A Look Into Our Christmas Window.

By January 1st I am SO over Christmas. I go from zero to North Pole Headquarters in the 24 hours after Halloween and carry on the yule tide cheer through Thanksgiving going right on through Christmas, so when that big old ball drops at midnight, so does my zest for the holidays. But I LOVE Christmas and every single little drop of holiday magic that goes along with it. Christmas memories of my childhood are nothing less than magical and I can only hope that my kids have the same feelings about the season when they are grown. But I'm not gonna lie, it's hard-stinkin-work and unless you have kids that are counting on you, I can see just how easy it is to let it go right on past you. 

This year was a little different than years past, I didn't have quite as much on my plate as I have had the past few years. I wrapped up the bulk of my photography at Thanksgiving, I wasn't 9 months pregnant, and I wasn't hosting any rehearsal dinners 4 days before Christmas, I thought I had all the time in the world. As it turns out, times seems to fly away no matter how much is on the plate. I had a list a mile long of all of the things I wanted to do this year. I had high hopes of doing a lot of random acts of kindness to teach Kidd-o about giving, but before I knew it, I had one week left until Christmas, not one present bought and around 60 people that would be coming in and out of my house for Christmas. So I had to settle for just dropping all my change into Salvation Army buckets whenever we saw one and buying coffee for the person behind me in the drive thru, not exactly what I had in mind, but it'll have to do until next year. 

We did manage to watch all of the obligatory movies and specials, bake cookies,

  we checked out some Christmas lights, rode a pink pig, visited the Mrs. and the ol' guy himself, and I tried to point every moment towards The King. 

 When I think back to this Christmas, I think I will remember how sweet it was. My boy takes after his momma and loved everything about the season...

 ...and for my girl, she loved the lights, the music and making silly faces....

 This was our first Christmas in our new home and it welcomed us quite nicely. I made sure my halls were fully decked and that it oozed Christmas cheer, so that everyone who entered felt the warmth...I hope they did.

  I worked my butt off the days leading up to The Big Day, so that when it finally came, I could take it all in without running around like a mad woman. I hope I remember this "recipe" for next year, because all the hard work paid off and I was stress free for the most part!

 Now, my home is back to it's non holiday state, all that's left are a couple of gingerbread men, and that means it's time to make preparations for a certain little girl's very first birthday. Not sure of all the details just yet, but I do know that "I Love Lucy."

2013 The Year of Rain and Rainbows...

Another year is in the books, and a new one awaits us with 365 possibilities. For some, 2013 was the most difficult year of their lives, filled with loss, sickness, death and countless other personal struggles. And for some, it was the best, filled with successes, life, adventures and personal triumphs. Whether good or bad, best or worst, it was another year of life. There may have been more bad days than good, for some, and the beginning of 2014 may look just as bleak already, but hopefully lessons can be learned, and these times of darkness will serve as times of growth. When the sun finally comes out, you'll be stronger because of it.

For our family, 2013 will go down in the books as a year of rain (literally), but with lots of rainbows sprinkled about (literally and figuratively). We faced challenges that brought uncertainties, and we faced adventures that provided sweet memories that will last a lifetime and will become sweeter with age. But most importantly, 2013 will go down as one of the most blessed years in my life. When I think about this last year, I am humbled. The Lord's blessings were so incredibly abundant in my life, and my utter inadequacy in receiving ANY of it has driven me to my knees in complete praise of the One from whom ALL blessings flow. I am so aware of how undeserving I am that I often live in a state of fear that it will all be taken away, and He would be just in doing so. I always pray that I can learn the Lord's lessons without needing to take the test. However, when I look back at the year, while it was filled with rich blessings, I can also see where I was tested...or quizzed, if you will. Sleepless nights with a new baby, conquering the bloody mess that is called "nursing," sitting with my helpless 6 week old in the NICU for a week, packing up my entire house....all alone...while sick as a dog....with an infant and a 2 year old...while my husband traveled. No, these "quizzes" don't seem like a big deal now, and they pale in comparison to what people around me are going through, but I grew through them all...which is the point, after all. 

But in 2013 we were blessed with life's greatest blessing when we welcomed our sweet and spunky little Lucy into our lives

  and as if that wasn't enough, we were also blessed with a home that I never dreamed would be ours.

