Just the Two of Us

  This Christmas was good to us. I mean, this Christmas our families were so good and generous to us. My favorite gifts that we received this year were opportunities for experiences that we probably wouldn't have gotten for ourselves. Season passes to Silver Dollar City, babysitting coupons, gift cards to restaurants ... these are a few of my favorite things.

  Anyway, this year my parents gifted us a night away at a hotel & a couple's massage, as well as childcare for our mini stay-cation. We took advantage of their generosity last night - sort of an early Valentine's get-away - and ... It. Was. Glorious.

  I'm always writing about the kiddos, so I thought it would be nice to document the fact that we did something that didn't involve Veggie Tales, diapers, pacifiers, and Hot Wheels. Yesterday afternoon my mom cam over after we got the little ones down for their naps, and then we took off. Freedom! Well, first we went and signed a dozens of papers since we are refinancing our house (yay!), and ... freedom! We picked up lunch and checked into our suite. It was quiet. It had cable. We ate, watched pointless television, read, and then napped at 5pm. Because we could.

  After our evening naps we got ready for dinner at Eleven, the restaurant at Crystal Bridges museum. We've been wanting to try it out for a while, and we were not disappointed. I ordered the Arctic Char and it was seriously one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth. I told Josh I would eat the dish everyday if I could, and if we hadn't been in public I probably would have licked my plate. Instead, I settled for scraping every last teensy piece of quinoa off of my plate and using the side of my fork to scoop up the remnants of the pomegranate balsamic reduction. So, you should eat there sometime.

  After dinner we ran by Wal-Mart to pick up some snacks, then went back to the hotel for more R&R. I was a little bummed that I had a really difficult time falling asleep ... apparently I now need the noise of the kids' sound machines coming through their monitors to purr me to sleep. When I finally turned on the sound machine app on my phone I was out like a light. Until 10:30am. That was amazing. Sadly, I woke up to discover I had a voicemail from the spa telling me one of the massage therapists came down with the flu, so we'll have to get our massages another time. The theme of relaxation continued until we checked out at lunchtime and decided to try out Pho Thanh, a Vietnamese restaurant in Bentonville. It was ridiculously good. The prices were very reasonable, we got WAY more food than we expected, and the waitress was so sweet and helpful. The eggrolls were delicious, and if you go I would recommend ordering the bun thit nuong cha gio, or "B2" (this was my first experience with Vietnamese food and it made me feel like less of a rookie to type the full name).

    A quick Target trip after lunch yielded a super cute pair of mint skinny jeans for me ... they actually aren't cute on at all right now, but I need motivation to make myself start working out, so I bought a size too small in hopes that they'll fit sometime in the 90 day return period :) We then arrived home to find a clean house with my massive pile of ironing done (thanks mom!) and sleeping babies. Cora woke a few minutes later and spent about 45 minutes just snuggling me: cooing, playing with my hair, flirting with her daddy, and sweetly flopping her head over on me. She's a heart-melter, that one.

Ahhh. It's good to be home.

All Aboard!

  This summer presented our family with round 2 being unable to do much all together. Last summer Josh's foot was broken, so Liam and I did most of our adventuring without him. This summer I have been the one who is limited, activity-wise, due to being exceedingly pregnant or needing to feed a newborn every couple of hours. Josh and Liam have done a lot together: they've gone to Silver Dollar City a couple of times, have spent many hours playing outside at our house and the park, and have gone on bike rides and runs together. While I have really appreciated the hours of quiet in our house that have allowed me to get to know our little Cora, I have been a little bummed about all the fun I've missed out on.

 So, when some sweet friends of ours offered us their tickets for the Arkansas and Missouri train ride from Springdale to Van Buren and back, I decided that Cora and I could use a day out with our boys. The day started early - we had to be at the depot at 7:30, which meant getting up at 6:00 to have enough time to get ready, feed Cora, and load everyone up. (My day actually started at 4:15 when Cora woke up to eat and then couldn't get back to sleep until 5:00 ... by that point I didn't do much sleeping since I knew I had to get up in an hour).

