Our New Year's resolution competition....

The kids and I decided that our New Year's resolution is going to be to read as many books as we can in 2012.  To make it fun, Shelby added the element of competition. She got the idea from Grandma Sherri who loves to read and told her she is challenging herself to read more books this year than last.

She asked, "How about we race to see who can read the most books in a year and the winner will win something really big?" So I said, "How about a Kindle Fire or a Nook?" Since those are both electronic readers, it seems all of our family and friends own {all of the sudden after Christmas this year} that the kids and I have become fascinated by, I thought it might be a good idea...plus, we have an entire year to save the money.

 My Sister and Mom have been trying to talk me into one for over a year now because they love theirs' so much, but I love the look and feel of a book in my hand or on the shelf, so I have rebelled. Although, I am beginning to see their merit, so by January 1, 2013, I may be ready. If not, whoever wins the competition will be, right?! And they will own it, but have to share. Those are the rules. Oh, and for every chapter book James, Shelby and I read we get 3 tallies and for every regular book Jesse reads (on his level) he gets 1 tally. If he reads a chapter book he will get 3 as well.

One of the books we are really excited to read this year is The Story. It is the bible in novel form. Our church's theme this year is Logos, or The Word. So, we are all reading it this year. The kids have The Story for Kids we have already been reading together. I am in the middle of A Long Obedience in the Same Direction and Shelby is in the middle of one of her Camp Club Girls books along with Heaven is For Real that we are still reading together. She got The Hiding Place for Christmas, so we will read that together next.  With all of this reading, especially at the first of the year to get in the habit, I will be taking some time off of my computer...

Kindle Fire

Nook

Since we decided this about 30 minutes ago, Jesse has read 3 books and the rest of us have read none. I think this might end up being a tortoise and the hare scenario, but we will have to wait and see. It sure would be fun to see the youngest win. Whoever wins, we all win, right?!

Happy New Year!!  See You Back Here in February.

Wrestling...a family affair

James is the director and coach of  the Enid Plainsmen Little League Wrestling team this year. He and a few other dads coach over 30 boys, 90% of whom are first year wrestlers. Since it is a brand new program this year, there is a whole lot of learning going on and we have been so proud of how tough these boys are.

Jesse is wrestling on the team, of course...like James' son would get away with never trying the sport! He actually likes it. He has a pretty mean game face and shows some serious intensity and promise. When Momma is there he is nervous, so he doesn't have his head completely on the mat, but he'll get used to it the more I come. James has noticed that when moms come to wrestling practice, the boys tend to cry more and don't give it their best effort. When they have the boys alone the coaches can help toughen them up. Next year, I am going to be more diligent preseason about starting a booster club and giving us moms something to do to get involved and grow the program.

At Jesse's first tournament he won the first two matches. It was a real confidence booster for him. Today, we went to Tonkawa which was an open tourney with lots of experienced wrestlers.

It was tough, but a great learning experience.

Wrestling is in the Lichtenberger blood. I can't even try to fight it...Why would I want to?

I love that these two have something to be passionate about together and that Jesse gets to be a tough guy sometimes since he is surrounded by all 4 of us girls all the time (5 counting Francie.)

Another reason I think I blog...

I don't have many memories of my childhood.

{Insert depressing violin music here.}

Seriously, though, I don't.

I remember a lot about highschool and college, but my childhood memories are cloudy.

James remembers every teacher's name he ever had, every address and phone number where he lived...lots of places, every TV commercial from his childhood along with a tons of family and friendship memories. I have about 4. No, probably more, but I only remember my 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Davis and I think 2nd was Mrs. Strozier. Then no one else's name or face except for my high school principal Mr. Naylor and one really cool teacher, Mrs. Wallace who took us on DECA trips and let us go crazy.

I remember staying with my grandparents a lot because my Mom was single from the time I was about a month old until I was 9 and she had to work 2 or 3 jobs at a time to support us. I remember watching my Grandma chain smoke cigarettes at the kitchen table while she put her make-up on the first half of the day and turn around and take it off the second half of the day, or so it seemed. I remember watching lots of soap operas with her and going with her to get her hair done every week. I remember clipping my Grandpa's fingernails and even shaving his face sometimes for fun. And, I remember that they loved me more than life and tried to make up for all of the mistakes they made with my Mom by being the best Grandparents ever, catering to my every want and need. They loved me unconditionally, as I did them. I named my first born after my Grandma, after all.  

