Reflections on Christmas (keeping it simple) Part 1

We decided (as a couple) to keep our Christmas traditions as simple as possible this year for a variety of reasons.  Therefore, we decided not to drag out all of our decorations or even get a tree for that matter. We didn't buy many gifts and cookies didn't get baked.   Before you start feeling depressed, let me say we didn't have a feeling of "bah humbug" at all.   A few of our reasons included the fact that we were going to be out of town beginning Christmas Day, we're remodeling a bathroom which has required much of our time and money, and we could picture our tree getting pulled down and ornaments being drug all over the house for a month!  You'll have to keep reading to find out why the photos contradict what I'm saying.  Little did I realize how much more that less would actually be!  

I realized a week or so into December how much more I was really enjoying this time of year.  Here's what I mean:

- The Christmas section at Home Depot has never been more exciting.  Samuel and I circled the cart twice just to enjoy that giant snow globe one more time. :)

- The glow and smell of our Christmas candle never looked brighter or smelled more cheery.

- The Christmas cards and photos of friends and family lined up on our mantle never brought more joy.

- I was not stressed or exhausted over shopping, baking, or wrapping gifts.  

I can hardly explain it, but taking all of the expectations of what Christmas is supposed to be and what we're supposed to "do" brought a freedom to truly savor the simple things and realize the beauty in them.  

I love how God works.   He's not often early, but He's never late either.  We weren't devastated over not having a tree for goodness sakes, but it's a fun part of celebrating for sure.   Typically we like to pick out a real Christmas tree each year, but like I said we decided otherwise this year.  A week before Christmas Tyson and the neighbor were dropping off a load of construction debris (from the bathroom) at the county landfill.  As they were leaving a local tree farm was dumping perfectly good Christmas trees that no one had purchased and asked Tyson if he would like to have one.  Personally I had no motivation to put it to use at that point, but on Christmas Eve I looked outside and Tyson was putting the tree in the stand and wrapping a few lights around it.   Tyson wanted Samuel to be surprised when he woke up from his nap and he was!  His eyes were big and he went straight to the strand of lights to inspect them.  

I looked at Tyson and saw how much joy it brought him to prepare the tree and have it sitting there for Samuel and then watch Samuel's eyes light up with delight when he caught a glimpse of it.  In that moment I was reminded of how our Father God truly desires to give his children good gifts and I realize so many times I deny him that opportunity by fulfilling my desires in ways I think are best instead of leaving room for Him to do something beyond what I could ever come up with myself.  

Truly, less (of me) and more (of Him) is where I find real life!

Giving Thanks with Family

  

We had a great time celebrating Thanksgiving with Tyson's family this year.  

It was nonstop fun for Samuel with his grandparents, aunts, uncle, and cousins.

Tyson and his mom share their love for NC State and we enjoyed watching football with her.  

Samuel played with followed cousin Bella as she set up a "restaraunt" at CiCi's fireplace.  

 Samuel enjoyed getting right in on the action with his big cousins, Ethan and Gavin.  Tyson would wrestle around with them and Samuel was not intimidated a bit.  When Tyson would get on all fours as the boys were jumping on his back, Samuel would get under Tyson like he was participating.  It was so cute, but I didn't get a picture of it. Darn!

We began getting into the Christmas spirit with the PJ's.  The hat only stayed on momentarily - long enough to get this pic.  He was exploring the bag of cars and trucks at Nana and Papa's house.  

 This is sweet baby cousin, Kenley Micah.  Samuel was relatively gentle with her. He called her "baby."

An annual tradition in the Carr Family is to break out the shotguns and shoot clay pigeons.  Tyson's dad organizes this.   It's mainly the guys, but the girls are welcome to shoot too.   Even Samuel got his turn - just kidding!!! We came out when the guys were done to check things out and have some fun.  

Fun family pic with Samuel and Annabella.

Papa took the two little ones for a ride on the four wheeler.  I wasn't outside for the big event, but I heard Samuel was just sort of "along for the ride" this year.  Maybe next year he'll find it more exciting.  

 Aunt Jadon with her baby girl having some fun.

Papa and gang!

