Christmas Tour of Homes

Well, I am a little nervous to add my photos because I can't ever make them line up right in blogger. I just switched to beta and it is supposed to be easier, but I still have no idea what I'm doing. I guess I'll just do my best and see how it goes.

Here you have my front door. It is pretty simple, but it looks nice at night. We have never put up lights on the outside of the house before, but I keep hoping Santa will do it someday.

Next is the staircase. I love how this looks. I am a traditional red, green and gold girl for Christmas. I love how this looks at night, too. It's simple, but it adds so much. My kids don't like trying to find a place to put there hand and then getting scratched by garland. I tell them, "That's the price of beauty." Just kidding. You know as well as I do that kids don't use handrails.

The mantle is special because it holds my sweet babies stockings. I bought these stockings years ago at Dillards when my son Seth was a baby. I couldn't find the right size and match when Annie was born, so her's is a little different. I have thought about getting pretty trendy ones, but the kids would never let that happen. They like things to stay the same each year and they love to hang them themselves. We have gold stocking holders that say "joy" and a snowflake at each end. My wreath is probably 5 years old and barely holding on. I just keep fluffing that bow to get another season out of it.

This is our most recent ornament as a family. We picked it up in Estes Park, Colorado this summer while vacationing. Don't we make a great elk family? Or are they reindeer? I hope Skip isn't reading this. I always get mule deer, elk and regular deer mixed up.

Lastly, we have the Christmas tree. It is so very treasured to me since I have so many personal ornaments with sentimental value. Skip and I had an engagement party 15 yrs. ago and we still have almost all the ornaments that were given to us. The angel is probably 13 yrs. old and still looks brand new. This year only Annie, my six yr. old helped me decorate the tree. I think she did a marvelous job(don't look too close) He He He. She is going to be a little homemake just like me. She loves to set up house already.

I wish I had a Christmas dish to share, but believe me you wouldn't want what my brain could come up with at this late hour. I had raspberry tea (several glasses) and the caffeine is in full swing. Thanks for stopping by, and I can't wait to see all the beautiful decorations in your home.

Merry Christmas Blog World!

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

We did not get out Christmas cards last year because I was so picky about them looking good and we ran short of time. This year we just threw some Christmas pjs on the kids and there you have it. I think they look precious and comfy at the same time.

I'm off to shoot a few pictures for the Christmas Tour of Homes that begins tomorrow. I hope everyone is ready to join in the fun. I didn't go crazy with decorations, but it's "beginning to look a lot like Christmas" around here.

Live Christmas Every Day

I received this poem with a Christmas card today from a very giving family that belongs to our church. It brought tears to my eyes because I know how it feels to receive the greatest gift of all, our precious Jesus. Thanks to this special family for your secret gift too!


Live Christmas Everyday by Helen Steiner Rice

Christmas is more than the end of the year
More than a time for presents and cheer
More than a time for exchanging greetings
More than the tinsel that hangs on the tree
More than the baubles and glitter we see
More than a time for mere happiness
More than small words can ever express

Christmas is one day we find it is good
To live the way that we always should
A day when man tries to be generous and kind
A day when he sees with his heart, not his mind

And that is the way we should live all the year
Not only a few days when Christmas is here
For that is the way God wants us to live
Sharing the joy that comes when we give

For then and then only will relentlessness cease
And all of the world will be finally at peace
For the tidings of Christmas can only come true
When Christmas is lived every day the year through.

I just loved hearing that poem. It also made me want to look up the author, which I did, and found her life story so inspirational. I am not much into poetry reading, but I will definitely read more of her's.

***An update on the house: We are waiting to hear if a buyer (the first looker we've had) will choose our house or one other. It is down to two. Wouldn't that be a wonderful early Christmas gift? I will let everyone know soon. I know God is with me no matter the outcome. I am praising Him for His perfect will.

