Happy New Year!!!

It’s been a fun-filled few weeks here at our house.  We’re about ready to get into our school/work/activity schedule and are looking forward to this semester!  Instead of posting 100+ pictures in this post, I’ll separate the pictures into a few posts.    We celebrated Christmas the day after Christmas since Dad had to work at the Billy Graham Library all day.  When he came home, we celebrated my birthday with dinner, presents, and cheesecakes!  It was the first time in YEARS that we’ve celebrated my birthday ON my birthday. 

Birthday table 

Ready to dig into my spaghetti/meatball/garlic bread dinner!! 

This is how I felt about pictures after a while  

A birthday toast…..with literal toast.  haha!  Then a “real” toast with sparkling cider.   

Missy bought me a ‘pink curler’ with points she earned from saying Bible verses and having good attendence at church’s kids program when they had their big Christmas shopping spree.  She was SO EXCITED to give it to me.  She couldn’t keep from giggling as I opened it and had to help me and explain everything about it.  So precious.  Loved having both my gift helpers close at hand.    It was a wonderful birthday and I’m thankful for my family who made it special.

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Christmas!!  We celebrated on the 26th and had a great day as a family.

Jen made some really neat necklace holder frames for Bethany and I.  She actually made almost all of us something from ideas she got from Pinterest.  Jen is really creative and did an awesome job on all the gifts she made for us!  Mom’s gift was reallllllly neat, but we don’t have a picture of it yet.   

Loves the knobs she chose for mine! 

For Bethany’s, she glued a large button onto a nail and then glued smaller buttons on top.  Jen also made the little girls skirts and headbands. 

Jen made Mom and I each a necklace like this one. 

Dad made an *amazing* egg casserole. We always have a nice Christmas breakfast, and this year was no exception.   It was delicious!!

Christopher made Marianna and Missy their own special bowls.  He did a great job on them.  So special! 

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas as well! 

Pictures of Christmas tree hunting, fun activities, and our New Years party to come!

Merry Christmas!!!  These past few weeks have been perfect for baking goodies, playing games, hosting parties, and remembering the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  While it is extremely likely that Jesus wasn’t even born around this time of year, this is a time set aside to acknowledge His birth and the reason for his coming to earth…..to take the punishment for each of our sins by being the Perfect Sacrifice and dying on the cross.  Praise the Lord for redemption through Jesus, who died, rose again (I Corinthians 15: 3b-4), and is seated at the right hand of God. 

However, just because He did this doesn’t give everybody a “free ticket” into Heaven.  It is a gift we must individually receive.  Yes, it’s free…but we must receive it!!  It is a personal decision to accept Jesus as your Savior and allow Him into your life to lead and direct you (Ephesians 2:8-9 and Acts 16:31).  So thankful for God’s grace and mercy towards us!  If anyone reading this has questions about salvation, we would love to communicate with you!

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I’ve been doing some baking with the girls recently.  We’ve used new recipes, which has been fun!!  I love baking, especially when the final product gets everyone’s approval. 

 Me ‘n the two best baking helpers

 Josh Groban–Perfect baking music (besides Pandora, of course!)

The *best* cookies I’ve ever made–Rolo-stuffed chocolate cookies. When I ran out of Rolos, I did some M’nM-stuffed and mint Hershey Kiss-stuffed cookies…and some plain, which were just as good!

Here is a recipe for Rolo-stuffed cookies.  I couldn’t find the actual recipe I used (it was somewhere online, but I don’t remember where I found it now!), but this one is basically the same thing.  I didn’t roll the cookies in sugar, but that looks good.  The recipe I used suggested rolling the top of the cookies in crushed nuts. 

The making of the Kit-Kat/M’nM cake. So easy. Very fun. Quite tasty. 

Home-made icing and the finished product!!! 

One of my little baking helpers

Chocolate pretzels! Just put a kiss on a pretzel, set the oven to about 350 degrees, keep the pretzels in for about 2 minutes, and push an MnM into each kiss once you take them from the oven. So simple. So yummy.

