Christmas Re-Cap

I SURVIVED!

Here's a re-cap of what I accomplished this Christmas:

I decorated the house, the trees, and the stockings were hung by the chimney with care. All the gifts were even wrapped before Christmas Eve!

We took a family photo under the decorated tree. Surprisingly, we all managed to look in the direction of the camera at the same time.

I dressed the kiddos up in their cute Christmas jammies for a Christmas Eve photo. Kellie-Laine hated hers and wants me to take them back. But the girls look cute. Right? I have the photo...that's all that matters.

We shopped early and bought the girls appropriate, practical, useful Christmas gifts. Okay, well maybe Cody went overboard with the Barbie Jeep, but he's such an easy target at Christmas. He's sappy, and sentimental, and nostalgic. And he's a pushover.

I made four baking sheet advent calendars as gifts. It took approximately 3 days and lots of ignoring the children and husband. They turned out pretty darn cute. But Cody has forbidden me to make another one. Ever again.

I read and posted each one of the Christmas cards we received. The card collage has grown considerably since this photo. I feel so loved...and guilty that I only hang the cards with photos. Sorry, folks. There's not that much wall space in my house for each and every card!

I bought my husband the coolest, most perfect gift. A Keurig single-brew coffee maker! It is so cool!! I think he loves it more than he loves me. Okay, well maybe I'm exaggerating. But he definitely loves it more than the children.

I also hosted guests for 5 days straight. All the cooking...the cleaning...and more ignoring of the children and husband...

The house is now quiet. The gifts are put away. My cleaning ladies are coming tomorrow to restore order once again to my domain. The girls are back to whining and arguing. My husband is avoiding the final Christmas $$$ total. And me?

I hit the after-Christmas sales. Shopping....man, it felt good!

A Caroling We Will Go....

"JOY TO THE WORLD, THE LORD IS COME..."

How many of you have ever gone Christmas caroling? I'm talking the real deal....acapella Christmas tunes, flashlights or candles, knocking on the doors of people you may or may not know, etc. Ever done it? Not many have. It is, in my opinion, a tradition that has landed on the "possible extinction list" and this year I set out to SAVE THE CAROLERS.

A few of my fellow-Beth-Moore-Bible-Studiers and I gathered tonight for a Cookies-N-Caroling party. Inspired by Beth's statement that "we are but a vapor here on earth (compared to eternity)" and we need to "make it count." Make it count...make it count...make it count...that phrase has resonated in my mind and heart ever since I heard it. But how? Then the cookies-n-caroling idea hit me. This idea, coupled with some amazing and unconditionally-supportive Christian girlfriends, took on a life of it's own. Tonight we were able to see how God plants a seed and with just enough watering, attention, and sunlight....it grows beautifully.

The houses we chose were both random and pre-selected. Our criteria was that we wanted to bless those who were not churched or simply needed encouragement. We didn't want the "easy" road. We wanted to share the love of Christ with people who didn't know us...people who were randomly selected (but divinely purposed). And God provided. No doors were slammed in our faces...all received our angelic voice with smiles...and we, in turn, were on a spiritual high for the joy we were spreading to others. It really was amazing...and fun. And something I hope we'll do again. (SAVE THE CAROLERS)

We sang for a widowed woman with a pistol; we sang for a lady who thought we were seeking donations; we sang for moms and dads and their kids; we sang for grandmas; and the highlight of the night: we sang for a middle-age man in satin boxers. Nothing else...just the boxers.

The true purpose of tonight will probably not be seen with our own human eyes. Only God knows what will happen when the door shuts and the grandmas, moms, dads, and kids look in their goodie bags and discover sweet eats, an encouraging card, and a book explaining Christ to Calvary. Only God sees the outcome of the plan He so carefully knit together.

But we planted seeds.

We may not always be able to watch it grow beautifully. But we have faith that it will.

