Its 9:45, and its still Christmas. Its good to the last drop around here. We like to squeeze in as much fun as possible.

                I can honestly say, this is the BEST christmas ever. We spent less, prayed more. Personally, I yelled less and laughed more ! Time is flying by and I have been blessed enough to notice it, I don’t intend to waste one second of joy with my kids.

                   Sidney is upstairs reading an amish love story (the only kind I like)

                       Adam is in the middle of a dogfight in a british spitfire (on the new wii)

                    Isabelle is in bed (fell asleep listening to her cool new walkman)

                Isaiah is on his way to bed,too (after knocking out 15 opponents in the wii boxing ring)

                Thomas has cooked brunch, opened the toys (whose packages were designed by the devil), succumbed to a migraine, got prayed for by the whole clan, and was healed, found a lost toy, played outside, put together a racetrack, lowered the seat of a bike, played wii bowling, boxing,tennis, and barbie horse back riding ! Don’t feel sorry for him…he loved every minute. He is joyful.

I am….listening….to the quiet, smelling…coffee and cookies, looking ….at the christmas tree lovingly, feeling….peace on earth. goodnight.

I have recently become an aunt again, my nephew JUDE is 2 weeks old. He is a beautiful baby. REALLY. He smells so good, that it should be fattening just to sniff him. I know, thats a weird thing to say, but that thought occurred to me the other night as I put my nose in the sweet spot between his head and his shoulder and inhaled deeply. That smell makes the world go away. I believe he smells like Jesus. He is fresh and brand new, in a little while, he will have to work harder to smell that good. My sister will have to put lotion on him and before long…no amount of johnson& johnson will stop him from smelling like a little boy.  Grass and pancakes, for those of you who don’t know yet.

                                We have to work harder than we want to to smell like Jesus. The fragrance of Christ is REAL, I’ve noticed it on people I know. Its attractive and its compelling. I love it. I want it. Can I get that for Christmas instead of my usual perfume ??

Even on the days you do everything right, you can’t be perfect. As a mom I am obsessed with doing things “right “. Whatever right is. And somedays, God gives you a little blessing, to let you know you’re doing alright.

           On Friday night, Isaiah said his prayers…” thank you Lord for taking our sins, thank you for taking our sicknesses and thank you for taking all our afraids“.

     Thank you Lord for loving me through these kids. We’re gonna be alright.

• a crackling fire
• kids in polar fleece ( and no socks)
• new babies in that caterpillar state (i am an aunt once again )
• pumpkin pie ( for breakfast)
• a family that likes to dance( Isaiah is the best, he’s into breakdancing)
• children that BELIEVE that their dreams MEAN something
• friends that can come over without the house being cleaned
• farmer john cheese aka parmesan cheese (thanks Isabelle)
• an 11 year old son who still wants to snuggle me
• a teenager who talks during dinner
• a husband that cooks
• a husband that laughs
• a husband that cries
• a husband that loves me ugly (thanks nikki)
• my house, its more than I need
• my job, its just right for me
• my life, my beautiful strife

Since we last spoke I have taken my daughter’s phone away (most likely forever), started a new job(which is more fun to me than it should be), and gone away on a retreat(where I found out that I am a passive aggressive prophet), its been a heck of a week.

                     Seriously, if you read this blog, then you know I have a real soft heart for working moms, and I never wanted to be one. But God sent me the perfect job. I drop the kids of at school and go to the office, and then I leave work at 2 and go pick my kids up. The only one whose life has changed is mine. I get up earlier, and my house is not quite as clean. Thats ok, I am becoming the proverbs 31 wife that I’ve always wanted to be. Which reminds me, some of the reason I have so much trouble with that is because of the way I’m wired. After this weekend’s retreat, I have a better idea how to talk less and love more. That was worth the price of admission. I’ll tell you more later. tata for now.

Did not go to prayer…I know, life got in the way. That doesn’t mean that I’m any less full of faith than I was yesterday. Anyways, we did see the dr. who is treating him for ringworm even though there is no circle and no ring to speak of. We shall see.

                            RETREAT-a going back or backward;withdrawal in the face of opposition. A period of rest or seclusion.

               Personally, I say the womens retreat is both. I am going back(to my first love), and I am withdrawing in the face of opposition(every day the enemy opposes the way that I raise my kids, and he opposes the way I CHOOSE to love my husband) and I am taking the chance to rest and be in seclusion in a lovely place with lovely people.

                   My flesh says”dont go, stay at home, dont go”, but my spirit KNOWS, for a fact, that when I go before the LORD with an empty basket, and open heart, he never turns away. Never. He has burned the book of my rebellion, and he loves me with a love that cannot and will not be restrained. Going to a women’s “retreat” is the least that I can do. peace.

Isaiah has had a rash on his face for about 8 weeks. Before you start to judge, let me say, we have been to 2 doctors, had 2 different creams, and went on an allergy med that wrecks our lives. So there. The rash will seem to go away, but when the round of medicine is gone, it comes back. We prayed for it last night and with a heart FULL of faith, I went to bed. Nope, not gone, still there. WHY ?? Anyone know ?

                   We are going to another dr. tomorrow, but tonight I will bring him to prayer. I am STILL FULL of faith. Odd, but true.

 I count this day a success, I am full of faith instead of being full of fear. The enemy has been defeated.

I am 35 !! I don’t feel 35, but I am !! In honor of that, I went and got my gray hairs covered. We are in the house and its coming along. For some reason, I rush to decorate as if there is a hidden camera on me. So, if you are watching me on some british reality show….”hello!”

                           sitting here for hours, looking for you

                           teaching my little boy to tie his shoe

                            what are the chances, what are the odds

                            that YOU are looking for me too ?

                        waiting, anticipating…think I hear you saying

                           ” lover, its our song their playing. come away with me”

Thank you Daddy, it was a lovely gift.

Yes. We are moving AGAIN. But this time its only to next door. Literally, the next house over. My husband and his brother developed our whole neighborhood, and needless to say, we’ve been sitting on beautiful, empty, expensive houses for a long time. Long story short, a faithful employee needs a home and so she is going to rent ours and we will move into the one next door. Its beautiful and the kids love it…however, I am feeling a bit stretched thin. It takes a lot of energy to fly by the seat of your pants. We have moved so many times in the past 2 years, its humorous, well…maybe not. I am tired of being a nomad, I want to feel settled.

         Through it all, I have found home and I have found rest in the Lord. He always knows where I am….even if I don’t know the zip code.