...By the skin of my teeth I managed to whip up one last insightful and informative super scattered post on this the last day of 2008!
I can't believe it's been a week and a half since I last blogged!
I have been BUSY BUSY! .....and then I was TIRED TIRED!
We had an awesome Christmas this year! Carter is at such a fun age! We read a couple of Advent storybooks in the month or so before Christmas and got him a Little People nativity , which he adores! He loves baby Jesus, but he isn't too sure yet about having "Jesus in his heart". He always grabs his chest when that is mentioned, like he thinks it might hurt to have somebody in there.
He is just figuring the whole "Santa" process out and has decided that Santa is a pretty darn cool guy! I have to agree since Santa and his very tired elves stayed up VERY late Christmas Eve putting together a train table and about 750 feet of wooden track (not really 750, but it seemed like it...UGH!) It was totally worth it though! The look on Carter's face on Christmas morning when he sleepily wandered into the living room is one I hope that will be forever tucked away in my mind. It was one of sheer joy and excitement and "OHHH MY GOODNESS SANTA REALLY DID COME!".......It was priceless to say the very least!
He did get other things from Santa, but it took several hours before he moved from the train. Lilah certainly got her share of loot, but she was perfectly content sitting by her brother and clapping for him as he squealed with delight at each new discovery!
We hosted 4 Christmas functions at our house this year and I have discovered that I actually enjoy it....when I'm not pregnant (like I have been for two of the last few years)! Carter loves it because as far as he's concerned everyone has come just to see him! We had Kyle's mom's side of the family here at lunch time on Christmas Eve, which was a new one for us to have here, but I hope it will become a tradition because we had a blast! Everyone came except a few, which is fantastic! I know Grandpa Smith would have been thrilled!
Somebody brought an American Idol game and we sang and laughed until we cried! The best part is when the judges, including Simon, critique your performance. Kyle's cousin Joe sang his own version of "She Bangs", and well, let's just say William Hung would be Oh so proud!.....and you can bet "Simon" didn't hold back! He couldn't have been too bad though. I know that because we discovered that when the judges determine you are too terrible to go on, they WILL stop the song and proceed to inform you in no uncertain terms just how bad of a performer you really are.
....I think a certain football coach who is married to Kyle's first cousin may well be scarred for life over that one. Sorry, Rob. I really didn't mean to laugh THAT hard!!
Christmas Eve night we go to my dad's and there are lots of little ones which makes it so fun! Then Christmas night at my Grandmothers.Lots of little ones there too! At one point I peeked around the corner to see my Grandmother sitting on her bed surrounded by several of her great grandchildren. I am so thankful I had my camera! It was such a sweet sight! It reminded me of when I was a little girl, and all of her grandchildren(there are 9 of us all within 5 years of each other) would do the same thing. It sure made me miss my grandaddy though.
Then the next morning I woke up with a terrible case of Christmas decoration induced claustrophobia.
I could not get those decorations down and packed away fast enough!
I really wish I could be one of those people who wait until New Years to take everything down, but by the day after Christmas....IT. MUST. GO! It's like that every year. Kyle has come to expect it, and basically stays out of the way, but poor little Carter! He apparently thought the decorations were here to stay because when I started taking the tree down he was devastated. He tried his best to convince me that the tree needed to stay up! I finally told him that Santa said it was time for us to take it down since Christmas was over and well, since he now thinks Santa is "all that", he was in his own little "take down" mode and ready to help.
It's a good thing I know Santa so well.
Carter may not be so fond of Santa after a few weeks though. I have a feeling he's going to have a hard time staying off the "naughty" list in the coming year. I'll leave you with why I feel that way....
This afternoon we were standing in the checkout line in a seriously overcrowded Walmart when Carter says in his loudest "detective" voice while pointing to a rather scruffy looking man standing in the line next to us (like 2 feet away and looking directly at us) "MOM!! IS HE A BAD GUY??"
Did I mention that he was POINTING?? arm-stretched-out kind of pointing?? and talking so very loud??
I think we may have watched Home Alone a few too many times this Christmas season. He thinks Kevin is his BFF and apparently he is on the lookout for bad guys.
I hope you have had a wonderful Christmas season! I hope that you got to spend time with family, friends, and most of all with God this year. I have been reading a couple of great books in the past few weeks that have really inspired me and given me new insights into my walk with Christ. I hope to share more about that tomorrow and in the days to come.
