Thoughts on a Chilly Christmas Eve & Hoping for a White Christmas!

Merry Christmas from MG!

I do not like shopping but this is by far my favorite shopping day of the year. I'm not good at making final decisions because I'm always afraid I will get something that 'isn't good enough' or that a better deal is waiting just around the corner. By waiting until Christmas Eve to shop I know there will be good deals (there always are) and I know I have to get it done today (no messing around). This year we’ve definitely had to make some adjustments. Money has certainly been tight over the last months and I know other families have experienced the same. But that is perfectly fine because the Lord has always provides for us, and always will! Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” I believe that with 100% of my heart! Luckily, money is one thing that Tim and I have never argued about. We decided long before we were even married that too many couples fight over money and it’s really not worth it. So our basic plan when spending is this…if we don’t have the money, we don’t buy it, and we do not borrow money either. We do not have any credit cards; those were all paid off several years ago, cut up, and definitely not missed. If we feel God’s calling to provide for someone else then we do it and know that God will provide….and He always does. So I guess why this is on my mind is because it’s Christmas and Christmas time is celebrated by the loving exchange of presents. Don’t get me wrong I do like getting presents. It feels good to know that someone has thought of me. And I love giving gifts to my loved ones. It is so exciting to watch the excitement of someone opening a gift. I love making other people happy; it makes my day all the more better! And of course nothing beats watching the smile in your child’s eyes when they get that very special gift. I can’t wait to see MG open her presents tomorrow! Last year I think she liked the wrapping paper just as much as her gifts. This year I think she will actually enjoy playing with the toys more (we’ll see).

Unfortunately so many people have made this season about buying the biggest, best, and most expensive gifts. Some people I know were sitting around talking about how much they buy and how they "go all out". Why can't we sit around and talk about the BEST GIFT?! Jesus Christ. Well I don't think I can change anyone elses mind about Christmas but I can make sure that Tim & I raise our kids to know what is really important about this time of year (and all through the year for that matter). We will still exchange gifts, and we will still work our butts off to provide a fun time for our children during the holidays, but presents or 'lack of presents' will never determine our happiness! We are happy because Jesus is Here! How awesome is that! I already have more than I deserve so everything I have feels like a bonus. Anyhow, when I think back over my favorite memories growing up it wasn't about how many presents I got or how much they cost. My best memories are the smells of Mama's yummy treats, coffee, & hot chocolate; sitting by the fireplace, playing with my dog, singing Christmas songs, going caroling, Dad reading us the Christmas story from the Bible every Christmas Eve, driving around looking at Christmas lights together, going to Christmas Eve church service, putting up the tree and helping Mama put on all the ornaments, making ornaments, and the sounds of laughter that filled the room year after year. Now Tim and I have the pleasure and joy of creating new memories with our family. I pray that the things we remember most are the special times together and the love we have for Jesus and each other. I want to instill those values to Makayla and our son, and I pray that we will seek God for guidance all along the way.

Update: The Christmas Eve service at church tonight was fantastic. I didn’t want to leave so soon. It was very peaceful. I really hope we wake up to a white Christmas. 

Merry Christmas Eve!

~Shawna

Three More Weeks

We have only three weeks left before we meet baby boy Finstad! We are so excited! My 36 week appointment went really well and my c-section is scheduled for January 12^th. It seems like this pregnancy has went by pretty quickly. I guess that’s because taking care of a toddler has kept us super busy. Our little boy weighs in at 5 pounds 14 ounces. He is in the 35^th percentile for size right now, and we are happy about that. They told us that babies with a single umbilical artery are typically a little smaller than average. But hey, he still has 3 weeks to go so I’m guessing he will be an average size baby boy. His heart rate at this last visit was 136 and that’s about where it’s been from the start. As for me I’m feeling alright most of the time. I fell on the ice a few weeks ago and ever since my back has been in bad shape and I’ve had trouble sleeping. It makes it very difficult to pick up Makayla (she weighs about 27 pounds!). Actually, Tim has been the one chasing her around and picking her up over the last few weeks. I am moving much slower. The ultrasound tech told me I looked like a cripple…whatever!  I am so glad Tim has picked up the slack…uh my fault of course….but hey I am taking care of our other child too ;-)

Oh and I can’t forget to mention that we went looking at Christmas lights last weekend. It was a lot of fun! Makayla has matured so much over the past year and she really enjoyed looking at the lights this year. She smiles and points at every house that is lit up. Goodness I cannot believe how much she has grown. MG is a very smart girl! She makes the days brighter and the evenings more fun; what a blessing. It’s going to be awesome watching Makayla be a terrific big sister. (Of course I think there will be a transition period J )

 ~ Shawna