Just Sayin' Hi

I don't really have anything earth shattering or life changing to write about tonight. We are (like many people) wrapping up our Christmas Break and getting ready to go back to work and school. Patrick doesn't really take off per se, but since he is his own boss he takes it "easy" when we're off. He sleeps later and spends more time at home. Actually, he would probably sleep later even when I'm not off, but I make him get up. Hehehe. I'm nice that way.

But Monday morning reality hits once again. It will be time to get back "into the swing of things" so to speak. I don't mind working or having a routine, but I hate getting up early and getting dressed. Especially, when it's cold outside. And by cold I mean below sixty degrees. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like we'll be moving to Hawaii any time in the near future, so I'll just have to deal with it.

Hey y'all remember when I was complaining about 110 degree temps way back in September? And now I'm complaining about it being too cold! Human nature. It ain't pretty folks.

Anyway, hope everyone enjoys the last little bit of 2011. It's hard to believe it's almost gone. And we all know the world is ending in 2012.

I'm kidding . . .

Or am I?

No really, I'm just kidding. ;)

New Year's Resolutions

Do you make New Year's Resolutions?

I haven't in quite a few years. I should resolve to get back in shape, but the last time that I "got back in shape" I (of course) became obsessive and overdid it. I have a tendency to do that . . . overdo things.

I guess if I had to pick any resolution it would be to trust God more. To learn to live under His grace and stop trying to be perfect and perform all the time. I'm one of those people that is driven by performance (thought I should let you know just in case that had somehow eluded you). But I'm very slowly coming to the realization that nothing I can do or nothing I have done is going to get me anywhere with God. Actually, all it does is wear me out this trying to be perfect all the time. And then I fail miserably, and then I try to fix it, and you know, the cycle continues. So I don't know if I should call it a resolution since that is something that I would do, and my goal is more along the lines of allowing God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus (thought we should go ahead and put all three in there) to work in me and change me and transform me. I no longer wish to juggle my life. I stink at it.

What are your goals or resolutions or whatever for this year? Or have you decided to just forget the goals altogether?

The Day After . . .

December 26 . . . the day after Christmas . . . I know a lot of people find it depressing, but to be completely honest, I feel sort of relieved. I'm looking forward to getting the house and our lives back to normal (minus going to work . . . I'm off until next Monday). Right now our house is a wreck. I mean it is a huge mess, but as soon as I finish this, I plan on getting to work cleaning it up. All the Christmas stuff will go back into hiding until next year.

We had a great Christmas, and Andrew got more toys than any child should ever get. I mean seriously ridiculous. And he's still singing "Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell" this morning. He'll probably be singing it in July.

And now here are 26,000 a few pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Christmas Eve at my parents' house

We were able to restrain the boys for one decent picture.

Bored . . . when can we open our presents?

Come on people, these presents aren't opening themselves . . .

The reason we weren't opening presents . . . we were consuming massive quantities of food.

My wonderful grandmothers

Finally, presents . . . let the games begin!

Leaving milk and cookies for Santa.

The jet had to be in at least one picture.

And a picture with all the dinosaurs (in full fighting gear) was also necessary.

Right before bed.

Santa made it and left plenty of loot.

I interrupt this program to let you know that there are no pictures of lunch at my parents'. Between the insanity of getting ready for church and out the door on time, I failed to grab my camera. It wasn't anything too exciting . . . just more food.

Christmas night at our house with Patrick's side of the family. There is an intense video game battle going on here.

Pre-presents . . .

Post-presents . . .

And now it's time to clean up the mess.

Merry Christmas

Luke 2:1-21

King James Version (KJV)

 ¹And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
 ²(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
 ³And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
 ⁴And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
 ⁵To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
 ⁶And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
 ⁷And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
 ⁸And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
 ⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
 ¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
 ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
 ¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
 ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
 ¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
 ¹⁵And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
 ¹⁶And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
 ¹⁷And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
 ¹⁸And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
 ¹⁹But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
 ²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
 ²¹And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Twas the Night Before Christmas . . .

Twas the night before Christmas and all through our home
Not a creature was stirring not even a cell phone

The stockings were hung by the chimney with love
And all present were thankful for blessings from above

Santa had made his quick cheery appearance
The cookies were eaten
The bike was in attendance

We all snuggled down in our warm soft beds
And thought of a Saviour born without a place to lay his head

He came to this earth on a clear starry night
Born in a stable without fuss or fight

The angels assembled to sing His great praises
The shepherds bowed down to worship in amazement

Mary held this all close in her heart and her mind
And wondered what surprises in His life she might find

And now as we gather to eat and celebrate
Let us remember the reason we come together on this great date

He came to bring us forgiveness and unconditional love
To change our hearts with His light from above

He calls us each to live in worship to Him
To a life that is washed from darkness and sin

And so we exclaim in on Joy this day
Happy Christmas to all
And thank God for a babe, born in a stable, in the hay

Christmas Night Menu

The "Christmas Conundrum" has been solved, and my Christmas night menu is planned and ready to execute. I'm keeping it simple because we are having lunch at my parents' (prime rib . . . heavenly, heavenly, heavenly) and won't be home until around 4:00 Christmas afternoon. Plus I like Christmas night to be laid back and cozy, and I think this meal fits the bill. I'll have time to do the prep work Christmas Eve, and I'll throw everything in the crockpot Christmas morning before we hit the road.

