Better Late Than Never

I have been a bad blogger....Here is what happens: so many fun and wonderful things happen that I want to write about but I don't find the time. Then I get so far behind and become frustrated knowing that I will not be able to post it all, so I just don't post anything at all. Just being honest.


So, let me start by saying, "Merry Christmas". I hope that you enjoyed a blessed holiday with family celebrating the birth of our Savior. I resolve once again to put more focus on Jesus' birth next year and have learned some fun and new ways that I am going to try. I love being excited for Christmas again already :) (Now, if I could just get excited about taking all of these decorations down...)


We have had an amazing couple of weeks, celebrating Christmas at school, at church, with friends and with family. Chris and I both took off of work all week last week and thoroughly enjoyed every minute we had to be together as a family. We made a quick trip to OK to visit Chris' grandmother (more on that later), but other than that were able to stay here at home. I must say that my kids love just being at home with us....so much fun! We played games, decorated cookies and let them sleep in pallets on our floor :). I want to enjoy this time when they still think we hung the moon ;) Friends with older children keep telling me that is going to end....what a bummer :)


I want to share with you one fun, special, spontaneous thing that happened on Christmas day. I looked up from working in the kitchen to see this....


Daddies and Daughters dancing






Chris and Anna




Ryan and Cate



Wade, Nan and Molly






And, our crew...all 8 sweet peas. Aren't they precious? :)

We are headed down to the Hill Country tomorrow for my cousin, Hayley's wedding. So, Happy New Year a bit early. I pray that you will find joy in the "everday" in the coming year.

Life is Bliss

• I LOVE cold weather- it has not gotten out of the 20s today!
• My house was cleaned today- not by me.
• I had the opportunity to give to others in need- nothing brings greater purpose.
• I have beautiful children who came home from school today with amazing work (GREAT grades from Anna and the absolutely wonderful Nativity, pictured above, from Alex)
• My husband is cute and he slow danced with me tonight while our children watched (grinning ear to ear).
• I made a yummy beef stew and fluffy yeast rolls and shared it all with my family, including my Mom.
• My children took a warm bath, and now are covered in warm lotion and dressed in fleecy jammies playing Wii Sports with their Daddy.
• I am about to make Chocolate Truffle cookies (with my husband as my helper) to share with our family and friends.
• It is only 10 days until Christmas....I can't wait to see my whole, big family!
• Part of Anna's homework this week is to learn this...

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

-Luke 2:13-14

I sit here this evening feeling amazed by God's goodness to me. Thank you Jesus for loving me so. This season, I am committed to paying attention to the little details, the little ways that my Savior tells me He loves me every day. He loves you too....

Merry Christmas,

Remember the Alamo...in LIGHTS!

This year's theme for the City of Euless Parade of Lights was "A Lonestar Christmas" So, I put on my thinking hat determined to come up with something that truly represented Texas, was easily recognizable, but was not something that everyone else would do too. And this is what I came up with...

The Alamo and per Chris' exact words "some cheesy cacti" in lights

It looks a bit lonely here with no cute people on board...

So, now we have the Alamo and Cheesy Cacti with cute people

Many thanks to the Carrolls for the use of the trailer and the hay and for putting up with my slightly anal, perfectionist but cute and wonderful husband for several hours as we got it all put together.

We really did have a wonderful time...there is just something about riding in a parade, waving to the crowd and saying "Merry Christmas" that makes a person all warm and fuzzy inside. You should try it sometime...

Merry Christmas,

JOY

JOY....it is a word that is used often during the Christmas season. But, what does it really mean? What does it mean to choose joy everyday? I don't always do a good job at being joyful. My family will tell you that I use the phrase "choose joy" on a very regular basis in our home, throughout the year. But I am talking to myself as much as to anyone else.

