Monday, December 28, 2009

Getting Ready for Valentines

Valentine's Day is my birthday...so I am a little partial to the holiday.
So my Christmas is down and hearts are going up...








A Little Decorating

Done a little decorating to beat the after Christmas blues...






Had to get outside

The weather has not been the greatest, so I have gotten a little stir crazy...
decided to get outside and take a few pics.




Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas!

So...update from last post...easiest way to find the Christmas spirit is
through the eyes of your children...
These family pics are from our Christmas eve service at church.





Christmas at Bicky and Papas.
Davis and Bicky.
Me and Dad
Me and my baby brother
Me and my Mom
The kids and Uncle David



Christmas at Nana's
This is a pic of all of the grandkids on my husband's side of the family!

Our Niece and Newphew

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Christmas

Just not in the spirit.

Very emotional...my husband had a friend who lost his wife last week...keep thinking about that and him and their family and her. I didn't even know her well...but she got a bad headache and then gone the next morning...aneurysm.

Our life truly is but a vapor. But, it makes me think about all the things we or I spend my time on that are not important.

When I am gone...what will my family say? My husband? My friends?

It is true that we show what we care about by what we spend our time doing...one thing that I stress over is meals...when you have a family of seven, meal planning can be stressful...but why does it really matter? Or I worry about my kids face being clean or their clothes being cute...but WHO really cares other than me?

I am given every day and every day I make the decision of "choose this day whom you will serve"

Why do I spend my time on a hamster wheel??...sweep floor...make dinner...fold clothes...make lunches...make lists...cross off lists...make more lists...just to cross them off again.

And yet, how many times did I stop to talk to my kids...play a game with them...kiss a bo bo...hug my husband...listen to one of his stories...more times than none I am too busy to stop...got things to do. Are those things important to my family or just me?

I am in a different season in my life...my home is my calling...being a mom and a wife and a 4th grade teacher...not teaching at church or teaching youth or leading a Bible study...but being a mom. PERIOD. When it is only your family watching...how well do you serve God?

I have spent the last couple of days questioning God...how do you take a 30 year old momma from her 3 precious girls and husband days before Christmas? Surely there was someone else that could have gone in her place. I know that I should find comfort in knowing that one day her husband will be with her again in heaven, but really how comforting is that? To think of that daddy raising 3 little girls without their mom...just not much comfort.

And yet, I know God's ways are higher than my ways...a ten year old boy lost his momma seven years ago and because of that I got to step in and be his momma...he is absolutely the joy of my life...he was a gift from God during a really horrible time in his life and not such a great time in ours. Looking back I realize that God's hands were on us and him the whole time.

Yet from my perspective, at this point, I am not seeing God's hand...the hand that so graciously gave us our son seven years ago and our daughter three years ago and our baby two years ago and our son and daughter a year and a half ago.

The same hand that so graciously sent a baby...His only son...to be born in a manger for me. The baby that so often gets forgotten under all of the presents and cookies...

I don't want to forget...I want it to be at the forefront of my mind...Jesus is the reason for the season. The ONLY reason!

Friday, December 18, 2009

Grinchy Visit

YES!!...JB is the Grinch...him and one of his friends were the Grinch and Cindy Lou Who at my school this week!
That is a pic of me and my teaching partner and then Jazz's class got to come see the Grinch!



Sugar Plum Night




JB was a model for the Sugar Plum Fairy event in the Woodlands and I got to go...
it was fun to watch him...all of his friends are precious!




Let it Snow!

We actually had snow flurries a couple of weeks ago!