So with the help of Pinterest I was able to form my Christmas night menu. I like to have something out for everyone to snack on when they first arrive so I thought I'd keep it simple with crackers and brie and maybe a little fruit. For dinner we're having crockpot potato soup (which I've never made before so I hope it's decent) and ham and cheese sliders.

Source: bettycrocker.com via Courtney on Pinterest

Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via Courtney on Pinterest

I think that for the soup I'm going to add ham instead of bacon to make it a little more hearty. I'm also eliminating the poppyseeds and onions from the sliders since I'm not sure they'd be a hit with the kiddos, and I'm basically just going to pour melted butter over the top before baking. I'm also doing one pan with swiss cheese and one with american to make sure that everyone is happy.

For dessert my mother-in-law and sister-in-law are bringing something sweet, and I grabbed a Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake which is currently in our freezer. I also have the gingerbread men I baked and decorated completely on my own the other night since someone who shall remain nameless decided he was no longer interested . . . ahem . . . Andrew.

Obviously this is going to be an extremely "cheesy" meal. No pun intended. But I figure if you want to make most people happy just add cheese and butter, and you have a hit.

Anyone care to share their Christmas Eve/Day meal plans?

His Name Shall Be Called . . .

We live in a world that is searching for peace. Even Christians run around frazzled, burnt-out, tired . . . Why? Because, we've forgotten the true reason for it all. It all comes down to a baby, born in a barn (a stable . . . a manger . . . a barn). It comes down to our extraordinary God . . . the one true God . . . who chose to come to Earth and live what some would call a rather ordinary life so that we can be saved. It comes down to a Man (who was so much more than a man) who gave His life on a cross so that we might be forgiven and live in peace. It all comes down to Jesus. Jesus . . . God in human form . . . the Light of the World . . . our Saviour . . .

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)

What We Did Today (Also Entitled: Why I Will Stare At You if You're Wearing a Face Mask in Public)

Yikes! Ridiculously long title.

Today Sarah and I took the boys to a movie and out to lunch before all the Christmas madness begins. We also made them do a small amount of shopping with us. Nothing too complicated, just Sam's and Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Seriously though, it's about all I could take. I thought that maybe on a Monday afternoon there wouldn't be too many crowds. Wrong. It was a madhouse.

Whilst checking out at Sam's, I looked across the way and saw a lady holding a mask over her face. Of course, my curiosity was piqued, and I proceeded to stare at her without shame (yes, I know that's extremely tacky, and no, I wasn't as blatant as I sound). I had already seen her around the store, and she had not had a mask on any of the times I had passed her and been sharing an airspace with her. At first, I thought she may just be a huge hypochondriac like myself and didn't want to catch anything. But then she took off the mask to talk to the checker, and everytime she spoke, she covered her mouth with her wallet. But alas, I suppose the wallet wasn't good enough because she started covering her mouth with her hand, and then she would take her hand away from her mouth and touch the keypad. You know, because covering your mouth does a whole lot of good when you turn around and touch everything within reach. Y'all I kid you not, I would not have been able to stand there and continue checking her out as if nothing was wrong. Clearly she had some sort of contagious ailment, and all I could think about was "Contagion". Which I didn't actually watch by the way. Really people, if you are sick enough to require a face mask, keep yourself at home and don't contaminate the rest of the free world. Thank you.

In less traumatizing news, Andrew apparently thinks I'm completely deaf because he has now told three different people, within six feet of me, exactly what he got me for Christmas. And then he says, "Shhhh, don't tell my Mommy!" Ummm, hello child I'm standing right here. And he got me a red, flower necklace from the costume jewelry section of JcPenney's. He showed it to me before he hid it from me and headed off with my mom to buy it. He doesn't get it.

A Letter To My Daughter

Dear Sweet Little Girl,

As we sit here preparing to celebrate another Christmas, I look forward to the day when you will be in my arms. I look forward to the day when you are part of our Christmas cards, our Christmas pictures, our Christmas memories. I look forward to the day when I can see your little face light up at the lights and presents under the tree.

I pray that someone is rocking you and holding you close today. I pray that your clothes are warm and your tummy is full. I pray that receive a Christmas gift and know the love of Jesus this Christmas. I pray that God will send his angels to guard and protect you.

