Merry Christmas!!

Poem From "A"

"A" bought me a cute $3 bracelet for me to wear at my brother's wedding on New Year's day and it really is beautiful and great for my dress. She bought Daddy some warmers for his gloves for when he is in Germany. She also wrote a cute poem for Daddy and Mommy.

Here is her poem:

Up have we our Christmas tree

and a star on top.

But get not caught completely up in the 

Christmas flow and pop.

For long ago a Saviour was born 

for all the world to see.

He lay in a manger and died on a cross 

for you and for me.

Now think this Christmas season 

about what the Lord has done,

For this world we live in was no better than dung!

-By My Biggest Girl:-)

Gross Them Out

"Be Great Parents. Gross Your Kids Out."

-Sheila Gregoire

My kids know Daddy and Mommy are in love. The other day my 2 year old said to Daddy as he was kissing me "stop kissing her" and then "stop hugging her". My 8 year old really hates the whole seeing us kiss thing but has gotten better since we started teasing him with it and now he plays it more cool. 

At Thanksgiving time when we were going to go around the room and saying what we are thankful for when it came time for my hubby my oldest daughter started pointing at me like "I know what he is thankful for!" Our kids know that their Mommy and Daddy are in love and that we highly value our time together. I loved it that G made our Christmas ornament with a couple holding hands. 

There are a lot of things as parents we mess up on but one thing we are thankful we can show our kids is what it is like to be in love with the one we're married to. 
So glad to be married to my best friend.

G's Woodburning Spree

He has been wood burning for weeks getting ready for Christmas.

 This is G's gift for his Uncle B and soon to be Aunt J for their wedding.

He wood burned on a wood cutting board that is made in the shape of the state of 

Minnesota where they live.

The idea of the state shaped cutting board came off Pinterest but not the words.

 The ornament above and to left was for his colloquey overseer. G carries around a bunch of BIG 3 ring binders so that picture kind of looks like him. Above right he made for his swim coach.

Above left he made about 6x of the birds and verses for teachers and school headmaster. The ornament on the right he made for his Daddy and Mommy for Christmas!! We got a good laugh out of it because we though it looked like a unisex bathroom sign:-) Very sweet of him to make and notice they are holding hands. :-) I will treasure this.

Dashing through the Kitchen, In a one brother open sleigh . . . laughing all the way!!!

The top video is especially hilarious! I LOVE listening to J just laughing and laughing!!! In the bottom video J is being the big brother of fun!

My mom gave me a print for the wall that states "I can imagine a life without children but it doesn't have the same laughter or noise." I am so grateful for my family!! It does get crazy but it is all a beautiful blessing.

Winter Wedding Gifts

 Working on a snow globe for Uncle B's wedding on January 1st!

Mistakes were made and lessons learned on what order to do things!

We learned how much glycerin to use after experimenting some!

It doesn't take much.

 I really helped a lot with C and R as trying to get hot glue on and move quickly

is hard but glitter time is fun!!

 "A" found this wedding couple at Walmart for about $2!

And the the bride is wearing white boots just like Aunt J is going to do!!

 Here is all three snow globes. R's is the one on the left, A the center, and C the right which is kids playing in the snow and one making a snow angel.

 R was quite pleased with the wedding gift outcome!

A's Piano Recital

 This picture shows the difference in the twins personalities. 

Baby C is serious and Baby B 

about fun.

It was fun going to "A"'s Christmas piano recital. "A" did a great job and we enjoyed hearing the pieces of the other students. The girls made it for a little bit and then G ended up in the back with them and then eventually Daddy came back to reinforce.

The duet above she played with her teacher who is an absolutely lovely, kind, Christian lady. She has been a blessing to us.

Only One Answer . . . THE SON

 Questions

with No Answers but One . . .

THE SON.

People can ask me all sorts of questions.

People can ask me how it will get done.

But I do not have all the answers

Except, a sigh, and that I abide in the Son?

God's calling can sometimes seem crazy 

To those who are standing by

But those He calls feel compelled to move

And in faith to give crazy a try.

God promises to be faithful

To those who abide in the Son.

