The Best Pep Talk

November has been a crazy month, and December doesn't seem to be less busy.  But NaNo is over, and although I didn't think I could do it, because we spent three days at Thanksgiving in Selah and became horrifically behind in my word count, like 8,000 words behind!  I was ready to throw in the towel, but my amazing husband encouraged me to keep trying, to meet that goal, and after typing out 6,500 words to finish, I was able to win NaNoWriMo this year!  Of all the pep talks the nice folks a NaNo send to my inbox, the very strongest and most profound came from my husband standing in the kitchen telling me to not give up, after having come so close.  His words, love, encouragement for NaNo are just part of the everyday, big or small, words, love, and encouragement he always shares.  I may have reached my 50K, but that man, because he's in my corner, and the very best man I've ever known, makes me a winner.

Finally, with NaNo out of my hair, I'm all about Advent.

I've been following this blogging mom, Oh Amanda, for nearly four years, and after that amount of time watching other bloggers have such success and so much fun with her ebook for Advent, I finally purchased the Truth in the Tinsel, with a 20% off coupon, and have set aside time each day to do our little Advent devotionals together.  It's perfect.  It lays out scripture, a small activity of creating a little ornament together that links to the days theme, and has devotionals for little kids to really have scripture accessed and understood.  It's very well done, and I'm so glad I finally dropped the dough to get the ebook, best less-than-eight-bucks spent this season, so long as I don't have to plan it out right now, what with homeschool, Advent, Elf on the Shelf, baking cookies, making cards and gifts, and other holiday events.  Each daily activity only takes 10-30 minutes, really as long as we want or need it to.  And it's something we can do every year for a while, so the money was well worth it!

Click here to visit Truth in the Tinsel.

Today, we did Day One together as a family, and that was special since Aaron could read the scripture and be able to participate, which won't always be the case as Aaron focuses on sending out three applications to PhD programs, finish the quarter, and take finals these next two weeks.  How that man manages is beyond me.  He works long hours at work.  He commits long hours to grad school.  And completing these applications is like another part-time job!  Ammmmaaaaaazzzzzzing.  God bless him.

So we put the tree up this morning, amidst merry Christmas music and periodic stressful moments regarding small boys and Grandma's heirloom antique glass ornaments.  This year, Raph absorbs it.  He loves it, and would lay under the tree all day, if we let him.  He was so excited to decorate, it just melts my heart to see the magic in his eyes this year.  Andres is stoked as well, and loved to help Aaron string the lights on the tree, historically having been my job!  He's getting so big so fast.  I can't believe, when I look at him with his handsome features, that he's my own son sometimes.

So the season of wonder is here, and it's so precious and fleeting.  I'm holding onto this joyous age when our boys are little and full of the miracle of Christmastime, holding on with all my strength, to relish it, to capture the sparkle of twinkling lights in their dark brown eyes, of the way their little fingers cling to a red shiny ornament, and the whimsical swirls of hot cocoa mustaches over their little lips.  This is the sweet spot.  This age, this season, this time of parenthood and childhood, is so very precious.