2011 to 2012

2011 is over. With a baby, a year sure does go by fast! I already know my memory is failing regarding what last year held for us since I was sleep deprived for a good part of it, so I'd like to write out some of the highlights of last year, for my own sake.

-Traveled to North Carolina for Zac & Cara's wedding - Elliot did great. Having a baby in a hotel room is much easier when you can put them on another bed & know they won't fall off!

-Got food poisoning on my birthday (not a good memory, but memorable nonetheless).

-Visited our friends in Houston a couple of times - the Yaws, the Smiths, the Lamberts, Kristin, Aaron.

-Paige & Jason came to visit.

-Celebrated our anniversary at a yummy French restaurant then went to see a movie.

-Got away for a weekend to Dripping Springs & stayed at a B&B while Elliot stayed with my mom & sister.

-I quit my job, worked for a few more months, then was able to really quit. :)

-Josh started looking for a new job in a different industry in June, got an offer a couple of weeks later, started with a new company & is thriving (won the first MVP award!).

-Found out we were going to become an aunt & uncle in March 2012!

-I went to a girls' weekend in August with my close friends from high school.

-Started leading a Life Group.

-Elliot turned one year old! We had some close friends & family over for a Pooh themed party.

-Went to our second Family Life Weekend to Remember Marriage Conference at the Hyatt Hill Country (love that place!). It was really good for us to get away & be able to talk about our marriage & see how far we have come in the past 4.5 years.

-Went to Disney World. Elliot did great with traveling & having a crazy sleep schedule, though he ended up in our bed instead of the pack n play - he would have none of it! Got food poisoning the last day & missed out on Epcot :(. I don't think I've ever had food poisoning, then twice in one year!

-Had our second Roberts family Christmas at home, & rang in the new year at home by ourselves - I think it's the first year that I've never had any plans. But it was nice!

Now on to 2012! As a friend wrote on her blog, I know two things: 1) I will experience trouble, & 2) Jesus will be with me!

It's Christmastime

I refuse to do anything Christmas-y until the day after Thanksgiving, but once it's Christmastime, I'm all in! I love the trees & the lights on the mantle & the smells & the songs. (Have you ever really listened to the words of Christmas songs? The ones we've always known & have sung since we were little kids? They're about Jesus! [Okay, maybe not Jingle Bells.] Amazing really, that those words are played over secular radio every year. I pray that they bring people to a saving knowledge of Jesus!)

If you know me well, you know my middle name might as well be "tradition." My family jokes that if we do something twice, that means we'll do it forever. I do get stuck in my ways. They are familiar & bring back memories while making new ones all at the same time. But every Christmas, God causes us to think about the ways we celebrate. We want Christmas to be about Jesus. So how do we do that? How do we keep our hearts focused on Him during this time of busyness, traffic, & materialism?

I read this blog yesterday & I love the heart that it comes from. I'm so thankful other families can help lead the way in this desire to do Christmas a little differently. Here is a resource regarding the season of Advent. If you have any great websites, please let me know!

It's all a process, & we just want to make sure our hearts are in the right place. What is eternal & what is pleasing to Jesus? We want to do those things! So every year we consider, & every year something changes. Who knows what Christmas will look like for us in the years to come! But it's a wonderful time of realizing that one night, so many years ago, a baby was born who would become the Savior of the world, & one day that Savior will come back again, riding on a white horse, in victory, to take those of us who love Him to be with Him forever. Amazing!!

Survival Mode

Last week, Elliot got a cold. This really isn't a huge deal, he was just really snotty & kind of grumpy since he didn't feel well. But that meant no Bible study & no gym all week, since that is how long his symptoms persisted. We got out one day & I meandered around Target for as long as I could because we had been stuck at home so long. Elliot also gave his cold to Josh, but I was able to fight it off.

He got better for the weekend, so I was able to go to MOPS & to church on Sunday. Then Monday he got the snots again, so no gym. Then Monday afternoon my throat started hurting. I woke up Tuesday feeling horrible, & went to the doctor to rule out strep since I felt a lot like I did when I had strep a few months ago. Fortunately, it's not strep, but unfortunately it's a viral infection that feels a lot like strep, but since it's viral I can't take any meds to fight it, I just have to let it run its course. Blahh. My throat hurts really bad & I have a lot of fluid on the right side of my face (& ear & throat, etc.) My ears are pressurized. My body hurts. & I have a baby to take care of! Lucky for me, he recently has been much better about playing by himself. So the past couple of days have been me sitting or laying on the floor while he plays. Insert feeding or changing him as needed. & that is the extent of my physical exertion.

