Ringing in the New Year

As 2012 came to an end, I had bittersweet feelings about flipping the calendar to a new year.  2012 was one of the best, but also most challenging, years of my life.  We've had such an incredible year of "firsts" with John and Andrew, and it's been so fun to watch them change and grow.  Everyone says this, but I really can't believe how quickly it went.  In many ways, 2012 feels like it belongs to their triplet brother, Nathan, so I was a little sad to see it go.  I know the date on the calendar doesn't really matter - I've always found it funny that we wait for a new year/month/fill-in-the-blank to start something new or to make a change, when really today is just as good as any other day - so I suppose that also applies to me missing Nathan. Just because the year is over, doesn't mean that I have to tuck away my memories of him and put it behind me forever.  He'll always have a part of my heart and I'll continue to think about him every day, no matter what year is on the calendar.  Although 2012 was a very eventful year of craziness, interrupted sleep, laughter and tears, it was also so incredibly full of joy, peace, and love.  We are so grateful for how much the Lord has richly blessed our family, and couldn't have made it through this first year in one piece without Him in our lives.

New Year's Eve was a low-key night for us.  It's hard to do much with an 8:00 bedtime and a double ear-inflection, so we made a short stop at the neighbor's house followed by some quality television time.  The NIU Huskies played in the Orange Bowl on Jan.1st, so the boys were showing their support with their Huskie pajamas in the photos below.  Like "usual", John is screaming and tugging on his ears while Andrew is cool and calm.  By this point, we were sooo ready for John to feel better.  Little did we know, it would take a second round of antibiotics and another two and a half weeks for that to happen.

John & Andrew - NYE 2012

And with that...here's to the close of a great 2012!  We look forward to all the things that 2013 will bring, and we thank you for following along with us on our incredible journey through this crazy, wonderful life!

2012 Review - December - Part 2

Here's the continuation of our Christmas celebrations.  The festivities were spread out among several days, so there are a lot of pictures...

12.22.12

Andrew, John, and cousin Alexandria check out the presents

Everything went into their mouths

Cousin John with little John.  "Big John" is heading to London this semester!

Andrew and Tator are buddies

John was scared of her at Thanksgiving but must have gotten over his fear.

Grandpa, John, and Alex were reading in her fort.

12.23.12: Finally it was time for presents!

12/24/12: A day of rest for the boys, followed by a nice, quiet dinner before heading to church.  Can you tell in which picture John's ears are hurting??

Andrew's helping Dad make sauerkraut

The cooks in their Christmas aprons

Hot dumplings!

 

Eat your heart out, Bohemians! Pork, sauerkraut, & dumplings

John nibbles on some rye bread

Family photo taken before church

Photo taken after church

 

 

12/25/12: Finally it's Christmas day!

Now that's some crazy bed-head!

We didn't have a cake, but we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus anyway.

After breakfast, we headed to Grandma & Grandpa Harris' to spend Christmas day with Ryan's side.  We had great food, fun play time with cousins Kassidy & Kinsey, and of course presents, presents, and more presents!

After a long night's sleep and some rest for the boys, they FINALLY opened a few presents from us on the 26th.  They actually seemed more interested in the tree & tissue paper...
12/26/12

Modeling their new vests!

And for those of you who wondered, Chief had a nice Christmas too.

Snooping for his packages

He liked the reinbeer antlers...

Chief likes tissue paper too 

Whew!  And that finally wraps up Christmas!

Happy 1st Birthday

I've still got some catching-up to do on this blog but didn't want today to pass without sending John & Andrew a birthday shout-out.  So...

Happy First Birthday Andrew & John!

You boys are loved more than you will ever know, and we're so thankful for this past year with you!

XOXO,

Mom & Dad

The First Anniversary

January 16th.  For most people, it's just another date on the calendar.  But it's amazing how much anxiety a date on the calendar can bring if you let it.

Today marks one year since one of our triplets, precious Nathan Anthony Harris, went to Heaven to be with Jesus.  The last few days leading up to today have been some of the hardest days I've had in a long time.  Last week, some old friends of ours lost their baby girl, Natalie, just hours after she was born.  Their news broke my heart and it was if the band-aid on my wounded heart had been ripped off, opening the wound wide open again.  I remembered the things they would have to go through over the next few days that no parent should ever have to do - leave a hospital empty-handed, take apart a crib that will never be slept in, return gifts that will never be used, write an obituary instead of a birth announcement.  I spent most of Monday in tears as I anticipated today and finally allowed myself to fully remember and grieve the loss of our son.  Throughout the day, this song kept popping up, usually making me cry harder, but also reminding me that through God's grace, I would endure and that He was by my side.




I know that friends and family have been praying for us this week, sending words of support & encouragement, and I truly believe that those prayers are the reason why today, I feel a peace.  I had my day of grief and sorrow on Monday, and today I am just thankful.  Thankful that I have two precious sons who challenge me and grow me every single day. Thankful that Nathan is worshiping our Creator and experiencing His glory in ways we cannot even comprehend.  Thankful that I have a loving husband who encourages me and loves me even when I'm a crying mess.  Thankful that family and friends, near & far, are thinking of us and praying for us when we don't even know it.  And mostly thankful that we have an awesome God who has overcome death.  Thankful that because of Jesus Christ, my hope is in Him, not in things of this life.

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." 

Romans 5:1-5

I know that I will always continue to have days of grief, but I also have hope. And comfort.  And love.  So today, I will smile and be truly thankful that God blessed us with Nathan's life, be grateful for the way it has shaped me, and will cherish all the smiles, cries, and giggles that I share with Andrew and John.