Happy New Year!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful New Years Eve!!! Im celebrating by watching my niece and nephews. Fun night. Kids are watching movies and had yummy brownies! I just drank a much needed cuppa and ate a mint skinny cow..dang I love those things. Jasons vegging on the couch and baby is asleep. We will see if anyone makes it to midnight with me..somehow I highly doubt it..I usually ring it in alone. lol! Blessing to everyone! HaPpY nEwYeAr!!!!

Christmas is here and gone...whew!

Well praise the Lord! We made it! This year was different..but because of those difference Christmas was all the more special! For the first time in a long time not all of our family members were able to come to my parents. Usually its sheer chaos with 11 kids running around and parents trying to talk while the guys watch football. this year it was only 9 kids for about 3hrs and then went down to 6. For the first time we did a white elephant gift exchange with the adults..it was a lot of fun!! I came home with a book, hot cocoa, and peppermint sticks..Jason came home with a bottle of Champagne (which amazingly he drank) and a funny T-shirt. We had a relaxing and casual buffet style dinner..all the fixings..Turkey, Dressing, Mashed Spuds, Sweet Onion Pie, Gravy, Rolls, and Shrimp Salad. After dinner and dishes we had Bread Pudding..which is such an unfortunate name..cuz it was very very good!! We put our kids to bed and then the adults played Pictionary (yes, Jason, Erin, and I won!!!!! We smoked Mom, Dad, and Adam!!) After that we moved on and played Charades until midnight! Packed the kids up and went home! It was wonderful and fun! A Definite Christmas to remember!!

Gleeeeeeeee!

 If you haven't seen this show..you are missing out!! I hate to sound like a PSA..but just cannot help myself. Ya..the story lines are corny..but comical..but the music is very enjoyable!! Makes me miss choir soooo very much. I hate singing on stage all by myself..but love singing in a choir. All the harmonies the sheer volume...its beautiful! Ive been listening to the songs from the show non stop. Hands down my favorite CD right now! "Dont Rain on My Parade" is my favorite! I must make an interesting mom..driving to into the grocery store parking lot with broadway style music blaring full force..lol!

Warm Fuzzy Christmas Feelings...myth?

Remember when you were a kid, Christmas Eve.  you were so excited! Your chest would swell up with excitement of Christmas morning, you almost couldnt breathe. The smile on your face would be unstoppable, glowing so bright you swear it could be seen in outer space. It wasnt just the presents that were exciting, but the music, family, food..everything.

Somewhere along the lines of growing up those feelings stopped..at least for me they did. Theres no magic, its just a day. True, a day that I fully and completely comprehend its meaning. Its no longer about the presents, food, people etc..but about the birth of Jesus. Shouldn't there be magic just in that? Shouldn't I be just as excited as I was as a child? Even if just to see my kids experience it?

Where did they go? Is it even relevant that they are gone? Are the feelings tied to the innocence of being a child and thus dissappear with the knowledge of what kind of world we live in? Can I get them back? I have to say for the friends of mine that still feel this way..im jealous. I want to feel the excitment, magic, wonder and amazement.

Maybe I just havent drank enough coffee..maybe somewhere in the endless cups of joe I will find the answer. I think Ill pour another cup now!

Well Now!!

Geez reading my first post..yes only written moments ago..youd think I was in some sort of depressed funk! Well that is far from the case..but im not going to delete it!

It is so easy to get caught up in life..the busyness..the need to be here and there. Things to buy, spend money, waste money, eat money..well almost. Since Jason lost his job..our life has slowed down oh so much!! Though its definetly a rough patch, Jesus has been spilling over, all over the place. It seems at every turn we have been provided for...not only for Christmas..but for the small neccessities in life as well. We have been so abundantly blessed its hard to not feel guilty. I know that there are people out there who have waaaay less than we do.

I rememeber a few years ago..we had saved up to buy another vehicle for Jason to drive to and from work. Well just when we started looking...our financial floor was taken out from underneath us. But what is so amazing is once we were again on our feet..Jesus provided. Jasons parents lovingly passed on the vehicle that they were done with, when they got a new one. Wow, such a gift and so hard to find the humility to accept, and to not let pride rear its ugly nose. Something that has always stuck with me, is when talking to Jeanette about this she said "One day you will be able to do this for someone else". MMM ya maybe it sounds along the lines of "pay it forward" but I think its more than that. I own nothing. Nothing here on this earth is mine. It is all given to us by God. So if a time comes when I know someone who is down on their luck..and I have something that I no longer need..than I know that that will be the opportunity for me to pass on that something. Something I wouldnt have without Gods loving kindess.

²⁵"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:25-26

This past month I feel that we are tangible proof of this verse. We have chosen not to worry..to trust in God with everything we have. And He has provided. We are so thankful and blessed, I dont know where we would be without Jesus!

Trial by Fire..

Well here I go...Ive wanted to blog now for a while..but cannot imagine what is so interesting in my life that would push me to making it public record. Eek! But, that little niggling in the back of my brain will not go away..so here goes. Of course now there are no thoughts in my mind. Nothing important to discuss, talk about, nothing in the forefront anyway.

Things here...eh. Christmas is in a few days. Lately I spend the day with not only kids underfoot but husband as well. Its amazingly hard to have ones husband home at all times. I love him so very very much..but having him here all the time is hard. I have lost my time. My time to be at home alone with my kids, my thoughts, my chores..my space. I am so very thankful for the time that Jason gets to be home with his kids..I see them growing closer each day, unfortunately when he does finally get the much needed job it will be an adjustment. But in the meantime, I need to pray for patience...The big man has a plan and I need to lean on that.

For now, I guess its just our time. And that is not a bad thing. :)