Light Rail Opens!!

No one is more excited about the light rail than my hubby and father in law! (I think they are train engineers deep in their hearts!) We braved the insane crowds and went to the opening celebration on Sat. We waited 1 1/2 hours to even get on the train, but the kids thought it was so cool. And while it may not serve most of us way out east yet we feel it is a step in the right direction for the valley and mass transit! And, my hubby promised me we could do more baseball games because it drops off right in front of the stadium!! YippY!!!!

Here we all are, freezing our buns off waiting in line!!!

Christmas Morning

I jusr loved the tree last night after everyone else went to bed. I watched 'The Nativity Story" last night by myself and it was so nice to have peace.

Christmas morning...many happy faces!

Merry Christmas

Zoo lights rescheduled

We had plans to do Zoo Lights with the kids Monday but God decided His plants needed water instead. The kids were a bit disappointed so we invited Grandma Self over to play games in hopes of getting over the distress...and it worked! As you can see Jacob had something happen to him. I think his reaction is priceless and I love that this pictures tells a great story of the game time. We then decided, after watching the weather that we should jump at the chance to go last night because it looked like there would be a chance of rain the rest of the week. It was CRAZY!!! So many people, but we planned for the crowds and had a back up wagon to haul some kids. They all enjoyed it and I do have to say it is a spectacular sight equal to that of our church!

PS: Just a side note, Nathan is wearing a beanie that Jacob had as a toddler...I had a emotional mommy moment, but I am fine now! He is just as cute in it too although you can't really tell because he liked the lights more than getting his picture taken!

Proper Perspective

I think every parent wants to try and give their child the proper perspective of this season. Our kids are overwhelmed with the idea of wants turned into absolute needs and how do we possibly combat that? How do I, as a parent who desires to grant every wish, bring to light giving rather than receiving, and a joy filled heart? This year Shane and I felt convicted that we needed to try something, and Nathan's dear Aunt Tess is the "go to" woman when it comes to community outreach so we knew we could find something. Every year Tess helps collect for needy families, then with volunteer help spends the 3 days before Christmas wrapping and delivering gifts and food. We jumped at the chance to take the older three in hopes of showing them that they are blessed and in turn this is how to bless others. While we did not hit the nail on the head, in fact we had to have a moment in the car of blunt truth....saying "These families will not have gifts under their tree if we do not help and how does that feel?", I think if we continue to model this type of behavior God will work on their hearts. We delivered to 7 very poor, and needy families a basket full of gifts, a box of food for a king and a turkey for their holiday meal. We are blessed!!! They smiled and greeted us with such joy and humble hearts how can we not feel overwhelmed at the gift God gave to us? And the most touching moment was at the last house when the kids came out with homemade cards and colored pictures saying thank you. All I wanted to say to them was, "No, thank you for showing me your love!"


This is Tess with all of us before we got started today.

Many, many baskets of gifts!

Samantha and just one of several boxes of food.

And the greatest gift of today...our thank you cards!!!


Thank you LORD, for this gift of giving. You bless our hearts daily with your provision and we were blessed today by all the little, happy faces you provided for this Christmas. Thank you for your unbelievable gift...amen!

Cookie Party!!

We had a blast today! We invited several friends over to decorate cookies. The kids really showed their creative sides. Of course there was frosting and sprinkles in abundance and the smiles shinned brightly!

Busy few days...more to come

We have had a few busy days as the last week of school before Christmas break came to a close. Samantha had a small dance recital and of course hammed it up the whole time, and she has improved dramatically. Jacob decorated gingerbread houses at school and I was invited to go and help. I enjoyed this special time with him and we went out shopping for Dad after. Asjiah has been begging to get her ears pierced for weeks now and we just got permission from her Mom so off we went last night. She was excited until it came time to actually do it, then she fought and kicked. The girls managed to get it done and she was pretty mad at me for about 15min. but then was fine once we got home. Then finally, Samantha had a little program in her class today. They sang a song and recited a poem, plus we made a gift for Dad. It is these moments that I love for as a Mom! More fun in the days to follow until Christmas!

Gotta love those blue eyes...

That is his creation and yes, that is also a rug burn on his forhead...don't ask! (hahahah!)

Asjiah's new earings...so beautiful!

Samantha and Ethan today in school...

My sweet girl being her goofy self!

Not even close

Ok, so having a large family, and 3 of the 5 kids being African American, of course I get a tons of second looks, we just laugh sometimes at what people must be thinking, but today trumps all other trips out. Amazingly, I only had Nathan and my friend Suzy's son Evan, who by the way is 3 and could easily fit in to the family with his coloring; blonde, blue eyes and fair complexion. The older kids were all in school and I ran a few errands, (wanted to buy new jeans with my bday money!!). I was waiting in line at Macy's, JC Penny's and Costco today and all three times I was asked if the boys, (Nathan and Evan) were twins. Ummmmm, yup they sure are...don't they look exactly alike?
Ok, please telling me you are laughing right now because I have been all day. Seriously people, do they look like twins...their skin is completely different colors? Funny how when people aren't sure what to say that this was the best they could come up with. Oh well, chalk this one up for one of the funniest things we have heard all year.

