in person
i know some think it's crazy but i love it!
5. wrapping presents. it may not be a tradition, really, but i have a rule at Christmas that there will be NO bags involved unless it's just a particularly hard gift to wrap.
i love wrapping gifts.  is that weird?
6. movies -- A's family watches the same movies every year, starting with Elf on thanksgiving night and including White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life...and a few others ;-)
and anthony and i watched Love Actually tonight...and i think we'll do Four Christmases before Christmas day
7. the Advent wreath. this year I put it up late, and didn't prepare by finding any books to do during the season...so unprepared, but hopefully this is the only year that will be a problem.
there's something so peaceful and lovely about lighting a candle and whispering simple words
8. my open house party...that's another thing that just isn't happening this year :( 
but there are plenty to attend, and i hope that next year's will more than make up for this year's lack
9.  caroling.  i haven't done it for YEARS, but maybe i should change that.  my cell group (small group) talked last night about the possibility of caroling sometime before Christmas, so who knows? :-)
we actually snuck to a friends house to sing a song for them last night...which is what brought the conversation up 
10.  playing Christmas music...constantly
normally i have only holiday music playing after thanksgiving.  this year has been a little strange in all regards.  i'm missing directing a choir, i'm missing decorating a space that's truly mine, and i've discovered pandora to play in the car...but i suppose i could choose a pandora Christmas station...

i'm sure as the years go by and i have children things will get even crazier.  but those are the simple traditions i've kept for the last 5 years or so.  what about you?