The List...#1 & #2 of 40

As I mentioned in my previous post, I created a list of 40 things that I would like to do in my 40th year.  I'm not sure if I'll get to all of them, but I hope so!  Honestly, I don't have all 40 yet, but I'm excited that my "fun and fabulous forty" has begun!  So, here goes...

#1. Have a phenomenal day with Jared and the kids on my birthday.

And I did!  I had the best birthday ever with my awesome family!  The day started off great with Jared and the kids allowing me to sleep in (till 8am!!  Whoo hoo!!).  They made me breakfast in bed, and they gave me their gifts...a Les Mis CD and a DVD with a collection of 8 British movies (very Downton Abbeysque!). 

My gifts!  And you can see my breakfast-in-bed tray in the background too!

We then got ready for the day, and packed the kids in the minivan and headed downtown to Navy Pier.  I've always loved downtown Chicago.  I guess growing up in major cities has left a mark on me.  What do they say?  You can take the girl out of the city, but you can't take the city out of the girl.  I love the vibrancy, the eclectic blends of culture, the exploration of new things/places, the explosion of colors, the endless possibilities of things to do in the city. 

Before heading out to Chicago, I HAD to make a quick stop at Caribou Coffee, where I was able to redeem a free birthday coffee (whoo hoo again!).  We then drove down to Navy Pier and spent most of our day there.  We arrived pretty close to lunch time, so we bought McDonald's for the kids.  Jared and I were not hungry and so we waited to have lunch till later.  We have the DuPage Children's Museum membership, which gives us free admission to the Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier.  It's one of our favorite places to go as a family.  If you've never been there, there is a spectacular view of the city in the "Water Works" area.  Needless to say, we all had a lot of fun.

There are these amazing stained glass displays at Navy Pier.

 

At the Children's Museum...the kids love to climb!

 

Trying to build a house!

Around 2:30pm, we left the museum and went to Bubba Gump Shrimp Restaurant for Jared and my lunch.  I've never been there, and have always wanted to go.  So, today seemed like the perfect opportunity.  Jared and I shared the gumbo, jambalaya, and the drink of the day which they called a Merry Margarita.  I don't particularly like margaritas, but this one looked intriguing.  We kept the kids busy with a basket of fries and games on our iPhones!

Gumbo and Jambalaya!

 

Merry Margarita!

It was an impromptu decision to go to the John Hancock building.  I've always loved going to the Signature Lounge for afternoon tea or coffee.  So, I mentioned to Jared that if we were able to find on-street parking fairly close to the building, then we should go to the Signature Lounge.  And oh my goodness!  We had a stellar parking spot, less than a block away from the building!  So, we went all the way to the 96th floor, had our coffee and oohed-and-aahed at the amazing view of the city and suburbs beyond.  We went at the perfect time because all the lights came up and lit up the city streets.  It was gorgeous! 

At the Signature Lounge

 

The city lights just came on!

 

Family pic

We still had about an hour to spare before our meter was up, so we decided to walk across the street to The Water Tower Place.  I've always wanted to go to the American Girl Place, so I took Jenna with me, and we were both enthralled!  Jenna kept pointing out to dolls and exclaimed "Oh, that's me!".  I guess you can pick out dolls that look like you!  It was a pretty amazing place...with a hair salon for the dolls, and a "hospital"??, and I guess you can make reservations for "tea time" at an actual cafe there.  Whoever thought of all this is making a butt-load of money!  But I don't think could bring myself to buy my girls a doll that costs over a hundred dollars.  That's just insane.   Maybe I can find one on ebay or craigslist.  But I can see how this could be a fun experience for mothers and daughters.  While Jenna and I did our AGP thing, Jared took Joshua and Becca to the Lego Store.  So, everyone was happy.

At the American Girl Place

We finally left the city around 5:30.  I am so amazed and proud of my 3 kids for doing so great that day.  They adapted well to going from one place to another.  No one had any meltdowns.  Whining was at a minimum.  I don't remember them fighting or arguing (I think this was God's birthday gift to me!).  And I think they all genuinely had a good time!  This gives me hope for if and when we ever go to Disney! 

We had such a great time, and I think I love the energy of the city the most.  It definitely is like being at Disney.  You go,go, go!  But at the end of the day, there's nothing like the desire of slumber and rest.  Likewise, with the outpouring of energy as we went from Navy Pier to John Hancock to the Water Tower Place, there was a satisfying welcome of heading home at the end of the day!  And as we were driving home, I was feeling incredibly blessed and happy to be able to spend my 40th birthday with my most beloved and treasured people.  My heart was full and content.

Josh and Jenna helping me blow out my birthday candles.

#2. Birthday weekend away with Jared

My wonderful husband took me to Lake Geneva for the weekend to celebrate my birthday.  Lake Geneva is one of my favorite places!  It's far enough from home to consider it a vacation, but close enough that it doesn't take forever to get to.  It really is a great get-away destination for us.  Jared bought a Groupon (yes, I've trained him well in the fine art of Grouponing!), and was able to get a good deal for a weekend at the Geneva Ridge Resort. 