  And while my husband has traveled a LOT over the last year, he is so blessed to not only have a great job, but has had 3 great jobs this year, each offer coming at just the perfect time in our lives, which have served as reminders of the Lord's gracious provisions. And to top it all off, we got to take some great little trips that made heaping deposits in our Memory Bank.

  

  
 
 
 
Yes, we have been richly blessed with earthly things in 2013, we have also been blessed with a greater faith in our Lord and love for Him.
 

 
For the most part, Life is Good and when the storms in my life do come, and I know they'll come, I can look back on these days and know that they were sweet.
 
 
 
 Here's to the rain and the rainbows of 2013. I don't know what our 2014 will hold for us, but the Lord certainly does, and I will rest in that. Happiest of New Years, dear friends.

A Love/Hate Relationship...

Every week I plan to sit down and write a post and every week slips by like sand through my fingers. I've wanted to share about Lucy's first trip to Disney World, about our trip to the apple orchard, pumpkin patch's and our Halloween. I've wanted to share what's been on my mind in regards to growing babies, busy schedules, and traveling husbands, but my schedule just hasn't allowed it. Somethings gotta give, and unfortunately, it's this place. However, I have found a free moment as my husband is traveling and the babies are in bed. I do have hundreds of photos to edit, but I have something I need to write about. Something that I have to get off my chest. It started as a slight pull on my heart and has turned into a full fledged burden. Which I guess would be called a conviction.

 As we all know, time is of the essence and smartphones have helped us maximize our time by allowing us to do so many things right at our fingertips, in an instant. And while it saves time in one respect, it's also a great thief. I love my Iphone5. I love what  it does, I love how easy it is use, and I reeeeally love the camera. But I am also growing to hate it. I hate the grip it has on me and I hate the grip it has on others too. I love that I can email, make grocery lists, keep my calendar, text someone and make phone calls. I love that I can check Facebook quickly without pulling out my laptop, browse Instagram or Pinterest while I'm nursing and read my Bible or awesome articles while I lay in bed. I can check the weather and the news, check the time and listen to virtually any song I want. It can pacify my kid while I try on a pair of pants or while I make my way through Target so he doesn't see the toy isle. The hard part is putting it down...and leaving it down....and looking up. How sad is that?

My name is Ashley, and I have a problem. I have a problem with being sucked in. I have a problem with the fact that I could be using my phone for honorable purposes, like reading my Bible, but my kid can't distinguish the difference between me reading my Bible or just browsing Facebook. I have a problem with social networking when I should be socializing with the real life people in front of me. I'm thankful that my husband bought me my phone, but I know most of the time he's not. Sometimes he has to repeat himself when he's talking to me, and that's not fair. Sometimes my kid is trying to show me something...trying to tell me something....trying to compete...for me. I hate that. 

I know I'm not the only one, because I see it too. I see people checking their phones in the middle of movies because they can't wait 90 minutes (what on earth did people do before cellular phones??). I see people at dinner and every person at the table has their head down. I see people swerving on the road because whatever it is they have to see or say is worth more than the lives on the road. And I see children running around on the playground  looking for their moms approval or praise, but they are too darn busy looking down. I've heard kids trying to get someone's attention to show them something "so awesome" only for the loved one to give a delayed "uhhh...hang on...one... sec...." then give a little upward glance, smile and look right back down. I am guilty. 

Friends, I say all this, because I don't want this to be true of me. I want to learn moderation. I love my phone, but I'm growing to hate it more and more everyday, and I'm so grateful that I do have that hate.  Maybe it's the beginning of change for me. I could easily justify my usage. 'Gotta check in the middle of the movie to see if the sitter has called...." "I've gotta check my Facebook messages for photography clients...." "Gotta answer this one text because so-and-so is having a problem...." "Gotta edit this last picture...." "Man, that article was so good, it really spoke to what I've been going through lately." The list goes on. The truth of the matter is, it can wait. All of it really and truly can. the problem is how to make it wait. My babies? Well, they can't wait. They are growing up right before my very eyes and I'm sick and tired of being robbed. While my phone is what is robbing my attention, it is ME who is allowing it. And I'm committing myself to working on that. Writing this is my first step, I pray that just putting it out there will keep me accountable. If you feel that tug too, please join me! We can do it...our kids will thank us!