Cousins

It always cracks me up trying to take a picture of all our kids. Trying to get three kids looking in the same direction and smiling is hilarious. All the parents were acting like goof balls just to get a smile. Oh well, it's still an updated picture of all of them together. Love these moments!

Christmas with Grammy and Pawpaw

Carlee with her Cinderella stocking
Zachary enjoying his new beginner big wheel

Grammy and Pawpaw with they're picture collage that we gave them

Zachary loving on ELMO

Greg and his Wii sports accessories. We got a Wii for Christmas, but we've had it awhile since they're so hard to come by.

Baby Nathan (Carlee and Zachary's cousin)

Me and my new pair of running shoes

Carlee and Zachary loving they're new fireman hats

Zachary with his Elmo phone. Looks like he's got it down.

This is our Happy Birthday Jesus cake Randle made and I helped decorate. I put a Jewish star on there and everyone laughed. Carlee loved singing Happy Birthday to Jesus and thought it was very nice of Grammy and me to bless Him like that. She's so cute!

We enjoyed the day and stayed over a long time. We got to play Ticket To Ride twice with Chew, Quint, Randle and Ed. It was so much fun! I know the kids had so much fun. I love these special Christmas memories.

Christmas at Nana's and Grandpa's

Carlee with GG and G-Paw and the easel they gave her
Carlee with Great Me-maw and PawPaw with her "Fancy Nancy" doll and books

Greg got "Ticket To Ride" (one of his favorite games)

Me sporting my new Fossil sunglassesWe gave my parents a collage of pictures of our kids. They loved it!

Rachel and I sporting our aprons that mom made us.

Carlee in her "Word Girl" cape that Nana made.

Carlee twirling in her tutu that Nana made with her pink leopard tiara

Zachary with his remote control car

I loved being able to help out my mom this Christmas. She fell down some stairs and was in a lot of pain so Meimaw Hatton, Dad, Rachel and I all stepped into action and helped her out. It was a blessing to be in the center of the action preparing food and getting everything on the table. However, it was a whole lot of work and I was very tired after all was said and done, but I wouldn't have traded it for anything. Dad and I learned not to put the food away too early because after we had we had to turn around and get it right back out for others that had not yet eaten. Too funny!

Thank you Mom and Dad for all the wonderful gifts. We loved being with ya'll and celebrating together. It was such a blessing to have both set of grandparents there as well. We loved being surrounded by the people we love.

Christmas at Home

Carlee and her stocking stuffers.
Zachary with his T-ball

Carlee with her Leapster (her favorite gift)

We enjoyed Christmas morning at our house opening gifts and celebrating Jesus. Carlee and Zachary seemed to open gifts in record time. They did great and even shared some of the toys they received. Greg and I captured all of it on video as well and got some great reactions.

Christmas Eve

They're trying hard to love sitting there

I love my boy!

I cant' believe we captured this picture...

We went to our churches Christmas Eve service on Wednesday and enjoyed it. However, we had a few things holding us back. Our car battery lost all power and we had to get a jump before leaving the house. Then Carlee fell asleep on the way there. We thought about turning around, but she woke up and was willing to go in with us. I'm so glad we went because at the very end of the service, there was a group of teenage girls who sang a special song. It was very beautiful and it got to a part at the end where it seemed to me (being a worship lover) that everyone should have been standing with hands raised rejoicing the Lord. No one stood expect a young man in the front center row with his hand extended high to the heavens and his face gazing upon the Lord. It was beautiful! It was at that moment I lost all composer and wept like an uncontrollable baby. I was totally captured and could have spent forever in that sweet precious moment. To experience God to the fullest and enjoy His sweet spirit was a great gift.

Merry Christmas

This will have to do for our Christmas card this year. It's a picture of our beautiful Christmas cactus. It's about the only plant we can keep alive. We only have to water it when ever we remember, which comes out to be once a week or so. The blossoms bloom around Thanksgiving and last until Christmas. I love the color of this cactus. Who would have thought a cactus could bloom and be so beautiful? Well, I guess that is the reason for Christ and Christmas. He came as a baby, lived a perfect life, died and rose again. All we have to do is receive Him (the gift) into our life and allow Him to live and make us beautiful. He is what makes us bloom beautifully and come alive in this imperfect world. He takes the prickely places in our lives and shaves them off to become beautiful blossoms. You might be the only Jesus someone sees and if that is the case then bloom Jesus bloom in us so the world might know you better. Merry Christmas to all!! May JESUS be celebrated in your hearts and in your homes today and every day. God Bless! We love you all!

