Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!! I have not been blogging and this is going to be short. Just had to say Merry Christmas and I will be back sometime with lots of pictures. Luke is home and all is good!! He will only be here one more week. We are enjoying our time together and I don't want to waste it on the computer!

So thanks for stopping by. I hope your Christmas is wonderful. And to our family, we will be talking to you soon! Love you!

Christmas Tour

Last year I did Boo Mama's Christmas Tour of Homes. You can click there to go see what it is if you are interested. Tons of people participate, showing off their Christmas decorations. I love peeking into other people's houses so I love it. You can click here to see my tour from last year. Things are different this year. You can click on almost all of the pictures to see them bigger.

Not much outside. With Luke gone, the dead grass is still too high in spots, the flower bed looks bad, and no way would I climb to do lights. So the porch is all there is. Mom got me the sled when she came to visit. We saw it in a Christmas store and I loved it. Thanks Mom!

Front door wreath. Mom also did the bow for me and put on the candy canes.

Come inside....

Here is the fireplace.

The tree. This is not a good picture but I took about 100 and this is the best I got.

Here is my version of snow in Texas.

Trees on the coffee table. Also our picture album of the kids each year at Christmas.

The nativity that Luke got me last year for our anniversary. It stays out all year.

This is my Texas Santa that I found at Hobby Lobby. I love him.

And the dining room. Snowflakes hanging from the lights. And a small tree that has most of the kids' homemade ornaments.

I decided to put my Polish pottery ornaments on their own tree instead of letting them be lost on the big tree.

On to the kitchen. I went a little crazy in here this year. I decided to decorate the tops of the cabinets. Also we have a big candy theme.

Have a cookie!

My gingerbread tree is white this year and has candy too.

I really love the train cookie jar. Not keeping cookies inside though.

Merry Christmas!!!! Thanks for stopping by!!!

Sunday

Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning,
like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet,
so that when he comes and knocks
they can immediately open the door for him.

Luke 12:35-36

Cookie Makers

I vacuumed the kitchen four times today. I am sure there is still colored sugar in the floor.

So serious.

Still Alive....

We are still alive here. I thought I should check in just in case anyone was wondering. Most of you know that my parents came to visit so I have been too busy to get on the computer much.

Dad called last week on Wednesday evening and asked if we wanted some company. He said they were leaving Thursday at noon. So on Friday evening they arrived. It was a short visit because they left yesterday morning to go back home. It was quick because Dad had some time off work but he has to be back to work next week, Monday I think.

But now they are gone. So are things calming down now? No. Luke should be home on Wednesday. I have to finish my Christmas shopping and have everything ready before he comes home. I am trying not to get all stressed out. I almost don't believe he will actually be here so soon. He has been gone for 7 1/2 months. I really am afraid to believe he is actually coming. I probably won't be 100% sure until he calls me from the Dallas airport. It is kind of hard to trust the army after they extend a deployment a month away from when you should be home. That really makes you try not to get your hopes up anymore.... But I have to plan on Wednesday for now.

Now I need to get out of here. Have a book fair to go to and some things I have to pick up and shopping to do. I still have not gotten the picture taken for our Christmas card. Hope to do that this afternoon...

I love Christmas. I love Christmas. I love Christmas. Really, I do......

Celebrity Sighting

We had a celebrity sighting today. For real.

We went on base to get E a haircut. After the haircut, we decided to go into the PX to look around. Right up front there was a set up with a CD signing. There was a line all the way to the back of the store. We had to walk right past the famous person to get into the store.

These are the wonderful pictures that we got with the cell phone.




Can you tell who it is??? Well I didn't know who he was either. If it had not said his name behind him I would never have known. It was Tracy Lawrence. I don't listen to country music so I can't tell you anything he sings now. I do remember him from when he first came out though. I did listen to country back then. I remember liking his song called Alibis--wow that is a weird looking word. Anyway, he looks nothing like the person who sung that song all those years ago and I would never have recognized him. Plus he was dressed in regular clothes and a baseball cap. Male country singers should not be allowed out without their cowboy hats--especially in Texas. Okay, mostly I just don't get into famous people.

