I've been meaning to enter this contest, but I didnt' realize how soon it would be over.  I think I may just get this entry in...  in the nick of time.  OOPS!!!!  (Sorry Jocelyn, I am such a procrastinator sometimes!)

ONE of my sweetest holiday memories was 12 years ago.  Russ and I had been transferred to Connecticut and we had been living in a hotel since October while we were waiting for our new (first ever) house to be built.  Kaitlyn was 3 years old, Jordan was about 15 months old (and had JUST started walking) and I had JUST given birth to Ian.  The owner of the hotel was sorry that I had to bring my new baby home to a hotel.  I told him that it sure beat Mary's first "Christmas"!  He just smiled.  He was just happy I didn't actually give birth in the hotel room.  He had already warned me that we would have to pay for the new mattress on the bed if anything birth related happened to it!!!!

We had almost no clothing.  Most of it was in storage and what we did have was ruined b/c another hotel guest (who was apparently DRUNK) had poured bleach into a load of my dark laundry before she realized it was not an empty washing machine.  We had no turkey dinner.  We had just a few decorations that my mom had sent me.  We had only a few gifts (including a red,  plastic firetruck that Jordan rode round and round the tiny hotel room all day long!) 

I remember Ian being sooooo tiny.  He had a little hat that said "Baby's First Christmas" and we had a pacifier clip that had a big ol' soft reindeer on it!

I remember the deep snow outside and Jordan and Kaitlyn playing in it with my brand new friend, Tanya.  (She and I met on December 6th that year and have been dear, dear friends ever since!  She is the mom of my four godchildren! and is my children's godmother!)

That's when Jordan earned one of his nicknames...  "SNOW BOY"! 

The next day, after Christmas we were able to move into our new house!  I remember how exciting that was and how happy we were!  We had nothing to put in the house, but how happy we were to be together with our growing, little family! 

What a sweet, memory. 

Next week our baby Ian will be turning 12.  Did you know that his name means gift? 

Ian means "God's Gracious Gift" and his middle name, Josiah, means "Yahweh gives".

I can just remember cuddling with the three of them and wanting them to stay little forever.  The only thing missing from that memory would be the two younger children!  (who came a few years later!) 

I was and am so thankful to God for our sweet, little family!