A Merry Little Christmas

Merry Christmas!

May you fall in love with the One who loves you to eternity and paid the price of death to get you there. May you accept all He has for you and wishes to give you: freedom, grace, peace, rest, hope, ... love. May this be the gift you remember long after the paper is off, the gift of life eternal, given to us by way of a newborn baby. Celebrating that baby...

Happy Birthday Jesus!

We have had such a fun month. Focusing on Christ and slowing down yet getting things done.

We went through Advent most every night. We used many different Advent things to pound into those little heads what Christmas is really all about. One thing we used was The ADVENTure of Christmas by Lisa Whelchel. Each night we learned of a story about how each of our customs and traditions may have come about. All in celebration of our Savior's birth. From church we got a chain of ornaments with colors to focus on and a little book like I Spy games with a reference from each day hidden in the picture. SO much fun they had with that one. We also read the usual scripture of the Babe's birth.

For Christmas the kids hit the motherload... Smiley got a guitar (the #1 thing she wanted), a lap harp , puzzles (some homemade by my mom), her own personal throw blankets and well, way to much! Jmama got a Baby Alive that talks, drinks, eats, pees, p.... (well you know) that was her #1 thing she wanted, she also got a vsmile laptop, her own puzzles, her own blanket and again way to much. The girls also got tons of shared items, sewing machine, Leapster2, board games. The Boy may have gotten the short stick this year but he never knew it. I was given a huge mountain for hot wheels and we had found about 100 cars at a yard sale over the summer so that was his big things. He was "bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb" at each and every one. Things with wheels are what he lives for I think. After playing with cars awhile he decided to climb the mountain.
Really cool was...Scrapbooks for each of the kids. I couldn't decide if they were for me or them so I didn't make a big deal over them. Now I have no excuse not to do it huh? Pray I will do them justice. We also got a digital pic frame, and John got a nice watch to go on his belt loop.

But far above all, we are blessed! Our girls know the Lord, Smiley was baptised this year, and Jmama made a profession after we all talked with Pastor Mark about Smiley's baptism. John has a stable job. I am still at home, homeschooling the kids.

If we all suddenly come up missing...Look to the Lord for with him we shall be ;)
Or see you next year!

The Joy of Jmama...

Sometimes things happen and we let them get away. Well, following a friend's blog idea, I think it's called a meme, I am going to show you some of Jmama....

First is a conversation I heard a few nights ago as we were looking at Christmas lights...

Jmama: (softly as if to her fellow seatmates) Quit, stop, ..... no, your crowding me....

I, of course pay little attention, she must be fighting with the boy.

Jmama: (a little louder) Quuuiiitttt, stop crowding up on me...

I turn to see if the boy has escaped from his containment device and is in the process of torturing his sister. Nope, not much more then the expected rise of his chest and the curve of his mouth around his processor appendage, generally called a thumb.

I then turn to the other seatmate, who is looking out the window enjoying the very thing we were doing, looking at lights (can you say cheap entertainment).

Now I am back to the look at her, she is in a all out wiggle in her own semi-containment device.

Me: What is wrong? (yes more than a little annoyance has made it's way from my lips)

Jmama: Their crowding up on me.

Me: Who? (Major sarcasm, I already know that the other seatmates are occupying their own personal space)

Jmama: The lights, their crowding up on me. See... (as we make our way to yet another Griswald type home)

Now I'm laughing so hard nothing but the faint sound of an asthma attack is heard.
Oh the precious joy of being a momma....

*********
Now on to the next joyous moment,

We went to a friends house for some Christmas festivities. Playdates for all. Girls are playing, boys are resting, dogs are chasing, moms are talking real conversations. Great time!

She had made the girls "Little House on the Prairie" bonnets for Christmas. Now my friend is not a seamstress, more like a beginner, and she had slaved away the night before, making these gifts for my children.
Don't you wish sometimes you had that first reaction on film, like you could send it away and make lots of excessively taxed cash? This is one of those times, a priceless reaction only in a still image. Do your kids ever do this when given a gift....

Thanksgiving in Mississippi

I am not any good with the pictures on this blog but I am trying.

This year for Thanksgiving we spent a few days with my big brother and his family. He has had his new house for about a year and this year he decided to host us for Thanksgiving.

Have you met our new vile, mean, vicious, flesh hungry, meat eatting, attack and guard dog?

Don't be scared of his viciousness, it is mearly an act.

He is Pocket the rocket dog, or Rocket the pocket dog.