The Kate Box: December 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Top 11 of 2011

It's the last day of 2011, and it's 64 degrees outside here in Arkansas. We spent the day at a local park and driving around enjoying the beautiful weather. But before the clock strikes midnight, I want to try to narrow down the best moments of the year. (I started with about 16 favorite moments, so this list should be easier as the years go on.)

Here are 11 of my favorite moments of 2011.

1. Reese's baptism at Trinity Grace Church in January. It was a wonderful celebration and service. Rachel Billingsley sang (the most incredible voice), lots of family in the congregation, and a fabulous lunch at our house after church.

2. SNOW. We had SO much snow this past winter that I couldn't leave it off the list. I think we had enough last year to last us a few years. Maybe that's why it's 64 degrees on December 31st.

3. Beach trip in the spring with the Gaines' hosted by Wes' Aunt Margie's condo in Destin. It was quite the trip with these two little ones, but it was relatively peaceful, very enjoyable, and full of laughs and funny stories.

(she wasn't the best sitter at that point.)

4. Frost family trip to San Francisco and Napa Valley. We spent a week visiting my brother in California. Reese touched her 2nd ocean. She adored the cable car. She almost drank some wine. It was a lovely week with my family.

5. Cell group memories. these two are from fall retreat at the old K-Klassic. These girls are simply amazing and bring me so much joy. They are the greatest babysitters to Reese, and their hearts are very sweet.

6. Reese turned ONE on September 18th. I'm not sure if I ever wrote the REAL story behind her birthday party, but none of us felt so great that day. Here is the big ONE year old before her party. It was the cutest party I must say, and our home was filled with people who love our little girl very well. It was one of my favorite days even though I didn't eat one bite of food that day.

7. Trip to Dallas to visit college girlfriends. It was a mini-reunion, and we lived it up all weekend. Fun at the zoo, visiting Auntie LC at work, and lots of great conversation.

8. Mercy NICU Reunion Carnival. I was looking forward to this celebration for so long, and we got the chance to thank so many of the nurses who took such great care of Reese during her first 12 days of life.

10. Opening Day at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. 11.11.11

I'm realizing more and more that this day will go down as a big one in Bentonville, and I'm very thankful that I got to be a part of it.

11. NYC, baby! Three of my wonderful friends and I spent three full days in the Big Apple early in December, and it will be remembered forever as such a nice trip full of long, uninterrupted conversations over dinner and so many genuinely fun and memorable moments all over the city.

My hope and prayer is that 2012 brings us as much joy and love as 2011. We fell more in love with Reese every day, and we learned more about the overwhelming love that Christ has for us. Wes and I had dinner last night to talk about our goals and desires for 2012, and tomorrow we are going to write down our action steps. I think 2012 will be a good one, and I hope and pray it will be for all of you as well.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Our Christmas Story

Walking into Christmas 2011, I was very aware of a growing desire to focus on Jesus' birth over everything that usually takes up the majority of our time and attention. I know that it will be a process trying to figure out how to make this desire come true, but we put in place a few new things that I think set the scene for Walker Christmases to come. Instead of reading the real Christmas story the night before, we joined in on reading it first thing in the morning. All the kids gathered on the front steps at Gran and O'Pa's house, and Wes read from Luke 2. We then went into the kitchen to sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and eat a piece of birthday cake. (Pretty sure only one or two actually wanted cake that early, but a cool tradition I think.) During the cousin gift exchange, we aunts tried to focus on the giving rather than the receiving. The Benton Walker kids went first and gave out their cousin gifts, and so on. I liked that, and although several little ones had a hard time with it, I think over time they will all get it and appreciate what we are doing. A few other traditions were put into place, but really, Wes and I just tried to downplay some of the things that could take the excitement off of celebrating Jesus' birth and brainstormed some possible opportunities to share Christ's love with others in the years to come.

All that to say, it was a Christmas FULL of love and family. Lots of both of those. I'm going to just list our 6 days in Conway and how they were packed with celebrations...and a TON of driving back and forth between the Frost and Walker homes.

Tuesday, December 20: Drove to Conway and visited with some really fun out of state Walker family.

Wednesday, December 21: I had lunch with a few high school friends, I shopped with the out of state folks, Wes took Reese to the Walker house for hang out time with the men, and then we put Reese to bed at the Frost house before our big Walker dinner and Christmas #1. Wes and I went back to the Frost house for bed.

Thursday, December 22: Lunch at Stoby's (Reese's first trip!), Trivial Pursuit at the Frost house, Big Creek party at night.

Friday, December 23: A pretty lazy day if I remember correctly. Naps, cooking, and some sweet little family shopping I think. Or maybe that happened on Thursday. These days kind of ran together. This was night #1 at the Walker house though.

Saturday, December 24: No, this was the day we went shopping I think. Regardless, we went to the Christmas Eve service at Fellowship Bible Church in Conway, and then put Reese to bed at the Walker house before Wes and I went to my house for canneloni (YUM) and gifts with my parents, brother, and Lovemore. We were OVERWHELMED with gifts as always. Wes and I got back to his house around 11:45 and stayed up a bit later chatting with Benton and Jenny Beth. Nights like these are my favorites of the entire year.

Sunday, December 25: Woke up around 7:30 and started celebrating Jesus' birth. Reese opened a few gifts from Gran and O'Pa and mommy and daddy, and then we slowly made our way to the Frost house for the incredible Christmas Day brunch and gifts with my grandmother, great-aunt, and Buzz and Cathie. (A quick shout out to Wes --aka the best gift giver EVER--He donated a sheep in my name through Heifer International because I had asked him to donate money he would spend on me. I was having a hard time coming up with what I wanted, so I figured it should just be donated. But of course my selfishness came a couple days after I made this request, and I asked for a gift card for my new favorite store Altar'd State. So...Wes got me that, too. He used scripture to support both of those gifts, and I love the meaning behind them. Oh, and then he surprised me with a "family gift" he had bought. And iPad2 complete with the car headrest case for Reese. Ahhhh.) We spent time with my family that afternoon, and then we made our way back to the Walker home for more gifts now that the WHOLE family was there, and then we had a great dinner to end the day.

Monday, December 26: A slow, restful day. The three of us drove home late in the afternoon, and I unpacked everything while Wes went to the grocery store. A fabulous day for sure.

The pictures.