I know he won't remember me being a completely lame mom for a few days here & there when I am sick, so I don't have any guilt about it. It is what it is, right? It's not fun, but it'll pass.

So pray for healing for our household! Elliot still has the snots a small bit, but overall seems better. I'm hoping after this week we can get back to normal!

The Early Bird

I have learned, more so now that I am a mom, that if I had to pick one, I'm probably a morning person rather than a night person. I went to bed last night (on a Friday night) at 9:15 because I wanted to. & though I don't necessarily enjoy getting up early, I do enjoy my time in the morning, when it's still dark outside & the world seems quiet... I can make some coffee (pumpkin spice these days, yum) & spend time with Jesus before Elliot wakes up & before I start going on my to-do list for the day. It's quite nice. I woke up at 5:45 this morning (Saturday, you know!) just so I can have that time... me + Jesus + coffee + quiet = a really good combo. :)

Toddlerhood

Something happened when Elliot turned one - it's like his brain switched into toddler-mode. He started the obvious toddler thing to do, which is walk full-time. He decided to get a little louder (which, since he's been a pretty quiet baby so far, still isn't too terribly loud all the time). He decided to exert a little more of his opinion. He lets me know when he wants something, usually by making noise & pointing to it, & also lets me know how upset he is when I don't let him have it. He's letting more of his personality show. Toys are littered across every floor in the house - things that are meant to be toys, as well as empty water jugs, hand towels, & rulers. It just all happened so abruptly! It's all of a sudden a whole new world. Toddlers are very different than babies! But it's been fun. & every time he acts out is just an opportunity for us to show him we don't approve of that kind of behavior, & to show him the right thing to do, which is building the foundation for being a completely obedient child. (Okay, I'm kidding about the "completely" part - but training up a child in the way they should go does start now!)

This past weekend we went to a wedding of a good friend from high school. We got to spend the whole weekend with several of our closest friends, who do not live in San Antonio. Times like those are so sweet & such a blessing. We are totally blessed to have such great friends who have the same values & priorities that we do, & we're so thankful that we are able to maintain those relationships even at a distance. It was a fun & refreshing time. I pray that one day God allows us to live in the same city as some (or all!) of those friends.

Guess I better go clean the bathrooms while Elliot sleeps... sigh. Not my favorite chore... hence the blogging!

So it's been over a month...

I know, it's ridiculous. I mean, I don't work anymore, so shouldn't I have time to blog? The problem is, Elliot doesn't really like for me to do anything on the computer while he's awake. I can get away with cooking or doing laundry (most days), but the computer, not so much. Which leaves only nap time or after bedtime. & I have other things to do, so blogging gets pushed to the back burner.

Elliot is a whole year old!! This year has gone by so fast & at the same time, it feels like it's been forever. It sure causes me to reminisce over what things were like a year ago, & remembering being hugely pregnant & being in the hospital & all of that... crazy. He's definitely a little toddler now. He walks really well, though still enjoys crawling about half the time because he's just faster that way (he tried almost running the other day, which didn't really work out!). He has a sweet little personality, & seems to be a rule follower like his mama - though we also see that human nature rebelling at times! He seems to do new things weekly, many of which crack us up!! The other day he was sticking his tongue out & moving it around for a good five minutes. Good cheap fun! :)

We are entering the busy fall season. First of all, it finally feels like fall outside which is AMAZING. I am enjoying a cup of pumpkin spice coffee as we speak. We went to the pumpkin patch last week & I got my must-have caramel apple. I love this time of year - it is my favorite!

God has been teaching me a lot lately, as well. It has been a good season of growth & really seeing Him move in the people around me. I praise Him for being so intricately involved in our lives - He truly orchestrates even the tiniest details for His glory.