The view from our window

We left Friday morning.  We first dropped the kids off in Elmhurst with Jared's parents, and then we headed to Wisconsin.  Our first stop was actually to the Outlet Mall in Pleasant Prairie.  Both Jared and I LOVE outlet mall shopping!  And since I hadn't bought any new clothes for myself in 2 years, I was giddy with excitement when I walked into the LOFT store.  Needless to say, Jared left me there while he shopped the rest of the outlet!  I bought a couple of new tops and accessories, and so I think I'm all set for the rest of the year. 

We arrived at the Geneva Ridge Resort (which is actually right on Lake Como, a few minutes west of Lake Geneva) just in time for my spa appointment.  This was Jared's birthday present to me...an afternoon at the spa, and it was glorious!  I had a spa package which included a herbal bath, a wrap, a facial (all of which I've never done before!), scalp massage and a Swedish massage to cap it all off.  Seriously, I could've just taken a nap right there and then.  I felt so relaxed that I floated up to our room.  I didn't want to do anything else but go to bed.

Saturday was an AWESOME day!  I slept in till 8am...whoo hoo!  8:30 for Jared.  While I love my kids, it is such a treat to not have to wake up to tend to little human beings who depend on you.  After a leisurely shower, which is a treat in itself, Jared and I drove into downtown Lake Geneva to a breakfast restaurant called "Simple Café".  I am telling all my friends about this place!  The food is divine!  This will be one of our "must go to" places at Lake Geneva from here on out.

Eggs Benedict with chorizos

 

Apple Crumble French Toast

 

My most favorite thing to do whenever we're at Lake Geneva is to go to the library and spend a few hours reading.  I know it sounds boring, but for someone who can't seem to find the time or place to rest, this is MY place of rest.  At the library, there's a reading area that overlooks the lake, and it is so peaceful, and the view is gorgeous, especially in the winter time.  In the summer time, there are benches right outside where you can sit and look out at the water too.  No matter what the season, when I'm at the library, I can always connect with God there.  I can always find that peace that I need, and I'll read, and journal, and worship.  And before I know it, hours have gone by, and my heart is full, and my tank, filled.

The view of the lake from my favorite reading spot in the library

 

After our reading time at the library, we went to the movies to watch Les Mis.  Jared hadn't seen it, and this was my second time.  I cried like a baby...again!  I don't think I can handle watching it again till a little later.  It's so good, but emotionally draining.  We've been listening to the CD pretty much every day!

Our perfect day had a perfect end - we watched the Packers defeat the Vikings in the playoffs!!

Sunday morning was pretty much the same as our Saturday.  Since the library was closed, we went to Caribou Coffee instead, and did our reading there.  We also did some antique shopping, and then headed out of town.  We retrieved our kids and hurried home so that we could put them to bed and watch the highly anticipated Season 3 of Downton Abbey.  What a great way to end the weekend!

I'm so blessed, and so thankful for a wonderful weekend away with my husband.  Jared and I had great conversations, and just appreciated the time we had to connect with each other and to connect with God.  Jared knows me so well, and since quality time is my love language, I indeed felt deeply loved this weekend!  This is by far the best birthday ever!

This is 40!

There's a movie out with this title (though I haven't seen it), and I thought it appropriate to use it, cos after all...today, I am 40! 

I AM 40! 

I thought that I would cringe saying it, or not really want people to know.  But honestly, I think I would rather embrace it, proclaim it, and praise God for 4 decades of life!

It's weird to think that half of my life has been played out, but let's try to look at the positive.  I have half (or over half, God-willing!) more to go!  I'd like to aspire to be a "cup half full" type of person!  The term "mid-life crisis" never occurred to me until someone mentioned it.  I really never saw myself as a "middle-aged" woman.  When I think of that term, I think of my mother.  But then again, she's grown up too, and isn't quite middle-aged anymore.  It's my turn.  But "middle-age" sounds so...old.  So...geriatric.  Gray hairs (ok, I have them.  But that's genetics!), pronounced muffin tops (I'm working on that!), sagging underarms (working on that too!), and just a loss of zeal for life and a sense of resignation that this is as good as it's going to get. 

Then, I googled "mid-life crisis" and this is what I found:
- did you know they have a club called Midlife Club?
- the term "mid life crisis" was only coined in 1965...not too long ago.  Why do they have to label everything??
- Wikipedia defines it as:

"a time where adults come to realize their own mortality and how much time is left in their life. A midlife crisis is experienced by many people during the midlife transition when they realize that life may be more than halfway over. Sometimes, a crisis can be triggered by transitions experienced in these years..."  (like death of a parent, menopause, empty nest, and even a "zero" birthday!)

- I like what one site calls this season a mid-life "transition" instead of a crisis, because crisis conjures up such negative images.  And really, the transition isn't all that bad.

(I also googled celebrities who are 40, and I am definitely in good company!  I could see myself being girlfriends with Jennifer Gardner (and Ben Affleck is 40, too!) and our families could hang out since our 3 children are the same age! (one can dream!)  Also, Cameron Diaz, Alyssa Milano, Jenny Garth, just to name a few gals who are also 40.)

