2014 Update

It's 2014, and I just thought I would include a few photos to describe where we are at the start of this new year.

The kids got painting crafts for Christmas, and they have surprised me by their mature ability to sit and paint. It's been rewarding as a mom to see them have such an interest in painting their wooden cars, butterflies and dinosaurs to give as gifts for people they love. "This dinosaur is for daddy," Mac said, "I am using all of the colors on it for him. He's gonna LOVE it." 

Everything Mac paints looks the same in the end: a blackish, gray-covered mix of colors, which he does on purpose and loves. Corrie prefers to keep her colors separated. :)

Ellis and I were given a couple gift cards for Christmas, and we took the chance one Saturday night to go to both dinner and a movie. We felt pretty spoiled. All I can say about the night is that I truly had fun. It felt like we were dating again, and I loved being with you, Ellis. 

Davey had a cold, so I decided to bring him along to dinner. By the time the waiter had come to take our order, Davey had eaten half of the children's pack of crayons. 

He learned to drink through a straw that night, as I just swooped him up and went out the door with no "baby" supplies. He had a pretty great dinner of milk and crayons, with a little potato soup on the side. 

My dad visited us the weekend after Christmas and surprised us with a wedding present. He is a talented woodworker, and he made our family a dovetail stool. We started putting it to good use immediately. :)

We had a surprise snow day, and I decided to let Davey out in it with Mac and Corrie for the first time.

At first, Davey did not know what to make of it all. He would just stand or sit in whatever position I placed him in for a while before starting to cry. Eventually he became more comfortable and started to enjoy playing with the snow.

The next morning, Mac and Corrie played with their stamps while Davey took his morning nap. I took a deep breath and thanked God for moments like that one...the kids working on their little projects with the bright view of the snow outside illuminating the kitchen. So peaceful. So full.

(Nice stamp tower, Corrie!)

And speaking of views, here is the view from our bedroom window...the sunrise over the mountains. It never get's old. 

Speaking of mountains, we took a hike together on New Year's Day. It's been such a great gift to live here, with beautiful mountain hikes only minutes away. You know you have got a pretty good deal when you can squeeze in a hike like this between your baby's morning and afternoon nap!

We've been exploring new hikes lately, and this one surprised us with a little stream and a beautiful waterfall right at our feet! We ate lunch at the top of the falls as we watched the cool, icy water cascade down into the little mountain gorge below.

Speaking of mountains again, I thank God often for granting me my own little "dream come true" for the past three years. I grew up visiting these mountains and always dreamed of what it would be like to live in them some day. I have loved the rare opportunities God has granted me to go up to the mountains alone and spend time with Him. The last time I was there, God gave me a great encouragement.

I believe He gently showed me that I did not need special mountains or anything else to find Him in a special way.  He has shown me that if I will seek Him there, He will be with me in the laundry, the dishes, the bedtime stories, and especially in the time that He's given me and Ellis together.

Perhaps I knew this truth before, but that day God granted me the grace to believe Him more.

So now we are waiting to see what 2014 will hold for us. Where we will live? And what will we be doing several months from now when Ellis finishes residency? There's so much we don't know.

But I do know one thing: as much as I have loved it, I don't need a mountain view.

"I'm here with you, and I'm going to be watching over you wherever you go." 

-Genesis 28:15 (ISV)