Happy Birthday Kristen

I was greeted by mostly smiling faces and super excited gift givers this morning. Each one had a gift directly from the heart!!! Jacob got me some fancy pantsy jewelry, Samantha got me nail polish and lip gloss, and Asjiah was thrilled to give me a pink purse with Hannah Montana on it. The babies got me a cute Christmas tee shirt. It was very special to see the three older ones take such heart in giving...they are all very sweet! AND I cannot forget Shane, who got up too early, baked my cake and made homemade, from scratch, buttermilk blueberry pancakes! What a blessing!

Yummy!

At lunchtime we picked Jacob up from school and went out for mexican food...my favorite! We are going to have cake after dinner. All in all, a nice, relaxing day!

Jacob took this picture of Shane and I, thanks buddy!

PS: Nathan is not pictured because he has a cold and has not been his happy, smiley self!

Then, in a bit of an impromptu dinner, Suzy took me to D-Vine for a glass of wine and amazing appetizers. This was the first time I had ever done anything like this and I felt so grown up and sophisticated,.

Sweetest Hubby ever!

So, I am literally speechless. My birthday is tomorrow and Shane came home from work today and said, "hey, you want your present now?" I was a bit confused and said I could wait, but he said he couldn't. Ok, so I was beginning to get excited...what could it be? Well, to my shock he bought me a camera accessory...a new, fancy, way cool flash!!!!! I am overjoyed! As I get more and more into this photography stuff I have realized that yes, there is a bit of natural ability but also a whole bunch of quality accessories! The flash allows me to move the light around to capture closer to what the eye sees. He wanted me to have it tonight so I could practice and be ready for tomorrow...so sweet! Anyway, the kids, always willing models, jumped at the chance to play. I just love how the light is above them, just like the sun was shining in my house. (Thanks for that analogy Joy!) I feel more and more confident to take even better pictures...can't wait for the opportunities.

Gingerbread Houses

One of the best perks to having a Grandmother that is also a teacher is the kids quite often get to do some of the same projects. My Mom is great about saving some or bring any leftovers of the fun things she does in her class over for the kids to do too. Today, the kids decorated their gingerbread houses. Notice the concentration in all of them...adorable! Fun time if I do say so myself!

The completed houses!

Samanthaism

Our morning conversation after taking Jacob to school...

"Mom, you know I have a super, super long memory right?"

"Yes"

"Well, I can remember all the way back to being a baby. I can't remember you as a baby because God didn't make me yet since you were a kid and kids can't have babies, but I can remember a long time ago when I was pulled out of your tummy."

"You can? What did it feel like?"

"I was squished out and they had to clean off all the blood and stuff and then I took a nap?"

Hahahahah! She crack me up! Then out of nowhere...with much glee and excitement...

"Mom, Grandma and Grandpa found each other, then they married and became husbands!"

Hmmmm, need to work on that one a bit!

A TwIsT on an old Tradition

I have been thinking about all the sweets and baked goods that seem to surround this holiday, and how I unlike most, am not a huge cookie fan. Samantha made homemade applesauce for their Thanksgiving Feast and I thought "hey, that could make a great gift idea!" So, I made a practice batch for our family Thanksgiving and discovered just how simple it is. Crock pot, apples, sugar, cinnamon and water....add several hours to cook and done! The added bonus, my house smells intoxicatingly good....yummmmmm!

Favorite weekend in Dec

Our annual Women's Christmas dinner is always the first weekend in December and is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. I have been so involved with this event for the past 5 years, and although I have stepped back this year, it does not make the event any less special in my heart! I still get to help a little, fill up my "servant" tank and not have the stress of the event piled on. It has given me a chance to reflect on Christmas beyond the regular holiday "to do" lists. Even now, with Silent Night playing in the background I can't help but focus on the reason of Christ's birth...to die for us. God gave up the biggest part of himself so that we may enter into a deep and passionate relationship with Him. Sometimes in the day to day of life, the most important part of this holiday can be over looked, and yet it is also so incredibly overwhelming. My prayer is that each day, throughout the whole year, I wake up remembering that God revealed His unconditional love one magnificent night with the birth of a baby.

My husband's new wife

For those that have not seen me yet, here is my new look! AND I love it! (Shane too) It has taken a few days to get used to the stranger in the mirror but the more and more I do I just love it!

