The 9th day of Christmas

Christmas felt foreign to us this year, celebrating with just the 6 of us.  The house was quiet (strangely quite compared to how loud is typically feels on a day to day basis).  It was the lack of a huge crowd that we noticed.  At dinner Elijah teared up and expressed to us that he felt like it wasn't actually Christmas - that we'd done nothing to really celebrate it.  Our Christmas service at church had been cancelled because of the blizzard, and this is the first year in any of our boys' memories that we haven't had our small group or home group in our home with us. feasting and celebrating.  This season in Minot has been strange that way, for all of us.  We have grown so accustomed to having a community that we do life with.  When everyone is in the same boat, being separated from biological family by oceans, we band together and become a family for each other.  We've been fed deeply by these relationships and are so utterly grateful for them - and here, where the culture and dynamic is different in so many ways, we feel the loss of that.  I understand it as a season of rest from the hosting and the feeding, and I will strive to cherish that rest the Lord is providing for us, but it doesn't mean I don't intensely I miss the weekly community times with our brothers and sisters we grew to love to deeply while overseas.  
The day after Christmas, when the blizzard was raging on we felt like cooped chickens and decided to venture out to our friends' house.  They had expected family in town that Monday, but that obviously wasn't happening and we had mentioned, mostly in jest, that if their family wasn't able to make it one of us should hike our way to the others' house for a day of hot drinks, games and togetherness.  We woke up and realized that it truly would be a hike.  I messaged Amy and expressed my sadness that we had 2 1/2 feet of snow in both our driveways, so indeed, we would not be driving anywhere to hang out with anyone.  She said if we could get there, they would love to have us.  Josh and I looked at each other, laughed, and after a 15 minute period of weighing the pros and cons we started bundling the boys.  Getting out the door took a solid 30 minutes, and we were on our way, wondering only a block away if it would be an enormous mistake and rethinking the fact that then we had to get back home....  We tromped on, despite our hesitation.

I started this post on the 2nd of January and here I am finishing it on the 4th of March.  I might be the worst blogger in history of bloggers.
In short we made it to their house and what a joyous day it was.  Needed for us all, as both family's Christmas days felt a bit blue for various reasons.  And the trek through the snow was intense, but a fun memory (as far as the adults are concerned) to have!

We celebrated our sweet baby's birthday 4 days later at the pizza play ground place here on base.  He requested a horse cake, per his recent obsession with horses.  :)  I indulge that love any chance I get!  What a sweet tot he is!  It's hard to believe he's three!