Happy New Year!

The kids rang in the New Year in Oklahoma again this year.  They joined the Gungans and the Lowes for a fun evening together.  Before they headed north Abigail had softball practice with her HSAA Angels.  

The kids had a great time together and really appreciated being able to be together and just hanging out! It's become a great tradition! 

Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them” Ecclesiastes 12:1

Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce

Having Caleb home for the holidays and Abigail not working or playing ball has been wonderful.  One of the things we'e always done together is cooking, specifically canning.  From the time they were little we've made everything from pickles to jelly.  The kids have been spoiled with the real homemade goodness. 

One of our favorites is homemade pasta sauce! So while the house is full we worked together cutting and cooking!  It is so much easier to make having someone chopping onions and peppers while others are prepping the tomatoes! 

I love the way the house smells of the savory Italian goodness! By the time we finished up today we had sixteen quarts of pasta sauce. I see some ravioli and spaghetti in our future meal planning! 

One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Romans 14:2

The Birthday Girl

It's official, we now have three adult children! I'm not sure how that happened.  Time went faster than I thought it would go! I'm thankful she has a Christmas birthday and Caleb was able to be home and celebrate with us.  

We began with our traditional breakfast in bed.  The birthday girl chose sausage balls and waffles.  After breakfast we headed down stairs to open up gifts.  Boxes were filled with great things she'll need for the next chapter of her life in college.  

We goofed off most of the day playing board games doing a little shopping.  For dinner we headed to Studio Movie Grill for dinner.  Much like my easy going girl, it was a relaxed day laughing and playing together.

May our sons in their youth

    be like plants full grown,

our daughters like corner pillars

    cut for the structure of a palace

Psalm 144:12

Merry Christmas

It's the happiest time of the year, or at least that's how the song goes.  But I have to say it is truly a blessing to have all the kids at home for the holidays.  Caleb has been home on Christmas break but he's worked most of the break.  He has a few days off for the holiday and we can all be together.  That's the blessing of working for a Christian company. 

Abigail has been working five days a week, too.  So again the next few days off is so appreciated.  Our morning started off early with Frankie excited and ready to check out Santa's haul!  We opened our stockings and then enjoyed breakfast together.  After breakfast we checked out the packages under the tree.  

Santa was generous will all of us and the day was filled with my favorite people.  We broke out the snowballs and had a snowball fight in the house, Padme' was barely phased but all the activity! Today was a nice blessing surrounded by my sweet husband and beautiful children.  Truly the best gift of all! 

Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15 

Christmas Chili

We usually enjoy tamales with chili for dinner on Christmas Eve.  But yesterday I noticed we were out of homemade chili!  So what's a girl to do but fire up the InstantPots and cook up sixteen quarts of homemade spicy goodness! 

I went to my favorite chili recipe and with a little help chopping onions, peppers, and tomatoes while I cooked up the meat we are back in business.  Tamales will be served tomorrow night as planned! Whew! 

Better is a dry morsel with quiet

    than a house full of feasting with strife.  Proverbs 17:1

Power Couple

I try to refrain from publishing about the kids and who they are dating.  But every once in while I just have to because, well grandparents like to see those things and they are just so cute! 

Abigail and Josiah celebrated Christmas together at the George W. Bush Presidential Library.  At Christmas they have a beautiful display of replicas of White House trees decorated by various First Ladies.  Definitely a 'must see' when you are in Dallas! 

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8

Cherished Moments

I had trouble deciding what pictures to post of our fabulous church homeschoolers Christmas party.  Some unique things have happened this year.  One is that Abigail is graduating and I realize that my time as a home schooling mom is coming to an end.  I'm going to miss these times of the kids getting together to play, to make cards for the Christian Care Center, to exchange gifts.  

Because of Abigail graduating I realize how extremely fortunate I've been to have these other Godly women in my children's live. They are such wonderful Christian examples.  We've shared so many joyous happy moments together and some of life's darkest, saddest moments together.  I'm forever grateful to God for my church family and the role they have played in shaping my children. 