As I always seem to do on New Year's Eve I spent today thinking about the past year. Of course the thing that stands out most is April 2. Our sweet Lilah was born! I couldn't have imagined a more perfect baby....or a more perfect big brother! One of my greatest joys has been to watch them love each other so very much!
Also I rejoiced with my neice, Rachel as she was saved and baptized this summer and then with my nephew Matthew as he was saved a couple of weeks ago, and then baptized just this past Sunday! Praise the Lord for the sweet peace that brings!
This year hasn't been without sadness though. We said goodbye to Jill in January. Carter still remembers her singing the Barney song to him and going to see her in the hospital. I know her beautiful voice sings in the heavenly choir, but my heart still aches for her family, for her son....and for her two sisters who are both now pregnant. I know they must miss their big sister terribly!
I saw Derick's mom & dad Christmas shopping last week and my heart broke for them.....and for his baby girl who will be born soon. She will never meet her daddy.
We certainly miss Grandpa Smith too. Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve weren't the same without him in his big blue recliner. His kids are going through the process of dividing everything up and we feel so blessed that Kyle's mom gave us a sofa table, where he kept tons and tons of pictures of grandchildren, and this big beautiful chair that sat in the bedroom he used to share with Kyle's grandmother. I have always loved that chair, and couldn't believe it when I asked about it and found that nobody else wanted it! We plan on putting it beside the chair I got from my grandmother which is now our "reading chair".
I am so thankful for all of these people, those still here on earth and those who have gone, for the way they have each touched my life. I pray that I will be the person God expects me to be in the coming year, and that I will never forget that I am here to give Him glory. Period. Doesn't that put things into perspective? It sure does for me!
I plan on participating in Laurel's New Year's Meditations this week where participants will share things like what they would like to see God do in their life, how would they like to see Him move, how can we/I become closer to Him.
I look forward to sharing and reading the desires of others and being blessed! What an amazing way to start a new year! Please head on over and join Laurel in greeting this new year God has given us!
Didn't I say I was "leaving" like 7 or 8 paragraphs ago? Okay...really going now! Right after I tell you that I looked back to see what I wrote last New Years Eve and realized that I hadn't wrote since December 21 then either! How's that for a weird coincidence?
Happy New Year!!!
I can't believe it's been a week and a half since I last blogged!
I have been BUSY BUSY! .....and then I was TIRED TIRED!
We had an awesome Christmas this year! Carter is at such a fun age! We read a couple of Advent storybooks in the month or so before Christmas and got him a Little People nativity , which he adores! He loves baby Jesus, but he isn't too sure yet about having "Jesus in his heart". He always grabs his chest when that is mentioned, like he thinks it might hurt to have somebody in there.
He is just figuring the whole "Santa" process out and has decided that Santa is a pretty darn cool guy! I have to agree since Santa and his very tired elves stayed up VERY late Christmas Eve putting together a train table and about 750 feet of wooden track (not really 750, but it seemed like it...UGH!) It was totally worth it though! The look on Carter's face on Christmas morning when he sleepily wandered into the living room is one I hope that will be forever tucked away in my mind. It was one of sheer joy and excitement and "OHHH MY GOODNESS SANTA REALLY DID COME!".......It was priceless to say the very least!
He did get other things from Santa, but it took several hours before he moved from the train. Lilah certainly got her share of loot, but she was perfectly content sitting by her brother and clapping for him as he squealed with delight at each new discovery!
We hosted 4 Christmas functions at our house this year and I have discovered that I actually enjoy it....when I'm not pregnant (like I have been for two of the last few years)! Carter loves it because as far as he's concerned everyone has come just to see him! We had Kyle's mom's side of the family here at lunch time on Christmas Eve, which was a new one for us to have here, but I hope it will become a tradition because we had a blast! Everyone came except a few, which is fantastic! I know Grandpa Smith would have been thrilled!
Somebody brought an American Idol game and we sang and laughed until we cried! The best part is when the judges, including Simon, critique your performance. Kyle's cousin Joe sang his own version of "She Bangs", and well, let's just say William Hung would be Oh so proud!.....and you can bet "Simon" didn't hold back! He couldn't have been too bad though. I know that because we discovered that when the judges determine you are too terrible to go on, they WILL stop the song and proceed to inform you in no uncertain terms just how bad of a performer you really are.