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I took 22 students to Carmel Hills Retirement Home and gave the people there a Christmas recital. It was special watching the people there get excited and into the songs. And it was *precious* seeing the kids shaking hands, hugging, and talking with the older people afterwards.

They all did so well!! 

 Missy even played her own composition. Marianna and Joanna did a fantastic job on their Silent Night duet.

 A week later, the girls (besides Missy) got to play their duet at the music school’s Christmas recital.  Again, they did a wonderful job, as did the rest of the 100+ students.

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Christopher’s teen choir was part of a local church’s Christmas program.  They sang with several other choirs and sounded fantastic.  The whole program was focused on Christ and the pastor’s message was an interesting overview of the history of Caeser and his part in the whole “Christmas story.”  A different-yet-relevant perspective our family appreciated and enjoyed.

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These were must-haves for Bethany during finals as she (as well as Jennifer and Christopher) studied diligently.  Praise God they all finished strong this semester! 

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We love Christmas-time.  Bring out the decorations!!!  For the little girls, that includes a Christmas candle, table cloth, and tea cups and plates for their tea parties. 

Jen did a great job on the outside lights. 

Yay for festive Christmas decorations!

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Missy’s first piano lesson!  She is doing very well with her numbers and letters, so I decided to start her on REAL piano lessons. She’s already perfected the first two songs I’ve given her (including Mary Had A Little Lamb ).  Her fingers are very strong for a 5-year-old and I’m excited to see how she progresses!

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We went to a Christmas party a couple weeks ago at the wonderful Palmer’s house.  We had a nice time fellowshipping, playing games, doing crafts, and singing carols.

Love, love, love these girls.  Very thankful for friends like them. 

The fabulous hosts and the M’n Ms. 

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We girls asked our friend Angela over to go caroling in a nearby neighborhood.  We had SO.MUCH.FUN and sounded amazing.  It was so neat putting all our voices together and having 3-4 separate parts at all times.  We talked with several people, got some cookies, saw some tears, and received many compliments on our outfits.    Caroling is one of our favorite things to do this time of year.  I’ve never opened my door to carolers before, but I can only imagine how fun it would be!  On our way home, we stopped off at a family’s house to carol to them.  They have caroled with us in the past but couldn’t that night, so we decided to carol TO them…and they loved it.  So neat!  I wish we were able to do more caroling, but am thankful for the few times we did this month!

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 A bunch of us went to McDonald’s after a Christmas cantata last Sunday night.

This night was also the last time I’ve had kidney stone pain, so I’m very hopeful it’s gone.  Once two or three weeks goes by without pain, I will believe it’s gone. 

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We had a Christmas party for our evangelism group. Such a fun group of people! Our ice-breaker game (since lots of people didn’t know each other) was “Who Am I”? Each person had a paper on their back with a Bible character’s name. Their job was to talk with people and ask them questions about their own character to figure out who they were. It’s definitely better than sitting in a circle and saying your name, age, and favorite color and activity. lol

Jennifer required requested that everyone bring a home-made dessert.  Boy, did we have some awesome cookies, brownies, banana bread, cake, and other great desserts!!!

Jennifer split us into two groups and took the Christmas Quiz. It definitely is an eye-opener and brings to light our culture’s misled ideas of the “nativity story.” 

After both groups did the quiz, we gathered together and went over the answers.  While it was fun to learn about the culture of Jesus’ time and really zone in on what the Bible really says (and DOESN’T say) about the birth of Jesus, it’s very important to remember that it’s not how it happened that’s of utmost importance…but that IT HAPPENED and it happened BECAUSE it was God’s plan for Jesus to grow up as a perfect boy/man, have a ministry for 3 1/2 years, and die on the cross for our sins.  That is what is important…..though it’s fun and eye-opening to know the history behind His birth. 

Check out this link a friend of ours posted.  Quite interesting!  The fact is that we really.don’t.know where Jesus was born, but there are different “options” besides a stable I had never thought of.

 We had a gift exchange after the quiz and desserts. This Chick-fil-A calendar made it’s way around the room as different people “stole” it.

Jason desperately wanted those mechanical pencils. He was one of the last people to go and made a bee-line for Lauren, a new friend of ours. “Hi, my name is Jason…nice to meet you. Pencils, please?” 

