From our Computer to Yours...

For memory sake, below is a copy of our 2010 Christmas card.  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are blessed in the upcoming year! 

I will blog more about our Christmas tomorrow! So stay tuned... :)  It involves much love, laughter and a trip to the ER!  Never a dull moment!

Emmanuel...

This Christmas is strung with an array of emotions. As you know, I have two adorable little boys who are at that magical age where Christmas is nothing but exciting! What you probably don’t know is that my grandfather is dying. At thanksgiving he entered into a wonderful hospice facility and was projected to live 2 weeks or so. We are now at Christmas time and daily we are told it will be a matter of hours, and daily- breath by breath- he exceeds expectations. I do believe that there is value in every human life, regardless of age or ability. However, he is no longer responding to stimulus and the longer it takes for him to enter into Heaven's gates the harder it is to grapple the realities of it all [strictly speaking for myself].

All of my grandparents played a very active and present role throughout my childhood- I’m convinced it’s one of the greatest treasures of my childhood. I’m the second oldest of 10 grandchildren on my mother’s side. My grandparents were in their early 40’s when my sister and I were born! Because they were so young I have some fabulous memories of them imparting their wisdom & love into my life on all our many adventures. My grandfather encouraged us to go after life and to help others along the way.

My grandfather, in good health and poor health, was a singer. His tenor voice could carry throughout the house from one room to another. One of my vivid memories as a child was driving to Dalton to see my great grandparents, both my sister and I sitting in between my grandparents in the front seat (yes, It was a huge car and back then there was no worries about children riding in the front seat at all). We would learn & sing all sorts of hymns.. How Great Thou Art, The Old Rugged Cross, Oh How I Love Jesus, and all it takes is a few cords of In The Garden to be transported back into that car where life was sweet and simple and I didn’t have to wait hours to open presents at Christmas time (we opened from youngest to oldest for quite some time).

So how do we celebrate Christmas when one of the cornerstones of our family is dying and my grandmother, whom I adore, is losing her spouse? The question keeps coming up and is unavoidable. There really are no simple answers.

What I do know is that all I keep thinking is that the baby born in a manger 2,000 years ago served a very specific purpose that seems amplified this year.  Jesus Christ was and continues to be the most lavishing gift of love and eternal life from God the Father. Though there will likely be tears of grief, I pray more tears will be shed of the beauty of it all. The fact that we are so loved that God sent his Son. The coming days may get harder but I know that baby wrapped in swaddling clothes was our promise to eternal life. He is our Emmanuel. He is indeed God with us.

And when I think of it in those terms- the beauty of Christmas returns.  I get all excited for my grandfather and for those who know the true meaning of Christmas! And I know that this family that my grandfather loved and raised can mourn with joyous hearts because we too have the opportunity to “cling to the old rugged cross and exchange it some day for a crown."


All because of a Baby. 

All because of a Cross. 

All because of Love. 

All because of Jesus Christ.

"Santa! I know Him!"

We recently went for our annual visit to see Santa Clause! Last year Davis wouldn't even go near the man, but this year went much better!  True to form, he was pretty shy but was able to tell Santa that he would like engines, cars, and a Toy Story book for Christmas!  Noah on the other hand, well you can make your own deductions....

 Poor little guy!  Am I a cruel mom because I love these pictures?!?

 The trip went about like I expected- maybe even a little bit better since Davis was so brave!  It is with mixed emotions that I watch him face and conquer fears!  It just proves that he is growing up more and more. Exactly what I want him to do on one hand and on the other I wish time would just freeze and he would stay a little boy forever!   What can I say, I'm hard to please! :)

Outside of Santa, there was  a Despicable Me display.  We have yet to see the movie but that doesn't mean we weren't going to join in the fun!

We are looking forward to Christmas morning to see the gifts Santa brings in celebration of Jesus Christ birthday!  We are counting down the days!

A New House Guest...

On December 1st we had a new house guest arrive...

