You know...

Since it was Christmas...

Mikayla's very first Christmas and our first Christmas in our new home...

We wanted some pictures for memory's sake.

And we have our fill of *ahem* memorable photos.

Nice belly, kid. Eliana? Mikayla? Over here!

AGAIN with the belly...I'm still OVER HERE, guys. Nice work, Mik.

Oh, boy...let's just try a group shot and move on...

LOL...Yep! That's my family. 

I hope your holidays were great and your New Year is off to a wonderful start. We're already crazy busy with schedules and having our roof finished.  Oh, the joys of owning a home. We've had to get rid of a mouse and put on a new roof and we just moved in before Thanksgiving. Not to mention, the painting and such that had to happen before we could even move.

ANYway, I hope to be sharing some photos of the home once we're a bit more settled. :) Until then...

Hey, Kids! Let's Take A NICE Picture.

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Oh, if only you could feel what I feel. Anticipation of Christmas morning and seeing my little ones' eyes light up as they open their gifts coupled with the anticipation of a new baby ready to be born...and only she knows when.

This season has been quite challenging for me. From a broken foot in October to still trying to take it easy and not re-injure muscles that haven't had a good chance to heal just yet. Then there's the trying to get my nesting list knocked out and create that perfect, cozy space for the baby. And trying to keep up with kids and the holidays in general...

All of this has been quite a whirlwind for me.

But I'm grateful for God's grace. I'm grateful for the many people He sent by my side at just the right time to help get me through each and every step. I'm telling you, I could not have made it through on my own strength...I had very little to begin with. {Pregnancy can do that to ya}

Anyway, as I type I'm having another round of braxton hicks contractions and my heart is so ready for this little girl to come. {Any time now, baby.} I'll keep you posted on her arrival, whenever that may be.

For now, I think I'll take my cup of coffee into the other room and watch my little ones play.

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas. :)

On A Personal Note...

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 *wave*

I've SO enjoyed my break with my family and now it's time to get back to "the grind" but I'm doing it on my terms this year and am thinking about how I want to adjust things to make it "just so".

ANYWAY, How have YOU been? I truly hope the holidays were wonderful for you and yours. Ours were fantastic.

I have to share this story with you from our Christmas morning. It's too great and I really don't want to forget it. Here goes...

my beautiful boy. <3

One of Alex's gifts needed to be assembled so the hubster and I tackled that on Christmas Eve and left the assembled crane under the tree with the rest of his gifts. When Alex woke up, he immediately saw the crane and went right to it to play with it. Shortly after that, I woke up and grabbed my bathrobe before sitting down on the couch to watch Alex play.

Then the questions started.

Alex: "Thank you so much for this mobile crane, mommy. Why did you get this for me?"
Me: "Dad and I thought you would like that buddy. Do you like it?"
Alex: Yes, mommy. I really do like it. But, but, but....where did you get this from?
Hubster: "We got that from the store"
Alex: Oh. *long pause as he looks around about the tree* Hey, is that Mater? Can I open that? {he spotted his Mater guitar}
Me: "Buddy, we're going to wait for Eliana to finish breakfast before we open gifts. K?"
Alex: {looks around confused and then, after a very long pause in conversation, stands to ask} MOMMY! Is this CHRISTMAS MORNING???? {jumping up and down now} I'M SO EXCITED!!!!

Oh my word, it was the funniest thing to see. You really had to be there. The poor child was so confused after just waking up that it took him that long to figure out it was, in fact, Christmas day. LOL I still can't figure out why he was so lost. We celebrated Christmas Eve at church and had family over for dinner afterward. So, he must have known that Christmas came next, right? Right? LOL

Anyway, that's how our day started and it was all uphill from there. We had a great morning together and then a fun visit with family after naps were out of the way. :)

Tell me about you! Did you get any nice gifts or have any fun moments like we did?

Christmas Morning

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Welcome to yet another Aloha Friday! For those of you who don't know, Aloha Friday is a simple question/answer post meme that is hosted by Kailani at An Island life. Please visit her for details on how to play along and to link up your post. This is a very easy way to meet other bloggers! :)

My question for the day is:

Have you started thinking about or actually shopping for the Holidays yet? 

I'm trying to get ideas for Christmas gifts, but have not started shopping yet. I'm thinking I should start picking things up here and there pretty soon, though. It will be here before we know it!

