Craziness!~

So John decided that by Christmas Eve that Santa could not change his mind about his presents. So John proceeded to behave extraordinarily awful. He ran out the front door, he was playing with ornaments, he ripped a piece off the gingerbread house and ate it!... along with some respect issues! Well, the 24th was a trying day. William's parents came to spend the night and we went to Candlelight Service, which was incredible. So we get home and no one wants to go to sleep. I mean we do this to ourselves. We get the kids all excited about Santa and then expect them to go to sleep. Who are we kidding? So everyone was not asleep when Santa came... William and I were tired and did not want to be up all night being Santa. So Mimi and Bob tried to help us contain them to their rooms.
Christmas morning: It was my idea that we would wait to open Santa until my Dad and G'parents could come over at 7:30. Well, lets just say I learned my lesson. By the time they got there, I was STRESSED! The kids were going crazy and were so excited when they finally go to see their toys. We had a small brunch and everyone was on there way... now it was time to clean up!
Friday we headed to Sumatanga for Christmas with the Murrays... always a fun time to play with cousins, and aunts and uncles... We had a great time and made lots of memories.
It is amazing to me to experience Christmas as a parent. I think I almost get as excited as them..I will say that I am glad it is over.. maybe now we can chill for while and get back into some version of a routine.
Favorite Christmas Presents:
Wii (that is all I have to say)

ect....
The kids got:
John- 2 light sabers, guys, soccer ball, leapster2, and he thinks that Guitar Hero is his too
CG- Lots of princesses, Tag reader, light up tutu, Fancy Nancy dress up, Princess walkie talkies
Rainey- baby doll with bed, high chair, and stroller, doll house, dress ups
We had the biggest Christmas ever and can't thank everyone enough!

Getting ready for Christmas!~

The kids are so excited. I feel like this is our first year that they understand what Christmas is and can barely contain themselves. We are still a little confused about Jesus being the most important part...and not Santa! But we are working on that!

A conversation:

John- Why isn't baby Jesus born yet?

Me- Well, .......(thinking really hard)... He is born, we are just celebrating his birth. He was born a long, long time ago.

Anyway, I think questions show that they really kind of get it! Maybe that is just me trying to make myself feel better. Oh well.

We have finished our Polar Express party, which was a big hit. We had about 65 people and made over $100. Yea! And as of last night, we have no more Christmas parties to go to. We had the youth party at our house last night... how many people can you fit in our SMALL house?

It was alot of fun and we played dirty santa, which is always fun! Now, we are just putting the finishing touches on presents and putting some together..... Santa is going to be very busy this Christmas Eve...at least at our house. I sure hope the kids go to bed early!

Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving 2008

After lunch in Anniston we headed to Sumatanga for the weekend. Oh what a place of rest and vision..or at least a vision..a vision of family and togetherness...and sometimes a rest. We had 13 people in one house for 3 days and 2 nights. Playtime with cousins in always fun and John learned how to ride his bike. We ate way too much... laughed alot... and spent alot of time disciplining children... Because when you have 5 kids ...age 4 and under.. that takes up alot of your time! All of that aside... we had an incredible time and hated for it to end. We can't wait until Christmas!

The kids got Sumatanga bandanna from the t- shirt shop and Aunt Maria posed them accordingly...how funny is that picture.

Oh.. and the Iron Bowl. Not having cable really doesn't bother me except on Saturdays (during football season).. so we stayed over to catch the game on TV.. and may I say that it was well worth the time!

A long, but Awesome Trip

We are finally home. We had an incredible time. I have to say... I missed my girls like crazy, but Clara Grace learned to ride her bike and they got to have a playdate with cousins! I don't think they missed us very much! John had the time of his life. We stayed at the Renaissance Marriott in downtown Nashville. Which is the nicest hotel I have ever been to. I had breakfast in bed 2 mornings and got to try alot of Nashville restaurants ( Rippey's and Demo's). John got to meet David Crowder, which was the highlight for me... maybe him too...depending on when you ask him. He loved this trampoline thing they had too. By the end of 4 days in a hotel room... I was ready to come home.... granted ... to alot of dirty clothes!

National Youth Worker Concention

Today we are leaving for National Youth Worker Convention in Nashville. William and I are so excited. John is going with us and is so excited about see the bands....especially David Crowder Band. Clara Grace and Rainey get to spend the weekend at Sumatanga...being spoiled by Mimi.
I hate to leave them, but I don't think it would be enjoyable for anyone if everyone went. John is so excited about staying in a hotel room for 3 nights.. he keeps asking about "living at the hotel."

Exciting news this week: Mandy(my cousin) is having a baby! We are all so excited for her! and.. never thought it would happen... We use to have a pact : that when she had a baby that I would raise it until it was 18.. haha... I think she has changed her mind!

Fall at Sumatanga AKA Our Monthly Vacation Destination

*We took the youth group to Camp Sumatanga last weekend for out Fall Retreat! It was alot of fun.. and very convenient since we get to take the kids with us! It is so nice getting to go somewhere that cell phones don't work.. we can finally disconnect for a little bit...even though we have Internet! We have to have email and facebook!

*William is OFFICIALLY a candidate for licensing. It was voted on last Sunday. Now, we are waiting for him to be assigned a mentor.

*William has also been diagnosed with adult onset asthma... which hopefully will explain his bouts with pneumonia. For now he is well and is getting his scratch tests next week!

*Grandaddy made it through his procedure beautifully (pace maker) and is doing well. Hopefully things will simmer down health wise for them....at least for a while.

Halloween and On

Halloween was so much fun this year. The kids actually understood what we were doing. We went to Glenwood Terrace, where my grandmother lives, and handed out candy for a while and then went to a few houses. It was so much fun for the kids to see everyone's costumes. ]

Rainey has now decided that she is not potty training. So much for that! She has some kind of crazy desire to be THE BABY for the rest of her life! Maybe if we had another baby she would get over it! Ha!!