Pinewood Derby 2011

I once heard someone say that a blog is a place for mom's to brag on their kids. While I strive to bring my readers more depth than frivolous accounts of our day and self-indulgent photographs...this is going to be an exception!

Joshua competed in the Boy Scout Pack 777 Pinewood Derby last night and brought home the coveted Coolest Car Trophy.

While his police cruiser may not be able to catch the other hot rods in a high speed chase, it was voted the coolest car by his fellow boy scouts.

Look at the size of that trophy!

Way to go Joshua!

Snow Day

Top 5 Things To Do On A Snowday:

1. Sleep In. After the kids went to bed last night we received the one-call that our school was canceled today. No 5:30 alarm for the morning! We are sleeping in...well at least until 6:15am when the kids slowly started trickling in our room.

I have to wake them up every morning for school at 6:40. Steve sometimes carries them downstairs because they are so tired...yet today, with no school they wake up on their own!

2. Visit the Doctor. For our kids this means not only an exam and maybe some medicine but also spinning in daddy's desk chair, suckers, and stickers! The only downside was they had to get dressed...no PJ day.

3. Popcorn and a Movie. Yes, right in the middle of the day. They were so excited when I said we were going to watch a movie and have popcorn and root beer in the middle of the day. After lunch I told them they could even bring their blankets downstairs... about 30 seconds later this is what I found!

4. Games. Trouble, Richard Scary Busytown (which I highly recommend - it is a GREAT game), the Ladybug Game (also lots of fun), Operation (or as Katherine calls it "that don't touch the side fang (thing)), etc. Steve and I are always looking for opportunities to build character in our children. Well you don't have to look hard for this one! Learning to "lose with dignity" (in other words, not rolling around the floor crying when you lose...or are about to lose...or have the slightest perception that there is a small chance you might lose) is a commonly spoken phrase in our house these days.

5. Play In The Snow. I had to be creative with this one because there is no way you are going to get me out in 2 degree weather to play. That is insane! The kids did go out to play...and stayed almost as long as I spent getting them dressed. So for our arts and craft time today we made Instant Snow!

You can buy the powder from www.discountschoolsupply.com ,you just add water and within seconds you have a plate full of snow. No gloves! No ice! No frostbite! This is my kind of snow!

Oh, I just thought of like 4 more things...which would make this a top 9 list, which is awkard. And I have spent way too long trying to come up with number 10. It is late and my alarm is going off at 5:30 tomorrow. So I will end with a quick thank you...

Thank you God for the snow outside that has allowed me to spend a delightful day with my children.

The Things They Say...

I was replacing our family portrait hanging in the family room with our new Christmas picture, while looking at the old one, Katherine says, "are you going to sell it at the yardsale?"...Dave Ramsey would be so proud!

Steve had been having some trouble with neck pain and at breakfast one morning I was teasing and told the kids that daddy was getting real old and sometimes old people's bodies don't work like they are supposed to. Katherine looked at me in all seriousness and said, "are we going to buy a new one?"

I was talking with Lydia and teasing about what I could do to stop them from growing so fast, we came up with a few funny solutions and Lydia says "how are we going to stop you from getting older?!" oh if we could only figure that one out!

For Christmas the kids bought me PJs with feet in them. They were a little big (size 10/12 from kids department at Target) and I said I would try to shrink them. Lydia says, "not too much..you might grow into them next year!"

Joshua to Lydia in the car one day, "what are you thinking in your head?"
Lydia, after being quiet for a moment says, "nothing"
Joshua, "you can't be thinking nothing, what are you thinking?"
Lydia, "nothing"
Joshua, "if you are thinking nothing then that means you are thinking something."

Katherine has learned than when spending the night with my parents, she can get up about 6:15 or so and crawl in bed with them. I was teasing her at breakfast and said, "Katherine grandma and grandpa are not used to getting up so early, they are retired now." Katherine responds, "I'm still tired too."

While brushing her hair one day Katherine says, "what's that fang (thing)I do?"
Me, having no idea what she was talking about said, "What thing?"
Katherine, "you know that fang I do."
Me, "I don't know what you are talking about."
Katherine, "you know, when snot comes out my nose."
Me, "sneezing.:
Katherine, "yeah Ive been doing that a lot."

Joshua came downstairs early one morning and immediately noticed that I had changed the calendar to December. He says, "is it December now?" me, "yes" him, "Can you buy Oreo cookies now!" (only the Dave Ramsey fans will get that one). What a great teaching moment!

