Dickersons At Disney

When Alanna (my bestie from college) originally proposed the idea of taking a Disney trip together with our families, it sounded SO magical. And it didn't disappoint.

It was just Alanna and me with our boys for the first few days of the trip. We got some much needed catch-up/hangout time together. Kev and Shane joined us about halfway through the week.

'Twas the night before Magic Kingdom...

Had Mickey looked more like Thomas the Train, I think things would have gone much differently. From a distance, Nolan thought Mickey was SUPER cool. Up close? Not so much. 

But Kev and I enjoyed ourselves!

Two of my trips to Disney have been spent with this gem.

The next day, the three of us went to a Braves Spring Training game.

Nolan's first!

 Side Note: 

That night, Alanna tried guacamole for the first time!

 Nolan was hilarious at the petting zoo, chasing the goats and sheep around with that brush!

"Nolan, do you love the sheep?"

These two, I swear.

The sweetest group hug and Steak 'N Shake wrapped up our vacay.

SO much of why this trip was as successful as it was is because of Alanna and Shane. They know the ins and outs of all things Disney and so graciously let us tag along with them. They hooked us UP. Thank you guys so much for EVERYthing. 

We'll remember and cherish this trip forever.

Nolan: Month Eighteen

It's hard to imagine our lives without Nolan. The reality is that he's only been around for 18 months. But there is much to be said about the past year and a half. I have loved a man and little boy combo for just 18 short months, and it has been incredible. Beautiful. Vulnerable. Trying.
Worth it.

Nolan,

God is so gracious. I feel so unworthy to be your mom. Some days are hard, my patience is pushed, and I come up short. But being your mom points me to Jesus. One day, I pray you fully understand what I mean when I say that. I am beyond grateful and humbled to be your mother. See me awkwardly staring at you? Yeah, that's normal, and I'm probably thinking about it in that very moment. It's fine.

Here are a few things you've grown to love and do as of late:

You. Crack. Us. Up. 

You play hide-and-seek with Daddy and LOVE it when he jumps out and scares you (You definitely don't get that from me.).

You still love your paci while riding in the car and at bedtime.

"Foof" = waffles or shoes

"Gaga" = Dada
I'd list all of the words and sounds you can "say" but it's hard to keep track of all of them these days.
You talk so much!

I love it when you come into a room and say, "Haaaayyy."
Flushing toilets fascinates you.

You have the goofiest fake laugh (and do it often because you know it's funny).

You LOVE Thomas and Friends and fire trucks. 

You are an EXCELLENT eater.

Which explains why you can fit in size 2T.

You are a super great traveler and love visiting Nana & Papa G and Gamma & Papa Dave's houses.

All of your teeth have come in except for your two year molars.

You enjoy the big, chunky wooden puzzles and are actually pretty good at them.
You recently learned how to swing a bat and hit the ball off of the tee. Your dad and Bub are SO proud.

Riding bikes with Daddy is one of your favorite things to do. Ever.

You do a lot of things right and left handed but tend to favor your right.

You're a drummer at heart.
You like dogs.

You love going to your friends' houses and having them over to play.

Your best buds are Titus, Coen, Zeke, and Rowan (and you love Eiley Beth (aka Ebae) and Finley too).

Your Dad and I love you more and more everyday.

Happy half birthday, little boy!

2015: A Grace-filled Year

Kevin and I were standing in the kitchen this morning while he fixed us eggs for breakfast. Randomly a question popped in my head, so I asked him, "What happened this past year that you would say is noteworthy?" Without hesitation, he said, "We survived."

When I began to think back on last year and all that 2015 held for me and for my family, I was initially tempted to see it as uneventful. No new babies (and that is SO ok, for now). We didn't move. We didn't face any super hard decisions. At first I couldn't recall anything happening that threw us in a tail-spin, good or bad. 

But Kev and I started talking. And remembering. And throughout the day, all of the beauty and ugly of this past year has flooded my mind. And my heart. In the very best way.

I don't intend on putting anything about this post on Instagram or Facebook simply because I'm only posting it to remember. I don't want to forget just how eventful this past year truly was on a level that goes way beyond the surface.

