All Things New

We finished up 2012 with two lazy and wonderful weeks of celebrating Christmas and spending time with family. John didn't have to report to the office during the holidays and not having him rush off every morning when we've barely just woken up is one of my favorite parts about December. I got to snuggle in bed a little longer and enjoy my morning coffee a few times while he got up with our early birds and fixed breakfast. Ahh, if only it could have lasted forever. Today I was running around like a crazy person trying to get the kids out the door by mid-morning because I apparently have forgotten how to do it by myself. Oh how I miss you already, two-parents-at-home life of leisure.

Christmas was so fun with such excited little ones and their equally excited cousins.
 It just gets better every year. Here are a few of the highlights.

                                   

 

As John and I celebrated New Years this week, we both agreed that we are more than ready to say good-bye to 2012. See ya later! It was a good year, but one with a great deal of sorrow and trials. God has stretched us and tested us, and yet we have found Him to be so faithful and loving to us amidst the heartbreak. We are eagerly anticipating the new things that are coming in the year ahead. The biggest being that Gavin will HEAR this year! Whether God chooses to heal him through His miraculous power or through the medical miracle of cochlear implants, we are giddy with the thought of our son hearing our voices in only a few short months from now. It just can't get here soon enough.

My verse for this year that God has really been laying heavy on my heart is this:

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a NEW thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the dessert and streams in the wasteland."
-Isaiah 43:18,19

That is just some powerful scripture, no matter where you find yourself starting out this year. God is going to do big and amazing things, because it's in His nature and, well, He just can't keep Himself from being Himself. He loves us way too much.

Happy 2013!

We Are Family

I've got all my sisters with me...

A Christmas tradition, the annual Costello sibling's dinner. Hosted to perfection this year by Chris and Rebecca. Well done you two, we were treated to a mouth-watering feast. You make having a 6 week old and throwing a dinner party for 12 look like a cake walk.

Day 18

When your kids are too sick to go into the church nursery and your advent calendar's activity of the day is to "set up your Christmas manger" (which you don't have), this is how you spend your Sunday morning improvising:

 

A big thanks to all the Little People, animals, and construction men for making this scene come alive. And especially to cowboy man, for stepping into the role of baby Jesus. You were the only one small enough to be swaddled in toilet paper and placed in the trough. I'm sure you understand.

Christmas Highlights 2011

Christmas this year was wonderful and busy and full of family activities as usual. It would be impossible (and frankly, boring) if I were to share all the many happenings of the past month, so I will spare you the details and skip right to my favorite parts...


Annual Costello Sibling's Christmas dinner, hosted to perfection by Sam and Jen this year

Getting the surprise of a lifetime when my parents flew my sister's family home from France for Christmas and they all showed up at my front door late at night and nearly gave me a heart-attack.

Getting to spend lots of time with these giggly girls who couldn't be closer if they were sisters...

and these wild boys who melt your heart as they pelt you with Nerf bullets

Watching the magic of Santa come alive for Eli this year and remembering him asking if we needed to leave cookies out for him or if Santa would just "help himself in our fridge"

Having our own special time on Christmas eve morning to watch the kids open their gifts and exchanging stockings with John

Spending Christmas eve day with the Costello crew where we enjoyed a delicious brunch and relaxing afternoon with our wonderful family

My parent's annual Christmas eve party and the beautiful dresses Grandma bought the girls

Boy's pull-up contest Christmas morning where my husband was crowned the champion and scored us a Cheesecake Factory gift card and night of babysitting courtesy of my parents

The chaos of 8 children opening gifts at the same time and not being sure where to look or focus

Spending time with the world's greatest, great-grandma who asked for a rocking chair for Christmas so she could rock all of her babies. Do you not just love her?

Papa Bob and part of his future baseball team who have no idea how lucky they are to have such an amazing Grandpa

A childhood story published into an actual children's book written by my mom (and worked on for months and months) as a special gift for my Grandpa

Watching this blue-eyed firecracker trying her best to keep up with all her cousins

The annual matching pajamas picture with all the Johnson kiddos and our newest addition this year, baby Harry!

"Fishing for dollars" competition in the hot-tub where each fish was worth a different dollar amount

 Passing around baby Harry for some much needed newborn snuggle time

And though quiet moments have been few in the past week, when I take a second to reflect on my Savior,  my family, and my blessings, I am nothing but overwhelmed with gratefulness. This Christmas was truly a special one filled with everyone that I love in one place and lots of memories that will leave me smiling long after the tree comes down.

 "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore." 

Isaiah 9:6-7

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!