Emotionally, I don't feel like I'm there yet, mid-life.  I mean, I still have a 16-month-old at home.  I don't feel 40 (I was carded at a restaurant the other day...whoo-hoo!), and a lady at the post-office called me a Baby Mama, I guess she meant that even though I have 3 kids, I look like a baby myself.

It's true when people say that age is just a number.  I think that half of it is mental too.  I want to stay in good health, not only for my own benefit, but also for the benefit of my husband and children.  I want to be able to run around and play soccer with Joshua 10 years from now, I want to be able to travel with my girls and show them all the neat places that I've visited.  I want to be able to still go hiking with Jared in the Rockies, and maybe audition for "The Amazing Race" (hint, hint, honey!).  And I suppose it helps that I stole the cradle and married someone a few years younger than me.  Jared will keep me young!

I believe this scripture verse to be true...that our "body is the temple of the Holy Spirit...therefore, honor God with your bodies" (1 Corinthians 6:18, 20).  So, it is our responsibility to take good care of it.

While being young at heart is a good thing, I want to be able to act appropriately too.  While it's fun to see some biker grandmas in their leather, and tattooed up the wahzoo, I somehow can't stop to wonder if their "mid-life crisis" hit them a little late!  I think there is a difference between aspirations and doing something a little different.  Breaking out in leather and getting tattooed is not my cup of tea (and I'm not saying this is wrong, I just want to be a cool granny in a different way!).  But we all have our definition of fun.

So in honor of my big 4-0, I decided to create a list of 40 things I'd like to do this year.  I started this list last year, and only came up with 21.  Some are fun things, like learning how to make GOOD ribs (I stress good, cos I'm a bit of a ribs snob.  Can't find good ribs anywhere!), or going to watch a movie in Grant Park this summer; some are from my personal bucket list, like running a half marathon, and connecting with an old friend from primary (elementary) school; while some are more serious, like sharing the gospel with non-believers.  So, if you have suggestions of what I could/should do (granted, you probably need to know me first!), please send your suggestions my way!  I plan to blog about each activity that is on my list, so you can join in on my fun!

At 40, I know that God isn't done with me yet.  I know that He'll continue to grow me and teach me.  I still have so much to learn, about Him and about myself.  I'm still the clay in my Potter's hand, and am being molded into the person that He wants me to be.  I want to be a better wife and mother - to be more patient and loving.  I want to be a better friend, and a selfless servant.  I want to love my God with pure abandon, and to be a light for Him wherever I go.  Ultimately, may my life be a song of praise to Him, and may all that I do bring Him glory!

Last week at church, we sang the song "Lord I Offer My Life to You" by Hillsong, and the lyrics truly resonated with me.  The chorus goes like this:

Lord, I offer my life to you
Everything I've been through
Use it for your glory
Lord I offer my days to you
Lifting my praise to you
As a pleasing sacrifice
Lord I offer you my life

"Everything I've been through...", even though I've had many difficult seasons in my past, God has redeemed it, and has used it for His glory.  And may He continue to do so in my life.  There are days when I feel incredibly blessed, and almost feel undeserving of all the blessings, all the grace and mercy that God has chosen to bestow upon me.  When people ask me what my dream is, I can undoubtedly say, I'm living it!  20 years ago, I would never have imagined living my life right now.  I dreamed of a loving husband, healthy children, a warm home and family to call my own.  Who am I that God would choose to bless me with my heart's desires?  If He called me home tomorrow, I am pleased to say that I have no regrets (except that I would be leaving my loved ones behind!).  But I truly believe that there's nothing that I could've done to earn God's love and blessings.  He chose me!  He chose me!  And I'm going to choose to honor my God the best way I know how...to love Him, and to offer my life to Him.  May this song (above) be my anthem!

I am excited about 2013!  It's kind of nice to have a birthday early in the year...it literally is a new beginning, a new slate, with hopes and aspirations.  I am looking forward to all that He has in store for me!

I want to live life fabulously at forty!  Forty...fun and fabulous!  I think that works!

My greatest joys and blessings!

Jared

Joshua

 

Jenna

 

Becca

 

My girls!

Happy New Year!

Okay, I guess I'm a little early in my salutations.  But since I'm sick at home, and feeling pretty useless, I thought I'd get a jump start on a new year's blog post (and you can tell I'm getting bored, cos I changed the look of my blog.  It still doesn't look great, so if anyone knows how to design one, please let me know.  I'll pay you in brownies!).

Wow, this flu season is kicking our butts!  I went to the doctor yesterday (my first time in 3 years!) and was diagnosed with a bad case of bronchitis.  I'm hoping that antibiotics will do the trick.  If not, then I'll have to go back and maybe get a chest x-ray to see if I may have pneumonia.  I typically try to hold out as long as I can before having to go to the doctor, but when I started hacking up blood, along with some nasty stuff, I knew that the visit was inevitable.