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Missy’s new caroling/dress-up outfit. She LOVES it. Thanks, Allisons!!

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 The girls “bought” presents for friends and family at their children’s program. They got their “money” from going to the children’s program, saying their Bible verses, bringing friends, etc. They were SO excited about the gifts they bought for others. It was so neat, especially since they wouldn’t be keeping any of it.

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My friend Grace came over the other day to drop off a birthday present for me.    She brought her sweet baby boy who’s growing up so fast!  I love this collage that shows how much he’s grown.  So cute!!

Grace lives a few hours away, and I’m thankful for the times we get to see each other.  She’s a wonderful friend! 

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We had our annual caroling party the other night.  It was raining on and off and we thought everyone wouldn’t be able to carol, but God held off the rain in time for the carolers to sing to our neighbors and then get back home for food and fellowship.  It started raining right when everyone finished. 

We had carolers of all ages.  So much fun!!! 

Rain boots were a must.

Lots of yummy food!! 

Remember James?  The one who surprised us during our FL vacation on his way to Pensacola, FL?  He and his girlfriend came and surprised us again.  I knew they were coming, but everyone else was surprised.   They drove all the way from Pensacola and came right to our house.  They weren’t due to be home until several hours later, but James was able to work extra hours so he could leave early and surprise our family and then surprise his family with an early appearance. 

Such a fun evening!

It’s in the 50s and 60s during the day, so it certainly doesn’t feel like Christmas.  This time last year we had snow!  Maybe we’ll get some within the next few weeks.  The weather here always keeps us guessing. 

Merry Christmas!!!

Did some fun personal shots of almost everyone one nice day.

Prop  

Jen. 

She now only has one more semester before she graduates college.  Can’t believe how fast time is flying!  She’s so much fun to have around. 

Mom 

Mom is working lots of hours at a retail store to help with finances.  Just last night, she worked from 8:30pm-6am.  Not sure how she does it.  She has more energy than most women I know.  Love her!

Christopher 

Christopher just finished his first semester as a concurrent student at our local community college.  He did well in both his classes and is signed up for three more next semester!  It’s awesome having a brother who will talk with us, play with us, sing with us, and be goofy with us. 

Bethany 

Bethany just finished her first semester at UNCC.  She will be taking a CLEP test for psychology this week and then will be on Christmas break.   Bethany always keeps us entertained and laughing.  I can’t even the describe the fun we have together and the funny things that take place in our house.  There are no words.

Marianna is such a sweetie.  She has a servant’s heart and loves to help out in any way she can.  Washing dishes, making breakfast, cleaning up, etc.  Love her. 

Missy is quite the character and always keeps people laughing.  Right now, she’s into scaring us.  Like when I’m doing my hair, she’ll bang on the door as she barges in. She yells ”Boo!!!!” and then asks “Did I gare (scare) you?”  

 Hope you all are enjoying this season!  Jennifer just told me she wished Christmas was still another three weeks out so we could listen to and play more Christmas music.  I guess we still could, but it’s not the same. 

It’s mid-December!!!  How on earth did that happen???  Maybe if it was below 60 degrees, it’d feel more like December.  Our cold weather is f i n a l l y creeping in.  And since we’re just finishing our Christmas decorations, it’s now starting to feel like December. 

Before an update on what we’ve been up to the past few weeks, I want to praise God for our Pop-Pop’s returned health.  He ended up in the hospital back in October, and we thought when we visited him that it would be the last time.  God did a miraculous work on his body and is now at home.  Thank you, Lord!!  Praying for continued healing and safety.

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Christopher’s orchestra had their fall concert and did a fantastic job.

Family and friends

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We had the opportunity to take a long weekend vacation at an indoor waterpark.

The restaurant on the left had a buy-an-adult-meal-and-get-a-child’s-meal-free deal.  The frugalness within me thought “wow what a deal!!!”  Of course…my idea of a deal at a restaurant is getting the value menu…y’know…the 99-cent menu.    This particular restaurant cost $20 for an adult meal.  Needless to say, we didn’t take advantage of this “deal”…but we did take pay a visit to Dunkin’ Donuts on the right. 

