Lots of pictures and a few laughs too!

Before Christmas fun!

This was actually my first time to make gingerbread houses.

CRUNCH!!!

One of our family traditions is every year the boys and I decorate sugar cookies. This year I laid out the icing and sprinkles and let them do whatever they wanted to do. You can see Drew really enjoyed his creative freedom, but Kade just wanted to lick the icing and eat the sprinkles.

We pretended the 23rd was Christmas Eve because we wanted to get down to my mom's by the 24th. After we made a birthday cake for Jesus, we ate dinner and opened gifts. Another tradition we have is on Christmas Eve the boys get Christmas PJ's and a board game. After we played the game, I Spy, we loaded up in Ronnie's truck in our Christmas "jamas" to go look at Christmas lights. The snow started to fall, and Drew said, "This is the best day ever!" The boys agreed to quickly go to bed after we got home, and about 10 minutes later they heard Santa (a.k.a. our neighbor, Royce) saying, "Ho! Ho! Ho!" outside the window with sleigh bells ringing. We woke up to 5 inches of snow on the ground the next morning. Our travel plans to Austin were delayed for a few hours, so the boys could play in the snow. (We don't get that much snow in West Texas very often!)

After a 10 1/2 hour car ride with two boys, the puppy, and a car load full of "stuff", we were SO relieved to see Nana and Pop's house. Of course, we had to open gifts first thing. Drew and Kade got baseball gear and bounce-back racers from mom and dad. My brother, Chad, got them a Wii. Mom, Chad, Ronnie, and I played Wii tennis together the next day. It was so much fun, and we got so "into the game". Chad is so competitive; when I looked back at him during one of the games I saw he was dripping with sweat. Ronnie told him he needed to get a head band. Then I got a mental picture of Chad playing Wii in his full tennis gear and could not quit laughing!!!

Bounce-back Racers...great gift!

Then on Sunday we went to church with my grandparents, Nana Jo and PawPaw Bill, and twin cousins, Cayla and Cole. After church everyone gathered at Nana Jo's for Kade's Birthday party.

It was an incredibly sweet day.

After the party, Ronnie helped my PawPaw fix his tractor, and the boys watched twin goats being born. It was fun and educational :)

Drew and Kade loved Nana Jo's house.

Kade, Cole, and Cayla

Nana and Kade with his new red tractor.

PawPaw Bill, Kade and Drew.

Nana, Kade and Nana Jo

Chad, Drew, and Kade

CHEESE!!! I L.O.V.E this picture!

I can't believe my baby boy turned 3.

He loved the ice-cream cake Nana bought for him.
Don't laugh at the drool.

Sometime it takes wind and water to put out a fire. LOL!

Wooden puzzles from Nana
Tools from Cayla and Cole

I think the three best Christmas gifts I got this year are the new PJ's and post-it note holder from my mom, and new work-out clothes from Ronnie.

Hey, it's the little things in life, right!!?!

But, my favorite Christmas gift ever is this quilt my Nana made for me.

It is BEAUTIFUL!

I LOVE IT!

She made my brother and cousin, Aaron, memory quilts with pictures. They are amazing!!! My brother even teared-up a little. She is incredibly talented and one of the most giving women I have ever known!

Okay I have to share a few Christmas stories that might make you laugh.

Story #1
Drew loves anything sweet.
He ate A LOT of Christmas cookies, and after we got home from my mom's he came into the living room that night with his hands on his hips and a sad face.
Me: "What's wrong Drew?"
Drew: "Mom, here's the deal. No more cookies at Christmas because I have bad diarrhea."
Ronnie and I couldn't quit laughing!

Story #2
Kade got a Spiderman watch from Santa.
I asked him a few days ago, "What time is it Kade?"
He looked at his watch, looked at me with a serious face, and said,
"This is the day the Lord has made."
Ha!

Story #3
I couldn't find Drew the other night after supper. I looked outside.
I looked in his room.
Nothing.
Finally I walked into his bathroom to find him brushing Eva's, our new puppy, teeth
with MY NEW TOOTHBRUSH. I guess nothing is off limits in this house!!!

Story #4
We were bowling on the Wii a few nights ago.
Kade bowled a strike, turned around and said,
"Oh SNAP!"
(FYI - "Snap" is the new word for "cool"...or at least I think it is ;)! Kade and Drew picked it up from the movie, Bolt!)

Merry Christmas...I mean Happy Thanksgiving

Wow, I haven't been a very good blogger. The holiday bussle started last week with:

*the Thanksgiving feast at Drew's school

*a field trip to sing at the nursing home

(isn't it amazing how older people light up when they see a child's face?)