I've been sick for almost a week now.  As moms, we're pretty resilient.  Sickness doesn't keep us down.  But for some reason, this bug was the mother of all bugs, and it was determined to prove to me that I'm not that invincible!  Also this week, all my kids were sick at one time or another with fever, congestion, all the basic flu-like symptoms.  As I write this, Becca is sick with a 102 fever.  Poor baby!  Because of our current condition, we've had to change some of our Advent activities.  Thankfully, the kids know none the better!  (We decided to drive around to look at Christmas lights tonight, and you know your kids are sick when they fall asleep in the van at 6pm and miss most of it!  And to top it off, Becca threw up all over herself.  So, it was a merry night to be had by all.)  But it is my prayer that we'll all be better by Christmas, which is 2 days away.  If not, I know we'll still have a special time together as a family.

Just wanted to show pics of my HEALTHY kids (this was at Halloween!) 

My girls!

 

My Becca...isn't she the cutest!?

All in all, I'm trying to remain positive.  I am soooo thankful for my hero husband!  He spent his last vacation days staying home and taking care of me and the kids.  He's worked tirelessly morning and night, tended to middle-of-the-night baby crying, to doing housework and making dinner.  Even as I write this, I hear the kids screaming at each other in the other room, and I know that Jared has to deal with that. And he's also holding a sick baby, and trying to soothe her as well.  He does all this without complaining, and when I even offered to buy him a Caribou coffee on my way home from the doctor's, he said no (what!?!?!  Who turns down Caribou Coffee?!?!).  So, I owe Jared big time, even though he does all this unconditionally, and with love.  That's what I love most about him!

Jared - best.husband.and.dad.EVER!

So back to the whole new year's thing...

As I reflect on this past year, I have so much to be thankful for.  At the start of 2012, I mentioned that I wanted to practice "simplicity" and "stability" in our lives.  I believe that we've achieved it to some capacity.  We've been very intentional about cutting out unnecessary activities that would otherwise clog up our calendar.  Both Jared and I carve out time on a regular basis to spend with God, to recalibrate and seek Him and His will; and also being intentional about date nights with each other continue to be a priority.  We've been able to establish friendships with our neighbors and some of the families of Joshua's classmates, both of which will be long-term relationships.  In addition, continue to build on and invest in important friendships that God has already blessed us with.  I believe that our family has already begun to plant roots where we are, and that has been my desire for stability from the very beginning (until God calls us somewhere else...but I won't even cross that bridge unless necessary!).  And in my own quest for simplicity, I've celebrated small successes in organizing my home, my closet (it's been 2 years since I bought any new clothes!), and my calendar.  So, I thank God for the strength to achieve some of these small goals.

I'm excited about the new year ahead.  I have a big birthday coming up, Jared and I will be celebrating our 10th anniversary, our kids will continue to fill our lives with lots of fun and adventure!  I think simplicity and stability will continue to be our goals.  Also, I hope that we can live out some of our family vision statements.  For Christmas, Jared and I don't usually buy gifts for each other.  Instead, we purchase something for the home or something that we can use together.  We've been working on our family vision statements all year - these statements are statements that we feel are true of our family; that God has made unique in our family.  So for Christmas this year, we decided to put the words of our family vision on a wooden wall sign.  I found a lady on Etsy.com who could do this, and we just received it yesterday.  We love it!  So, for the new year ahead, I pray that we will strive to live out these statements that we feel are our aspirations and hearbeat of our family.

May your Christmas be love-filled, and may your new year be blessed.  Emmanuel, God is with us...today and every day! 

Christmas Traditions

If you know me, I enjoy traditions and creating them with my family.  That's why I love Christmas because, as a family, we get to enjoy the many traditions that we get to partake of during this season. Here are some traditions that some of you have requested that I share. 

Day in Chicago
It's been a Post-Thanksgiving tradition since Joshua was born that we spend a day downtown.  And this year, we had almost 70-degree weather!  I never thought I'd do this, but we pulled Joshua out of school last Monday and took advantage of the "spring-like" weather!  Since Joshua started first grade, we don't get many opportunities to have a Family Day on Mondays anymore.  But this past week, with the weather being so nice, it was hard to resist.

Outside Macy's

 

Josh and Jenna got to take turns ringing the Salvation Army bell.

 

We typically go to Marshall Field's/Macy's and look at the windows.  This year's was okay.  I've enjoyed previous years better - I like it when there's a story, and you have to go from window-to-window to follow the story.  After looking at the windows, we went inside to the lower level to, what I call, Candyland.  Even though my kids don't like candy, they had fun scooping up candy and filling up their bags with it (when Jenna wasn't looking, I emptied out her bag...sshh, don't tell her!), and we purchased and shared Joshua's bag.

Candyland!

 

Placebo effect of a candy high!

After that, we took the elevator to the 8th floor where we oohed-and-aahed at the huge Christmas tree in the Walnut Room (and oogled at the people that were having a nice meal in the restaurant!).  This year's tree was pretty awesome! 

(one day, kids, we'll dine down there...one day...)

Then it was lunch time.  This year, we went to a nice cafeteria on the 7th Floor, called Seven on State.  This is the first time we had lunch there (we usually go to the cafeteria in the lower level with all the commoners...haha!).  It's definitely a lot nicer, more spacious, and the dishes are culinary creations of some pretty well-known chefs.  I had Chef Ming's steak sandwich and a delectable seafood gumbo!

