"I'm Too Excited to Sleep!"

Ever seen those commercials for Disney World where the little brother and sister are giggling before bed and the boy tells his parents he's too excited to sleep? Well, that was me this morning at 4:15. I wasn't giggling out loud, but inside I was overjoyed!..we're having Christmas for the Bobby Kasper family at my house today and most of my family will be here. Yes! Anna will be home! I think it was due to this fact that I couldn't sleep in the wee hours of this morning. That and it was almost 80 stinking degrees in our house. We now cater to the sleeping preferences of someone who's just almost one year old. What da heck.
It was sort of fun to be the only one stirring, though, because I got to spend some time really reflecting on Christmas..something I haven't been able to do yet this year it seems. I've been thinking a lot about Mary and what she went through..first of all being told BY AN ANGEL!! that she would be the mother of the Messiah, then traveling when she was about ready to burst (I was about ready to scream and burst about this time last year with little Olives squirming inside, so I sort of get that part..I didn't have to ride on a DONKEY amidst my misery, though, so...). To top all of that off, she's starting to feel serious contractions while they're looking for a place to stay. The place they find to stay? A BARN!! To think of going through the intense pain of labor and delivery while smelling animals and probably lying there in their stink makes me want to cry. I had an epidural and a doctor and a bed and a sanitary place for my baby...and I still cried. So, after all Mary and Joseph went through, here was Jesus. The King of the world, just a BABY. God knew that His Son would be born in the lowliest of places, it wasn't a mistake. He didn't forget to leave a spot for them in the inn..He chose to introduce Jesus in the most humble setting, so that we wouldn't feel dirty or unworthy coming to Him. Does that blow you away?
We're pretty excited here at the Toftness home..about everything about Christmas..family, friends, snow, cookies, cocoa, lights, sweaters, sledding, trees.....but most of all Jesus, who came to save His people from their sin. That's exciting stuff.

Merry Christmas from our family!

I was just looking back at all the photos I've posted, noticing that Oliver is never smiling.. and although he is quite stoic-faced a lot of the time, it's not all the time. To prove this, I'm adding a snap of him thinking he's funny..or someone's funny, anyway. (Maybe he knows how dorky I look!)

Here's something funny- Andrew helping decorate Christmas cookies! Yowzer..they look a little like they were attacked by the frosting. It was fun to have help, for sure, but you must know if you're going to ask for help, things aren't going to turn out the way you thought they would or should. I'm learning to give up some of my perfectionism and give in to Andrew coming to my rescue.. as he did when I was folding clothes the other day. What a man. The cookies taste just as delish as ever and the clothes are no longer sitting around in baskets. A very good thing, as Martha would say. Oh Martha. Oh Christmas.

I love snow! I love it. I am so thankful that it's going to be a white Christmas. I'm especially excited to have my sister home from OH and able to celebrate in the chill of wintery whiteness..I know Anna loves snow as much as I do. Due to the fact that Oliver's been sick for most of the winter so far, he hasn't experienced what fun it is to be in snow (it's hard to wipe a nose while wearing mittens). Soon we will have a sled, though, and we'll be tearing around the yard, disrupting the landscape. When I was little it was the greatest thing to be the first of all creatures to run through the yard after a snowfall. Oli gets first chance here..besides the squirrel and rabbit population..never mind, the competition's stiff.

Alas, he's awake. This little boy isn't in the Christmas spirit as far as I can tell- he's very against me getting anything done that has to do with the holiday..wrapping, baking.. He does enjoy looking at the tree with me, though, so that's something...

Our tree is finally tucked in with ornaments and presents and lights. It's looking awfully cozy under it all. The new challenge is keeping Olives out of the gifts..for some reason he's even more fascinated with the boxes than he was with the branches.

Besides that, lots of baking, wrapping and decorating is what we're up to. I guess I'm never done decorating for Christmas until the grand day is actually here..I keep seeing new ideas or arranging things to better accommodate my modest collection of Christmas cheer. What fun!!

Good night and merry Christmas!!

Here we are getting our Christmas tree. I was so excited for Oliver to experience hunting and chopping the tree. What do you know, he slept through that whole process! He woke up to Daddy and Hector wanting to play when we got home.

I'll have to get a picture at night with it all decorated. Oliver is bedazzled by the glow of the lights on the tree and the cheerful, somewhat askew decorations loading it down.

All for now.

Merry Christmas!

So, here are the Toftness and Kasper families at Thanksgiving time. We're at a record pace of adding 1.5 people to the families on average each year. That's exciting stuff!



This next topic has nothing to do with these pictures, but it has been a very dominating factor in my life lately: waking up in the night with Oliver. He's been sick, so I understand that he's having a rough time sleeping, but I find myself going back to bed -after calming him- and lying there in such abstract positions, waiting, hoping that Oliver won't hear me pull the covers up. It's a very delicate process..one that Andrew doesn't seem to understand. He doesn't usually wake up when Oli does (though lately,a couple times, he miraculously has), instead, what he does on a normal occasion is rustle around and make as much noise as is humanly possible while still snoozing. So here I am, all distorted and disturbed thinking I could possibly wake my baby up by the slightest bump or fumble, and there's Andrew, completely oblivious to life in the middle of the night. I envy him. Though, I must say, those times with my baby in the wee hours are very precious to me, as I rock him back to sleep singing "Jesus Loves Wuv." He's actually turning into quite the little cuddler . What a joy.

So aside from a daddy and boy having head colds, all is well in our home. I pray the same for all.

