Fun with the VanVeelens: The Holidays

We are gearing up for Christmas in our house! Leah wants Christmas music all the time and wants to watch Christmas movies and stare lovingly at our tree non-stop. She is too cute! She tells the tree (big and the small one in the kitchen) "hi tree" in the morning and "nite nite tree" at night. She thanks Jesus for our tree in her bedtime prayer. It is so sweet. She has also been thanking Jesus for her long list of friends (Skyler, Lucy, Elliette, Corbin, among others). Then she thanks Him for her other family (Grandmas and Grandpas). I love saying her prayers with her at night. She thanks Jesus for simple things...house/food/friends/family/shoes and whatnot. I am constantly learning from her to appreciate what we have. She doesn't care that we can't afford a nicer tv or bedroom furniture. She is thankful for her chalk and her doll. She hasn't gotten old enough I guess to feel envious of others blessings. Looking around at our place, there are many things I can think of that we "need". Like I need a new Christmas table cloth. Or I need brown shoes. We have so much. We don't really need anything. Sure, I would like a new tv or new dress pants, or nicer stuff for the kids. But I need to really look at all we have been blessed with and sit down and really say a prayer of thanks. We have two of the most beautiful girls in the world. I have a husband that loves me. We have a roof over our heads. We have enough (MORE THAN) to eat. We have a great support system with our church and friends. I have family that loves me. We paid off all our credit card debt in September. We are so blessed. I got an email about things that seem like a negative that you can really make into a positive thought. A few that stuck with me were....I am thankful for the clothes that are a little tight, because that means I have enough to eat....I am thankful for cleaning up after guests, because that means I am surrounded by friends....I am thankful for my children's whining, because that means I have kids! A couple years ago we were looking into adoption. We thought we were never going to get pregnant. I am so thankful for Reproductive Endocrinologists because now I have Leah. I am so thankful for alcohol...because now I have Lauren!!! Just kidding.....she was such a little miracle and such a wonderful surprise. Our fertility doc gave us less than a 5% chance of ever conceiving on our own. He said slim to none. God had other plans! He knew Leah needed a sister to tell secrets with and share life with. He knew we wanted another child. He knew when it was the perfect time. Okay, I was a little freaked out when Leah was 8 months old and I found out I was due in another 8 months! But, it is the perfect age difference. Leah loves her sister more than anything. Lauren thinks Leah is the cat's meow. God has been so good to us.

Sisters and best friends