Is it Christmas Yet?

The big day is almost here and it can not get here fast enough for my house. Yesterday, Luke and I went to see the Rockettes and it was such fun. What a great show. Santa was his favorite part and he was so excited to see him in Tulsa.

Today, Luke woke up and came downstairs saying "Merry Christmas". Then he said, "Did Santa come?" OOOOOOHHHHH. Too cute but I had to let him down and remind him he comes tonight after we go to sleep. He is so excited. We have written letters, drawn pictures and come up with many a random thing that he should be bringing us. We also went over to Juju and Paki's for a yummy brunch and some play time with our cousins. What a great way to enjoy family, start a fun day and expend a little energy!

It is precious and cute and the excitement is fun to watch. During all of this though, I keep thinking about Jesus being born. I  can't imagine giving one of my children away and that is exactly what happened. And when I think that God knew the horrible death he would suffer, I really can't fathom. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and enjoy every minute of it, but let's try to all remember what we are really celebrating. I find that when I can keep that in mind, it makes every minute more special. 

Days of Christmas Fun

We have been gearing up for Christmas around our house and it is getting exciting. Saturday, Gigi came and we celebrated Christmas with her. It was so fun and really my kids first taste of what is to come. Luke was so excited to open a present. And you should have seen your face when he got handbells from Gigi. Luke saw these in a catalog and I think they have them at school, but he was so excited. It sounds a bit like the Salvation Army around our house, but he was overjoyed! And then, Jason gave him a present and Luke was shocked that he got 2 presents! I am sure by 10am on Christmas Day, he will be long past this innocent response, but it was so sweet. Luke got a couple of games like Candy Land, which we have played numerous times since Saturday. What a fun day.

Sunday, Papa came and took Jack and Luke to the Nutcracker. I think it was a fun day for everyone. I asked Luke once he got home what his favorite part was and he very excitedly responded....."UMMM....my favorite part was finding our seats!" We all got a little chuckle out of that.  Upon some further digging, he did have some parts he liked but that was the best response all day. It was a fun day for both of them and I am sure it was fun for Papa to watch with the boys.

Monday, the Herrolds arrived in town and to Luke, Emma and Jack, this was as good as Christmas! They were so excited. Luke came to my bed at 4:45 and said, "Mom...Ellie Grace comes today! Wake up!" Lucky for me, Luke fell back asleep, but that is a precious memory. He was so genuinely excited. They played that day and all the girls spent the night. What a fun treat for everyone.

We are blessed to have so much family nearby and that will come and visit with us. Each one makes this time of year extra special.

A Little Tea Party

A picture is truly worth a thousand words. I can say nothing to describe how precious this was. Emma was playing and feeding her baby doll. She said, "We're having a tea party!"

This was late this afternoon. But this morning, on our way to gymnastics, Luke is talking about wanting a Woody doll for Christmas and I comment that hopefully Santa will bring it. And I tell Emma I bet Santa will bring her a pink Bible. She breaks out crying and says, "I don't want a pink Bible, I want a baby!" UHHHHH...hmmm. you better tell Santa because I am pretty sure that a doll has not been requested to date. Then I came home from running errands and saw this...I promise I will put in a good word with the big man for the baby doll because this was priceless.

Luke's Christmas Party

Today was Luke's Christmas party at school. This was his first real party and the first time parents could come. He was so excited today. I loved it. But what I loved was that he was just so excited to have me in his classroom and playing with him. We moved from table to table doing every activity. We made an ornament, did a picture, decorated a Christmas tree,  played Mr. Potato Head, did puzzles. You name it. They had cookies and Sprite and Luke hardly ate because we had so much to do. It was so sweet and melted my heart that he was so excited and proud to spend 30 minutes with me in his class.

The big finale was all the kids singing the tooty ta ta song. It was so cute and Luke loves it. Next time you see him, you should try and get him to sing it for you.

At the end of the day, the teachers gave the kids a little plastic cup with a straw, pencil, some rings and candy in them. Luke loves it. So much joy has come from this little cup. It reminds me that it is not the number of presents, it's the act. Isn't a child's perspective a great reminder for everyone as we go into this next week? Thanks Luke for making my day and letting me come to your party!

Christmas Cookie Memories

So, since we have had a few days at home, we decided yesterday was the day to make Christmas cookies. Now, if I had been prepared, I would have made the cookies ahead of time, but that would have made too much sense. Anyway, we finally go to ice them after dinner last night and my kids loved it! Emma's favorite was the red sprinkles. And let me tell you---she LOVED them. I have never made cookies before when we have used a whole bottle of sprinkles. There were red (or pink as Emma called them) sprinkles everywhere. And Luke loved the whole thing. Icing them was his favorite (I think in part because he got to use a knife to spread the icing). Jack was a huge help and helped to ice a bunch. This was very nice because Jack does not even like icing. It was a fun activity that we will get to enjoy for the next few days.

