Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We had a house full of people all week and though it was SOOOO FUN I am exhausted. I got a new camera for Christmas which I am super stoked about. Am I to old to say stoked? Ya' I thought so. So with a new Canon Power shot SX50 in hand I spent all of Christmas day stalking everyone begging for photos.

I was getting used to all the fun settings and the zoom which seriously from across the house will zoom right up your nose. Ha! This is Dan's sister and my sweet niece AJ.

My brother and his girlfriend.....

My sweet Ry with all her freckles......

The sun setting off our back patio......I never ever get sick of this view......

Nobody was safe from my zoom. My nephew Nate (I mean Batman) watching cartoons the day after Christmas. He was actually waiting for me to make pancakes and eggs......;)

I love how on this camera you can set it to all these different color choices.....this is Dan's mom and Ry.

My sweet little niece who is 8 months old. We had a house full of kids. 6 to be exact. If you don't count my brother that is. Ha!

This is where we put all the sweet Christmas cards people sent us. If you are on here never fear we DO NOT throw them away. In fact we have a bulletin board in our laundry room where we tack up your pictures so we can pray for you when we see your smiling faces. We rotate them out every year and it's so fun to see all the kids change and grow and see your sweet families as we come and go throughout our day.

This is a Dane on recovery after Christmas........I'm pretty sure after 6 kids, 3 other dogs visiting and all the presents she will never be the same. ;)

Dan didn't like this picture. I took it from across the house. He has been off for almost a week and hasn't shaved. I just thought he looked so handsome and rugged. Sorry honey, I like it so it got posted. Those dimples.......sigh.....they still get me after 18 years. I seriously just want to grab his face and.....OK stopping. LOL!

I hope everyone has a safe, healthy and happy New Year. Be blessed friends.

His Mercy's Are New Every Morning.....

I have sat down at my computer numerous times since the news broke Friday of the shooting. Everime I walk away. I want to address it but then I close my eyes and wish maybe against all odds the news was wrong. My kids ask,"why mommy? Why would someone want to hurt little kids in a classroom?"  My answer? Because we live in a world that is full of evil. Full of angry, hurting people who have no hope. I try with as much strength to remind my little girls that this is not our home. We are here temporarily. We are to hate what is evil and cling to what is good. God is good. His word is good. His promises are good. He is bigger than this. We cried and prayed not even knowing what to say to our God who has to be grieving for his people.

Everything else this weekend has seemed so minuscule. So not worth worrying about for more than a second. It's made me cling to my kids longer, miss my husband even more this past week and quite frankly it's made me feel a little insecure. Do you remember the morning of Sept. 11th? Like it was yesterday right? That feeling of being helpless. Feeling like our kids didn't have a chance at a normal life on this crazy planet. That's how I feel today. Then God grabs a hold of my heart and tells me to cling to him. Love others like he does even if they are not loveable. He's coming back. Maybe not today. Maybe not even in my life time. But he is coming. And the fact is people we come in contact with everyday need to hear about him, feel his love and his presence because people are hurting. People on their own have no hope. No concern for human life. We walk past them, around them, over them everyday in our rush to get tot the next thing.

These parents are going to go through Christmas numb. They are going to burry their loved ones and just like the rest of the country always does; what we have to do. We will move on. Hopefully not without taking a moment and praying. Praying for the family members left behind. Praying for our leaders, for our country. It's not going to get better. It's not supposed to. We aren't supposed to want to be here. But this is where God has us. I'm praying God surrounds those families with believers. Maybe that's you reading this now. If so, love them. Sit with them. Pray for God to invade their hearts. Be still with them.

Kiss your kids. Hold them. Walk in faith that God knows our days. The number of hairs on our heads.  He knows. That's all the comfort we have. Clinging to something bigger than ourselves that in the past has proven he is good. Be blessed.

Day 5......

Today is day 5 of the photo challenge and you guessed it; it's Santa! We don't celebrate Santa in our home with the girls. Never really even thought much of it except we wanted the focus to be on Jesus. We didn't take them to the mall to see Santa, never addressed packages to the girls from him or really said anything one way or another. Then when they were really little someone asked them what they were asking Santa for that Christmas and one little toddler said,"Santa? Oh no I don't believe in Santa. My daddy works to get me presents at Christmas." And that was that. Ha! I only have a couple Santa statues around the house and this is my favorite because he's old and rustic looking.

