Christmas Reflections

I'm sitting on the couch, staring at the beautiful face of our sleeping son, and marveling at how completely and utterly helpless he is.  Kai is two months old today and is completely dependent upon us to feed him, change him, bathe him and clothe him.  Sometimes we even have to hold his head up and keep him from whacking himself in the face with his flying fists.  This baby, this overwhelmingly beautiful and precious baby, is truly helpless.

And this is how our Savior came.

It's preposterous, really.  What kind of God would send a Savior in the form of this?

What kind of God would think that anyone would believe in such a Savior, a Savior who nursed at the breast then spit up on his mother's shoulder, a Savior who cried for want of any other way to express himself, a Savior who couldn't fall asleep without being swaddled and rocked and shooshed, a Savior who pooped his pants, a Savior who couldn't even hold his head up?

What kind of God would send a Savior like this?  The kind of God who wanted the Savior to reign with humbleness.  The kind of God whose Savior would come not to be served, but to serve.  The kind of God who declares the weak things of this world to be strong.

That kind of God chooses to send a Savior in the form of this.

And so we praise Him.  We praise Him for sending His Son Jesus to be a humble servant who came into the world completely and utterly helpless.  We praise Him for teaching us how to love with humbleness.  We praise Him for choosing a path of servitude that led to the cross that led to our salvation that led to our reconciliation with Him.  We praise Him for sending a baby.

This Christmas we are particularly thankful and joyful for the birth of our Savior, the baby Jesus!

Chunky Monkey

I can't resist sharing this photo.  What a chunk!  Granted, this photo makes him look chunkier than he actually is, but let's be honest: Kai is a big boy who is not lacking in the rolls department :)

On another note, Caleb has been a true delight the past few weeks.  I mean, a delight!  He finished whatever transition he needed to go through after Kai was born and now he's back to being his joyous, charming self.  And he adores his brother!  He says Kai's name a lot and loves to walk into a room and find him.  I can't tell you how many times we hear the exclamation, "Kai!" followed by the pitter patter of little feet as Caleb runs over to his brother and smiles, giggles, laughs, or all of the above.  It's amazing :)

Winter Days

The snow keeps falling here in Duluth.  We're in the thick of winter and it's beautiful outside.  It takes a lot longer to go anywhere (it's quite the production to get Caleb in his winter gear and Kai in his car seat and then haul one kid in each arm down the stairs to the car) but we still get out and about!  When we can't go anywhere (or when it just feels like too much work to go anywhere), we turn on the Christmas music, eat a little chocolate, and find ways to enjoy the winter from inside our warm home.

I didn't pull out any of my nativities this year because, quite simply, they wouldn't be safe from our toddler's curious and destructive little hands.  But I really want to have a nativity for Caleb to play with and learn about Baby Jesus, so I bought the Little People nativity set.  It even plays "Away in a Manger" when you push on the angel!  Caleb isn't too interested in Baby Jesus yet, but he thinks the sheep is pretty cool :)

And this little squirt is happy as can be, wiling away the winter days by staring at the ceiling fans and scheming how to get out of tummy time.  I snapped this photo before he started complaining about being on his tummy.  Isn't he scrumptious?

And as the snow continues to fall outside, Caleb sometimes serenades us with a lively rendition of "Slobbery Song for Christmas" on his whistle.  He's been practicing very hard :)

This past weekend the temperature rose to a balmy 10 degrees so Eli took Caleb outside to help shovel.  He absolutely loves being outside, even in the cold.  He'll play and play, and his nose and cheeks will get super cold and super red, and then he'll cry and cry when we bring him inside to warm up.  Based upon how much he loves to be out in the cold, we sometimes think this kid will melt away in Africa!

Happy Winter!

Curls

Caleb's curls are his most defining feature (besides his cheeks, of course).  People comment on them all the time.

"Look at those curls!"
"I love his hair!"
"What a doll!"

We, of course, could not agree more :)  His curls are at their best right after a bath.  They spring up when his hair is drying.  They lose some of their spring when he takes a nap or wears a hat so usually people only see a reflection of their true glory.

His curls were truly scrumptious after his bath yesterday and I knew I needed to capture them on camera.

He was playing in our bedroom and eventually crawled into the little space between Eli's dresser and the wall.  He likes squeezing in there and playing peek-a-boo.  Thank goodness I had my camera!

Caleb is a delightfully joyful and expressive little man.  He loves attention.  And he loves to explore and learn about the world and jibber-jabber along the way.  He's dramatic and emotional and playful and he lets you know exactly how he feels about everything.  We adore him because he lives life to the fullest in an enchanting 19-month-old way.  He is our darling, curly, blonde little boy!

December 9

Today marks the day when, ten years ago, Eli and I began dating!  