Christmas Treats

This is just a sample of the cookies my kids made on Saturday. If the truth be known, this is all we have left Monday morning. All the others were given away or eaten (mostly eaten). I made some fudge too. I have never ever made fudge before because I thought it might involve one of those thermometer thingys I have never owned. I was looking on a can of Eagle Brand milk and I saw it had a fudge recipe with only a few ingredients and a few steps. How easy! It turned out okay, but from now on I will add way more nuts. I love nuts! I gave some fudge to Annie's friend and her family. Annie came home after playing, and said the family's dogs got into the fudge and ate all of it. "They had to leave them outside for a while in case they puked," Annie explained. Great, I thought. The first time I make fudge, I kill two dogs. Well, I haven't heard any news yet, so hopefully everything has "passed".
I would love to try to make some divinity this year (another thing I've never tried to make). My mom has always made divinity, but she says the weather has to be just right. I also know for sure that a candy thermometer is involved, as well as "spinning a thread" while stirring. What is spinning a thread? If someone knows of any easy divinity recipe, then pass it my way. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

"I Scarce Can Take It In"

Every once in a while I have one of those days so full of blessings that I can scarcely take it all in without breaking down in tears. Today was definitely one of those days. I knew when I started my day in prayer (actually writing it down) that it was going to be a good day. Sometimes I can just feel God whispering, "Just watch what I have planned for my daughter today."
Of course getting to church is always an adventure, especially with slow moving sleepy children who stayed up too late watching "Superman Returns" with their night owl Daddy, who shall remain nameless. We made it out the door and only missed the first song at worship time. Music was amazing, as well as the sermon. I still can't believe I am so blessed with such an awesome church. Then, as I was waiting for Skip to come home, I was praying about how I could possibly do something special for a friend who has several sick children at home, and Skip called and offered to barbecue tonight and he would make plenty for my friend's family. "How sweet!" I said to God. My hubby offered before I even asked. Then when he came in he handed me a Christmas card from a sweet family at church. Inside was a nice surprise which could not have come at a better time. Two of my girls have costume fees for their Spring Dance recital due this week, and this family just happen to give the card today. I was already crying from my heart being so filled today, and now I had a physical blessing too. Then I go check my email, and my sweet friend Sara sent me an email that almost took my joy to a whole new level. I haven't seen her in years and she wrote she and her family are going on a mission trip to Mexico and may come through Corpus on the way. Okay, this is just too good to be true. She lives in Alabama, and we only visit through letters and email. I am so happy!!!
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you something else. My house has been on the market for one week now, and we finally had our first person look on Thursday. They are from out of town and really liked the house. They came and looked again on Friday, and I am praying that they choose it among the others they saw. I know God is in control, and I have so much peace about it. It will sell exactly when God wants it to sell. I have had so many neighbors this week question me as to why we are selling, and tell me that this is the worst time to have a house on the market. I have answered everyone calmly with these words, "I am trusting God with my house and I have faith that He is in control." Lastly, as I am typing this post, my husband is ironing my clothes for the week. I told you it was one of those days!

*My blogger will not let me indent my paragraphs for some reason. It looks like one big paragraph, but I am posting it anyway.

My Favorite Christmas Memory

MomRN2 is hosting a wonderful holiday get together at "My Quiet Corner". We are invited to share our favorite Christmas memory and then link to her site for more wonderful stories.
My favorite memory occurred two years ago on Christmas Eve. If any of you know about my life during the week leading up to Christmas, it can get a little lonely. I have my precious children to keep me busy with all the preparations for Christmas, but my husband spends a great deal of time at the church that week. We typically have about 3 to 4 days of Christmas Eve services so everyone gets a chance to experience our wonderful celebrations of Christ's love at Christmas.
I don't every want my children to have any bad feelings about the time my husband is at the church, so we save all our cookie baking, looking at Christmas lights and other fun activities for that time. They don't seem to miss daddy that much, and he takes off the whole week after Christmas to make up for it. I, however, was feeling a bit lonely the whole day of Christmas Eve two years ago. It was very cold, and there was rain in the forecast. Instead of feeling lonely, my son Seth and I started focusing our time on praying that God would make a miracle occur for us this Christmas. We prayed it would Snow! Yes, I know it isn't really possible this far south, but the conditions seemed so perfect. As we started watching the weather channel, it seemed more and more likely that it could occur. We were really praying now, and as we left for church to go to the last Christmas Eve service of the night, the sky had clouds we had never seen before. I started to get a little excited at the thought of the kids catching snowflakes on their tongue, or even gathering up enough for a snowball or two. Now remember, my kids have never had snow in Corpus and the only times they have played it is in Colorado in June (yucky dirty snow).
As the last song was played during service, Skip opened the doors to the sanctuary, and the most miraculous thing was happening. It was SNOWING! We aren't talking little snowflakes either. We are talking beautiful, gigantic snowflakes. Everyone was praising God and in quite a bit of shock. We as a family played from 8:30 until midnight outside in about 5 to 6 inches of snow. Neighbors came together building snowmen, and talking about the miracle of what was happening. My son Seth to this day believes that his prayer is what made it happen. It was truly a Christmas I will never forget.
The next morning we drove to see our families just and hour and a half north and found that they had 10 inches of snow. What a day my kids had! It was a blessing to top all blessings. I loved every minute of that Christmas and the kids will never forget God's goodness that he gave us that Christmas night.

