Christmas Vacation

I logged onto Blogger to write a new post and I found this waiting in my drafts! Apparently I never finished it and didn't remember I had started it, and I don't have time to finish it now, so here it is, completely unfinished! I'm sure I'll like to come back and read it in a few months when I've completely forgotten what we did over Christmas. 

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As a working mommy I truly cherish the days I get to spend a full 24 hours caring for my baby girl. This past Saturday marked the first day of a full 11 days with my family. What a week this has been! Shopping trips, snuggle time, playing, playing and more playing... so completely wonderful.

Frank, Ambrie and I had a wonderful Christmas with our families. The tootsie girl and I got to spend a full day shopping with her oldest cousin on Saturday and it was a super fun (yet stressful!) outing. The stress was only because of the amount of traffic - EVERYWHERE! Even trying to get into the bathroom was a lot of work. Whew!

On Sunday we went to church, where I played my violin in public for the first time in a year (eh, wasn't my best playing but I was very happy to worship God in that way again!), and we took part in communion. I LOVE that our pastor does communion at our Christmas service. During the passing of the elements we were urged to pray with our families and spend time reflecting on the fact that Jesus was born (why we celebrate Christmas) to die (Good Friday) and rise again (why we celebrate Easter). I left church feeling very focused on the true meaning of Christmas!

Monday was crazy! Where did my focus on Christ go? I'm guessing I wrapped it with one of the 5 million gifts I packaged up the night before. Confession time - I really love Christmas, but I really don't like "the holidays". Can I get an amen on this one? I love taking time to remember Christ's birth and to remember just how softly our Savior came into this world - that's Christmas to me - but all the other stuff? That's way more like just a holiday... just something we do just because it's fun...ish. But once Monday evening came and we were settled in the living room at my parent's house singing Christmas carols, all the effort and stress seemed very well worth it. So fun watching little faces light up and seeing the appreciation of a gift well received.

Christmas day was less noisy for certain, but we still had lots to do to keep up with our baby girl! She was up at 3 and then again at 6 (when we decided to actually get up and open presents). This girl is never up that early! Either her sleep schedule was messed up from so much stuff going on or she knew she had some pretty awesome presents to open. Luckily we all got to go back to sleep for 3 more hours after our gift exchange was complete. I could see the sugar plums dancing in Ambrie's head as I lay her back down with her cuddle blankie in her cute Christmas pajamas.

We spent the rest of the day with Frank's family where Ambrie got more cool toys and we ate quite a lot of yummy food! Ambrie was asleep within a minute of leaving their house (at 6:30!) and she slept all the way home, went right back to sleep when I put her in her crib, and I didn't hear a peep from her until 8 the next morning!

After a crazy busy few days celebrating Christmas with family, we spent Wednesday just hanging out enjoying each other. Even though the snow began to fall the three of us packed in our trusty car and made a trek out to enjoy a nice family dinner and then take Ambrie on a carousel ride at the mall. While we ate dinner our little sweetheart spent most of her time waving and saying hi to the people sitting around us. I'm sure this is just a proud momma-bear moment - but I seriously think my girl is the sweetest little thing on this earth. She is so friendly, loving, and goofy. We have found that no matter where we are people stop us to comment on what a special little girl she is. And yes, I'm bragging about my child! I am so proud and privileged to be her mommy.

Ambrie and Mommy riding the carousel. This is the first time I was brave enough to let her ride on a horse!

Daddy teaching Ambrie how to drive!

Today we drove out to Lansing and visited Impression 5 museum for the first time. I will admit, Ambrie didn't really enjoy the hour long car ride so much. Neither did her parents! ut once we got there and saw how much she enjoyed herself it was worth enduring the whining and tears of boredom only 1-year-old could produce. Ambrie had a blast! If you've never been there, I highly recommend it! They have a special room for toddlers called "The First Impression" where everything is geared towards the littlest of little humans. We spent most of our time in this part of the museum.

Dancing and swaying back in forth while bursting with giggles of glee. I wish I could have framed this moment and come back to it whenever I want!

This World

"This world has nothing for me and this world has everything."  - Caedmon's Call

The quote above is from my favorite song by Caedmon's Call. This is a song that probably has the highest "number of times played" digit next to it in my iTunes library. It's a song I go to when I need to be grounded, and it's also a song I go to when I need to be picked up. 

This world is really quite something. We live on this spinny watery globe thing that floats in the middle of *nothing* next to a huge blazing ball of fire. There are about 7 billion people on this globe thingy. Each of these 7 billion people are unique, as are the billions of people that have lived and died before them. In this world there are some very, very beautiful things. Things so beautiful they will take your breath away. We have sunsets and oceans, wildlife and mountains, rain forests and deserts. We have children and family, laughter and cuddles, ice cream and chocolate. But for everything great and wonderful this world has to offer, in reality this world is broken. In reality this world has nothing. 

I am a Christian who believes that the world was created by a Creator. When God created this earth, he called it good. Not good in the sense of the fake "good" we say in response to passers by who ask us how we are doing. Good in the sense that God was pleased with all that he saw. Good in the sense that this world was perfect. 

Now, no matter what your beliefs are, you can't deny that here in the year 2012 this world is not perfect. There are thefts. There are rapes. There are planes flown into buildings. There are sick and confused people that take guns into schools and kill our babies. And as it seems to us, all we can do is sit back and wonder why. 

I would like to encourage you. There's more that we can do. I am not going to sit here and type out my political opinions on health care, marriage, abortion, war, or finances. Because in reality, my opinion about those things really isn't going to change anything. I could talk all day about what I believe and what I think, but that's not going to change a thing. Instead I want to encourage, mainly my fellow brothers and sisters and Christ, but really everyone, to step up. Step up where you are needed. Step up and find out where you are needed. Be the change you want to see in the world. 

In the past days as our nation has dealt with the tragedy of the shooting in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, there have been many thoughts posted on social media and talked about in our workplaces and churches. There have been a few that have crossed my path that really hit home. The first is an article entitled "I am Adam Lanza's Mother". This article is a very eye-opening look at what a mother has to endure with a child like Adam Lanza. All of these mothers... and fathers... don't need judgement, they need help. They need something else too...

I do have a very strong opinion on what this world needs. It's not political for me. In fact, as far as politics go I've removed myself pretty far from getting wrapped up in that whole mess. For me it's much more about this personal relationship I have with God. I have many thoughts and convictions about what this world is strongly lacking (and, by the way, I don't think any law or president will fix what is so incredibly broken) and it was stated best by Anne Graham-Lotz, daughter of evangelist Billy Graham, when she was interviewed after the 9/11 attack on our country. When asked how God could let something like that happen she answered:

 "I say God is also angry when he sees something like this. I would say also for several years now Americans in a sense have shaken their fist at God and said, God, we want you out of our schools, our government, our business, we want you out of our marketplace. And God, who is a gentleman, has just quietly backed out of our national and political life, our public life. Removing his hand of blessing and protection. We need to turn to God first of all and say, God, we're sorry we have treated you this way and we invite you now to come into our national life. We put our trust in you. We have our trust in God on our coins, we need to practice it."

Well said, Anne.