Two thousand, nine hundred, and seventy five. Can you guess what this number represents?
A) How many times I've switched radio stations when the "Twelve Days of Christmas" comes on
B) The number of M&Ms the Carlsons consumed over the holidays
C) The amount of items I've needed help scanning in the ironically entitled "Self Checkout" lane
D) The approximate number of pictures represented by our first family Christmas
If you guessed "D", CONGRATULATIONS!!! You've won a night shift at the Moody house with Emerson. You may need goggles, biohazard bags, and a life threatening amount of caffeine to survive this task.
While answers A, B, and C were closely accurate, today's post is predominately picture oriented.
As sweet baby girl truly dreamed of a white Christmas...
We were busier than a Wal-Mart cashier manning their one open register while trying to squeeze in every ounce of fun during our first Christmas as a family.
First on the agenda was the Finklea/LeGette/Greene/Carlson, etc. family Christmas soiree on December 21st, where many of them were meeting Emmy for the first time.
While my Mom and brother were running around in the kitchen making sure all the food was prepared I was upstairs doing the really important things, like making sure we had several games and toys set up. I know my forte.
The next day was the Moody family get together. There was no unidentified "deer tenderloin" on the menu this year. Last year I got tricked, and it won't be happening again.
Those were pigs in the blanket, right?
Emmy lost her pants prior to this picture. Don't ask.
On the 23rd we enjoyed Maggie and Aaron's oyster roast (minus the oysters for me) and the annual Jordan jubilee!
Emmy met lots of new people during our visit. She also resisted a blowout on each of our esteemed guests, for which they should be eternally grateful.
Christmas Eve is always a marathon for me. If you thought you heard a jet in Dillon that day it was actually my car zooming around running errands, practicing music, wrapping gifts, looking for misplaced keys (make that ANY day) and doing any other remotely festive activity in the span of a few very short hours.
Christmas Eve Clock
After the annual Candlelight Service at FBC we enjoyed a thoroughly fattening dinner at the Johnson home.
Fact: If I ate as much every day as we did during Christmas I would look like this by the 2014 holiday season.
While most people start dieting on January 1st I'm waiting until I return to work. Might as well prolong the misery and then bring it all on at once.
Mercifully we opened gifts at Ryan's on Christmas Eve instead of 5:30 on Christmas morning. Even Santa has qualms about such an ungodly hour!
The photo books for our parents were quite the hit, and look at Snuggle Muffin in her new fluffy coat. LOVE!!!
Look closely at the next picture: it contains a Queen, Princess, and a Barbie!
Christmas morning 2013 was unlike any other. What did we get? While you can't purchase a good night's sleep and wrap it under the tree we still received everything we ever wanted.
Nothing on earth could compare to having our baby girl with us. It put lots of things in perspective, and as my mother used to say to me, Emmy sure made out like a bandit.
This is a stick-up.
She peacefully slept through the tearing open of each gift. I now realize that had we wrapped up a bottle it would have woken her instantly.
Books for Christmas??? What is that? If you've never seen this 48 second Youtube video you HAVE to watch it.
A few months ago these girls had their hands on my belly at my shower, and now we know who they were touching : )
We had a most LOVELY visit with Joy and Dorothy, two of the most awesome people I know!!!
After Christmas we visited with Great Papa & Great Uncle David (Great Nanny was sick that day but is better now!)
Someone was excited about the car ride!
Editor's note: Yes, this is a shirt from 5th grade- the original Grumpy Cat. Sometimes finding a nice outfit is a luxury that doesn't fit into my day.
Except for those Sarah McLachlan commercials with the sad animals few things are more depressing than saying goodbye to your Christmas trees.
I seriously see one of these ads every time I'm eating. Ruins my lunch every time...future diet strategy.
Whoever said that taking down the decorations isn't threatening to your marriage, take heed. This actually happened yesterday.
What was that about biting each others' heads off?
Each and EVERY day a crisis of some sort takes place in this house. This past Sunday it was tee tee in baby girl's hair.
Don't ask how this happened; just know that a bath took place immediately after the incident.
Our parents got a taste meal-full of life with Emmy when they took the late night shifts while we were home. Our latest discovery? The girl fights sleep like it's her JOB.
Take that, La La Land.
She truly doesn't want to miss anything, just like someone else I know.
But I know one thing I'm going to miss deeply, and that's the year 2013. Each month of this year brought more blessings than I could have dreamed, and I'm sad to see it go. Every time I look at Emerson I am humbled that the Lord created her for us and ultimately for His use. He could've given her to anyone else in the world, but he chose us. It is a massive responsibility, but one I wouldn't give up if my life depended on it.
I really can't wait to see what's in store for us in 2014 (it used to be new clothes and accessories, but now it's formula, wipes, and diapers...that's another story).
Another year has almost come and gone, and I ask myself: what did I do for the Lord this year? If I could look back at all the years passed it is my hope that I will be able to answer that question. As our world continues on a deeper path further away from the Gospel and everything upon which our faith is founded we must not lose sight of the truth.
Here is my prayer for my loved ones for the next year - read closely.
I hope you hurt- I hope you love someone so much it hurts.
I hope you fall- fall deeper in love with the One who created you and desires your heart.
I hope you stumble- stumble upon things that make you wiser and upon people you hadn't seen in a while and make new connections. Get the chance to touch or have an impact on someone that may surprise you.
I hope you burn- burn with passion for even the most simple things- opening your eyes each morning, making a long trip with no car trouble, and living to see your loved ones for another day.
And finally, I hope you give yourself away- to your Savior, to your family, to the person struggling to load their groceries, the coworker or acquaintance who needs Jesus, the neighbor who needs a favor, the man in a hurry behind you in line, and to each day. Because it was given to you.
So Happy New Year! And that's a command.
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