It wasn't my intention to "go green" with our Christmas newsletter this year, but I ran out of ink about halfway through printing. And with 4 kids in the house, there is a general lack of [unscribbled] paper in the house. So for everyone that didn't get an actual letter in the mail ...
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| So 3 out of 4 are smiling. I would've tried for a few more retakes but immediately following this photo Jäger decided to make a run for it and Jack ended up face first in the mud--right before we needed to leave for church. |
Greetings Friends,
All is calm and all is bright in the Tillman household. And
since that’s pretty rare before 8pm, I’ve decided to take advantage of this
moment and update you all on this past year.
We’ll start with our newest addition. Since Jon declared
that 4 children was enough for our little family, we moved on to members of the
non-human variety. Jäger (German for “hunter”) joined us in January. He’s a
2-year-old Vizsla/Lab mix rescue dog. After spending the majority of his
lifetime in a crate, he’s very appreciative of his new home and family. He’s a
sweet and affectionate canine, and a little quirky too. So while he harbors a
strange aggression towards moving vehicles and vacuums, he’s kind to the kids
and never, ever complains about my cooking.
Our oldest son, Jack, turned 7 in October. He’s having a
great year in first grade! And while his mom has a hard time getting him to
stay in his seat for homework in the evenings, he’s typically able to finish
his math problems faster than her! Jack’s Christmas list can be summed up in
two words: Lego and Minecraft. I think we’ve officially reached the age where
we have to bribe him to spend time with us—which usually involves laughing
(loudly) during family movie nights or curling up next to me while we read The
Boxcar Children.
Jude is 5-and-a-half and, according to his teacher, “such a
sweet and sensitive little boy.” I’ll admit to being extra-nervous about him
starting Kindergarten this year, but he’s surprised us all with his joyous
affection for school. He bounds off the bus and immediately starts asking to do
homework. And if he doesn’t have any, he’ll make some up. Jack and Jude love
playing Legos and Minecraft together, but Jude is also the family artist—often
drawing pictures and writing me notes. He’s still our big helper and can
typically be found by our side (and asking questions nonstop) whenever we’re
cooking dinner or working on a house project.
Our little fashion princess, Julia, turned 4 in October. She
started preschool two days a week this fall (that’s right, for 5 hours each
week I only have one kid at home!) Lia loves to pick out her “church dress”
each Sunday and wear “Mommy’s spray.” (She also likes to get into my makeup
when I’m not looking.) Everybody is her “friend”—which is what she calls them
all since she can’t keep track of their names. I think her love language is words of affirmation. One time her
teacher sent a note home that said “You love to be silly and make people smile
and laugh! Your friends and I love that!” Daddy read the note out loud at
dinner one night and Lia practically fell out of her chair with pride. She now
brings it to me to read to her over and over again. We’re so thankful for her
girliness after raising two rough and tumble boys!
The “baby," as she proudly calls herself, turned 2 in July.
Jocelyn is our little ball of fire! Surprisingly, she reminds us all of toddler
Jack. Joci’s favorite activity is to scale the kitchen cabinets (she literally
uses the handles/knobs as a rock climbing wall) to stand on the counter, get
into mommy’s cabinet and dump out ALL the spices. Actually, we call her “The Dumper”—my
“‘otion,” the kids’ shampoo, a bottle of cleaning spray (all over the
TV)—nothing is sacred. She’s also got no qualms about smacking her big older
brother when she’s upset or pushing Lia off the couch when she’s in “her seat.”
This girl can really throw her weight around!
Speaking of weight, our “baby” has really packed on the
pounds this year! In March, Joci underwent open-heart surgery at Johns Hopkins
to repair an atrial septal defect (hole in her atrium wall.) The hole was
discovered after her pediatrician noticed a heart murmur at her 6-month
check-up. The cardiologist team decided to wait until she was older/bigger for
surgery. Last February, at her 18-month check-up, they grew concerned that her
hard-working heart was affecting her weight gain. And so, a few weeks later, we
found ourselves tearfully kissing our baby goodbye in the operating room.
To make a long story short, Jocelyn did phenomenally well!
We give God all the glory for our healthy little girl, and are so thankful for
all the doctors and nurses we worked with at the hospital. Today, Joci is a
chunky and energetic toddler. She’s jumped from the 0th percentile
in weight to the 50th! And while it’s a huge relief when she finally
falls asleep at night and can’t get into any more trouble, I’m secretly
thankful for all “The Dumper’s” little antics as they’re poignant reminders
that she is whole and healed!
As for me, I’ve started working from home for Regent
University again. With 2.5 kids in school during the day, I was looking for
something non-Mommyish to keep me occupied. Of course, working full-time might
be a little more than I bargained for! The girls and I also participate in MOPS
(Mothers of Preschoolers) twice a month and, as a Steering Team member, I
manage the finances for our group. I seem to fall more in love with cooking
every year, and my poor family is very patient with me and all my new Pinterest
recipes. Evenings typically find me collapsed on the couch, after the kids have
gone to bed, trying to stay awake long enough to read a chapter or two of a
book. Let’s just say I’ve never slept so well or so hard as I do in this season
of life!
Jon has become quite the craftsman this year! He made us a
gorgeous farmhouse table with room for our whole family plus guests! He also
crafted a stand-up desk for his office and some fabulous cedar window boxes for
the house. Jon changed Coast Guard positions this summer which, thankfully,
meant no more 12-hour and overnight shifts. It also meant he had to spend an
entire month in Florida at training (quite the adventure for the kids and I at
home!) Although he works long and stressful hours, we’re thankful that he
actually enjoys his trade. Jon will be promoted to Lieutenant Commander this
spring after a long wait (selected last fall).
You might say the most exciting news of 2015 hasn’t actually
happened yet as we are patiently awaiting military orders for next summer.
While our original plan was to try to stay one more year here in MD—a place
we’ve come to love these last 4.5 year—we now know for sure that we’ll be
moving. Our “wishlist” covers nearly every corner of the nation, but wherever we
end up, we know it’s going to be an adventure! We’re hoping to hear something
soon followed by official orders in mid-February, so be checking
Facebook/Instagram/Janine’s blog for the big news (or you could just wait for
next year’s Christmas card to arrive with a new return address).
If you had told me 17 years ago, when I was a teenager
sporting braces and wide-legged jeans, that in 2015 I’d be married to that
cutie from church, birthing 4 babies in 5 years, and preparing for a potential
cross-country move with the whole brood—I’m sure I would have never believed
it. But God is faithful. I see it as I look back over the last 17 (or 32) years,
I see it as I think over the events of this past year, and I see it as we
prepare to celebrate the fulfillment of an over 400-year-old promise—our
Savior’s birth. I pray that you, too, experience His faithfulness this
Christmas and into the new year!
Love,
P.S. I’ll now close what could possibly be the longest
Christmas letter you receive this year with a reminder that, in case 1300
hundred words isn’t possibly enough, I sporadically update my blog with lots of
pictures and gory parenting details at http://coastiemamalogs.blogspot.com.
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