A Sleep-Over Visit

Eli has this super cheesy book called A Sleep-Over Visit  which is a Little Golden Book that was actually John's from his childhood. It is the story of a little boy named Michael who spends his first night away from home at his friend's house down the street. It is the kind of book that feminists would want to burn with its outdated concepts of high-heeled, hoop-skirt, button down blouse wearing, bacon frying housewives; however, Eli loves it and we read it often. The book was purchased for a whopping 89 cents back in 1986 and it is selling today on Amazon for $25. Hmm, looks like we'd better hold onto it for another 20 years.

All of that information really doesn't have anything to do with this post. But if you were in any way curious as to the current value of a vintage Little Golden Book, then there you have it . 2700% value increase.

Anyhoo, last weekend we had our own sleep-over visit with my nieces Lily and Callie. I was so looking forward to having the girls here and getting some one-on-one time with them. Eli was also pumped and very easily slipped into the role of being "just one of the gals." We played with babies, baked and decorated a giant cookie, took a jacuzzi bubble bath (them, not me), made popcorn, and snuggled in for a fun movie which we started way after their bedtime. It was such a special time to spend with these adorable, giggling girls and I cherished it. Watching the three of them together with their tender hearts and unblemished innocence is such a reminder of God's abundant delight in His children. Thanks Kim and Sarah for letting us steal the girls away for a night. We hope its a tradition we can continue in the future.

For your enjoyment, a reading by Eli

"I Can Do It Myself"

Home Sweet Home??

Yes, of course we are so delighted to be back home to our adorable children. And yes, I wanted to cry this morning when I realized no one would be delivering breakfast to my room on a silver platter with the morning paper. Its a shock to the system going from "What can you I bring you to drink Mrs. Costello?" and "Please let me roll out your towel for you Mrs. Costello" to "Noooooooo, I wanted to bluuueeee cuuupppp" and "mommy,  I peed in my pants, but just a little bit." 

You see what I mean?

It only took me about 5 seconds to realize that back here in the real world, I'm the butler. If I want a plate of cheesy hot nachos, I'd better start digging in the fridge for Velveeta.

Oh, but those days in paradise were so worth the vacation hangover I've been fighting all day. 6 uninterrupted days of doing whatever we wanted, at whatever time we felt like it, was bliss. We were lazy, we napped in the sun, we read books, we frolicked in the ocean (seriously, I made it a point to actually frolic), and we were waited on hand and foot. I busied myself ordering every tropical drink I'd ever heard of or seen someone else drinking, and John busied himself napping and eating so much shrimp cocktail he actually made himself ill. Turns out I really enjoy Mudslides, and anything that someone else is delivering saying "Its a pleasure Mrs. Costello." We ordered a room service breakfast every day because it was free, and because breakfast in bed is one of my favorite indulgences. We were lulled to sleep by the crashing ocean waves outside our room and awoke to the sun rising over the water.

Vacation John even agreed to participate in an early morning yoga class by the lagoon and a couples massage, both of which I am sure will be his last. We were treated to a private lobster and steak dinner on the beach, which was again free, and got to drink fancy champagne and eat under the stars. We didn't have to push elevator buttons, hang up towels, get refills, or even carry our plates to the table.

Can you understand why we felt quite torn in coming home?

We appreciate vacation immensely more now that we have kids. Even a flight delayed for 2 hours is no big deal when you are not responsible for any of the crying babies, and you can quietly read in the corner.

And now the clock starts ticking again until our next romantic vacation comes around....hopefully in 2 years :)

Happy 8 months Norah Dee!

I'm a little late on this one, but at least I didn't forget to document altogether right? Please take careful notice of her beautiful pink hair bow. I have been patiently waiting for her hair to grow long enough so she can wear them. And now you'd better believe I have purchased them in every color. 

40 Days.....

Personal fact: I did not grow up in a charismatic church. I grew up in a church where people might start to get uncomfortable if you raise your hands during praise and worship. It was a good church, just not a dancing in the isles kind of church. I have really had to work hard to stretch my understanding and acceptance of what worship is and can be to different people as I've gotten older. I feel like I have come a long way. That being said, John grew up in a very charismatic church, by my standards. I used to feel very uncomfortable when I went there with him while we were dating and I'm sure I asked him more than once if he was part of a cult. Everything, except the gospel message, was different from all that I had known my entire life. It evoked a lot of conversations and some disagreements between my future husband and me. I was very narrow-minded and I can admit that now. We had to visit many churches once we got married to find one that was a good mix of both of our desires in a church.

Last Sunday we went back to John's family church to listen to his dad give a sermon on the Grace of Giving (which you totally knocked out of the park dad, if you were wondering).  I stood in the back rocking, hushing, and pacing with an overly tired, sickly Norah who refused to go to sleep in my arms until the last 5 minutes of the service. The head pastor mentioned at the end that he was leading and challenging the church to begin a 40 Day Negativity Fast. Basically 40 days of not complaining, not whining, not nagging, not fighting, not pouting, not overreacting, not nit-picking, not gossipping, and not saying nasty things or thinking nasty thoughts. It is not 40 days of ignoring problems or becoming a doormat to everybody else, but 40 days of recognizing when a negative thought surfaces, and giving it directly over to Jesus and focusing on His love, His grace, His forgiveness, and His contentment in our lives. My ears perked right up and I was anxious to join in on this church's challenge. Lord knows I tend to dwell on the things that aren't going right in my life much longer than I work on seeking out the positive and amazing things that God is doing for me. To me, this will truly be a tough challenge. I've noticed already in the past few days that I've had to bite my tongue often and that I'm a lot quieter than usual. John may feel like he has won the marriage jackpot. No nagging? Cha-ching!

