A Decade Comes to an End

It is so hard to believe that at 12:01a.m. on Friday we will begin a new decade. It sometimes feels like just yesterday my husband and I were welcoming in the year 2000 and then I think back over what all has happened in the last ten years ...

In that last decade our family has gone from just my husband and I to - my husband, myself and three children. We said goodbye to both of my husband's parents, my grandmother, and several beloved pets. Three of my siblings took on spouses. One of my siblings welcomed a baby girl into their family.

We have traveled to the beach and mountains countless times and enjoyed Disney on several occasions. Wow ... a lot happens in a decade. So how do you measure your years?

Wishing all of our friends and family near and far a wonderful decade to come!

Christmas 2009

A wonderful Christmas Day followed by a fun evening at our dear friends home, who are like family to us.

We spent our morning in PJ's opening gifts, having our breakfast casserole, enjoying a fire in the fireplace, crafting with new supplies and kits, and naps. Then a little time outside for the kids to try out their new bikes.

It is so hard to believe that Christmas is over ... now we look forward to our New Year's Eve celebration!

Merry Christmas to All

... and to all a good night!

Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is Born!!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve ...

Breakfast out at our favorite local diner.

Opening gifts from our friend Ms. Jen ...

One of Lexi's favorite gifts a new Harry Potter movie.

Candlelight Christmas Eve Service ...


The kids have a practice run through of their Christmas production Lexi choreographed.

New pajamas for Christmas.

Lighting the last candle on the Advent Wreath.

2 Days Until Christmas

With 2 Days until Christmas we had lots of activities planned for today. First and foremost we had to get one last gift for our Adopt-A-Grandma that we are visiting tomorrow. Then some baking to do (Six Layer Cookie and Rocky Road Fudge). We ended our day with more sewing. Lexi really wanted to make a purse shaped like a heart, then we stitched another felt purse for one of her American Girl Dolls. Ava Mae wanted in on the fun and so I made her a little purse shaped like a Christmas stocking. She said she is going to wear it tomorrow and fill it with Christmas candy to hand out to people she sees and wish them a "Merry Christmas."

Tomorrow will be another activity filled day. Our morning starts out with our traditional Christmas Eve Breakfast at a local diner with a close family friend, back to exchange gifts at our home with our friend - Ms. Jen, then off to an early Christmas Eve service, a visit to our Adopt-A-Grandmother and then more baking - Jesus' birthday cake and mini-chocolate chip cookies. The kids are so excited they can barely sleep tonight. We will end tomorrow in front of our Advent Wreath and the kids want to put on a Christmas show for us that Lexi has been working hard on choreographing. Ava Mae is going to be Mary one of her American Girl dolls will serve as Baby Jesus, Devin is narrating and Lexi is playing piano. It should be interesting. :)

3 Days Until Christmas

Today all three kids took a fun fieldtrip to my husband's work. My children are enthralled with my husband's office. Lexi always describes the lobby as being like a fancy hotel. Today was even more special as with not very many employees in the office they were able to stay the whole day and enjoyed hanging out with the CTO and his staff - who had toys and candy. They think Daddy's work is the coolest place to visit.

Having a day to myself was wonderful at such a busy time of year! I did some baking, had lunch with friends, and caught up on some final wrapping.

4 Days Until Christmas

Lexi had her first sewing class today. In just 2 hours she made a hand stitched Christmas stocking. Perfect timing for this class, on the top of Lexi's list for Christmas, a sewing kit.

5 Days Until Christmas

Wow ... so hard to believe it is just 5 days until Christmas. I remember when I was a child it seemed that the month of December just drug on and on. Now, it seems we blink and we go from Thanksgiving to Christmas Day.

Tonight I was tying up loose ends ... finished shopping for stockings, bought my husband's coworker gifts, created a quick easy glass ornament ball for a hostess gift, and stamped a few cards.

6 Days Until Christmas

7 Days Until Christmas

Today was our homeschool group's trip to The Nutcracker at the Fox Theater. It was an abbreviated performance with a peek at the behind the scenes workings. Devin was thrilled at getting a shorter version but, Lexi looked at me after the performance and asked "what happened to the rest of that ballet?". It is one of Lexi's favorite ballets and she knows every scene by heart.

After the performance it was over to my sister's restaurant for lunch. It was a great ending to our fieldtrip, which we all braved in the blowing hard rain.

8 Days Until Christmas

Tonight we lit the 3rd Candle of Advent which represents Love. It was Ava Mae's turn to light and she could hardly contain her excitement.

9 Days Unitl Christmas

I hosted a Cookie Exchange tonight ... what fun! A great group of ladies who it was so fun to visit with and wonderful cookies. Looking forward to making it an annual thing with this group of women.

10 Days Until Christmas

Three dozen cookies baked ... just three more to go. Tomorrow I am hosting a Cookie Exchange and I have about 20 of my friends attending. This is the cookie I have decided on - Peanut Butter Cookie Cups. We are all making six dozen cookies and I am looking forward to seeing what everyone makes.

11 Days Until Christmas

Tonight my sister and her fiance came over and brought dinner and a fun activity for the kids. My sister had seen these cute snowmen made from Rice Krispy Treats and decided to replicate them. The girls had a blast, Devin decided playing with sticky marshmallow treats was not his thing - though he was happy to clean up the leftovers. Kudos to my sister for being so brave - this is something I would never do with the kids. The snowmen family turned out really cute! There was even a Baby Jesus Snowman - crafted by Ava Mae.

12 Days Until Christmas

Tonight my husband performed with the rest of our church band in Acoustic Christmas Concert. It was so beautiful! We ended the evening with singing "O Little Town of Bethlehem" which I love but, all the songs were amazing.

Last night we did our annual tour of Life College's Lights of Life. It was raining and freezing cold so we did not venture long outside the car but, we enjoyed commenting on any new additions we saw to the lights and singing Christmas carols as we drove through all the displays.

13 Days Until Christmas - In Honor of Emmy

It is with a sad heart that I write this post. I awoke this morning to an email from a friend letting us know that their adorable 2 year old daughter, who we had been praying for, had gone home last night to be with Jesus.

I am heartbroken for this family. Words cannot express the feeling of sickness that I feel in my stomach or the fog that I have walked around in all day.

Emmy was such a sweet little girl and she brought joy to everyone's life that she touched. I know she is in heaven right now dancing with Jesus.

Please join me in praying for her family!