Family Christmas Bucket, Week 1

This was our first full week celebrating the Christmas season and advent with some sort of activity from our Christmas bucket you can read more of an explanation of the bucket here. I have thoroughly enjoyed this week. Having one planned activity every day plus our regular weekly things makes life feel busy, but I'm loving it. I feel like we are starting traditions, making memories and getting some good, quality time together. Here's what this week has looked like:

December 3:
We started off the week by making then playing with play dough together. It honestly was rather easy to make. Within a few minutes, we had really soft, smooth play dough to use. For the recipe I used click here: Easy Homemade Playdough Recipe. You do have to cook the play dough for this recipe, but it's not hard. The hardest part was adding the food coloring. We made some white and added glitter to be "snow" so once that was finished I sent Little Lady off to play with it while I added the red and green food coloring. It took a LOT of food coloring to get the vibrant colors I was looking for and my hands were stained for a couple days, but we've already had lots of fun playing with it.

December 4:
On Tuesday we got up and as soon as Daddy left for work, we started making clay ornaments. Here is the recipe we used for the ornaments: Clay Christmas Decorations. This was also a very easy recipe, but I would caution anyone to be careful you do not cook it too long or the dough becomes very crumbly, which makes it more difficult to work with and makes a huge mess. I'm all about messy crafts, but it sure helps when I'm mentally prepared for the mess. I really wasn't thinking today's activity would be a big mess, but I was wrong! I even bought some sequins to use instead of glitter thinking that would also be less messy... once again I was wrong. We did end up having some fun together though and ended up with some really cute ornaments. If we do this one again next year I will be better prepared!

Part of the time she was just doing her own thing.

Part of the mess :)

Decorating

December 5:
After making Christmas cookies on Saturday, play dough on Monday and ornaments on Tuesday, I was ready for Wednesday's activity. Little Lady opened a box of "Favorite Little Golden Books for Christmas," which consisted of five books... "The Little Christmas Elf," "The Night Before Christmas," "The Poky Little Puppy's First Christmas," "The Animals' Christmas Eve," and "The Christmas Story." We read all five together right away. I'm so thankful for a little girl that loves to read. So far, "The Poky Little Puppy's First Christmas" is Little Lady's favorite, but she also really likes "The Animals' Christmas Eve."

After all our baking and creating, we realized we had a lot of everything! No need to keep it all to ourselves. We made little bags of play dough, cookies and ornaments and delivered them to a few of our little friends. Little Lady actually got really excited about doing this. I love seeing her get excited about her friends and even giving things to them.

December 6:
Sticking with the spirit of giving, today's activity  was to give away a toy. After opening the envelope with today's activity on it, we pulled out a brand new toy Little Lady had never seen before and explained to her that we were going to give it to another little girl that probably needs it more than her. I'm not sure how much she understood, but she accepted it and didn't seem upset by it. We put it in the car and took it to Potter's House for them to use for their Potter's House Christmas. Potter's House is an amazing ministry our church has. Matt and I have both been privileged to be part of this ministry in different capacities the 2 1/2 years we have been living here. You can learn more about Potter's House here: Potter's House. Even if Little Lady didn't comprehend exactly what we were doing that day by giving away a new toy, we hope to instill a spirit of giving and generosity in our kids, and we have to start somewhere. I pray we have children who grow up thinking about other people, not just themselves.

December 7:
Friday evening as soon as Daddy got home from work, we grabbed a bite to eat and headed out to the Fayetteville Square for some festive fun! Our town square is decorated with hundreds of thousands of lights each year. It looks like a Christmas wonderland and includes pony rides, camel rides and carriage rides as well. Little Lady got very excited about the lights, but I think her favorite part was getting to ride a pony. The girl really loves animals. She also thoroughly enjoyed the hot chocolate we shared.

The hot chocolate was way too hot.

December 8:
On the agenda for Saturday was a Christmas parade and to make another (much easier) batch of cookies. We got up and headed to Bentonville for breakfast and the parade. Little Lady loved the parade. I think she spent almost the entire hour waving to all the people passing by. She especially got excited when the horses and puppies passed our way. Of course the parade ended with Santa, which also thrilled Little Lady. (Matt and I aren't sure how she knows to get so excited about Santa, but she does. Maybe I'll write more about Santa sometime.) Admittedly, the parade was a little less exciting than I had hoped. We still had good family time and would not be opposed to going again. After Little Lady and Daddy went grocery shopping and Mommy had a nap, we made another batch of cookies (these are specifically for our activity on Monday, but we aren't saving them all for that). I will easily admit that we eat way too much sugar this time of year, but it's all so yummy and fun to bake... it doesn't count during the Christmas season right?