It seems so strange that you can miss someone you've never met, but I do miss you. And I long for the day when you are here. You are already a part of our family. You already live in our dreams and in our hearts. I love little girl, and I wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Love,

Mommy

Christmas Conundrum

Every year since Andrew was born we've hosted a Christmas dinner for Patrick's side of the family. Usually it's on Christmas night (except for the first year because my sister-in-law was pregnant, and Christmas was too close to her due date). The first year we had a full ham dinner with all the sides and desserts, the second year we had lasagna, the third year we had soup and sandwiches, and last year we had lasagna (again).

I love having dinner at our house, and I love having everyone over. But this year I have a problem, and I blame it completely on Pinterest. I normally don't spend a whole lot of time on Pinterest, but here lately, I've been looking for recipes, and good grief, have I found recipes galore. And then my cousin and my sister keep repinning recipes, and as a result, I keep adding to and changing my menu. I think we're going to have a smorgasbord of different foods, but I may change my mind again. No matter what we have, it will be fun to just have everyone over and together. But seriously, if you have to make any sort of logical decision, stay away from Pinterest.

I mentioned on Twitter the other night that Patrick got me an early Christmas present. Most of you know I don't really like Ikea (as always no offense to anyone), and I hate that you have to walk 650 miles through the whole store to get to the end of the yellow brick road, and honestly, I'm just not impressed with the overall quality of their stuff (wow! major run-on). But there was this one small island that I really liked. It's all wood, and it's the perfect size for my kitchen. We went to get it back in September, but they were out of stock. Since it's a long drive, and since Patrick and I both hate Ikea, I had kind of given up on the idea of getting it. Anyway, the other day, Patrick had to go to Austin for something related to Real Estate, and he drove all the way to Round Rock and came home with this. If that isn't romance then I don't know what is!

And it now sits assembled in my kitchen. I'm so happy. It fits perfectly, and I now have something on which to roll out dough. Score! (You know, because I spend so much time rolling out dough.) And once again I must reiterate, if you love Ikea please don't be offended. I just can't bring myself to love that store.

Morning Haze

I woke up this morning at five o'early (it was actually 5:40, but "five o'early" is much more dramatic). I'm not a morning person. I'm a night owl. I accomplish more between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and midnight than I do at any other time of the day. But nevertheless, I teach. And teaching requires that I be at school before the sun has decided to fully shine on this world. So I must wake up between 5:30 and 5:45 almost every day (well except summer, and weekends, and holidays). Approximately 187 days a year I bound (okay crawl) out of bed in a sleepy haze and force myself to go through the motions of preparing for another day. Which is why caffeine is an essential part of my morning routine.

Funny thing about caffeine . . .  I have a low threshold for it. Too much in a short amount of time, and I'm a shaky crazy woman. My heart races, my thoughts make no sense, and I feel sick sick sick. But oh glorious coffee how I need you each morning to make me fully alert and awake and to keep me from doing something inexplicably stupid in my morning haze.

Dramatics over . . . sort of . . .

So this morning I fixed my coffee as usual. I put a drop or half a cup of creamer in it (don't judge). And then without thinking, without stopping to consider the large amount of steam coming off my coffee, I took not a sip, not even a gulp, but a big 'ole swig. I mean I started drinking it like a man who had been without water for a week. And it was HOT! I promptly spit it all over my kitchen counter. Because I'm graceful like that. Nevermind, that the sink was six inches away. Nevermind, that I could've gulped it down. Nope I spewed it everywhere. And since I was already on a roll, I turned on the cold water and started drinking it straight out of the sink. Water was pouring all over my freshly made up face, but I didn't care. All I cared about was sweet relief.

And then I cleaned myself, and the evidence of the whole thing, up and went on about my merry little way. Because that's how I roll.

It was one of my finest moments. And believe me I've had some fine ones. Thank you morning haze.

How Many Kids I Actually Have

This is my nephew Anthony (who was forced to sit in Santa's lap this year).

I'm sure you've seen him in a lot of my pictures, and I know some of you (that don't know me in real life) may be under the impression that he's my son.

He's actually me sister's son. My sister and I are very close (which is a little insane since we really didn't like each other when we were younger), and we spend a lot of time together. Since he goes to the school where I teach, he also comes home with me on most days (which is awesome because he entertains Andrew).

Andrew is under the impression that Anthony is his "brudder" which further adds to the confusion. I've tried to explain that he's not, but he's not buying it.

Needless to say, Anthony is one of the sweetest kids you'll meet. His personality is a lot more like mine than my sister's. Which means that he's pretty darn near perfect. (That's a joke.) Since he was born (almost nine years ago), I've rarely gone more than a few days without seeing him. He's great with Andrew, and he's just a great kid all around.

And I hope that clears up any confusion about how many kids I actually have.

Wishing You A Gloriously Imperfect Christmas

Y'all I feel like I've been going nonstop for the past few weeks. I have baked until I can't bake anymore, I've wrapped my little fingers to the bone, I've decorated and then redecorated, but between work and keeping up at home, I've been so busy that I haven't really had time to enjoy any of it. And you know, it's really my fault.