 I had no idea what to expect out of the trip. I assumed that there would be very few passengers, and that they would be mostly elderly folks. I was surprised to be wrong on both assumptions. Our car was pretty full, and though the majority of the passengers were older, there were quite a few other families with younger kids and a few younger couples (including some friends we hadn't seen in a long time). Cora fell back to sleep in the car on the way to the depot and gratefully was able to stay asleep as we waited to board.

 I knew Liam would be excited to get on the train, but we weren't really sure how long it would take us to get to Van Buren, and I was a little worried he would get really bored. I packed some toys, lots of snacks, books, and a coloring/sticker book to try to help appease him if he got antsy. I WAY underestimated how much he would enjoy the trip, because we ended up only looking at two of the books during the last 20 minutes of the trip down. He loved it!

 The seats on the train had moveable backs, so you could make them face one another, which was great because Liam was able to move back and forth between Josh and I. He loved looking out the window (and holding his ticket) and telling us all about what we were passing. He just loved being on "Wemiwy" (Emily - the train from Thomas the train that he decided we were riding).

 Cora stayed asleep (praise the Lord!) until it was time for her to eat again, and then was very content to just sit on our laps and look around.

 After a while, we traded kids so that Liam could sit on my lap for a bit, and Cora actually fell asleep sitting on Josh's lap. This may seem like a normal thing for a baby to do, but it was sort of a miracle for her. She NEVER just falls asleep - it almost always is a very involved, squirmy process - so it was a precious treat. I think the jostling and bumping of the train was really soothing to her.

 

 When we arrived in Van Buren and the hostess said, "be back at the depot in 3 hours", Josh and I looked at one another with dread on our faces. We knew we'd have enough time to eat lunch before getting back on the train, but we had no idea we'd have 3 whole hours to kill with two little kiddos. So, if you take this trip with small children, here are my suggestions:

• Walk (slowly) down main street to the courthouse with the fountain outside. Fountains are always entertaining for toddlers, and shade is good for babies.

• Visit the combination coffee shop/bookstore (I don't remember what it was called). The had a great little sitting area where I was able to feed Cora (which was much better sitting on a park bench on main street while nursing) and they had a fun kid area with toys where Josh and Liam played until I was done.

• Eat at Boomarang Burgers. They had yummy burgers and really great fries, and their kids meal came in this neat little cardboard car that Liam has loved playing with.
• Get ice cream at one of the little shops on Main Street.

 We were so thankful that we were able to keep Liam entertained for the 3 hours, and Cora did fairly well. If you start to run out of things to do, you can always watch your own dance moves in the reflection of the windows to a restaurant. I'm sure the patrons of this restaurant were highly entertained by what Liam calls the "train dance".

 The end of the day brought some rough moments. I had timed Cora's feeding so she would be ready to eat as soon as we got back on the train, but then the train was a good half an hour late in coming back, so she was pretty cranky and there was no good place to feed her at the crowded little depot. Also, on the way back our car was at the front, right behind the engine, so it was super loud every time the whistle blew, which was really often. Liam was able to fall asleep right away, as long as Josh kept his hand over his ear. Cora, however, couldn't get relaxed with all the whistling, so she had a tough ride home. All in all, it was a great outing and we were so glad we had the chance to go. I don't know if I'd pay full price to take the trip with little ones, but if you ever come across a good deal on them, it's a great little family adventure!