The Great Wolf Lodge is quite a waterpark!  We went at a good time when it wasn’t very crowded. 

The girls love being in the water and had a total blast the whole time.  There was so much for them to do. 

We only ate out at fast food restaurants for dinner.  We packed all our other food.  Quite a stash, huh?  And that’s only half of it! 

This little wall was amazing.  We could put the girls down for bed and then keep our light on on the other side.  Perfect!! 

It wasn’t as much of a vacation for this people who still had school.  But they made the most of it.  The nice thing was that UNCC was right down the road.  I don’t have a picture of it, but while we were staying here, we got to watch Christopher play his violin on FOX News!!!  Sooooooo neat!  He is quite the violinist.  

It was a fun weekend.  Everyone managed to have some water time (except Dad, who wasn’t feeling well) in between school and other activities. 

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We had a nice Thanksgiving this year.  We decided to keep it small(ish) and have two families over.  Bethany baked our desserts and did an amazing job.  Check it out!

Two apple pies and a cherry cream dessert.  Awesome job, Bethany!! 

All ready for our guests.  Amazingly, we fit everyone around the table.  There were 14 at the big table and Marianna & Missy had their own table. 

While the food was being prepared, came outside for a few minutes to get our family Christmas picture. 

It was hilarious having our guests in front of us taking the pictures and just watching.  I told them, “You don’t *have* to stay here and watch us.”  But they did.  lol. 

Sisterhood

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand HERE is our official Christmas picture.  Not to shabby, eh?

Who sits in a circle and reads stories of “How I Met My Spouse” (from Reminisce magazine) aloud to everyone?  WE DO!  It was funny because everyone was listening…and reading…and laughing.  We were quite the group that night.

Here’s to a wonderful year!!  So much to be thankful for.  God has been so good and faithful…He always is!  I’ve also been thinking about people less fortunate than I…in this country and in other countries.  Some people have nothing.  Some people don’t have family.  It makes me more thankful for things/people I take for granted.  It also encourages me to pray for/serve others in need. 

At the end of the night, the little girls did Bible charades fro us big girls while the guys played pool and foosball upstairs.  When the guys came down, we jokingly said, “It’s your turn to do charades!”  They actually did it.  LOL!!  It was hilarious and so cute to see them work with the girls as they put on a show for us. 

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We hosted a baby shower for a friend a few days after Thanksgiving. We’ve known Valerie and her family for 13 years and have grown up together.  She got married three years ago and had her first baby mid-November.  Here are just a few pictures from the special event celebrating Sofia Joy’s life.

Everyone brought food for a delicious brunch.  We had egg casseroles, quiche, fruit, cinnamon buns, little cakes, etc.  Sooooo yummy!

Doesn’t it look amazing??  It was.   Christina (on the right with her younger sister) is Val’s sister and my wonderful boss at the music school. 

Love the joy in her face.  If only we had this attitude for every chore, assignment, project, and difficulty.   With God’s help, however, we CAN have this attitude!  We just usually don’t. Something to think about and work on…at least for me.

Missy loves making people cards.  Val was so good with her and Missy felt so special.  So cute!! 

Hostesses (missing Jennifer) 

Baby time! 

Congratulations, Val and Jimmy!  Sofia is beautiful.  Can’t wait to watch her grow up (via facebook, blog, and occasional visits…lol!). 

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We got to see another baby that same week!  Laura and Joe came from Toronto to visit their family with Josiah Daniel, who was born in October.  We went over one evening to hang out and just had a wonderful time!

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Jennifer organized an end-of-semester party for her chamber ensemble at school.  They played games, ate some food, and had a great time together.  What a fun group!

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Christopher’s teen choir (which we’ve all been in and loved!) had their fall/winter concert along with all the other homeschool younger choirs.  They did a great job and sounded wonderful!!!

Christopher and another musician played their instruments while all the choirs gathered for their group song.  Can’t help but laugh at the older man’s face next to Christopher.  haha! 