Eating at Seven on State.

 

We then headed to the Christkindlmarket at the Daley Plaza.  I guess it's the one day of the year that we try to embrace Jared's German heritage!  We told Joshua that he's half German, and I think we just confused the poor kid even more!  At the market, I usually get a bag of roasted cinnamon sugar cashews, and the kids love the cheesy popcorn from Garrett's.  We capped the day off with our final stop at Argo Tea, and had a Teapuccino.  Yum!!

 The Christmas tree at the Daley Plaza.

 

I love how there's a Nativity Scene at the market.  Keeping Christ in Christmas!

Advent Calendar
This year, I made my own Advent Calendar.  Thank you, Pinterest!  It was fun making it, and creating the different activities for each day.  Since my kids don't really like candy, I don't have to put little treats in the pockets.  Besides, I'd rather they not expect a treat every day. Instead, they look forward to the fun activities that they get to do that day.  Some include, having Brinner (code for breakfast for dinner!), having a picnic dinner by the Christmas tree, hanging Christmas lights in the bedroom, etc.

Advent Wreath
I also tried my hand at making my own Advent wreath.  I couldn't find purple and pink candles, so I modified.  I used purple and pink construction paper to wrap around votive candles that I had.  I found an Advent reading schedule along with the lighting of the Advent candles on Focus on the Family's website.  I'm sure if you google it, you can find something similar.

Mary & Joseph
Something else that I started this year was taking Mary and Joseph from my nativity set and hiding them.  I want to explain to the kids that Mary and Joseph had to travel really far to get to Bethlehem.  So, right now, my nativity set has no M & J, and every morning, the kids have to find the happy couple (or weary couple, as I should say...can't imagine being pregnant and having to sit on a donkey!).  They get a real kick out of it!  I first hid them at the furthest point of the house, and they're slowly making their way towards the manger scene.  On Christmas Eve, M & J will finally get to the stable and make the nativity set almost complete.  Come Christmas morning, the kids will find Baby Jesus there!  And Jesus completes everything, doesn't He!

Here's my Willow Tree Nativity Set, minus Mary and Joseph!

Christmas Card Prayers
As our family receives Christmas cards each day, we take time to pray for the family or person who sent us the card.  It's a great way to acknowledge the friends that God has blessed us with!

Other ongoing tradtions include:
Christmas cookies
I enjoy this season because I get to bake!  Not that I'm a great baker or anything, but I love trying new recipes.  And there's something about having Christmas music on, and spending the day creating something new and yummy to share with family and friends.  Joshua usually enjoys helping me, and I'm hoping that this year, Jenna will too.

We typically give a plate of cookies to our neighbors, Tony our mailman, the staff at our pediatrician's office, and to the kids' teachers.  Of course, we set out a plate of cookies while we're hosting Christmas get togethers, or just for hunger cravings in the middle of the day!

Let the baking begin!

 

My first 6 dozen cookies - Christmas Spritz Cookies (thanks to my mother-in-law for giving me her Pampered Chef Cookie Press), making more cookies today!

Christmas movie
Every year, we have our Annual Ahrens Family Movie Night where we invite our kids' friends over for dinner, movie, and popcorn, and watch a Christmas movie.  The kids come in their pajamas, bring blankets, and stuffed animals, and have a good ol time having a movie/slumber party!  Instead of giving tangible gifts to all our friends, what would parents with kids desire most in this season (or any season, for that matter!)?  Jared and I thought it would be appropriate to give our friends the gift of time.  So, really the movie night is an excuse for them to drop their kids off at our house, so that they can spend a few hours together doing whatever...Christmas shopping, date night, napping...just some alone adult time!  It's a fun tradition, and a way we can serve our friends during the Christmas season.  (If you must know, "Elf" is the movie-pick this year!)

Picnic dinner of pizza before the movie.

 

Movie time!

Caroling
When I was a teacher, I would rally my friends, and even Jared's parents, and go caroling at my students' homes.  Yes, you heard me!  I would go to my students' homes and surprise them, and start caroling either outside their front door or in the entry way.  Caroling was one of the highlights of my year, and I miss it terribly!  I miss my students, and I miss seeing the look of surprise (and to some, horror!) when they realize that their teacher is at their house AND singing to them!  I don't do this anymore, but maybe when my kids are older, we can resume this tradition again.

Christmas Eve/Christmas Day
Every Christmas and on Christmas Eve particularly, we give the kids each a book.  In the book, Jared and I write a note to the kids, and give a brief synopsis of how they've grown, what they've accomplished, and how proud we are of them.  It's a neat way to document their year.  So, Joshua has 7 books now since he was born, and it's a wonderful momento for him as he grows up, to see the different books that we've given to him over the years, the blessings that were written to him.  And maybe, one day, he'll be able to share these books with his children.

Also on Christmas Eve, the kids get their new Christmas pajamas to put on and sleep in that night.  It's fun to pick out pajamas for the kids, because their interests change every year.  Joshua has graduated from Thomas the Tank Engine/Wiggles to Legos and Superheroes.  Jenna, from Elmo to Princesses.  One year, it would be fun to put them all in matching pajamas!