Waiting for the parade to begin.

Dancing... one of her most recent favorite activities.

Waving

And waving

And waving.

December 9:
It's Sunday again, which calls for another pizza and movie night. Little Lady opened up a collection of Veggie Tale Christmas movies today, and that's what we watched tonight. The collection includes six short movies, but we only made it through three of them tonight. We also had some sweet friends over, which called for a good amount of playtime. This meant there might not have been as much attention paid to the movies. That's fine though. We had fun, and I'm sure we will watch them all again.

Hope that's not picture overload for anyone reading this. I'm already looking forward to this next week!

Family Christmas Bucket

Yes, I know I'm the worst blogger ever. I want to blog more. I really enjoy it. I just have a hard time actually making the time. Then when I go so long without writing, I find it difficult to even know where to start again, but I love the Holiday season so much, it has inspired me to try again in hopes that one of these days I'll be a good little blogger.

Our Thanksgiving time was wonderful! We had our annual friends Thanksgiving in our home, and we went to Indiana for a Thanksgiving and Christmas combined celebration. I love getting to spend quality time with my family. Seeing our little lady interact with her nana, papa, aunts, uncles and cousins brings my heart a lot of joy... and a lot of sadness when we have to say good-bye. I will always treasure the times we have together though.

On the Polar Express with Nana

Love those cousins!

What I really want to write about this time is our new Christmas tradition I am extremely excited about. We have created a Family Christmas Bucket. Starting December 1 through December 24, there is something to unwrap everyday that represents some sort of activity for us to do together as a family. Well, since Daddy has to go to work everyday, some days just the wee one and I will be doing the activity, but most days it's a family thing. Sometimes there is just an envelope to open with something written in it, and other days there is actually something to unwrap. (My goal is to do weekly updates on Sundays, but if you follow me on Instagram, you'll get some sneak peaks.)

December 1:
Yesterday was our first day. We woke up, got Little Lady all excited about the Christmas Bucket, and opened our first envelope, which told us that today was the day to "Bake and Decorate Christmas Cookies"! It was a long, but very fun, day! Matt and I have been baking and decorating cookies at Christmas since we got married, and I must admit that it is a lot different making, baking and icing cookies with a toddler. We finished all of them though, despite several cookie casualties, and smiles were worn by all.... at least most of the day. Next year will be even more interesting with a little man around too, but we will definitely do it again!

Excited to start making cookies!

Oh my sugar!

"Ta-Da! Cookies!"

December 2:
Our normal Sunday night tradition is to get pizza and watch a movie. Sometimes we have people over, other times it's just our family. Either way, I love getting some low-key, quality time in with our little family before another busy week begins. We have a little girl who is very, very into Mickey and Minne Mouse right now... so, what better movie to be the first one from the bucket to open than Mickey's Christmas Carol. Little Lady was extremely excited to open the little package and see Mickey Mouse on the box. She was a little disappointed Mickey and Minne weren't in every one of the short films, but all in all it was a very enjoyable evening for the Wagners.

Girl was glued!

We are also doing advent this year, because above all we want Jesus to be the center of our Christmas celebrations. I absolutely love everything that comes along with Christmas, but I definitely want my kids growing up knowing exactly why we get so excited and celebrate this wonderful holiday in the first place. We decided to use Truth in the Tinsel this year. Most of the activities are a bit advanced for a little one who's not even two yet, but we are still reading the scriptures and doing some coloring. Our hope is that at least maybe some if it will start to sink in even this year. In our attempted explanation of what we are going to be doing, Little Lady might now think that Baby Jesus is actually inside the little house we use for our advent calendar, but at least she knows there IS a Baby Jesus, right? Silly little girl. We will get there eventually.

I love getting to see Christmas through the eyes of a little one... always full of wonder and awe, with joy and excitement overflowing. She wakes up each morning and one of, if not the very first, things she starts talking about is our "Trismas Free". Everyday is just as exciting as the day before. I especially love getting to do little things that help make this season extra special, and I'm thankful for a husband that likes to do the same! Here's to a very Merry Christmastime!

Lessons Learned in a Year

I still need to do a Christmas re-cap, because getting to have Christmas with our sweet Little Lady was one of the best things ever, but all that's on my mind right now is the hard truth to swallow that my baby girl is now 1! I've heard parents say it a million times, but I cannot believe how fast time is going! I remember giving birth and bringing her home from the hospital like it was yesterday... but at the same time the newborn phase feels like it was a lifetime ago, and I hardly have any recollection at all of what life was like before her grand arrival. I have learned so much in this last year there's no way I could write it all or even put into words all that I've learned, but here are 25 lessons that stand out...