After the concert 

What I DON’T have pictures of is an ordeal that happened the night before the choir concert (which would have been last Wednesday night).  Ever heard of a kidney stone?  They’re painful.  VERY painful.  And I was the innocent recipient of one for almost a week.  If people got kidney stones back in the ”olden days,” I have no idea how they endured them.  I was at the ER for two hours before getting a room, and I thought I was going to go insane.  Between throwing up several times and bruising my back from pushing on the pain so hard, I didn’t think I could go on much longer.  I wanted someone to hit me in the head and knock me out.  Boy was I THANKFUL when those pain meds kicked in!!  I was on pain meds until the following Monday night.  I don’t even want to imagine what it would be like without the medicine.  But it also got me thinking.  While I was crouched down with my head against the hospital wall (this was before I ended up just lying on the floor until taken back…it was that bad), I said out loud, “I live such an easy and comfortable life.”  While this was the worst pain of my life so far, I knew it would be over soon.  I thought to myself, “How do people endure persecution and other types of pain like this without the comfort of pain medicine?”  Would I be able to endure pain like that for Jesus Christ??  While I never ever want a kidney stone again, it did make me think about how thankful I am for the country I live in…for the family I have…for the technology that was available to figure out what the problem was and to treat it.  It also gave me an appreciation and a real awareness for those who really do suffer for Christ.  Also for people who don’t have access to hospitals and pain medicine.  Definitely gave me a new perspective!

Back to the kidney stone.    I was so overwhelmingly blessed by the people who prayed for and checked on me.  Even my mom’s high school friends who I don’t even know were asking how I was doing and giving me tips on how to get better and stay comfortable.  People from our Sunday morning and Wednesday night churches, the music school, and facebook just surrounded me with prayer and encouragement.  Word definitely gets out fast with facebook and texting, that’s for sure!!!  I was laying in the hospital bed and my mom says, “Everyone knows your here.”  lol!!  Her phone, as well as mine and my dad’s, was beeping like crazy from people wanting updates.  So thankful for the people in my life that care so much about me and my family.  I’ve had more than one person say I’m ready for childbirth now that I’ve gone through this pain!  LOL!! 

~~edit 12/14/11~~ My kidney stone made it obnoxiously clear on Monday night that it’s still with me.    It’s been almost two weeks now.  *sigh*

And with that, I will end this post until another batch of pictures quickly makes its way onto our camera chip.

As usual, our NC weather has proven to be predictably UNpredictable.  A few weeks ago, our nights were 30 degrees and our days were under 60 degrees.  This past week, the nights have been in the 50s and the days in the mid-to high-70s!!  Is it fall, spring, winter??  We’re thankful for the sunny weather we’ve had, though!  And the 60s-70s is really a nice temperature…..but we’re ready to wear our boots, scarves, coats, etc.! 

We’ve been super busy this season.  Lots going on!  There have been field trips, a camping trip, pumpkin painting, tea parties, outside playing, orchestra/ensemble concerts, dentist appointments, and fun gatherings.  And this does not include the usual school, work, music, etc. that goes on every day. With three people working, three other people in college and highschool, and two little girls in 3rd grade and kindergarten, it’s pretty crazy.  But we still manage to see each other (almost always) every day. 

Below are pictures that have been taken the past two months in between all the birthdays.  Can’t believe December is upon us!!

Jen’s pumpkin

Perfect pumpkin-painting and playing-outside weather!!!  Missy and Marianna love our neighbor’s little dog.

Tea parties are a regular occurence in our house.  Marianna usually hosts them and even sometimes writes out the menu for her and Missy.  They dress themselves up, do their own hair, and set up their little table. It’s soooo cute!

Allll ready for the tea party with her sister! 

There have been quite a few concerts in the past couple months.  Jen’s UNCC string ensemble performed the pieces they had been working on since the beginning of the semester, Jen and Bethany participated in a cello master class, and Jen’s ensemble played for the school’s drama performance. 

Master class 

Dr. Frisch is an excellent cello instructor whom Jennifer and Bethany highly respect and have done well under.

Music, music, music!! 