He promises beautiful, unearthly fruit

If in faith we take his calling, promises, and run.

Let me set aside the weights that beset me

Let me press toward the mark of the high calling of God

Let me run the race looking full in his face 

Knowing He will guide me with His eye and a nod.

Now when the questions flood in about how & why

No more will the answer come with a human shrug and sigh,

I will answer the questions with His boldness, not being a waif

 Speaking "I will daily look to Jesus my future, 

the author and finisher of my faith."

-A.L. 

December 19th, 2014

After I finished writing this I read this to my oldest daughter and she thought of Noah.

Great example of this!

^{John 15:5
4} Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. ⁵ I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Philippians 3:13-15

¹³ Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, ¹⁴ I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. 

Hebrews 12:1-2
12 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Psalm 32:8

 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. 

God is SOO Good. He is SOOO Good to Baby B.

Baby B will be 17 months tomorrow and she is just starting to take steps. She had hip dysplasia as an infant and after complications she ended up in a SPICA cast. She is now doing tremendously well. What a feeling in this mom's heart to see her at this point. God has strengthened her hips and given her drive and ability. She will be followed for the rest of her growth for her hip and it is not 100% that it will stay just right but we can rejoice that now all is well. Brother R is such an encourager and teacher! He has worked with her. So grateful for where B is at today in her development!!

This is Me and My Love

Just for Fun

Here is one of my FAVORITE Calvin and Hobbes comic strips!
My family are HUGE fans of Calvin and Hobbes. My hubby and I bought the complete 3 volume set for our anniversary years back and my kids love pouring over them:-)

 
Calvin & Hobbes (c) 2013 Bill Waterson

This particular comic reminds me of my older brother.:-)

Timed Trials and a Family Afternoon/Evening Out

 This was actually not a meet but a timed trials that was at a Wesylan College in Norfolk. It was nice and close and was a great time out for our whole family and we got to cheer for G!!!! The kids did well but by the end the baby girls were done which is understandable.

When we got back to the van "J" (2 years old) asked "G" "Are you done jumping into the bathtub?" We thought that was SOOOO FUNNY!!! Gotta love toddlers and their way of looking at the world!:-) He must have thought we were all crazy cheering and cheering for G just for jumping in the bathtub!! Who knows!

So nice to have family time out and about. R is such a great big brother.

Daddy with Baby C. He gets a kick out of the girls and the twins LOVE to spend time with him. When he is over seas Baby B kisses the Iphone when we are face timing Daddy and Baby C does it sometimes too. Too CUTE!

"A" with Baby B. These two are pals and adore each other.

Ready to Start on New Testament Books . . .

I look like a dork on this video. I am not one to take great joy of being video'd. Anyway, Big C however does a great job doing his books of the Old Testament along with what that book is about. We recently finished memorizing the Old Testament and now he is working on the New Testament.  He had memorized some of these when R did these in school but now he has gone past what he had done before. What I great skill to know the books of the Bible along with an idea of what that book is about! Big C is a GREAT kindergarten student and he works so hard.

He's Growing Up Sooo Quickly . . .

G dressed for his school Christmas Dinner/Colonial Dance. How come kids don't stay little?

G went tonight with his Daddy and Yes he does still call him that! to his schools annual Colonial Christmas Dinner and Colonial Dance. He was adamant he did NOT want to dance or dress up BUT he did want to go and eat the food which was a 5 course colonial meal.  His school provides a colonial dance teacher at a certain point in the fall for those who want to learn. We know his sister "A" would LOVE this so maybe next year she can go too. Who knows maybe she'll get him out there but I really doubt it:-)

 G did, in fact, enjoy the food and the 2 minute early American quiz each table took and would go back next year just for those 2 things!:-) That's my G.

