Category Archives: Holidays

My Thanksgiving is for Jesus … & beer!

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I was just confiding in Granny that it is Jesus and beer (and in that order, of course) that get me through this S-L-O-W-L-Y sanctifying thing called motherhood!

And thank you, Lord, for my sweet, patient, hard-working, beer-drinking, Jesus-loving husband. What a cutie pie!

Christ is not only my eternal Savior, but He truly saves me on a daily basis in the here and now. If it weren’t for God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, and guidance, I’d often be totally lost in a sea of pity-party chaos or self-loathing — neither are an optimal place for anyone to be, especially a mama. 

“Obedience to God leads to blessing. Disobedience leads to burden.” — Max Lucado

Submitting to the Holy Spirit — sometimes kicking and screaming — gives me strength when I’m weak; patience when I’m utterly frustrated; endurance to keep on keeping on; and compassion when I all want to do is squash the little army that (seemingly) wants to take me down on occasion.

“Beer is proof that God loves us & wants us to be happy.” —Benjamin Franklin 

This is me the morning after Poker For Preemies. Wow, I forget how much Houston really does look like me — mouths gaping & snoring in all our glory! So thankful for that boy & his sweet bros!

I was only half joking about the latter tool in my parental survival bag. But in all seriousness, beer fits the bill when I want to toast a job well done, as well as decompress and take a break from the all-to-frequent madness.

God made yeast, as well as dough, & loves fermentation just as dearly as he loves vegetation.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sure, beer is temporary, and God is enduring. But in His infinite wisdom, He gave us many earthly gifts to utilize for our pleasure, relaxation, and appreciation of His wonder, as long as they don’t become idols and replace Him.

 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” — 1 Timothy 6:17

Houston plans to eat the brains of all those who don’t treat with quality candy, while I proudly wear my obligatory Halloween t-shirt … cheers & thanks, Grumps!

So, thank you, Lord, for showing me a path to better living, offering me relationship with you through your Son, and giving your children so many blessings in which to delight. Happy Thanksgiving!

“Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.” — Dave Berry

On another joyful note, Zeke has decided that he wants to get baptized! As we disciple to our kids, we always want their beliefs to be a personal thing: we teach, yes, but ultimately, each one of them will choose. And Zeke seems to really love Jesus, grasp the Gospel, and understand the significance of proclaiming his faith publicly.

Zombie Houston, Ninja Matthew, Grim Reaper Jack, Creeper Zeke, Bio-Hazard Gavin, & Creeper Gabriel get ready for a gleeful night of trick-or-treating!

The folks in our church kids’ ministry agree, so Zeke’s baptism will probably take place some time in early 2016. Thanks again, Lord, for laying upon Zeke’s heart a desire to follow Jesus however and wherever and forever. Yay!

Other noteworthy, but not-so-heavy happenings:

Halloween was a blast. Cousin Rick came to town the night before, which was a nice way to kick of our ghoulish and fun-filled weekend.

Hickory memories: a beautiful day & w/ beautiful people!

Gabriel and Zeke morphed easily into Minecraft dudes, thanks to Bret, who gave them Creeper jackets for birthday. Houston’s zombie costume, on the other hand, was a bit more in-depth, especially since it took three days worth of showers to remove all the liquid latex from his face post-holiday.

We started off trick-or-treating with Matthew and Stacey, but Zeke pooped out after just going around the block. So, after getting him home, Gabe, Houston, and I drove back out to hit up a few more houses, most notably the ultra-spooky decorated casa at the front of the neighborhood.

I was totally willing to go farther and stay up later, since we had the van. However, the remaining dudes’ buckets were already overflowing by that point, so they both opted to stay home and watch scary movies with Rick and Daddy. I guess chocolate and chilling was just what the doctor ordered. Thanks for visiting, Cuz!

Dudes on a mission, gun in hand, crossing a bridge in the woods. Life is good. So thankful for my all-boy boys!