I do this everytime!  I tend to get more pics of the kids than the adults.  I managed to somehow miss getting any pics of Aunt Erin, Uncle Paul, and Nana.  I'm surprised there are any of me.  I'm usually behind the lense instead of in front of it.  Either way, we so enjoyed the time spent with each person.  We commented that it felt like we had quality conversation with everyone.  Did I mention thanks to Nana and Papa Carr,  T and I even went to movie?  It was a great Thanksgiving and we have so much to be thankful for!

Food for Thought

Some friends of mine recommended this book to me a couple of months ago, and it has really re-shaped my view of what judgement is and how my judgements so badly warp the way I look at things.

The book is called How to Stop the Pain, and I have it listed on my sidebar as one of the books on my nightstand.  If you've taken a close look at my booklist you probably saw the stark contrast between "Busy Bees, " "Pajama Time," and then..."How to Stop the Pain."  What can I say?  We've got a wide variety of reading material around here.  Anyway, back to the book...I'm not finished with it yet, but thought I  would share a few lines that have really spoken to me so far.  The second chapter is called, "What is Judgement?"  This guy's definition is one I've never heard before.  

 He says,  Identifying what someone did is not judgement; that is merely observation.  It is when we asume to know why a person did what he did that we have entered into judgement.  

Only God has the right to judge.  He alone knows why people do what they do.  We do not know, nor is it our place to judge why.  In many cases, people do not even know why they do what they do...God is the only one who can truly know the heart.  When people assume to know why, then their reactions are not based on reality;  they are based on judgment.  That judgment causes confusion, pain, and loss.  

Here's another section in the chapter: The moment you attempt to determine why another is doing what he or she is doing, you have given it significance. Keep in mind that nothing has power to hurt you until you attach significance to it.  Another person's actions are only as significant to you as the judgements you pass on them.  The judgment you make is based on your decision about why that person did what he did.  The degree of pain or insult you experience from the actions of another is based solely on the judgment you pass. And the judgment you pass is your assumption of why he did what he did.  

Here's another dinger!  Simply giving up the right to judge would break the cycle of pain and torment while salvaging many valuable relationships.

Is there anyone else that resonates with this?  My family is probably saying, "Thank goodness she's reading this!"  Ha!  Just the simple definition of judgment being when we decide we know why another person has behaved a certain way has been transforming the way I look at all my relationships (my spouse, my child, family, and friends).  It's so easy to think we're "perceptive" or "wise" when in actuality we're making judgements about others and inflicting pain on ourselves.

I was trying to think of an example to share with you of something lately that's happened that's given me the opportunity to give up my right to judge.  Okay, I just thought of something.  We were recently asked by one friend, "Are you going to the party for ...?" (some other friends of ours)  I said, "No, we didn't know anything about it."  My first reaction (on the inside) was to let myself get really hurt and offended and go down the trail of wondering why they wouldn't let us know about it.   Then I made a conscious choice not to decide why we weren't included in the get together.  It's amazing how free I felt after that.  I truly never gave it another thought.  For all I know they tried to get in touch with us, but even then it's really not my place to decide.  I can think about these friends and not feel any offense.  I don't know what's in their hearts and it doesn't change my feelings towards them.  This is just one way I see this truth about judgement filtering through my life and relationships. Then of course of course this shines the light on the countless time I've judged Tyson and decided I knew "why" he did this or that.  Come to think of it I judge myself quite often too.    My prayer is that the truths I'm reading about in this book wouldn't merely be information on a page, but that it would become a reality in my life.   I would love to hear your thoughts too if you'd like to share.

Little Helper

I'm on a roll with getting videos uploaded. This was too funny not to share. This will probably backfire on me at some point!

Little Talker

Hoopster

Samuel can now make a "basket" in his Little Tikes goal. He especially loves to play with Daddy.

He looks so tough shooting hoops in his reindeer PJ's.

Exploring Can Be Dangerous

The events taking place in the picture above led to the nice little boo boo under the eye in the picture below.

