Babies

Originally from December 2011

Merry Christmas everyone! I can’t believe how fast this year has flown by. Like many of you, 2011 was filled to the brim with mountain top highs but also heartbreaking lows.

As for the highs, boy were they high! We welcomed the fifth member of our family this summer. Lauren Anna Elise was born in the early morning hours of July 13. Daddy and Auntie Julea almost missed her appearance because she came faster than anticipated. You would think I would know what labor feels like by now…

Lauren is our little love. Her personality has emerged as sweet and very social, much like Grandpa Steve. Out of all of our children, she is the one who reminds me of him the most. Our time with Lauren is a treasure, a rare glimpse into heaven. In honor of my dad, we chose the name Lauren which literally means “crowned with laurel.” His meant “crowned.” A few months back I came across a verse in Isaiah that reminds me of their names. “Those who have been ransomed by the LORD will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness” (Isaiah 35:10). Talk about hope! How my heart leaps inside me each time I ponder those precious words. We are blessed to have Lauren. We pray that she will have the love of the Lord in her heart at a young age and that her gentleness and sweet disposition will be a light in this very dark world.

As for Uno and Dos, as we refer to Emily and Steven when we don’t want them to know we’re talking about them, Emily is on the brink of turning 5, while Steven is quickly approaching 3. Emily is in her second year of preschool at Westgate and Teacher Pasi is her beloved teacher. Greg and I met back in the day when I taught with Pasi. I’m sure most of you know the story of how I met and married my student Bradley’s uncle through a certain “matchmaker” named Julea. Anyway, having Emily in my dear friend’s class is a blessing and brings back many fond memories. Although my little go-getter is as fiery as ever, there is a growing tenderness about Emily, especially when it comes to her baby sister. According to my sweet big girl, “Lauren is a present from God.” Yes she is, Emily, and so are you.

Steven’s great milestone of 2011 is that he no longer thinks he’s a dog. That’s right, he has stopped growling at most people. It occurred to me around Thanksgiving that maybe Steven was growling because he desperately wanted to interact with others but didn’t know how. We’ve had ourselves a little talk about manners and proper salutations and now Steven mostly says “hi” to people and is quick to give out hugs and kisses. Hopefully this means we will no longer have to leave restaurants due to all of the growling coming from our table. We’re still working on not growling at babies, especially baby boys. But Steven is starting to warm up to Lauren, especially now that she rolls over. Perhaps he thinks she’s a dog.

Steven’s eyes are constantly changing. The right eye, the one touched by Morning Glory Syndrome, is getting better and better with each visit. And the left is starting to catch up. There’s been only the slightest change in that eye, but it’s been enough improvement to need a new lens. All praise and glory to Steven’s Healer! We’re thankful for all of Dr. P.’s help, too. We press on, not knowing what’s ahead, but claiming victory and hope for the day when Steven’s eyes are perfect in structure, strength and vision.

As for Greg and me, honestly we are so exhausted most of the time. A scene from the movie Marley And Me comes to mind when I think of this season in life. Remember the scene where Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson’s characters are lamenting on how HARD parenting is? Everyone tried to warn them about the challenges of parenting, but they just didn’t listen. Kinda how we’re feeling these days. But the scene ends in affirmation. Aniston and Wilson’s characters wouldn’t do anything different. They love their children, they love each other, they love their life. They even love their unruly canine Marley (and we love Steven). I must be wired for struggle because even though my sanity is in question most days, this has been my very favorite season, challenges and all. Our three children are a constant reminder of all that is tender in life.

I almost didn’t write a Christmas letter this year. As I’ve said, this year’s been filled with extreme highs but also devastating lows. I need to be real about that. Yet I am compelled to write. With a joyful heart I want you to know that we are hanging in there, not just surviving, but thriving because Hope has come! Hallelujah, Hope has come! He came as a tiny, helpless baby, much like baby Lauren. And because He came and dwells with us, our hope cannot be shaken. Merry Christmas.

Love,

Greg, Nicole, Emily, Steven & Lauren

Originally from December, 2012

Dear Family and Friends,

The English major in me savors the task of writing our family Christmas letter. If it were a word, I would say my “dorkiness” shines bright, brighter even than the white twinkle lights strung upon our tree, when I admit to you that I think of this very letter for a good part of the year. I ponder what is truly newsworthy, what is humorous or sacred, or at least good enough to write about. Then I spend endless hours plotting and crafting it all together. But “quiet, Mommy’s writing!” isn’t flying well around here these days with an almost 6-year-old, an almost 4-year-old and a 17-month-old in the house. So I’m giving myself permission this year to skip out on one of my favorite of favorite Christmas traditions. Please know that wonderful things have happened to us this year. Everyone is healthy and well. It’s just that we are busy living life and enjoying this special season and each other. We are truly blessed by the Lord and His faithfulness.

Who am I kidding? I left the above paragraph alone for all of 2 days. But really, since I took time to explain why I didn’t write, I might as well add a few details and turn this little note into the real deal. Lauren is napping and Steven is “resting” so now is as good as any.

