Merry Christmas

Friends and Family,

Another year has come and gone and another year my Christmas letter is being relegated to this blog space in the hopes that you pretend it arrived in your mailbox on beautiful stationary.

I didn't know if we would have a chance to snap a real family picture this year, so I asked Blythe to draw a Christmas picture of our family. See above. Brent and I are to the left of the tree under the wreath, and the girls are on the right under Jesus in the manger [Nan is on the floor with a rattle, obviously]. I feel as if I could leave it with that, as it really does depict family life quite well: my hair is a hot mess, I don't appear to have put pants on, Brent is wearing what could only be described as a house-dress, the girls are happy but appear to have colored their hair with markers, and Nan is crawling around like, "Hey, I just live here!" Oh, and glitter has exploded all over the floor.

And while that kind of sums it up, here is a little break down for those of you more interested:

Nan Louise is our biggest news of this year! She joined us on April 8th. HERE is her birth story if you missed it. She is as sweet as pie. The first couple of months were definitely an adjustment: I thought Nan would be our most difficult baby because the first two months she barely napped and ate every two hours. However, after those two months, she found her stride and has quickly become a very content, very sweet baby. She started crawling a month [or so] ago, loves to eat most food, and thinks her sisters are hilariously entertaining. She waves and says Dada. Brent and I both bonded with her so quickly-- I think it's the freckle on her head. It's the most endearing thing ever and I will shave that spot bald her whole life so I can always see it.

I asked Brent to help me come up with three words to describe each girl right now.
Nan is curious, a go-getter, and absolutely wonderful. 

 

Becks hit two in full stride. She got pneumonia in April, turned two in May, and then ended up in the hospital in July for some infection we never really pinned down. She is tough as nails [or at least tougher than our oldest daughter, which isn't saying much], and she loves to play with Blythe but does not suffer silently when her older sister wants to take charge. In her teeny-tiny frame she holds her own quite well and is constantly giving us a run for the money. You can't be around her and not want to kiss her cheeks, and you can't be around her and not laugh. Her projected height is "just shy of 5 foot", but her small size has never slowed her down. We took the "cage" [plastic fence/barricade we had zip-tied to her bottom bunk] off last week and she's handled the promotion like a pro. Two is easily my favorite of all the ages, and year two with Becks Lynae has been no exception.

Brent's words for her:
Becks is tender-hearted, strong-willed, and pint-sized

Which brings us to our oldest, Blythe Kathleen. She handled the changes this year in stride. She adores Nan and dotes on her frequently. She went through a bout of pneumonia around her 4th birthday that landed her in the hospital for a few nights.  She and I got to start "preschool", which is nothing organized or fancy, but she thinks any time she is learning is the best. She asks a hundred questions and then looks intently with those big brown eyes and a simple "that's just the way it works" never will suffice. She needs to know exactly how pencils are made, why cars have bright lights and not-bright lights, the difference between a high pitch and a low pitch, if asteroids made the dark spots in the moon, and, thanks to nature days with Papa, why is owl poop called pellets? She had a little foray into dance class. She loves "cheesy noodles" and broccoli and green beans. And any snack at any time of day. When I realize it is my last year home with her I want to find a corner in which I can weep privately. Her name means joy and she brings joy to our life every single day.

Brent's words for her:
 Blythe is inquisitive, creative, and joyful. 

 
 Brent continues his job at the bank as the compliance officer. He has great employers and customers and never minds going to work, which is a huge blessing. He took a little break from any major run this year since we had a new baby around to occupy us, but he still did a few 5ks and two sprint-triathlons this summer. He is also pouring himself into some men's ministries at our church and is excited about the momentum there. He continues to be a wonderful husband and such a good father to girls.

He didn't give me any words for himself, but I would choose steadfast, generous, and big-hearted.

Not much has changed in my world: I had another child and I had to accept a lot of help as I went through Blythe's hospital stay at 9 months pregnant, Nan's birth, a separated pelvis, and then Becks' hospital stay. But through it all I learned that God is faithful, not because everything turned out so well but because He was in it with us. And I also learned the humility of asking for and receiving help from family and some wonderful friends. This was my first fall not coaching softball, and while I missed the team I didn't have much time to think about it as I have kind of created my own team around here. I was able to do a lot of photography this year as well, and I still work part time at our church as the engagement and prayer coordinator and love being able to pour myself out in that way. My days are very, very, very full around here. Some days I want to quit this stay at home business, but most days I am very grateful for the hard work of taking care of these three beautiful girls I've been given. When I think of life 20 years from now, I get a ache in the pit of my chest just thinking about the beauty and simplicity of these chaotic days at home [during which I can't seem to keep all three fully clothed at once].

The above paragraph is why I have barely blogged this year. This is the least I have written in the 9 years since I started this blog, and that makes me very sad as I want to document these days. But I also want to live these days, so my time is limited. Please hang with me. I hope to be back.

 

And that's a wrap. 

Our hearts grew leaps and bounds this year, and so did our family. Our house is usually messy and loud, but you are always invited. 

And as we celebrate Christmas may you stand in awe of a God who stepped into our mess and noise, put on flesh, and whispered, "You are always invited." 

 

Merry Christmas,

Brent, Kelsey, Blythe, Becks, & Nan

If you want a little Christmas reading, I did some writing over HERE for our church during the Advent season.