Immeasurably More

We are enjoying the Christmas season--we hope you are, too! The last few months have been a whirlwind, and I have come to the blog to post many times but haven't because I have been overwhelmed with catching up to where we are now. So, I have finally bitten the bullet and I am going to do the "cliff notes" version of the last few months.

We enjoyed football season! We get season tickets to the NC State football games and always enjoy driving to Raleigh to watch the Wolfpack play. It wasn't a great season, but the middle and end were much better than the beginning! We took Riley to a couple of games and he did really well. He seemed to enjoy the sights and sounds.

For Halloween, Riley was Tigger. His cousin Mason was Pooh. Together they looked precious! We went to our church for a while that night--they had games, dinner, and a few of the blow-up jumping things. Afterwards, we went to a few houses in our neighborhood. Riley was content to be pushed in the stroller and then at each house he would run up to the door with the rest of the kids.

At Thanksgiving, we enjoyed a visit with Michael's sister Beth and her family who live in Colorado. Beth and the kids (Austin and Jacob) were able to stay a full two weeks! It was great having them here, but it always makes us wish they lived closer so we could seem them more. One day we went to Spencer for a few hours and the kids got to ride the "Santa" train. They had a blast!

Now we are ready for Christmas! (Actually, I'm not quite ready--I've still got things to do, but we can't wait for Christmas to be here!) Riley LOVES seeing all of the lights up around town. He calls everything "Sanka" (aka Santa). Christmas trees, lights, presents, etc... are all "Sanka." It's hilarious!

Today at my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting we had a speaker who encouraged us to make the Christmas season "simple" and "significant." She shared a poem with us that I would like to share with you. Below the poem are a few pictures of our sweet boy who has truly turned from a baby into a little boy!

Christmas Resolution
Let us keep Christmas softly,
Apart from crowds and noise and vain display.
Let us hang garlands fresh of prayer and praise
All love entwined in glad array
In deep chambers of the heart where He,
The Holy Child, alone may see and gladdened be.