This is a pic from last year...Joshua with Legos Star Wars pjs and Jenna with Tinkerbell.

Christmas morning, we always read the nativity story.  And something that we value is that the kids only get 3 gifts.  We tell them that since Baby Jesus got three gifts, they get three gifts as well.  Fortunately, they understand and accept that. 

It's challenging trying to live counter-culturally, especially now that Joshua is exposed to kids from school who are bragging about the 100 things on their Christmas list, and how they're going to get everything that they want for Christmas. 

Joshua gets that Christmas is about Jesus and not about presents.  And even at such a young age, I see the importance of surrounding your child with friends who are like-minded.  For example, I carpool with 2 other families to school.  One of the kids is from a Christian family, and the other is not.  As I'm driving all 3 of them to school, I get the privilege to eavesdrop on their conversations.  In one incident, they were talking about Christmas, and the one kid who's not from a Christian family said that Christmas is about getting all the presents that you want.  I literally held my breath as I waited to hear how Joshua was going to respond.  And my heart soared when I heard him say, quite vehemently too, "You're wrong!  Christmas is about Jesus and celebrating his birthday!  It's not all about presents!"  And then, Joshua's other friend chimed in with support, "Yeah!  It's not about presents, it's about Jesus!".  I wanted to stop the car, and give high-fives, and do my happy dance!  I remember lifting up a grateful prayer at that moment for the fact that Joshua gets it, but also for the encouragement and beauty of being around fellow-believers who can and will stand up for each other.  In some odd way, I feel so much better knowing that Joshua is at school, but he's not alone.  He has friends who will look out for him, who will stand up for him, and will fight alongside with him.  Even if he's only 6, there is value in Christian community!  And I believe that God has placed Joshua's classmate in our carpool, and in our lives, for a reason.  Who knows?  Maybe Joshua and his other friend's convictions and beliefs will rub off...isn't it neat that our own kids can be witnesses for Christ, even at this age!

So here you have it.  Some of our Christmas traditions.  Ultimately, it has been and always will be our desire is to teach our children how to be more others-focused, not only at Christmas time, but at all times.  Even in our Advent activities, there are more activities about serving others than there are about things done for ourselves.  I pray that my children will have the eyes and heart of Jesus, and seek to love others.

May you be blessed this Christmas, and may you be a blessing to those around you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I love this year's Thanksgiving Day!  Not only is Jared home and the five of us are spending the day together, it's also Pajama Day in the Ahrens home!  I love days like these where we get to lounge all day in our pjs, and enjoy being comfortable and just hang out with each other. 

It wasn't by choice that today turned out this way, but I'm thankful that it did!  You see, the kids were so gracious this month of November to take a week each of being sick.  It was inevitable that I would get whatever germs they so lovingly passed on.  So yes, I'm sick, but I'm not complaining about staying home.  And I get to look forward to a meal that Jared will prepare later (he totally stepped up and ran to the store after work yesterday to buy whatever he is going to concoct up tonight!  We're formally celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow with Jared's parents).

I didn't grow up celebrating Thanksgiving.  But I think it's great that time is set aside each year for people to stop and reflect about the blessings in their lives.  While I think this should be an on-going practice throughout the year, there's intentionality in this season, especially since it's the season of ultra-materialism, full-on gorge fests, and a huge sense of entitlement (especially kids with receiving gifts). 

As you know, I just came back from a mission trip to Bolivia.  What I saw and experienced there was something that is not indicative of life in the States.  Every culture is different, and every culture has beauty in its own respect.  Every one's needs are different.  In Bolivia, in just so happens that the needs are more dire.  While basic needs of food, shelter, a loving family are apparent, most Bolivian kids don't know what it's like to not have a Wii in their homes or to play games on an iPad.  So, they're not complaining about not having those techy things.  Their needs and wants are more immediate and necessary, like being grateful to even have one meal a day. 

I experienced a huge culture shock when I returned from Bolivia.  The first night I had to work happened to fall on Halloween (which I'm not a big fan of anyway).  I've never worked on Halloween night, and I guess the stores at the mall give out candy to trick-or-treaters that come in.  Because I worked the closing shift, by the time I got there, all the candy was gone.  I kid you not, within 10 minutes of starting work, I was yelled at by parents who were furious that my store didn't have candy to give out.  I had a mom, who had 3 kids in tow, tell me that I sucked.  Nice example for your kids, lady!  Another mom sarcastically asked me what I was going to give them instead since we're out of candy, and how about I throw in a dress. 

All I can say is...wow!  I was not expecting this.  I mean, I knew that the common practice is to give out candy to kids on Halloween.  But I never thought that this huge sense of entitlement could get so ugly.  And what shocked me was that it came from the parents!  And in front of their kids, too!  No wonder kids these days are so messed up!

I don't believe in guilt-tripping Americans or other wealthier cultures because they have plenty. But I strongly advocate that these said cultures practice an attitude of gratitude, and to instill it especially in their children. Even the simpliest question of "What are you thankful for today?" can be a wonderful daily practice in the family over meal times or as you're tucking your child into bed.

