Fun in Florida

Last post I mentioned our historic driving trip to Florida during the Christmas Holiday. It was historic because my husband does not enjoy driving long distances. He's an airplane kind of man. He knows the ins and the outs of the airport, where to park for which gate, which line to get in. The man can zip thru an airport in no time to get to his plane in just the nick of time. Stick him in a car for a 2100 mile trip with me and my bladder and two kids. Not his idea of a holiday. But we made it. I looked back at Leah riding in the car and laughed. She looked like a hostage. She felt like one too. The child takes after her daddy.







But once we made to Florida there was lots of fun to be had at both grandparent's houses. We even learned about a game called Ladderball from Uncle Dave. Some call it Hillbilly Golf. It's a big hit in the RV Parks from what I understand. Shuffleboard is so old school. Ladderball rules now. We went straight to Wallyworld and bought our own.

Paige, Leah and cousin Mickey at my parents.

Paige brought along a gingerbread tree decorating kit. So the cousins got busy putting it together. It made a nice centerpiece while we were there.

You should have heard the singing. Mr. Scotty has a karaoke machine.

We had a wonderful Christmas with our family.

There are so many pictures I could download.

The other highlight of the trip was meeting up with one of my favorite bloggers Tracy P. Tracy lives in Minnesota and I live in Texas, but we managed to meet at a park in central Florida. Can you believe it. She and her family were there visiting her dad.

We decided to get the families together and the best place would be a park. Thanks to Google one was located. The kids and the husbands could keep busy while we chatted.

Here are Paige, Leah & Mickey playing at the park. It was great place to meet.





The wind really picked up and the kids and husbands had played basketball and were thirsty so we moved the party to a local restaurant. It was nice to just sit across the table from Tracy and hear her voice and get to know her better. Tracy and I both pray with Moms in Touch groups. There was so much I wanted to talk about, but didn't want to bore the husbands with an all blogging and MITI conversation. She is as wonderful in person as she is on her blog.

Here we are: Windblown but happy to get together:

Here are the kiddos: Tracy's two and my two plus my nephew. The kids had their own table at the restaurant. (Learned that trick a few years ago. ha)

It was a long trip, but totally worth it in my book. I even got a smile out of Buster.

Little Things like Marshmallows and Clothespins

Little things have made me smile this Christmas season.

First is our little Christmas tree. Keith and I love it, but Paige and Leah weren't happy that we didn't put up our big tree. The other thing that made me happy were these little clothespins that I found and then covered in scrapbooking paper to make them more Christmasy. I'm hanging our Christmas cards from a jute string along our bannister. I really like seeing them there in the foyer.

Then lastly, these little marshmallows are my other little treat this year. I found a recipe for homemade marshmallows. I added some crushed peppermint candy to the mix. Here is a peek in the bag at my little marshmallows. I didn't cut them very exact as you can see. They are tied and tagged and ready to go to our neighbors house to top off a mug of hot chocolate.

I've been meditating on this scripture this Christmas. I pray it blesses you too.

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full rights as sons. Galatians 4:4,5

Merry Christmas from our house to yours,

I pray you enjoy the little blessings of life and know the big love that God has for you.

Neighbor Steve's Man Christmas

Christmas decorations at our house this year:

(click on picture - it helps)

Christmas at Neighbor Steve's House:

Neighbor Steve was serious about decorating for Christmas this year. Last Saturday his Christmas man dream came true. He backed this big, bad green monster into his driveway.

Steve's brother-in-law and niece prepare to put up lights:

Neighbor Steve (who is afraid of heights, but not heavy machinery) coaches from the ground:

Paige takes a turn on the lift:

A bird's eye view from the treetops:

After an entire day of ups and downs in his big green lift, Steve and his wife cooked a scrumptious pot of gumbo and had the neighbors over.

It's the beginning of a

Merry Christmas!

(We even got snow flurries in Houston today!)

2008 Christmas Highlights

Here are some highlights of our Christmas Season this year.

We went to the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at our Church.

Leah was busy with Christmas Crafts, making cookies for Santa and helping bake the cookies for the tins we gave to our neighbors. She also made a Gingerbread House at a friend's birthday party.

We spent time just relaxing and reading...

Plenty of Love and Hugs for everyone (including Libby).





Paige got a Sock Monkey for Christmas...Buster got socks for Christmas. This is his imitation of Sock Monkey using his new black socks.





We feel so blessed to have a loving family and so happy that both sets of grandparents came to spend Christmas with us. We had a great time together.

Blame it on the Turkey

We had a great Christmas with the grandparents in town this year. Buster enjoyed capturing some pretty candid shots of our parents as they were visiting us. They may not come back after this post. I'm sorry I couldn't resist. Who among us hasn't succumbed to this behavior after a big turkey dinner?? I know they will get me back some how ~ some way.

I ♥ Comments

O Little Town of Bethlehem

The words to the Christmas Carol O Little Town of Bethlehem were written by Phillips Brooks in 1868. He was an Episcopalian Minister in Philadelphia, PA. He was able to travel to Israel in 1865 and spent time in Bethlehem and rode on horseback out on the same fields where the Shepherd were believed to be the night the Angel visited them and told them...Today in the City of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:8-20)

He didn't pen the words to this Carol until a few years later for the children's choir at his church.

I love the feel he gives us for the town of Bethlehem and what it must have been like that night. The picture he paints of a town and it's residents basically going about their nocturnal routine....sleeping deeply in the still night and darkened streets oblivious to the miracle that just took place in their midst.

It makes me think of our lives and the towns in which we live. The routines, the comings and goings, activities, life as we know it just happening. Some realize the miracle that we know happened over 2000 years ago and sadly some do not.

The people of Bethlehem did not know what happened that night. It was just another night in Bethlehem. It took Shepherds who came into town and saw the baby with their own eyes and then spread the word.

I pray for the town I live in and hope you pray for yours as well. I love the last line of the last verse that says "O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord, Emmanuel."

Pray that the meek souls of your town will receive Him still, and let the dear Christ enter in. (verse 3)

♥

Merry Christmas,

Christmas Control

For the past 20 years I have decorated our Christmas tree to my exact specifications. Yes, I had the picture in my head and to the best my budget would allow I'd decorate our Christmas tree.
This year my girls wanted to decorate the Christmas tree. Keith brought in all the decorations and the tree. He put it together (we use a fake tree) I did not attach one, NOT ONE, ornament this year. I relinquished total control of Christmas decorating to my 13 and 9 year old daughters. Here are some pictures of what they did. They proved to be totally capable. I thought the tree turned out very pretty. They decorated the dining room table and buffet with all kinds of things they found in the boxes.

I'm glad they did it. I'm enjoying it and they had a great time doing it. They wouldn't let me come into the foyer until they were done. I was confined to the kitchen (big change) until they were finished decorating. Then they brought Keith and I in for the big Reveal. I LOVED IT!
Thanks Paige and Leah, I love you.
Mom

We'll see if they are as eager to help when it comes time to put all this away. ;)