I remember that we lived in the cutest little trailer park just a few trailers down from my grandparents and my Mom wanted to give me the very best life had to offer on a single parent's income. She gave me the master bedroom and took the small one on the other end of the trailer. I had every toy I ever wanted and then some and she worked hard to make sure I had some designer clothes like the girls in school...Until 9th grade, I went to the richest school district in Oklahoma, Jenks. I lived in the one "poor" area in the whole Jenks East district at the time, I think. I didn't know I was poor until I got on the bus in kindergarten and was called "Trailer Trash." I didn't know what to do with that little piece of new information about my character, so I never told my Mom because I do remember knowing enough to know it would hurt her.

I remember playing with my cousin Jay a lot. He was like a brother to me, so I have some of memories of bossing him around and him being the sweetest boy in the world. When his little sister, Becky came, I remember us playing with her like a baby doll and then bossing her around. She was adorable and a good sport.

I remember seeing my biological dad and grandparents about once a year when he'd pick me up and spend the day with me then drop me off at his parents for the night so he could go out and party. I was worth a few hours, but not more than that. I remember wondering why I wasn't worth more than that to him A LOT. I remember crying myself to sleep and wondering what was wrong with me that he didn't want to spend time with me, never understanding as a child that he was only trying to punish my Mom, but he did love me and just didn't know how to be a Daddy.

I remember the excitement over the twins arriving when I was 12 and how much a loved those two. I also remember babysitting when I wanted to but giving my parents a hard time when it was their idea. I remember various situations of turmoil and my own rebellion off and on during that time pretty much until I left for college.

I remember some of junior high, hanging out with the skaters because I could shine in that group and never fit in to the girly girl, "look at me" group. I can't remember if I wanted to fit in with them or not because I never really understood them. I think their shiny bows and perfect outfits and whispers in the cafeteria intrigued me, but also disgusted me at the same time in a weird way.  Maybe it was jealousy, but it felt more like distaste. I just wasn't interested in the same things they were and didn't care to learn their catty games. I was friends with more boys than girls because they were far less complicated. I remember lots of times with my BFF Colbi throughout jr high and high school laying out at her pool, being lazy and talking about everything and nothing all at the same time.

But, even though that seems like a lot, it is only fragments, pieces of memories my mind tries to make sense of. Pictures I see in an album and ask my Mom about that become memories after I hear her retelling...not of my own accord. Nothing is complete, nothing flows, I know nothing of the intentions behind my parents or grandparents actions, nothing of the emotions behind the decisions, just the results...And so I blog.

I blog for my kids and myself and future generations...to record my thoughts, emotions, passions, dreams, and how decisions are made in our house and why. I blog to record a history I want to look back over and I want my kids to have to look back on when they have questions and I am not around to answer or don't even remember myself. I blog to show them how much I love them and I am trying to be a good Mom, the best way I know how.

But those who forget, or those sensitive ones who wonder why...Why did Mom homeschool us for that time? Why did we move so much? Why did Daddy want to work in ministry? Why did we do Christmas different than most people? Why did we live in a huge house in Kansas and as our family grew our houses shrank? Why did my parents always decorate like a flea market booth? Why was Mommy in pain a lot and always talking about food? Why did my parents decide not to use medical birth control after finally conceiving their first? Why did we share rooms for so long? Why did we have so many people come stay with us all the time? Why were music and sports and fitness so important in our house? Why did our home-life and rules look a lot different than most of our friends' lives in a lot of ways? Endless whys... I won't be able to answer them all in this blog, but maybe a few, so maybe my kids won't have so many blanks to try to fill in themselves...or maybe they will because this blog is completely from my perspective, but at least they will know who their Momma was, warts and all, and that she loved them more than life.

I blog for so many reasons...this is just one more I thought of today.