On New Years Day we were talking about all the fun things we could do this year. I suggested "daddy could take us to Hawaii!" Lydia said, "or Disney World!" Katherine exclaims, "or Chuck-e-Cheeses!"

We were having a dance party while listening to one of the Rock channels on the TV, it shows still pictures of the artists while the song is playing. We happened to be dancing to Ozzy Osborne, I was telling the kids that I had seen him in concert before and it was one of my favorite concerts of all time. I told them that back in the 80s the boy rock stars wore their hair long. Joshua says, "oh because that was before they had razors."

Christmas Traditions

Parties for hosting

Christmas with Nani

Baking goodies with the B family at Aunt Missy's house

Christmas with Aunt Diane
Crafts with Aunt Diane

Christmas cookies...

with lots of sprinkles
Christmas presents

including a fuzzy coat and a piggy hat!

Christmas with Grandma and Papaw T.

Going to our church for Christmas Eve service

Presents at Grandma and Papaws

A white Christmas!

Santa brought Joshua just what he wanted...a real guitar!

Cookies and milk...and thank you notes

Grandma Eula's green Christmas cake

the Advent Calendar

Presents for Katherine

Pillow pets definitely brought the most squeals from the girls!

Three of my favorite gifts!

the Gingerbread house...we think it is the best one so far!

A wish list for Santa

Merry CHRISTmas!

Who [Christ], being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God

something to be grasped,

but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to death

even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the

highest place

and gave him the name that is above

every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee

should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus

Christ is Lord.

Philippians 2:6-11

Jolly ol St. Nicholas

What are you going to ask Santa for this year?
Joshua, "a banjo" -I have no idea where this came from, first I've heard of it!
Katherine, "a kitty cat-a real one!"
Lydia, "a real pig!"

Call it motherly instinct, but I had a feeling this might happen. Thankfully, I asked before we went to see Santa. I told them all to try again.

As expected, Katherine had no fear or reservations when it came to talking with old St. Nick. In fact, she ate about 20 cookies while we looked around the store. When I saw her getting more, I told her that she had eaten enough and she responded, "I asked Santa and he said YES!"

Merry Everything

I love the Christmas season. This morning while getting ready for church I was thinking that it is only November 28th and I have already completed my shopping (except for two folks I remembered later in the day), ordered Christmas cards, Christmas pictures have been taken, Steve has decorated the outside of the house-it looks beautiful, and yesterday we decorated our tree and I finished decorating the inside of the house. I was thinking now I can enjoy the rest of the season-baking candy, wrapping gifts, and hosting parties.

Then I went to church.
The sermon was on John 14:6 when Jesus very clearly and simply explained who He was to His disciples. It is a verse I memorized as a child. A verse that is the foundation of what I believe. The verse that forms my worldview. A verse that has the ability to make the blind see. A verse that can make those who are dead-alive. That is what it did for me so many years ago. Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through me." Politically correct? No. Comfortable for everyone? No. Offensive for some? Probably.

Conviction. Ugh. Lights...cards...pictures...parties...all good things. But what in the world happened to Christ-mass? The celebration of the birth of The Way? I don't know all the answers, just being transparent in the middle of all the chaos. Is this what Christ-mass has become? Shopping at 3:00am (I'm not picking on you-I was at Target at 4:15am)? Buying gifts for people who have more than 99% of humans who have ever lived on this planet? Decorations, cookies and parties?

...brings me to Merry Everything. While searching online for the perfect Christmas card, I noticed a new "greeting" to place on Christmas cards...along with Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays we now have Merry Everything. Seriously. Merry Everything? What does that mean anyway? Merry "you lost your job this year" Merry "your child was diagnosed with cancer" Merry " your husband died last week"...these are all things I have known people to face in the past month or so. Merry Everything. Really?

Merry Christmas. Merry "the birth of our Saviour." No matter the circumstance, whether it be as terrible as those I wrote above or as trivial as your heater going out in your car...when you are 2 hours from home...and it is only 30 degrees outside...and you have no tolerance for anything under 70 degrees...

Merry "the birth of our Saviour" makes sense. In the midst of all the yuck of life we can rejoice, not in our circumstances, that would be ridiculous, but in our Lord. "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice."

Our pastor never mentioned Christmas today. The sermon was on the exclusivity of the Gospel, meaning that Jesus is the only way to God. That is the beauty of it. A verse I learned so many years ago. A verse I believe with all my being. Yet He cares enough for me to use that very verse...today... to remind me of the true meaning of Christ-mass.