Made to Play: December 2015 Family Video

This was our December and Boston's first Christmas. 

(A note on video quality: Unfortunately, blogger will not allow me to upload a larger resolution video. I recommend you do not watch it in full screen. Cheers.)

2015 OLW Review: Today

Gratitude... claims the truth that all of life is pure gift. 

-Henri Nouwen 

I have learned that I take about a month to process the completion of a year. I have spent the last few weeks jotting thoughts as they arise. The Christmas season is a beautiful one and I have worked hard in recent years to slow the hustle. But, try as I might, company and family and activities still require energy and they leave me drained (obviously an introvert here). I definitely need plenty of time after the holidays to process our year. Without further ado...

.....

2015: garage renovation, spring travel, a two-year-old, Little Loy #2, potty training, hot summer days, a mountain escape, fall football Saturdays.

We started the year living in a one bedroom apartment. Brandon worked every spare minute on the garage renovation. I was pregnant and only Brandon knew the baby's gender. This pregnancy left me bed-ridden with nausea and fatigue for the better part of nine months. August played happily on the upstairs porch and in Grammie's wide backyard.

By April 5th, Easter Sunday, the downstairs was completed. We celebrated August's birthday and tried to relax in the weeks leading up to Boston's birth. He took a long time, over 41 weeks, but when he decided to come, he arrived fast and chubby and happy. Then began the long hot summer of transitioning to a family of four, potty training August and postpartum recovery. 

In April, we met our newest nephew: Carver Blake. In May, Grandma and Papi came to meet Boston and play with August. In June, we welcomed 11 dear friends into our home (4 adults, 7 children) for a long weekend of sleepovers and coffee (and other things too). In July, we played everyday at the beach or in the kiddie pool. In mid-August, we escaped for a week to the mountains with my folks and Abram. In September, we hid inside because I couldn't handle sweating another drop. 

October was a breathe of fresh air. The five months of post-partum fog and rollercoaster emotion lifted. I felt more like myself every day the weather turned cooler and crisper. We moved through the fall months with busyness and joy. Clemson played an undefeated football season and rode the polls to the number 1 ranking on their way to the National Championship. Brandon worked long hours. We travelled to Greenville for Thanksgiving and Orlando for an early Christmas with Grandma and Papi. We rode carousels and hayrides and ate all.the.things. Before I knew what was happening, New Year's Eve arrived with college football playoff games and a Jump Little Children concert.

2016 began...

What a full and intense and difficult year 2015 was. I was constantly washed in grace from the Lord as He gently reminded me to "live in TODAY, live for TODAY, you only have to face TODAY." What generous grace to be given the gift of a year to focus one-day-at-a-time.

In the fall, my Bible study worked through Henri Nouwen's The Return of the Prodigal Son. The entire book is filled with beautiful revelations about the Christian faith but one particular section stuck with me:

The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy. ... Acts of gratitude make one grateful because step-by-step they reveal that all is grace.

In directing my focus to the daily tasks, the daily challenges and the daily joys, I see now that the Lord was calling me to a year of disciplined gratitude. I was being shown the gift of grace- a perspective I sorely needed.  When I glance back through my IG posts of #theLoystoday2015, my heart is thankful that I did not take the minutia for granted (at least not all the time).

I will end here with our family verse from 2015: This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118: 24

Little Loy #2 Gender Reveal

Not knowing the gender of my babies until they are born is one of my favorite things about having children. Brandon, on the other hand, really likes to know so that he can "prepare." Because we did not find out with August, I thought it was only fair to have Brandon find out this time. At our 20 week ultrasound back in early December, Brandon found out the baby's gender but I did not. He kept it a secret nearly two months and only cracked when I asked him to tell me. I am very impressed with his secret keeping ability. I would have enjoyed the mystery up until birth but we are having a difficult time with names so I thought narrowing the category would help. This weekend, we announced to family and friends that we are having...

ANOTHER BOY!!!

I love August's face here.

We are very pleased about this news as we are both a bit scared of pink. I love the idea of August having a little brother and bestie. My sister-in-law is pregnant with a boy as well so close boy cousins are gonna be so fun to watch grow up together. My niece cried a little (as she is the only girl on this side of the family so far) but recovered and promised to help take care of the babies since she's the oldest.

I used this tutorial to make the blue powder for the reveal. The process was very easy but next time I will pulse the powder longer in the blender and double the recipe (at least).

I'm already envisioning August and Little Loy #2 turning 6 and 8 and having an epic color war with their friends in the woods.

Please send boy names (that go well with August) my way as I'm rather stumped.  Brandon keeps suggesting Ragnar Lodbrok... There has got to be something better!

2015: A Word and A Verse

As I mentioned a few weeks back, I've been mulling over this year's One Little Word and a corresponding verse for a month or so. I've asked the Lord to reveal my heart-need for this year so that I could pray a scripture over the unfolding days. Once again, I find myself surprised (and, honestly, a bit disappointed) in my word. But the truth is that I participate in this yearly exercise to focus my wandering attentions and attitudes on solid ground.

2015's Word: today

I am currently pregnant, tired and overwhelmed with renovations, daunted by taming my almost-2-year-old and in desperate need of patience, peace, rest and quiet. I am excited to hold my baby and no longer be swollen with pregnancy but I long to savor the last days of being a family of 3. Rather than wishing away the days of late pregnancy, the endless nights of the newborn haze, the long afternoons of "terrible twos," I am going to praise the Lord for today. I will be grateful for each and every day of 2015 (all 365!).

2015's Verse: This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118: 24

This is simple and needs little narration. The Lord has given me these days; He has created them just for me. I will live them in honor of Him; I will rejoice; I will be glad.

....................................

This year I will be documenting my progress with posts here as well as on Instagram using the hashtag #theLoystoday2015. You can read more about last year's Word and Verse as well as my recap of the 2014.