Christmas!

We spent Christmas in Augusta this year.  For the past couple of years, we keep saying that Christmas is eventually going to end up in our home with our little family but I still just love going "home" to Augusta and thankfully the girls are still young enough not to care.  Mom and Vern and the greatest hosts - making sure that we are all comfortable, happy and well fed!  Mom cooked and cooked and cooked and then served everything on her beautiful Willow House stuff.  I feel like I live in a magazine when we go home!  We really didn't do much while we were home.  There was a lot of relaxing and playing with the girls.  Here are some pictures to document our time...

I promise I wasn't reading the book upside down.  Mark thought it would be funny for the picture.  : )

One of the traditions that I have started for our family is new pjs on Christmas eve.  This year I was in a bit of a rush but I found Caroline and myself matching pj's and I couldn't resist!

The pj's didn't last through the night though and Caroline ended up matching Grinny in polka dots on Christmas morning!

The girls got all kinds of fun toys for Christmas!  The "tricycle's" were a favorite.  Of course, Kelsey is the sweet dare devil!

Then there is just sweet.

Caroline spent some time pushing Kelsey around on the tricycle...

and in the second favorite Christmas present...the baby doll stroller.

After hearing reports and seeing pictures of beautiful snow in Atlanta, we finally got some in Augusta too.

Vern, got lots of camera goodies for Christmas and we tried taking a girls picture.  Unfortunately, we needed a bigger back drop and to work on the shadows a bit.  The one below is still my favorite.  Everyone's got a smile!

We had a wonderful time in Augusta celebrating Christmas!  Thank you to Mom and Vern for hosting all of us!  The past couple of days at home have been great too!  I'm especially thankful for some quiet time with not much work for Mark and me both!  Here's to preparing for a new year and lots of changes in our family!

Pure Joy

In the video below you will see Caroline's favorite Christmas activity.  Multiply this video times a million and you will see what we have been up to our at our home.

Shouldn't we all be this excited to celebrate the baby in the manger?

Celebrating Jesus

We've been a bit busy around here...tis the season!  We've been working, traveling, partying, cooking, playing and much more.  The blog hasn't been updated for awhile so I thought I would share a few pictures that show how we have been celebrating Christmas this year.

Our Sunday School class had a great Christmas party!  Lindsay and Brad were gracious hosts and we had a sweet time together.  I'm so thankful for this group of friends!

They are pretty good at bringing a smile to our faces!

Sarah and Reagan invited us to a Christmas festival at a church down the road.  I love our church but I have to say it's really fun to church hop during the festival season!  :-)  There were free hot dogs/hamburgers, hot chocolate, smores, face painting, animals, Santa Claus and much more.  We had a good time wandering through all of the fun.

As you can see Caroline still gets really excited about those animals.  :-/

Recently, Caroline's favorite spot has become her daddy's lap.  She snuggles right up with him and reads and talks.  She goes in to visit him while he's working and just sits in his lap while he types emails.  She is definitely a daddy's girl!

Last night we attended the prime rib dinner at church.  After hosting the homeless for a few days, it was quite a change of scenery at the church.  The fellowship hall was packed and everyone was enjoying fellowship and good food.  While the festivities were wonderful, it was hard not to think of the folks that had been eating a warm meal there the night before who were now out in the sleeting rain. 

After dinner we visited the live nativity in the sanctuary.  I really enjoyed being able to sit and reflect for a few moments on the birth of Jesus. 

Tonight Caroline helped to make her first batch of sugar cookies!  We are planning on taking a few to her teacher at school tomorrow. 

I am thankful for the celebrating that we have done so far this season and look forward to some more sweet times together as a family as we reflect on the gift of God's son!

Helping the Homeless

For the past two days, the temperatures have been down in the mid-teens to low twenties.  That's cold.  The wind has made it even worse, blowing from 20-30 miles per hour.  That makes living outside almost impossible to consider.  Last night, I spent the night with over 150 people who were facing that very fate, until our church busses picked them up to bring them into our church gym.  I helped out, staying with them overnight.  I hope to share a bit of what I learned below.

I'm not new to serving the homeless.  We did this for years in Dallas when we would make 100+ peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and hand them out to people in under three minutes.  Yep.  So last night, when I drove to our church, I thought I knew what to expect.  Lots of folks with worn out coats and shoes.  Lots of stories and lots of need.  I got that, but I saw a whole lot more.