On 11/6, Grammy and Papa came to town to stay with the 3 Amigos, so Stephen and I could attend Poker For Preemies. Thanks for kid-sitting, y’all. The fundraiser, which Greg helps organize, is such a cool event: gamble a little, drink some free alcohol, smoke a complimentary cigar, eat yummy food, and hang with friends all for a good cause!

I took total advantage of our kid-lessness and Uber plans for getting home. Needless to say, I had one heckuva grand time! Cheers to Stephen, Greg, Meredith, Alan, and Beth … and thanks for dancing with me like nobody was watching!

On 11/11, the whole family went to see The Peanuts Movie at one of those places where you order and eat a meal while you watch the movie. That was a tad awkward and messy with kids and VERY expensive to boot, but still, it was a nice and deserved outing for our whole clan. Gracias, Padre!

A polar bear actually shows himself during our outing to the zoo!

From 11/14-15, we went to visit our old-time pals, Steven, Paige, and Owen, in Hickory. What kind, generous, and hospitable folks they are!

Owen is just a neat little dude. The boys love hanging out with this not-even two year old, which speaks volumes of his coolness. And I think he feels the same about the Amigos.

Thanks a million for hosting us for good eats, delicious craft brews, and stimulating adult conversation in your beautiful home. Can’t wait to see y’all again soon!

The 3 Amigos & Tyrnan rest in front of a pretty bamboo backdrop.

On 11/19, Houston spent the night with his CC pal, Isaiah. The twins were quite jealous, since they, too, really like Isaiah. In their defense, they don’t get invited to near as many sleepovers as does Houston. Thus, I’m trying to get things rolling for them.

I’ve been asking some parents if we can have their kids over for the night, so they’ll (hopefully) eventually reciprocate. I’m also urging the twins to say to their friends (whom we’ve already had for sleepovers), something along these lines:

“Hey, you had fun spending the night at our house, right? Wouldn’t it be a hoot if we could sleepover at your house some time?! Awesome. Let’s go ask your mom.” Yeah, subtlety in not my forte.

I guess this is how worn-out, sassy boys strike a pose by day’s end at the zoo. Hey, at least the elephant is cooperating.

On 11/21, the family went to the zoo with CC pal, Tyrnan, and his dad, Jim, who’s a super-nice guy who also happens to lean libertarian. The mom, Penny, is an interesting Aussie with whom I’m scoping out for a new BFF, but she was sick for the outing.

Still, we had a wonderful time at the nearly desolate zoo on a particularly beautiful, crisp fall day. Thanks for the memories, dudes!

Last but not least, we wrapped our CC fall semester yesterday. Can you believe 12 weeks down, only 12 to go?! And despite my intermittent grumblings of inefficiency or lack of self-control during lessons, I really am quite proud of the 3 Amigos. Thanks for loving to learn new things, boys, and for teaching and growing me along the way!

Dashing through December

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So, it’s only early 2015, and December is already a blur. We had a nice Christmas, trying our best to keep things as non-complicated and stress-free as possible, as well as very focused on Jesus.

But man, even with mucho intentionality and diligence, simplifying anything — much less the holiday mania that takes over for the last quarter of the calendar year — is still just incredibly challenging in our culture. Fighting social conformity can be downright exhausting.

Zeke, Houston & Gabriel in one of a slew of incredible pics of the kids taken by the super-talented Miss Christie during a fall photo shoot at Old Mill of Guilford.

That’s not to say we didn’t some holly-jolly fun, though. The boys and I trekked up to Richmond to see family early in the month. Gramsey and Papa even watched the dudes one evening so that I could spend some quality time with my oldest pal in the world, Ingrid.

We did Thai with Lisa, Dina, and Meredith and then hit a brew pub. Angela and Shelley met up with us there, and then the four of us headed down to my old stomping ground of the Fan for more drinks and shenanigans. Good times, great oldies!

The 3 Amigos got to play laser tag twice last month. Their first time was on a boys-only outing (that also included bowling) with Daddy, and Mr. Jeremy and Bret — some cools pals we met through the J-Crew.

Wow, “double trouble” have never looked cuter!

