Happy Thanksgiving, ROLL TIDE and let the Elfcapades begin!!!!

Wow, other than my recent tag, I really haven't had time to do much posting. I was getting some extra hours at the daycare (not that it has seemed to have helped our finances any, though I'm sure it has some) and Dylan started wrestling again so it has just been go go go busy busy busy around here, especially with a holiday thrown in there!

But I DID get some time to reflect on what I'm thankful for, so let me share a few things, just briefly:

1) I'm thankful for my messy kitchen because that means we have most likely had something to eat and made a mess doing it!

2) I'm thankful for my tiny little house that is crammed full of stuff because we are safe, warm and dry and all the "stuff" are mostly treasures to us, even though it may look like junk to someone else.

3) I'm thankful for my bickering, arguing, complaining kids because it means they are healthy and spirited!

4) I'm thankful for the piles of laundry because it means that my family is clothed and has either had fun or worked hard dirtying up their clothes.

5) I'm thankful for the taxes I've paid because at least I'm employed and I just so happen to be employed doing something I LOVE!

6) I'm thankful for God's grace and that all I have to do is ask for it because He certainly knows I need it--daily!

7) I'm thankful for my hectic schedule because it means that we have things that we enjoy and people who want to spend time with us.

8) I'm thankful when I encounter rude and ugly people because it makes me ever so thankful for my wonderful friends and family and it reminds ME not to be that way.

9) I'm thankful for having to hear all the people gripe about politics, religion, football games, gas prices and the sorry state of some of our country's affairs because it means we have free speech.

10) I'm thankful for the wet wash cloths that are left in the shower, the empty hangers left in the closet, the keys and change left on the piano and the dirty clothes left on the floor because it means that God answered my prayer and I married the love of my life and he turned out to be a MUCH better husband than anyone ever thought--even me!

We went to the inlaws to have our Thanksgiving Dinner and then to my aunt's for dessert. Then we officially kicked off our Christmas season by putting up our tree!!! Oh was that ever and endeavor!

We decided not to put up our tree this year but instead, we borrowed one of Mom's that she decided not to put up. My tree is over 9 feet tall and while it is beautiful and I love it, this house is so tiny it literally takes up half the living room AND I can't put the topper on it because these ceilings are too low--I have to bend the branches to shape it to make it look right!!!

Even so, the tree we borrowed may be a few feet shorter, but it still sticks out pretty far. It took some doing trying to arrange everything so that it fit, especially since I moved the computer and bookshelf back into the living room. Oh and I repainted the kitchen and hallway last week. Nothing extravaggant--just a spackle job and a coat of paint. You'd be surprised what a simple coat of paint can do for your mood!

Everything finally got situated for the most part so the girls and I went shopping yesterday with Mom & Mia. We had a blast and Mom took us out for Mexican for lunch at Don Pepe in Greystone. Yum!!!

I didn't buy much, broke as usual but I did pick up some fabric for the girls' Christmas Eve outfits and some fabric for some other projects I'm working on. I make most of my Christmas gifts so I'm not worried about getting a whole lot of shopping done (and boy does that take the stress off trying to find the "perfect" gift for someone that fits within your budget! Just give from the heart. If the person doesn't appreciate it--pray for them!) But it adds some stress because I have got to get started on this stuff!

While we were gone, our elves arrived! Twinkle and Amber joined us last Christmas season--Santa was pretty much done with his work and gave them some much needed time off so they came to spend the holidays with us. They had to return to the North Pole immediately on Christmas Eve so we haven't seen them for awhile. They certainly didn't waste any time getting into mischief!




Best I can tell, they were trying to figure out how to make hot cocoa. But what they made was a big mess!!! Hopefully they'll settle down tonight because we are whooped after today. I just need to remember to hide the keys because last year they took Jeff's jeep for a spin and ran it into the ditch in front of the house!

This morning was spent doing some more cleaning and laundry that has been neglected lately and I rearranged the furniture in my bedroom and finished decorating for Christmas in there. Yes, I am one of those goofy people that decorates every room in the house, even the bathrooms. It used to be MUCH worse when we were in our old house but this house being so small, I have had to pare it down a bit. There simply isn't room for all that I had.