And for this reason of instilling an attitude of gratitude, I created a family Thanksgiving Tree, and had my children write one thing that they are thankful for each day.  And I pray that in time, my children will develop a heart of thankfulness and be mindful of all the blessings in their lives, and hopefully, they will extend their blessings and BE a blessing to others!

I've never watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade till today, and I love experiencing something new along with my kids (Jenna is sitting on my lap and we're oohing and aahing together as we see the different floats go by, and yes, I'm typing intermittently as well!), and I'm just thankful for every moment of being with my family.  So, I'm going to go back and enjoy the parade.  I just wanted to take some time out to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

And in the spirit of Thanksgiving...I'm thankful for the gift of life, both earthly and eternal, and the love of a selfless husband (who watched the full first season of Downton Abbey with me this week!) and the blessing of wonderful children!

Thankful for my beautiful girls!

Life is like a box of chocolates...

"...you'll never know what you're gonna get." 

Boy, was Forest Gumps' momma ever right!  I never really knew what that meant...I mean the box of chocolates part.  Why would anyone get a box of chocolates without knowing what's in it?  Maybe I'm just a chocolate snob, and I only like certain kinds.  You can fill up a whole box with Kit Kats, and color me happy!  But throw in any kind of chocolate with mints...yeah, that box will go right to Jared (it will be much to his delight!).

Anyway, I digress.  Chocolates is not what I want to write about.  But I do want to use it as an analogy for every day life as a mom.  Today is the fifth day that I've been home with sick kids.  While I love my home, I feel like the four walls are suddenly closing in.  The kids and I are antsy, irritable, and are finding easy ways to annoy each other.  But such is life in this season of hacking mucus, drippy noses, and sticky faces.

But really (and I'm stealing this line from the defunct Jon & Kate Plus 8) it's a crazy life, but it's our life.  And I wouldn't trade it for the world!  I wake up every morning, and the first thing I do is thank God for the blessing of a new day.  I don't know what the day will bring, but I know that the moment my feet touch the floor, I'm "on". 

Who needs adventure when you've got kids!  Cause every day is an adventure in itself.  You just have to mentally prepare yourself for anything and everything, think 5 steps ahead (lots of cause-and-effect strategic planning!), be flexible when the day (or kid!) throws you a curve ball, adapt, change, and know that at the end of the day if no one is bleeding, have a broken bone, or is need of going to the ER, then it's a good day!

Take Thursday for example, I woke up with great expectations.  Joshua's fever finally broke on Wednesday, so I felt it was okay to send him to school.  We've been stuck at home for the last few days, so I was antsy to get out and run much-needed errands.  He was whining in the morning that he had to go to school, and said that his leg was hurting.  And I'm thinking, "You're not getting out of this, buddy!".  I appeased him by writing a note to his teacher so that she'd be aware of his lethargy (since he had missed school because he was sick).  I told him that if, at any point, he felt like he had a hard time walking or was feeling sick again, that he needed to tell the teacher and the teacher would call me, and I'd come get him.  Okay, mission accomplished.  Josh went to school!

Then it was time to clean up after breakfast and get Jenna ready for preschool.  So far, my Type A schedule was going according to plan.  Before loading the girls up in the van, I went through the typical routine of making sure Jenna went to the bathroom first, and made her recite what she had to say if she had to go potty at school.  Then, shoes on, coats on, hats on, backpack on, baby strapped in, bags loaded, "to do" list ready, coffee in hand, and we're off.

As we drove to preschool, we drove by TJ Maxx which reminded me that I needed to get some new warm, cozy, house slippers (every time we run errands, I'd get everything else except for my house slippers).  Made it to preschool just in time - hug, hug, kiss, kiss, love yous, and off Jenna went into the building with her teacher.  Now if you're a mom with multiple kids, you know what I mean when I say it's such a luxury to run errands with just one kid in tow.  So, Becca and I headed to our first stop - Toys R Us.  Yeah, I would NEVER go into this store with the older kids, unless I had a death wish!  But with the little one in the stroller, I could handle it.  Everything went swiftly, and I was able to get what I needed, with ample time to spare.  Budget in tack, coupon in hand, I headed to the check-out line. 

Now this was when things started falling apart...I mean, the whole box of chocolates analogy came into play!

I was pushing a stroller with one hand, had a basket looped around that arm, and I was carrying something else with the other hand (we have 3 birthday parties this weekend, plus some Christmas gifts to purchase).  So, it was a juggling act of balance and poise at the same time.  As I headed to the check-out line, another mom approached it at the same time.  You know how that happens in a parking lot, when 2 cars want the same spot?  Yeah, kind of like that.  Thinking she would be gracious enough to let me go first, after all, I had my hands full and am pushing a stroller.  But what did she do?  She glared at me, as if I've intruded in her personal space or something.  She barged her way in front of me with her shopping cart, while keeping her glare on me.  Wow!  Someone woke up on the wrong side of bed!  I guess some people just aren't very thoughtful.  I mean, if I saw a mom with a young child and an armful of toys, I would offer to let her go first.  But this lady had a CARTFUL of toys!  So, I tried to do the math in my head to figure out how long this was going to take.  And it took a VERY LONG time (there were other people in front of us too)!  At this point, Becca was having a meltdown.  She had taken both socks and shoes off and decided to fling it in 4 different directions!  Goldfish crackers were every where, and her water bottle leaked profusely after being thrown a million times, causing a small puddle by us.  When it was our turn, I looked at my watch and realized that I only had time to run 1 more errand, instead of 3 that I had planned.  Ok, deep breaths, no worries...