Granny took the boys to laser tag the next time, but we insisted they pay for it themselves, since it adds up to be quite the pricey outing. Plus, those kids’ piggy banks never seem to be lacking in cold, hard cash. Just a little economics 101.

As mentioned previously, Houston is finally questioning the existence of the man in the red suit. I think the little kid in him is still clinging a tiny bit to the festive fable. But the logical big boy in him is simply questioning the irrationality of it all.

“I think Santa is Mommy,” Houston announced to his bros. “Uh, but Mommy doesn’t even have a beard,” retorted Zeke with matter-of-fact confidence and a bit of disdain for the premise itself. Yep, he and Gabe remain steadfast Santa believers for sure!

Oh my, what a handsome young man!

The dudes received many wonderful Christmas gifts, some for fun (Monopoly, Battleship, a BB gun, the Star Wars DVD box set); some educational (Story of the World audio book, art supplies, a veritable library of great books); and others more utilitarian (luggage, water bottles, ear protection for target practice).

They also gave, including a $5-each donation toward the “Make Cornbread, Not War” baseball cap I bought Daddy (with his own money, of course) per his request. Gabriel and Zeke are extremely generous kids, always willing to donate a decent amount of money to whatever the good cause.

Houston, on the other hand, is pretty stingy, and usually has to be gently coaxed into being more charitable. Maybe that’s because he has a better understanding of money and math. But still, sharing one’s blessings with a grateful heart is an important lesson.

The 3 Amigos doing what they do best: loving & laughing. This one is my favorite Old Mill photo.

We watched Phish’s live webcast from Miami for New Year’s Eve, and the boys actually stayed up till midnight, thanks to mucho Dr. Pepper early in the evening and coffee cocktails (comprised of mostly creamer with a dash of joe) for the last stretch of the night.

Here are some highlights:

  • “My favorite band is Phish,” Gabriel proclaimed only a couple songs into the show.
  • “I just can’t help myself,” Zeke admitted about his need to boogie down.
  • “When the music’s louder, I dance better,” Gabe explained.
  • “I’m doing some mighty mad mojo,” Zeke added.
  • “I need some caffeine to stay awake! Anybody got any caffeine?” a tired Houston pleaded as we neared midnight.

Just like the old days: Shelley, Ingrid, Angela & I drinking too much beer & having fun. Good times, bad hangover.

Gabriel recently said, “I like girls better than boys,” adding that he has three girlfriends: the preacher’s daughter, a crush from the CC practicum last summer, and an older neighbor (she’s 9). Our ladies’ man has since modified that number down to a modest two.

Although definitely a lover, Gabriel is also quite the fighter. In fact, Sunday marked the first time he truly retaliated against big brother’s “man-handling.” It was such a fierce display of self-defense that Houston even shed a few tears. The ever-changing dynamic of three brothers so close in age sure is an incredible thing to behold.

Sweet things

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“The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life’s plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

Clan Dillingham kicks back during the annual hay ride up the mountain to get our Christmas tree. (This year, we named our Fraser fir Navi.)

Our lives have been filled with many sweet things recently. First, we successfully wrapped our fall semesters of CC community and Spanish lessons just before Thanksgiving.

School still marches on around here during the holiday, though, since I’m the queen of playing catch-up. But it’s so nice to have a much less hurried schedule.

The extra time has allowed the twins to do speech therapy twice a week just for December. Their therapists say they’ve both made tremendous progress and are so close to nailing all the sounds with which they formerly struggled, so this is simply to give them an extra boost.

The obligatory dudes-with-Santa Claus photo taken during our annual holiday outing to Sugar Plum Farm.

Doing extra appointments was my idea, since we have decided not to do speech therapy in the new year. It’s insanely expensive, and we have no plans to meet our insurance deductible in 2015. (Of course, we say that every year, and somehow, we always do.)

But more importantly, the therapists and I agree that it’s really not necessary, since Gabe and Zeke are on the right path to better articulation, improved mouth and tongue control, breaking old habits of improper speech, and self-correcting when they say something incorrectly. Way to go, boys!

