Earlier this year, I was freaking out just a little bit about the holidays, because I felt like we weren't going to have a lot going on.  We weren't planning to go home to Iowa because we are making a trip later in January for a wedding, and Randy's family only had a couple of things planned.  So Randy and I decided that life is too short to sit around and pout and we (mostly Randy) planned a trip to the coast over New Year's eve.   And I hope it can become an annual tradition!



   We all stayed at a house at the coast for a couple of days over New Year's Eve and God blessed us with B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L weather.  It was such a great time.



 We rang in the new year, much good food was eaten, strategy games were played, and a highlight was watching our beloved Ducks crush the Seminoles for a chance to play for it all in the championship game!  It was poetic.





 Poor Charlotte was SO sick in the days leading up to this trip, I was afraid we wouldn't even be able to go.  But we used a lot of oils and a lot of prayer and a little bit of Tylenol, and her fever broke the night before we left.  Thank-you Jesus!  Such a good time was had by all.

What are some of your families' holiday traditions?  I'd love to hear!

   While we were staying at the lake house, we were not very far from the coast, so one afternoon we drove to the beach and spent some time breathing in that salty ocean air.



     I never tire of watching my girls enjoy the ocean.  Perhaps it's because Jocelyn was such a timid soul, it took her a long time to finally warm to it, and now that they have I don't want to take it for granted for a single moment.  Charlotte, on the other hand, seemed to form a bond with the beach immediately, and rarely hesitates to get her hands dirty and her feet wet.  She cries when we have to leave, begging for more sand and waves.  I can already tell she will be my little sandy-blonde beach babe.





   Long before I ever knew anything about it, someone was filming a documentary called "Project Wild Thing" that while very interesting, failed to teach me anything I didn't already know.

Kids need to be outdoors.
Everyone needs to go outdoors more.
In our world of technology at every fingertip, we are missing something.
We are sicker, sadder, lonelier, and more depressed when we don't venture out.

   And while I feel like I knew all that it had to say already, it was still so stirring to watch.  To really see, process and FEEL the need anew to get children (and adults) outside again and back to nature. I am passionate about it for sure, but I am even more passionate that all of the exploration and discovery and adventure points to Something, or rather, Someone.

  The documentary left me feeling a bit empty because it was all about Mother Nature and how being outside is calming and relaxing and recharging for.....well....no particular reason.  It was all a bit of a mystery.

  When really, I think it's all rather simple.  Being outdoors is rejuvenating because we are taking in the glory and the beauty of the Creator God.  We are being reminded, constantly, that there is something bigger than us.

Bigger than our stress.
Bigger than our fears.
Bigger than our problems.

   And we feel smaller and higher and deeper and lighter all at once, and the clouds part and the sun shines down and we feel ourselves smiling way down to our toes.

But that is not the power of "nature".

That is the power, of the CREATOR.

Ahh, back to reality.

   This past weekend, Randy and I were privileged to attend the child-free couple's retreat with our Sunday school class out at the coast at Twin Rocks Camp.  It was a wonderfully relaxing, recharging time, and the weather couldn't have been nicer.  Well, I mean, it could've been 80 degrees, but for Oregon in January, it was as nice as it could possibly be.

   My DSLR wasn't working and my phone was dead most of the time, so I only got a few pictures.  Pitiful, I know.  But it is was it is.


   Randy and I have found in our 3 short years of parenting that time alone, just the two of us, is a high priority for our relationship.  It never fails to amaze me how quickly people can lose themselves in the roles of Mom and Dad.  It becomes their identity.  Their driving force.  Their anchor.  Their sense of fulfillment.  Of worth.  And it's easy to do because parenting is such a GOOD thing.  A noble cause.

But even good things that cause us to drift from one another become bad things.
 
   Before I was their Mama, I was his Wife.  His friend, lover, and companion.  And all of the diapers and bath times and Cheerios and Good night Moon can make me forget…..forget what it is like to just be HIS.  So friends, do yourselves a favor (do your children a favor!) and remind yourselves.  Remind yourselves how it all was, before you forget how.

   The best thing that parents can ever hope to offer their children, is a good relationship with their spouse.



   Ironically this walk alone on the beach almost didn't happen.  Randy wanted to go and I got talking with some ladies and supper was quickly approaching, and…..you know how it goes.  But we took a break to just get away for a while, and I'm so glad we did.  I'm so glad that he still wants me for me.  Not just because I am the mother of his children, but because he loves ME.

  Plus, it always feels like a shot in the arm for my parenting endurance.  I get back and I get a giddy little feeling in my stomach as we hurry into the house to see the girls.  I still have those moments of reuniting emblazoned on my memory from previous years, and they are so special to me.  This year the girls were napping, so it wasn't the usual triumphant return.  But after they woke up and I went to get them, they were so happy to see us it made up for it.  ESPECIALLY their Daddy.  I think it's safe to say he's the favorite around here right now.  And I watch them adore him and my heart swells with the thought of what a wonderful father they have.

   As for the rest of the retreat, it was a lot of the usual…..board games, overflowing snack table, fireplace crackling, people laughing, meals I didn't have to cook, thought-provoking sessions and of course, long walks on the beach.  My favorite moments though, were probably just the deep, soul-stirring conversations I was able to have in those short days.  It was like free therapy.

   In other news, can you believe we're practically through the first month of the brand, spankin' new year of 2014?  Seriously.  And I never thought I'd say this, but I'm quickly beginning to like January better than December.  Who would've ever thought??!  But December is just SO full, frantic and frenzied, and January is nights at home, popcorn and movies, and little getaways like the retreat.  So December of 2014, you're gonna have to bring your A-game to try and win your place of honor back!

Well folks, nap time moments are precious, so that's all for now.