 The first pic exposes my laziness in shoving things under Samuel's crib.  Actually, I decided to keep his little suitcase handy from Thanksgiving since we'll be packing up again for Christmas.  In the mean time, Mr. Busy found himself digging around under there.  Before I could be of any assistance in pulling him out, I heard some comotion followed by a red face and a little screaming.
Apparently on the way out from his journey under the crib he collided with the suitcase or some other random object I had stashed and ended up with a bruise and a little scratch under his eye.  You never know around here.  I'm learning daily that childproofing is not a one time event.

Reading Corner

 I made Samuel his own little reading corner this morning because for the past few days he had been taking all his books and sitting with them behind the rocker.  I've kept a big basket of books next to the rocker from my teaching days mainly because we're limited on storage.  He hasn't really gotten into any of these books up until now because he's had other baskets of board books that were more his speed.

 After several days of finding the little rascal hunched down behind the rocker with scads of books around him I decided to pull the rocker out a little, bring his board books over, and make it his reading corner.  Let's just say, he's still back there as I type.  He-loves-it!  You can see he's "reading" to himself in the photo above.  :)

 Now I'm looking for a little chair his size to put back there.  We put his booster seat on the floor for some reason recently and when he figured out he could climb in and out of it there was no stopping him. He got so excited that there was a chair on the ground that was his size we couldn't get him out of it.  This is what first got us thinking that he would enjoy his own little chair.

The Difference a Year Can Make

I found this post from December 4th of last year of a video of Samuel's first airplane ride.  What a sweet tiny little thing.  As I watched the video again, I chuckled to myself thinking about our upcoming flight to Texas this year for Christmas.  In one year's time the sweet little newborn is now a prime candidate for a "backpack harness."   I used to think it was odd to put a "leash" on your kid, but I've had second thoughts picturing us waiting around in the airport.

Wordless Wednesday

 

The Little Pack Rat

What Does...

A Wet Wipe

Some sticky labels

A Plastic Peg

This clear ball 

And this wooden block have in common??

According to Samuel,  they all go well stuffed into the top of the above gumball toy.  We were  cooking dinner last night not paying complete attention to "Mr. Busy" who had lots going on too (apparently).  Later, we looked down and found a nice variety of items stuffed into the top of this toy.  We cracked up as we pulled each thing out one by one.  I joked with Tyson that he had inherited his pack rat tendencies.  As a one year old I guess you never know when you may need an extra wet wipe or sticky label.   

I Heart Fall...Food!

Here's my disclaimer up front - When I say I make "pumpkin" this or "pumpkin" that just know that the pumpkin came from a can of pumpkin puree.  I just can't bring myself to buy, clean, scoop out the guts, and cook the inside of a pumpkin just to add it to something else.  Okay there, now that I got that out on the table let's talk about these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins I baked the other night.  I found the recipe here at Allrecipes.  It made enough batter for me to pour into one loaf pan for bread and a six cup muffin pan.  They were super easy to make and turned out very moist and tasty.  The pumpkin and chocolate are a great combo.  They're not exactly low-fat or low-carb but if you're a fan of pumpkin foods in the Fall you should give this recipe a try.  I would love to hear about it if you do!  

Last night I had a butternut squash in the fridge that I knew I needed to cook soon.  I don't have many variations of cooking butternut squash in my head, so I went back to my trusty Allrecipes site again and typed in "butternut squash" under ingredients and scrolled through until I found this recipe for Turkey Chili with, you guessed it, butternut squash.  We loved it! It didn't require any packets of seasoning.  Just some chili powder, cumin, salt, and garlic.  It had a great flavor.  I was afraid it was going to be a little bland or boring but that wasn't the case at all.  It called for a can of green chilis.  I didn't have that on hand but did have a can of Rotel original which worked just fine.   Guess who else ate it up?  For someone who's proving to be a bit picky, he loved this.  I've made a mental note to pick up another b-squash.  I've found another veggie he'll eat.  Yes! 

Have a great day!  We've got sunshine here.  I think we'll go for a walk this morning.

It Just Keeps Getting Better

 This little guy is 13 months old already.   We are having the time of our lives with him.  It's something new everyday with this kid.  I took these pics last weekend.  I sat him on this sofa outside and he thought he was big stuff.  Of course I had to snap the pictures while making sure he didn't dive head first onto the ground at any given moment.  All boy!!  He was back and forth, up and down, and all around on this thing.