Merry Christmas!!

Cameras, Boys, and Dogs

Here is a picture my aunt Sylvia took of our family on Thanksgiving. Thanks Sylvie! We also had some Toftness and Kasper family pictures taken that I will post. Pictures are amazing. I'm discovering how much I took my camera for granted now that I can't use it anymore. I guess I didn't know to list it along with my other blessings. Oliver's doing all kinds of crazy things lately that I can't capture.

Yesterday Oli decided to make a complete conversion to real crawling all the time. He's faster than a speeding bullet. Roy Rogers would have dispatched Trigger had he known it was humanly possible to crawl so fast on his own. Olives is very sick right now, too, so I can't imagine the speed at which he'll crawl when he's back running on all four cylinders.

Speaking of which, Hector (the dog) was hit by a car the day after Thanksgiving, and it seems is now on the mend. He may or may not have broken a front leg, we still aren't certain. Since he's been injured we've had him in the house more (I think we feel sorry for him..although I do hope he learned a lesson from this fateful incident as well), he and Oliver are getting to know each other better. This is one of the greatest exchanges to watch..Olives crawling up real slowly, Hector, curious, pokes a quick lick right in Oliver's face, Oliver momentarily retreats, then goes in for more. I think they love each other. They'll be best buds one day.

Well, that's all for now. The boss just woke up so I better not be dallying..there's work to be done! When do I get a nap?

So the camera's on the fritz. Totally stinks because Olives has been doing some pretty A-1 things lately. I'll post some older photos so there's at least something fun on our blog, not my ramblings alone.

I had Bible Study Fellowship this morning, and of course it was amazing. I feel like God is teaching me so many things..hopefully I'll learn how and where to apply everything in my life instead of just leaving it in my head. Things get lost pretty easily up there, trust me.

Our BSF teaching leader read Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation of Thanksgiving, given October 3, 1863. Here is just a piece of that gracious speech:

"The year that is drawing toward its close, has been filled with blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God."

Isn't that amazing? In the midst of a civil war, Abraham Lincoln was able to call to mind the many blessings and provisions of God in His faithfulness. And yet, here I am, no country to run during a civil war, but forgetting to acknowledge the hand of God and what trials He has brought me through and is bringing me through even now. Humbling to think about, isn't it?

On a much lighter note, here is a picture of our most insane blessing this year- Oliver Isaac. I can't even believe I get to be a mom, much less a mom to this little pumpkin. We (Andrew and I) often marvel at how much fun and laughter a baby brings. I've said this before, but I used to be the person feeling sorry for parents of young kids because it looked like so much work. Whoa honey, I didn't know the half of it. But God puts so much love in your heart for that little person, it doesn't matter how much work it is, you do it and love it because of Him. I guess that wasn't really a light note, but the photo makes up for it..He's kind of a dweeb. Also, Anna and I in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

Plus I'm blessed with an amazing husband. Andrew is a very patient person..I know because I test him on this often. -I realize that I mentioned my blessings the other day, but I'm just so overwhelmed I can't stop talking about it.. The Lord has been good to me. My life is definitely not perfect, nor will it ever be, but to think of where I would be without Christ and His care and provision, makes me want to shout about His faithfulness.

Wow, I apologize for the small sermon..I don't even know what it's about for sure..

Anyway, I pray that everyone has a Thanksgiving overflowing with evidence of the Lord's unfailing love and faithfulness. Happy Thanksgiving!

I am very happy to report that Oliver no longer eats socks...that I'm aware of. He must have forgotten how great they taste! Now that he eats Cheerios, though, if you asked him he would probably say he'd never go back. His latest most funnest thing is looking at books. Mr. Big Boy studied a book quite extensively today. Despite what the charts say, this wuv is above average. ..in the crazy department, as well as academic. I needed to post a picture of Olives reading so that people would believe me..quickly document it before he eats the book. These photos are actually from a couple weeks ago, when the love affair with books started.

Today I have been reminded of how blessed I am, with family and friends and God's grace. I pray that everyone can experience the power of His love as we approach the Thanksgiving/Christmas season (I didn't want to write "holiday season" for fear that I would come across as being politically correct, which is the very last thing I would ever want to be ever). So with that, God bless us all, everyone.

So I guess I should start recording the happenings of our little family. It's just so crazy around here it's a little difficult.

Oliver's basically in charge, which I don't think is a good thing..although it makes for some pretty hilarious/pull-your-hair-out-intense times! He's just learning how to baby crawl instead of army crawl, so that's exciting. Although, I was just noticing how nothing is safe anymore..he reached up on the coffee table (which he had pulled himself up to), and dumped my coffee out on the magazines that had, until then, been untouched and unaffected by chubby little grubby little paws. What da heck.

Andrew is really enjoying his cabinetry business. There are definitely times when we have to remind ourselves that God is faithful and will provide, but I think that's probably the best place we can be..you don't have to try and remember God's faithfulness when you're experiencing it first hand. It's really neat to see Andrew loving what he does and finding satisfaction in using the creative gifts the Lord has blessed him with. His business partner and his wife just had a baby this week, so that's exciting and awesome to have them in the same stage of life as us.

I'm just chillin with Oliver, thinking about picking up some painting jobs if they come my way. I may have a sickness..I enjoy painting rooms..I think it's the great feeling of completely transforming a space with just a coat of color. It's so refreshing and rewarding.

That's all for today, the boss says it's time to get out of the exersaucer and see something new. I never thought I would become the mom who plays by the kid's rules, and here I am, just such a person.