After 8 years in our neighborhood, Greg and I finished our backyard and set up a play area for the kids. Truthfully, I didn’t do a thing. GREG and a small work crew finished the yard and GREG and Grandpa Dave put together the awesome play structure. I kept Emily, Steven and Lauren out of the yard and kept the dirt out of the house.

Besides working on the yard, Greg went paint-balling for the very first time resulting in a new hobby. For some reason darting through the woods, while being shot at by fast and furious balls of paint, is fun for my husband. I really don’t get paint-balling, especially the camouflage part. Or the pain factor. But my husband loves it and I love him and his hobby provides an opportunity to bond with his brother, Jeff, and our nephew, Brad, as they shoot each other in the great outdoors. Guys are so different from girls!

Speaking of girls, just after last Christmas our eldest, Emily, turned five. My parents have a tradition in our family: When you turn five you get to go to Disneyland. We like this tradition. Mostly because Greg and I, along with Steven and Lauren, were able to tag along when it was Emily’s turn to go to The Happiest Place On Earth in May. We take back everything we ever said about “Disney Freaks,” you know, those families who return to Disneyland time and time again and buy things like lanyards and pins and Disney apparel. We freely admit that Disneyland really is the happiest place, and we may or may not have returned with lanyards, pins, t-shirts, stuffed animals and even a Disney family decal for the back of the van. Emily prefers the hotel swimming pool to Disneyland any day. The little fish taught herself to swim underwater and surprised us by sliding down the big kid water slide her first day out.

This has nothing to do with our trip but our resident kindergartner no longer cares for the nickname Mimi. She also wants you to know that physical education is her favorite school subject. This morning on the way to Mrs. Lee’s AM kindergarten, Emily pointed out her handsome PE teacher. Let’s just say I can see why PE is a favorite.

We have another little one in school this year. We were blessed to find a preschool for Steven that is literally 5 minutes from our home. We are so thankful to God…and Tonya, the mom-friend from ballet who told me about the new preschool. I love how God puts people in our life at just the right moment. I also love that our son’s teacher totally gets him. After all, she is the mother of 8-year-old twin boys. The bad news is Steven still “turns into a dog.” Now he even has names for his alter egos: Buster, Chocolate Chip Mint and Woof Woof. “Where’s Woof Woof going today?” Steven constantly asks. “I don’t know about Woof Woof but Steven is going to preschool” is my usual response. Goodness child, this is getting old. However, just last week I was encouraged by some of my girlfriends to embrace Steven’s inner dog and now we are using it to our advantage. Heard around our home: “Be a good little doggy and pick up all of the dog bones (toys) in your dog house (room).” Never in a million years did we think we’d parent like this. But really, how else do we train a kid who thinks he’s a dog? Obedience school? Clearly we need something. Just yesterday I caught our naughty little puppy dog under his beloved train table, naked, sneaking the last of daddy’s Christmas sugar cookies.

I don’t mean to write more about Steven than the other two. They are loved the same. It’s just that at the present Steven’s antics provide the most writing material.

As for Lauren, our pretty pumpkin is extremely laid back as far as Twedt babies go. She’s a joyful child and we can’t imagine life without her. We wouldn’t want to. Never having a sister, we are both touched by Emily and Lauren’s bond, especially since more than a few years separate them. Some of our littlest girl’s favorite things include carrying random toys around the house in shopping bags and other plastic containers, singing E-I-E-I-O, and studying picture books upside down while sitting in her miniature rocking chair that was mine as a child. Mostly, though, Lauren is fond of her morning and bedtime bottle, which I’m embarrassed to say we are still doing.

As for me, I stepped down from some of my favorite things, such as MOPS and the Thursday Morning Bible Study at church. This has nothing to do with not wanting to be part of them and everything to do with our new school schedules up north and not being able to be in two places at once. But some of my dearest of dear friends are plowing through Beth Moore’s study of Daniel with me and I joined a book club over the summer. Once again my inner nerd shines bright. I’m stinking excited about my book club, something I always wanted to do. For years I’ve been telling myself that I’d join in a heartbeat if I ever had to drop something from my busy schedule. Another new thing is that after nearly 6 years away from the classroom I’m back! Well, sort of…once a week I get to help in Emily’s kindergarten. I’ve only volunteered 4 or 5 times, but I’m already hooked. I simply come alive when teaching, or in this case, just helping out at school. I liken myself to Eric Liddell from Chariots of Fire. I feel His pleasure knowing I’m doing what He created me for.

So much for not writing a family Christmas letter this year. I just couldn’t help myself. The melancholy introvert in me just loves to write. I always have. The one thing I struggle with, however, dating back even to WWU, is that I have a tendency to fall short in the end of a paper and forget to leave the reader hanging on my words. My professors searched for the punch but it was never there. After spending every ounce of all that was in me on the body of an essay, short story or research paper I was DONE. Things are different now. I’m ending abruptly this time around because Lauren’s cries have announced the end of her nap, Steven is standing in his doorway asking “How many more minutes?” and Emily wants her computer time. So Merry Christmas to all! May God bless you and keep you. May His face shine radiant upon you and may you know how very much He loves you this Christmas season and always.

Love,

Greg, Nicole, Emily, Steven and Lauren Twedt

Christmas 2011

Christmas 2012