Then we went to my moms to watch the ball game! ROLL TIDE ROLL!!! I honestly wasn't as excited about this win as I'd hoped to be. I expected it to be MUCH closer. Oh well, we'll take it and now we get to be as obnoxious as Auburn fans have been for the last 6 years. I find it funny they keep telling us that WE are living in the past whenever we talk about our legacy but any mention of how terrible things have been for them this year and that's all you hear from them "we've beat ya'll for the last 6 years" Woohoo! Good for you. Quit living in the past, why don't ya! LOL

Tomorrow is church and church again as the girls have drama/choir practice. Sometime in between, I want to get Dylan's room rearranged, his closet cleaned out and get a nap. I'm not so sure that'll all happen. But that's the goal.

I'm subbing again on Monday and we have to get back to the books! Kayti is supposed to return to CORE on Tuesday but we haven't paid her tuition yet and I quite honestly don't know where we will get the money. We have a few ideas but I'm not crazy about either one of them. I'm trying not to worry--in the grand scheme of things, if she has to drop out, she just has to drop out. It's not a big deal. But she loves it and I would hate to have to do that. And we have a few other things we need to pay, too (like dance and wrestling) so we do need to figure out which of those "ideas" we'll do but all the bills-bills are paid so I'm thankful. Whatever God wants to work out for the rest of it will be just fine with me. We'll get there eventually and it'll be okay. I certainly can't complain when so many have it so much worse.

I'm posting a few pictures from our Thanksgiving Feast with the homeschool group. We had a great time and we're really looking forward to our Christmas party coming up next week. We have the best homeschool friends!

Christmas Tag

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? both, depending on what I am wrapping.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial Tree, though we did also have a real tree when we lived in Tarrant--that house was so big we had one in every room. I miss my old house. :( I just don't miss the gunshots I used to have to listen to in bed at night!

3. When do you put up the tree? Day after Thanksgiving

4. When do you take the tree down? sometime before New Year's Day

5. Favorite gift received as a child? my baby Alive

6. Hardest person to buy for? Jeff's dad

7. Easiest person to buy for? Brooke

8. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, several

9. Mail or email Christmas cards? mail

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A jogging suit

11. Favorite Christmas Movie? It's a Wonderful Life, hands down

12. When do you start shopping for Christmas? after Thanksgiving but I start thinking about it before then!

13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas Gift? only a Dirty Santa gift

14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Marth Washington candy or my mom's homemade fudge or Maw Maw's potato candy (and Mia you better make some this year!)

15. Lights on the tree? Definitely, the more the better

16. Favorite Christmas song? anything by Clint Black or the Carpenters

17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? staying home

18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, Blitzen, Rudolph & Olive!

19. Angel on the tree top or a star? it varies year to year

20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Both

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? irritable people and my MIL pestering me about a list (which she will not follow anyway!)

23. Favorite for Christmas dinner? anything my mom makes is awesome--Southern women are the best cooks!

24. What do you want for Christmas this year? the same thing I want every year--peace on earth, Alabama to be National Champions, a clean house, kids that mind and my debt paid off!

25. Who is most likely to respond to this? anyone else who is bored at the moment

And even more pictures (and thoughts)

Where to begin...

Well, yesterday at church, the youth choir performed a song. I SO wish my oldest daughter had the same performing demeanor as my younger one! Don't get me wrong, I love both of them and I know they are different girls. But they BOTH love to perform. Only you can actually tell that Brooke loves it. Kayti seems so nervous and anxious she rarely smiles nor will she even make eye contact. She looks up at her forehead like she is so unbelievably bored! You would think after being on stage in one venue or another, she would be used to it by now. I guess some people are just like that. But the song was really beautiful and Michelle has done a great job with those kids.




We are still having a hard time (or so it seems) and I am trying to watch every penny. But then I hear about families who are having it so much harder and I feel ashamed that I worry like I do. We really do have everything we need. We don't have everything we want but God does give us a lot of what we want. We are definitely blessed, it just doesn't always feel like it when you know you owe people. I hope I never become ambivolent about that, though. I know so many people who take and take and take and never pay back and I just would not be able to sleep at night. It really bothers me to owe ANYBODY and I am very thankful for mercy when I receive it. Some people just approach it like it's owed to them or something and that makes me so mad!

