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Showing posts from December, 2011

The calm...

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Ahhh .....the calm after the storm. A great storm. A storm of food, family, and lots of fun :) It's hard to believe that my project for today is taking down all of the Christmas decorations. But what a wonderful season it was. The parties, the Christmas programs, the gifts....all now memories tucked away in my heart. There really is nothing like the excitement of Christmas when you are sharing it with a 4 and almost 2 year old. Jack in particular, could hardly contain his excitement on Christmas morning. Then after opening his gifts he attempted to use them all at once.....riding his bike, while holding his umbrella, looking through his binoculars and holding a plastic candy cane filled with M&M's. And I found it interesting that suddenly Jack was interested in "sharing." Meaning with every gift his little brother would open he would say, "we're gonna share that, right Chase????" oh dear. Chase of course enjoyed the continuous smorgasbord of food

getting closer...

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Only 4 more days until Christmas.  And I have to say I think I am just about as excited as my 4 year old!!  We have been counting down on our advent calendar ever since December 1st and the closer we get the happier I feel.  I cannot wait to see the joy in the faces of my boys as they open the gifts that I have chosen specifically for them.  Giving gifts is the greatest.  And it's not the quantity or size that matters, but it is what the act of giving stands for that is so important.  God gave us the greatest gift we could have ever imagined when He sent His Son.  His Son......a perfect symbol of love.  When I give a gift, that is the type of love I am thinking of.  Giving gifts to loved ones is a way to demonstrate the love and joy that God gave each of us.  All we have to do is receive it....and that perfect love is ours. The next few days will be spent cooking, baking, wrapping, singing, and soaking up precious time with family.  I'm ready.  I love Christmastime! Chase

Family...

The blessing of having a close knit family overwhelms me at times.  How fortunate I am to have been raised in a Christian home by godly parents who always had my best interest in mind.  And how fortunate I am to have a husband who was also raised in this way and whose family now loves and accepts me as one of their own.  And now to see that same love surrounding my own children nearly brings tears to my eyes.  My boys have had the privilege of being born into a family where they are loved from every angle.  What a rare gift!  What a gift that there is no discord among the two sides of our family.  Sure there are bumps along the way, but there is this feeling of an unbreakable bond that only God can and will supply.  I am so grateful for this blessing in life and never want to take it for granted.  It is the gift I am most thankful for this Christmas season.  So to each of you, my wonderful amazing family....Mom, Dad, Josh, Meredith, Riley, Mom, Dad, Maria, Michael, and Mason.....thank

For a smile...

The other day Jack was playing outside and found a caterpillar.  Which he loved.  And he called it a "fuzzy worm".  He kept it in the cup holder of his gator and was so proud of his new little buddy.  At lunch we were discussing this fuzzy worm and Jack says with some frustration, "but he's not turning into a raccoon."  A raccoon???  Hmm, how to make sense of this?  So I ask why the fuzzy worm would do that.  "You know," he says, "how he turns into a raccoon and then becomes a butterfly." Oh right.  "You mean a cocoon?"  "Yes!" he says with a shy little grin on his face, "that's what I meant." Love it.  Happy Thursday!  Grandma and Grandpa come tonight from Ohio for a weekend visit.  We. Are. Excited. 

The moon...

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I still remember the day that Jack first noticed the moon.  He was just starting to talk.  He and I were in the car and he points up to the sky and says, "ball!".  He has been fascinated with the moon ever since.  Even now at 4 years old he still gets so excited about spotting it, especially when it is full and bright and shining in all of its glory.  Last night was just such a night.  We had returned home from the children's Christmas program at church and Jack was asking if we could go outside and find the moon.  So we did.  He walked out of the garage and up the lane a bit, stopped, and looked up.  For about 30 seconds he just stood there, so still, and looked up at that big bright ball of light.  (And trust me, 30 seconds is a long time for this child to be still.)  Then he turns around and with nothing but seriousness he says, "I wish I could go to the moon."  I ask him how he is going to do that.  He thinks for a second, his face lights up and he says, &qu

Loblolly

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On Thursday Jack's 4 year old class took a field trip to Loblolly Acres Christmas tree farm.  Here are a few highlights.... Listening to thirty 4 year olds attempting to say "Loblolly" Watching thirty moms attempt to put gloves on their 4 year olds.  (This is by far one of the most frustrating mommy jobs associated with cold weather.  Why those 5 little fingers cannot just slip into those 5 little holes is beyond me) Hearing Jack tell Santa that he wants a big Case tractor for Christmas.  Jack asking me how Santa is going to get back to the North Pole and "why is he already here????" Watching Jack and his little friends feed Russell the goat Fruitloops out of their palms Squeezing together on the hayride in attempt not to FREEZE! Spending one-on-one time with my firstborn.  love that.

Kicking it off...

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Holy smokes.  What a week.  Talk about kicking off the Christmas season!  The first part of the week was filled with baking Christmas cookies and finishing decking the halls of our home.  Jack and daddy picked out a fresh cut tree to bring home.  Jack and I had so much fun decorating the tree together.  Chase had fun taking a nap while this happened.  When he woke up and saw the tree fully decorated and the lights sparkling I thought I may need to resuscitate him from the deep gasps he was taking while pointing with fervor at the tree.  It's such fun to see him take everything in.  Chase has also developed a deep love for Christmas cookies.  For those of you who don't know...Chase is our eater.  Loves. To. Eat.  The mention of any food, desserts in particular, usually brings a huge smile to his face along with lots of clapping and gasping.  He gets that from his daddy. :)  The weekend rolled in with a Christmas banquet at church on Friday night.  What a lovely time to celebrate