I'm not very good at sitting still or relaxing. When I sit down, all I can think about is all there is to do. Laundry, dishes, presents to be wrapped, those last minute gifts to grab, papers to grade, toys to be picked up . . . I have a huge problem with perfectionism and with having to have everything finished perfectly before I can relax. And every woman knows that "it" is never all finished. I'm finally starting to see this as a problem, and not as something good. I'm not talking about excellence. I'm not talking about doing your best. I'm talking about always having to have everything perfect to the point of driving everyone else crazy. I'm talking about comparing yourself to everyone and everything else and trying to decide if you measure up.

Y'all I've come to a point where I know I have to stop. I've got to learn to accept myself and those around me as imperfect and "go with the flow" a little more. I know when I say my perfectionism is a problem I sound like the person that says "my greatest weakness is that I'm an overachiever" in a job interview. Sidenote: Please, if I'm ever interviewing for a job, do not say that. I will not hire you if you do. Sidenote over: When I say my perfectionism is a weakness, it really is a huge glaring one.

So anyway, God's working on me in this area. I'm not saying that I'll ever be a slob, or that I'll have an inch of dust on my coffee table (it ain't happening people). But the laundry can wait until tomorrow. And I can go to bed even if Andrew's toys are spread from here to kingdom come. I can enjoy what I've been given without everything and everyone being perfect, and I can focus on the real reason we celebrate Christmas. It's not the gifts or the decorations or the parties (although they all add to the fun and festivity). If we took all of that away we'd still have Christmas because ultimately, it's about a Saviour who came to this world as a baby so that we would not have to strive for a perfectionism we could never attain.

Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town

This morning was Breakfast with Santa, and so we got up bright and early and headed to meet the big man himself. Andrew was really excited, and Anthony informed me he was just going to stand beside Santa. Maybe shake his hand . . . I think he's on to us . . . oh and I made the part about shaking his hand up. But seriously, I think he's super suspicious. :(

One of the things I love about Breakfast with Santa is that it's not just throw your kid in Santa's lap, snap a picture, and on to the next kid. Remember the scene from "A Christmas Story"? It's the polar opposite of that. It's more like a conversation with Santa, and they take a ton of pictures and then hand you a c.d. to do with as you please. And then you get to eat pancakes, with sprinkles, chocolate, and whipped cream. What more could you ask for?

Please excuse all the pictures. I couldn't decide which ones to post so I posted them all.

This was a very deep, highly intellectual, intensely philosophical conversation about a Spiderman Bicycle. (Yes I overdid it on the adjectives.)

Anthony wasn't too thrilled about this. He was coerced by one of the nice ladies to "just sit on Santa's lap for a second." Then he was trapped. Oh and none of the pictures of the two of them with Santa were very good. It was like everyone was looking in twelve different directions.

I should also add that I didn't really check Anthony's hair this morning to see if it was laying down. Oops. Hope you're having fun in Vegas Sarah! ;)

Anthony is 8 not 28. He's just really tall.

After Santa we met up with my Mom and went on a shopping marathon. At least with two boys it seemed like a marathon. Not to mention that the stores were packed, and it's been a while since I've been shopping with my Mom. I'm a grab and go shopper. Mom? Not so much. But it was a lot of fun. And now I'm going to collapse.

Christmas Countdown

Another family with our agency received a referral for a toddler/preschool age little girl. Woohoo! I don't know many details, but it's always good to hear that those referrals are coming in.

We are definitely on the Christmas Countdown train at our house. Andrew can't wait until Santa comes to visit. He has informed me that he is "staying awake to catch Santa". I know kids have been plotting and planning this for years, but my child has an amazing capacity to keep himself awake. I'm hoping that the threat of Santa not coming if he's not asleep will stop this from being a problem. Otherwise the night before Christmas will be one late night in our house.

Tomorrow we're going to visit Santa. Yay! Andrew's really excited this year, and I think that he'll actually enjoy it. His first Christmas he was too tiny to see Santa. The last few Christmases he was excited until he got into Santa's lap, and then he froze. Hopefully, this year he'll actually talk and lose the deer in the headlights look.

Patrick and I are going to our first official Christmas Party tonight, and I have this really cute sweater dress I got from Banana Republic that I want to wear. But the weather here is kind of cool, and the party is sort of inside/outside so I'm afraid I'll freeze to death. Would it be totally inappropriate to wear my sweats?

Well I'm off to make myself presentable. My hair is super wild today, so hopefully I can tame it a little bit. Have a great evening everyone.

Weird and Random Thursday Thoughts

Do you like my titles here lately? They're really creative and original . . .

I'm pretty sure I wrapped 800 (give or take) presents last night. I'm also pretty sure I have 800 more to go. My back is killing me from sitting on the floor, but I have this thing about Christmas presents. They must be wrapped. I only use bags if I absolutely cannot wrap the gift. Now, birthday gifts? I'll throw them in any old bag I find. But Christmas gifts are more like a decoration. They must be sparkly and pretty and shiny to make up for what's inside.

