O Come O Come Emmanuel

I'm relaxing on Christmas morning after a full day on Christmas Eve that started at 7 a.m. at Fayette Mall at Star Bucks. I felt like the entire Northern Hemisphere forgot to buy their Starbucks gift certificates and decided to buy them from me. Just spreading their Christmas cheer! I pretty much missed most of John's family's celebration, but got the last 2 hours of unbridled Nerf gun war between Joe and John. Upon leaving, I realized I had not been to the grocery at ALL this week because of working so much and not having any water for two days (another blog altogether), so I scurried to find some chicken and made a little Christmas Eve supper that included a peach cobbler that might have been the most vile attempt at a dessert on record. I don't know if I was just slobbering tired or just forgot key ingredients (duh!) but we made due. The kids opened a few gifts and we got to witness Ella have freak out over an IPod, Molly really wanted her own Nativity Scene (I'm propogating idol worship in my children for the holiday season, :), jokes), and Grant is rolling around Jenny's old house on a "toy" called a rip stick. It basically looks like a kayak oar on two wheels and you have to do body rolls to get it to move. I'm going to master it before I go back to school. I got John some new clothes(boring, right) from GAP because he seriously needed to fall into that (let's see who catches that one), and (drum role insert..........)I will be attending the February 20th show of JERRY SEINFELD!! I've only dropped hints about that since before Thanksgiving. It was the only thing I really selfishly wanted and we scored orchestra seating for the show. I can't wait.

I'm off to make banana-pecan pancakes and other casseroles for Christmas day all while watching the Disney Christams Parade.

God is soo good. Not just when in a time of blessing, but in all things. Praise the Lord for the incarnate God in the form of a babe. No matter how this Christmas finds you, because of the perfect gift, we know how this story will end...
Merry Christmas!!!!

The ox and lamb kept time, puh rump a pum pum...

I'm sort of making fun of Jeanne in this post, but she said this is one of her favorite Christmas Carols. Little Drummer Boy, one of the most atheological Christmas songs ever! We have teased and teased her this week about this at school in all of our Christmas pageantry. I want to know what some of your favorite Christmas carols are, or the consistent 3 of you who read this.

John and I are going to finish Christmas shopping on Monday evening (way to wait for the last minute). He literally has been working around the clock to help his dad get their new clinic opened and I've kind of brow beat him into going. I want the experience, like in the movies when families are in the mall together and they get cider and see children sitting on Santa's lap (after a $5.oo fee). As I'm typing this, I realize this is so stupid and not what the Lord intended for us in the holiday season. Maybe we'll go share the gospel instead...

I'm hoping to get to hang out with some good friend this week with the kids and make cookies and sing carols with Julie's guitar to bring in the holiday season. I saw a glimpse of Mary who's been in Africa and am looking forward to hearing her stories on missions there. I also am looking forward to Amanda being home soon and hearing more about teaching Kindergarten in Brazil.

If you feel like a holiday treat and want to spread good cheer, go to McDonald's a get coffee there and not Starbucks. Its been really busy and I don't want to wait on you anymore. No offense, just really tired.

I didn't tell you what my favorite carol/song/hymn is for Christmas is. There are many so here's a list:
1. What Child is This?
2. Hark, The Herald Angels Sing
3. Go Tell It on the Mountain
4. Silent Night
5. Angels We Have Heard On High (Gloria)
6. Harry Connick Jr. Christmas Album, a must have
7. John's favorite FYI (Do you hear what I hear and O' Come All Ye Faithful)

If I don't get to blog before Christmas, I love you all and am happy that we are all blessed more than we deserve. Merry Christmas!

Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow...

Its official. With my 20 oz. Coke Zero, 16 oz. of Organic Mexico down, and a half eaten bag of Gardetto's (the dark rye ones are the best!), I'll be finishing finals today. TODAY! This has been the stinking longest semester of my life, no thanks to an amazing but tedious sociology course on racism. I can look ahead at the week before Christmas and breathe a sigh of academic relief. Until Jan 12 when it starts all over again and the countdown to certification starts back.

I've done some fun things over the weekend. I ran a Christmas 5-k with our Waco Loopers running club and dressed like the leg lamp off the Christmas Story. That was our theme and it was amazing. There are more pics on facebook if you want to go to Ty and Marie's page:









I call her friend for so many reasons...


Serious runner

Here are a few things I'm thinking about as Christmas draws nigh:
1. Amanda and Mary are coming back into the states soon!
2. Ashley is going to get hired at Ashland (look, I'm already well wishing for you!)
3. Ty and Marie are moving into their new home over Christmas which very well could be our new home if Chattanooga stays in its economic death bed!
4. Julie is going to go to Nashville but not stay in Nashville (right?)
5. John is going to get back to a normal schedule!
6. Grant is going to pass math!? (i'll let you know)
7. Jeanne and Summer are going to be my running partners over Christmas Break?
8. I'm going to read for pleasure over the holiday break.
9. I will get my house picked up and laundry done while on holiday.


Hooray for finals being over!!!!!!!!!

Don't Give Up On Me...

I saw the Andrew Peterson Behold The Lamb concert at Juie's church, well the Lord's church that Julie goes too, and it was one of the best things I've seen,listened too EVER! EVER! If you have an opportunity to see this, do! Thank you Julie for the gift. You're the best!

So its your birthday, so its your birthday...Happy Birthday to you...

My birthday is tomorrow. I'll be 35. Even typing that number mystifies me. My title is what the waiters at Chi Chi's used to sing whenever it was open in Lexington. I bet most of you reading this are too young to remember Chi Chi's and that mystifies me too! I love birthdays. I mean love them. I overdo them whenever possible and if money was no expense I would Super Sweet 16 every year of a life. I usually say to whoever, "You only turn ____ once!" That's my excuse for living it up for a party. I love cake, ice cream, streamers, food, friends, music, laughing loud, blowing out candles, saying "Ohhh, you shouldn't have..." all while thinking you totally SHOULD have because birthdays are AWESOME! That's right Julie, AWESOME! Last year was a fun one because Julie made that Kit Kat Kake (I had to alliterate that)and Amanda and she cleaned my kitchen and left Gold Star Chili in my fridge. It about made my head blow off. Ty and Marie got me new running shoes and John gave me pajamas with matching slippers I wore on New Year's at the pajama party. I'm telling you, I remember birthdays.

Top Ten reasons you should love birthdays:
10. God Loves birthdays, He says, "children are a gift from the Lord" and well, if you weren't born than you wouldn't be a gift...
9. You can wear those cone shaped hats and if you are a birthday master (much like a Pokemon master) you can wear two and look like Krusty the Klown off of the Simpsons.
8. You can blow those obnoxiously loud horns right in someone's ear and its ok. Otherwise, they would punch you in the face.
7. Waiters sing at resteraunts and hate it. And that's funny.
6. People can say, "What?!!!, You're not ___! I would have never thought that" (post script...be saying that to me, that's why this one is in here!)
5. The whole day is about me. Well, except for the 3 presentations I have to do at school, and then its all about me...no wait, I have to do the kids laundry but then its all about me...
4. Cake. is. amazing.
3. Sometimes your parties are a surprise ;) (this is a wink in case some of you aren't reading into this)
2. You can go to Disney for free in 09 for your birthday! I love Disney too!
1. It's another year God has given to glorify Him, and I pray that happens in 09.

A Birthday Haiku:

It is my birthday
I lived another year strong
Isn't that cool beans?

ok, I'm going to bed now. Blowing out my metaphoric candles of the day...I'm telling you, crazy about birthdays...