Receive

One of the things that I am always telling Reese is "You could never know how much I love you!" - usually followed by a series of squeezes and kisses and probably a little too much stimuli but I can't help it, I just can't.

I really believe, hope and pray that actually, someday she will know. That is one of my highest challenges. It seems that I am embarking on a journey in which it may take years or decades before this end goal is reached... such a daunting thought. So I take it day by day. Today, I will show her I love her by letting her splash a little bit longer in the tub, even though I need to shower too. I'll show her my love by setting down my iphone and pulling her in my lap for a bit of storytime. I'll be intentional with her schedule, meals and hygiene.

Someday my love will look different. It may come in the form of a backrub, or in the form of a consequence. It won't always "feel" so fun or natural. But I will never stop trying to show her my love. It is impossible, it seems, for me not to show her.

I hope that she is able to receive my love and be inspired, take courage, and serve with joy. I hope she can receive my love and experience and receive Christ's love for her tenfold. I hope she can learn to love, by receiving my love.

Christmas Re-cap

I always begin my blogs with a bit of intimidation (especially after a long hiatus) but I love having these precious memories documented so here goes another...

This was Dillon's first Christmas as a pastor. It is safe to say this was one of our busiest holiday seasons so far as a family, with party-going and hosting, and the added dynamic of a 7 month old in the mix. I must say though, that it was honestly all fun- not perfect by any means- but I can look back and see that  we were able to focus on that which mattered most. For example- our tree has long bothered me, it is small, fake and cheaply... But with a little baby 'neath it- nothing could have been more perfect this year. Luckily Reese didn't start crawling until a few days before Christmas so our decorations survived another year.

So Dillon preached at the 4 o'clock family Christmas Eve service. That day a huge storm (to us Texans that is, maybe just a "normal" storm for native South Dakotans) rolled through, leaving a few inches of snow and making for a white Christmas! After the 4 pm service we had dinner with the pastors family- crab legs, risotto, crab cakes- and enjoyed exchanging gifts for all the kids. Dillon and I are ever thankful for the quick and easy friendship with have found with Bob and Mary. After dinner, Reese and I headed home, while Dillon went back up to church for the 8 pm candlelight service. When he got back we finished packing up our bags and hit the hay.

Christmas morning (approximately 4 a.m!) we got up and headed for the airport. The roads were surprisingly clear and we began the trek back to Texas with fully loaded iphones (Reese LOVES Tangled- she'll watch the entire 1.5 hrs), cheerios and baby food in tow. After a couple of naps for Reese, one round of Tangled, and 4 hours later, we arrived in Midland around 1230--an answered prayer indeed as we historically have the WORST travel luck at Christmastime.

We hit the grown running. That afternoon all the family came over to our house to munch on the "traditional" Christmas meal- a couple of turkeys, stuffing, rolls, casseroles- all prepared in advance by my talented madre! It was really nice being able to see my grandparents (both sets!) and cousins, aunts and uncles. That evening my sisters, Dillon and I went to see Les Miserables and it was one of my favorite nights! We all LOVED it and felt encouraged/inspired and I still am reflecting on it- such a powerful story!

The next day we drove north a couple hours to Lubbock so we could spend a few days with Dillons family. We were so excited to see everyone since about 6 months had passed. It was a full house at the Fergusons with about 30 people (2 blended families = lots of fun!). The time passed too quickly and is kind of a blur. Some of the highlights was coloring with my nieces, seeing Justin and Tasha hold and play with Reese, going out with Justin/Tasha/Brandon/Adrianne on our last night, playing the traditional Chinese Christmas game, sitting around the table and taking everyones blood pressure, and eating Rosas! Reese loved spending time with all her cousins and watching Tangled with Stiles and Sloane. 

Once back in Midland, we did some of the usual- slept in (thanks to Mimi and Boo), ate a fun New Years dinner at Venezias, planned a summer trip, made cookies, and then we left for Ruidoso New Mexico for a few days. I would like to take this moment to say that Reese did really good, all things considered. She was up every night, but she took her usual 2 naps a day and was happy all the time. It was mainly just hard having to share a room.

Ruidoso was its own adventure. After a cold corndog and nasty mustard from a gas station (I could gag just thinking about it), I proceeded to get sick twice... in the car, all over my Uggs. It was awful. Dillon was gagging, Reese was crying. Luckily I got sick just before we arrived to the cabin, but then we had a difficult time getting up the icy road and it ended up taking quite a while. That night I got sick a couple more times. I was able to get a long night of rest though, and woke up feeling 10x better the next day. We were able to see Tom and Brenda that night for a spaghetti dinner at our cabin, and enjoy the beauty of the mountains. Reese loved being the center of attention and kept us entertained. 

I feel like I am probably forgetting some good stories- it was almost a 2 week trip and we are so thankful we were able to retreat and connect with family for that time. We came back rested and ready for life in South Dakota, this little oasis in the hills.