Saturday Seven

I couldn't think of a title for my post today so I am making up one. It was a great week despite the morning of sickness, not to be confused with morning sickness (simply not possible). Thanks to everyone who prayed and wished me well. Now, onto some joy. I am so excited about Christmas even though I haven't done a lick of shopping. Well, actually I've bought about 4 small things. I have a way to go and I can't wait. I don't know if I've ever shared this, but I love to shop. I could probably do it as a full time job because I love it so much. Okay, here are some highlights of the week.

1. Blessing! Ashley was able to go back to dance on Tuesday and participate. Her foot has healed wonderfully.
2. Got the house on the market. It is not showing up as a listing yet, but it should in the next day or two. I have been doing a lot of cleaning and straightening and I realized that I want to have people over more when the house is in order. Just my thing, even though I know it doesn't matter to others.
3. "Cheetah Girls rock!" These were the actual words shouted by my six year old during the concert Wednesday night. I enjoyed watching her and her friend Taylor more than the actual concert. They were hilarious as they tried to imitate and sing along. I know they will always remember this. The performances were incredible. The singers and dancers were exceptional. Everyone was decked out in Cheetah print, and I was officially a "Cheetah mama" who also had to dance and sing along. One time Annie looked over at me and motioned for me to sit down. Could embarrassing your child start at six? The bigget blessing was that my friend Michelle was able to get us the tickets so there wasn't any expense. I think Michelle "rocks".
4. My bible study group was awesome this week. I can't believe we only have two weeks left before we finish. It seems like I was just asking for ideas for our new study. These women have become such a sweet part of my life. I love each one so dearly and it never fails to amaze me how much they want to grow in Christ. We are planning a new study in late January, but haven't decided on a book or bible study yet. Let me know if any of you know of a goodie.
5. Skip and I went to Kikos Mexican Restaurant for a date lunch yesterday. I love mexican food and it is always a treat to have time alone with the hubby during the month of December. His life tends to get a little crazy this month as a worship pastor. The new building adds a little extra on his plate, but he loves the excitement.
6. My kitchen caught on fire yesterday. Well, let me rephrase that. I was attempting to bake 3 things at once and I laid wax paper near an open candle and poof! Luckily the three sections of burning wax paper flew and landed on the tile and not the carpet which was only inches away. My kids stared in horror as I quickly put out the flames. I conclude that I am a panicker and do not think well in dangerous situations. What is really scary is that my fire alarm did not come on. Better check that battery. Nothing was harmed or destroyed and I quickly got the smell out of the house. Skip walked in after a couple of minutes and had no clue what almost occured. He was only 30 feet away in the bedroom. It was another example to share with the kids how I had just prayed that morning for protection for our family.
7. Skip and I hosted a Christmas party for his production/music staff and their spouses last night(hence the baking I was doing). Skip made humongous steaks and baked potatoes. It was a great night of fellowship and feasting. I was too full from our Mexican food lunch to have any dinner, but I enjoyed visiting with my dessert and coffee.

I'm so glad it's Saturday and we have no plans today. It is beautiful outside and I am going to see if the kids are up for something fun. Have a great weekend everyone. Be blessed!