Amanda wrote on her blog today about being busy over the holidays. I agree. I tend to feel busy and stressed out over December, but there is nothing I would want to give up. Emma has now unwrapped about 4 presents. And while it may annoy me a little bit, I remind myself that this is part of the fun and excitement for her. The cookies was borderline stressful, but really just tiring but it was a great memory that I have with my kids for years to come. I am reminded that all that I do over the holiday season is for my husband, kids and entire family. We are blessed to have them all, so next time I start to complain, someone remind me! It really is the little things that count and it is the memories we make today that we will cherish for years to come.

All I want for Christmas is...a pink Bible???

This weekend we took the kids to Branson. Silver Dollar City has a big Christmas festival with a huge tree, light parade, train rides etc. So Friday we loaded up and went to Silver Dollar City. The kids loved it. It was a nice weekend with just the 5 of us that included the big SDC outing, some shopping and just hanging out in our hotel, which is about 60% of the fun for the kids. 

Friday when we got there, Santa was our first stop. Emma wanted to see him from a distance but Luke could not wait to talk to him. Luke told him he wants a Woody doll and Emma announced that she wants a pink Bible. 

When Luke was an infant, we did baby dedication at church. I never did with Emma, partially because the first few months were rough with her pooping etc. And it was just hard to get there with both of them. So, by the time the next one came around, I thought she was too old and we didn't do it (but we are dedicated to raising her that way in our hearts!!). Anyway, my Mom and Dad gave Luke a little blue Bible at his dedication. They found this not too long ago and love it. We fight over it all the time. The Gideons came to Jack's school and he scored a little orange Bible (and it being orange, of course he didn't want it really), so he was nice enough to give it to Emma. And she loves it. We carry it in our purse and sleep with it and take it with us everywhere. We even took Bibles to Branson. But all she says is she wants a pink Bible. So by golly, I hope Santa brings a pink Bible!

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

This is speed blogging, but I am catching up! The week of Thanksgiving was fast and furious. Mandi and her kids were in town so we tried to spend time with them. My kids were so glad to have them back home. Luke and Emma played with them all day Monday and then on Wednesday we all went bowling--glow-bowling at that. It was fun! Even Emma bowled and let me tell you, she was going to get the purple ball (because there were no pink) even if it weighed 10 pounds and no one was going to help her push it down the ramp. We came back over here and played for a while and even did some crafts (it makes me laugh to say we did crafts, but the kids loved it).

Wed night, we got to meet up with Scott's brother Jeff and his family. They were also in from Houston. So, they came over for pizza and to hang out. It was so much fun. The boys all had a great time playing and Emma was so fascinated with Charlotte (even though she was asleep because she didn't feel well).

On Thursday, we went to my parents for the morning and then to Lon and Mary's that afternoon. It was truly a great day just hanging out with family and counting our blessings. We are truly blessed to have such great families. After a big meal that evening, we walked to Utica Square for Light's On. Luke and Emma really enjoyed seeing all the lights and it was their first glimpse (from a distance) at Santa. They are fired up for Christmas and it is fun to watch it through their eyes. Here's a cute pic from Light's On!

Thanks to Mom, Dad, Mary and Lon for a great Thanksgiving. And thanks to all of our cousins who drove in from Houston. We love spending time with you!

A Trip to OKC

The weekend before Thanksgiving, we went to OKC to visit Ginny and go to the OU/Texas Tech game. Ginny was gracious enough to watch Luke and Emma so that Jack, Scott and I could go to the Tech game. It was a night game so we were able to tailgate with my family that afternoon. Mandi and Daniel were in town so we all crashed the tailgate of my parents and Kristie & Kurt. And boy, do they have it figured out. The food was delicious and the company was even better. A great way to spend the day before a fantastic Sooner victory!

On Sunday, Jason and Jamie came to OKC so we could celebrate Thanksgiving and Jason's birthday with Ginny. It was a great day and Ginny prepared a fabulous meal. All the kids had a wonderful time and the adults enjoyed catching up and spending time with Ginny and Joe. Thanks Ginny for a great weekend!

A Trip to Biz Town

When I started this blogging thing, I thought, "this is great...I can do it". But since it has been weeks since my last entry...I may have given myself too much credit. Anyway, sorry for the delay in info. I think Thanksgiving and the break from school had me sidetracked.

So, let's back up. I had the privilage of going 0n a field trip with Jack to Junior Achievement's Biz Town. Basically, the 5th grade did 14 lessons leading up to the field trip on check books, running a business, sales etc. Then, they went to Biz Town and they were the city for the day. It was precious. There was a town hall, Reasors, Wal Mart, Arby's, Bank, property management company, insurance etc. They got paychecks and had to pay for everything with checks. They had to have insurance and vote in elections etc. They had to set the prices for their good or services and then pay back the loan to the bank that they had to start the business. Jack loved this project the entire time leading up to it so he could hardly sleep before we went. Even today (weeks later), he told me it was the best field trip ever. Jack was the sales manager at Reasor's and let me tell you...he was selling like crazy. All the parents were talking about what a salesman he was! Here is a pic of Jack and the product manager for Reasors, Katrina. It was a fun day and a memory we will not forget!