When you have children, there is not much more magical and fun then creating a festive Christmas atmosphere in your home.
So we went out and picked out a tree…
And then they set it up:
And then we went out and saw the Christmas lights and met Santa
"I hold on real tight, Mama"
And then, of course, you’ve gotta look the part…
So if you look through my blog, you might notice that there is not one photograph of all the Becks together. There is one simple reason for that. It did not exist. At least not a recent one. In fact, the closest we’ve come to having a family picture is this one:
It’s not really the best. Plus, it’s missing quite a few members.
So I was determined to do something about that while we were in Charleston.
And let me tell you, when I am determined to do something, it happens. It didn’t matter that the wind was blowing our hair around like crazy or that the kiddos were tired and cranky or that dad had hat head or that we were all feeling a bit frozen. We were going to walk that beach and take some dang darned family photos. And you’re gonna act happy about it when the the lens points your way!
And wouldn’t you know it- they actually came out pretty cute!
Here are the results (for your viewing pleasure)
This year for Thanksgiving we loaded up the baby and dog and suitcases and carseat and snacks and water and toys and every other ridiculous thing required to sustain two adults, one minor, and a dog on a 12 road trip to see my family in Charleston.
Charleston is a beautiful city. It is a place that I have always wanted to see. It has beautiful homes, sprawling paths, and cobblestone streets.
Unfortunately, I only took one photograph of it.
But I had a good excuse, you see. I was distracted.
Every time I considered taking a photo of beautiful Charleston, this happened:
Yup.
And that’s just the beginning. I tried to photograph the bay, but then this happened:
It’s like a sickness, I tell you.
Except instead of headaches and snot and misery, I get sheer unadulterated joy and fun and exuberance.
It’s a beautiful thing.
And you wanna know the best part?
Now, instead of just having two little ones to obsess over I’ve got….
Three and…
Four.
It’s a wonderful life.
Though, I’m gonna have to let you in on a secret. While it is quite easy to photograph them on their own…
or even in pairs…
but trying to put them all together?
It’s a bit of a nightmare. Sigh.
Here’s the good news though-
Take enough photos and give one kid a stick and POOF!
You finally get something that works. (Whew)
But I digress.
So we had a great time being with all the Becks. It is always fun being together and it always leaves me wishing that we lived closer. Like….in their basement close. But I have yet to convince them that that isn’t creepy, so we’re still in our own place in Louisiana. Bummer.
Here are a few more pics of the trip:
It’s hard to believe that we have just stepped out of 2012. I think that when you have a small child you tend to focus on small time increments- one wake period, then nap time, then another wake period, then one more nap, etc.- and before you know it months have flashed by before you can truly appreciate the passage of time. Also, living in south Louisiana means that instead of experiencing the four seasons I have been in perpetual summer for the past 9 months. So here I am, sitting in an air conditioned room wondering where the time has gone. What a year it has been!
There are two main things that have consumed our lives in the past twelve months. The first is G’s job. It’s absolutely CRAZY. There is always a “crisis" to mitigate and work to be done. It is so hard to explain how involved the job has become and the frustration of never being able to turn the phone off. I’m really proud of how G has handled the stress and how well he has performed under so much pressure. The job has taken its toll on us though, we are a lot less social these days, opting instead to relax in the quiet simplicity of home. Honestly, I’ve kinda loved it. Yes, I dearly miss having a community around and spending time with people who love us, but I’ve really appreciated the quality family time we’ve experienced here. Our marriage is stronger than ever-we’ve been through some tough times over the past twelve months but, through God’s grace, we’ve certainly come through it better than before. I’ve been “busy" for the majority of my life, and and sometimes it feels shameful that our weekend plans are to just hang out, but it is such a blessing learning how to just be together. I do hope that in the years to come, once we’ve moved and are back into the realities of a busy social life that we will always take time to rest and just “be."
The second thing that has consumed our lives this year is the birth of our son, Devon. When that beautiful child came into our world everything in our lives shifted. He’s the best thing to ever happen to us and I am so grateful to be that kid’s mom. He has changed so much in the past nine months, sometimes it is hard for me to believe that the infant in those pictures from April is the same kid that is currently sleeping in the other room. I’m surprised at how much I love being a mom. I’ve always liked kids but never used to be into babies. Before I had Devon I worried that I would find him boring, or would always be waiting for him hit that fun toddler stage. Then I had him, and all those fears flew out the window. As much as I love those few quiet hours I get everyday during nap time (and believe me when I say that I LOVE nap time), I always get excited to see the little man again and I really miss him when he isn’t close by. It is almost frightening to feel how hot the love I have for that boy burns inside of me and I thank the Lord every day for giving me such a precious gift.
We have traveled a good bit this year. Our sweet boy has survived eight road trips, three flights, crossed the Mason Dixon, seen the Mississippi River, Gulf, Atlantic Ocean, and has been in 17 states (several more than once). He has met all of his immediate family more than once, which I am so thankful for. We are hoping that he will be able to meet his great grandmothers soon, though they are both living overseas. He has also had more photographs taken of him than his momma is willing to admit to. **ahem**
This year has been full of great challenges and great rewards. I have been consistently reminded of how faithful the Lord is to us and how he will meet our every daily need. My “theme" verse this year has been Isaiah 26:3 - “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." What a promise!!
