Partners in Crime

Sometimes i feel that the boys plot against me. but that is only because they do.

seriously, these little cherubs of mine are naughty when they are together.

(please do not tell them this, but i think their naughty is fun and funny most of the time.)

on tuesday morning, my darling baby sis called. while chatting with her, i switched the laundry and then noticed the eerie silence. my heart started pounding as i ran through the house calling for my adorable children.

it does not take long for me to find them hiding in my room. wes' head is covered in massage oil, max has an evil laugh and is jumping on the bed. once i figure that max was attempting to anoint little bear in oil i demand to know where the remaining bottle of oil is. max is shrieking with the intensity and excitement of it all, i am shrieking with frustration and wes is shrieking because of the oil dripping down his head.

later this same day, i attempted to quick sneak in a shower. big mistake. i heard a lot of clunking and thumping so i wrapped things up quick and peeked out the bathroom door. maxwell and weston threw all the books down the steps. books and boys were everywhere.

these kids are a riot and a lot of work. i truly would not trade a day of my life. so fun!

All is Well

oh christmas. a celebration of joy and thanksgiving for the birth of our savior. festivities galore fill up our days and gifts fill up our houses. there is special time spent with extended family, delicious feasts, and, aside from the scrooge like shopping expeditions, there is good all around.

here is an example of the good times had with uncle alex during his visit. pay no attention to max's really dirty face. there is no time to wipe faces clean when a new mr potato head has arrived.

as a child, i remember the huge letdown that would happen after the presents were opened and the normalcy returned. now, i cherish these days of calm after the storm of the holiday. for the best parts of christmas are ours to celebrate each and every day that we choose to embrace them. jesus is our gift today as well as on dec 25th.

dont get me wrong, the expectation and adoration on my boys' faces as they opened up gifts absolutely melted my heart. and so does the contentment i see right now as they are snuggled in the nest watching a show. wes is babbling away while reading a story and max is assuring wes that dada is not in that book so he should stop saying dada dada all the time.

all is well at the meiste home and in our hearts. we have celebrated the greatest gift of all, salvation, and continue to celebrate our great god who blesses us abundantly every day of the year.

Beauty in the Stillness

this time of year is very full. full of festive gatherings, delicious meals, hectic shopping sprees, last minute appointments, celebrations and lots of joy. all of these things are super fun and so good. last night i discovered some more good during this time of year.

the stillness

we spent monday night just the four of us, just chillin in one another's company. brad an i watched the boys play and played along (when they let us). we commented on how blessed we are to have these two beautiful and healthy boys. we observed max's incredible size and maturity, we marveled at bear's development. we adored how sweet they played together, and shook our heads at how naughty they can be in the next minute.

while lying in bed, i remarked to brad that i felt guilty for not "doing" anything "fun" with the boys that night. brad was shocked at my comment and reminded me that there is so much good in just being together.

what an incredible idea. for even on that first christmas, there was much celebrating, gift giving, rejoicing, and heralding. but there was also a teeny tiny brand new baby boy and parents who were utterly and completely enamored with his very presence.

this christmas i dont want to lose the gravity of jesus' mere presence. for HE is still here, still changing all of eternity.

Meg is ENGAGED

Hooray! friday night, our dear sweet beans became engaged to the love of her life, austin zoerhof. austin's proposal was yet another demonstration of his true love for meggles. he arranged an extensive and precious scanvenger hunt to all the places that have meant something in their relationship. these included their first kiss, where he asked beans out, the classroom they met in, etc. to guide beans were two beautiful friends from wheaton. their love for her was evident in their shared excitement and thoughtfulness. kelly and emily bought beans an outfit to look cute in and recorded the hunt. all along the way were friends and roses and poems. once austin popped the question, he took beans to via maria for a romantic first meal of engagement. afterwards, we all joined in the celebration by coming to austin's parents' home and watching the engagement experience, eating a cute diamond ring cake, and being warmed by beans and austin's love.

my heart is full, knowing my sissa is in love with a darling yet manly man. the entire party i kept glancing up at my own love because we know how fabulous marriage can be. brad and my love grows ever stronger as our life together continues to be full of blessings and boys and a grand family, the four of us.

beans, my prayer for you is that god uses this time of engagement to prepare your heart for marriage to the man that has captured your heard and now your hand. you are such a blessing to us all beans, and i have total confidence that you will be a blessing to your husband.

ps, i love that austin will be my bro!!