*going to the Drive-In to see Blind Side

*the Scentsy, Uppercase Living, and jewelry party at my friend, Haylee's, house

*baking cookies

*packing to go to Childress

*trying to figure out how to use my new cell phone

*making my Christmas list (and checking it twice)

*looking for a Christmas puppy

*writing my Christmas letter

AND

putting up the Christmas tree. I know it isn't Thanksgiving yet, but...

Drew and Kade have been asking to put up the Christmas tree since Halloween. I gave in Monday morning, and we put it up. By lunch I was kicking myself in the rear for doing it without Ronnie, but Drew and Kade's excitement made up for my exhaustion. Their favorite part was putting up the ornaments...I think Kade is still "rearranging" them as I type. Ha! Yesterday, we decided to wrap Nana's presents. Kade wrapped his first, and I told him to go put it under the tree. Drew and I worked on wrapping his, and then I walked with him over to put it under the Christmas tree. I looked, and looked, but couldn't find Kade's present. I asked him, "Kade where did you put your present." He pointed to the back yard and said, "Under the trees." Ha!!! I love it!
I wanted to put something pretty (but cheap) on my coffee table. I rummaged around in my ornaments, picked some cotton, and viola!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends.

Happy Birthday Jesus!!!

Christmas is fast approaching. Don't you just love this time of the year? The music, the trees, the lights, Santa Claus, etc. I don't know about you guys, but I am having to take every thought captive, 2 Corinthians 10:5, and keep my mind on what Christmas really stands for - the birth of our SAVIOR...God's ONLY son. It is so easy to forget the ultimate gift that was given to us. A preacher I admire from Welch helped me think of Christ's sacrafice in another way-I would like to think that if push came to shove I would lay down my own life for many of you. But, if you asked me to give just one of these sweet boys for you...I wouldn't even think twice about saying, "NO WAY!!!"
We need to really work at focusing on the true meaning of Christmas. My 27th birthday was a very sad day for me. I was having a little pity party for myself and told my husband not to give me anything. It was just another day...I wasn't anyone's little girl anymore. My time to be the focus was over. Of course Ronnie, being the super husband he is, ignored that comment and celebrated the day to the fullest. I think about Jesus during this time of the year. He sees us spending countless hours picking out and wrapping gifts, attending parties, and addressing Christmas cards. I have to wonder how that makes him feel. I wonder if he feels like we think it is just another day...like I did this past May. Except instead of having a pity party for himself...he feels sorry for ME. The only reason he even had a "birth"day was to reconcile the relationship we severed with the Father. He just wants to spend time with his children...he aches for me to crawl up in His lap and tell him about my day. Glory to God for this sweet, sweet gift.
It is easy to overlook the birth of our Savior in the Babylonian society we live in. Our society is so fast paced and focused on get there, do that, check it off your list. It is okay to enjoy Christmas and all the traditions surrounding Christmas, but when we are influenced and ruled by the busyness of getting to all the parties and decorating our homes we are playing in the enemy's playground. Satan wants to keep us busy, so we can't focus on celebrating the ultimate "birth"day and sharing it with others.
I encourage you this Christmas season to do what you were created to do. Worship Him, remember Him, tell others about what He has done for you, and spend time loving others the way Christ has loved us. Give the sweetest gift this Christmas to someone you love...the gift of your time!!! It might mean we have to prioritize a little, and cut out some of the fluff, but isn't He worth it?
I will also encourage you to share your relationship with Jesus with at least one person. Be bold in sharing your faith...quit worrying about being politically correct or hurting someone's feelings. Love others enough to tell them the truth because the truth will set them free, John 8:32. A friend told me yesterday he was scared to tell others about Jesus because he didn't know all the answers; he hadn't read the entire Bible. Guess what? You don't have to know all the answers...just memorize a few scriptures and God will use those few verses to work in mighty ways. One of my mentors says, "You can't do publicly what you don't do in private." If you are in the Word in private, you will be able to share it publicly. Get in the Word...it's God's love letter to you. God is able...we just have to be willing.
Beloved brothers and sisters, join me in prayer, "Glorious Father, thank you for Jesus. Thank you that you sent your only Son to die for me...just for me. Help me to keep focused on the true reason for the season. Help me to say no to things that take my focus off of you. Give me the strength to be bold in telling others about you. Thank you for your Word father. It says in Romans 10:17, "Faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Word of God." Your Word is alive God. It is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Help us to hide your Words in our heart that we might not sin against you. We love you Father. In sweet, sweet name of Jesus, Amen!"