Another change that has taken place this year is I have returned to work at the church preschool.  Two of my sweet preschoolers have joined our ranks of homeschooling families at McDermott.  I can't express what a blessing it has been to see these young children and young moms with their children.  The moms are Frankie's age(ish) and it is a gift to see them with their children and getting to love on the younger children.  It's not a path we will get to travel with Frankie but God knew my heart needed to walk this path.  I'm so grateful He's given me this opportunity! 

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

Growing Sweet Things

It's getting close to Christmas time and my preschoolers are getting very excited.  In our centers room I created an ice skating rink with laminated white paper and plastic coated paper plates for skates.  I also set up a concession stand with hot cocoa and warm pretzels for the kids. 

In the classroom we had a little Christmas magic.  At the beginning of the day the kids planted peppermint candy in a cup of marshmallows and we set them by the window to grow.  By lunch they had grown into small candy canes and by the end of the day they were full grown candy canes!  

We talked about God's creation and how He gave us everything we need to grow.  This was just a simple, fun example of how that works.  It was so much fun watching the kids excitement as they watched their candy canes grow! I let the parents in on our fun! 

The righteous flourish like the palm tree

    and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

They are planted in the house of the Lord;

    they flourish in the courts of our God.

Psalm 92:12-13

A Time to Celebrate

Let the Christmas celebrations begin!  This evening was the high school class Christmas party.  The house was packed with wall to wall teenagers.  Many of them wore their ugly sweaters and some wore PJ's.

There was the annual gift exchange, followed by dinner and a devotional message.  Abigail said it's a little surreal that this is her last youth group Christmas party.  So many fun memories of gag gifts and beautiful singing with this great group of young people! 

A man of many companions may come to ruin,

    but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24

Another Generation

Our Bible Bowl preparations are going great.  I have thirty-seven kids from third through twelfth grade.  This year will so many older kids I've let some of the young men take turns teaching the Bible class.

Today Zach stepped up and taught from John chapter 11 which included Jesus' seventh miracle, the raising of Lazarus. Everyone in class was so attentive and Zach did such a great job.  I can't wait to see what great things are ahead for there service in Lord's body!  

Train up a child in the way he should go;

    even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

Heartfelt Friends

Tonight was another wonderful evening with our Heartfelt Friends.  Frankie and I really enjoy our evening of friendship, fellowship, dinner and Bible study with these sweet ladies.  Each month one of the mom's opens their home up for our sweet group.  The ladies ministry at church does a great job of making our very large congregation feel like a small town, close knit church body! 

(Treat) older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity. I Timothy 5:2

Christmas Recital

My sweet preschoolers have been 

preparing for several weeks for tonight's Christmas program.  Both 4 year old classes sang Santa Clause is Coming to Town. 

Later Kyle read Pete the Cat Saves Christmas.  The parents joined us for cookies and pictures with the Big Guy! 

The kids made decorative plates using their hand prints to create Rudolph!  They were very sweet! 

Jon and the kids came up for the festivities! 

Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. "For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

Matthew 24:42-44

Let It Snow

In preschool we are still working on weather unit.  Today for P.E. Class I thought we could do something weather related, so . . . . 

I found snowballs at Target.  They are plush, squishy, realistic feeling snowballs.  First I read "Snow" by P.D. Eastman about all the fun things you can do in the snow.  

Wes, our pulpit minister joined us in the auditorium for a snow ball fight!  Usually we discourage the kids from throwing things at each other, so Wes was good spirited and let us throw snowballs at him.  Once the kids saw it was harmless and fun spirited they were ready to take aim at each other!  

They ran off a lot of energy, had a ball, no one got hurt and no snow balls landed in the baptistery! Sounds like a great day! 

Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:

though your sins are like scarlet,

    they shall be as white as snow

Isaiah 1:18

Happy Birthday, Granny

Today we got make the trip to Tulsa to see the moms!  We enjoyed a belated Thanksgiving celebration with my Mom and Bob. And had a really great visit.  

The next morning we headed to a lunch celebration for Granny's birthday!  I wish the kids could have joined us but it was still nice to get together with Jon's mom, brother and family!  

A wise son makes a glad father,

    but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother. 

Proverbs 10:1