....I think a certain football coach who is married to Kyle's first cousin may well be scarred for life over that one. Sorry, Rob. I really didn't mean to laugh THAT hard!!
Christmas Eve night we go to my dad's and there are lots of little ones which makes it so fun! Then Christmas night at my Grandmothers.Lots of little ones there too! At one point I peeked around the corner to see my Grandmother sitting on her bed surrounded by several of her great grandchildren. I am so thankful I had my camera! It was such a sweet sight! It reminded me of when I was a little girl, and all of her grandchildren(there are 9 of us all within 5 years of each other) would do the same thing. It sure made me miss my grandaddy though.
Then the next morning I woke up with a terrible case of Christmas decoration induced claustrophobia.
I could not get those decorations down and packed away fast enough!
I really wish I could be one of those people who wait until New Years to take everything down, but by the day after Christmas....IT. MUST. GO! It's like that every year. Kyle has come to expect it, and basically stays out of the way, but poor little Carter! He apparently thought the decorations were here to stay because when I started taking the tree down he was devastated. He tried his best to convince me that the tree needed to stay up! I finally told him that Santa said it was time for us to take it down since Christmas was over and well, since he now thinks Santa is "all that", he was in his own little "take down" mode and ready to help.
It's a good thing I know Santa so well.
Carter may not be so fond of Santa after a few weeks though. I have a feeling he's going to have a hard time staying off the "naughty" list in the coming year. I'll leave you with why I feel that way....
This afternoon we were standing in the checkout line in a seriously overcrowded Walmart when Carter says in his loudest "detective" voice while pointing to a rather scruffy looking man standing in the line next to us (like 2 feet away and looking directly at us) "MOM!! IS HE A BAD GUY??"
Did I mention that he was POINTING?? arm-stretched-out kind of pointing?? and talking so very loud??
I think we may have watched Home Alone a few too many times this Christmas season. He thinks Kevin is his BFF and apparently he is on the lookout for bad guys.
I hope you have had a wonderful Christmas season! I hope that you got to spend time with family, friends, and most of all with God this year. I have been reading a couple of great books in the past few weeks that have really inspired me and given me new insights into my walk with Christ. I hope to share more about that tomorrow and in the days to come.
As I always seem to do on New Year's Eve I spent today thinking about the past year. Of course the thing that stands out most is April 2. Our sweet Lilah was born! I couldn't have imagined a more perfect baby....or a more perfect big brother! One of my greatest joys has been to watch them love each other so very much!
Also I rejoiced with my neice, Rachel as she was saved and baptized this summer and then with my nephew Matthew as he was saved a couple of weeks ago, and then baptized just this past Sunday! Praise the Lord for the sweet peace that brings!
This year hasn't been without sadness though. We said goodbye to Jill in January. Carter still remembers her singing the Barney song to him and going to see her in the hospital. I know her beautiful voice sings in the heavenly choir, but my heart still aches for her family, for her son....and for her two sisters who are both now pregnant. I know they must miss their big sister terribly!
I saw Derick's mom & dad Christmas shopping last week and my heart broke for them.....and for his baby girl who will be born soon. She will never meet her daddy.
We certainly miss Grandpa Smith too. Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve weren't the same without him in his big blue recliner. His kids are going through the process of dividing everything up and we feel so blessed that Kyle's mom gave us a sofa table, where he kept tons and tons of pictures of grandchildren, and this big beautiful chair that sat in the bedroom he used to share with Kyle's grandmother. I have always loved that chair, and couldn't believe it when I asked about it and found that nobody else wanted it! We plan on putting it beside the chair I got from my grandmother which is now our "reading chair".
I am so thankful for all of these people, those still here on earth and those who have gone, for the way they have each touched my life. I pray that I will be the person God expects me to be in the coming year, and that I will never forget that I am here to give Him glory. Period. Doesn't that put things into perspective? It sure does for me!
I plan on participating in Laurel's New Year's Meditations this week where participants will share things like what they would like to see God do in their life, how would they like to see Him move, how can we/I become closer to Him.
I look forward to sharing and reading the desires of others and being blessed! What an amazing way to start a new year! Please head on over and join Laurel in greeting this new year God has given us!
Didn't I say I was "leaving" like 7 or 8 paragraphs ago? Okay...really going now! Right after I tell you that I looked back to see what I wrote last New Years Eve and realized that I hadn't wrote since December 21 then either! How's that for a weird coincidence?
Happy New Year!!!
