HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JON!!!

Jon's birthday is December 24th and I have always done my best to make sure it doesn't get blended in with Christmas. This year it was fun to have part of my family here to celebrate with us. Unfortunately, we got several inches of snow and ice and weren't able to go out to dinner like we wanted. I think Jon was ok with it that way though. We spent the day in front of the fireplace keeping warm. So cozy! All in all, I think it was a good day!

Everyone needs a supply of hot sauce! Right? (Abby saw this and knew right away that she had to get it for her daddy! She's so sweet!)

"The Sound of Music" is Jon's favorite movie and pretty much the only thing he asked for.

YAY! Finally an electric razor! He has wanted one of those for a long time too!

Jon didn't want a traditional birthday cake, so we had brownie sundaes. YUM!!! Nope, couldn't fit 34 candles on there though. Seven sounded good. Three and four. Get it???

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JON!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!

Gingerbread House Fun!

Abby wanted to do a gingerbread house this year. It was the first time we have ever attempted it. I only bought one and have decided that we must have two next year. One for Ben to do on his own and one for Abby. They had a lot of fun with it. It was SO hard for me, with my control issues, to not step in and do it the way I thought would be best! They were somewhat pleased with the results.




Ben's side.

Abby's side.


The clean-up...

Winter Wonderland at Woolaroc

Saturday night we headed out to Woolaroc's Winter Wonderland. There were a ton of lights!! I don't think the kids enjoyed it nearly as much as we had hoped. We had never been before so weren't quite sure what to expect. It was pretty, but not fabulous. I think Jon and I would have enjoyed it more if we had gone by ourselves. A date kind of thing. Oh well, you never know until you try. The pictures aren't great, but I thought I would share anyway.


This is how much Luke loved Santa. Not so much...

Awww...Aren't they cute!?

It was just about impossible to get a good picture in the dark. This is about as good as it got. It was SO pretty out there!

Ben and Abby at the top of the observation tower.

Me and my babes!

Luke LOVED the lights!!



Me and my babe!!

Luke is kissing the deer.

Luke was pretty much a stinker the whole time we were there! It's a good thing he's so darn cute, huh?!

This was on the way out. I thought it was kind of cool.

Father-Daughter Bonding

Abby asked Jon if she could paint his toenails and he said, "Yes". What a good daddy!


Abby starting adding a clear coat and Jon asked why. Abby said, "Because it makes it look better." Love that girl!

The finished product. Aren't they gorgeous?!
I think the hairy-ness adds to it, don't you?

Phillipians 4:6-7

The Lord gave me this verse the other day as I was praying about something that I had to do. It has stuck with me all week. I love it! I just have to be faithful to believe it in those anxious times!

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (NKJV)

As if that didn't make me feel better, I read it in another translation and it hit me even harder! I have recently discovered The Message and I love what it said for these two verses!!

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (The Message)

Amazingly put!!

An Amazing Weekend

I had an awesome opportunity to go to Oklahoma City this past weekend for the Deeper Still conference with Kay Arthur, Priscilla Shirer and, everybody's favorite, Beth Moore! It was an awesome time!! The music was amazing! The speaking was amazing! The time spent in an arena with 9,000+ other women was amazing! The time away from home with a friend without any kids was amazing! I definitely believe I heard a word from the Lord!! I am excited to be home and start some things anew! Praise God for love and forgiveness!!

This is my friend, Laurie, who I went with. There was a group of women from our church that we met there. It was so nice to finally meet some of the women from church and now be able to put a name and an experience with their faces!

Kay Arthur: "Rest is the activity of faith for this anxious moment, this test, this tribulation....."

Beth Moore: "It is within me!" Stay faithful!!

Priscilla Shirer: "God is able!!" Ephesians 3:20-21 NOW to Him who is able to do EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY above ALL that we ask or THINK, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory FOREVER and EVER!!!

I loved how before each woman spoke, the other two would pray over her!

Lunch break!!

On our way back after lunch we had to stop for a photo op in front of some Christmas trees. :)

This was an especially touching thing for me. I know it is really hard to tell what is going on, but that is four panes of glass on the stage. Before the conference started in the morning, those panes were at each of the entrances. If you had something that you were praying for or praising God for, you could write it on the glass. They told us that there would be something special done with them later. During the praise and worship time there was a guy on the stage painting something on each of the panes.

This is how it turned out. I KNOW that God can take care of what I wrote on there! Now it is up to me to trust Him to do it! (Why does that have to be so hard???)

This was actually kind of funny in the beginning, but was also very cool! The ladies were doing a Q&A session and one of the questions was asking what they wanted for Christmas. Beth Moore said that all she wanted was healing for her back pain! The other two decided that there was no time like the present to pray over "Miss Beth"! The funny part was that as they were laying hands on her back, she asked for them to pray for everything from her head to her toes! So, "Miss Kay" and "Miss Priscilla" did just that! Priscella even laid hands on her feet! Amazing women!

The outstretched arms are of the ladies showing that they were laying hands on "Miss Beth" as well. It was very cool! Miracles happen!

Laurie and I decided to stay another night after the conference to just hang out, do some Christmas shopping...whatever. Well, it was FREEZING, so instead of walking around Bricktown we thought we would take the trolley to do a little sightseeing. Maybe we should have asked a few questions! We didn't realize we would be on there for an hour and a half driving all over OKC!! We had a great time and did some MAJOR laughing!!!

This was our trolley driver. And I can say "ours" because we were the only ones on the trolley for over an hour! Good times, good times!!

The riverwalk looks beautiful all decorated for Christmas! I can't wait to back with my family in a few weeks!


This is just way too funny not to share! I have never seen a restroom sign like this one!

Laurie made me.....

Anyway, I had an amazing time!! I really needed a break from all of my wifely, motherly duties! I laughed so hard this weekend and that was greatly needed!! I am praying now that all of the things I learned this weekend will not just be an exciting temporary thing, but that I will continue to learn and grow in Christ!

Lucas and the Train

Luke is in love with this new train! My mom found it on MAJOR clearance after Christmas last year (which is an oxymoron because if you know anything about my mom you know that she doesn't buy anything unless it is majorly on sale!), so this is the first time we have had a chance to use it. It was a fight amongst all three kids last night as to who got to put it together, put the batteries in, use the remote control...Anyway, Luke is happy as a clam this morning to get to play with it all by himself!

The Tree Is Up!

We are actually ahead of the game this year! I don't think we have ever had our Christmas tree up in November. I was just afraid that if we didn't get it up right away that time would get away from us and we would be stressing out about, yet, something else about Christmas. I am glad to have it up and finished so that we have more time to enjoy it! My only fear...Luke! We'll see how he does. So far, so good!

This table was covered! This isn't all of them!

Oh the joy of fitting all of the boxes back into the big box that they came out of.....


The finished product!

The kiddos checking out the finished product. This wasn't staged either! Jon managed to catch them admiring the tree. I love it!

My little elf! Isn't he adorable?!