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Jennifer and Bethany have shared the Gospel with several people at UNCC this semester.  They are not ashamed of their beliefs and love sharing the Gospel and challenging people.  They both wanted to host an evangelism gathering for people who were also passionate (or wanting to be!) about sharing the Gospel.  We’ve had two such gatherings so far with people from UNCC and CPCC, and both have been fantastic!!  We are going through a series by Ray Comfort.  He is absolutely amazing and gives out challenges left and right.  We watch one of his videos and then discuss it, go to the Word, and pray together.  It is a time of being challenged, asking questions, and encouraging one another.  The first video we watched was “I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be An Atheist” and the second one was “Hell’s Best-Kept Secret.”  We are excited about the next gathering!

By the way…….if you haven’t watched Ray Comfort’s 180 video, YOU MUST WATCH IT!!!!!  Just turn off the music at the top right corner of this page and then click on the video.  It’s worth every minute (all 33 of them) of your time.

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Dentist time!!  The girls were excited about this “field trip” and came back with fun “goodies.”

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Our church had their annual camp-out at the beginning of November at a state park not too far from us.  It was COLD that weekend!!  30s at night and 50s (with lots of wind) during the day.  I loved it. 

The kids rode their bikes, played on the playground, walked the trail, played an organized race game, and had loads of fun.  Some people went all-out!!  Check out the moon-bounce!! 

Missy’s special eating chair  and one of the gorgeous views from the trail. 

L O V E this picture…and those little girls. 

One of the people we shared the campground with went *all out* with their decorations.  Hilarious!! 

Fun times! 

We had an organized dinner on one of the nights for everyone.  Everyone loves Walking Tacos! 

The older kids had a race, too.  One of the activities was decorating a cake. We all ate the cakes for dessert.   

Sunday morning, we had an organized breakfast of eggs, pancakes, sausage, and cider and coffee.  Dad was in charge of the eggs, his specialty. 

Some friends joined us one morning. 

This little boy is so special to me. He’s been my friend since I held him in the hospital when he was first born nine years ago.  He was giving me a hair buzz cut. 

Bet you wouldn’t want to find one of THESE in your backyard! 

How many people does it take to fold a tent?

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We and some other families took a drive to an apple farm.  We’ve been going there since I was really little, and nothing has changed!  Same man dressed up as Johnny Appleseed.  Same maize…except it was apple bushes instead of sunflowers.  Same book.  Same scarecrow stuffing.  Same hay ride.  Same pumpkin/apple picking.  Same donut and cider tasting.    Brought back so many memories!!

Reading the Johnny Appleseed story. 

These little piglets were sooooooooooooo adorable!!!  Look at this one trying to sleep.   

Hay ride! 

The guys decided to try jumping over the hay bales.  Missy got a huge kick out of it. 

lol!

Missy’s turn! 

Our gang 

Hope you all have/had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  There is so much to be thankful for, even if you’re going through a hard time and need to really think about what to be thankful for.  What I am most thankful for is my Savior who died on the cross for my sins.  Can’t beat someone taking my punishment so I can go to Heaven!  That was the ultimate example of love, and this salvation is available to ANYONE who recognizes their need for a Savior and accepts Christ’s free gift of salvation and allows Him to be Lord of their life.

Happy Thanksgiving and weekend!!

Mom and Dad celebrated 25 years of marriage a couple weeks ago.  Woo-hoo!!

Mom and Dad selflessly give of themselves every single day for us and for others.  They are helpful, generous, and are truly servants.  We’ve had great conversations with them about doctrine, false/true teachings, money, life, school, the future, etc., etc.!!  Love them both so much!

Anniversary table  

Dinner out with the little girls.  Happy Anniversary!  Here’s to 25+ more years!!!

We celebrated Bethany’s birthday last week with pizza, gifts, and laughter. 

Bethany’s birthday table 

McDonald’s was giving away coffee all last week.  We went several times…even those of us who don’t like coffee.  lol!

Gift time is always fun.  We had some good laughs. Bethany is hilarious and always keeps us laughing.  We are not short on laughter at our house, I can tell you that!!  Bethany also has a heart for evangelism.  It seems like she is always telling us about someone she talked with about the Lord.  So encouraging!