We were close friends at Bethel who had just spent nearly a year apart.  He had studied abroad in Australia in the spring, I had spent the summer doing ministry in West Virginia, and then I'd studied abroad in England in the fall.  December 9 was the day I flew back from England.  After a 6-hour delay leaving London followed by another delay getting into the Cities because of a heavy snowfall, I finally arrived in the Minneapolis airport late that night where Eli was waiting for me.  I remember that moment so well.  How he picked me up and twirled me around.  How he gave me a white rose.  How he looked like he was glowing and how my cheeks hurt from smiling.  We left the airport and Eli took me for a drive in his 1988 Suburban.  We drank white hot chocolate (because he knew I'd never had it before and was appalled that such a thing was possible) and we ended up at Como Park.  It was there that Eli told me he wanted to date me.  And I wanted to date him too.  And we both were extremely happy!  

That was ten years ago today, and we're still extremely happy :)  We'll be dating each other for the rest of our lives!

December 9, 2003

Snow Day

Eli is using a vacation day today because we need to dig ourselves out of this:

It started snowing on Monday morning and didn't stop until last night.  Several more inches fell after I took this photo yesterday.  The weatherman said we've gotten a grand total of 28 inches of snow!  The schools are having their third straight snow day and I've been stuck in the house with the boys since Monday morning.  I've been able to keep up with shoveling the sidewalk, but that's it.  There's no way I can get out of the house to even begin tackling our driveway when I have two little kids cooped up with me.  So Eli offered to take a vacation day to rescue us from our confinement.  He's our hero!

What do a Mama and a one-month old and an 18-month old do with three Snow Days in a row?  They play, they laugh, they cry.  They watch movies, they eat snacks, they nap, and they lose their minds by the end of the day!  The 18-month old has a tantrum now and then (and sometimes the Mama wishes she could express herself that way too!), and the one-month old is a complete peach that keeps the Mama's mind intact.  And then the Mama begs the Papa to please, please, dig us out so we can get out of this house!!!

Here's the peach:

Here are the moose babies in the early morning hours yesterday.  Caleb refused to put clothes on for a very long time.  He loves being naked.  When I finally forced him to get dressed, you would have thought the gorillas had all become extinct (because that would be his current version of the world coming to an end).

After watching a movie and lounging in Kai's bouncy seat for awhile, Caleb spent quite awhile playing in this big box.  Boxes are wonderful toys :)

By the afternoon of the second day of being snowed in, we had played with every toy and read every book in the house.  We needed something else to do.  So of course we made cookies!  Caleb was my baker's assistant as I put together some no-bake cookies.  When I took him off the counter and away from his precious utensils, you would have thought the gorillas had become extinct again.  I shoved a few cookies in my mouth to withstand the flailing and crying that ensued.

This guy was a total peach throughout the baking session and the tantrum session.  He actually slept most of the day.  Why are sleeping babies so lovely and sweet and wonderful and peach-ish?

We've actually had a really good week.  But we are ready to get out somewhere, anywhere.  Even though the temperature dropped to freezing overnight (it's currently 10 degrees and feels like -15 degrees apparently) we will venture forth.  So our sanity remains intact.  So Eli doesn't come home to crazy people every day.  So life can be fun and exciting rather than boring and monotonous.

Hopefully, this will be the last snow day that keeps us snowbound :)

Cousins!

We spent this past weekend at the Farm for Thanksgiving.  The Horn family farm in Cambridge hosts many family get-togethers and holds many family memories.  This particular weekend was special because our kids and Eli's brother's kids were all together for the first time!  There were two new Horn babies this fall, and they are only one month apart.  Kai is the youngest, although we're fairly certain that he's bigger than Shelby :)

Shelby and Kai

Caleb is almost exactly one year younger than his cousin Faith and they had a lot of fun playing outside.  Caleb had never played in a leaf pile before, but Faith showed him the ropes :)

Eli and his brother, Luke, have countless memories of spending time with their cousins at the Farm, so it was particularly fun to watch these little cousins enjoy hanging out at the Farm too :)

On a different note, Eli and I took a short walk around the property and paused to admire this 'ol beauty.  Her name is Shameless and she was Eli's fearless ride during college.  This 1988 Suburban took us on many a date and many a road trip and we mourned her when she died (although she was briefly resurrected to be our get-away car on our wedding day).  Her final resting place is - where else? - the Farm.  

We had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend with Eli's family and now we're back home in a winter wonderland.  It hasn't stopped snowing all day.  Christmas is just around the corner :)

Thankful

Some things we are thankful for this Thanksgiving Day:

bluegrass

yoga pants

cinnamon rolls

flannel sheets

curry

napping

tickles and giggles

gorillas

Above all, we're thankful for two little miracles names Caleb and Kai.  They fill our hearts with gratitude like nothing else in this world!