When I am sick, I have time to think because I actually sit down. It happens a few times a year when my body says, "I am not moving any more, so get off your feet," and I am sick today. I have to admit that I did spend over two hours standing and folding laundry before laying down to type this post, but my body gave out. Going to the doctor at 4.

Glad God gave us the same silly sense of style...

There are many times I walk as I walk around our house I am reminded at how amazing it is that God paired James and I together with our silly sense of style. It can only be called eclectic. We have no theme, but like the same things, decorations, furniture, paint colors...We are both attracted to the same oddities.  If he were a different man or I were a different woman we might throw each others' finds in the garbage when the other wasn't looking or simply refuse to allow them in the house. But we are usually like, "That is awesome! Where did you find that?"  It is especially evident in our kitchen where our knick knacks are displayed...antiques, pottery, pee wee herman on a chair, owls, unique quotes, strange figurines, you name it. Each piece loved by both of us. Weird.

It is almost like we never grew out of college decorating style, which is fine with me because I don't want to grow up and lose my personality to one of the big name furniture/decorating stores. It is fine for those who do, but it is not us, either of us and for that I am grateful.  Here is a prime example: James called me from WalMart the other day and was like, "Do we have aqua marine in our shower curtain?" I asked, "What, why?" He goes, "Well, Our other liner is gross and we need a new one. There is this really cool aqua marine liner with a design on it that I think would look really good in our shower." Then, I said, "We actually have a navy blue one we have never used," and he was like, "No, I want this one." When I saw it, I knew why. Small pleasures, I know, but I have to admit that whilst showering I do enjoy the aqua marine textured shower liner. It is quite refreshing. Most people would be like, "I need new tile and a totally new tub to feel clean in that bathroom," but I am strangely used to it, not bothered by it, and the liner does make a difference.
The walls and sink are a different story, but even what we are doing with those will be unconventional because that's how we roll.

Here are two more small examples of the odd streak in my husband that I adore. When we had to move the sock monkeys from the stairs to hang the stockings, he immediately hung them from the entertainment center. Without packing them away to bring out after Christmas, or even a thought, he took them straight to the living room and hung them there for us to enjoy. I guess he is lucky I operate on the same wave length or it wasn't an accident we were brought together. I am so glad he is mine and I am his. We are just different enough to compliment each other and just alike enough to be best friends. You never know how important sharing a sense of style is until you are actually married. Let me tell you, it is. I have heard stories of couples not agreeing on decorating and it is sad. At least it seems sad to me, because I like for my environment to reflect my personality and brighten my day. If I had to live in a perfectly designed home straight off the showroom floor I'd feel like I lived in a museum and since I spend most of my life in this house, I'd be miserable.

Thankfully, that will never happen.

And, if it seems like I am bragging, I am not. I am the kind of person who defaults to negativity and anxiety over circumstances. I spent most of my youngest years with my grandma Shelby (while my Mom worked) who I adored, but who was always complaining, always depressed, and worried about everything. It kind of shaped my outlook on life for a really long time and I am trying to reshape it with the Lord's help. In order for me to focus on all of my blessings, I have to make a conscious effort. I do have so many blessings. Driving by my home, you might disagree, but God has richly blessed us with 4 beautiful children, a relationship that withstands all that life throws at us a roof over our heads and plenty of nesting dolls to go around. 

I hope that if someone reads my blog who doesn't really know me, they don't see me as someone who thinks I have it altogether, know all the answers and live in the only "right way." I am so far from that it isn't even funny. I am passionate and I am real. What you see is what you get with me and it ain't perfection. I just try to find the good in what is around me and because sometimes it is hard for me, just like I posted a few posts back, I have to focus on the Light. And, I have to write about it. It helps gratitude take root in my heart. I want to leave a legacy for my kiddos...
A true story of how a broken person was transformed over the years through the power of the Holy Spirit coupled with intentional living. That's all, folks. 

Living in a nesting doll paradise...

We found these gems at a flea market in Grove last weekend. $4.50, jealous? Love them!