If anyone stumbles upon it and reads it, awesome. I hope, like me, you're encouraged, comforted by the fact that you aren't the only one who struggles, and reminded of just how infinitely good our God is.

God always does what He says He will do.

Through various avenues, I've been reminded of this time and time and time again this year. God is the ultimate promise keeper and promise fulfiller. And on multiple occasions it gave me hope when I needed it the most. That in the thick of something trying, or hard, or unknown, God has kept his promises since the beginning of time and all throughout history. And he still does today. He has never promised me success. Or prosperity. Or comfort. He's never told me life would be easy. But he says I'm loved because of the cross. He says that I don't have to live in fear or worry or have self doubt because Jesus was more than enough to cover it all. He says that I have nothing good to bring to the table, but he did something about that. He sent Jesus. 

These truths along with SO many others have sustained my heart, especially within the past year. I look back on the timing of so many things, and I'm in awe. I'm literally shaking my head because God's sovereignty blows my mind. From Kev's struggle with anxiety to financial needs being met in unbelievably gracious ways. From trusting God in our parenting and our finances to Nolan's constant bouts with viruses (which sent us to the ER multiple times and only strengthened our financial faith). We decided as a family to be more intentional with people God has placed in our direct line of sight and with our time. It all points back to God. Every. Last. Bit.

And that doesn't even include all of the ways God has worked outside of our immediate family and in the lives of those in our circle of daily rhythms. I've gotten to watch first hand the struggle of two of my closest friends waiting to be chosen by a birth mother and now as they count down the days to when their adoptive daughter will be born in early Spring. Their sanctification and longing has pointed me to Jesus more times than I can count. I got to share the Gospel with a very dear friend, who by God's grace, I've even had the honor of knowing and getting to hang with. And other friendships have blossomed in ways I hope will last a lifetime.

Just wow.

Thank you, Lord, for your Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love. Thank you for my husband who treasures and pursues my heart unlike any other. Thank you for our son who points us to You. We need you. You have never left us. God, thank you for revealing idols in my own heart. I pray that the life of comfort my heart wants to believe it needs never comes if it means I'll stop depending on you. If Kev's anxiety has been put in place to keep us dependent on You, alleluia. I'm terrified to forget our need for you.

We love you.

Amen.

Advent, Christmas, Birthday

There's been something super special about this Christmas season. Maybe it's the way we incorporated Advent this year. It wasn't perfectly done. Or even fully done. But our efforts weren't in vain and God met us where we were at every time. I'm learning so much about what it means to wait for and rest in our King who came and will come again.

Or maybe it's the stage Nolan is in. Kev describes it perfectly as the most difficult but most fun stage so far. Difficult because A.) he's mobile and B.) he's human. But fun because Nolan has become SO social and his little personality is seriously the best. He's independent, yet careful, and learning more and more everyday.

It could have been the fact that we celebrated Christmas in my mom and dad's new home. They've settled in on land that has been at the heartbeat of our family for years and years and have made a life-long dream a reality. I think Mom is still pinching herself.

Either way, this Christmas was just...special.

Yesterday was my 28th birthday, and it was such a sweet day. I feel so loved and celebrated and so full of life. God is too gracious to let me celebrate another year with people I'm blessed to do life with and call friends and family.

We went to hometown for almost a week this Christmas. We spent the first half with Kev's side of the family and the second half with mine. It was a BLAST, and Nolan enjoyed himself to the fullest. I cherish the way he's loved. The nights were late, little man ate his weight in Christmas leftovers, and I think watching Nolan collect trash and throw it away was even more fun than the actual opening of gifts.
It's the little things.

Here are some pictures from throughout the week!

 Sitting on a bag of trash pretending like he knows what to do with a phone.

 Grandma Blile flew in all the way from Ohio!

 Two of my sis-in-loves

 That profile though.

 N helping Bub open his birthday present.

Christmas morning selfie with Grandad and Papa? Yes. Please.

Kev shot his first deer on Christmas day!

Such. An. Awesome. Holiday.