1. I've learned that I actually can give birth naturally, even though there is no way I could have done it without my amazing husband.

2. I've learned to function on much less sleep than I would like to have.

3. I have learned how to breastfeed. While it is the sweetest, most natural thing, it actually takes a bit to really get comfortable doing it.

4. I've learned to do *almost* everything one-handed... things I haven't figured out yet include cutting up raw meat, using a hair straightener and sewing.

5. I've learned to be way more comfortable with all kinds of bodily fluids... most things aren't so bad, especially coming form a wee one I love so much, but I never dreamed I could be thrown up on multiple times and not be phased (Little Lady having the stomach flu was one of the saddest/hardest times of the year).

6. I have learned a LOT about cloth diapering. It was kind of my obsession for awhile, but now I know what my favorites are (Ragababes). We have our system down, and I just stick to that... I spend a lot less time now obsessing about diapers, but I've even made some great friends through our cloth diapering adventure. And the main thing I've learned is that using cloth diapers is much, much easier than I thought it would be.

7. Something I never really imagined doing (and some may find appalling), but I have learned use the potty while holding a baby, sometimes even a sleeping baby.

8. Now that baby is older and much more active, so I've had to learn to use the potty in such a way that the entire opening is completely covered or a little hand will periodically try to reach in... thankfully she has never succeeded!

9. While we are talking about using the potty, I have also learned that it is a bad combination to sneeze, cough, run or laugh too hard with a full bladder.

10. I've learned how to make myself look presentable even if I didn't attempt a shower that day (at least I think I've learned this... others may disagree). I'm also now comfortable when I look in the mirror and see stains of spit up, snot, or crumbs from the most recent snack, even if all three are found on my dress on the way to a wedding.

11. I have learned that our house may never be perfect again. Some days I even enjoy seeing toys and sippy cups scattered all over the floor because it reminds me how wonderful it is to have a little person around to make good use of those items.

12. I've learned to have selective memory. As I think back on the past year, the great moments stand out! I hardly remember the tough, not so great ones, even though I know I have had those moments! Life with a baby can be hard, but it's such a short time, I'd much rather dwell on the wonderful things about this phase of life.

13. I've learned that days can be long, but the weeks and months are passing by too quickly!

14. I have learned that some of the most magical moments are the simplest... my baby's smile, her laugh, her adorable expressions, the sweet smell of her breath,  her little hand patting me, her sugary kisses, watching her learn, play and discover... I could go on and on.

15. I have learned that I absolutely love getting to stay at home with our Little Lady! I'm so privileged to be the one to get to watch her grow and develop each and every day. I get to be the one to teach her. Since becoming a mommy, I feel like a piece of my life that was missing is now complete. I honestly feel like this is what I was created to do.

16. Though I already knew it, I have now learned beyond a shadow of a doubt, I made the best decision I possibly could have marrying the man I did. Not only was it a great decision for myself, as he is the most loving, kind, encouraging, helpful, strong man a girl could ask for, it was a great decision for our daughter and our future children. They will get to grow up with a daddy who will love them like Jesus loves them, as much as that is humanly possible.

17. I have learned that I *will* do things as a parent that I swore I would never do. A couple things come to mind... I thought I would never let our kids sleep in bed with us, but alas, this has become normal for us... and I actually really enjoy it. I thought I would only nurse a baby until the age of one and no later, but we are passing that... and I'm not sure when we will wean. I'm sure as time goes on my list of things "I will never do" but in fact do will grow by leaps and bounds.

18. I have learned that each family and even each child is different. What works for one family and for one child, may not work at all for another family, and that is o.k. Most parents I know are trying to do the best they can in raising their children. I may not agree with everything they do, but I'm positive I do things other parents don't agree with either... which is fine, and we can all learn from each other.

19. I've learned that I will do anything possible to protect my baby. I know it's inevitable and great lessons can be learned through pain, but dang it, I do not want to see my baby get hurt or be exposed to the cruelties of this world.  I believe a fierceness lies within me I did not know existed just over a year ago.

20. I have learned to understand my own mama in a new way, and I know that I still have a lot to learn from her. Anyone that knows her knows she is an amazing woman. I can now imagine how much she loves us and how hard it must that two of her kids live far away from her... we are planning to build houses in our back yard for all our children ;)

21. Many lessons I'm still in the midst of learning. For example, I worry too much. The smallest little hiccup can send my mind reeling. This is an area I am constantly having to give over to the Lord, and I continually need to ask Him for help in trusting Him... even though I know He wants what is best for all his kids. And he has never let me down before!