I think we actually heard him sing at some kind of appreciation day on post back before Luke left. I think it was him that was there giving a concert. I think he is very supportive of the military and that is pretty cool. He has a new Christmas CD out now and I think that is what he was supposed to be signing.

You know I think this is the only celebrity I have ever seen. One time I did sit in the OB dr's waiting room back home with Tim Irr from wsaz news, does that count? LOL

B wants to know why it could not have been Hanna Montana. The kids took the cell phone pictures for me but they were not impressed. Only Hanna or a monster truck driver would impress them. But I think I like it that way...

Learning

I love watching the kids learn something. Watching K learn to read and write is just amazing me right now. I don't know why it is so amazing when she is the third child. B learned differently, without phonics and did not learn to write words the way that K is doing. E learned this way, but being a boy he only did it at school when he had to. K loves it and writes words all the time. It amazes me when I find something that she has written without asking anyone how to spell.

She bought a diary with some of her birthday money. I thought it was crazy--she wanted it because of the cute cat on the front and it cost 10$. But it was her money and I let her. I hope that I am able to keep this little book forever. I can't tell you how sweet it is already. Here is one page from the beginning. It says "It is nis(nice) her (here) en (in) this hows (house). Then on the other page she has written some of her sight words from school.

Yesterday I moved the chalkboard to the other side of the room with her dolls and animals that she plays school with. She has been playing school since B let her have the chalk board in her room.

This is what was written on the board last night. Welckam to my klasroom.

Sometimes she is so cute it can almost make up for the screaming fits she has in the mornings. Almost...

Christmas questionaire

RANDOM QUESTIONS REGARDING CHRISTMAS THAT YOU ARE INVITED TO ANSWER EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE FORTY OTHER THINGS THAT YOU REALLY SHOULD BE DOING

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both. When I wrap it looks like a kid wrapped it.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial now.—See last year’s post!

3. When do you put up the tree? This year I put it up on Thanksgiving. It is the earliest ever. Luke is not here to tell me I am crazy—and now I don’t have to worry about it dying before Christmas!

4. When do you take the tree down? Usually one or two days after Christmas. The mess and clutter of Christmas day get to me and I want to clean everything up and put it away. This year I will try to refrain until Luke leaves.

5. Do you like eggnog? No. Gross!!!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Not sure but one I remember best was roller skates, fifth grade.

7. Hardest person to buy for? My husband probably.

8. Easiest person to buy for? My son. Boys are way easier than girls as they get older. Plus he wants everything!

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Of course. The reason for the season has to be displayed!! Also last year Luke got the me Willow Tree.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Email?? Does anyone really do that?

11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Boys' tennis shoes from Mamaw. I miss her crazy gifts.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Miracle on 34th Street—original. But I also like It’s a Wonderful Life no matter how many times they show it on tv. And Frosty—cuz I always think about my brother crying every time he watched it. LOL—love you John!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Whenever. This year I started before Thanksgiving and that was good for me.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don’t think so. I really don’t regift, I just give away.


15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Gingerbread cookies. Sugar cookies. Any and all Christmas cookies. I could use some of Aunt Shelma’s pb fudge for Christmas this year…..

16. Lights on the tree? Well of course. White ones.

17. Favorite Christmas songs? O Holy Night. Jingle Bell Rock. Rockin Around the Christmas Tree. Elvis’ Blue Christmas because of Mom. And again this year I am enjoying Third Day’s Christmas album—but as I have said that guy could sing the ABC song and it would sound AWESOME.

18.Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home alone. But I miss you all!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen. And Rudolph!!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel. But this year she is unlit. When I took her down last year I noticed that God took very good care of us and did not let our house burn down. The angel’s insides look like she was almost aflame!!!

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One on Christmas Eve—pjs. It’s a tradition.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Stress? But I LOVE this time of year and wish it lasted longer.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Red, traditional and homey—nothing too fancy for me. And I love Santas too. Along with all the nativities FIRST.

24. What do you want for Christmas this year? Just Luke home.


25. Favorite tradition? Having cake and singing Happy Birthday to Jesus with the kids.

Thanksgiving

3 things I am thankful for...