Good & Not So Good

  Even though I should be sleeping right now, I thought I'd take the few quiet minutes before my eyelids clang shut to briefly reflect a few thoughts from the last few days of our Memphis trip. It's been mostly wonderful, with just a few rougher parts to it, so here you have it:

The Good:

• Getting focused, quality time with some of the girls in my small group, and getting to know many of the other jr. high students much better. I'm around these kids all the time, but since I'm always chasing down Liam it's tough to really get names & faces put together and to learn important things, like what their families are like, or who their celebrity crushes are :)
• Serving alongside my husband. In a way, I am always aware that I am serving alongside my husband. When he goes on trips or has church activities that I'm unable to be involved in because I need to be caring for Liam, I know that by taking care of things at home, I am freeing him up to serve elsewhere. However, this week it has been neat to get to physically be alongside him as we serve ... watching him interact with students and seeing how his leadership style has developed over the last couple of years when I've been too busy being a giant pregnant woman or caring for a baby to take much notice of those things.
• Being reminded of how much I love students. Again, I'm around them a lot, but usually I have so much going on when I'm with them that I don't really see them. This week I've been reminded of how awesome it is to watch the early stages of the journey that begins as the ability to (sometimes) use critical thinking skills, the development of (some) self-awareness, and all the passion and earnestness of adolescence collide. No wonder it's such an awkward time in life. It's a little like watching baby chicks hatch from eggs: so weird, yet so amazing. I love teenagers.
• Feeling different parts of my brain light up that don't get used as much as of late. While I LOVE my days at home and would not trade this time for anything, it's fun to remember certain traits that I possess that tend to lie dormant during this stage in life. I don't really have a need for some of them in my daily life, but it's been fun to dust them off and function in a different role than I do normally.
• Being challenged to pray in new ways for my son & daughter. All this focused time with students has really been a great reminder to be so, so prayerful for my children and who they will become. Now that I'm a parent, it's so neat to be around some of these kids and realize how honored and grateful their parents must feel as they see who their children are becoming. It's overwhelming to think about what a joy it would be to see Liam display some of the qualities I've observed in some of the boys this week, as he becomes a young man.

Now, the Not So Good:

• Being away from Liam for 5 nights. Ugghhh. He just about killed me when I called him today and he said, "Mommy, home?" as soon as he got on the phone. I miss my little curly-headed love a TON and I can't wait to get home to him Friday afternoon.
• Having crazy long, jam-packed days, while being quite pregnant. I've been getting up earlier and going to bed later than I do at home, sitting much less, and working at more exhausting tasks. If I was sleeping on an air mattress in the gym with everyone else, I think I would have been completely worthless by day 2 of the trip. Praise the Lord for the Austells and the comfortable bed in a quiet room that they are letting me use. I'm also thankful they have hot showers ... I've taken my fair share of freezing cold showers on mission trips in the past, but I'm grateful this year is not one of those years.

That about sums it up ... one more day of work and play tomorrow,  and then Friday I head home to my boy!

Holiday Update #1

  Well, it's been 5 months since I've done an update on Liam's development, and I completely skipped over any blogging about the holidays. We (hopefully) will find out the gender of this new little one in 9 days, so I'm hoping to get caught up before that so I can turn all my attention toward the future. And, since I'm sitting in a quiet house recovering from a stomach virus, what better time to do a little catching up? (Also, the fact that I already can't keep up with things I would normally do and this 2nd baby is still inside me does NOT make me feel hopeful about my future productivity). I'll take today to do a little holiday update, and then I'll write about what Liam is like as a 20 month old later on this week.

Thanksgiving
  This year we celebrated Thanksgiving with my family, and got to join in the tradition they started last year of celebrating the holiday in Florida, at the beach. We may not have had a traditional Thanksgiving meal, but I think walking in the white sand, drinking lemonade at the end of November, and eating piles of crab legs on Thanksgiving night distracted us from any possibility of missing turkey and cranberry sauce.

  Even though Liam's first trip to the beach was only 3 months before our Thanksgiving trip, I couldn't believe how much older he seemed. The fact that we forgot his bucket hat & had to buy him this silly, gray ball cap just made him seem that much bigger.

  We didn't really spend any time in the water - Destin weather was much nicer than the weather in NWA, but not really hot enough that you'd want to swim in the ocean in November. Liam was again a little uncertain about the sand at first, but he got used to it quickly.