 Samuel is really getting more and more into "Dada" these days.  Today, when he heard the back door opening his face lit up, he jumped out of my arms, ran to the door, and said "Dada!"   During the day, I hear, "Dada" this and "Dada" that.  He's loving his Daddy!    We've also counted about 15 words he can say or use on a regular basis.  Let me see if I can recount here - (mama, dada, ball, shoes, up, bath, Jezzi (the neighbor's dog), Nana, Papa, CiCi, No!, bye-bye, hi, nose, eye, uh-oh, yucky!).  He's also figured out how to throw things in the trash can.  We know where to look if cell phones or keys come up missing!  It's so sweet, he says "baby!" when he sees himself in the mirror or in a photo.

 He still loves to play with any and all types of containers.  He will amuse himself for 15 minutes   taking lids on and off of plastic bowls.  We love to watch his face because it's obviously a very serious job he has.  He can stack blocks these days too.  We have a few wooden blocks and some  peek a blocks that are clear with little objects inside.  At certain times he can stack several of them.  He's very careful and gets the block situated just right in his hand before he puts it on top.  When he's successful he squeals with delight then knocks them over of course.

 The little feet you see in this photo never stop moving I might add (unless of course he's sleeping).  He's on-the-go.  A man on a mission.  I looked down at him last night playing on the kitchen floor and thought how great if was that he really never gets bored at this age.  There's constantly something to explore and discover.  I didn't say his explorations are always convenient for Mommy.  I'm not a fan of his recent toilet bowl explorations or using the plunger as a pull toy.  Nevertheless, he's amused.

We've reached a major milestone with nap and bedtime.  His sleeping through the night (or lack of) is nothing to brag about, but what we're thrilled about is that we can lay him down awake in his crib and he will go to sleep on his own.  He has to be somewhat sleepy already, but he will do it.  I am so relieved about this one.  At one point I was picturing us having to rock him until he was 12!  It's the little things. 

This smile so melts my heart.  I am so very thankful for the little person Samuel is.  We do have a great connection and bond.  He is a joyful fun loving baby.  He still loves for us to say "Where is Samuel?"  Then he comes around the corner and says "Hereheis."  That's here-he-is but he thinks and says it like it's all one word.   

I didn't pose him with his legs crossed.  This is a common way that he sits, especially when he's watching a video or looking at a book.  He crosses those little ankles.  I know you want to squeeze the chubby little hands don't you? 

Oh, the wonder in your eyes.  I look at you in awe that you're here on this earth with us.  God breathed a wonderful spirit, soul, and personality into your little body.  I'm utterly amazed!

We love you so very much!

New Name, New Look

I'm back! I finally put my thoughts and ideas to the blog. The new title has been in my head for two years now. Nothing like a little procrastination. You can click on the "Gina" link to find out what in the world mini blinds has to do with anything. Of course I will still be posting pics of our favorite little boy in the whole world, but I've been wanting to add a little more of our life on here for a while. Even though I do most all of the posting and this is sort of "my" blog, I hope it can more widely reflect the journey God has our family on as a whole. Who knows, maybe Tyson will surprise you guys with a guest appearance sometime.  This is a work in progress, so keep checking back!

In the mean time, let this little guy put a smile on your face.  

Wordless Wednesday

Not So Wordless Wednesday

I've decided to just start typing anything and everything (well maybe not everything) I can think of that's been going on with us. It's been a long time since I've just written an update. I thought I would weave these pics in that I took the other day at a park near our house where we go often for walks and such.
Every time we walk this part of the trail I look at that little red barn and think how cute it would be in the background of a photo, so one evening I got Sam Jam out of his stroller and let him toddle all over the grassy field to his heart's content. So there you have it. Here are my shots with the red barn I'd been wanting to capture. Okay, back to what's been going on with us...