Sure Gabriel and Zeke face challenges in some areas (as we all do!), but they also excel in other areas, like their natural musical ability. In fact, they’ve really shown an impassioned interest in piano as of late, so much so that Houston has been giving them “lessons.”

A napping Granny makes a comfy pillow on which Houston relaxes during our time in the mountains for Thanksgiving.

Therefore, we thought it was high time they has their “official assessment” with Miss Julie, Houston’s beloved piano teacher. Turns out that Gabe and Zeke passed their tests of fine motor skills, basic knowledge (like knowing right from left), musical understanding (such as repeating rhythms), and overall maturity with flying colors. Yee haw!

So, once we find an open and easy spot on our calendar, and tweak our budget to be able to afford triple the lessons, they’ll be tickling the ivories just like big bro. This will probably happen in late spring-early summer, once CC and Spanish wrap. Until then, they’ll keep on happily improvising with Houston and jamming out their own original ditties.

Much like the twins speech therapy, I won’t be going to physical therapy in 2015, since I’ve also improved dramatically. Thank the Lord … and thanks for paying for all my PT and chiropractor visits, Stephen! I’ve gotten way stronger and more flexible, and am in far less pain than I had been.

The 3 Amigos enjoy our educational jaunt to Linville Caverns, located within Humpback Mountain, just outside of Marion, NC.

Do I still have occasional issues? Sure, but at least now I feel like I now have the body of 43 year old, and not the body of a decrepit, debilitated geezer of 83.

Plus, I know how to manage and diminish my aches and pains now: daily stretching and strength training, frequent low-impact exercise, using a heating pad nightly, and glopping on the icy hot when need be. It’s all finally under control.

We went to Granny’s for Thanksgiving, and got to see a ton of family. From the Norwoods of Michigan, to the Biddix crew, who are spread far and wide across Carolina, it was a holly-jolly good time!

Houston & Zeke play around in Sugar Plum’s toy train — always a favorite during our time @ the choose-and-cut tree farm.

In addition to making our annual trek to Sugar Plum Farms, we also ventured to Linville Caverns. This was the boys’ first taste of learning about stalactites and stalagmites, and they seemed to appreciate exploring this cool geological wonder. (Getting them some fool’s gold from the gift shop didn’t hurt either.)

Another night, we adventured to an overlook near Marion to see if we could catch a glimpse of the Brown Mountain Lights. No such luck witnessing the fabled “ghost lights,” but it sure was fun trying.

What’s interesting is that their most talked-about memory of Thanksgiving was a commercial they saw of young girl twerking in her “skivvies” (as the boys, in all their beautiful innocence, describe undies) while watching a Christmas movie on a supposedly family-friendly channel. Uggh! Oh, how I love my Netflix.

Gabriel rides on Clifford the Big Red Dog during our outing to Safari Nation.

It’s happening: Houston is finally starting to have doubts about this whole Santa thing. During our first viewing of “Elf” for the season, he asked, “So, do parents really leave the gifts?!” My response was vague but effective, I think: “Just believe what you want to believe, sweetie.”

More proof of the kids growing up way too fast: “Mommy, I want to be a policeman,” explained Houston the other day. “Why is that?” I inquired.

“Because I like manhandling people,” replied the very-tall-for-his-age child who has been known to rough-house way too often with his little bros. Such a matter-of-fact worldly comment from such a still-so-young dude.

Zeke decided to cheers Navi with his hot cocoa. If that’s not holly-jolly enough for you, you should hear his impromptu Christmas singing … so cute!

Some other “sweet things” we’ve been up to:

  • Going to Asher’s 8th birthday party, held a week before the J-Crew’s big move south;
  • Spending some last memorable minutes with the J-Crew while helping them pack up their moving truck;
  • Attending a Mercy Hill homeschool playdate, where we feasted on potluck goodies and the boys made Jesse Tree ornaments;
  • Meeting out our old pals, Miss Beth, Mr. Alan, Matthew, and Jonathan, for lunch and then lots of shenanigans at a bounce house;
  • and the boys enjoying lots of map drawing and chapter-book reading … Houston even read “Moby Dick.” Yep, sweet for sure!