Getting Ready

It is hard to believe we only have 10 more days, give or take, to meet our baby boy. With all the excitement in my heart, there is also a bit of fear. Fears regarding labor and delivery (I feel like I'm out of practice...it has been more than 3 1/2 years), adjusting to life with a newborn, meeting the needs of all my children while maintaining our household and homeschool routine. Wise moms have told me to lower my expectations and most importantly, pray. It feels like I am on the verge of being re-initiated into motherhood. So with the changes just around the corner, I'm trying to prepare my heart and home for what is ahead. The "to do" list is growing by the day while I fluctuate between having lots of physical energy and motivation to take on the whole house and having just enough to manage the bare essentials for the day. This final trimester has also brought a fair bit of pain to this mama-to-be, which I am looking forward to disappearing once I can hold this child in my arms instead of my belly. Still on my to-do list?

- Try to get the whole house clean...this seems almost impossible since we still have 5 people living here and 3 of them are not very tidy.

- Take a bunch of discards to the donation center. It always feels so good to get stuff out of your house that you no longer need.

- Brush up on our Bradley Method book, but honestly, if I run out of time I'm just hoping that the whole labor and delivery experience will just be like riding a bike and come back to me.

- Finish packing the bag for the hospital.

- Fill in more details on the list of things people should know when caring for our children.

- Have some pictures taken by a friend.

- Get a pedicure, or at the very least, paint my own toenails just because that makes me happy.

- Go on a date with my husband! Babysitter is booked and I'm looking forward to an evening out with him!

- Write shower thank you notes. I was SO blessed this week by a group of gals from church who came out to encourage and support me as we are days away from our little one's arrival! We really didn't need much in the way of baby things, but it is so refreshing to have some new things to use this time around instead of exclusively hand-me-downs from his older brothers.

- Take time to rest and exercise.

- Enjoy these moments with just 3 kids on the ground and get out to do at least one thing with them just for the sake of having fun with them.

I know I could really keep adding to this list, but these are the most important so I want keep my expectations in check and enjoy these days as much as possible.

Glimpses of Christmas

Free vintage skis I found this fall and a wreath from years past were easier (and safer!) than putting up outdoor lights
Our humble tree with ornaments collected through the years and made by children...it won't make any decorating magazines or blogs, but it is "our" tree, not "my" tree
A simple display over the fireplace - my favorite part is my grandmother's first Bible under the initial
A window display made by our crafty 5-year-old...it did my heart good to know that she really understands the reason for the season and the initiative to make this was all hers.

Gifts on top of the kitchen cupboards keep the temptation away from young hands and add a festive touch

We really enjoyed taking a day at home for our "family Christmas" before traveling. We enjoyed a fondue meal, gifts and time for the kids to enjoy their new things.

The kids singing carols with Nana playing

All the kids listening to Papa read the Christmas story

In a nutshell, it was a season of simple decorating and celebrations, but rich in memories.

Not pictured:
- A family photo with my living grandparents, parents, siblings and their spouses and children
- My mom's 60th surprise birthday party
- A white winter wonderland thanks to a big blizzard, though too cold and windy to really get out to enjoy
- Gathering near the computer to visit with my husband's family many miles away