As you can tell, Davis was super excited to get to open a present but true to his personality was a little bit leery of "someone watching him."  I honestly can't blame the kid.  Davis named our new elf-friend Thomas but the next day he decided his name should be Gordon, and from there on out it's changed to a different "engine" name daily.  He does enjoy finding where the elf is hiding out daily but we aren't an elf-crazed family thus far... but we are trying to be on our best behavior :0)

                                            



O' Christmas Tree...

Our Annual tradition is to go get a Christmas tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving (the day after T-day is for shopping of course!  Yes, I'm one of those people and I love it!  Though you will never see me standing in line for Toy-R-Us, Best Buys, or any of the true hot spots).  I digress... back to Christmas trees!  Does anything set the mood of Christmas like a tree with lights all aglow?  Not in this household!  Here are a few pictures of the boys looking for just the right tree.

Noah sees one he likes!

Now Davis sees the perfect one too!

Noah feeling things out!

After getting the perfect tree we decorated it of course.  This is the tallest tree we've ever gotten so Matt & Davis combined forces to hang ornaments towards to top.

Which would have worked great except that Davis didn't like letting go of Daddy to actually hang the ornaments! Time after time the same thing happened! I was being the supportive wife/mother rolling on the
floor laughing at this point. 

Noah was hanging the lower ornaments!

The kid can fill out those 24 month PJ's @ 14 months!

Ironically, I've now done a whole post on our Christmas tree but have failed to take a picture of the final product.  Let me assure you though, its beautiful (if you don't mind small clusters of ornaments here and there.  In fact we have two large photo ornaments we hang on our tree & Davis insisted we put them side-by-side because "the brothers go together."  Now who has the heart to rearrange that?  Not this mommy!)

Thanksgiving 2010...

Heaven help me if I ever stay caught up on blogging!  I've just begun to accept that it's not likely to ever

happen in this phase of life.  So sorry dear readers, I'm afraid it makes for a rather boring blog and maybe even confusing, seeing how I'm posting about Thanksgiving when it is clearly December! 

However this Thanksgiving was rather enjoyable!  Davis had a Thanksgiving Feast at preschool where he proceeded to cry while his other classmates did the cute Turkey Tango.  Poor guy- he just has a hard time processing anything out of normal everyday circumstances. He LOVES school, and he LOVES me- it just takes him by surprise when the collide (though I had been preparing him for this all week).  Not sure how to help him with this- I"m hoping he will outgrow it soon.  I didn't get many pictures because I was trying to comfort my son and encourage him to join in the fun feasting.  However I did get a picture of the cute table setting.  All the kids got to pick out a portrait of themselves and give to their parents for a Thanksgiving gift.  Davis had several pictures to choose from but his teacher said he was adamit that they use the one of "me and mommy" that was taken on his orientation day back in August.  Talk about feeling loved (we are the picture in the middle).

I was in charge of dessert for the feast!  The pilgrim hats below are what I made.  Some of my girlfriends looked at me like I was crazy when I explained it to them so here is a picture of one below.  It's a large marshmellow dipped in chocolate upon a kebler elf striped cookie, with some white icing as a buckle.  They were a hit- though a bit messy (but it isn't a good dessert unless its messy, right?)

On Thanksgiving Day Matt's family came over for our annual turkey day lunch!  This is one of my favorite things of the year!  We keep things simple and sweet for the most part!  Once again, not a whole lot of pictures were taken (I keep telling myself I will do better) but the picture below of Davis & Noah reading with their great-grandma are priceless! 

Turkey was pretty good MG!  Sure do wish we had remembered to get the cranberry salad out of the fridge to go with it!  Yum-Yum!

The boys & their cousin ran around, jumped in the bounce house, and had a good time I think.  I love seeing those three together!

In the evening we wobbled over to my grandmother's house and enjoyed our very large family.  Davis belted out the sweetest version of the blessing to date and  Noah had no problem eating two large meals in one day.  It was a sweet time of giving thanks to God for such wonderful family, young and old.

Davis,

You might be all boy these days....

But I will always love you to "Infinity and Beyond!"