Getting into the spirit

'Tis the season...or so the TV and stores keep telling me, but I still feel like Christmas is months away. I am not sure if it is the warm days or the fact that life seems to be on fast forward. It is hard to imagine that Christmas is 25 days away. So to help get in the spirit we managed to get our trees, garland and lights up this weekend. This year was the first time I have two trees, AND the first time I let the kids help put the tree up. I am a bit possessive of my tree and since there is now a kid tree and a deco tree I figured I should lighten up. Anyway, it was fun and I know the kiddos enjoyed helping. Now, it just needs to be about 15 degrees cooler and I might actually convince my brain it is December!

My favorite toothless grin!

Thanks honey for the help!

Shopping Hangover

I am exhausted and grumpy today and the fun of yesterday seems to be a blur

BUT it was fun and worth while!

My dear friend and I got up and went to Walmart at 4:45am on Black Friday. It was not nearly as crazy as I imagined, yet there were moments we got stuck in the isles. She was the big winner and price matched most of her toys with ads from the other stores and saved a bunch of money. We did have to be home by 7:00am so our hubbies could have their fun too. Then, in a complete and total state of oblivion, we went back out last night. This time the crowds were non-existant, but some of the things we were hoping to find were gone. Again, we enjoyed eachother's company and we both agreed it was more fun to go together than alone, however, I am feeling it today. Another cup of coffee and maybe the fog will lift! At least I am done...check that item off my holiday list!

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thanksgiving in your hearts to God."

Colossians 3:16

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pies, Pies and More Pies

Nothing makes my house smell more fabulous than baking pies! I love this time of year simply for those mouth watering, taste bud tempting sensory experiences. I have been making the family pumpkin pies for years and this year Jacob needed an apple pie for school. He helped me core and peel the apples and we made the yummy pie together. The only down side is I do not actually get to eat the apple one. They are having a taste test in their class and will be voting for the class favorite! Pies make Thanksgiving complete!

Thurs update to the pie tasting contest...Jacob and my pie were the only homemade pie and the winner in the class! What a great memory!

Thanksgiving Feast at preschool

Samantha's class had their Thanksgiving Feast today and I got to take part in the whole day as the Mom helper. The kids are definatly getting excited about turkey, corn bread and pumpkin pie. They enjoyed a fun time of trying these traditional foods and sang a little song for the other classes. Her class dressed as the Indians and the other classes were the Pilgrams. One speical moment...Mrs. Fox asked each child what they are thankful for. "Samantha said she was thankful for her Mommy, because I love her." Melts my heart!!!

Trying to catch a bit of fall

We made a last minute trip up to the cabin this weekend to try and catch what little fall is left. We missed most of the tree colors near the cabin, but did manage to see a few on the drive. We took the kids on a long walk/hike to a nearby creek and they had a blast. I kept yelling at them as I was afraid one was sure to fall in the fridged water, but my fun loving hubby told me to stop, that they were having fun and to just let it go. And, not one of them fell in...a few cold feet, but otherwise nothing to report. Ok, so he was the wise one! Shane's Dad and sister came up with our niece on Sat. and I got to have a photo shoot with that sweet doll baby! We got a few great shots and I am excited to see how they print out. I also had planned on getting our family Christmas card photo this weekend too, I had coordinating outfits and everything, but Shane felt it necessary to get a bad case of the flu by Sat. night. He is the sickest I have ever seen him in our 11 years of marriage. I quickly cleaned the cabin, packed everyone up and head home as early as possible. Poor guy is on the couch and just miserable. I did manage to capture an adorable picture of the kids at the creek, so be looking for this great photo in your mail box this Christmas.

New Hair, New Attitude

So, can we talk about African American hair for a moment? It is fabulous, and let me say I am amazed more and more about all the different ways it can be styles, braided...just about anything you can think of. One thing I do not enjoy however it taking out a current style and having to brush out the tangles. My sister in law talked about her stash under the sink of African American hair cream, detangler, conditioners being large, well I think I am about to be a close second. What I dislike the most is the crying...and we are not just talking about the whimpering of sweet girls, but the screams of pure agony and flood of tears for an hour while I brush and restyle.

Well I decided that I would try one more thing before I just accepted that the horror stories of my poor sister in law as a child was doomed to be repeated in our house too. I went to the store and finally bought a child hair relaxer. I have done my research and so many do not recommend using this, but poor Asjiah's hair is just so course and frizzy, I could never even run my fingers through her hair. I wanted to try to make it soft and try to control the curls a little bit more. All I can say, is after an hour of treatment, shampooing and conditioning she is even more gorgeous than I could ever imagine. She looks more like her age and her smile is from ear to ear. Her hair is soft, the curls are defined and seperated, and yes a bit relaxed. It is exactly what I was hoping for. I know from the research that a relxer can dry the hair so I am armed with more leave in conditioner and mosterizing oils to help keep it soft and fabulous. These pictures do not do it justice so when you see her in person you will get the full effect. Who knew that I would get my hair styling "license" while doing foster care. Thanks Carla for being a good example and my inspiration for trying to make these babes as beautiful as you.