Then, we received this amazing gift in the mail a few days ago and it took me 2 full days to figure out who they were from. The card enclosed, shipped from LA {not Kansas}said "Merry Christmas from the Manymeisshoussen." I was all in a state of confusion until I saw the middle of the word "Meiss." Well, we call the Meiss Family "the Mice," so it totally didn't register. Long story short, they were from the Mice and my kiddos are dying to get their hands on them. But, I am not sure I want to share. I forgot to ask Helen today when we talked if they were for the kids or for me.

Probably for the kids, you say?

Oh, how I love nesting dolls. Why did they have to become so popular?

I wanted to horde them all myself!

Counting these, we now are proud owners of 4 nesting dolls. That is a pretty good start to a collection, I'd say. Heirlooms, really. Our kids will be so fighting over these after we are gone.  Maybe we should keep it at 4 just to make it even and hope they agree on how to distribute them. 

I have a feeling that one day very very soon our kiddos are going to reach the
"I am so embarrassed that my parents are so nerdy" stage.
Bring it.

We will have a house that looks like Juno's folks and be proud of it.

Look into the light Carol Ann...Get Radical

It seems blasphemous to quote the movie Poltergeist (and post a picture of Carol Ann) considering the subject matter of the movie, but in all honesty, this season more than ever before I have had to continuously remind myself to look into the light...a different light, of course, The Light, instead of the haunted house TV light in the movie.

Our Sunday morning small group just got finished studying A Hole in Our Gospel, Radical, and then Courageous Living back to back to back while my Wednesday night class was simultaneously studying Victory Over the Darkness. On Sundays we were being reminded of the darkness and great need in our world, our communities and our families and how we should must respond. On Wednesdays we were being reminded of who we are in Christ and that we are not of this world...Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world...and if He overcame this world and is living inside of us, so should and so CAN we.

So, let me just start by saying, when I do a study, I DO it. It isn't just another social gathering to me. As much as I enjoy the fellowship and need the accountability and sharpening from my brothers and sisters in Christ, I need the Word to get into my heart more and more and be planted there, so I don't leave class and forget about it until next week. I want Him too much...I need Him too much. I immerse myself in it and take it seriously. I don't look at the bible or any bible study for that matter as "light reading."  Devotionals or "pick-me-ups" are great for a moment but have no lasting impact and produce no fruit in my life. If I am going to devote my time to a study, I want it to take root. If I can read a book and there is no heart change, it didn't have enough of the Word in it, or I let the Word fly over my head by my own negligence. Point blank.

It gets me steamed when people dismiss others' passions because, "Well, you are just excited about that right now because you are reading THAT book." Talk about a discouraging statement. Because their fire isn't lit, they blow yours out. God gifts writers with the ability to use just the perfect words to grow us and move us into action. MOVE US. He doesn't send us messages for us to put the book back on the shelf and collect dust, while all we learned collects dust in our head and never makes it to our heart.

See how fired up I can get about this stuff. Well, that is exactly why I have to keep telling myself to "look into the Light" or focus on the Light instead of the darkness. I have been convicted and heartbroken over my own lack of zeal...my own lack of obedience to the GOSPEL...the true Gospel. And what is more is that it has moved me into action. I am nowhere near where I long to be, but determined to stay headed in that direction.

The only bad thing is that when that happens to me, I start to notice how many of the Christians I know don't even notice or care about the reason we were created...to glorify God and be Jesus' hands and feet here on this earth. That may sound really harsh, but we can have philosophical conversations all day about how to live out our faith and then NOT do it. There is no power in what we intend to do or know we should do, only in what we DO do. And, to clarify, I am not just talking about what we do around the holidays...we are to live out our faith all year long, but because of the Greatest Gift coming at Christmas, the hearts and minds of people are moved during this season...we can't ever really put our finger on what is moving us many times, so we put all of our energy into making others "happy." We are happy when we make others happy. But are we? Are they?