I am also particularly thankful this day for a husband who, despite working 16-hour days this week and who is completely sleep-deprived himself, took on the role of Super Dad today so I could sleep in a little plus nap this afternoon.  Super Dad also made dinner and took care of Caleb all evening so I could give Kai my undivided attention.  And right now Super Dad is cleaning up the kitchen.  I am incredibly thankful for that man!

Oh, and I'm thankful for baby slings so a Mama can snuggle her baby and still move around.   And for bottles, so a Daddy can feed his baby too.  So thankful for little things like these!

Happy Thanksgiving!

One Month Young

Kai is one month young already!  The month has been a blur, but a good blur.  There's not much to report except that this sweet moose baby is a strong and content little person.  He doesn't fuss much, he sleeps incredibly well overnight, and he's big and strong enough to endure the tough love of his brother :)  For example, last night while Kai was doing tummy time I walked into the living room to find Caleb sitting on top of his brother while he watched TV.  Kai had let out a squeak but was otherwise calm in the midst of his confining situation.  He's a strong kid to contentedly withstand the 27 pounds that was straddled on top of him and pinning him down :)

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I recently found this hat at Old Navy and couldn't resist it!  He wore it to church this morning since the temperature was freezing.  Kai needed a hat anyway and now he's ready for his first Minnesota winter!

We love love love this baby boy and already can't remember life before him!

Indispensable

I recently read an article in Christianity Today about the importance of remembering that children are full members of the Church despite their limitations.  Despite their running down the halls, despite their wiggling in the pews, despite their loud and incoherent gibberish, they are part of the Body of Christ and members of His Church.

When talking about unity in the Body of Christ, the apostle Paul said that the parts which seem to be weaker than others are actually indispensable (1 Corinthians 12:22).  I had never thought of this verse when I thought of children, but now it's all I can think about when I gaze at our squirmy, bobble-headed boy.  He can't sing, can't pray, can't ponder the beauty and majesty of God, but he brings praise and honor to our Lord by bearing His image.  This precious little creation who is completely dependent on us and who is a seemingly weak member of the Body of Christ is indispensable.

We have never understood the love of the Father so profoundly as we have when we adore Caleb and Kai.  They are teaching us about the Father's love, and that is just one way they are indispensable.

A Week with Grandma and Grandpa Clark

This past week was spent playing games, reading books, taking naps, eating out, watching movies, visiting local attractions, and lots of time playing and snuggling with our two little Horn boys.  In other words, my parents were in town!  They flew to Duluth last weekend to meet Kai (who they declare is the sweetest little baby) and they spent all week here.  It was a great week!

My parents love to play games, and so do we!  Cribbage, Chess, Bid Euchre, Settlers, Ticket to Ride....  There are few things sweeter than sitting around a table playing a game while eating cookies and drinking pop.  And although Caleb was already in bed when the games were pulled out, Kai usually joined us for the fun.  We like to start 'em when they're young :)

We all enjoyed a good nap from time to time too.  My dad logged a few good naps with Kai throughout the week.

But we didn't stay home all week either!  We ventured to the Railroad Museum at the Duluth Depot, went to the Lake Superior Zoo, took Caleb to the library, and went for a walk on the Lakewalk.  We went out to dinner a couple times too.  Caleb was particularly excited to hang out at Dubh Linn Irish Pub and watch people play pool.  He kept shouting "ba BA!" which is how he says "ball" :)

It was a good week.  We were so grateful my parents could fly out to meet Kai.  It was good for Caleb to reconnect with them too.  He hadn't seen them in four months and I don't think he remembered them, but he had a great time playing with them.  Hopefully he'll remember them by the time we fly to Michigan for the holidays next month.  Either way, it's bound to be another good week of games, books, naps, movies, eating treats, and lots of playing and snuggling with these two little Horn boys!

To Be A Little Brother

"What is it like to be a little brother?  Hmmm...  How shall I describe it?"

"To be completely honest, I usually sit around like this and try to process the whirlwind that is happening around me: balls flying through the air amidst loud squealing and the occasional tantrum followed by the running of little feet and the random toy tossed on my lap."

"And every once in awhile when he's jealous of Mama's attention, my big brother climbs into her lap but completely ignores the fact that I'm also in her lap and thus sits on top of me, which squishes a squeak outta me."

"But I suppose it's not all bad..."

"There are times when he comes over just to pat me on the head, and I like that."

"Of course, there are also times when he comes over to vigorously bounce the bouncy seat and I feel like an earthquake just occurred."

"But when he pulls a blanket off the couch and drags it over to cover me up, then lays down next to me and snuggles for a minute - that is what makes this Little Brother business worthwhile.  I like that, a lot."