After being religious with the November blogging challenge, no blogging for a month seems like a big fail, but I did enjoy the month, if that helps - in mostly wonderful ways and in less wonderful, indulgent, I-don't-care-what-the-scale-or-my-body-says kinds of ways, but, alas, here we are in January.
Do I even dare attempt a recap? Sadly for you, yes, yes I do.
In no particular order we have:
1) The Cone of Shame. Yes, dear Enzo, it has come to this. We found out our dog had so many problems going on, mostly stemming from low thyroid (pet expenses kill me!!!!), and needs to wear a cone so he doesn't drive his thick, irritating, balding skin nuts as he gets better. Slowly it is happening, but it is aggravating meanwhile to have to stop him from hurting himself. And I'm sure Enzo doesn't think it is a picnic either.
2) Christmas was AWESOME (well, you know, mostly the buildup to Christmas). The whole season was great. It was in many ways so different from last year, but in the most important ways Christmas is always the same. The Savior was born, indisputable glorious fact, and we celebrated him. The hymns, carols, fun music, simple traditions. Yes, it was wonderful. All the random things mixed together found me contemplating my Savior and his birth extra deeply many times over the season.
Santa brought Ben a plasma car, and everyone wants to ride that thing. It's pretty fun. Lucky that kitty photo bomber is fast and the plasma car is slow...
3) I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Christmas break. Whew boy, I needed it so much. I caught up on sleep and truly relaxed on the days we weren't trying to get some extra cleaning done. It was glorious. Daphne, though she wants to go in the car at every chance possible, liked having the crew home and I think everyone enjoyed a more laid back mom...except for the later meal times some nights. What can I say? When I chill, I CHHHHILLLLLL, and eat a lot of chocolate. Woops.
4: Christmas booty (the pirate treasure kind for goodness sake!). Everyone was happy but appeared to enjoy playing with other's things more than their own. At least that meant something for everyone.
5) Shawn's Thursday preschool program...as opposed to his MTW class. They sang a few songs. He and I then did a quick foam sticker craft and had cookies and tea, and in Shawn's case more cookies and more cookies...and a few more. I gasp (sometimes out loud) to think he can go to kindergarten next year. Hold him back and have a giant kindergarten or let him loose and realize it might take him awhile to emotionally catch up? I don't know yet, but it's my choice, so I will do my best for the little dude.
6) This should be #1...or maybe #2 as the Savior is King. Matthew's birthday happened. He is 10, and I can't believe. He does everything unintentionally sneakily, growing, sneaking food at 11 pm on Fridays, staying up until 2 am reading, and getting older. Here he is making a gingerbread house with Saint Aunt Ja. SHE came for CHRISTMAS. It was awesome and we loved having her, even if she probably has to go home to feel like she actually had a vacation. These kids of mine are intense and love attention. Not a problem but at times one must step back and take a breath (or lock oneself in the bathroom at times).
10 reasons Matthew is an essential part of the Nicholes' experience:
1. Without him, I wouldn't know what the Wall of Flesh is or a corrupt bunny.
2. He continues to be a reading machine which is the essence of all Nicholes.
3. He has taken to not complaining when it's time to help me clean and just says OK. Novel idea but it makes a mom feel loved.
4. He is pleased by simple things, doesn't expect something big and fancy.
5. He values good friends and treats them kindly always.
6. Even if he isn't wild about a dinner, he most always tries it/eats a small serving without complaint (unfortunately last Sunday this led to us learning he has a lentil allergy--which means he wasn't kidding when he said he dislikes peas because they make his lip itch. Seriously, worse "allergy mom" ever. Peanuts = legume, peas = legume, lentil = legume. Your kid is ALLERGIC to legumes, lady! We will laugh about all this some day, maybe. No anaphylaxis was caused for you worriers, just a weird feeling in his mouth as he forged on until we thought it through a bit and took that bowl away. No more lentils. Sadly, Ben wishes now he had allergies. Oh to be able to avoid dinner because it literally makes you ill instead of just in your mind.)
7. He is a really good artist but I don't think he realizes it.
8. He thinks about what it will mean to be a good dad some day. I like that this is in the back of his mind because now is when he starts doing the things to help him become the man he wants to be.
9. He sets lofty scripture reading goals. Heart in the right place is always a good thing.
10. He is a good big brother, looks out for the littles and spends a lot of time with them, even when he is desperate for awhile to just be alone...although he is pretty good at pulling that off when he needs to as well.
7) A braid! We made a real French braid, and she is still 1. How cute and fun but a challenge with toddler hair.
So in summation, we got our Christmas tree up nice and early, had some jolly good times celebrating our Savior and spending time together. Taught 3 kids Nerts and Rummy which led to many, many card games. I could not have asked for a better year.
Lucas working super hard led to a raise that will bless us in Operation I Hate You, Student Loans, and there is definitely some new excitement and momentum happening in that department. Thank you, Lucas, even if I did miss you terribly while you worked so much harder to develop new mad skills.
In reflection on this past year, which is really more than a year to me as I think from the time I found I was pregnant with DG until a few months ago is like a whole epoch in and of itself, I have learned so, so much, mostly the hard way, by stumbling around complaining instead of turning and turning and turning to the Lord. But in my stumbling, I learned that the extra hard way really stinks. I will always have trials in my life. My loved ones will always have hard times, too. There is no perfect life. There is no Easy Street, not for many people in this life and definitely not for anyone I know and/or love. But who I look to every day, good ones and bad ones, the little things I do every day to call upon the Lord and reach out in love and understanding to those around me, the things I actually DO to show the Lord I love him rather than just feeling or know in my heart that I love him, those are the things that are helping me climbing out of my stumbling pit and see a whole new view. And I smile because as much as you hear that there are certain things that are the right things to do, if you are stubborn you just don't get it. But right now I do get it, and I feel like I have grown a lot as a daughter of God who is imperfect but full of wanting to do good things and trying to do them, as a wife who appreciates the amazing man her husband is (but has miles to go before she fully appreciates him), as a mom (though it is intense so I will forever be a work in progress there). I don't have to ever be perfect here. I don't have to try to be like anyone else. I just have to love who I am and find the beauty in whatever circumstances I am in. And be patient as all those in my sphere of influence do the same or don't - it's up to them.
So to start off 2016, I am so thankful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I am thankful for a Father in Heaven that I can pray to every day. I am especially good at pleading and asking why, but I want to get better at listening to Him and being guided my Him. I do believe his plan for me is way better than what I keep planning for myself. I just need to stop fighting for what I think my life should look like and build the life I am actually factually supposed to have. He has never let me down, so I am going to keep trying to get a little better at all the little things this year, and we will see where that takes me.
Happy 2016!!!
