Family Day

Why is my blog not letting me write underneath the pictures??? It also won't let me center the pictures. It publishes in wierd places. Like this forinstance was typed beside the picture. Agghh! Anyway, we had a great Sat. We stayed home all day and didn't invite anyone over. HUGE! It was hard, but we did it. I made breakfast bars for shane. Recipe complimentary of my friend Sherri. I know they look like hamburger patties, but they are not. I also made homemade granola bars, yummy. We finished the night with a bonfire, farwell to the Christmas tree. By the way, Shane is a monster smore maker. Check 'em out!

IMAGINGUSA

My sister and I had a great time at our first photography conference, IMAGINGUSA. I learned so much. My head was spinning after the first day. I have fabulous new ideas for photography and can't wait to share them with you. But, you will have to wait for the finished product. We had ots of fun driving through TN in the little convertable. You can see Liz trying to stuff all of our luggage in!

Reece's First Baseball Lesson

Shelby, "Don't Touch Your Brother!"

Christmas Eve

The magic of Christmas. The long day home with family, the church service, the lights, the pajamas, the one-present-only opening, the couch time, the anticipation. I LOVE this night. It is so full of emotion. The joy of presents, the peace of the atmosphere, the love of family, the hope of our Savior. All wrapped up in this night. I am filled just thinking about it.

"Papa, dance wif me?"

Is there anything more heart melting than watching your Papa, that is what I have called my Dad my whole life, and the name stuck when he became a grandpa, give in to the pleas of your 2 year old asking him to dance? Nevermind the firelight and soft Christmas music in the background. Beautiful.

Christmas at our house...

I, like most people really love Christmas. My mother did a great job intentionally instilling in us Christmas memories. I remember the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the season. Our house was always dimly lit with tree lights and candles. It smelled like seasonal candles or pot roast, soup or cookies. The walls, mantel and windows were trimmed with lots of care. We recently helped my mom go through her many, many decorations and purged, a lot. She has been blaming every missing thing on that purging day, although I am pretty sure it has more to do with the fact that those items got lots somewhere in the last two moves. I have tried to instill these same type of memories in my family. I really wanted to focus every part of the season on Jesus's birth, so our decor reflected that, as well.

Our tree this year was beautiful. We decided to patronize a local tree farmer, staying away from the Big Named places we have been to in the past. We paid only a few dollars more and got a fresh-cut, beautiful 7 foot tree. Did you know the tress you get elsewhere are often cut in September from Canada and frozen for the months prior to there arrival at your local store!? I had previously re-arranged the living room so we could put the tree right in front of the french doors. (A very hard thing for me to do. Once I get a room perfect it is nearly impossible for me to imagine it another way.) But, I was so excited for the sparkly reflections, it was worth it! After we brought it home, it was better than I expected. I made ornaments with the names of Jesus on them (an idea I got from my friend Sherri last year) and added a few jewels I picked up at the store. We put a couple of ornaments that had something to do with the Christmas story, but that was it. It was perfectly simple, perfectly positioned, and perfectly sparkly! Oh, and we finally acquired a tree topper. The perfect star!

I so enjoyed this holiday season. Maybe it was the first snow, or the beautiful home we have been blessed with, or all the parties we got to host. It could have been the amazing Christmas Eve service we had at church where hundreds of people accepted the Lord, or possibly the fact that this is the first year in many Shane and I we able to buy each other gifts. It might be the small joys each day brings as the girls drink hot chocolate, or collect chicken eggs in the snow. But, I am pretty sure it is because the Lord Jesus came to the earth many years ago and because of His sacrifice, leaving heaven to come down on earth, walk among us and be put to death on the cross for my sins, I now have eternal life and a present life full of peace, joy and purpose. He has blessed me so much in ways I couldn't even begin to list, but know this. My life is fabulous, through and through, and it would not be that way if it were not for the reason for this season!

Winter Wonderland

We woke up to this beautiful sight. It snowed for 30+ hours. That doesn't happen often around here so we settled in and enjoyed it. My friend Rachel and her kiddos came over to hang out for the weekend and it was perfect, cause they would have been snowed in anyway! Sorry, I uploaded the pictures backwards and my VERY SLOW INTERNET won't allow me to reload them right now, so here is the day in pictures, backwards:)

Hot chocolate and a movie. They slept well.

Coming in wet and cold, and worm out.

Annalee in her igloo, trying to take a nap. NO! I did not let her stay there. Rachel writing Christmas Cards by the fire.

Coffee on the front porch.

Thanksgiving Part III

Prayer of Thanksgiving.

Liz and Tommy, so thankful.

Reece, the Pilgrim.

The Spread.

Asparagus, tasty!

Me, my sister and mom cooking the day away.

The Dolls.

Thanksgiving, Part II

One little...Two little...Three little Indians...

Avery

Annalee

Shelby

Annalee was determined to get in the ocean. It was not warm.

Thanksgiving, Part I

The girls playing on the pier.

Annalee, wearing Shelby coat, looking out at the ocean.

Lots of computer time.

Shane holding Shelby.

Tommy loving on Liz

Annalee and my mom sharing a moment.

Avery and Shane hanging out. Side note: Avery loves animals, because she loves to boss them around. She had a puppy on the end of this leash, the whole time.

4 Days at Oak Island, NC. I have to admit, I was not that excited about spending 4 days at a beach house with my husband, our many small children, my sister, her husband, my mom and dad and two puppies. Not that I don't love each and everyone of those components, except the puppies, but 4 days, in a small beach rental, with a lot of rain in the forecast, was not my idea of relaxation. I have a problem with clutter and disorganization, and I just saw visions of messiness everywhere. My skin gets crawly just thinking about it.

But, I was wrong. The rain stayed away, the air was crisp, the house stayed relativly clean, the kids weren't bored, Shane was a HUGE help, as always, and we loved it. It was relaxing, fun, a little sureal and definatley something I want to do again. My generous brother-in-law allowed us to come in and take over the beach house and was ever-so-graciously patient with us.

Shane's Mom had sown Pilgrim outfits for the girls and Reece, and matching ones for their American Girl dolls. One year for Shelby's birthday she had sown Indian outfits to go with a Perter Pan costume set she sent for a present. So we packed up the Pilgrim and Indian outfits and the girls played dress up all weekend. They were a hit at the beach and on the pier! So much fun, so many memories.