The Nutcracker

On Saturday my dad took our whole family to see The Nutcracker for my Birthday/Christmas present. It was so much fun! I knew Carlee would enjoy it because of how much she loves ballet. Carlee loved every minute of it and never once asked to leave. Her favorite part was the sugar plum fairy dancing and the mice. Afterwards she got to take pictures with a couple of the characters and she picked out a ballerina ornament. That ballerina became her very best friend the rest of the evening. She played with it and treated it so sweetly. When it came time to going to bed, she hugged and kissed it goodnight as she placed it on the tree. Carlee also enjoyed taking pictures with the big statue and says that was one of her favorite moments as well. We went to one of my favorite restaurants for dinner (Michelangelo's) and enjoyed a wonderful meal together. I received an IPOD Nano from my parents as well as a You Are Special plate my mom found at an antique store that had a beautiful message on it. My sister and I will be going to get our toes done for birthday number 6 celebration. Thank you mom and dad for a lovely time out. I will always remember this one.

I tell you, this has been a huge blowout of a week. I've had dinner out with Greg, two lunch dates with close friends, coffee out with the gals, babysitters lined up for it all (a big thanks to my mother-in-love, Randle and my husband) and sweet messages from so many loved ones. I could not feel any more loved and spoiled by all my friends and family and am so thankful for a wonderful week. To think Christmas is just a few days away. I'm kind of not looking forward to being by myself tomorrow with the kids. I feel a little out of practice.

Happy Birthday To Me

It's been an enjoyable day. My husband went above and beyond what I could of hoped for. He even got the kids involved and had them pick out a card for me. Each one was special and totally appropriate for them to give to me. Carlee even spelled Mommy on the envelope, I love you in the card and her name. Wow, she sure is getting big! I guess I can expect hand written cards from her from now on. How exciting!

After dropping the kids off with Grammy and Pawpaw, we went to drop off some due library books. I know.... you are probably thinking, huh? Well after looking at the lite up park right next to the library we decided it would be fun to walk to Landry's (a mile or so down) and enjoy the evening. If all else failed we knew we could catch the trolley and be on our way. Funny thing is that we never saw a trolley pass by. In the meantime my feet are killing me from my non-comfortable shoes and we are laughing because we are on an adventure. We did arrive at Landry's ready to sit down and take a load off and had a delicious dinner together. Once dinner was over, we went shopping for my Fossil watch in the mall. I found the perfect one. Our intention was to just catch the trolley back to the library once we were done shopping because we had seen it while walking to the mall from Landry's. However, the trolley's stop running around 8pm and it was now 8:45pm. Fortunately, we saw our friends Chris and Erin right before they left and they let us hitch a ride to our car. The funniest thing is that Greg and I had to share the front passenger seat because they were driving their car instead of their Suburban. Pregnant Erin squeezed in back between the boys car seats and there we went. I literally laughed the whole way to the car and the whole way home. So Thank you guys for saving us. What would we do without friends!!

30

Well, here I am the big 30. I have been crying tears of joy and laughing hysterically (thanks Amantha and Elita) all morning long because my husband e-mailed everyone in my conctacts (all 100+) and told them to send me a birthday message. After reading 50 or so e-mails and cards, I am feeling VERY loved to say the least. I have read one encouraging word after the other. The words spoken, the people behind them, the time taken to think of me so sweetly.... words can not even begin to express how overwhelmed I feel right now. It's is PRICELESS and PRECIOUS! Thank you for thinking of me! You know who you are- family, friends.... YOU ROCK and I love you!!

Makes me think that maybe these words could actually heal, help, minister, encourage, show love to the world. I pray I can be that person to the next someone who crosses my path. May I always have something encouraging to say to those that love me and to those that don't. Reminds me of that verse in Proverbs 25:11, "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." How would this world change if people knew that they were loved not only by insignificant me, but by our Creator, the God of the Universe, the Risen Saviour- Jesus. That in a nutshell is what I have learned this year. GOD LOVES ME AND HE CREATED ME SO THAT HE COULD LOVE ME AND SO I COULD LOVE OTHERS THROUGH HIM!! There's nothing quite like the Father's love. Another revelation that came this year is that God is attracted to weakness and the blessed life is the be-attitudes (Matthew 5). The poor in spirit, the pure in heart, the presecuted, the broken.... "In my weakness He is made strong."