Samuel just turned one on October 9th and we had a party for him here at our house with family and a few close friends. He had a great time and so did we. I know his first birthday was more for us than for him. I was really reflective the month leading up to it on what we were doing a year ago. Me SO pregnant and all of us anticipating his birth. Then the birth itself was such a monumental experience that I've yet to really write about it ( I still may write out my full birth story soon). Sorry guys. I'll warn you first. :) I'm just so thankful for God's faithfulness and kindness to us in so many ways. It's been a stretch financially for me to stay home with Samuel, but truly all of our needs have been met in abundance and it has stretched our faith as well. I don't regret one minute of the time I've been able to spend with him. Even the multiple night wakings! Did I just say that? Yes, even the multiple night wakings. What precious moments in hindsight those are rocking and snuggling with that little one. I wouldn't trade it. I can say this now, you know, since he is sleeping through the night and all. ;)

We just took him to his 12 month well baby visit. My mom was able to come with us, so that was special. He weighed 21 lbs. 13 oz. and was 29.5 inches long. His weight is now in the 40th percentile and his height is in the 50th. On the other hand...the precious boy has a big head!! I'm not sure what the measurement was, but he's in the 70th percentile for head size. I think he takes after Mommy. Sorry Boo! :) I switched pediatricians after feeling like just a number at our former clinic. I really like the new office and the doctor took tons of time with us. It didn't take her five minutes to say, "Mom, you do know he has you wrapped around his finger don't you?" To which I said, "Yes, I do realize this." Don't worry ya'll, the boy will be disciplined, but the truth is he does pull on my heartstrings. I can't help it! After that, he fully entertained the lady and demonstrated everything he knows from saying "woof, woof" to waving and clapping. She said he seemed to be a typical courious little boy and didn't show any signs of being too hyper. She also said she could tell he was an extravert and that he seemed very secure and confident. That made me and Tyson feel great, of course. I'm going forward with almost all of the vaccinations. I've been on the fence about a few, but it's highly likely we will be doing some travel internationally and I don't want to take any chances. Many diseases that are almost non-existent here are still quite common overseas. He got his MMR vaccine at this visit and also had his finger pricked to check his iron and lead levels. His iron level was slightly low, so they recommended vitamins. Guess I should have thought of that. I've not given him much meat and I think maybe that's why his iron levels were low. I've tried him on a little organic cows milk lately and it didn't seem to agree with him, so we're back to strictly breastmilk as far as milk goes. Maybe I'll try again later or try some other type of milk. I'm so happy we made it a full year with breastfeeding. He's now eating all sorts of table foods, but still nurses too. I'm not panicked about weening him. I figure sometime before he's five will be fine. Just kidding!!

On the home front we were forced into a bathroom remodel situation that we hadn't planned. Long story short, we found a leak that had been happening over a long period of time under our shower that caused mold and rotted the subfloor. Next thing we know we're ripping out the entire bathroom and staying with friends for a couple of weeks. The bathroom is now mold free and everything else free. It's gutted down to the bare bones. Our next door neighbor, who is a retired brick mason and a jack of all trades came to our rescue and has been a huge help with it all. He's willing to help us put it all back together, so he and Tyson will do most of the renovating. Thankfully we have another bathroom to use in the meantime and good friends who are willing to help us. The whole situation reminded me how thankful I am for our close knit group of friends we live in community with. We had no problem imposing our selves on one couple who we stayed the two weeks with. They graciously said "come on." We actually lived with them in the past when we were single (I'll have to share our love/how we met story) sometime. Made me miss living in community actually. Have any of you ever lived "in community" so to speak? I never thought I'd be the type but once I got a taste of it, I know it's definitely something I could do again. As if marriage isn't enough to expose your selfishness. LOL In the midst of all the bathroom issues my photography business venture has slowed down to a creepy crawl. I'm reevaluating the path I want to take with it too. Not sure if strictly being a photographer who takes pics of families and children is the path I'm being led down. More on that to come.

Lately I've picked my One Year Bible up again and have been reading through Jeremiah. Not exactly "easy reading" to be honest but I grab on to the tasty nuggets that do jump out at me and try to chew on them a bit. "I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" That line seemed fairly plain and straightforward. In light of any circumstances we may find ourselves in I am comforted to know that I can hear the voice of the Lord whispering in my ear, "is anything too hard for me?" Happy Wednesday everyone!!