22. I'm still learning to be more flexible. No matter how planned out things are, I never know when a wee one will wake up with a fever and change it all, or when I'm already five minutes late, there's a major blow-out, making us very late. I'm learning it's best to roll with these punches and hope others understand.

23. I am learning that I need more patience than I have. As we enter toddlerhood, I know I need to start practicing patience regularly. I pray I can continually be calm, gentle and consistent. Thinking about having to discipline more is daunting, but the task is quickly headed our way. No one else will influence our daughter the way her Daddy and I will... crazy responsibility!

24. I've learned that I still have *a lot* to learn, and parenting is filled with tough choices. I love talking with other parents who have been there, done that and have gained wisdom to be shared. I also love talking to parents who like us are in the beginnings of parenting and trying to figure it out one day at a time. I always welcome advice. I feel the more resources we have to draw from the better, even when everyone has a different opinion. I enjoy hearing them all so we can make a more balanced decision when we have to.

25. This only scratches the surface, but of all the things I've leaned this year, the most important thing I've learned is a deeper understanding of the love God has for us. I know I will never completely comprehend it, but many of the truths in the Bible are much clearer now. I have a better understanding of how God can love us so deeply when we do nothing to earn it and maybe even make things more difficult. When I look at my precious, helpless baby who causes me to get less sleep, forgo general hygiene, have less of a social life, etc. my heart swells with love for her. She teaches me more about the Lord each and every day... an entire post or more should be devoted to this subject. I know it will be in a much different way, but I pray my life points her to Jesus as well.

I can't believe I have a one-year old, and I can't wait to see what this year brings and all that I will learn as we continue this journey!

First Thanksgiving

Thought I better get this out before Christmas....
Though I'm sure a lot of people have a lot to say about the very first Thanksgiving that was ever celebrated oh so many years ago, but I'm writing about our Little Lady's first Thanksgiving. My heart is absolutely overflowing with thankfulness this year! I love being a little family, and I am exceedingly grateful that God has blessed us with such an amazing little person to be part of our family. It's the best ever!

We kicked off the holidays this year with our annual "Friends Thanksgiving", which is one of our favorite days of every year. The first year we were married, Matt and I started the tradition of having some of our closest friends over to share a Thanksgiving meal. We don't live near family, so having friends that are like family is extremely important to us. We love having people in our home, and we hope this little tradition is one way to foster community, which we really value.

Lil' Lady loved her first Thanksgiving Feast :)

After our first fabulous Thanksgiving feast, we jumped into the Christmas spirit and decked the halls before leaving for Arlington to spend actual Thanksgiving with Matt's family. Preparing for our Thanksgiving meal and decorating for Christmas were both quite a bit different this year with a little person underfoot, but I wouldn't have it any other way... Life is much more fun with her! We also broke down and bought a fake tree this year. I didn't want to spend my days pulling pine needles out of a Lil' Lady's mouth, and I was allergic to pine when I was little, which worries us that our girl could be too. She has extremely sensitive skin. I love our little tree anyway.

Back to Thanksgiving... we scooted off to Arlington to celebrate Thanksgiving. Road trips are not quite what they used to be. I used to love a good road trip. While I don't find them miserable now, trying to keep a 10 month old happy and entertained is not always an easy feat. With a dog and a baby along for the ride, it's just not as easy and stops take waaaaay longer now. It's always worth it to get to spend coveted time with family though. Once we finally arrived, Lil' Lady was thrilled to see her grandma, grandpa and uncles, and she was extremely glad to get out of her car seat and move around!

We spent Thanksgiving day hanging out with family. We went to Matt's aunt's house for a yummy meal, and Lil' Lady even got to spend some time playing with a cousin of her's... a second cousin, but I think they had fun!

While in Texas, we took our sweet girl to the zoo for the first time. Even though she won't really remember this trip, it was fun to see all the animals through her eyes. Many of the animals excited her, but the penguins won her heart! We were also able to do some shopping and took a fun trip to a museum, which had lots of great interactive kiddie things to do. All in all it was a wonderful trip, and coming home is always wonderful as well. Here's some pictures documenting our trip for your viewing pleasure.

Happy Thanksgiving, happy girl!

Family pic :)

Seeing the zoo through a little one's eyes is great!

The penguins were her definite favorite!

Just look at this turtle, Daddy!

She loves water therefore loved putting her hands in and touching a starfish!