The Christmas season is supposed to be filled with JOY and it is filled with stress and selfish over-indulgence. Even in the name of Jesus we say we give gifts to others to glorify Him, yet many times we go into debt doing it. Would Jesus want us going into debt to spend more money on our kids, family, friends? Even if we don't go into debt, would he bless our overindulgence with the money He has entrusted to us?  When I see Advent Conspiracy's video telling us that Americans spend $450 billion a year on Christmas WHILE only $20 Billion would solve our world's water crisis, or read about how families like the Voskamps celebrate Christmas, it does show the stark contrast between darkness and light in "Christian Living." And, I want to focus on the Light...what the Lichtenbergers can do not what other's are NOT doing. Why does my flesh want to cry out to my Christian brothers and sisters, "Wake Up!?"

Maybe it is because someone else "woke" me up, and I believe it is our responsibility to shake life back into our sisters and brothers. Once we read or hear the Truth, we are held accountable for it. Romans 3:19-20, and James 1:222 Corinthians 10:5

We can make a difference, but only if we look into the Light. When we catch ourselves feeling anxious or overwhelmed by the darkness around us we have only to look up...and we can. We must.

Right now, I am reading A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson. I just now read a quote that he quotes saying, "In a storm, the fool looks at the lightning, the wise man-the road that lies-illuminated-before him." I want to look at the road, not the lightning. It has to be a concious choice.


{One disclaimer I will add to close is that the Holy Spirit brings about conviction in different areas of our lives at different times.  I went to dozens of youth conferences where World Vision and Compassion International were spoken about and I was never moved into action. God used the reading material He placed in our hands this semester to move us...it is His timing when a message takes root, not our own and not something we can fabricate or just try out...When it happens, we know, and others see it because of the change they see in us. But if people like the writers of those books or even the writer of this blog remain silent, how are we spurring on our Christian brothers and sisters who have ears to hear?}

master accent wall reveal...

Isn't that the same color of the living room, you ask?  why, yes it is, but it happens to delight us and match our bedding all at once and so we decided to use it on the accent wall behind our bed.  It is so dark it makes the yellow walls look almost white, so we are in deliberations about whether or not to paint the rest another color, but for now we will relish our new wall.

The collage of pics on the wall above James' mini-amp is what we "won" at the sibling gift exchange. I normally wouldn't have even thought twice about buying them had I seen them in the store, but they do match our bedding perfectly, so I am glad I picked them.

This is the headboard we found at...wait for it...YES, HOPE Outreach thrift store for $25. I am in love with it. I was planning to paint it, but I kind of likes it just like it is in our room.

I almost moved the picture collage above our bed to another wall, but James loves it there. It just belongs there because it has been above our bed since Kansas. We still haven't added a newborn pic of Preslie. I need my Momma to send me the newborn pics we took that are on her camera still so I can print one. Then, it will be complete. I do adore it with the scripture, pictures, and German illustrations I took out of a vintage song book and children's book and water colored over. That was a labor of love and it is special to us. Crooked on the wall or not. Yes, I know there are thingies you can buy to stabilize them, I just haven't gotten around to it.  Soon.  Hopefully!

Here is a shot from outside the room. It is interesting how depending on the time of day and amount of light in the room it can look like 4 totally different colors.

My favorite one is the daytime natural light one, but I didn't get a pic of that. Anyway, it is done. 

Now, on to the bathroom. Anyone want to help??
Keep in mind this house is over 100 years old.
It is super cute, but we could use a little help from people who have been there done that!

See what I mean?  James scraped...now he has to patch and we bought thick textured paintable wallpaper with a damask design to hang. SCARY. We have never ever hung wallpaper.

A few from my parents' house...

Lazing around with Muncle Matt and Daddy.





My parents started a new tradition, "Guess the amount of money in the coin container and you get to keep it."  I guessed Preslie's number for her and she won...I almost won the adult container but my brother barely beat me. I guessed like $62.50 and he guessed $65. There was like $75, so he won. Errr.

More to come when I get more pics from family.

A Very Woodlee Christmas...

As far as I can tell the only differences in these two pics are that James and my Mom traded places and the my brother and son are making different faces. Lucy might be picking her nose in the first one too, but that's okay. We love Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa Woodlees and are so glad to be back in Oklahoma where we can see them every Christmas Eve, like I did the first 35 years of my life minus two in Arizona...We won't miss it again. Such great times!

So blessed...Merry Christmas!

