Merry

It is interesting to me that the only time I see or hear the word merry is in conjunction with Christmas. Pairing a word that carries so much spirit and joy naturally belongs with Christmas.

I cherish the moments when Grace and Kalei merrily play together. Just like any adult, their merriment meter varies with their attitude, growth, food intake, and amount of sleep. For twins who are with each other 24/7, the merry times outweigh the quarrelsome times. One of my favorite lines that they recently have been saying is, "when I get bigger like a Mommy, I can do that." Of course, this phrase comes after I tell them they are not old enough to do something (i.e. put on makeup, drink coffee, etc). I get a good chuckle every time they say it.

Here is an update on Grace & Kalei’s world of likes/dislikes:

• Arts and craft time. We have attempted to do an advent craft each day. Grace tends to stay longer to work on coloring her page just right, or to fully saturate glue into each corner of her pink construction paper. She is definitely more of our perfectionistJ Kalei likes to make one or two lines on her page and then flits off onto something new. She is definitely more of a free spirit. 

• They do not like to be told, ‘no.’ Then again, who does? As toddlers who cannot reason very well (or at all), this makes for some interesting scenarios when they do not get their way. For example, Kalei’s meltdown rant consists of stomping her right foot while saying, ‘no, no, no.’ When Grace is throwing a fit she stomps her feet back and forth while back pedaling. Quite humorous when watching; not humorous when trying to parent and teach emotions and how to deal with them.
• Wearing a dress DAILY. This is the exact opposite of any childhood memory I have of wearing dresses. I am doing my best to embrace their love for all things 'girly.' This includes putting on tiaras, princess slippers, and carrying wands around the house. 

• Grace does not like her food to touch, and she will strategically eat on thing at a time. Just the other night we had chicken ravioli and she requested that I take the chicken out of the ravioli. It is also a hoot to watch her eat a panini. You can imagine how she disassembled the sandwich. At least she does eat it:) 
• Playing hide and seek. Numerous times during the day they will ask Cole or me to come hide with them. The best is when they want me to hide with both of them under the covers on their bed, and no one is here to find/seek us. They are still getting the whole concept of the game figured out.

•  Kalei does not like help when brushing her teeth. In fact, tonight she had a major meltdown because neither Cole nor I could help her brush her teeth. She kept saying, ‘me do it.’ She displays such an independent nature for a two and a half year old!
• Taking care of their baby dolls. One of my favorites is when Grace puts her baby to sleep for a nap on her bed. This is only possible if she covers the baby up with all 27 of the blankets she can find. Another favorite is watching Kalei strategically swaddle her baby in a swaddle sack and give her a ride in the stroller.
• Movie night. We have started incorporating this into our weekends. We all love the big screen in the basement, popcorn, and extra snuggles on the big brown couch. 
• Building towers. They like to make them into castles and use their little people to scale the walls. Sometimes they even do relay games with the blocks. Of course, the best part is knocking down the towers.

• Taking care of their baby brother. They are such sponges. I have to smile when I hear them say things like, "here you go Bo," "it's ok Bo, "what do you think Bo?" These are similar phrases I use with him and when they interact w him they are like little parrots. Kalei is still obsessed with Bo's head. I bet she kisses/sniffs his head 50 times a day. The poor little guy has no personal space! Grace likes to give him hugs, which sometimes leads to her knocking him over. She is so sensitive - if he falls and starts crying she runs off sobbing because she feels bad. A recent imaginative find for them was piling all of their blankets in their closet and they told us they were going on an adventure. They invited Bo to come along too:)

Bo is a merry boy. I thank God daily for giving us such a happy, content baby. He is most entertained when in full view of his sisters. My favorite Bo face is when he registers that he looks at me and does a full body smile – this is when he smiles and shakes his head back and forth while leaning back. Too cute. Among his newest accomplishments is being able to sit up. It amazes me to think that he is already at this developmental stage. He just started to find his voice – so fun! He said, “DaDa” for the first time yesterday. Cole was beaming from ear to ear. So far in the realm of solid foods he likes to eat sweet potatoes and peas.   In light of teething - he has two bottom teeth and what looks to be two more coming in! He has been such a trooper with cutting teeth, though. Since he started teething he wants to put all things in his mouth, especially skin! Beware of extra ‘kisses’ if you are near him:)

Cole is in his ninth year of teaching PE at Indian Hills Jr. High in West Des Moines. He keeps busy with coaching 8^th grade girls/boys basketball, 10^th grade baseball, and piloting his first year of coaching 8^th grade archery. Being an avid Hawkeye fan he is naturally pumped that they are going to the Rose Bowl. He had a blast getting to watch the Hawks play in the Big Ten Championship game in Indianapolis. Although he is kept busy with teaching/coaching, we know his heart is with us; he eagerly jumps into his role as Daddy as soon as he walks in the door.  Grace, Kalei, and Bo are so fortunate to have such an amazing Daddy.

I am in my third year of staying home with our kids. This job is rewarding, challenging, and humbling all at the same time. I have learned that my merry mood can sometimes be altered as quickly as a tantrum erupts:)  At the end of the day there are always moments that capture my heart that easily make it all worth it. In the middle of it all I am beyond grateful for the three miracles the Lord has granted us. I have started doing some personal training again at the YMCA Healthy Living Center. It has been a nice mix up in scenery for me where I can interact with people and also tap into my passion for fitness.

I was recently listening to a podcast by Chuck Swindoll. The premise of his message was about John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." As I ponder the true meaning of the Christmas season I am speechless when I think about how much love God has for every single person in the world. I was moved by what Augustine said, "God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us to love." In the big scheme of things, if I were the only person in this world, God still would have sent Jesus to be born in a manger, live as a man, and die on a cross for my sins. He loves me THAT much. The best part about His story is that Jesus loves each and every human being THAT much. Now that is something to be merry about. 

From our family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Cole, Chelsey, Grace (2.5), Kalei (2.5), & Bo (6 months)

²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,^[f] because he will save his people from their sins.” ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”^[g] (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:21-23