Playing with a light box at the museum... we really need one of these.

A giant lite bright is pretty amazing too.

Cannot get enough of that adorable, open-mouthed smile! Don't you just want to eat her up?

She also got to meet her great grandma :)

Seven Months and Scooting

A week ago yesterday, Lil' Lady turned seven months old, and I've done a horrible job keeping up with this blog, but I knew it would be like that. I'll write when I can or when I feel inspired, but it may not be as often as I would like. All that being said, I cannot believe how fast this last month has gone. I feel like I haven't even gotten used to saying our sweet girl is 6 months old yet... I keep wanting to say she's 5 months old, and now I have to say that she is SEVEN months old!?! I feel like the sixth month passed in a flash.

Lil' Lady's biggest accomplishment of late is the ability to move! Gone are the days of sitting her in one place and her staying there. For several days, she was very frustrated by her inability to move. Often she would try to go forward, only to find herself continually inching backwards. Now though, she gets on her hands and knees and lunges forward or does the "army crawl", which she has pretty much mastered. She is definitely able to get where she wants to be. The wood floor still gives her trouble, and she's still not crawling on hands and knees... but it's  new world and so much fun!

The last few days have also been filled with some challenges. Our sweet girl has decided that her little world is coming to an end if I am not holding her or on the floor playing with her. This makes it very difficult to get things done. Even simple things are difficult. If I even put her down so I can go potty, she screams the entire time. I know this is the age that separation anxiety can start, and I also know her teeth are hurting her like crazy. These days can prove difficult though. I keep reminding myself that a day will come that all I will want to do is hold her, and she will be too old. I'm trying my best to treasure each moment she is in my arms, but sometimes I fail and get wrapped up in frustration.

I am totally and completely crazy about my daughter though, and I wouldn't trade the hardest days at home with her for having to leave her and go to work. I feel like I have the best "job" in the world and am beyond blessed to spend everyday raising her. I love the joy she continually brings to our lives as well. Watching her sleep is angelic. Getting to see her enjoy tasting new foods is a real treat. Seeing her play with her puppy brother, Coal, is a blast. And nothing makes my heart swell more than when I've been out for a run, and I walk into the room, her face lights up, she laughs, waves her arms, and lunges towards me. It's a truly wonderfully indescribable feeling to be her mommy!

 

Thankful

I've been thinking a lot this week about how very much for which to be thankful! The sermon at church on Sunday was all about thankfulness. One of our pastors taught out of Psalm 136, which is a Psalm of thanks to the Lord for a vast array of reasons, but most of all because His love endures forever (that phrase is repeated 26 times in the Psalm). The enduring love of God is something for which to be forever thankful. I don't know anyone who can more appropriately claim that than the pastor who was teaching... he and his wife have lost three babies ranging in age from 2 hours to 12 months and 2 days. They have two sons today, but I don't know how someone is able to live through that and function once, let alone three times. If they are able to give thanks to the Lord for He is good, and His love endures forever, surely I can!

Then last night, Lil' Lady A's Bible story was about the "Sermon on the Mount." Jesus points out that the birds don't have to stock pile food and lovely flowers don't have to put on pretty clothes and dresses. God takes care of them, but we are even more important to God, so how much more will he take care of us? I am immensely grateful for how God takes care of us. Even when we are a bit careless and don't make all the necessary financial cuts when going from two incomes to one, He provides. We have all our needs met... a roof over our heads, a house that stays cool in sweltering heat, all the food we need, water whenever we want it and clothes on our backs.

Even more than all that stuff though, I am blessed with a fantastic family. My amazing husband is out of town right now, which reminds me even more how very thankful I am for him. Once he gets home from work everyday, he helps with dinner, helps clean up, changes diapers, helps with bath time, plays with our daughter, reads her a bedtime Bible story, and makes sure everything is taken care of while I get Lil' Lady to sleep. He also provides me with great conversation and companionship. I miss him like crazy, and he's only gone one night. I don't know how mamas who have husbands that travel all the time or are in the military do it. I'm so thankful this is a rare occurrence, and I'm thankful for friends who come over to help and provide great company.

Not only do I have a great husband, but we have a darling daughter. I am extremely thankful for her! She is healthy and growing and developing just as she should be. Her little smile and bubbly spirit bring joy to all who meet her. She is sweet as can be and oh so much fun!

I am also thankful for my extended family and friends who provide lots of love and support, even if they live miles and miles away. These are just a few of the things for which I am so thankful, but most of all I am thankful for a God who loves us enough to allow His son to die in our place.

"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever." Psalm 136:1