Checking out aunt Abbie's beach reading

Taking a stroll down the beach with Nana & Uncle Zach

Watching the waves with Grandad

Reading break with Daddy at Sundog Books

My little Sunshine

Liam & I both got really excited about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade :)

  A new trick Liam started on this trip was "crying" like a baby. One night while we were out at a restaurant he heard a little baby crying at the table next to us and started mimicking it. For the next few weeks he thought it was hilarious to fake cry every time we told him to "cry like a baby" (we thought it was pretty funny, too).

  The timing of the trip was great for me, as it was one of the more nauseous weeks I experienced during my 1st trimester. While it probably would have been more fun had I not felt queasy much of the time, if you're going to feel sick it might as well be at the beach surrounded by family who make all your meals and entertain your toddler. Much to be thankful for!

Girls Weekend & Goals Update

I love my little family SO much. I am quite content to spend the huge majority of my time with my son and husband. This is probably why, in the 5 years I have been married, I have never left for a girl's weekend with friends. Never, that is, until this weekend.

One of my dear friends, Becky, turned 30 today; and her request for her birthday was for a few of her friends to head to Orlando with her for the weekend. On Thursday evening Becky, Sally & I got on an Orlando-bound flight and met up with Sally's sister, Kim when we arrived at our condo. It was such a fun weekend. I've known all 3 of these girls since grade school, when we all performed in church musical productions and babysat in the nursery together.  Even though I wasn't close friends with them until we were all older, I have always enjoyed and admired each of them, and it was such a treat to get to spend 3 days together. It should be noted that we all really missed our friend, Ginny, who we wished could have been in attendance; but she's been really busy doing things like meeting her sweet daughter, Lena, in Ukraine. And that is definitely an amazing reason to miss a girl's weekend.

We didn't take too many pics of the weekend, as we were too busy sleeping in, outlet mall shopping, laying by the pool, and eating to bother with cameras. (Sort of reminds me of my trip to Cancun with Josh ... I promise all my vacations aren't so lazy, just the ones that don't involve my tiny child waking me before dawn).

Me (with glowing eyes), Becky, Sally, & Kim

It was so fun to get to relax with sweet, laid back gals who love Jesus and just talk for hours. Thanks, Becky, for wanting a birthday gift that was really a gift for all of us.

12x2012

 I think I should do a weekly update on my goals to help keep me motivated. So, here's the hard, cold truth:
1. I did not read my Bible over the weekend. I was gone, forgot to pack it, and was lazy. I followed through on the other 4 days of the week, though.
2. final fabric came in for quilt, but no work was done.
3. no progress on piles
4. no progress on winter wreath, but Becky & I decided we will make them together
5. I read a couple of chapters in Don't Make me Count to Three
6. I printed off the registration form for the exam and filled it out
7. We had a WILD playdate at our house with Bryson, Joel, Rocky, Fischer, and Lilly and their mamas last Tuesday
8. no progress on Christmas stockings
9. I washed about half of the windows before we left - the ones that had blinds installed on them while I was gone
10. no progress on pallet seating
11. no running. at all. whoops.
12. no progress on Liam's book

Not horrible, considering I was out of town for several days, but I need to get in gear if I'm going to get half this stuff finished. My goal for this week is to be more faithful with numbers 1 & 11, and to complete numbers 6 & 9.

September in Review: the Fun Part

I mentioned in my previous post that my lack of blogging was due to both happy & sad circumstances. I intentionally shared the sad first, so I could hopefully lighten the mood a little by sharing some of the great fun we had in September.

 The month started off with a sweet reunion of 5 of the families that moved to Brazil 30 years ago to start a church plant in Fortaleza. Josh's parents lived there for about 7 years, and Josh and his sister Heather were both born there. I had previously met one of the families, but it was so fun to get to meet 3 of the others that I have heard so much about, and I think all of us "kids" that were in attendance loved hearing the former missionaries reminisce about the ways the Lord provided for them as they worked to raise a young church and young families in another culture (we also loved/cringed at the hilarious/awkward stories parents always seem to have on hand).

The Jenks, Copelands, Lawsons, & Chisholms; together again.