Point of Grace and Spanks

What do these two things have in common? They are the answers to the following questions:

1. What was the highlight of my week?

and

2. How come I look so amazingly skinny lately?

Perhaps I have a little explaining to do...let's start with #1...our church hosted Point of Grace's "Winter Wonderland" tour this past Sunday evening at Baylor's Ferrell Center. Since our church was the host, our choir had the opportunity to sing on stage with Point of Grace.

Okay, like, how COOL is that?! I've been singing with our choir for a little over two years, and this was one of the neatest "perks" I've had yet! The other cool thing was that the children's choir was also able to sing a few numbers on stage, and Kellie-Laine was part of that. Can you spot us in the above photos? No? Me either. I guess my quest for being "discovered" while on stage is but a fleeting memory. It was totally worth it, though. And if you haven't heard their new song, "How You Live"...you've got to check it out. It's one of those "stop and smell the roses and don't get consumed with dishes or laundry" kind of songs. I need to listen to that song, like, every four minutes. Maybe then I'll be a good mom who does nothing but play, play, play with my kids all day long and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy every minute of it! Oh wait, I forgot -- I'm SuperMom and, of course, I play with my children everyday and love every stinkin' moment of it. I do. Really. Savoring every moment of play. Yep, that's me. Now, moving on...

#2 ...Why do I look so amazingly skinny lately you ask? Because I've just discovered "spanks." Have you heard of them? Basically, it is a panty hose-like thing that is about 12 sizes too small. You can get all sorts of coverage depending on your "problem areas"---leg to rear, rear to chest, thigh to tummy, rear only, etc.

Unfortunately, they do not have full head-to-toe coverage, which was what I was originally looking for. I'm sure it's because most women are not into the "bank robber" look, but I was hoping for a miraculous re-shaping of my entire body; face included. Oprah swears by these things, so you know they've got to be good.! Anyway, I tried the thigh-to-tummy style. I was so impressed by what I saw that I immediately slipped on a pair of pants and turtleneck that hadn't seen the light of day since pre-baby #2 and baby #3. I looked goooood. And skinny. And uncomfortable since the circulation in my thigh-to-tummy area was cut off. But I looked goooood, so I chose to suffer through the lack of circulation.

Let's be real here, having a baby changes the shape of your body. Many changes occur--some good; some bad. After baby #1, the changes are pleasantly minimal. Fast forward to baby #3 and you'll find that the extra skin left behind from baby #3 will entertain your kiddos for hours since fatty extra skin doesn't seem to dry up and turn hard like play-dough does when you leave the cap off the container. (How's that for a word picture??!!)

But back to the main point...I have a few extra pounds to get rid of. Nothing major, just the tummy area. While 3 pregnancies definitely changed my body, it's really not that bad. Nothing a few months in the gym wouldn't take care of, but who has time for that???!! I'm playing with my kids and loving every minute of it, remember?

My solution: SPANKS...

And a vasectomy for Cody.

Conversations with a Four Year Old

CONVERSATIONS WITH A FOUR YEAR OLD~

(aka: "why I so desperately need more adult interaction")

(aka "why I need a nanny")

Landrie: "Mommy, watch this!" (she hops on one foot)

Me: "OOoh, that's good, Landrie!" ( with full enthusiasm)

Landrie: "Watch this!" (she hops on other foot)

Me: "Wow! Cool!" (still enthusiastic)

Landrie: "Now watch this!" (she bends over backwards across the chair)

Me: "Good, Landrie." ( a little less enthusiastic)

Landrie: "Hey, watch this!" (more bending over the chair)

Me: "Uh huh, good job."

Landrie: "Look at this!" (she makes a fish face)

Me: "Ummmm...." (completely distracted)

Landrie: "Hey, look at this!" (she makes a circle with her fingers)

Me: "Okay, Landrie...." (approaching annoyance)

Landrie: "See this, Mommy?" (she draws the letter "L" in the air)

Me: (Silence.)

Landrie: "Did you see that, Mom? Did you?"

Me: "Yes, Landrie."

Landrie: "Watch me spell my whole name now."

Me: (with irritation) "Lan, Mommy's busy working on the computer."

Landrie: "Why?"

Me: "Because I've got to send some email to people."

Landrie: "What people?"

Me: (with more irritation) "Just some people, Landrie."

Landrie: "Where do they live?"

Me: "All over."

Landrie: "All over the whole world?"

Me: "Yes...Lan, no more questions okay?"

Landrie: "Okay, mommy."

(Pause. Silence. Pause.)

(More pause. More silence. More pause.)

Landrie: "Um, Mommy?"

Me: "Yes, Landrie."

Landrie: "Watch this, Mommy!"


********
I'm sure I'll look back and appreciate this one day. But not today.

I am Alive!

Hello, bloggerville.

I am alive. I have not fallen off the face of the earth, but my face has fallen off. Or maybe my brain has fallen out. Or maybe both....

All I know is that December has just began and already I'm tired. I walked into December with a full calendar, and I'm not sure I can make it through!

Since I'm in a tired, scrooge-like mood, I think I'll list five things that really annoy me. (Fellow bloggers, you can create your own list, too!)


FIVE THINGS THAT ANNOY ME AS OF THIS MOMENT:

1. Hearing people eat their food --especially cereal. (Which my husband likes to do right beside me on the couch!)
2. Clutter of any form....laundry, junk in the car, etc. The funny thing is that clutter follows me EVERYWHERE!
3. Being interrupted when I'm trying to tell a story. Mainly, it's my kids who interrupt. I won't tell you which one is the worst....nope, I will not divulge her name. It wouldn't be fair to suggest that one child is consistently doing this over the other kids. She can't help it. She's the middle child and needs her attention. But I won't give you her name.
4. Trying to create the perfect Christmas card with perfect pictures of my kids, showing how perfect my life is. Don't you guys already know how perfect I am? I'm SuperMom, remember?
5. Going to the grocery store....because I do this, like, every three days, and no matter how much planning ahead or stocking up I do, I still ALWAYS NEED SOMETHING ELSE FROM THE STORE.

Have a good day!

3rd Annual Highland Hayride!

My apologies in advance for my lack of knowledge in how to properly align text and photos. Blogger gives me indigestion in this way. I cannot figure it out. If any of you can help, I'd greatly appreciate it. The mis-alignment makes me cranky....

If you live in Waco and you haven't heard of Highland Baptist Church, you're obviously living under a rock. Not only is Highland known for it's amazing worship music, missions emphasis, and uncomplicated desire to glorify Christ...it's also known for it's annual Highland Harvest Hayride. Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating a little about the hayride part. I'm not even sure we've given the event an official name, but it's my blog...my opinion...and my show, right? Highland Harvest Hayride it is....


Our lifegroup started this tradition three years ago, and each year it seems to grow bigger and bigger. This year we topped out at about 75 people, and we actually had to have TWO trucks and trailers to fit everyone in! The favorite pit stop during the hayride is the dairy farm....ooooh, that smell! We let the kids get up close and personal with the cows for a small taste of farm life, and several of us cinged our nose hairs by getting a little too close to the stench, er, I mean smell.



Following the hayride, we let kids roast hot dogs and smores while the adults feasted on homemade chili and cornbread. The whole event is a "back to basics" approach to fellowship and family....God's picturesque countryside, friends and family we dearly love, and most importantly NO TV, COMPUTER, IPOD, etc. (Kenny S., I forgive you for using your Blackberry...I know the "new" hasn't worn off just yet.) We all leave with dirty, exhausted kids, full bellies and desires to own a little piece of land in the country. (Thankfully, our gracious hosts, Bruce and Nellie, will open their barn to us next year--so we'll get our "country fix" once more.)


Just a few random thoughts from tonight's event:
1. Kesleigh, I always enjoy looking for your "runaway" children at these events.
2. Kim, please know that one batch of those brownies will never be enough. Not even if you've made them just for me....
3. Parents: if we find ourselves asking "Who does this child belong to?" every 5 minutes, we probably need to institute some sort of number system. I like how the farmers numbered the cows by tagging their ears. Maybe we could do that....
4. Kelly T.--did you nurse Patriot on the hayride? If so, you've got me beat. I've nursed my kids in every public bathroom and parking lot in the city of Waco. But I've not had the opportunity to nurse on a hayride. You should get an award.
5. Melinda, I enjoyed playing "woof-woof" with Sage. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one succumbing to my child's rather odd sense of imagination.
6. Bruce and Nellie: I'm a city-girl, but your place is way cool!


Here are a few pictures from today's event....enjoy!





















Remember the gracious hosts I talked about? Here they are! Two of the most loving people I know. Thanks, Bruce and Nellie! We love you!
























With 30+ children present, it takes every man and woman to help us wrangle them all. You know what they say: It takes a village.....




















My precious children....sorry for the blatant display of favoritism. Remember, my blog.....my show.

The Selkes...(sorry for getting you lost. How'd you like the cemetery???) and the Konzelmans. (Amanda is the "butter voice" I described in an earlier post.) BUY THEIR CD!






















My Asian-sister-in-Christ, Julie and my side-conversationalist friend, Theresa.

Loadin' up.....and random kids......



















Okay, I had to show you this picture....do you see the man in the blue shirt? That's Mr. Potts, also affectionately known as the "baby stalker" because he loves babies so much! On the hayride, Emerie decided she would rather sit in his lap than mine. Several times I tried to get her back, and she would shake her arms at me telling me "no thanks." Can you believe it? Thank you, Mr.Potts, for being such a great hayride-babysitter!

I've got tons more photos, and I'll try to get them up in a later post! I'm behind in my bible study homework, so I better get to it! Blessings......

Trick or Treat

Oh, the dilemma of having multiple age kiddos during Halloween! Here's the scenario....take one very self-focused 12-year-old (aren't we all at that age?!) who wants to hang out with her friends and trick-or-treat door to door. The next in line and highly opinionated middle child is excited about the concept, but in reality probably won't participate in anything. The third and final precious pumpkin doesn't really even know what's going on and would rather stay home and lay on her snuggle blankie. So what are we to do? How do we make all the kids happy? Why do we have to do anything? After all, I've got a ton of laundry to do, and I'm certain the kids will want to help me fold clothes. They looooooove to spend time with me like that...folding clothes, doing dishes, making beds....did you know that my children are perfect, too? They are.

What we finally decided to do was to drag all three children to our church's fall festival for the first half of the night. Kellie-Laine brought two friends and I let them run a muck at the church...independent of us. Landrie was the typical observer and refused to play any of the games, but did become quite skilled at cutting to the front of the line to simply ask for candy. Emerie was her usual self...pitter pattering around, pointing at things, and smiling for any male who looked her direction. Thirty minutes later....the kids were ready to go home.

This was probably the most low-keyed Halloween ever! KL put her costume together using a pair of ladybug wings, and Landrie chose a princess dress from her dress-up closet (but absolutely refused to have her hair done or make-up applied). Emerie wore a ballerina skirt I had ordered some time ago. It was a pretty unremarkable night, and I liked it that way.

There was a rather annoying thing that occurred that night. Cody and I thought the universal sign for "Do not knock on our door for candy, you greedy little goblins" was to have your porch lights turned OFF. Apparently, this is not the case here in Waco. We flipped off the lights around 8:45 thinking we wouldn't be bothered any more, but we were oh so wrong. Not only did little devils continue to knock on our darkened door, their PARENTS actually escorted them up the darkened driveway since they couldn't see in the dark conditions. I kid you not. Not only that, but they were loud, and some didn't even put forth the energy to wear a costume.

Can I get an "Amen" here? I know I sound like a Halloween grump, but come on people. At least put on a football jersey...a simple wig will do...a sheet over your head...glasses? It's easy and it shows respect. Next year, I plan on driving all over the city of Waco carrying a large trash bag and stocking up on candy for next year....no costume. I don't need one. I'm going as a mom....a weary one, at that.