I am so very thankful for these three kids, too. They are spoiled, for sure. But not spoiled in material things. I don't even worry about Christmas because my kids do not expect a lot. They know that money doesn't grow on trees and you can ask any one of them (okay, maybe not Brooke yet) and they will tell you their favorite part of Christmas is just being with family and eating all that good food! So maybe they're not focused on the Lord completely...but it's better than being focused on getting gifts! I love that my girls prefer me to make them clothes rather than buy them labels. Oh, I was SO not like that! And my grandmother was so much more talented at sewing than I can ever hope to be and she would make us the cutest things. But when I got to be the same age as my girls--oh my gravy! I would not have worn anything homemade for all the chocolate in Hershey, Pennsylvania! I HAD to have Calvin Klein, Gloria Vanderbilt, Guess and all those other labels. Thank you, God for being merciful to me and giving me children who are smarter and much more grateful than their mom!

I guess that's why I have such a hard time telling them "no" when it comes to activities and things. Fashions and toys are so fleeting but life experiences make fabulous memories. I want them to look back on their childhood and remember when they got to take dance or be in the play or go visit this place. I never think back to my childhood with fond memories of the clothing I wore and with just a few exceptions, even the toys and gadgets I had! I remember playing ball every year (not that I was any good at it) and the sacrifices my parents made so that I could take dance and baton and be a majorette in high school. I remember that every year, no matter what--whether our roof was leaking or our car needed brakes, we went on some kind of vacation even if it was to run to the beach for a few days. Priorities. Life is all about priorities and we all have to decide what our priorities are. That's what I struggle with daily--finding that balance between providing memories for my children and financial tranquility. Between worthwhile activities and the peace that comes with having down time to think and reflect. I just pray that what I am doing is what God wants me to do.

Yesterday afternoon, bio dad or Larry or whatever you want to call him came over for another visit. He brought his arrowhead collection. My mom had told me over the years that he was an avid artifact collector and historian and that's probably where I get my love of history and all things Native American. Go figure. Someone can have an influence over you even when they are no where around. Guess there is something to that scientific biological mumbo jumbo, huh?

But the kids got a big kick out of seeing the stuff and I was actually in the frame of mind yesterday to snap a few pictures so I could show the artifacts to my American Girl class. Here he is showing something to Dylan:




Here are some actual Indian bones! Yes, he was involved somehow in excavating a cave near Pinson:



I thought this was interesting and the one most likely to amaze my class--it's an actual shell that has a hole bore into it indicating it was used in jewelry:



And more arrowheads...






Thankfully, I was able to get a short nap yesterday after he left and before we had to go back to church last night. You know you're getting old when you WANT to sleep! But we had the most awesome service last night at church. Pastor Ernie did not preach on anything. We just had a time of sharing and prayer. Different people got up and shared favorite Scripture or Scripture that God had been placing on their hearts lately and then we all got in small groups and prayed. It was SO awesome. I am so honored and thankful to be a part of a church where people are humble and willing to pray for a president they didn't vote for. I am so unbelievably sick of hearing all the negative things about what's "going to happen" because Obama is our president. What a lack of faith! He is there because God placed him there--trust God and quit your whining!

We prayed not only for the leaders of our country, but the leaders of our church and for each other. For those suffering with physical pain and health issues, for those facing financial difficulties, for us parents trying to bring up godly children in an ungodly world. And just thanking and praising the Lord for all that He has done for us--we are SO undeserving.

I didn't get the chance to share my favorite Scripture--I'm not a gifted public speaker so you know if I ever speak out loud, it's because God has really prompted me to do it. It's not that I'm nervous or anything like Kayti but I know who I am--just a plain, honest, hillbilly woman who says what she thinks and because of that, I sometimes come off as offensive, too casual or insincere. Know that that's not my heart at all. My gift is writing. I am able to convey my thoughts and feelings (usually) more clearly with the written word than with the spoken word. But anyway...

My favorite Scripture is 1 Peter 5:6-7 "Humble yourselves, therefore, unto his mighty hand that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety upon him because he cares for you."

I first heard those words following a 1993 Alabama vs. Georgia game from then quarterback, Jay Barker. Down 28-0 at the half, Bama came back and scored 29 points to win the game! It was awesome. When ESPN interviewed Barker following the game, the first thing out of his mouth was thanking Jesus and giving the glory that had just been given to him--back to God!

Ever since then, those words have stuck with me and I believe I am only now starting to realize why and it's for many reasons. One of which is, I was raised to be independent and strong, which is a good thing. But none of us should forget that apart from God, we are NOTHING. It is through His strength and by His grace that we are able to do anything. Whenever I start to lean on my own understanding or think I can "do it myself", I have to remind myself to have a little humility. That doesn't come naturally to me so I think that is why God put those words in the forefront of my heart and mind.