Keeping Warm

brrr.

the focus of all news media is this winter storm that is finally upon us. gross. this snow weather what winter is all about, but the treacherous conditions are just not my fave. already the time it takes to get out the door has quadrupled due to the bundling process. on sunday, brad unloaded an entire ton of pellets in the time it took me to get the boys all dressed for the snow. (secretly, i rejoiced in this particular instance because it meant i did not have to help :)) baby bear does the cutest thing when i get his coat on. to get those little hands through the sleeves of his jacket takes a little pushing, so i always kiss them once they break through. now he shoves them in my face as soon as his arm is securely through his cuff, anticipating some kisses. kinda makes me want to go put another layer on him.

listening to the wind howl and watching some freezing rain/slow mix fall from the sky sends chills right to my very bones. the severity of the blizzardous conditions outside provides a stark contrast the coziness on the inside of my home. the house provides us protection and the corn stove provides us warmth aplenty. i am very comfortable sipping some chai and peeking in on my sleeping boys all snuggled down in their beds. the morning was made even more snug with the company of good neighbors.

i am so grateful for the refuge that my home is, not just from the blizzard of 09, but from the storms of life.

Empowered with the Word

Saturday morning was truly life changing. i had the opportunity to listen to nicole lacroix, a woman on a mission to share the power in the spoken Word of the Lord. We need not understand all that the lord is doing with our words and our lives, just act and speak in faith (mark 4:6-27). throughout the bible, there are examples of the power of the spoken word. when we speak aloud the word of the lord, god is alert and active. the words from the bible, our double edged sword, do not come back void but shall prosper (jeremiah 1:12, isaiah 55:11, psalm 103:20). please join me in speaking scripture aloud for our marriages, our children, and our very lives. i eagerly anticipate how god will change our lives as we serve him and others.

it seems so easy to get settled into this comfortable existence, but i believe that we have such incredible opportunities and abilities when we align oursleves with the lord and i believe that this is a powerful way to do just that. when i allow myself to recognize my hunger and thirst for more of jesus, i am humbled by my lack of time spent set aside to spend with him. i pray that in this season of celebration, i embrace jesus wholly and truly live what i believe.

Strength in the Lord

my life has plenty of drama. too much sometimes. it can be exhausting. when my spirit is worn and weary my initial response is to withdraw within myself where it is safe. sorta safe, well, safer than the possibilities of harm from people i love.

thursday was a full day. full of bible study, counseling, and small group. all of which are awesome, and challenging. while i seriously considered canceling one or more of these events, yet again, god proved faithful. he blessed my presence at bible study by surrounding me with neighbors who truly care and support. he blessed my counseling appt by reminding me of his grace and faithfulness throughout all aspects of my life. he blessed my presence at small group by giving me a real community of real believers who truly seek to do his will on earth.

on a night when i expected to be completely drained, i found myself fulfilled and deeply satisfied. when one aligns themselves with the lord, he provides strength enough to thrive. as rob bell says, it is not about survival, but thrival.

thank you jesus for the reminder of what a blessing it is to follow your call.

Date Night

i heart brad

last night brad and i had the pleasure of a romantic date night together while our boys were being adored by their grandma. brad and i rarely date any longer as we are so enamoured with our married and family life. we typically struggle with giving up a night with our boys and therefore forgo any dating activity. however, last night we gratefully accepted mom's offer and headed out for a night of food and christmas shopping. in the 2.5 hours we were gone, i fell deeper in love with my husband and my beautiful boys. it is amazing what a little logans and tractor supply can do...

after listening to dr laura on the radio and my experience of fun with brad, i really desire to recommit to giving brad my best and finding the best in him. he is such a hero in my life and i want him to know that. he cherishes me, provides selflessly for the fam, and daddy's with such love.

brad is such a blessing in my life.