           No-shave-November!!!                                                                                             

Mom hadn’t opened her gifts yet, so she and Bethany traded places when Bethany finished.

Mom and kids.   

Happy 19th Birthday Befaleen!!!

Whew!  That’s five birthdays (and an anniversary I’ll write about later) that we’ve gotten through.  They sped by so fast, but they sure were fun!!   Just one more birthday, and we have a little over a month breather before that one. 

This is our mom’s computer’s desktop picture.  Pretty appropriate for this time of year…and downright funny!!!

Mom’s birthday fell on a busy day for everyone, BUT we managed to have lots of fun and spend time together in the evening.  We’re still a bit behind and haven’t done her gifts yet, but that’ll happen soon. 

Mom actually had to work into the wee hours of her birthday morning.  Jen and I decorated the kitchen area so she had something special to walk into when she got home.  Mom used to be an amazing cheerleader, hence the birthday sign below.

Mom LOVES birthdays.

Since we were all at school, work, and soccer practice until at least 7:30pm, Mom didn’t get a nice birthday dinner like she gives us.  We decided to all go out to Taco Bell.  I know, I know…..not really birthday dinner….but HEY we had lots of fun!!!!!  Especially when the Edwards and Allisons came and surprised her! 

Getting ready to dig in!

Mom had taken out some frozen desserts at home so we could eat them when we got home.  Instead, though, I bought a chocolate cake and brought it to Taco Bell.  When the Allisons arrived, I went out and got the cake, put candles in it, and we all walked in together.  So fun!! 

Mom is such a fun person to be around.  So thankful for her!

The whole group!!!

Mom’s birthday table.  

One of our kind neighbors brought us a meal the other day.  It was wonderful!!!!!  Ham, green bean casserole, scalloped potatoes, cranberry sauce, dressed eggs, and peach cobbler.  What a feast!  So we kind of counted this as Mom’s second and more official birthday dinner.

Mommy’s little helper 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!

Marianna put this sign on one of our candy bowls.  So cute!

Enjoy this week and the coming weekend!!

We celebrated Jennifer’s birthday the day after Dad’s.  She requested a pinwheel sandwhich for her birthday dinner.

Mom and Dad are experts at making these sandwhiches.  We only have them once in a blue moon.

The dining room table ended up being Jen’s birthday table since Dad’s was still set up on the kitchen table. 

Mom and Dad with kids.  We really should do self-timer.  Haha! 

Yummmm 

Reading birthday texts and opening presents 

I got Jen the piano score to Michael Buble’s song Haven’t Met You Yet. She was pretty excited and tried playing it right away. 

More birthday messages 

Jennifer is a great sister, daughter, and friend.  She’s hilarious, on fire for the Lord, and a dedicated student and teacher.  She is always witnessing to people at school and is passionate about her Savior.

Happy Birthday Jen!!

We’re half-way through the birthday season!    Three down, three to go (the little girls are in May/June).  We’re doing well so far…we’ve gotten all the birthday festivities (dinner, gifts, dessert) done in one day.  But the decorations stay up longer.   

We celebrated Dad’s birthday last week!  He works every Saturday at the Billy Graham Library, so we did his birthday dinner, gifts, and dessert in the evening.

Birthday table  

Dad requested chili for his birthday dinner.  Boy was it good!  Salad, chips, garlic bread, and sparkling cider were great “supporting foods.”   

Dad with his kiddos 

Mom and Dad both work very hard for our family.  We are thankful for the effort, energy, time, and love they put into supporting us all.  Dad hardly gets a day off work.  And when he does, he’s still busy.  He works very hard.

Jen (well everyone really…but at this moment, it was her) has a knack for making us laugh. 

We tend to have too much fun sometimes.   

The little girls love making home-made gifts.  Or taking something from around the house and wrapping it up.

We had gotten fried apples (apple fritters) the day before at an apple farm.  They were sooooo good! 

Dad and kids again 

A little bit of “real life” pictures when we thought picture taking was done.  lol! 

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!  We love you!!