Christmas Eve

The Night Before ChristmasWe love Christmas pjs. The boys have been wearing them all of December.

You may be wondering what's up with the spoons. Tim and the boys wanted me to open a gift early. My sweet husband got me some spoons to use in the kitchen.

Earlier today, my brother came over with his son, Drew, to eat lunch and exchange gifts. His whole family was going to come, but Will is sick. Kimberly stayed home with him so he could rest. It just wasn't the same without Will.

Wesley and Drew

This will be our first Christmas with the boys to wake up in our home on Christmas morning. Graham is to the age now where he's really excited and can understand what Christmas is all about. It's been fun this year starting our own traditions and celebrating Jesus' birth with our children. We are also looking forward to traveling to visit Tim's mom and sister and family in Texas.

We wish all of you a merry Christmas!

A family picture

At the Christmas tree farm a few weeks ago

Our Saturday Morning

After our favorite Saturday morning tradition of breakfast at Meridee's, we stopped at the Factory to walk around and look at the decorations. The boys had lots of fun running around the empty halls and exploring the decor.

The Seasons First Snow

Last week brought a visit from Grandpa and some snow.Wesley and Grandpa

Graham

Graham with his great grandpa and a Curious George book. Thus, the smile on his face.

Gingerbread House

Tim and Graham constructed a simple gingerbread house tonight after dinner. Wesley and I watched and ate graham crackers. We all enjoyed eating the finished prodct after they were done.

TN Christmas Trees

We spent Sunday afternoon at a Christmas tree farm with our friends in search of the perfect tree. Well, actually we just wanted to go on the hayride and drink hot chocolate. The trees that grow in our area aren't the best for hanging ornaments on so we decided to buy a precut tree that the farm provided. I think the kids thought it was a fun experience even though the daddies didn't get to use the saw.

Grandmas are the best!

Nana, Grandpa Sam, and Perpy came to visit us for Thanksgiving. The boys were so excited to have them here and very sad to see them leave. They helped make our Thanksgiving extra special.

Wesley and Graham with their cousins, Drew and Will, and Nana

A Little Christmas Before Thanksgiving

Last Sunday, we decided to beat the crowd before Thanksgiving and visit the Opryland Hotel. It was decked out for Christmas, and the boys loved seeing all of the lights and decor. The fountains were their favorite part.

Autumn Leaves

Graham and I enjoyed a little afternoon sun and fall foliage before nap time today. I love autumn. Today I was reminded of Jesus and His unchanging character. Everything around us changes-the leaves fall, children grow up, friends move away, but Christ remains the same. Forever! How amazing and comforting that is!

A Fall Day at the Park

The boys and I met my friend, Morgan, and her son at a terrific park this week. It was so beautiful, and we all had a great time being outside and enjoying the leaves.

Trick or Treat!

This Little Light of Mine...

Graham taught me a song he learned at preschool. It's to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot". I think it's kind of cute, kind of weird. :)

I'm a little pumpkin, short and round.
Here is my stem, here is the ground.

When I get all cut up, don't you shout.

Just open me up and scoop me out.

When we lived in Texas and were newlyweds, we had the wonderful opportunity of serving in an inner city church with some godly families. One of our friends from that group carved a pumpkin with the kids on a Wednesday night around the time of Halloween. I remember as she carved the pumpkin she made an analogy to our relationship with Christ. We are like the pumpkin with a lot of yucky gunk inside of us. When that stuff is inside, no light can shine through us. When Christ opens us up and makes us clean, His light is able to shine through us and be seen by all.

I'm gonna let it shine,

let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

Girls' Weekend

Last weekend, I had the privilege of traveling to North Carolina to see two of my oldest and dearest friends. There are four of us in this wonderful group of friends that I treasure so much, but the fourth was not able to make it. It wasn't the same without her, but we managed to have a good time together. It was so nice to get away from all responsibilities and enjoy the company of old friends that know me so well. We laughed a lot, ate a lot, and got to see some beautiful sights in N. Carolina. Thank you, dear friends! I always treasure our time together and look forward to our next visit.

Sneak Preview

Here's a look at the boys' Halloween costumes a little early. Last Saturday was the Pumpkin Fest in the downtown area of our town. The boys dressed up and enjoyed the festivities. Graham has already started on his candy stash and wants to look at it everyday. Something really caught their attention.

Rainy Afternoon

This afternoon was one of those afternoons when despite the light rain, we had to get outside.

Families that Play Together Stay Together

This weekend, our family went camping together for the first time. Graham and Tim have been together several times, but this was the first time Wesley and I joined them. One of my best friends, Christine, told me her husband read a survey that said the one thing that most happy families had in common was they went camping together. After experiencing it myself, I think I would agree with the survey. We had a lot of fun as a family. We left behind distractions and obligations and got to enjoy the beauty of God's creation and just being together. Plus, my boys both love getting dirty and doing anything outside.

Now, I can't say that there aren't some difficult things about camping. You have to do a lot of planning and packing ahead of time, sleeping on the ground is not the most comfortable thing, and sharing a bathroom with a bunch of strangers can be a little awkward. Yet, there's just something special about snuggling with your kids around a campfire under the stars, listening to an owl hooting as you fall asleep, and waking up the next morning to see your kids giggling at one another in the tent. The daily struggles seem a little less overwhelming, and things seem a little simpler.

So, come on...what are you waiting for? Get some camping gear together. You can borrow ours if you want. Take your family camping. It's totally worth it!

I think we've got a lot of camping trips ahead of us. Can you see Graham's head sticking out of our tent? Tim got a new tent for his birthday and it had lots of space.

my little guy walking

snuggling by the fire
roasting marshmallows for smores

breakfast the next morning

I did not tell him to pose. He just did it. :)

Foster Falls-for those of you who were wondering (Amy-does it look familiar?)