We started helping the folks as they came from getting dinner, into the gym where they'd be spending the night.  We handed them a garbage bag that had been packed with some toiletries, underwear, some pants and a shirt, and some other things that didn't fit correctly.  It was almost an insult to hand a homeless man or woman a trash bag full of what we've donated.  Almost felt like I was saying, here's our trash for you.  I'd like a duffle bag better.  They would too.

So we introduced ourselves to the person we were helping.  We carried the bags into the gym and showed them where they'd be sleeping, and then pointed them downstairs to where the showers were if they wanted one.  Many did.  Many showered and put back on the same clothes they'd worn in.  The clothes they'd been given just didn't fit. 

A hundred and sixty two people with such basic needs is really humbling.  I learned lots from these visitors.

I learned that not everyone was out to score a buck.  I must have talked to at least half of those who came to spend the night, and no one asked me for money.  Not once.  I was shocked.

I learned that homeless people snore.  There were quite a few VERY unique snorers that intrigued several of us.  One was nicknamed Lamb-bo because his snore sounded like a very mad (or sick/injured) lamb.  He dominated the snoring game until a brave soul asked him to turn over.   After he quit, the other snores could once again be heard from all directions.  Let it be known that Lamb-bo dominated so much, that he woke up everyone in the gym to the point that they weren't snoring.  Interesting snore-dynamics.

I learned that we shouldn't have served chili as the dinner.  May not have been the best choice.  Then again, men will be men.  Maybe I was jealous.

I learned that I have no room to complain.  As I was sitting in my chair, I was getting a little cold.  After a few hours, I put on my winter coat and was still cold.  I really think I was cold knowing that those around me would be back out on the streets the next night as I lay under my three favorite blankets.  God was saying, "You think YOU'RE cold?".  I understand, God.

I learned that our Sunday School class is full of great people.  I counted six that served along side me at one point or the other last night.  They were willing to leave their homes, to help our guests feel at home in our church.  I'm really thankful for the role that my friends play in my life.  It was an honor to serve along side them.

I learned that I belong to a great church who heard what Jesus said in Matthew about serving the least and the lost.  Our pastor said Sunday that he was told that if Jesus came back today, he'd come back as a homeless person, the least and lost of our society.  I sat last night struggling to see how I could serve these men and women.  I fetched them socks or a pair of pants, but did I really do anything to help them tonight?  I didn't share the Gospel with anyone, although I was surrounded by folks who were bold enough to do just that. 

This morning, as I watched them get back on their buses, I couldn't help but feel sad.  These folks weren't going to be with us tonight.  Our three-night effort was now over.  And tonight, they may have a cardboard box in which to stay "warm".  Whatever.  I was freezing inside my pretty-nice Eddie Bauer jacket.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to meet so many teachers last night! 

(Shutter)Fly me to the moon!

Shutterfly is giving bloggers a chance to get 50 free Christmas cards!  Free!?  Count me in!  I love receiving Christmas cards in the mail so I figure that I need to be sending them too!  Mark and I have sent photo cards in the past and this year we are going to be using Shutterfly.  I'm really looking forward to the process!  There are so many choices!  I really like the cards that allow you to post more than one picture, like the one below. 


The only problem is getting multiple good shots of a 16 month old!  One thing for sure, we will have a family picture as part of the card.  I have a friend that used to only hang up family Christmas cards and throw away the ones with just the kids on it.  His reasoning was that he was friends with the adults, not the kids!  I will always remember that logic. So lookout, you will be seeing Mark and my pretty face this year!



I also really like that Shutterfly has so many options available and so many actually say, "Merry Christmas!" and that you can add in a message of your own.

One of the other great things about shutterfly is that they do more than just photo cards.  They do pictures in all sorts of different formats.  I always think of my grandparents when I see the photo mugs and calendars.  I can see the photo mug and calendar being covered with pictures of Caroline that a grandparent would cherish forever. 

Of course, if I don't get on the ball with my Christmas cards then I'm going to be sending New Years cards!  New Years cards would be a fun way to get the year started off though!

Family photo op this weekend?  Yes please!  I hope you will be seeing one my 50 free Christmas cards in the mail soon!