Life Experiences for G

 Well, today was another life experience for G. He had his first school swim meet at a private boarding school here in VA about 3 hours away. Daddy said it is quite the place and that it was packed with people. I could hear the cheering. I think that is so fun. G was quite nervous but he is with a great group of people and he really enjoys his coach. When he and his coach see each other they salute:-)

Anyway, someone got a Sharpie marker out and showed G about making 3 columns on the inside of his fore arm and keeping track of his lane #'s, heats, etc. Daddy said he seemed to be catching on. This is all good for G because he is our "head in the clouds" kiddo:-) Exercises in attention are great! Daddy was so proud of him for coming in 2nd to last in his heat in the fly (picture above) and beating a sophomore that was bigger than him. I am sure that was somewhat encouraging as the first race he came in last!

In his heat for the back stroke he got 2nd out of 6 swimmers beating out a sophomore and senior!! Babe said he was BY FAR the smallest swimmer in that race! No winning a race or even coming close today but a GREAT experience and I think he did well for a little Jr. High kid. It definitely was an encouraging day for him. He had so much fun and was excited at the end of the day.
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Those that are just reading this blog may wonder why I post some things I do. This blog is for memory keeping for me primarily and if I don't put down some of these things they will be forever lost in my head. I have a lot to think about:-)

G told me a short time ago he was getting the reputation he set out to get in school .  . . that he liked to joke and have fun but he was serious about his studies. He has a great relationship with the kids in his class. A few weeks back he was by a door and his belt loop somehow got caught up on the handle of the door and it took 3 tenth graders and 2 teachers to get him unhooked:-) He still gets ribbed about that . . . like getting congratulated for making it through the door:-)

Another thing that happened lately is that the students were asked to check into what appeared to be a discrepancy in Scriptures and report on why it really isn't. G found the answer on a web sight and so the teacher asked him to give a report to the class on it. G is telling me the story and he said "I don't know if I should have done this. . ." I didn't know what he said/did and then he said at one point "The good old King James says . . . " he said he has his grandpa's blood:-) He had to give a plug for the King James Version:-) One of the kids in his class said "Now he is talking about King James!"

A lady that works at the school came up to Babe this past week and said how much G is enjoyed and that the spirit he brings to the school is enjoyed. I pray for him that he will have wisdom in what he encounters in a day and an "excellent spirit".

Baby C's First Hair Cut!

Me giving Christiana her first hair cut!:-)

Baby C's hair kept getting in her eyes which was getting frustrating to see her trying to see through her hair! I decided to give her her first hair cut. It might have ended up a bit shorter than I should have cut it but it worked and I think she looks adorable. I had to do quick work because she is not a long sitter! No more looking through hair to see!!!

Out with the Old and in with the New!

  

Well, the van that we purchased last year bit the dust but we have so much to thank the Lord for. We had found out that it would cost $1,700 to repair the air conditioning in September and we decided to hold off until the spring to repair it.:-))))) Praise the Lord, we did not sink that much money into a dyeing van. Also, it was having issues for quite awhile and then in got worse and Babe took it in before he left to go to Germany to make sure we didn't have any problems while he was gone. The day after he left it completely quit and the auto guys were amazed they got it running again at all. So another praise is that we got a heads up that the end was near. We were able to think and talk about it before it died. It then worked until the morning of the day Babe returned!! Praise the Lord. The picture of the towing was actually when it was getting pulled away to get repaired . . . another praise was that it died when I was home and not stranded somewhere.

We now purchased a Chevy instead of a Ford. Our new van handles A LOT better and has WAY better gas mileage. Ahh, life's lessons:-) We have a good God that always provides our needs. At first I was sentimental about the brown van as it symbolized a big change in our family's life but the" new to us van" is definitely a better van. Thank you Lord for providing for our needs.

Revelation 4:11

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

We are created for His pleasure and His purposes. He is worthy to receive glory and honour in all circumstances. We are studying God's will in Sunday school and it has been such a blessing.

He is in control! May I rest in His plans.

Baby C's New Thing

Baby C has found that she REALLY enjoys helping Big C or R unload the dishwasher! She loves it and does a great job:-) Hopefully the enthusiasm will continue but I have been at this long enough to know if probably won't:-) There is a developmental switch from learning how to do things to how to do things without being told and when asked to do something doing it cheerfully. It is fun to watch her early desire to help and be a big kid.

Colossians 2:6-7

Colossians 2:6-7

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.