My sister and brother-in-law headed to Vegas this morning so I'm officially the mother of two boys for the next few days. I would whine and complain and act like it's a really difficult job, but Anthony is really easy to take care of. Now if I can just keep Andrew under control.

Don't you love how I randomly change topics? Keeps you on your toes doesn't it?

I'm really sleepy. We had our work Christmas party yesterday afternoon, and I ate way too much. I may or may not have made myself feel sick. I also may or may not have woken up in the middle of the night with the world's worst indigestion. Not to worry, I have an arsenal of antacids to support my eating habits. Sorry . . . too much info.

I'm eating a lemon bar right now. I haven't weighed myself this week. I need to . . . maybe it would stop me from eating so much junk (did I mention we had tamales, cheese dip, and spanish rice for dinner?). I did work out on Saturday (it's Thursday btw). I'm hoping it will hold me through Christmas break. I actually like to work out, but I hate working out when it's cold. I want to wear sweats, but then I almost die of a heatstroke (because the almost dying has nothing to do with being so out of shape). So my solution is just not to work out at all. So far it's working for me. Now if I can just stop shrinking my clothes. ;)

Have a good Friday everyone!

How We Do Christmas (and a Christmas Wish for You and Yours)

Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year. I love to decorate, I love to eat, I love to wrap (and unwrap) gifts, I love to celebrate in every way possible.

Of course, first and foremost we focus on the real reason for Christmas, the birth of Jesus. We live in a world that tries very hard to celebrate Christmas without Christ. I'm not really sure how it possible to do that, but it's done. In our home, we read about the birth of Jesus. We talk about why He came to the Earth. Andrew has started asking a lot of questions about Jesus and who He is, and with it being Christmastime we've spent a lot of time talking about Jesus's birth, life, death, and resurrection. We really work to emphasize the true meaning of Christmas and the importance of giving to others because Jesus was given to us.

One of the ways we give to others is by packing the Operation Christmas Child boxes. We do this every year. I don't tell you this to "toot my own horn" or to say "look at the awesome givers we are", but to share a great way to teach your children to give to others. This was the first year that Andrew was really involved in packing the boxes, and he helped me pick out a lot of what went in each one. I'll admit that the whole process was a lot like having surgery without any anesthetic, but we (both) survived and lived to tell about it. And hopefully my child has a better understanding of the importance of giving to others.

We also do all the traditional Christmas stuff. We do believe in Santa (at least Andrew does). Patrick and I were raised differently in this regard, but in the end we've decided that as long as Christmas doesn't revolve around Santa then no harm is done. Santa brings one big gift and fills Andrew's stocking each year. The rest of the gifts come from Mommy and Daddy or various other extended family members (and believe me there are a lot). I know that many people choose not to do the Santa thing, and that's fine with me. I have friends and family that choose not to. The only thing I've ever asked is that they respect our decision to include Santa as part of our Christmas traditions.

Of course there are always gifts. I know quite a few people that say they are trying to move away from gift giving at Christmas, and they limit it to one gift or just a couple small gifts. While I see their point, I think you can give your child gifts without taking away from the real meaning of Christmas. I'm not saying go overboard or be too excessive, and this year we are trying to reign it in a bit, because honestly, the kid has too many stinkin' toys. But again, we have a huge family so I'm sure Andrew will get more than he needs.

Patrick and I usually do one or two small gifts for one another. We tend to buy what we want throughout the year so it's kind of hard to find gifts for each other at Christmas. This year I showed him exactly what I wanted so as not to cause any confusion. ;)

Our traditions leading up to Christmas are pretty simple. Every year for the past few years, we've taken Andrew to the Dickens Christmas Parade our town has, and this will the second year we do Breakfast with Santa, which is a lot of fun. We also have a Christmas Countdown Calendar. Everyday, Andrew moves the candy cane up one day. This has really helped with the, "how many days 'til Christmas?" question. Also, we always open one present on Christmas Eve. Traditionally, it's Christmas p.j.s, but then I had an "aha" moment and thought, "Why not let Andrew actually wear his Christmas pajamas before Christmas?" So, this year I'll pick a small toy or book for him to open before Christmas. Andrew has also requested that we make gingerbread men this year, so between all the Christmas parties and busy-ness, I'm going to attempt making gingerbread men, and I'll let him decorate them. This has huge potential to be a disaster.

So that's how we "do" Christmas in a very long drawn out post. I hope and pray that you and your family enjoy a very blessed and Merry Christmas season.  

(Our Christmas Card comes from Shutterfly.)

Monday Musings

If you don't like the weather in Texas just wait around for five minutes . . . I'm pretty sure that almost all of the 50 states lay claim to this saying (well maybe not Hawaii . . . ), but y'all honestly we've been all over the board here lately. Today the high was forty three. Forty-three in Texas, is like negative fifty anywhere else. And when it's cold, there are two things that I want to do more than anything else . . . eat and hibernate . . . in that order. I need to go to the grocery store, but I'm holding out for warmer temperatures. I don't function well at all when it's cold. But I'm not complaining. After the summer we had, I promise I'm not complaining.

