Happy New Year!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Inspiration for the New Year

The New Year is a time that many people promise themselves that they will change something in their life. Diet, exercise, and getting organized are among the most popular topics for New Year's Resolutions. What else do they have in common? They all relate to self. Before you make resolutions, I would love for you to read this blog. Katie is a 21 year old girl from Brentwood, TN. She went to Uganda on a mission trip in December 2006. She went back to teach Kindergarten in 2007, and she now raises 14 orphaned little girls by herself. 14 orphans! Katie is 21 years old. She is making a huge impact on many lives. She is selfless. She is fearless. She is serving Christ in ways most of us can't fathom. Her ministry is Amazima, which means truth in Luganda. I want to encourage you to make 2010 a year of being selfless and look for ways to help others. Feed the hungry. Clothe the naked. It doesn't take much to give hope to the hopeless and impact lives for Christ. You can contribute to Katie's cause here. You can sponsor a child through Compassion International here. Giving to others will change your life, and if you have children or grandchildren, sponsoring a child is a great way to teach them to give back!

Freely you received, freely give. Matthew 10:8

He's too little to be naughty

3 years ago, I remember my friend Sunny telling me that her then 1 year old triplets were spending the day being naughty. I remember saying "they are too little to be naughty" and she responded with a laugh and said "you just wait". Maddie was in utero at the time. Not long after that, I remember Anya telling me to wait until the kids start fighting. Fighting? Her kids were 1 and 2. They were too little to fight. Now that I have a 19 month old little boy, I am fully aware that he is capable of being naughty, and my two together are capable of fighting. Never say never! I am very fortunate that my kids love each other and love to be together. For the most part, they play nicely. However, the last month or so, one of my children has turned into a trouble maker. Can you guess who? Here are a couple of hints:




Does Buzz Light Year give it away? I didn't get a picture of the coffee table that he colored all over.



Why would you open a present when you could knock it over and stand on it?


He might be a bad influence on another family member.




Preston is such a cuddle bug, and he always has a grin on his face, so it's hard to be stern with him. Now my parents say to me "he's too little to be naughty". I will leave you with this video, and you can decide! (Sorry it's sideways; I don't know how to fix it.)

Christmas Morning

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends. We certainly did! Although we try to keep Christmas focused on The Christmas Story (and I am not referring to the one where Ralphie gets his eye shot out), Santa did make a stop at our house.
Maddie got a doll house
Preston got a train table
Thank goodness Santa found a Snow White dress!
Maddie wore it all day!
P got a basket ball goal and loves it!

Christmas Card

We got together with Melanie this morning to get a pic for our Christmas card. As usual, I am going to be getting them out at the last minute. However, it was worth the wait! Melanie is an amazing photographer. The Lord has truly given her a gift. She specializes in baby photography, and I can promise you will not be disappointed if she does a session for you. You can check out her blog here.


Just before this pic I told the kids "Mamaw and Papaw are coming today!"

A party for Jesus

A few weeks ago, Maddie asked how many candles Jesus would have on His birthday cake. I told her He would have a whole bunch! She then asked if we could make Him a cake. I said yes, then she asked to invite her friends. Marty and I thought it was a great idea, so we decided to have a birthday party for Jesus. We asked each family to bring a new toy to donate to families in need in honor of Jesus' birth. We had so much fun! We placed a star candle on the cake and talked about the star of Bethlehem. Jordan wanted to make sure it wasn't so bright that it hurt Baby Jesus' eyes. It was such a precious time with our kids.
We had a few activities planned for the kids. We made red suckers by melting candy and pouring it in a mold. Each child also made a Christmas ornament. I found clear glass ornaments at the craft store, and the kids filled them with colored shredded paper. They colored on the glass and wrote their names with paint pens. They turned out cute! The hit of the evening was making snow. Debbie found a kit at Wal-Mart, and everyone loved it! It was a white powder that you mix with water. It was really cool. We hope you are enjoying this precious time of year!
We lit the candle 6 times so that each child could have a turn blowing it out for Jesus



Snow!

Rudolph Noses

This is a yummy treat. I got the recipe from here. It's so easy that this would be a great treat to share at those last minute get togethers.

Rudolph Noses

You need mini pretzels, Rolo's, and M&M's.
Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Place pretzels on the parchment paper, and put one Rolo on top of each pretzel. Heat at 350 for 4 to 5 minutes, remove from the oven, and place one M&M on top of the melted Rolo.

Let cool and enjoy!

Party at school!

The kids had a big day at school. Santa came in the morning, and Maddie's class had caroling late in the afternoon. All the parents and grandparents were invited for the caroling. She did a great job singing, and it was so cute. The kids LOVE jingle bells!

Dear Santa,

Dear Santa,

I am very excited for Christmas. I have been a very good girl because I am, but Preston keeps biting his cup. I eat food. I be nice. For Christmas, please bring me an etch-a-sketch, and Handy Manny tools, but a girl one, not a boy one like Preston. I have three dresses but I need 4, a Snow White one with slippers. Please bring my mommy a big etch-a-sketch, bring my daddy a diamond, and Preston a doll, a babydoll. Santa, I know you look white and red with a hat that's white, so I'll be watching for you!

Love,

Maddie Grace
12/17/09

More crafts...

I saw some letters similar to these at a Christmas show and decided to make them myself. They were really easy, and I have them on a knob on each of the kids bedroom doors.
You need paint, wooden letters, a sponge brush or paintbrush, a round sponge brush for the dots, and ribbon.

Getting crafty

Maddie loves things that sparkle. I found a glittery candy cane applique at JoAnn's (for $1.00!), so I decided to make a Christmas shirt for her. It was so easy. Here's what you need: a shirt (I got this red turtleneck at Target for $4.00), an iron-on applique, and an iron. Maddie asked me what the iron was. I had to laugh...I am no ironer.

Before...
After. I think it turned out great, and it took 30 seconds! If you click on the picture, you can see it better. What crafts have you made for the holidays?

Maddie Grace's 1st Movie

Nicki and I took Olivia and Maddie to their very first movie: The Princess and the Frog! Maddie thought we were going to watch a movie on someone's tv. I explained that it was going to be the biggest tv she's ever seen. We let the girls wear their princess costumes...what else would you wear to a princess movie? They loved the whole theater experience, especially the popcorn, Reese's Pieces, Milk Duds, Cotton Candy, and Sprite. Nicki and I had so much fun watching the girls take it in. Afterwards, we took them for frozen yogurt followed by a trip to Toys R Us to look around. It was a great night!


Dancing to a song
Toys R Us... Santa will not be bringing that!

If you have two small kids, and your house is quiet...it's usually not good. This is what I found...

We need a little Christmas...

I love Christmas time. I would start decorating after Halloween if Marty would let me. My parents always made Christmas so magical for my sister and me, and I have carried a lot of their traditions into our family, and we have started some of our own. We started with 5 trees this year. I can't help myself. Here are some of our pics:

The reason we celebrate...
...is our precious Savior!
My helper
The tree in the bonus room
Our bedroom
Maddie's room
Preston's room
The living room tree

Ho-ho (our family elf on the shelf) is sneaky
We count the days...
...in many ways

My grandmother's candy dish filled with red and green M&Ms. She always kept it full!
A gum drop tree just like my grandmother's

What are your family traditions?