From an academic perspective, the definition of JOY is this:
The emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires ; The expression or exhibition of such emotion; A state of happiness or felicity; A source or cause of delight

Joy is referenced in the Bible hundreds of time and all are excellent reminders of what Joy truly is. A few of my favorites:

..."the JOY of the Lord is your strength."- Nehemiah 8:10

"For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your JOY will be complete." - Deuteronomy 16:15

"Shout for JOY to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs."- Psalm 100:1-2

Over the last couple of days, as I have been fluctuating between joy and irritation, I have tried to focus on what in me causes joy. Why do I choose to have joy some days, but not others? It is easy to blame our inability to be joyful on those around us...right? But, in reality, it is always our choice to respond to individuals and circumstances with joy. A hard lesson that I am committed to learning, every day. But for today, I have found an easy (albeit somewhat cheesy sounding) way to understand what choosing JOY means for me. It is all about my priorities, if everything is in the right place, then it is easy to find JOY. So, here we go:

Jesus
Others
Yourself

Now, if I can just follow through and put my focus on things that matter, in the appropriate order, then peace and joy will follow.

And because no post would be complete without pictures....some sights and scenes from our home to yours....Merry Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

FUN....And, CHRISTMAS, of course.

We were blessed to attend the Fort Worth Parade of Lights on the day after Thanksgiving this year. We have attended the parade several times, but this year, thanks to Wade, we had a special viewing spot...two floors up overlooking the parade route at the City Club. We had a super fun time and enjoyed our birds-eye view...

Anna and the downtown tree just after the "lighting" ceremony

Mom and Wade

Anna and Molly had matching outfits. It was so totally CUTE. I think that secretly Anna is pretending that Molly is the little sister she never got to have...and absolutely LOVED matching with her :)

They even had matching shoes...



Molly loved the cute snowman cookies :)

Will and Alex spent the entire evening glued to the window...even before the parade started.


Then the next morning...my children are forming a Boggle addiction. It doesn't help that their Nan and Daddy are equally addicted.


Now fast forward a couple of days, and I am happy to bring you a storyboard...a reenactment of what happens on Christmas Eve. Alex is playing the role of the sleeping child, Eli is Rudolph and Will is Santa. We LOVE after-school play time!!

I hope and pray that you and your family are finding JOY in every day of this Christmas season!

Merry Christmas,

Thank-Full

In 2005, I started a Thanksgiving Day Scrapbook. I take an individual picture of every one in attendance and then each person creates their own scrapbook page with their picture, detailing what they are thankful for that year. (Sorry for the run-on sentence)

So, this year, in addition to our scrapbook, I thought I would do a simple blog post with this year's pics and what everyone is thankful for. According to Alex, it should be "thankfull" because we are full of thanks, get it? :)

Uncle Junior, my 87 year-old Great Uncle, is thankful for Family and Turkey Day

Nana (Jana) my beautiful grandmother: "I'm so happy to be with my family! The great-grandkids are special."

My Mom (Nancy) is thankful for love, laughter, purpose, family, Jesus, friends, her home, joy, 8 grandkids, health, fun, peace, LCCS and her mom.

My brother (Wade) is thankful for his family.

My sister-in-law (Cathy) is thankful for her sweet husband, fun and adorable boys and her precious baby girl!

My handsome hubby (Chris) is thankful for his family and traditions.

My most beautiful princess (Anna) is thankful for God, a house and food.

My buddy (Alex) is "thankfull" for Family.

My nephew (Will) is definitely a thankful kid, I am just not sure what for. We forgot to ask him that specific question. I will be doing that today after school and will update accordingly.

My nephew (Eli) is thankful too. But ditto the above. :)

Now, I didn't ask Molly either, and I am not sure she could articulate perfectly what she is thankful for. So, I am just going to go on the one word that I heard her say the most over the Thanksgiving break....."Anna". I am pretty sure that Molly is thankful for Anna, among many other things. :)

Now, you may have noticed that there is no picture of me. Or maybe you didn't notice....but, anyway, that is because I forgot to take a picture of myself. But I am so thankful this year for many things....but most of all for Love, Joy, and for all of my precious, big family. :)

I hope that you and your family are enjoying a "thankfull" holiday season!

Lissa