Vertigo has come to visit (Not U2 version)

I had a horrible morning with dizziness accompanied with nausea. I won't even get into the other gorry details. I guess it could be inner ear related or a tummy bug. Either way, after 5 hours of complete helplessness, I am feeling a lot better. My hubby brought me soup and crackers and I have been sipping on 7up. I have to feel better quick because I am taking my girls to the Cheetah Girls concert tonight. Hope no one else is feeling lousy today. I did just happen to study a lot about fasting in my bible study and I opted for something other than food. Maybe God is trying to tell me something. Hum? Have a blessed day everyone!

My Week in Review

This picture sums up my Thanksgiving week. It was relaxing and peaceful. I loved visiting with all the relatives and stuffing myself for a solid two days. Isn't God good to create such delicious foods? I knew I had to stop when I found myself slicing into the pumpkin and the cherry pie for breakfast on Friday morning. I think this year I was very reflective about the blessings we have been given. When I have had an emotionally and physically tough year, I tend to grow the most spiritually. I am so thankful for many reasons, but especially for the good health Skip has experienced since his surgery. I know God never left our sides during the fearful and uncertain times. Skip is still experiencing some minor aches and pains, but he is doing fabulous in my book. He is an amazing man and I have seen him reach out to God for strength and wisdom so much lately. I just love him to pieces! I am also thankful for my children and the blessings that each of them are to me. Each child is so unique and talented in their own special way. I am so thankful for my church and church family. I think God has used BAF to impact this city in so many ways, and it seems to be just the beginning. I can't wait to post about our Grand Opening of the new building in a couple of months. Just watch out for all God is going to do through his people. I am thankful for my local friends, my email buddies, and my blog friends. All the encouragement, prayers, and love I've received is unbelievable. May God bless you all! My resting time is over as I am now going to go back to getting this house ready for sale this week. I decorated for Christmas early last week, so I can now just concentrate on the nitty gritty of making this house shine!

Happy Birthday Sis!

My big sis is celebrating her birthday today. I just wanted to wish her a day filled with blessings and happy memories. She and I are exactly two years, one month and 6 days apart. You can imagine how two girls that close together in age probably had their fair share of squabbling. We did, of course, but now we are very close and laugh at the silly experiences of our childhood. One thing about sisters is that they truly know you at your best and your worst. I want to personally take a moment to tell Debbie how much I love and appreciate her. She has been there for me in so many ways. She stood by my side at my wedding to Skip, and as I gave birth to all three of my children. She was praying with me and comforting me through all of Seth's surgeries when he was a baby, and even came late at night during Skip's emergency surgery this summer. She didn't leave until she knew I was emotionally okay to be on my own. She has always felt a certain responsibility to look after me which I guess first borns tend to do. I am so glad she is a Christian friend to me, too. We are always calling each other with our prayer needs, knowing that they are safe and secret. One of the most admirable traits she possesses is her lack of fear to try new things. I have always wanted to be more like her in that respect. She also makes everyone feel at ease the moment they meet her. People enjoy being around her because she's so much fun. Debbie is also crazy about her husband of over 21 years, and has an 18 yr old daughter, and a 16 yr old son.
*The picture above is me on the left, and Debbie on the right. I love this picture because it shows her little spunky attitude. This was taken by our parents when they had just returned home from a trip to Vegas. We got little purses for a souvenir.

Rejoicing in the Madness

I haven't had many moments to blog lately, as we are trying to put the house up for sale very soon. I need to do a lot of touch ups, and straightening. I am praying relentlessly that I will not get stressed and frustrated because I know how I get trying to make things look just right. I miss writing so much. I guess I use it for my relaxation time instead of tv. God is just amazing me everyday with things he is showing me about myself. Some are good and I praise him for those. Others are not so good, but he is there to help me change. Thank you to all of you who encourage me with your words of wisdom and humor each day. I am so sorry I haven't been keeping up with all of you like I'd like to.

Ashley is getting along on her crutches much better. It was rough that first week. I told her to look on the bright side, "It's not often you get everyone to wait on you hand and foot at home and at school." She needs to enjoy it while it lasts.

Skip is having a birthday on Saturday. If you get a chance to wish him a Happy Birthday, that would be great! He is having his 39th, so I have one more year before I really embarrass him and have the blowout party of the century. He already received the coolest gift from his friend Kirby. He gave him an autographed cd with a dvd of the new Newboys Album. The picture above is Skip as a little boy. He looks like he could be Annie's twin.

