Our First Christmas (of the year) :)

We had Christmas this weekend with Kevin's mom and brother's family. We had a great time stuffing ourselves with all the wonderful food that Gran made and watching the kids play together and open presents. The 12 stockings that were "hung by the chimney with care" will be joined by two more (Lord willing) next Christmas. Our sweet little girl is due in April and Chad and Kristy are expecting another little one in June. Bethany (my neice), I'm sure, is hoping for another girl. As you can see in the middle picture,
she is a little outnumbered! :)
Thanks Gran, for a wonderful, early Christmas! :)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

 We decorated our house for Christmas last weekend. I was going for an old fashioned looking tree this year, so I made popcorn strands and pinecones with "snow" on them. We had a lot of fun telling Eli where we got each of our ornaments...just like a Hallmark commercial! :)

 The boys and I made Christmas cookies on Friday. They had a lot of fun making a huge mess! :)

We had my family's 5th annual Gingerbread House Contest last Friday night. Elise and I won 3rd place with our "Whoville"...but I have to say that the idea came from my friend Mandy. :) Naomi got 2nd with her "Haitian Holiday" (bottom right) and Micah and Julianne got 1st with their adorable barn scene (bottom left).

Oh, it also snowed here for the last 24 hours or so...very fun to see, but NOTHING stuck...so everything is just as green (or brown) as before.

Kids Eat Free

Well, I have been trying to compile a list of places in the Huntsville area that kids eat free because I have found that many of the lists online are either out of date or don't include as many places actually have free kids days. So, anyway...here's what I have so far. If you know of any other places, please let me know! :)

Everyday


• O’Charley’s – kids under 10
• IHOP – 4-10 pm everyday
• Shoney’s – kids under 4

Sunday
• Atlanta Bread Company – one child with adult meal
• Steak n’ Shake – one kid with each $8 spent
• Tellini’s - $1.00 kids meal – includes drink
• Jersey Mike’s – 1 free kids combo with reg. sandwich of larger
• McAlister’s – 4-8 pm $1.50
• Buffalo Wild Wings – $.99 kids meals

Monday
• Moe’s BBQ – 1 child free per adult
• Atlanta Bread Company – after 4 pm one child with adult meal
• Gibson’s – 1 child free per adult all day
• Mellow Mushroom – 5-7 pm free slice and free drink
• Schlotsky’s (south parkway only) - $.99 with adult purchase

Tuesday
• Chick-fil-a (Madison only) – 5-9pm
• Lone Star – 2 kids per adult all day
• Wintzell’s – up to 6 free on ticket

Wednesday
• McAlister’s – 4-8 pm $1.50
• Baumhower’s Wings – 2 kids with adult more than $10
• Applebee’s – after 5pm $1.99 kids meal with adult (2 per adult)

Thursday

• Earth Fare – up to 6 with adult meal purchase

Saturday
• Steak n’ Shake – one kid with each $8 spent

Progress

This past weekend we began a huge project...tiling our kitchen and bathrooms! I worked all day Saturday scraping the old linoleum off the kitchen floor, then we got to lay tile in our bathroom and it got finished Sunday night. While Kevin is off for Thanksgiving break we are planning on finishing up with the tile in the kitchen and in the boys' bath. I'm glad we have one room done to look towards a great finished product. :)

A little helper :)

The beginning of the kitchen tear-out

The kitchen floor now.

The finished bathroom floor  (minus the shoe mould)

"The Perfect Life"

White picket fence, tulips all in a row
the door always open, because everyone knows
the house is always tidy, the kids always clean
no worries for tomorrow, for from the pocketbook we glean.


The cars in the drive always sparkling and new
the husband is at work, but he'll be home soon
to a home-cooked meal in a kitchen spotless
for they all know that I never make a mess.


Or is this my life? Always orderly and right?
What about all of the tears cried at night?
Do I look good on the outside, while failing within?
Is my perfect life my idol, and all the while a sin?


Who do I run to when life has me down? 
Do I buy the next thing or gather friends 'round?
Who else can satisfy the longing of my soul, 
to be filled with something that will make me whole?


I was planning my life, every step of the way
all the while Jesus wanted to have the say.
So now I can see if I open my eyes,
That the perfect life is the perfect lie.

A Little Boy with some Big News...

A Stronghold

The women in our church have been going through Living Free by Beth Moore this fall. We have been considering strongholds in our lives and Beth has been really dealing with the issue of Pride. She was talking about a mind captive to ourself this past week, asking "What do you think about when you first awake in the morning?" Mark 4:19 says, "The worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful." How true is that?! How many times during the day do I focus on what I am worrying about, how we'll make it financially, or how I wish my life would turn out! What God desires is that our focus would be on HIM! That our greatest desire in life would be that HE would receive glory from our lives and the things that we do. Isaiah 43:7 hit pretty hard..."Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." (Italics mine) Wow, if I could just get that through my thick skull!! I was created for HIS glory, to do everything I can to glorify HIM. I was not made to live for myself, to make my plans and hope that I can follow them to a T, but to surrender my will to His and my plans to the ones He set forth for me before the foundation of the earth. After reading Isaiah 26:8 I had to question where my heart is...

"Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and your renown are the desire of our hearts."  


Is that where my heart is? Is making Him known and glorious the utmost desire of my heart? Not yet, but I'm working on it. So many times in my life God has taken what I had planned and turned my life in a completely new direction. But, that is what He is in the business of doing...making His name glorious. Most of the time that takes me NOT getting what I want...because my life and will is not lined up with His. Oh how I pray that I can get my heart to desire His will above all else, so that what He wills becomes my will as well. It is not easy. Even Jesus prayed for "this cup be taken from me." But He also went on to say, "Yet not as I will but as you will." (Matthew 26:39) And that is the key. We can present our requests before God, but we always need to be of the mindset...yet not as I will...but as YOU will. 


So, that is the stronghold that I am trying to combat: My Plans. And it seems to be a reoccurring theme in my life. Some of the verses that have meant a lot to me over the years have to do with Gods plans overriding ours. 


"I say, my purpose will stand and I will do all that I please...What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do." ~ Isaiah 46:10-11 


"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." ~ Proverbs 19:21 


"For I know the plans I have for you..." ~ Jeremiah 29:11 


"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." ~ Proverbs 16:9 


So, there's some thoughts for today. I pray that God would be glorified in me and all that I do. One of these days I may get this idea into my head! :)

The Pumpkin Farm

Last Tuesday (the day my sister had her baby) we went to Lyon Family Farms in Tennessee. The boys had a great time and we were glad Daddy got to come too! (he was on fall break)

We

pet chicks

and goats

rode in the wagon

with Daddy 

played in the corn

laid in the corn

rode the "cow train"

got lost in the maze

took pictures on pumpkins 

and came home with our "family" of pumpkins! :)

Thank God I'm a country boy

Labor Day Weekend Camping

Just realized I never put up pictures from our camping trip over Labor Day weekend. So, here's a few to share :)

The "Kids' Race"

After the recent races that Kevin and I have been in, Eli was really excited to get to run in what he called "The Kids' Race." The Autumn Chase has been going on for 30 years and I used to run in it when I was little. Eli did pretty well, with only a couple of breakdown times in the mile that we ran. Ronald, Eli's cousin, also ran and they had a great time with their t-shirts, Gatorade and ribbons after the race. 

Cousin Buddies

Talk about intense! :)

Almost there!

Finished!

My Little Cowboy

August Happenings

I love to see my boys playing on the floor together. Joel is trying to start crawling. He definitely gets around and enjoys it when the older brothers bring him toys to play with.

I got my hair cut off right at the beginning of the month. I was getting really tired of not being able to keep it off my neck while I was running. Besides the fact that it was about time...I cut it off and donate it every 1-2 years.

My birthday was the 15th and this beauty was what my hubby (with some help from friends/parents) got me! It has been so fun getting to use a *new* sewing machine, and one that does embroidery as well!! Been making baby stuff for all my sisters/in-laws/friends that are expecting.

Here's a couple more shots of the boys on our backyard waterpark. Canaan has become quite proficient at climbing up that ladder.

This picture was actually taken today...but I thought it was too cute not to share! :)

Hope you are having a wonderful September! I am looking so forward to cooler weather...hopefully we'll get to go camping before too long!

Our First 5k

Kevin and I have been training since June for a 5k race (even though we had no idea which one when we began). This past Saturday we ran in the Shake & Bake 5k outside of Birmingham. It was pretty hilly, and it kicked our tails, but we succeeded! We also got to see my brother and sister-in-law and spent the night at their house the night before. Kevin's mom came along to keep the boys while we were running. There's nothing like running in Alabama's August heat!! :)


Picture of us before the race - taken by Eli.

Almost to the finish line!! Keep it up!

The pool was closed....

SO...we made our own water fun at home! We got all ready to go to the pool last night and when we got there they were closed for some reason. Eli had the great idea of hanging the hose up in a tree and running through it (of which I got no pictures:( ) But Kevin worked up our own little, backyard water-park! We'll have to do this more often now that Kevin is back at school!

And this little cutie just sat in the swing...

All good things must come to an end...

Well, it is finally here. Kevin's first day of school was Wednesday. We had such a great time with him being home this summer. What a change from the days of taking master's classes!! We had a great summer...not doing any of the stuff we planned to do this summer, but hanging out as a family and getting to go places whenever we wanted.

- Eli learned to swim. He now jumps off the high dive and swims to the side.

- We took part in Chick-fil-a's "Cow Appreciation Day." Oh, what we will do for free food!

- We went to Biloxi to see Papa Denny and Mama Carol and spent a few hours on the beach. (And there was no oil!!)

- We went to the McWane Center in Birmingham.

- We spent a lot of time at the pool...to the betterment of our tans and swimming skills.

- We went to the lake...thanks Ms. Cindy!!! :)
 

- We've spent a lot of time together as a family.

It has been a great summer! We're looking forward to a great school year too!