Less Stressing More Treasuring

If I am completely honest, and I will be, the Christmas season can be STRESSFUL! I'm not a shopper and don't like malls. Decorating is not one of my gifts. I tend to procrastinate. I am a pleaser and being in five places at one time in an effort to make everyone happy is well...impossible. Add in that we are about 4.5 weeks away from baby number two just sixteen shorts months after baby number one and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed this holiday season. Before I get too consumed with my anxiousness and throw myself one big pity party, I think it might be more appropriate to sit down and reflect on how incredibly BLESSED we are! Reflect on how our blessings began with the ingloriously glorious birth of our Savior. Joseph and pregnant Mary traveled about 80 miles on a DONKEY from Nazareth to Bethlehem. With no room available for them, Mary then gives birth to Jesus in a probably very smelly manger. Somehow, Mary still found a way to "treasure up all of these things and ponder them in her heart". Makes me realize that although this season can be stressful I have much to be thankful for and should be stressing less and treasuring more. And with that, here are the things I am treasuring in my heart this Christmas Season:

An incredible marriage to an incredible man who is always finding new and creative ways to love me and serve me. He cooks, he cleans, he rubs my feet. Ben has truly been the calm to my storm this holiday season. Yesterday he was at home with Noah all day and still found time to bake cookies (OVER 300 of them) for everyone on our list and make gifts for Noah's teachers (a craft project that I started--barely--and he finished). Did I mention he's also an incredible father?

Precious moments spent as a family of three. Noah is such a fun and funny little boy and we are treasuring these last few weeks with him as our only child before the chaos of a newborn ensues. Moments like tonight when all three of us were giggling uncontrollably as we watched Noah try to slurp up long strands of spaghetti. Moments like this weekend when we took a family outing to the Varsity and all of our attention was on him as he happily gulped down a Frosted Orange.

Even more stockings are hung by the chimney with care. Our family is growing and we can not wait to meet Isaac. We feel so blessed that we have been entrusted with two little boys.

Noah's sweet face when he saw our Christmas tree light up for the first time and how he has asked/signed for "more" when he walks up to it after we get home in the evenings.

The unexpected and the incredibly generous. We have been surrounded by both this holiday season. Our Church raised more than $2 Million to help communities in need locally and around the world in just a few weeks. Our sweet Small Group knowing that I was feeling anxious and overwhelmed came over and decorated our house for Christmas when we weren't home. Today I was brought to tears when our family received an incredibly generous package in the mail with a note that read, "Because your family is loved. Merry Christmas, Santa".

Time spent with family. Our first official family Christmas gathering was this past weekend. Noah got to spend time with his two cousins Bella and Abi. It was so much fun to watch the three of them play together and act silly. It's not often that they all three are in the same place at the same time. With one gathering down and several more to go, we are grateful to be surrounded by the ones we love.

And last but not least, I'm treasuring these last few weeks of pregnancy. I have felt amazing the entire time. Knowing that this will most likely be the last time I'm pregnant, I am treasuring every little movement and kick (even the ones where it feels like little Isaac is trying to claw his way out of me). I am treasuring all of the Oreos that I have suddenly felt entitled to eating. And I am definitely treasuring the probability that I will not be riding a donkey to a manger but will instead be driven by my husband in a car to a nearby hospital where I will give birth to little Isaac without the sounds or smells of any type of cattle.

Merry Christmas to all. May your holiday season be filled with little treasures!