We had a big dinner with everything they wanted to eat.

She enjoyed the stuffing and potatoes.

He had four pieces of turkey and two pieces of pecan pie.

She mostly enjoyed the pecan pie again.

We have a lot of leftovers. I cooked as much as I would have if Luke was here.

After dinner I napped a little while we watched Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving. Then we took a little walk and put up the Christmas tree. It was a good day even though we missed Daddy. Hope you had a good day too!

School Pictures

They are scans and they are not straight but here are the kids' school pictures. K will have to retake hers but these two are good. They look so grown up....

Operation Christmas Child

I got all of our church's boxes today and I took them to the drop off center. We had 27 boxes. It is more than I expected, but I know we could have gotten so many more. I am not disappointed because it is 27 more boxes than would have been done if our church had not gotten involved.

What is really amazing is my mother-in-law has her church back home do OCC also. A small little church in a tiny little town. Well tonight they finished up 507 boxes. 507. Wow. That church may be small but they have some big hearts!! They work really hard getting all those boxes together too.---So thank you Branchland!!! I thank you on behalf of 507 little souls.

God is amazing.

This is funny!

I am sorry to those of you who are not able to see the videos I post--(sorry Amy), but I have to share this one! I don't even know if anyone looks at the videos when I post them. But this one is hilarious. At first I thought I am just easily amused (ok so I am) but I shared it with Luke and he said he didn't know when he laughed like that last.

If you don't know the original song then you just won't get it. But if you remember the horrible original video then you have to think this is funny.

Where did last week go?

I have not been very chatty lately and I apologize. I know there are not very many of you who come to visit me, but I know it can be disappointing to visit a blog and find nothing new.

Last week went by so fast I almost feel like I missed it. I don't like that. But at least it is getting closer to time for Luke to come home and that can only be good! We all miss him terribly and are looking forward to his R&R time.

Do you remember when this happened last January?






Well this is one thing I was dealing with last week that kept me busy.

On Monday at school E fell on the playground and hurt his arm right around his elbow. It was pretty much the same exact thing that K did before. When he came home from school he still could not move his arm much so we took a trip to the ER Monday night. We got an x-ray that said maybe broken, maybe not. Wear the splint and sling and follow up later in the week.

I have to say E is not as good a patient as K was. Maybe it is because he is a boy! So he stayed home from school Tuesday because he was still swollen and trying to get use to the sling.

But fortunately when we went to the pediatrician on Thursday, he said it was not broken and E could take off the splint and start using his arm again. Immediately he wanted to play football with his friends. He was fine. It took a couple more days for him to be able to move it completely without any pain at all and now he is fine.

E usually does not participate in praise and worship at church, he just stands there. Yesterday I looked over to find him singing "Look What the Lord Has Done". I grinned at him and whispered that now he could really say "he healed my body". He liked that a lot. He prayed every night not only for God to heal his arm, but to let him learn to deal with the sling with a good attitude!

I can't tell you how happy to made me to look over and see him singing in church! And at service last night K had to stay out with us until after praise and worship. She usually goes to class as soon as we go into the church but her teacher wasn't there. She must have been happy during praise and worship too, because she was raising her hand. I don't think she knew the words to sing but she was trying to praise anyway. It was really sweet. She wasn't exactly sure why she was doing it until I explained to her it was one way of praising God and then what praise means. She liked the explanation and kept doing it!

Yesterday was also our collection day at church for Operation Christmas Child. We still have some stragglers coming in Wednesday and then I will be delivering the boxes to our local drop off point. You probably know how I feel about Operation Christmas Child. If not, please read last year's post here. I will report later this week how many boxes we collect here. I would love to hear how many you collect back home. I know we don't do as good here as we did back home, but I am not disappointed. Each box is one child who will get a gift and the chance to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. One little life that may be changed and one more soul that may be added to the kingdom of God. If you haven't packed a box, please do! If you don't know what to do, ask me I promise I will find you someone local to help!!!

I don't know where the rest of last week went. Hopefully I will post more this week.

Sunday (from downhere)

How many kings, stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
How many Gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that has torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?


Only one did that for me

Wordless Wednesday