Yesterday, and the day before we celebrated Christmas with my parents, siblings, Grandma and Grandpa Woodlee, and Jay and Jeff. (Family pics to come.) When we got home last night just in time for Christmas Eve service, James changed into dress clothes and hopped into his car to get there by 6:45, leaving us to finish getting dressed and follow him in the van. Well, I left my keys at my Parent's house, so the kids and I had to stay home. So, I decided to make the best of it and unload the car so James wouldn't have to mess with it when he got home and we could just have special Christmas Eve time together before bed.  As I unpacked, I had the kids put all of the gifts we had all received on the couch. It almost looks obscene the amount of gifts we received. We really are overly-blessed. My reasons for taking this picture were two-fold and neither include bragging (Although, I guess I will brag that we have the most generous family in the world...so I did it anyway, proceed to judge).

But Seriously, here are our reasons:

1) I wanted them to see how very blessed they are even though they forfeited their Christmas gifts from us to give to Abner's family, and 2) this is our only scrapbook...I want to preserve this memory for them and the only way to to that is put it on the blogeroo.

\

When Daddy got home, he brought all of us a candle from the service. We turned out the lights and he read the Christmas Story from his bible, and then we all sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus before blowing out our candles. It was very sweet, and a little silly of course, because in true James fashion he had one surprise up his sleeve. He had downloaded a candle app on his phone and when he blew his out it went out on his phone. Technology. Crazy.

The candles made for a magical time for the kiddos. They were so sweet with their little faces illuminated like angels. Precious.

And, here is what Santa delivered last night in addition to stockings filled with art supplies.  Jesse got a Hot Wheels garage. Shelby got the pink sequined Toms she'd been wanting. {Santa and Tom are tight} Lucy & Preslie got the Scentsy froggy and piggy they had been asking for {which both smell soooo good, by the way.) And, all the L kids got an Art easel that triples as a chalkboard and dry erase board along with the roll of paper they can create masterpieces on.

Santa must know that they are all artists!!

They were/are thrilled and busily playing with their gifts. They are also eagerly anticipating the photos we will receive of Abner's family with their gifts that will look very different...maybe a few goats and chickens, maybe crops, or shelter...maybe a way to have fresh water...The World Vision representatives will help them decide what they need most and what will continue to sustain them over the years. That is why we love and support World Vision. They don't just give money, food or clothes to people and leave them to fend for themselves. They teach them to raise and grow food and find ways to make income for their families. They provide life skills and work skills training. Our kiddos don't feel deprived nor do we feel that we slighted them this Christmas. Even if they didn't get the dozens of gifts from family in the top picture or the even more they will get from my Dad's parents today, they would be blessed. Blessed to have given. For the first time, they get to know what it feels like to be able to bless a family they will never meet thousands of miles away who are in need. Sure, they give to local charities all of the time. About once a month, I ask them all to go get 2 outfits and 2 toys from their rooms to donate, but there is just something special about the joy in their eyes this year. More joy than I have ever seen upon opening a gift for themselves.

Why did I share our plan this year? To pat ourselves on the back? To make others feel guilty who did not do the same? To show how perfect we are?

To insinuate that anyone who does it differently is wrong? NOT

I share because this is the FIRST time we have ever done Christmas like this and I never could have imagined the joy it would bring to my children's souls. If even one person reads this and considers the fact that their kids might actually enjoy giving more than receiving, it is worth it. We still did buy gifts...they still did get gifts...just fewer so that they could bless others with what would have been excess for them in all truth. Plus, like I said before, it is our blog...our only scrapbook. Of course I am going to share what we did this Christmas.

Soon we will go to Christmas service at church and then drive back to Tulsa to celebrate with the Jones family. We are so excited to continue our Christmas celebrations!

Merry Christmas!!



The Littles' Favorite Bible...or "Jesus Loves Me"

My Grandma and Grandpa Woodlee gave our kids their very first bible. Actually, they gave it to Shelby when she was a baby and it has been a favorite ever since. The older two read the Jesus Storybook Bible and the Adventure Bible a lot now, but the littles still want this one...every single night. Just like Preslie says, "Sing Jesus love me!!" She also says, "Read Jesus Loves Me!!!" That is what she calls this bible. I love it. Her little voice requesting "Jesus Loves Me" is so sweet.  This baby's first bible is great because there are little suggestions in the corners of ways to get them to interact with you and the Word. The thing I love about it most is that GiGi wrote inside of it. It is personalized just for our kids.So now it is a special bible we will always keep and read to our grandkids someday.

everyone needs some random clowns...