In honor of the fact that it's cold out, I made Chicken Noodle Soup in the crockpot. You know, I didn't think it would work, but it did. And it was good. I didn't really follow a recipe. And if I wasn't so lazy I'd write out exactly what I did, but I'm lazy so I'll just give you the gist. I cut up the veggies yesterday. Then I put the vegetables, three chicken breasts, one can of broth, and about six cups of water on high all day. This afternoon I took out the chicken and put in some angel hair pasta on high along with a can of cream of chicken soup to thicken the soup. The noodles took around thirty minutes to cook, and then I added the chicken back in (chopped up). And that's about it.

Now I'm baking Paula Deen's Lemon Bars. Y'all these things are unbelievable. I'm actually making them for our staff Christmas Party at school, but I went ahead and made a pan for me Patrick. I linked the recipe if you want to try them for yourself.

Other than that we are busy, busy, busy. December is crazy. Oh and Andrew volunteered to play his "carmonica" at the next musical we have at my school. I can't wait to tell our music teacher. I'm sure she'll be really appreciative. ;)

The Best Part of Waking Up . . .

Is fire ants in your pantry. No really that's what I woke up to this morning. We've actually gotten some rain here lately. It rained on and off all day yesterday and is raining again this morning. Yay! for rain. Boo! for fire ants. When we have rain following long periods of no rain the fire ants emerge from deep in the ground and take over. And somehow they found their way into my pantry (which is not on an outside wall but whatever). Thankfully, they didn't get into anything major (food), but they were all over the floor. I hate fire ants . . .

Last night we went to Dickens on the Square which is a little Christmas festival our town puts on every year. Friday night kicks it of with a lighted parade. People decorate trailers and trucks and tractors with lights and kids pile in and on everything, and we have a parade. It's not the most . . . ummmm . . . elaborate (yes, elaborate is a very good word) parade you'll ever see, but it's cute and fun. The parade officiants and the mayor dress up in Dickens period costumes (just a fun fact, the town mayor is also our dentist). Santa even makes an appearance . . . sort of. Since it's a "Dickens" theme he's really Father Christmas, and he dresses differently. Andrew kept screaming, "That's not the real Santa. When can I see the real Santa?" I promise no one stared at us strangely (and if you believe that . . .).

I took my camera but forgot my memory card. Story of my life, but I do have a very small amount of memory built into my camera. Unfortunately, I can't find the cord to my camera so no pics. Sorry.

Here's a cute picture of Andrew with his new light up sword. Yes, I caved and bought him a junk toy. He kept asking for a lightsaber. How could I refuse? He has a new found love for Star Wars. I don't know if I've ever been prouder. (He hasn't actually watched an entire movie, but one day soon my friends . . . one day soon.)

Next week I'm taking Andrew and Anthony to Breakfast with Santa (Sarah and Hector are going to Vegas so I'm in charge of the Santa visit). Anyway, we'll get to see the "real" Santa, and I hope Andrew doesn't change his wish list. If he does, I'll have to go shopping again or risk blowing Santa's cover. ;) I promise I'll have pictures from that. The people there take them and hand you a c.d. I don't think I can mess that up, but that remains to be seen.

Have a good weekend everyone. Only three weeks until Christmas!

Let's See . . . (there's even pictures)

I had an almost four hour math curriculum, strategizing, planning, analyzing meeting today. I actually love planning and curriculum and instruction and math. I'm so fond of it, in fact, that I want to get my Masters in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in Mathematics . . . someday, when I have buckoos of time on my hands. But gosh, two weeks before Christmas break, in the middle of an incredibly stressful year, I'm just not that into it. We plowed through and got quite a bit accomplished however. So if I happen to teach your kid or a kid you know rest assured that their life and education will now be made even better by today's meeting.

Aren't you glad I don't teach grammar? Wait, I actually do teach grammar. That was a joke. Not the part about teaching grammar, but I don't use improper grammar in class. Just everywhere else in my life.

I'm rambling . . . can you tell?

So we got a new vacuum a couple weeks ago. And it was a little tricky to figure out. Actually, it probably wasn't tricky at all. I'm just not in the least bit mechanically inclined. Anyway, my cleaning lady was coming today, and I was afraid that she's also not mechanically inclined so I printed out some instructions for her . . . in Espanol because I don't think she reads English. Was that insulting or rude? I didn't think it was because the vacuum really wasn't easy to figure out. But then I didn't think the instructions did the greatest job explaining how to use the vacuum (I'm not entirely sure because I don't exactly read or speak Spanish) so I used google translate to add my own notes. That may have insulted her. Or she may just think I'm nuts. And she's not far off.

