'Tis the Season...

... for decorating, shopping, baking and making merry! I'm so excited that Christmas is only a week and a half away. All the gifts have been bought AND wrapped, stashed in our bedroom closet until the 25th. Shopping has been a lot easier (and more fun) since I have my own vehicle- we bought a used minivan on Craiglist about four weeks ago. Gregg hates to shop, especially at the mall, so I volunteered to do most of it. He really didn't have to twist my arm for that one. :) The tree has been up since the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We finally got a fake one this year that came pre-lit, and Colton is mesmerized by all of the lights whenever we plug them in.

This time of year always brings me back to that magical place I found all too easily as a kid. Seeing the lights on the tree, listening to Christmas music almost 24-7, and thinking about the birth of our Savior has definitely put me in a state of awe and wonder. I can't remember the last time I felt this content. So many of the lyrics of familiar carols move me to worship God, who unbelievably loves me enough to have sent His son to earth. Lately I've been meditating on one verse from O Holy Night: "Let all within us praise His holy name".

Mixed in with all of the reflections about the true reason for this season, are also thoughts about having another baby. It is such a spiritual and intimate thing, to decide to conceive a child. You are partnering with your husband and God to create a life. This thought has struck me as very profound recently. I've been asking myself, are we ready for a second kid? Am I ready... to most likely go through a repeat c-section, experience the highs and lows of pregnancy, and juggle two children under the age of three? And the answer to that is, unequivocally, YES.

There is no question when I look at the child I already have. A perfect blend of both me and Gregg, whose antics and budding personality fill our lives with such joy. Last night as Colton and I played together in his room before dinner, I just took all of him in. I marveled at how much he resembles me when I was his age and how, at almost 2 1/2, he's already able to do so many things. He was without a doubt wonderfully and fearfully made in the image of our God. Experiencing this awe and wonder for my son only makes me want to multiply it. Now I know there are other, less desirable, things that will be multiplied as well- dirty diapers, tears, messes, frustration and headaches. But I also know it will all be worth it. To give life to and raise babies to mature adults with a purpose and heart for the Lord... this is a very high calling. But I'm feeling up to the challenge. :)