That's it for now. Have a blessed week, and may you rejoice in the madness too!


"The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him; to the one who seeks him." Lamentations 3:25

Under Attack: At Least Our Feet Are

What you are about to read is completely true though it may seem a little made up. On Sunday night Annie, was hopping and running around as she usually does before bed, and not looking where she was going. She tripped right over her sister's tennis shoe and sprained her ankle. Not to hurt Ashley's feelings, but that girl of mine has some big shoes. We took her into the doctor on Monday and had it x-rayed. It wasn't broken. Praise God! She had it wrapped in a splint and ace bandage and went to school the next day. Well, last night Ashley went to ballet class. As I was waiting outside to pick her up, I saw her hopping towards me on one foot. She was crying and said that she heard her foot snap when she did a turn. I thought to myself, "Are you kidding me? " Then I said to her, "I'm sure you just twisted it and it will be fine." We put ice on it and had her rest, but I knew by the way she was crying we would probably need to take her in the next day. Well, Skip took her to the doc today and sure enough, it's broken. The break is about 1 inch under her pinky toe and they put her in a special shoe to wear for 4-6 weeks. They can't do a cast because of where the break occured. She is on crutches and staying home for the day. I thought she might as well get one day off for the pain she endured. This sure sounds like an attack on the feet to me. I prayed for Seth before he went to school today and told him, "Be careful!" Is this weird or what?

A Cool Devotional Blog (If I do say so myself)

Okay, I know you have umpteen blogs to read each day, but I had to highlight a new one that my writer's group at church is doing. We have over a dozen ladies writing devotionals that we have made into a soft cover booklet and it is awesome. None of us are professional writers, but we all have God experiences to share. Check it out if you get a chance. You will be blessed in the process, I promise. What you will see are just samples of the many wonderful devotionals.

Pictures from my LA Trip

I thought for a fun post I would show a few of my LA pictures. I am starting with the picture of my sister, my nephew, me and my niece on the couch at the Central Perk from the"Friends" set at Warner Bros. Studios.

The second picture is me next to Johnny Depp's hand and footprints. I loved him in all of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Benny and Joon, Finding Neverland, and Edward Scissorhands.

The third picture is of Oliver from Hannah Montana. His real name is Mitchel Musso and he is best buddies with my nephew Matt. He is a great kid and so funny.

The fourth pic is my nephew and I in front of the Kodak Theatre. It is where the Academy Awards take place. The coffee in my hand was the best vanilla latte I have ever had. It was from the Coffee Bean which we don't have in Corpus.

Next is the 50 cent picture. He is a famous rapper. Please know that I do not listen to him or endorse him(his lyrics are rated R). He was just the only famous person I saw, and I knew that Skip would crack up that I met him. I am such a goofy Christian mom. I actually said this to him, "What a blessing to meet you. We just came from church." I am not kidding. I actually said this to 50 cent. I guess I panicked under pressure.

The last pic is my sister and I in front of the Grumman's Chinese Theatre. It was so crowded with tourists.

A Penny For Your Thoughts, Please!

A simple picture request has thrown me into a total frinzy. My Marked Writer's group at church has just started a blog and all the contributing writers have been asked to send in a picture of themselves. No biggy, right? Well, I had Skip just snap a few shots yesterday and then I downloaded them on the computer. When I opened the picture in full screen format, I was literally shocked at what I saw. No one, not one person has told me that old age has crept in. I mean full force wrinkles. We are not talking a few crow's feet around the eyes. I mean even the wrinkles on the forehead. When did I change? Did it really happen overnight? I took a few deep breaths and looked again and nope, the same thing was staring at me. Now, you must understand, that I could write a book on telling others how God looks at your inner beauty. I know every scripture on beauty and have read every Christian book to tell me how captivating I am. However, somehow those pictures threw all my truths out the window. What I want to know from you fellow beautiful over 35 bloggers is this: When did you start to feel good about your age, your skin, your weight, and your overall appearance? Is it still a daily struggle? Did you just give up and start being satisfied with God's design? I know this is kind of a superficial sounding post, and there are many more important matters in this universe, but any input you have would be helpful. I can't believe I'm sharing this. Hopefully, you will not be judgemental, but respond in love. Maybe, I just have PMS and everything will look better tomorrow.