Sunday, January 6, 2013

A Wonderful End to 2012



We had a wonderful end to 2012.  It has literally been the best month of my life ;)  I am writing this with tears in my eyes because a heart full of THANKSGIVING.  Stephen’s workload for the month of December was really light.  He had met his yearly goals for office visits and didn’t have to have many for December.  Honestly I was a bit worried, a month is quite along time of him having extra time on his hands.  I prayed for this month to be really good for our family and for Stephen to have a productive, peaceful, relaxing break from work.  Oh how God answered.  Nothing really amazing happened…but all the little wonderful moments have just added up to make it a great memory.  We went to Fayetteville one night and we got to visit with Sarah Chance and I got to meet her sweet baby girl, Madeline, for the first time.  Seth and carter had a good time playing together.  Then the next day, we took the boys to Dallas because Matt and Scotty wanted to get together for Christmas.  We spent the night on the way down to break up the trip.  Both hotels we stayed in had heated pools…so Carter thought it was awesome to swim December…and one was outside so that was even cooler!  We were just there two nights but went and saw Christmas lights at some of the rich neighborhoods. Carter enjoyed and so did I.  We are really bad at traveling…so we are so thankful that we live close to family…or we would never see them!  That was all the traveling we did. 

Then as shown below in all the pictures we had such great Christmas fun!

Now I have to brag on my husband.  He made dinner several nights: Brisket BBQ, Chili, Spaghetti (both with Elk meat from the Ramsey’s), and several more times.  I mean what a treat!!  The boys love it when he cooks. I am advocating that he becomes the main cook of the house!  Stephen also cleaned a lot… he vacuumed and picked up a ton.  He had his To Do list and was a bit of a handy man. Most importantly he played with two little boys a lot…lots of wrestling, lots of bed time stories, and lots of love was given. 
To end it, Billie and Ron watch the boys for a night and the next day.  We went to dinner and then to Les Mis the movie.  The next morning I got the house good and clean to start us back off on our regular routine, we went to lunch and then some errands and shopping. 

I know this world is full of darkness and hardship, but this period of my life is as bright as the sun.  My little boys are so full of life and goodness and I am trying to soak it all up.  I want to cherish these days because I know they are limited.  While I have each one, I want to thank God with my whole heart and when days come that aren’t so bright, I want to ALWAYS know that God is GOOD and FAITHFUL and that this earth is passing away and that heaven will be forever.  I feel that my boys (all three of them) give me a taste of heaven.  My heart is overflowing…and it is only because of God’s grace he lavishes on me.

Tomorrow the break ends and all goes back to the routine of school, work and juggling the household chores and squeezing in quality time with the boys and trying my hardest to get in time with God each day.  I will cherish this time of my life.  Thank you Lord for it all!

As I look back on 2012, I have started to jog once more.  The reason that I have been able to keep up this habit is that it has become my sacred time…my prayer time: My praise, my thanksgiving, my intercession and my confession to our Lord and Savior.  It has become by time of renewing and of focus for each day.  And at times at the first of the year it was a time of memorizing a portion of Scripture.  I need to do that again this year.  Father God, I pray that I will continue to be dedicated in my prayer jogs in 2013.  Thank you for your rich blessings in 2012.

Snow Angels, Sledding, Oh What Fun!


Favorite Christmas Toys: Carter: Imaginex Castle (Ogro from Pawpaw & Grandma and Dragon from Grandmama & Grandpapa) Cotlen: Puzzles

After a wonderful Christmas morning, we went down to Searcy to be with Stephen’s Family.  We went a little earlier because it was starting to sleet and Jon and Heather weren’t going to be able to stay long.  We ate lunch and then J and H had to leave.  We opened presents and then…the power went off at about 4pm.  About 5pm we decided to leave and try to go home.  After we got gas in town, it was starting to snow much harder.  There was actually Arkansas’ first blizzard warning!!  We decided we would go visit Alex and Kerri and then stay in the Hampton for the night.  We visited with them and then at 8:30 decided to head to the hotel.  Well, one look outside to the blizzard conditions!! There was no way I was going out there with the boys in our minivan!  So we stayed the night at Alex and Kerri’s.  They acted like they were so glad to have us.  We got all the kids down and were watched Duck Dynasty (my first time) then about 10:30pm…their power went out!  Found out later that Ron and Billie’s power went back on at 10pm.  It was a fun night and a beautiful snow!  Colten woke up in the middle of the night with 103.4 temp!...but thankfully it never came back again.  We got up and went sliding for a bit with Kerri, Annie, Houston and Kennedy.  We didn’t sled long and their power came back on and we headed home.  What a fun white Christmas with Family and sweet Friends!  Thank you Lord for all the people you have blessed us with. 

We got to our street just fine…there were a lot of trees down on the way home and icy patches.  We went up the tiny hill on our cove…and could not get any further.  We unloaded the boys and then parked down the street and made  a few trips unloading the car. 

Carter and Stephen went sledding a the Golf course that afternoon and then the next afternoon we all went including Grandmama.  Both the boys loved sledding and so did Stephen and I.  I was just overwhelmed with the beauty of it all.  I love the snow, but I really love seeing my babies loving it!  Snow Angels, Forts and Snowball…Oh what fun!

 

Notice this Awesome picture!!  See our angel hovering over our house!!
Love it!!  God is always with us...we feel HIM around us.  Thank you Lord for this amazing picture!

We lost our last evergreen tree!  Carter was the first to notice it fallen over. We lost the other 2 this summer to some disease.
 

Our Street

Carter's beautiful Snow Angel
 

Notice Colten did not fall through parts of the snow.  This was the morning after the snow.

The snow packed up against our garage door!  We got 10 inches.
 So Glad Grandmama could join us at the Golf Course!
 
 
 
 
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Christmas Morning


What a blessing to have Grandparents and Great-grand parents at our house for Christmas morning!  Oh What Fun!  Waiting in Colten’s room with Grandmama, then doing stockings from Santa! Then breakfast with all of us and Papa and Mama Joy made it over!  During breakfast we did something new that I hope becomes a fun tradition.  The boys opened the audio recorded Christmas story book about the birth of Jesus.  It was read by me, daddy, and all grandparents and Papa and Mama Joy!  It is special and I hope it lasts for a long time so that it can be read over breakfast each Christmas morning!  Celebrating and remembering the true JOY of our lives! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Christmas Eve

 
What God wants for Christmas and Jesus Birthday Party!     Then Stephen & I went to the service at Cornerstone while Grandpapa played with the boys.

 
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LCK Christmas Party

 Grant, Carter and Matthew
  Singing songs
 Colten did not like Santa!
 Present from Santa
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Christmas PJs with Christmas lights

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The boys and I decided to go look at Christmas lights a few nights before Christmas.  They were in their cute pjs so I decided it was a perfect time to do pics.  And they agreed! : )  Aren’t they so cute!!  Love these sweeties!  Carter purposely had his ears sticking out…he said he was an elf.
Carter loves Christmas lights and blowups!
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Christmas Time

 
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Capitol at Christmas

 
 
 
 
 
 
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