I am so thankful for what I have learned and know this is only the beginning. I feel like Jesus starting his public ministry at the age of 30. I am in training to be a worship leader at New Haven House of Prayer (check out their website in my inspiring links) and know that I am right where I am supposed to be.... dependent on God's Spirit, seeking His heart, desparate for Him to move. I know I have not learned it all and there's LOTS of room for growth. I pray I would stop long enough to hear from God, understand Him more and enjoy the people He has put in my path- people that challenge me, people that inspire me, people that make me question, God knows who.

Thank you for sharing your words and making me feel so loved today. It's because of you that I am who I am. You have all inspired me in some way to press into Jesus and desire Him more.

Thank you Bebe for surprising me (with the cheesecake, with a lunch with Ginger, with coffee with my friends). Thank you for understanding my love language and letting these people love me and share in my special day. Thank you for putting up with all my grief. You are the best husband and the ONLY one for me. You not only challenge me in my daily decisions, but you push me to change. What a blessing you are to me.... I love you!!

Thank you Carlee and Zachary for your love and grace. God knew the children I needed to encourage me to be more like Christ. You two have drawn me to my knees and kept me humble. I love you both and count it a privilege and honor to raise you. Thank you for your trust, your obedience, your JOY, hugs, kisses, cuddles, PRAYERS, forgiveness, your help, your smiles, your tears, pain, sadness, and your LOVE. It's because of you and the experiences of our daily life that makes me- ME. I pray I can be a good example to you both all the days of my life.

Winter Leaves

It doesn't get much funner than this...

Carlee's Texas Snow Angel

Leaves are falling like crazy around here. It's hard to believe that it actually snowed five days ago and was 30 degrees because today it is 70. This Texas weather never makes sense. I love that we can come outside and play in the leaves though without having to worry about catching a cold. Carlee and Zachary had the time of they're lives playing in the leaves and throwing them up in the air.

Big Boy Haircut

On Wednesday, I decided it was time for Zachary to get a haircut. I wanted to get it done before his pictures next week, so I decided that I would cut it. I knew he would not sit still enough for me so I strapped him in his booster seat and gave him a lollipop. This definitely helped. Now I am not a hairdresser, so when it comes to cutting hair I really don't have much experience, but I have cut Greg's a handful of times so I'm not totally paranoid about messing up. I knew I wanted to keep the top long and the bottom short. I used the electric clippers around the bottom and it looked great, but when it came time to do the top I really wasn't sure what I was doing. I used the scissors to make it shorter, but it's just HARD to do the fading to make the hair look like it blends in with the rest. I need tips from any of you out there that know how to do this. Anyways, as you can see the top is short as well and I did not give him the haircut I wanted. He looks like a little army man to me. He grew up in a matter of seconds. How did this happen!! I do like it, but the only thing that makes him look like a baby is his paci. Oh well,, the good thing is that it will grow out more even since it is all about the same length, but it will probably go through the sticking up on the top of his head phase again too. I know most of you love that phase anyways.

Now to you moms with boys.... How often do you get your boys hair cut? Where do you take them? How do you tell the hairdresser to cut your sons hair? And what do you do if your child has fine hair and a widow's peak? What type of hair cut do those kids need? I am at a loss and could use some advice. Carlee's only had hers cut twice in her life.

Christmas Concert

Greg and I took Carlee to his parents Christmas concert at their church this past Sunday night. I told her that this was a special treat for her to go out with mommy and daddy. Greg and I thoroughly enjoyed her company. She loved dressing up in her fancy dress. She has been waiting to wear this all year. (A funny thing- those tights she is wearing are big girl tights and they would not stay on her bottom. They kept inching their way down her leg all day. Too cute!) She loved driving there and seeing all the Christmas lights. She kept saying that everything was so beautiful or cool. She has said that a lot throughout this Christmas season. We sat on the second row and took everything in as we watched the choir sing, the orchestra play, the dancers dance and the children sing. Carlee loved the first five minutes and then she was ready to go. Then I told her that she would get to see baby Jesus and the three kings if she waited. They always come out at the end and it is the best part. She got really excited and could not believe she was going to see baby Jesus (of course we told her he was pretend later on). She heard a pretty lady sing a solo and Carlee said she wanted to do that when she turned 16. I don't know where she comes up with these numbers. Carlee appluaded everyone after all the songs and did very well for a 3 1/2 year old. I'm so proud of her. After the concert was over, she thought it would be fun if she could go on stage and sing just like her Grammy and Pawpaw. She sang Jingle Bells in the microphone and did a curtsy after she had finished. You could tell she loved being on stage. What a fun evening!!

P.S. That night in her prayer she prayed thank you for my family and for that concert being over.... hahahaha.... she is a mess.