Okay, time to go fold laundry before Elliot wakes up! Thanks for hanging in there during this dry blogging season. :)

The Commitment of Marriage

Sometimes, Christians (whether they actually are Christians or not) say or do really wrong things. It's frustrating & the main reason people don't buy into Christianity - we look like a bunch of hypocrites. I'm the first to say that sometimes I do what I shouldn't, because I am human, but repentance follows (sooner or later!) & I am praying to be more & more like Jesus every day.

Sometimes, I wish I could tell the world - look at JESUS to find out what He is like. He is faithful & true, loving & strong, compassionate & victorious. Read Scripture to know what God says, what His priorities are, what He values & desires.

That being said, I really liked the article I received from Family Life today:

Is It Okay to Divorce a Spouse With Alzheimer's?

by Dave Boehi

I was surprised this week when I read about the comments Pat Robertson made about divorce and Alzheimer’s on The 700 Club. On Tuesday, in a segment where he answers questions from viewers, he was asked the following question:

I have a friend whose wife suffers from Alzheimer’s. She doesn’t even recognize him anymore and, as you can imagine, the marriage has been rough. My friend has gotten bitter at God for allowing his wife to be in that condition, and he’s started seeing another woman. He says that he should be allowed to see other people because his wife as he knows her is gone … I’m not quite sure what to tell him. Please help.

Robertson obviously felt a lot of compassion for the man. “I hate Alzheimer’s,” he said. “It is one of the most awful things, because here’s the loved one, the woman or man that you have loved for 20, 30, 40 years, and suddenly that person is gone, they’re gone. They are gone.”

The next words were disappointing and controversial: “I know it sounds cruel, but if he’s going to do something, he should divorce her and start all over again, but, to make sure she has custodial care and somebody looking after her.”

His co-host broke in and asked, “But isn’t that the vow that we take when we marry someone, that it’s for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer ... ?”

Robertson answered, “Yeah, I know, if you respect that vow, you say ‘til death do us part.’ Well, this is a kind of death. … I can’t fault him for wanting some kind of a companionship, and if he says in a sense she is gone, he is right. It’s like a walking death.”

The importance of your wedding vows

This is an issue I’ve thought about the last few years as I’ve watched different people cope with similar situations. As you grow older, you view your marriage vows through a different lens. Most young married couples, with stars in their eyes, have little idea what they’re saying when they vow to remain together for a lifetime, “for better, for worse … in sickness and in health … ‘til death do us part.”

But after two or three decades of marriage, you begin to understand in a deep way how important those vows are. You realize there will likely come a day when one of you will devote much of your time and energy to taking care of the other.

That’s the normal course of marriage, and of life. Nowhere in Scripture can you find justification for divorce because of old age, illness, or memory loss. And I’ve got to say that it gives you a great sense of comfort and security to know that your spouse is totally committed to you and will never leave, no matter what happens to you.

Caring for a patient with Alzheimer’s may be one of the greatest tests of a marriage. But I think we need to be telling the church today that God will give us the strength to fulfill our vows no matter what situation we find ourselves in. There are ways for a caregiving spouse to meet his needs for companionship without starting a relationship with another woman.

A marriage marked by unshakeable commitment is a beautiful picture of Christ's relationship with the church. Here are some great comments that blogger Russell Moore made yesterday:

Marriage, the Scripture tells us, is an icon of something deeper, more ancient, more mysterious. The marriage union is a sign, the Apostle Paul announces, of the mystery of Christ and his church (Eph. 5). The husband, then, is to love his wife “as Christ loved the church” (Eph. 5:25). This love is defined not as the hormonal surge of romance but as a self-sacrificial crucifixion of self. The husband pictures Christ when he loves his wife by giving himself up for her.

Moore points out that when Christ was arrested, “his Bride, the church, forgot who she was, and denied who he was. He didn’t divorce her. He didn’t leave." Moore goes on to say,

A woman or a man with Alzheimer’s can’t do anything for you. There’s no romance, no sex, no partnership, not even companionship. That’s just the point. Because marriage is a Christ/church icon, a man loves his wife as his own flesh. He cannot sever her off from him simply because she isn’t “useful” anymore.

Someday you or your spouse will likely be faced with this type of test. For your sake and for the sake of your legacy, may I suggest that you choose today how you will respond. Look your spouse in the eye and say:

“No matter what ever happens to you, there are two things you need to know: First, God will never leave you or forsake you. And second, neither will I.”