Prayer Sticks

So we have a jar of popsicle sticks on our dining room table.  

Each stick has a name, event, worry or concern, for whom we'd like to pray.

We draw one stick out at dinner every night and pray for whatever the stick says.  

And every single night, my toddler loses his ever loving mind over these popsicle sticks and thinks he needs to hold one and stir his food with it and put it in his mouth or up his noise or WHATEVER.  And I basically find myself losing my cool over these prayer sticks and firmly suggesting that my children PLEASE PRAY FASTER so we can put them away.  

Yup.  True confessions.  

It maybe happened tonight.

I think the prayer sticks might go on a little vacation.  

We can come up with ideas without them.

#facepalm

#graceupongrace

{Where the ideal is lacking, grace abounds.}

  

Grayson Turns Two

My sweet boy turned two last week.

TWO.

He is a never ending ball of motion.  

He runs and roars and laughs and feels all the feels.

If he had an anthem it would probably be 

"GRAYSON DO IT."

Because he wants to do everything his big sisters are doing.  

Or just everything for that matter.

When I told him he was two he looked at me and said, 

"No.  No two.  No like it."

But he's sweet and cuddly when I can catch him.  

He likes to "rock rock."

He likes to read books.

He eats milk and cheese consistently.  

Anything else depends on his mood.  

Sometimes he doesn't like to eat at all.

Too busy.

He likes trains and dinosaurs and blocks and trucks.

If he hears a loud noise he wants more.

He is teaching us about being boy parents, and we're kinda smitten.

December

 I just love December.  

Advent.  Expectation.  Anticipation.  Tradition.  

Lights.  Beauty.  Smells.  Warmth.  

All of it.  Every year in October or November I pull out a notebook and start to plan.  

It used to be a frenzied "get it all done," but has formed into more of a "slow and steady" out of conviction and necessity to make the first things first.

But even still, sometimes it just doesn't feel very slow or peaceful when extras are added in.  Especially with four kids.  

#wetried

But really, we did try to make the first things the first things this season of advent.  

We talked about gifts a LOT.  Because what kid doesn't like to talk about gifts?  It's really pretty perfect when you think about it, because we were given the most PERFECT gift.

  And that is what we celebrate at Christmas.  We give gifts because we were given THE gift.  The Father of good gifts sent his one and only Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, to be condemned for our sin. (Romans 8)  

And we get to remember and celebrate and cherish the perfect gift.  

So we pick good gifts for friends and family.  And talk about the gift giver.

And we bake treats and goodies and share them with family and friends.  

And talk about the Bread of Life.  

And we sing songs that explain JOY to the world.

That the Lord has come!  

And we look at the lights.  Because Jesus is the light of the world!

And we do silly things, smell the smells, taste the tastes, read the books, play the games, share the stories, and cozy in together because His Kingdom comes in the way we celebrate!