 At the end of the reunion weekend, we spent Labor Day driving down to Dallas so we could catch an early Tuesday morning flight to Cancun! Even though we had left Liam with Josh's parents a couple of weeks earlier so we could go to the Dispatch concert in St. Louis, this was our first actual trip without the little buddy. We had gotten a great deal on 3 nights at an all-inclusive and decided to use it to kick-off Josh's sabbatical. The weather was wonderful, the resort was pretty quiet, and we were so relaxed and lazy that we only took TWO pictures during the 4 days we were there. I think it was too much work to move our arms to lift a camera :) Anyway, here they are, for your viewing pleasure:

Ahhh, the beach.

Ahhh, delicious food.

 Two days after we got home from our Mexican get-away, I had the honor of helping hostess a sip and see for one of my friends/former cell group girls. Kayla moved to our area when she was a senior in high school and was part of the small group I led that year. I felt an instant bond with her, and was blessed to become even better friends with her during her college years at the U of A. She now lives with her husband and adorable little girl in Colorado, so it was so fun to get to celebrate London while they were in town last month.

Pink & orange party table - so fun to get to plan something girly!

Maryanne, Kevie, Me & Kayla (former cell group girls, all grown up!)

 For Josh's second week of sabbatical we had considered going to the beach again with Liam, or perhaps heading to Little Rock & Kansas City to visit some friends; but we decided it would be more relaxing to just stay home and plan fun little day trips as a family.

not a trip, but fun hanging out with Daddy next to the new firepit

 One of our outings was to the nearby animal "safari". Josh and I had both gone years decades ago, and it was so fun to take Liam to see all the animals. We thought he'd love the monkeys, but in true little kid fashion, he got the most excited about animals we could see for free anytime. Like this calf (Liam's Papa has dozens of cows):

 Or like these kittens (we don't have cats, but if I had known they'd get this response, I would have been taking him to the pet store weekly).

We also took our first family hike of the fall, and Liam got to ride in comfort in the new backpack carrier. I love this picture because it's so fun to see how much has changed since our first family hike last fall.

Lawson fam, fall 2011

Lawson fam, fall 2010

No family hike is complete without Jack in attendance, and for him, no hike is complete without getting super muddy and then shaking all over us. He, of course, was not disappointed.

Jack & Liam doing some exploring of their own.

 The last week of Josh's sabbatical was, sadly, the week I miscarried, but even in that we saw God's gracious hand. I'm so glad Josh was able to be home with us that week: partly so he could help out with Liam, but mostly so we could just have more time as a family to process and rest. Oh, and so we could be refreshed by laughing at the antics of our little performer:

because every one year old needs a trucker hat

and because in Liam's mind there is no such thing as a neutral face - he is ALWAYS animated.

Hold My Hand, Just One More Time

The cold January night in 2005 when my sweet husband asked me to be his girlfriend, we sat in his little Acura and talked about our relationship while the song, Elias, by Dispatch, jammed over the speakers.

Ten and a half months later, Josh drove south on I-540 with Elias on repeat, celebrating having received my parents' blessing to ask me to be his wife.

When we were choosing our wedding music we realized that Elias had sort of become "our song". Perhaps a bit less romantic than "The Way You Look Tonight" or something along those lines; but then again ... isn't real romance found in the unique blending of who you and your love are, instead of in some shrink-wrapped ideal that you can grab off the shelf at Hallmark? Anyway, Elias it was, and so, after we had said our vows and exchanged our rings, we took our first steps into our life as the Lawsons with the djembe and bongos setting our pace.

Fast forward five years and two months. I am standing in a crowded little venue, the Pageant, in St. Louis. My husband is trying to shield me from the flailing elbows of moshing frat boys and I'm wondering how it is that I'm surrounded by so many other concert attendees that do not have the "over-21-stamp" on their right hands. I'm realizing that when this band called a hiatus in 2002, these kids couldn't have been any older than 11. I feel old. Actually, I feel seasoned ... I love that for the past seven years (since Josh introduced me to Dispatch) this music has provided a significant part of the soundtrack to our relationship.