I tried to help Sarah and Hector and Patrick move our old entertainment center to Andrew's playroom on Sunday. I was able to lift it about a centimeter off the ground. I'm pretty sure I pulled twelve muscles in various places in my body. Which is why I'm best in an advisory position.

I promised you pictures. But I made you wait until the end. I'm nice like that.

Not sure what this is about. It's kind of creeping me out though.

This is his Gone With the Wind pose. He's swooning.

This one he said was (and I quote . . . hence the quotation marks), "beautiful". No insecurities here folks.

It's supposed to get really cold on Sunday. I think the high on Monday is supposed to be in the 40s. That may not be cold if you live in the Arctic Northern part of the United States, but here in Texas, that's pretty dern cold. Time to break out the footy pajamas.

Smile people! Tomorrow's Friday.

Stuff

Edit: In order to see the link to the song click on the word youtube.

It's been kind of a rough day back. Nothing major just a lot of minor stuff. That's all. I don't really like asking for this because I prefer to seem like I've got it all together, but if you've got a moment and feel so inclined would you please say a quick prayer for me? Sometimes all that minor "stuff" can really start to wear on a person.

I'm pretty tired and don't have much to say so I thought I'd share this youtube link to one of my favorite Christmas songs. For the most part I'm a Christmas music purist. I prefer the traditional songs, but occasionally (very occasionally) something new catches my ear. This isn't normally a Christmas Song, and it's certainly not traditional. It's also not new. It's just done in a new way. It's (based on) Pachelbel's Canon in D and is performed by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (I think it's called the Canon Christmas Rock). Anyway, I love it. (Also this isn't a "wedding" song . . . my husband seems to think it is since it's very popular at weddings. Sorry had to throw that in there.)

Hope everyone had a fantastic start to their week.

Qualified

As a mother I often feel so underqualified. I'm sure I'm not alone in this. I sometimes wonder if I'm crazy. Am I really qualified to be the mother of two children one of whom may come with some pretty hefty baggage even at a very young age? Am I really qualified to mother a little girl? I mean that's a job. And honestly, I think that mothering a daughter is much more difficult than mothering a son. They both have there challenges, but as a woman you have to be so careful not to push your own issues and insecurities on your daughter.

There are no college courses for motherhood. There are advice books, there are parenting books, but in the end they are really only some man or woman's opinion about how to parent. And the truth is I think that the devil wants nothing more than to make women feel underqualified. He wants nothing more than to make us feel like we just aren't good enough.

And that ladies, is where the real manual comes in. God's Word. I've been really focused on Proverbs 31 lately:

The Virtuous Wife (Proverbs 31:10-31 NKJV)

    ¹⁰ Who can find a virtuous wife?

      For her worth is far above rubies.

       ¹¹ The heart of her husband safely trusts her;

      So he will have no lack of gain.

       ¹² She does him good and not evil

      All the days of her life.

       ¹³ She seeks wool and flax,

      And willingly works with her hands.

       ¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,

      She brings her food from afar.

       ¹⁵ She also rises while it is yet night,

      And provides food for her household,

      And a portion for her maidservants.

       ¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;

      From her profits she plants a vineyard.

       ¹⁷ She girds herself with strength,

      And strengthens her arms.

       ¹⁸ She perceives that her merchandise is good,

      And her lamp does not go out by night.

       ¹⁹ She stretches out her hands to the distaff,

      And her hand holds the spindle.

       ²⁰ She extends her hand to the poor,

      Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.

       ²¹ She is not afraid of snow for her household,

      For all her household is clothed with scarlet.

       ²² She makes tapestry for herself;

      Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

       ²³ Her husband is known in the gates,

      When he sits among the elders of the land.

       ²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,

      And supplies sashes for the merchants.

       ²⁵ Strength and honor are her clothing;

      She shall rejoice in time to come.

       ²⁶ She opens her mouth with wisdom,

      And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

       ²⁷ She watches over the ways of her household,

      And does not eat the bread of idleness.

       ²⁸ Her children rise up and call her blessed;

      Her husband also, and he praises her:

       ²⁹ “ Many daughters have done well,

      But you excel them all.”

       ³⁰ Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,

      But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

       ³¹ Give her of the fruit of her hands,

      And let her own works praise her in the gates.

When I first began studying this I'll be real honest, my initial thought was, "Seriously! This woman apparently doesn't sleep. She never whines. She's always working. She's the picture of perfection. No woman can live up to this." And y'all in our, "Me, me, me . . . I need time for myself society" this just doesn't fit in.

But before you have a full on fit (much like myself), I want you to read vs. 30. "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised." There's the key. Fear of the Lord. If you go back to vs. 10, according to Strong's Concordance the word "virtuous" comes from the Hebrew word "chayil" and it means:

1) strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army

    a) strength

    b) ability, efficiency

    c) wealth

    d) force, army

It is the same word that was used to refer to the thirty thousand "mighty men of valour" in Joshua 8:3.