The book called "Igniting Faith in 40 Days" is supposed to be used in conjunction with the fast. It is a short 40 day devotional book that focuses on claiming God's power over your life. And I have to admit, even this book feels like a stretch for my innermost beliefs on the Holy Spirit. But as John regularly reminds me, it is OK to be uncomfortable. God desires to stretch us and grow our faith, not by keeping us in the safety of our own net, but by asking us to step out on a limb. We have committed to reading it every morning during breakfast for 40 days. 2 days down so far, 38 to go. Eli awoke early today and I read the devotion as the 3 of us sat at the counter eating cereal while he repeatedly asked "why are you reading that?"  and finished with an "amen" at the conclusion. Hopefully something will somehow sink in for him as well.

So, if you hear me being a Debbie Downer over the next few weeks, please kindly remind me to zip it. And I encourage you to join me in this quest to conquer to constant negativity in our lives.

Christmas Wrap

With the exception that my sister Sarah and her family weren't able to make it home from France this year, I thought Christmas was just perfect. We were able to spread the holiday cheer and gift-giving over 3 relaxing days, which was so much nicer than rushing around and trying to get everywhere and appease everyone in the same day.

Christmas eve we spent the day with John's family and enjoyed a yummy brunch, opened lots of gifts, and then lounged and chatted all afternoon until church. We headed to church with my parents and then went back to their house for their annual Christmas eve party. Eli ran like a maniac and was up way too late until almost 11 pm. Norah opted to miss the festivities in favor of sticking with her usual bedtime of 7pm. She's a lover of schedules, just like her momma. 

My Christmas day started at 2am with the kneading and rolling of my mom's famous granola cinnamon rolls, which I woke up every 2 hours during the night to tend to so that they would be piping hot and oh so delicious to devour for our Christmas breakfast. John and I continued our tradition of exchanging stockings and he totally blew our $20 budget and got me super cool gifts, making me feel like a bit of a schlep. My parents came over to eat with us and watch the kids open their gifts. It was really special to have them come and one of those moments where I truly felt like an official grown-up. 

The day after Christmas my Grandparents arrived from Arizona and we indulged in another fabulous brunch and spent the day celebrating Christmas with them, along with my parents, and my sister Kim and her family. The kids were showered with gifts from Grandma and Grandpa and they spent the rest of the day playing, tackling, and fighting over all the new goods. Us girls were even able to get out and shop for a little while and enjoy the long lines at the mall before returning home to a prime rib feast for dinner. 

I love my family so much. Our kids are beyond blessed to have 2 loving, spoiling sets of grandparents, 3 sets of active, healthy great-grandparents, lots of sweet and caring aunts and uncles, and an army of nieces and nephews to play with. As we were unpacking bags and making room for new toys and putting sleepy kids kept up way too late to bed these past few days, John and I talked about how very thankful we are. We are so undeserving of all of God's grace in our lives and in our family. 

And now, the tree is gone, the decorations are all tucked away in their boxes, and I am ready to take on the new year ahead. And I'm even more ready to be sitting on a beach in Mexico drinking a pina colada in less than 10 days on my anniversary vacation with John!

Here are a few moments from our Christmas this year....

Costello Christmas-Papa reading the Christmas story to the kids

A sleeping bag for Eli

Norah-7 months and cousin Quinton-5 months

Norah's first baby doll

 Christmas Eve night at Grandma Jan and Papa Bob's house

 All the Johnson cousins minus Lily and Zack

Christmas morning reading of the Christmas story with daddy

Eli's new chainsaw, which is turning out to be a hazard to poor Norah

 Day after Christmas Johnson family Christmas (yes, our kids were in their pj's for 2 straight days)

Annual kids pajama picture=annual bribing with fruit snacks

A Radio Flyer scooter from Grandma and Grandpa

                    
 I asked for all cooking related items this year and got several awesome gifts including this cast-iron dutch oven, a sweet salad spinner, a food processor, and a grinder attachment for my kitchen-aid mixer.
Looks like I'd better get cooking!

Oh yeah baby. Mommas gonna buy herself some guilt-free lattes, and I wont even have to pay in dimes!

And breathe....

If you know me at all, you know that I am a teensy-weensy bit of an organizational freak. I take great pleasure in making things look neat and tidy. When my house looks like a tornado hit and we are tripping over piles of messes here and disasters there, you will find me in the pantry lining up the cereal boxes or alphabatizing my spices. I would rather organize my extra stash of toilet paper into a grand paper pyramid than mindlessly pick up stuff laying on the floor. My label maker and I are pretty tight if you know what I mean.

Our house has a lot of great features that I love, but big closets isn't one of them. We have to utilize every last inch of space to make things fit and to achieve that neat and tidy look that helps me sleep easy at night. Our downstairs coat closet is a prime example. Let me just tell you how much I do not love digging through  piles of hats and gloves and scarves to bundle up myself and the kids every time we leave the house. Although my baskets are pretty and are appropriately labled "adult gear" and "kid gear," it still has been driving me nuts. Last week during a play-date at my friend Brittan's house, she showed me her newly and fabulously organized coat closes thanks to an idea she had read in a magazine. It was a total "Ah-Ha!" moment for me. So brilliant, and yet so simple. Just purchase a basic over-the-door shoe organizer and you will never have to dig for those gloves, that clutch, that umbrella, or that anything again. Isn't organization just beautiful? Come on, you know you want one...