Merry Christmas!!

I am finally taking a minute to sit and post a few pictures and updates on what we've been up to lately. (I'm supposed to tell you my children named our tree Timothy) Anyways, I have been crazy bust trying to keep our girls motivated in school as they see Christmas break coming right around the corner. Also, I am normally done Christmas shopping well before December but because we were gone so much in October and November I am finding that I am still picking up odds and ends for people.



We have a handful of traditions we like to do with the girls every Christmas season and dinner and a carriage ride at the Mission Inn is one of them.



It is beautiful and it NEVER gets old; not even for our teenager. ;)

This year we decided to treat our moms...

Morgan wanted to make caramel apples for her competitive dance team so I was super excited because I had never made them before...

We went to Oak Glen and bought their container of caramel (highly recommended) and we set off to make some yummy all though REALLY MESSY treats! We double dipped them in chocolate as well. It took all afternoon but was a labor of love for sure!

In the end we had 17 happy little wrapped up apples...

And the girls loved them!

Yesterday I took Ryanne to run some errands and thinking the Target shopping center would be somewhat quiet on a Monday morning (uh no!) it was packed. Like I should have just parked at home and walked to Redlands because it would have been faster kind of crowded. Anyways, I looked around at all the people, traffic and long lines and my list of errands and decided I was going to have to chose patience and joy. I was going to have to chose not to drag my 10 year old around with my hair on fire and chose to be kind when others weren't. Crazy thing is; every time I pulled into a different parking lot a parking spot near the front opened up. My daughter probably thought I was crazy because I kept saying,"Thank you Jesus!" Ha! I decided to be grateful I had a safe car to drive into those spots, money in my wallet to buy my kids food and an able body to even be out and about. Then I heard this lady honk at this car in front of her and the guy leaned out his window and yelled,"SHUT UP!" It was then that I was most grateful for joy, for Gods mercy and for the real reason for Christmas. Then I got up this morning and my devotional was titled "How joyful are you this Christmas?" The author went on to say that Christians should be radiators of joy. Having a joy in Christ that is real and deep and lasting. Love it! I hope to post again in the next week but if not I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!!