 They play all the best songs. They play some new ones, too, and the story behind one of them makes me cry. It is the most fun I have ever had at a concert and I feel so lucky that we are there, just 10-15 feet from the stage where Brad, Pete, & Chad look like they are having a pretty good time, too. It is the best way we could celebrate our 5th anniversary (2 months later).

And just in case you haven't had the opportunity to hear "our song", I give you, Elias (there's probably a better way to embed songs, but I don't feel like taking the time to figure it out right now):

Elias by DISPATCH

Beach Trip Numero Uno

 Last week our little family ventured down to Gulf Shores for a few days of r&r (ha ha ... that's just a little parent-of-a-toddler sarcasm) at the beach. Josh and I were super excited to introduce Liam to the beach for the first time, and even though we knew our time wouldn't be quite as chill as vacations used to be, we anticipated lots of good family time.  We began our journey last Tuesday night & drove to Josh's grandparents' house in northeast Mississippi, where we met up with his parents. All of Josh's dad's side of the family lives in Mississippi and we hadn't seen any of them since Josh's sister's wedding last summer. Liam LOVED Papaw & Mamaw (Josh's grandparents) and it was so sweet to watch him love on them, even though the last time he saw them he was only 3 weeks old.

4 Generations of Lawson men, summer 2011

The 4 generation pic from last year - look how much Tiny has grown!

 After a day and a half "on the hill" with the Lawson clan, we drove the remaining 6 hours down to the beach. We were SO thankful for our sweet friends who loaned us their headrest dvd player. I can't imagine how much more difficult it would have been to keep Liam happy over the course of nearly 30 hours of driving without the help of VeggieTales and Bob the Builder. Anyway, we finally made it to our condo late Thursday afternoon, and later that night we were joined by Josh's sister and her husband. Here are just a few pics from the trip for your enjoyment:

Little man in his new swim trunks & swim shoes, ready to hit the beach for the 1st time

He was fascinated with the waves

Whether at home or at the beach, banging tools on surfaces is always a favorite activity

Chillin' in the shade in his pool

1st Waterslide!

Beach Highlights:

• Playing with Aunt Heather & Uncle Kyle - I wish Liam got to see these two more often, but he had a great time playing & flirting with them.
• Inflatable pool & pop-up sunshade - Our time on the sand was WAY more enjoyable than it would have been if we hadn't had these with us. Liam did fine walking on the sand, but he wasn't a huge fan of getting it on his hands, so it was nice having a less sandy spot he could play in.
• EARLY morning beignet run ... more on that, later.
• Watching our little man experience so many new things - he "talked" non-stop about the seagulls, para-sailing boats, kids around us, etc. It was fun to see how entertained he was by his surrounding.

Beach Bummers:

• On the first day at the condo Liam fell over the lip of the sliding glass door and got a HUGE bruise on his precious little thigh. Made my mama-heart sad every time I saw it.
• EARLY mornings: While in Alabama Liam started our days by 4:45 pretty much every morning. This was most unpleasant, but one morning as Josh and I attempted to keep him quiet & entertained so he wouldn't wake everyone else, we left and found a little hole-in-the-wall beignet shop where we ate breakfast. When life hands you pre-dawn mornings, eat beignets. It's a sweet little family memory.

Aside from the nasty bruise & sleep deprivation, the trip was fantastic ... made even better by the fact that this was just the first several fun trips that we have planned over the next few months.

quick family pic before dinner the last night

Worth the Hassle ...

 This week has been absolutely exhausting ... a three hour drive to Little Rock. Two nights in a hotel room with a 10 month old. Two days of Josh trying to entertain said 10 month old while I attended a conference. Three hour drive home from Little Rock. A full day of trying to entertain 10 month old at our friends' lakehouse. Shading him from the sun. Sitting inside with him so he can happily play on the floor while everyone else is outside fishing or playing ladderball and bag-o. Fussing and crankiness because his schedule is messed up and it's hard to nap in his pack-n-play in a strange room. Leaving the lake early so he can sleep in his own bed while the other couples stay and spend the night at the cabin. Coming home to duffel bags, a dirty house, and piles of laundry from being out of town most of the week.