The second part of the Scripture--"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you" is obvious. I have a lot of anxiety and it's not because of life circumstance or anything external. It's chemical and physical and though medication definitely helps, nothing is better than prayer.

So even though my days are full and busy and at times, overwhelming, I am so grateful for each day and even excited about it. I definitely want to do big things for God someday and I know that one day, it will be my "due time". For now, I'm not only content but thankful. My blessings are huge (though they may seem small to some) and my problems few and that is more than enough.

Blessings to you!

The play, tea party and Tomata Pie!

Thursday and Friday night, the homeschool group had their annual school play put on by the Elementary School age children. For the past three years, both my girls have had the honor and privelege to be a part of it. However, this year, Kayti has "moved up" into "middle school" and so only Brooke was in it this time.

When I first heard what the play was going to be based on, I admit, I wasn't too excited. We've read the books and they are cute but basing an entire play on them? But I must say that Susan did an outstanding job with the script. I didn't realize it until I actually saw the kids saying their lines and bringing it all to life but she really put a lot of work into it and it all came together beautifully. I think of all the plays, this one is definitely my favorite. And if you haven't read the books, you should definitely do so--"You Are Special" and "If Only I Had a Green Nose" both by Max Lucado.

Here is my little "wemmick":













Friday during co-op, my American Girls class had their tea party:






I have really enjoyed this class and the girls sure seemed to have enjoyed it also. By far, it's been the best class of co-op I've ever been involved in. I also chose this occasion to unveil the American Girl we will be studying next term--Felicity. They were excited and we watched a snipit of the Felicity movie.

Friday night after the play, we went to Tomata Pie for Dylan's birthday. That is his absolute most favorite place to eat. Go figure.






My men are camera shy--especially in public! You have to sneak those kinds of pictures!

Today, I had to take Dylan to his weigh-in in Fultondale for wrestling and the girls and I shopped a little to kill time while waiting on him but didn't buy anything. Jeff had to work. We came home, napped and then Kayti and I went to Kohl's--she needed black pants for choir. Now, we are eating dinner and watching Alabama whup up on Mississippi State! Tomorrow is church and Larry is coming over for a short visit--pray for me! LOL

Happy Birthday, Little man!

Okay, maybe you're not so little anymore. But you'll always be my little man. It blows my mind that you are 16 today! I remember it like it was yesterday and at the same time it seems like a lifetime ago. Where is that chubby little boy with the long curls that waddled when he walked? I have SO enjoyed beying your mother. Every move you made, everything you did, we were so awestruck. Still are. I dont think I fully comprehended what real love was until you were laid on my belly. All I ever wanted to do was make sure you had the best of everything, including the best of me. I know I fell short many a time but when I look at the young man you are fast becoming, I am so proud and I know that through God's grace and strength, something good came through me.

Like the song says, "You've got so much going for you, going right" but I know it's hard to see that right now. Know that God has big plans for you and we can't wait to watch them unfold. I am so proud of you, how smart you are (book smart AND common sense, what a combination and rare in today's teenager!), how you are not afraid to be yourself and follow your own interests and are not so caught up in high school that it clouds your judgment. I love that you still want to spend time with us. I love that you are not spoiled at all, that you think of others, that you are sensitive, that your yes is a yes and your no is a no, that you follow through with the plans you make and that you aren't afraid to try new things. I also love that you will do things you're not very comfortable with when it means something to someone else (like dance with Deb & Mia or pray out loud) I love that when you commit to something, you give it your all and push yourself to not only achieve your goals but to surpass them.

There is so much that I wish for you, that I pray will come to pass for you. But I know whatever details the future holds for you, sweet 16, it's going to be awesome. Because YOU are awesome.

Love,
Mommy

Family Pictures 2008

A few weeks ago, my cousin's bff, Jenny (and now my friend, too!) took some family pictures for us. Friday night, we got to see them and oh my gravy--she took a buttload of pictures! Of course, we knew that--we were there but we just didn't realize how many. Here are just a few of my favorites!
















(I do not know why the one of me and Dylan is oriented that way--it isn't actually. I guess it's just too big to fit in the post or something...)











Thanks so much, Jenny!