Pretend play is how our kids roll around here. They have a Wii and some barbies, cars and littlest pet shops, but for the most part it is all about dress up and roll play with Shelby directing and bossing everyone around. Very fun, very lively and probably a precursor of things to come...drama or band geeks coolness for sure! I sure hope so. I am so not wishing for popularity for these kiddos...

I know how that turns out and it doesn't usually spur on spiritual growth.



Say what you will about clowns, but be careful.

We all agree that they are creepy, but my mom collects them and is very defensive about it. ; )

Christmas-time holiday fun...

 

Noni and Papa brought mustaches with them this weekend.

Jesse needed the disguise most because he was wearing the wrong team's sweatshirt.

James and I had a church Christmas party Friday night and Noni and Papa babysat.
They made this glorious gingerbread house together.

I am amazed because I have never been able to keep the walls in a gingerbread house up.

So talented!

We tried Hershey kiss Hugs this time, so it was a hug for a hug. So sweet!

I love this picture!!  Francie apparently loves Uncle Matt as much as the rest of them. Kristin was massaging the back of his leg because he just had surgery on his knee and it was hurting.

The twins.

 

Shelby and I drove to Wichita on Saturday for Janell's bridal shower.

She is going to be such a beautiful bride because she IS beautiful, of course!

 

Shelby's cousins Lauren and Brennah came home with me after Janell's shower on Saturday to spend time with their cousins and see Shelby and Jesse's performance last night. 
I have to wait to post pics from that because in true Jeanna fashion,

I forgot my camera and have to rely on someone else to send me pics.

Brennah loved hanging out with James.  When they are together, I see so much resemblance. She looks more like him than any of his own daughters, I think.

It was a short visit, but all of the cousins had some good bonding time.

Seeing them put this puzzle together makes me so happy!  We have had this nativity floor puzzle since Shelby was little and it is definitely a tradition around here.  I have a fear that Francie will chew it up, though, and I would not be happy at all. (understatement)

Here is the Muncle Matt (almost) Aunt Kristin "pancake hug" as Matt called it. I thought it was a sandwich or Oreo hug, but whatever...It is sweet whatever you call it!

I'll love you forever...embracing the camera 12-11

Ok, so there is an adorable book that almost any parent owns and has read to their child called Love You Forever, see below. In it, the Mom sings the song,

"I'll love you forever
I'll like you for always
As long as I'm living,
My baby you'll be."

She rocks her son and sings it to him as a baby boy, and as he grows she rocks him sings it to her older boy, then teen, then adult and finally, at the end of the book he rocks her and sings to her when she is old and sick, then goes home and sings it to his baby girl. {Kind of like a country song.} It is a very sweet book, but I have to admit that it always creeped me out a little that she was rocking a teen boy and a man. A little freaky to imagine. Except, I could suspend reality when my first was a girl, because I could totally identify with the Mom rocking and singing this to her baby, child, teen, and grown adult, because I pictured me doing that with Shelby and it doesn't seem as weird with a girl.

Until...I had my man-child. And now, even at 7, I love snuggling with him. He gives the best hugs and especially when he is wearing footy pajamas, he is like a big teddy bear. I think his love language is physical touch because he loves to hug, sit close, snuggle and hold hands with me and James and his little sisters. {not so much with the big sister b/c they have entered the icky stage with each other}

Anyway, now I can imagine that as he grows even into adulthood, I will want to snuggle him. I doubt it will happen, but I can imagine the longing to do so. I will always see him as my baby in a lot of ways. I know I will see expressions on his face that remind me of him as a child, when I was the love of his life. Moms and their sons have such a special bond. It has to be hard to give your adult son away to a woman he loves more than you...But that is God's design and it is right and true and perfect...