It's a lot of work, this whole business of caring for a child. As we were driving home from the lake this evening I couldn't help but think how much easier the week would have been if we would have just stayed at home and stuck with our regular schedule. Our house would be clean(er). Liam would have gone to bed earlier and slept later. We would have gone to bed later (because we wouldn't have been stuck in a hotel room with a sleeping baby) and slept later. It would have been easier and WAY more convenient.

He was this excited about the hotel room for about 5 minutes. For the remainder of the two days we were there he was completely bored with it and did NOT want to be there.

BUT, Liam and I wouldn't have had a fun dinner date at Whole Hog with Carol and her sweet girls while Josh helped John paint a sweet old lady's kitchen. Josh wouldn't have gotten to spend some time with Del, one of his very best friends. We wouldn't have had a fantastic dinner with the Spensts & Sarah & Matthias (so sad Jason & Hiba had to stay at home). We wouldn't have had a fun lunch at Chick-fil-a with the whole Pollack fam. We wouldn't have enjoyed an absolutely gorgeous day by a beautiful lake with our community group that we love. We wouldn't have gotten our first sunburns of the spring and come home smelling like wonderful dirt and leaves and fresh air.

Dr. Del, Burt & Liam. Glad Josh took this great pic, sad we didn't think to take pictures with any of the other fun friends we spent time with this week.

As much as I wish it could all be sunshine and rainbows and giggles, making fun family memories with a kiddo is a hassle. I guess it would almost always be easier and more convenient not to take the trip or play the game or make the craft or read the book. It would always be easier to figure out the optimal schedule and activities for his developmental age and never deviate. BUT, we would miss so much.

It's a hassle, but it's worth it.

Hello, 2011!

Ahh, a fresh, new year.  I love how our calendar is laid out.  I love that at the end of our years we get to celebrate Thankfulness and contemplate the ultimate gift of the Incarnation.  We feast and fill a few weeks with as many festivities as we are able, and then ... a new start.  We put away the gifts, fold up the boxes and gift bags for next year's use, and stash the ornaments back in the attic. Then we lace up our shoes and pray that we run through another twelve months in a manner worthy of celebrating once again, next December.  We know we won't, though.  We know that this year will be filled with the same lingering reminders of our humanity that has yet to be made perfect through the completion of our sanctification; and so we look forward, again, to celebrating the birth of the One who came to do that job for us.

  So here we are.  2010 had a good run.  I need not recap because, hey, that's what I've spent the last month doing with Reverb.  I haven't quite made it through the last few days of writing because we spent the 26th-28th visiting family in St. Louis, and then as soon as we got home we had to get right to work with packing up Christmas and cleaning so that we'd be ready for my friend Megan's wedding shower to be held at our house yesterday.  Here are a few pics of some of the festivities of the past couple of weeks.

Going wild in the photo booth at Uncle Zach's 16th birthday dance party

Enjoying the lights on the Fayetteville square with Papa & Grandma

He may not know what a stocking is, but he sure knows how to charm a camera

Lawson family Christmas

All bundled up at Silver Dollar City with Nana

Meeting sweet cousins Ginger & Josh at Christmas Eve lunch in Branson

More excitement about presents on Christmas day

Hanging out with new buddy, Uncle Michael - their first time to meet!

Christmas day service at church with Grandad & Nana

Happy Wedding Shower table!

Beautiful bride & her shower hostesses

  Just a brief review of the past few weeks.  I planned on writing about a few reverb prompts tonight, but then I got too distracted looking through tons of pictures and now I should go to bed.  Liam's sixth tooth has been giving all three of us (Liam, Josh & I) a pretty rough time.  He slept in our bed last night because it was the only place he would relax, which means pitiful sleep for mommy.  Here's to a better night's rest!