Christmas

Christmas came and went fast for us... like a good song on the radio that you didn't catch the name and you know you'll never hear again, so you try to just enjoy it for the fleeting loveliness that it is. new years, too, for that matter. i prepared so much for it all: arrivals at the airport, fancy menu for our surprise homecoming party, making homemade christmas candles, organizing space for 11 adults, 2 toddlers, 3 cats and 2 dogs. i counted down the days until my roommate arrived from mississippi, which officially marked the beginning of the chaos.

when lindsay walked in our front door again after a year in south korea, she was completely shocked to see roomie, my husband, sarah and annika (all decked out in beads and bows, crying traumatically from the equally shocking "surprise!!!") all standing in line with welcome home posters.

"Celebrate Me Home" was on the stereo, we laughed, hugged, sarah cried... it was perfect. as the week went on, the rest of the guests came pouring in. more friends, husbands and babies for our homecoming reunion along with my big sister leslie and her husband who were coming to share Christmas with us. as girlfriends left, the house settled down a little and we jumped right into enjoying family time with leslie and mark. we baked, watched movies, played cards until way too late... it was also perfect. (dad didn't even lose any money in the card games this year.)

days after leslie and mark left, my husband and I loaded up the car and headed to visit his parents for a late christmas and new years. as soon as we walked in the door, we could smell my mother-in-law's christmas curry (new tradition or old tradition, i'm not sure. but i like it.) we ate, had homemade dessert and immediately opened presents.

the hugest news which will take up the smallest space is that we're headed back to arkansas. as always in our life, theres room for change, but we're pretty set on this being the best decision. i thought a return to arkansas would only be in my wildest dreams, but it seems i'm less than a year away from long stretches of beautiful highway and junky country backroads :) ahhh..... i can see it now....

the Lord is building up endurance in us although we have yet to learn why. our entire marriage has been changes of circumstance and changes of address, which has at least built a sense of consistency in our relationship and peace in our hearts.

we are still learning to be grateful.