Wonder

One of the sweetest parts of being mommy that also brings me the most joy is watching my kiddos explore and discover. 

I'm familiar with this world and I know as an adult all the disappointments, challenges and pain that comes with living in it. I've experienced the tears streaming down my cheeks. I've experienced fear and shame. I know the danger of certain things now that I never would have considered as a kid. 

This world is still so sweet for Nora and Easton. 

We can go on a walk and they don't think about a spider and its web as a threat or something super creepy crawly that gives the heebie jeebies. 

They see the detail of the spiders coloring and the way the web is so intricate. I took a stick (a long stick) and cleared a web away a couple months ago from our deck. When we're walking the trails- those webs can stay-they're good there but oh no no no, we do NOT allow those critters to take up residence here as if they own the place. No. Anyway, the spider was HUGE and in my attempt to somehow make him disappear, I swatted (and screamed) at the web. Nora's immediate reaction was "Mommy, he worked really hard on that!" 

Let me repeat, SPIDERS OF ALL KINDS, DO YOUR THING ON THE TRAIL, NOT AT MY HOME.

Although she made a great point and my heart actually was sad for the spider for half a second, I knew he had to go. 

We just had a couple snow days here. It is nothing compared to a snow day in Northern NY where we were stationed during Cale's time in the Army but it was a good snow for this area. 

Wonder:

to be filled with admiration, amazement, or awe; marvel (often followed by at)

Easton doesn't remember snow from last year. When he woke up and everything was white, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. 

We bundled up and braved the cold to play in the snow. We also built a tiny little snow lady :)

Nora's pre-breakfast two mornings in a row! Snow!

The day before it snowed, we went to Disney on Ice. This was our second year and we absolutely love going. It's been added to our Christmas budget so we save all year for it! 

Nora has been saying recently she wants to learn to be a figure skater. She's been the last two years with daddy's sled hockey team and we're about to go again. Otherwise the practicing has been on our wood floors with fuzzy socks on. Ha! 

You can imagine watching the show and all of the twirls and jumps-this girl sat with eyes glued to the ice. 

Christmas time. 

There are so many parts to this season we love. SO many parts. 

This time of year brings a lot of stress for people with all the activities and the hustle and bustle but I love it-all of it. Especially now with two kids to be in wonder with every part of it. Movie nights suddenly are way more special. We drive around and look at lights (thank you to everyone who puts in the work for us to have houses to look at!). The Christmas tree and all the decorations suddenly make our home cozy and extra sweet. We actually have a reason to have our homemade cookies for breakfast (uh...whoops...) and we love the extra excitement of looking for ways to serve those around us.

I love how there is so much wonder for my kiddos in our normal every day life just being outside and seeing God's creation. I love the wonder in my kiddos with all of the Christmas festivities.

What has been really sweet is watching the wonder in the kids grow as we take the time to learn about baby Jesus. Nora is getting older and asking more questions and definitely understanding more. Easton will shout "baby Jesus!" and knows that Christmas is about Jesus. 

As a family the last few years we've chosen different tools for advent. The first year we loved the one we did but it was a little more involved and complicated for that season when Nora was so young. Last year's was great for Nora but I knew this year it wasn't going to work so well with Easton's age. This year we are using SRT advent cards for kids and I LOVE them! I purchased these two years ago I think, maybe last year? We ended up not using them until this year. 

We're also doing the Giving Manger which has been really neat so far. 

To kick off advent, we had a special dinner together. I made everything a little more "fancy" and we read the Giving Manger book and started our cards. We prayed together and set the stage for the season we were entering. 

Now folks, I had said to Mama that at least once a month, I wanted to do a more special dinner as a family. A night that Nora can even have a glass for her drink, we have a little extra something for dinner...you know, just not the same ol' kind of dinner We always have. At their age we typically eat all of our dinners together (which I know some families have to really work at it) so I want to have a dinner that we really slow down and enjoy all of it. 

Well...remember I have a busy 4 year old and a two year old...

Uh...

This dinner went nothing like I imagined of course, but it was still good for my heart. It'll take multiple times but we'll get it...eventually.

Anyways, I pray that as they grow, as Nora and Easton here the story about the birth of Jesus, that it never gets old. That they keep experiencing the wonder of how humble and beautiful it is. 

And that as their mommy, I can continue to encourage it.