Jumped in the van and headed to the next store to buy tights for Jenna.  No time to get the stroller out, so I had to carry Becca into the store.  Hoping for a quick run in and out.  Haha, you laugh!  Or course I couldn't find where the tights were.  I saw some patterned tights here and some colorful tights there, but I just want plain, old, solid-colored tights!  I don't typically shop at Buy Buy Baby for clothes, but because I have a coupon, that's the only reason I was getting it there.  And huge mistake..I asked a young male sales associate where the tights were.  I kid you not, he looked at me and asked quizzically, "Tights?"  Like I was speaking a foreign language.  Yeah, tights - they're like footed leggings?  Or socks that go way up to the tummy?   He had to call another sales associate on his walkie.  Trying not to seem rude or impatient, I held my breath and tried not to roll my eyes.  At this point, I had 1 minute left before I had to get in the car and go pick up Jenna.  Finally, a middle-aged lady came to my rescue, and walked me to the rounder where all the tights were by the baby equipment (which I don't get why tights would be in that area in the first place?).  I grabbed what I needed and headed to the empty check out line...phew!  Fished for my coupon and made my purchase.

Back in the van, and tried not to get a ticket as I sped to pick up Jenna and her friend, Aaron.  I was there just in time as the kids walked out of the building.  I picked both of them up, and after I strapped them both in, Jenna said "I have to go potty."  Really?  Now?  I asked her if she went potty at school, and she said no.  Well, I had a choice...I could take her into the high school building, but that would require me finding a parking spot, bring all 3 kids with me, go through a security check, and go to the preschool room where they have the preschool bathroom.  Or, I could just quickly drive home which was only 5 minutes away.  I picked the latter because I figured the whole process of going into the high school building was going to take longer.  So, I implored her to please try to hold while I drove us home.

And hold, she did not.

The next hour was a blur because I had to run a bath for Jenna, feed the kids lunch, make sure our little friend, Aaron, was okay.  When Becca went down for her nap, and I had Jenna cleaned, fed, and occupied with a Veggie Tales movie, I embarked on cleaning out the car seat as well as the van seat, and doing laundry caused by this unfortunate event.  It was almost 3pm when I was able to sit down and have some lunch.  Joshua came home around 3:15, and he was miserable, and complained that his leg was hurting.  I felt awful for sending him to school.  He was in enough pain that I called the pediatrician - he couldn't even walk right.  The earliest appointment was at 6:45pm. 

Knowing that Jared was not going to be home, this long day was going to get even longer.  I texted my friend, Leslie, and hoped that she would be home that evening so that I could at least drop the girls off while I took Joshua to the doctor's appointment.  Leslie was kind and gracious enough to let me do just that, at such short notice too!  (we all need go-to friends like that!  Thanks, Les!) 

To cut an already long story short, I didn't get to "rest" till about 9:30pm - after the doctor's appointment, putting 3 kids to bed, and cleaning up after dinner.  When I walked into my bedroom, my bed had never seemed more inviting!  I literally collapsed on it in sheer exhaustion, and I remember thinking...oh yay, I may have to do this all over again tomorrow...yippee...(I hope you realize this was meant to be sarcastic!).

But really, even though the day seemed somewhat chaotic, there was a tender moment which I will cherish.  While waiting for the pediatrician in the doctor's office, my 6-year-old Joshua said, "Mommy, can I sit on your lap?".  Those words just erased all the craziness of the day, and in that one moment, the day was redeemed.  As Joshua climbed onto my lap, and he put his head on my shoulder, I thanked God for the gift of this moment, for the gift of Joshua, and for the gift of being his mom.  I've missed holding Joshua's hand as we walked to school.  I've missed him wanting his mommy.  He's slowly growing up and is starting to realize it's not cool to hold your mom's hand anymore, or give her kisses in front of your friends.  So, when he wanted to sit on my lap, I welcomed it with open arms, and I will relish these few days while he's home sick, to take care of him, and love on him, and be needed by him.  It reminded me of the children's book, Love You Forever by Robert Munsch:

"I'll love you forever
I'll like you for always
As long as I'm living
My baby you'll be."

So even though I don't know what each day will hold, what adventures I will encounter, there will always be holy moments to behold, and memories to make.  And at the end of the day, I can slumber into bed with a hot cup of tea, knowing that I lived the day well...and it doesn't hurt to have a box of chocolates in bed as well!  (and, hopefully soon, some cozy house slippers!)

Drinking buddies...keeping hydrated!

Thought this was a cute pic...the ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah...