Advent

I meant to add this link earlier.  Its Advent devotions based on the Jesse Tree series, about the lineage of Jesus through the Old Testament.  Our church is doing this Advent blog for the first time this year.  Different people have written the devotions each day.  This Jesse Tree series shows us how God was revealing His plan of salvation from Creation through the stories and people of the Old Testament leading up to Jesus' birth.  I love getting this big picture view of the Bible and the world.  I don't typically remember thinking of Advent (the whole month) instead of Christmas but I love it... to think on this season as a time of waiting and longing for God to make things right, including all the things in us that we struggle with.  And how great to live on this side of Jesus, knowing He's how God the Father chose to rescue us.  And now Advent is a time to think about how He will one day make things right for all time, redeem all of our sin, struggles, death, disease, lack of trusting Him, etc, etc.  Thank you, Lord.


http://wepcadvent.wordpress.com/

Monkeys!

From our late evening adventures to Wal-Mart last night... I let them be a little crazy.  Sometimes its just OK to be a kid and have crazy fun!  Getting along and playing wild together is always better than the alternative...

Lily is a trip!!!  She thought the kid part of the cart was her jungle gym. 

 Peter is hanging in the bottom one too--- he's just an inch shy of being too long to do it.

And Peter pretended to be the "Lil Daddy" and have Lily as his baby the second half of the trip.

Sorry, Santa. My heart belongs to Jesus.

We all went to see the Santa last eve!

Mike's work booked out the evening for all of their employees...another great perk!

But my disclosure is that I'm not all about Santa.  More about Jesus.  So I won't talk about Santa much with my kids.  It just gets too confusing to me.  I divide myself so easily (and want Christmas to serve me with material things rather than a Savior).  And I want my kids to be sure what Christmas is about.  So my heart needs to stick with Jesus.  Call me boring, unimaginative but I need to do what feels right for my heart and for my kids.  Sorry, Santa.

OK, more about my soap box... I've been thinking it over.  ;)  And this is also just for the purpose of ME working it out in my mind.  I'm always been completely stumped by the stranger at the store who asks my kids if they've been a good little boy or girl for Santa (we haven't talked about that with them in regards to Santa, so they certainly don't know what to say).  Of course, we want and teach our kids to obey us, to obey God.  But at the same time, I certainly can't live under the view that we get based on how we've done and I don't ever want my kids to believe that rewards are performance based or worse, earned/deserved (sure, I am guilty of this all.the.time.  I definitely treat them differently based on their behavior. But I wish I didn't.)  I'd be in big trouble if  I had to earn favor.  I want them to know that they can go to Jesus anytime, not only when they have been "good", but more importantly, when they haven't.  (I SO struggle with this!)  I certainly don't want a reason to re-inforce this behavior based approval.  We are always safe once we are in Christ.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  Hebrews 4:16

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.  Ephesians 2:4-5

Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.  Romans 14:5b

(for the full context of Romans 14)  

Maybe I'm just the weaker brother, and I'm OK with that.  

I hope this doesn't come across too strong, its just something that hasn't had to totally be worked out yet since our kids had been so young. But it feels more like a decision year this year.  And

for the record, I am not at all opposed to others doing Santa for their kids, its just not my "thing".  And of course, our kids will get gifts at Christmas.  :)

Preschool Morning Pal

Thanksgiving 2011

Here are some fun pictures and collages from our mini-vacation... :)

We enjoyed Uncle Henry and Aunt Barbara being with us on Wed and Thurs.  As usual, Henry and Lily were best buds.

 Lily got spoiled by Paw as well.  Here he is drawing on her feet and legs with his cell phone antenna (i feel old talking about an antenna)... she loved every minute of it...  giggle, giggle!!

I realized I don't have many pics of Pete.  I think its because he was outside a lot with the guys!

And no pics of the actual food and spread, just this one of Holly and Paw at work... but you can believe we had full bellies the whole time we were there... my personal favorite was Maw's signature chicken salad... yowzers, that's good!

ALSO, it was MAW's BIRTHDAY on THANKSGIVING!  

Happy Birthday, Maw!  We love you!

We all loved seeing Audrey... especially Lily!!  Lily has the sweetest, most caring side around her.  She seems so self controlled and touches her so gently and carefully.  :)

One morning, Mike and Peter played in the shadows of the bright morning sun... it then became a re-telling of Widget, one of Peter and Lily's most favorite books (thanks, Goo!).

I love this creative side about Mike.  (I'm so much more black and white.)  He and Peter really share that and I so love it!  Notice that Mike is making all kind of shapes from the story... the small door on the house that Widget sees, they do the convo b/t Widget and the girls (cats), etc, etc.  And Peter had slept commando that night... ;)!!

I wasn't a part of it but there was the usual gun shooting going on... 

Wow, it was such gorgeous weather while we were there (if I only lived a place where the whole winter was  like that!).  It was such a treat for all of us, esp the Colorado natives.

(I took these from Jessica)

 the beautiful, multi talented Holly!

 and one of my beauties who is my sister in love.

 The girls went SHOPPING!  I can only ever remember Black Friday shopping once before a long, long time ago but I totally had the urge to go this year for some reason.  So Emily, Holly and I headed to Colonial Heights.  We were all giddy and had a BLAST!  Emily was my fashion consultant and helped me find an outfit for Mike's Work Christmas Party!  Holly and Emily found great things too!  It was a blast to be out with them all day!!

 once again, the sunshine... :)!!! 

and this is currently my only pregnant Emmie picture but hopefully, there will be more!  

Isn't she a beauty too!  (maybe I should have scooted to the side of the sign?!?)

And some final random pics...

those cheeks, that face!

taking care of Coppy

playing the the new train set that Maw gave Peter

and I caught Jeff watching Veggie Tales very intently with Peter

a sleepy Daddy and Lily

Gotcha, Willie!!  

Will, Jeff, and John had wrestles in the bed with some inappropriate conduct going on!

Their laughter and cackles... I felt like we were teens again!!

So fun!  Between Jessica and Emily, we might have a more complete story.  There were other fun times not seen here... a photographer came to take pics of all of us and a baby shower for the Mama-to-be.  

This was one of the first times that ALL of us have been together for an extended time (5 days) in I-can't-remember-when, it was nice to be with my bubbies and their wives and Holly and Jeff.  Love y'all.

So Much...

We had such a great extended Thanksgiving!!  We spent Wed-Sun down at my parents house.  It was so nice to be away... in the country, in mom and dad's big ole house (instead of my itty bitty one), with the peeps I love most... the bros and sisters (that's all 8 of you who were there of our generation!), the lovely Henry, Baabs, Glenda Ruth, plus you Bren and Ro-bear... y'all are fun! I liked having 5 days in our commune, Holly... so others help with my kids, cook amazing meals,etc!  Its partially completely selfish but is the gift of family.  And we had a great combo of activities... eating, shopping, picture taking, being outside, tractor riding, hunting, church together, napping...  :)

And so very much to be thankful for... 

On the way home last night, I listened to You Alone Can Rescue over and over... the ultimate thing we are thankful for!

I'll add pics soon.  :)

And I'm having a case of ADD since being back... so much I want to do!

:: a great walk with Blair this am 

 :: time outside in the yard b/c its great weather (I added another 3 bags to the pile!).  

:: I'm excited about Christmas and looking forward to being in the Advent Season to think on Jesus and learn more with the kids this season!  

:: I'm all giddy about decorating too!

I ordered new walking/running shoes last week...  my first pair of Mizunos... they arrived today!  YAY!  I had to order an 8.5... crazy big but they feel great.  I wonder if they'll motivate me to actually run??  

Front Yard Fun

These pics are a few weeks old and from my cell... I temporarily lost my (new) camera (duh.) but located it last night!  :)

One day at naptime Peter was super sleepy and Lily and I stayed out to play a little longer.

Do you LOVE the pink cowboy boots... we got them as a handmedowns and she is wearing them out!  It took a few wears for her to learn how to walk in them easily but now she has it down pat... the cost of style starts early!

(I think she'll be getting a tricycle for Cmas... she's much outgrown this car and still isn't tall enough for the balance bike.)

And speaking of style, my favorite item thing this season is leggings!!  (She must have only had a couple last winter and its taking me a while to really get with how girl clothes work but I went out and got her lots for this winter!) I've always been sad that you don't get to see as much of their precious skin and body in the winter... so still seeing the outline of those perfect legs helps with that!

Now onto T-ball!

So you all know that this girl has been my DOLL her WHOLE life.  Well, we've finally reached the point of testing me!  Her favorite current words are:

whhhhhhyyyyyy?  said high pitched and drawwwnnnn out and after what feels like 90% of the things I say to her... and it doesn't always even have to be an appropriate response...   I have definitely told her more than once "Please do not say 'whhhhhyyy' after everything I say!" Its definitely upped the annie in prayers for patience with my children... always an ongoing request!

Her other favorite thing to say is  'uuhhmmm, mmm'... the closed mouth sound for 'no'... this one comes across more cute and I can't help but make the same sound after her.  

Happy Thanksgiving!