My one and only son and I will always love his hugs. Ask him for one. He gives the best.

Embrace the camera and take pics of yourself, Moms and Dads...The kids want to know what you looked like when they were young! Step out from behind your camera every once in a while, y'all!

Join the movement. Click below.

Heaven is for Real and naming miscarried babies...

So, unless you live in a cave and have no access to the outside world, you have probably heard of this book, Heaven is for Real.  We don't have cable, read popular magazines or listen to NPR, so I am not sure if this book has caused any controversy out in the Christian or secular world for that matter, but I have to say that we love it. Shelby, Jesse and I are reading it together every night before bed.

Whether Colton died and went to heaven, caught a glimpse of heaven or just plain had a very vivid dream about heaven, this kid's story seems legit. What he saw is consistent with some of what is in revelation in the bible and his parents determined not to lead him in any of their questioning. I choose to believe this family. He was so young and innocent when it happened and the things he describes to his parents, things he knew about and could not have by any other means legitimize his experience.  There are so many amazing aspects to his story, but what really hit us last night was when we read the part where he runs up to his Mom randomly and exclaims, "Mom, I have two sisters." After arguing with him about it for a minute he declares that he knows he has two sisters because he met his other sister in heaven. What he had never been told is that his mother miscarried a baby. He had no knowledge of that, so when he said this very matter of fact, his Mom dropped to her knees and started asking him all kinds of questions. One question she asked is, "What was her name?" He plainly stated back to her that she said she didn't have a name because they had never named her. AND, they had never named her because they didn't even know the gender of the baby they'd lost.

The reason this part was so significant for us is that I had a miscarriage between Jesse and Lucy. Yes, it was very early on, but we had already named the baby...Jami if it was a girl and Jayme if it was a boy. I love those names because they are forms of James. With the birth of Lucy and Preslie I just couldn't ever use Jami because I knew I had a Jami or Jayme in heaven. Something inside of me just knew that, so reading this part of Colton's family's story blew me away.

Then, if that wasn't enough, Shelby reminded me that when I was pregnant with her I lost her twin really early on. I had had some bleeding and when I had an ultrasound around 6 weeks or so the doctor said there was another sac, an empty one that had held a "vanishing twin," and that the bleeding was probably from that. I remember being shocked and amazed that I was pregnant at all after being told that we wouldn't have children and being sad that we had lost the twin, but since it was so early on and my first pregnancy, plus the fact that Shelby still had a strong heartbeat, the loss didn't impact me the way my later one with Jami/Jayme did. We didn't name that baby. I wonder if we should...

penpals...and awesome kids' magazines...another infomercial

Our kids have subscriptions to these kids' magazines and they love them.  One of their favorite things about them is that there is a form where you can send in your information and be matched with a penpal. They try to match kids based on gender and age. Both of my oldest kiddos got immediate responses after sending in their info and they are writing back and forth with penpals living in other states. It makes going to the mailbox so much fun! 

If you click on any of the magazines, it will take you to the website where you can also find out all kinds of family information, like movie reviews, games, Adventures in Odyssey stuff and much more.

Also, if you order any of the kids' magazines, the parent one "Thriving Family" is free. It may be free anyway. These are all distributed by Focus on the Family. They are kind of the Christian version of Highlights and National Geographic mixed together.



We don't have a subscription to the teen one yet, but I thought I'd include the pic anyway.

a boy's star wars crafternoon delight...

I stole an idea from my dear friend Emily's blog and ran with it today to my boy's pure delight. He is cutting and folding and singing The Eye of the Tiger to his heart's content and loving every minute of it right now as I type this.

This is what he is making and it is free. If you click the link to Emily's blog and follow the links therein, you can print them for free for yourself or your kiddos or their friends or your nieces, nephews, husband, whatever.  Thanks Emily and thanks, toy-a-day.blogspot.com. They have all kinds of toys to fold.

So our printer was running out of ink a little...they still look great and my boy is learning hand-eye coordination, how to focus to completion, math and art all at the same time. Bam!

p.s. I can't believe I actually got a chance to use "crafternoon delight!" Since I am not crafty, I have few of these. Yeah!