Merry Christmas

After our week long trip to GA, we made the long journey back to VA and arrived around 4:00pm on Christmas Eve.  We (and by we, I mean Chris) decided to make the trip in two days and stop at one of the many battlefields along the East Coast. Best call ever made!!!  Thank you, Chris!!!

  We made our stop at Kings Mountain, SC which happens to be a Revolutionary War battlefield.  We went through their museum (which was excellent) and then walked the grounds of the battlefield. 

We headed on up the road a bit to Charlotte and stayed the night in a hotel.  I forget how much the kids love to stay in a hotel.  And it was even more awesome that we got to stay on the 11 floor! 

Much to my surprise, everyone slept great and we made the rest of the trip to VA. 

When we pulled into the drive way at 4:00, we had less than 40 minutes to change and be BACK IN THE CAR to head to church for the Christmas Eve service.  I threw a frozen lasagna in the oven and prayed that it wouldn't burn while we were at church, brushed every ones hair, changed clothes, and off we when to church.  It was a bit hectic, but the service was outstanding!!!!!  So glad we were able to attend and hear the true message of Christmas, Jesus!!!!

Santa came and everyone was grateful and overwhelmed with his generosity!  Hope that you all have had a blessed Christmas as well.



Twas the Week Before Christmas...

It is always so fun to travel to Georgia and see all of our family and friends.  The trip is long and tiresome, but we are always so glad to have made the trip once we are there.   Not knowing where the Marine Corps will send us next year, we knew that this Christmas would be a special one to spend with our family since traveling to GA may not happen next Christmas if we end up in Hawaii or CA. 

We headed down the week before Christmas and spent half of our time with Grammy and
Big Daddy and the other half with Mimi and Papa. Such wonderful memories were made while visiting this year.

Hayley and Kathryn

Aunt Kim and Hannah Beth

These mustaches were a HUGE hit! 

The traditional cousins' Christmas play

The boys have to stick together

Sweet.  More Magic Tree House Books!

Hayley, the vet

The kids had so much fun playing with their baby cousin, Delany.  I could kiss her sweet cheeks all day long!

Complete HAM!

Aunt Holly

Mimi and Hannah having a little girl time in the tent

Santa 2011

Magical

...that one word pretty much sums up my experience last Friday night. 

I have dreamt of taking my little girl to the Nutcracker Ballet since the moment the ultrasound tech told us, "It's a girl!" 

And a must say the moment did not disappoint.  Her huge eyes carefully taking in every pose, grand jete, arabesque, and pointed toe.  Her smile at the mice and the grand Christmas tree magically growing as the clock struck midnight.  Her sweet voice as she leaned over and whispered, "Oh, Mommy, the Sugar Plum Fairy is just beautiful.  Do you think I can get my picture made with her after the show?" The excited applause after every act.  She loved it.  And I loved watching her love it as much as I did when I was a little girl.

I think a new Christmas tradition has been born.

We went to the ballet with my dear friends, Fran and Suzanne.  Hard to believe we met just over 9 years ago when Chris and I were first stationed in Quantico.  Our husbands worked together at TBS, and Fran and Suzanne graciously invited me to dinner one night when we first arrived in VA.  What  fun time I will never forget.  We all have "Southern" roots which bonded us right away.  I feel so blessed to have them as friends. 

Down the road a few years, we were all pregnant with our girls together and they were all born within just a few months of each other.  Such a special night at the ballet to share with them.

I think they had a good time!

 

Is It Over Yet?

I just wanted to blink and hopefully the week would be over.  It was a crazy week of sickness.  It all started on Monday night with a trip to the ER for Hayley.  She had woken up for 3 nights crying in pain complaining of her stomach.  She never did get sick, so on night 3 with the tears Chris and I decided we needed to get her checked out.  After hours in the ER, blood was drawn and an ultrasound was done to make sure it was not appendicitis.  All tests came back clear.  And then she got sick.  Really sick.  It was a stomach bug and a really bad one. 

Then Luke woke up the next night with the same bug. 

By Wednesday, I was so tired I could barely see straight.  I bleached every corner of the house and did about a truck load of laundry.  Thursday was our all clear day until Hannah began sneezing.  Then a runny nose which always leads to coughing with her.  I had already started breathing treatments hoping to keep her out of the woods, but it did not work.  I ended up in the ER with her due to major breathing issues on Friday morning around 2:30 am until 7:00am. 

We are all on the mend now.  I have never been more thankful for doctors and the right kinds of meds.

Even in the craziness of this past week, I found some sweet sick day moments. 

The Meaning of It All

Christmas time.  I love this wonderful time of year.  The sounds, the smells, the sights.  They all get to me.  I have such fond memories of Christmas as a child.  Listening to Christmas music each night after dinner and dancing by the light from our tree.  There were Christmas parties, Christmas cantatas at church, and the candlelight service on Christmas Eve.  There were dinners with friends, ornament exchanges, and picking out the perfect present for everyone in my family.  I used to dream of sharing all these sweet traditions with a family of my own one day for I wanted them to get the warm and fuzzy feeling every year when Christmas rolled around. 

Now I'm here.  I'm in this moment with my husband and 3 children and yes, I want to share these fun traditions with them, but most of all I want them to get it.  I want them to get the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and what it all means.  Our Saviour, born into the world, so that He might save us from our sin.  That is what it is all about.  I want them to know Jesus.

I came across a devotional book for the Jesse Tree.  I had heard of a Jesse Tree in years past, but never really looked into what it means.  The tree is a way to trace Jesus' family line from Abraham to Christ's birth by reading scripture each day and truly thinking and preparing our hearts to celebrate Jesus' birth. 

I had the kids help me make our ornaments for the tree and we began our journey on December 1st.  Each day we light our Advent candle or candles, pull out the day's ornament, and read from God's Word.  So far we have covered

"The Fall"  when sin first entered the world

The great flood and Noah, a man of great faith

When God told Abram to leave and go to the promise land

And when God fulfilled his promise to Abraham in giving him a son, Issac

Our humble little tree that retells how the King of Kings, Prince of Peace entered our world, humbly. 

I have to say it is my most favorite part of the day.  After each devotion is read and the ornament adorns our tree,  there is a little advent "adventure" that we get to do as a family that day or evening.  We have read Christmas storybooks, made cards for others, and listened to Christmas music.  Over the next few weeks, we will go looking at Christmas lights, make hot chocolate, make Christmas cookies, build a gingerbread house and watch Christmas movies.  That warm fuzzy feeling is still there, but I can see it in my children's eyes too.  And they know why. 

It's all because of Jesus...