This Santa I hand painted for Dan the first year we were dating. It has the date 1995 hand painted on the back. He has survived a couple of moves, kids, dogs and I think he still looks pretty good. I hope if your reading this and you still believe in Santa that you know he IS real and you should believe he comes down the chimney and leaves you presents. Heck, otherwise if you don't believe you get underwear right? ;) Oh, Oh wait! That reminds me of a funny story about the girls. Once when someone asked why our girls believe in the tooth fairy but not Santa (I think it was Morgan) said,"because hellooo, like a fat man in a red suit could really fit down the chimney of every kid in the world in one night duh!" But yet a little fairy can carry all that money and fly through the house leaving with your teeth? Hmmmmm....Kids!THEY ARE THE BEST!!

 

Gifts

Well, day three is supposed to be pictures of gifts. I really wish I had it all together and could post photos of these beautifully wrapped presents all lined up neatly under the tree but alas our days are just short of chaos a the moment. We are gearing up for a BUSY weekend and this week is full of crazy hours of dance practice for the Nutcracker Morgan is in as well as Dan and I getting ready for the annual Married Life dinner at the Mitten building.  Every year I have this crazy way of wrapping my gifts; I have a theme. Yes a theme. I know type A. This year it hasn't come to me yet. Nothing has really moved me in any one direction but I am hoping after this weekend my creative juices start flowing. Ha! So for now here is the photo of the pile of gifts that are accumulating in a corner of my room. 

This is the one and only gift that has gotten any TLC so far. We wanted to get something for Morgan's ballet teacher to give her the night of the Nutcracker and what better way to say Thank You! Than a bag full of Stress Relief bath and body bath oil, lotion, candle and more. :) We figure after all the months of extra practices she is going to need this.  So what's your theme for wrapping your gifts? Please tell me it's not just me. LOL!

25 Day Challenge And Poinsettia Madness

I found this 25 day Christmas photo challenge and thought to myself,"Hey why not? It's not like I have anything else going on in the next month." *sigh* Not true but I have never done a photo challenge before and it sounded fun. The first of December is lights. I chose to take a picture of the tree at the front of our property because he is lonely no more. Every year for the last 8 years I have wanted to put something on this tree for Christmas. And every year we pass it up. Not this year, he got snow flakes! :) I am going to try hard and post everyday but don't hold me to it. I tend to get side tracked with........well life. Ha! Here is the photo list:

 1.lights

2.decorations

3.gifts

4.traditions

5. Santa

6.stockings

7. snow

8. tree

9.treats

10. joy

11. carols

12. vintage

13. festive

14. glitter

15. warmth

16. ornaments

17. wreath

18. giving

19. reindeer

20. memories

21. bells

22. cookies

23. sparkle

24. Christmas Eve

25. unwrapped

And because you haven't had a Ryanne story in a while here ya' go. We all had dentist appointments the other morning but on the way we stopped by Home Depot to pick up a few things. Dentist, Home Depot, see the connection? No not really right? Ha! Anyways, a couple hours later at the dentist I notice Ryannes face by her eye looks bruised. I asked her what she ran into or if maybe something got in her eye. :Nope, mama nothing happened." Later at lunch with Dan's mom I noticed it was spreading and getting pretty red, hot and kinda swelling up. Like she got punched in the face or something. Again, we asked her what happened because with Ryanne something ALWAYS has happened! "NOTHING MOM! I didn't touch anything!" Later that night I get home from taking Morgan to dance and her face is B-A-D! Like to the point I am worried and wanting to take her to urgent care which I NEVER suggest. And now she is complaining it hurts and itches and is burning. I tell Dan it looks like poison oak (yes I managed to have it like three times on my face as a kid) I send her to brush her teeth only to have her return two seconds later with,"Oh you know what it might be? I was playing in the poinsettia's at Home Depot." And there you have it kids; this is your face on poinsettia's. ;) Only my Ryanne!