Living Like Kings: 2017

Saturday, December 9, 2017

Christmas Hope

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord

This year has been tremendously challenging is so many ways similar and yet very different to 2015, the year we were blessed with Millie but also had to trust in the Lord that we would some day see Millie again in eternity. In Acts 9:18 Instantly something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he regained his sight which is precisely what I experienced when Millie was only 2 days old and we were gifted Sarah Young's Jesus Calling. Through my grief there were times when I begged that the pain would just end but I knew that by continuing to have faith in God I would find my peace in due time. Over the months since Millie's passing and in the months leading up to Bodey's arrival, I was beginning to crave more and more knowledge of what a life that walks with Christ entails. I had waited passively for the Word to come upon me but of course I needed more than just wishing! So this year I was finally forced to face some of life's challenges by leaning into my faith in the Lord. I got to a place where I was in constant need of his word to prevent fear and grief from overcoming me. Therefore, I reached out to the Stephen Ministry offered through our church and have been meeting weekly with a woman who has become my friend as she listens to my woes and continues to encourage me in His Word. I have learned how to pray more effectively and can watch the ways in which God answers my prayers when I am allowing His will to prevail.

As a result we have joined a life group at church and I find it quite fulfilling to connect with other couples who are similar in our age with young children who are also choosing to walk through life with God as their leader. This helps to give our journey encouragement to grow. Having more connections through church is helping us to step out of our comfort zone and engage even more in a life in Christ. One of the greatest blessings has come as Christmas time draws near and we choose to celebrate our daughter Millie through the RACK-Random Acts of Christmas Kindness that my sister Jenny initiated our 1st Christmas without Millie. In years past we have supported children in need but typically older boys. This year I was finally able to pick the card for blessing a 2-4 year old girl. It was very emotionally challenging but also comforting to shop for our girl this year. Here are the gifts I chose for a young 2-4 year old girl as I would have chosen for our almost 3 year old Millie, knowing she would be interested in dolls (with butterflies of course) and feeling like she would be interested in medical like her Momma and aunts and we picked out a pet play-dough set in honor of her brother who loves doggies and animals more than any kid I've ever met!

Here is Bodey and Daddy delivering our gifts to church.

This year we were able to start out the holiday month with a visit from Santa. This is the same Santa Bodey met last year but this year he was a bit less fond to say the least

2016

2017

We tried for a family pic but that was a bit rough too!

And here is the best shot of Bodey and Santa from this year

Down here in Georgia we received an extra special Christmas surprise when the forecasted 1" of snowy dusting turned into 25 hours of consistent snowing and 12" of total snow mass!! Luckily Heath and I both had off work so we packed up the crew and headed out for an afternoon of hiking in the snowy winter wonderland.

We realized the conditions had become much less safe when this big pine was found across our path when only about 30 minutes prior it was not present on the path at all. With about 1/2 mile to get out of the woods we started hearing the disconcerting sound of more and more branches breaking under the weight of the heavy snow.

We were blessed to make it out of the woods safely but then came across this tree blocking our only exit from the park. The right hand edge of this picture is the edge of a large drop down to the Etowah River so luckily this park ranger was available on the other side of the tree to help us make enough room to squeeze out. We made it home for dinner and then we were back out in the snow!

It has been such a joy watching Bodey explore his first real snow! As a girl from Wisconsin this white blanket was the perfect gift from up above to help ease the homesickness from being unable to spend Christmas with the Wiedmeyer family in Wisconsin this year.

My heart is warmed seeing the beauty of God's gift of snow as this year comes to a close. It has truly been a tough and challenging year but one of tremendous growth with the reminder that faith overcomes fear in all the challenges that will come our way. When life has felt overwhelming in my seasons of grief I am reminded And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose --Romans 8:28. This piece of scripture has been my anchor as I try to look beyond my immediate moments of pain, to remind me of hope in the greater good that God has planned for me. I am blessed to call myself a daughter of the King. I am grateful for all the ways God has shown me his never-ending love and security in my greatest moments of vulnerability. I am honored to celebrate the birth of Christ with my sweet little family of 4, with our supportive family and friends near and far, and with the church, North Metro, that we like to call home.

