A Christmas Favorite, For Sure

When I was seven, my grandfather died. I spent a lot of time with him in those seven years, and my memories of him are very strong memories. He was a great grandfather. After he died, my great aunt Valerie (my grandmother's sister-in-law) tried to keep my grandmother busy--in just a short time following, my grandmother saw Memphis and Hawaii and a little of everything in between. One one trip, they went to Helen, Georgia. She brought us all back a Christmas ornament. I loved mine! It has several stories in it, and I have read through it about a million times. My great aunt died shortly after, and my grandmother was never quite the same after losing two super-special people in such a short time frame. I never really realized how special it was until my grandmother died a few years ago. When I pulled it out that Christmas, I realized what a great treasure it is...a simple ornament, but so much meaning and memory attached to it. It is neat to see now as my own children reach for it to read the stories. It certainly reminds me to be about the business of making memories and imprinting the hearts of my own little ones.

Advent- Week Two

We will light the second candle!

Sunday Isaiah 40:1-5

Monday Jeremiah 30:1-22

Tuesday Luke 2:1-7

Wednesday Philippians 2:5-11

Thursday Matthew 2:1-12

Friday John 1:14-18

Saturday Jeremiah 31:31-34

We will sing Silent Night.

And I didn't have to photoshop a smiling Ellie.

When in doubt, use a book!

(and the outtakes are hilarious)

Home School Math Homework

OR Christmas Light Poker

This post must begin with a story. Eleven years ago, John and I were not even engaged yet. I was in Atlanta visiting with him, and he was still a student at Georgia Southern. The football team was particularly good that year, and John and I went to the championship game since it was in Chattanooga. Coming back home, the interstate was completely stopped with traffic. Since we were young, had no babysitter we were paying by the hour, and adventurous, we hopped off the interstate and decided to explore the "back roads" back in the day of no GPS. It was a LONG trip home from Chattanooga (about an hour normally). It was dark, and there was nothing to look at but redneck Christmas lights and decorations. So we did what an fun-loving couple would do, we made it a game!

Do you remember playing cow poker as a child on those long trips in the back of the station wagon? Oh, wait...I think you must have been a product of the late '70's/early '80s to have that memory. John and I, both having spent hours playing cow poker, morphed that into Christmas Light Poker. I am sure we aren't the first to do this, but in case you have never had the joy of playing, here are our rules. It is often during this season, that we load up the car after dinner and drive around to look at lights. Now you can practice some basic math skills if you choose to take in the lights around you!

1. You are divided into teams. Those sitting on the right side of the car, get the points on the right. Those on the left, get the points on the left. For those lucky middle seat riders, it is best to pick mommy's team. I'm just saying...

2. Any house decorated with lights and such is worth points.

* just lights 1 point

*plastic Santa, snowman, and such 5 points each

*Inflatables 5 points each

*Santa & reindeer on roof 25 points

*Nativity Scene 25 points

3. Any house decorated with ONLY blue lights means you lose ALL your points and must start over.

Okay, now you can go enjoy the Christmas light season. We will!

Two kiddos are ready...

One down, one to go...

Maggie's skirt is done...now to finish Ellie's dress. It's a wee bit more difficult.

Surprise, surprise...

Bentley received an awesome Darth Vader shirt for his birthday. It was washed, folded, and sent upstairs with Bent to be put away. It disappeared. John looked for it, Bentley looked for it, and finally, I looked for it. We could not find it anywhere. It has been missing over a week now. It still has never been worn.

Tonight, I had the kiddos at home by myself for the evening, so I decided that we would put up their little trees in their rooms. I went in the girls' room, and although it appeared neat from the doorway, one trip to the interior revealed SO.MUCH.CRAMMING.OF.JUNK that I thought I might just go bananas. Acorns, seeds, pictures, beads, lip gloss, art supplies (that belong elsewhere, of course), and American Girl...what a combination. I decided on the spot that we would clean instead, and so we did.

By the time John came home, I was almost done with the girls' room, and he jumped in to help Bentley. I stopped by the door just in time for John to open up Bent's Lego table. I couldn't help but laugh at the first thing John pulled out...Bent's Darth Vader shirt...in the Lego table. Nice. I can't wait until his teenage years.

Advent--Week One

Our candles are in place on the table, and our kiddos are so excited!! Advent may just be our favorite family tradition. I usually develop a list of scripture readings for our nightly time, but last year, our church gave us a list (after I had already made a list as well), so this year I waited patiently. Thankfully, there was a list for us this morning! So if you need a list for Advent, here is an option for you:

Sunday: Genesis 3:14-15

Monday: Genesis 49: 8-10

Tuesday: Isaiah 11: 1-9

Wednesday: Jeremiah 23: 5-6

Thursday: Isaiah 40: 1-5

Friday: Micah 5: 2-5

Saturday: Isaiah 9: 2-7

We will be singing "O Come, O Come Emmanuel"

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder

Happy Thanksgiving!

Slow End of the Learning Curve

Over the next few days, our front door will open and close multiple times. Family and friends will come and go, children will play, conversations will be had, and massive amounts of food will be consumed. We will catch up with each other, play games, laugh until we cry, and seriously enjoy each other. We will stop and take time to be thankful. It is one of my absolute favorite times of the year.

I have learned so much this year about being grateful--I feel like I am on the slow end of the learning curve. Things I have known for years in my head are finally making imprints on my heart. It has been a particularly rough year, in so many ways, yet I am still here, still surrounded by people who love and encourage me onward. In church on Sunday, our youth pastor reminded us that sometimes God takes us back to a place of remembering so that we can find true gratefulness. My friends, this is true. I've been there this year; I am traveling that road, and I have never been more grateful for the things I have and the life I experience. God is still God, and God is still good.

I am so incredibly grateful for my kiddos. They are my sanctifiers--more so than anything else. It is often that the house is chaotic--the laundry is in piles, the dishwasher is begging to be emptied, and the toys are scattered. I am still learning to be okay with it all--to enjoy them while I can...John does such a good job with this, and I, well, not so much really. They are getting older, and I spend so much time teaching relationship skills, explaining behavior, trying to get them to wrap their little brains around what is good and what is pure and what is right. I am learning to expose more of myself in the process, and though I am not always happy about it, I am learning to be thankful for these moments.

I am so incredibly thankful for John. He has extended more grace and love to me this year than one can even imagine. He has held my hand and walked with me, he has played his guitar for me (which he hasn't done in years), and he has gently guided me and the kiddos. He has made me laugh when I felt like crying and made me fall more and more in love with him daily...he picks up the pieces I drop and never, ever complains about it.

I am so incredibly grateful for the friendships I have been given this year--friends that have reached out and encouraged me when I didn't even know I needed it. Friends who have helped me re-define my "normal" and pushed me forward. I am such an onion--layers and layers--and I am so grateful for the friends who have taken the time to truly get to know me. Friends who have ventured into the hard places with me...I might not have dared to venture there at all without them.

Mostly, I am grateful for where I am this year. I am not in an easy place. But God is still God, and God is still good. And I am thankful to be here.

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