Y'all this isn't some wimpy timid woman. She's an amazing woman. She has strength, ability, efficiency . . . Which brings us full circle to vs. 30. In order to be any of these things we have to "fear the Lord". Fear of the Lord brings with it an ability to function in this world to our fullest potential. The word fear comes from the Hebrew word "yare'" which means:

1) fearing, reverent, afraid

That's what this whole "Virtuous Woman" thing is about. It's not about being perfect or qualified. It's not about running around like a mad woman trying to perform to please others. It's about holding God in the highest regard. It's literally about putting Him before everyone and everything else . . . our husbands, our kids, ourselves.

I'm still a huge work in progress. I think I fail at this on a daily basis. But it brings me so much relief to know that I don't have to be "qualified". That the more I seek God, the more He changes me. And the more He changes me the more "qualified" I become. Not because of anything I do or can do, but because of who He is in me.

Christmas "Descorations"

Disclaimer: I acknowledge that this is a totally shallow post. I acknowledge the ridiculousness of all these pictures. I acknowledge that most of you couldn't care less. I also acknowledge, that I'm nosey, and since I like looking at other people's decorations, I figured there may actually one or two of you out there who give a rip what my decorations look like. Otherwise, you can totally skip this post. My feelings will not be hurt. ;)

That's what Andrew calls them . . . descorations.

Anyway, I took a few (or 545 pictures . . . just kidding) of our Christmas descorations, and I thought I would show you.

I take no responsibility for the fact that these aren't the greatest pictures ever. Blame it on the camera. Oh and my house is not crooked. Apparently, I take crooked pictures. There was a crooked man, who had a crooked house . . . nevermind.

Our entryway and the view as you enter our house. (That monstrosity of an entertainment center is about say goodbye. All we need is about 10 strong men to help us move it. Any takers?)

 See Daisy? Patrick was trying to straighten the tree, and she made herself "comfortable".

Again, the tree is not leaning nor is the room. I consistently take crooked pictures.

Our tree is nine and a half feet tall. Every year I risk my life to decorate it. I stand on the top of a ladder and pray I don't fall off and hit the fireplace. Then I scream at Patrick to help me before I fall and die. It's a special time of tradition and togetherness in our family.

Sorry about the glare. Also, I know that the left picture of Andrew as a baby is crooked. I fixed it.

Our dining area. You see that nativity? It took me years to find a nativity I liked. I wanted something that looked somewhat realistic. Seriously, why do people think that baby Jesus should have blonde hair and blue eyes? Not only is that ridiculous, but it annoys the fire out of me. Anyway, I found that nativity at Dollar General a couple years ago. It was only $10, and I haven't seen one that I like nearly as much (and yes I'm aware that the wise men didn't actually come to the manger . . . I'm a preacher's kid . . . believe me I know). Two of my other favorite things are my night before Christmas plates and my snow villages.

These are my dining room Snow Villages. Not all of them are Department 56 Snow Villages (those things are 'spensive). The Candy Store (from "A Christmas Story"), the Dickens Clock Tower and the two houses to the right of it are true Snow Villages. The others are from various discount stores. The other thing you'll notice is that I have a mix matched set of houses. I like it that way. Which goes against my extremely OCD tendencies. 

The little brown cottage was one of my mom's first Snow Villages, and she gave it to me after we got married (awww . . . sniff . . . tear . . . how sweet . . . I wonder if she'd be willing to donate anymore of her Snow Villages to the cause?). She also bought me the white house for our first Christmas as a married couple. The second year we had it the dumb cat knocked it off the table and broke the chimney. Which is why there are wreaths glued to all sides of the chimney. Trying to hide the damage. I'm classy that way.

This is Pulaski's Candy Store from "A Christmas Story". I know a lot of people who can't stand the movie, but I grew up watching it. Some of my best Christmas memories are sitting beside my dad on my grandmother's couch laughing at the dogs eating the turkey and the infamous leg lamp. Anyway, a few years ago Department 56 had a whole line of Snow Village houses from the movie, and I got this one for a bargain price (probably because they discontinued them).

This is from The North Pole Series of Villages. I have these sitting on the table outside of my kitchen. My grandmother got us this for our first Christmas after we got married. Patrick was really excited (you'll need to say that with a lot of sarcasm). The train really goes. The track is magnetized. Andrew loves to "play" with it. I probably shouldn't let him, but well, anyway . . .

These are my Night Before Christmas dishes up close. Ain't they perty?

Kitchen table . . . since we eat here on a daily basis, I keep it simple. I threw those apples in the fruit basket for your benefit. There was nothing there. Either that means we eat a lot of fruit, or I need to go to the store.

My kitchen tree full of yummy treats.

So that's it. I don't really decorate the other rooms. Try not to be too relieved.

Maybe someday, when and if Patrick puts up the lights outside I'll show y'all what those look like. Otherwise you'll just have to survive on all of my beautiful indoor decor.