Merry Christmas to each of you! John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life

Monday, November 13, 2017

15 months

In true mommy-is-too-busy fashion, just as soon as I finished posting my 1 year old post I'll go ahead and try to do a 15 month update since Bodey actually is 15 months old now! So he went to the doctor and has finally bumped his weight up to a reasonable 35% (up from his next best of 16%) and with his height also in the 30s his BMI is at a perfect average of 48% which his pediatrician was extremely happy with. And just like every other visit she couldn't stop admiring just how healthy he is which makes this momma's heart swell about a thousand times over! She noticed that he liked to throw things and mentioned that he seems pretty coordinated and will be kicking a ball soon. I let her know that he absolutely already kicks balls but also follows after the ball to continue kicking it. He loves to run and can even run hills pretty well. He hits golf balls with his golf club and throws a ball pretty darn well. And if we're talking about coordination then I figured she might like to know that he gets up on the rocking horse and motorized 4 wheeler to stand on the seat while he rides! He continues to be a little daredevil but manages most obstacles quite well. He goes upstairs without any assistance what-so-ever and can walk downstairs with only a light handhold assist. He climbs down from couches and our very tall bed properly and with only the slightest assistance to gap the height. He loves the playground now and likes to try climbing up the slides but gets frustrated when his little feet slip and prevent him from getting up very far. He loves to dance and will bee-bop around like a little white boy! He has the most adorable baby curls that are still a light blonde that daddy and pawpaw want to cut off "because they're girly" but I told them I'll cut off something that will make them girly if they go near his curls! Bodey is still a fan favorite at the daycare and his teacher informs me that he is her little helper, always setting the table, moving the chairs for her and "tattling" when the kids are acting out! This baby is still utterly obsessed with doggies of all shapes and sizes. He will go out of his way to give kisses and bend over to lay his head on their side for a hug. Trick or treating he walked right into someone's house to check out their dog statue by the foot of their stairs! He knows my in-law's dog nick and will chase after him calling him by name! He loves to go into the cabinet and bring out treats for Coalie. I actually had to tape the box of treats shut because he was about to make her fat from all the spoiling he likes to do (not to mention all of his left-overs he makes a point to share with her). Just recently he has taken to mimicking me when he slaps his leg and "calls" for Coalie. He will also perform a little mini-squat and clap his hands and yells gibberish to try to get her attention (which I do not do so I don't know where he learned it but it is the cutest darn thing I have ever seen). He really loves all animals and has thoroughly enjoyed his trip to the Wisconsin State Fair, the Milwaukee Zoo and the Georgia Aquarium where he made sure to touch as many animals and sea life as possible. Aquariums are by far his favorite and he cried bloody murder whenever I had to walk down an empty hall to get to the next exhibit! He loves playing in water whether it's the bathtub, his water table or just the random puddle but he can't get enough of it. He has a pretty extensive vocabulary (in my opinion) saying and understanding "what's that", "mine", "shoe", "nick" (the dog), "pawpaw", "daddy", "mommy", "no", "ball", "ah lolo" (meaning I love you), "bye-bye", "hi", "hello", "truck", "duck" (and I know there's more than that but that's all I can remember right now). He consistently signs more (he also uses this sign for hungry), all done (although daddy changed it from the hands turning over gesture to the cut throat gesture which he caught onto immediately), please, thank you. As soon as he sees me at daycare he comes running to be picked up and as soon as I pick him up he starts waving and saying bye bye to everyone! He will often pick up our house phone and be seen walking around holding it to his ear saying hello and/or hi. He always goes and gets his high chair when he's ready to eat and says "momma" to let me know he's hungry. He still loves to eat dog food and knows that he isn't supposed to eat it so he will dine and dash from the dog bowl whenever he can sneak a change. He is absolutely obsessed with books and will sit and read to himself for a very long time. He will also come up to you ever-so-sweetly, hand you a book and sit in the center of your lap to be read to. He loves books with flaps and animal noises right now. He has recently taken up major affection for his brown teddy bear and will carry it around with him hugging his neck. He gives the sweetest kisses on the lips and hugs my neck just perfectly. He is the world's best sleeper-EVER. He goes down to bed without any fuss between 6:30-7:30 pm. He may rarely awake in the night but falls back to sleep within minutes and doesn't wake until we wake him, sometimes 5:30 but often 6:30 am. He still likes to do one nursing in the morning which I think helps him transition to getting up earlier than he would prefer. Bodey did manage 4 days without any nursing (or supplemental breast milk) while I was gone in New York in October. Which by the way was my first time spending any night away from him and he and daddy did fabulous together. Daddy was quite exhausted by the time I got home but it seemed like they had a wonderful time together while mommy enjoyed a fantastic trip herself. I've always looked forward to teaching my child and watching them understand the world around them. It was one thing I grieved so hard about losing Millie so getting to watch Bodey explore and engage with the world around him is so exhilarating and inspiring.