Aloha Friday ~ Holiday Shopping?

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Since it’s the last Wordless Wednesday of the year, I wanted to post one of the best things to happen to me this year. SHE is my Christmas doll. (My mom made her dress and headband. Isn’t it too cute??)

 
Happy New Year!!!

For more W.W., click Here.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Dec. 30th

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All over the map this year. I experienced so many emotions in one day and I’m afraid to look in the mirror to count the gray hairs that have sprung up.

First, there was pure excitement and happiness as my little family sat around the tree to open presents. Alex was the star of the show and opened gift after gift. (He even opened Eliana’s gifts for her). I loved seeing his little face light up and hearing him say things like, “Oh, wow! This is my cool Buzz Righthear” (or Lightyear if you don't speak toddlereese). We had a wonderful time together.

Then, we drove to my parent’s home for breakfast in the pouring rain. We had a nice visit over there, opened some gifts, ate yummy food, and spent some time catching up with my little brother who was home from college.

After breakfast, we headed back home to catch some rest before Christmas dinner at my in-law’s and this is where the day gets hairy. Alex, who was buzzed up on Christmas cheer refused to take a nap. The hubster and I were plumb tuckered and really wanted him to rest so we could. Hmph!

I received a phone call from my mom around this time. My poor sister had to part ways with her cat ON CHRISTMAS due to an injury that would cost an insane amount of money to fix. Needless to say, she was a wreck and was not wanting the “Merry Christmas” calls for the day.  Hmph again!

During Christmas dinner at my in-law’s, Alex began to choke on a strawberry. I’m not talking about a little *cough, cough* kind of choke. I’m talking about SERIOUS choking. I yelled something like, “Heimlich! Seriously!” to the hubster. He jumped out of his seat and grabbed Alex trying to do anything to help him. I looked in Alex’s mouth, found a whole, frozen strawberry, swept it out with my finger, and wanted to fall apart. Instead, I held Alex close, thanked God that he was alright, and tried to remain calm so Alex would be confident that he was OK.

*sigh*

So, there is the story of my crazy, up & down day. Overall, we have a lot of great memories of Eliana’s first Christmas with our family. And, beyond the gifts we received, we made sure to keep the real reason for Christmas in the forefront of our minds and hearts. I’m just happy we didn’t rely on the day itself to bring us any measure of happiness. You know what I mean?

My Christmas Was…

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My favorite Christmas Song is 'O Holy Night'. This song always lifts my spirits and makes me grateful for the message of the first Christmas.

I thought it would be fun to share the song with you and also tell you the story behind the song.

Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas!

The Amazing Story of 'O Holy Night'

By: Ace Collins

Declared 'unfit for church services' in France and later embraced by U.S. abolitionists, the song continues to inspire.

The strange and fascinating story of "O Holy Night" began in France, yet eventually made its way around the world. This seemingly simple song, inspired by a request from a clergyman, would not only become one of the most beloved anthems of all time, it would mark a technological revolution that would forever change the way people were introduced to music.
In 1847, Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure was the commissionaire of wines in a small French town. Known more for his poetry than his church attendance, it probably shocked Placide when his parish priest asked the commissionaire to pen a poem for Christmas mass. Nevertheless, the poet was honored to share his talents with the church.

In a dusty coach traveling down a bumpy road to France's capital city, Placide Cappeau considered the priest's request. Using the gospel of Luke as his guide, Cappeau imagined witnessing the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Thoughts of being present on the blessed night inspired him. By the time he arrived in Paris, "Cantique de Noel" had been completed.
Moved by his own work, Cappeau decided that his "Cantique de Noel" was not just a poem, but a song in need of a master musician's hand. Not musically inclined himself, the poet turned to one of his friends, Adolphe-Charles Adam, for help.

The son of a well-known classical musician, Adam had studied in the Paris conservatoire. His talent and fame brought requests to write works for orchestras and ballets all over the world. Yet the lyrics that his friend Cappeau gave him must have challenged the composer in a fashion unlike anything he received from London, Berlin, or St. Petersburg.

As a man of Jewish ancestry, for Adam the words of "Cantique de Noel" represented a day he didn't celebrate and a man he did not view as the son of God. Nevertheless, Adam quickly went to work, attempting to marry an original score to Cappeau's beautiful words. The finished work of Adam pleased both poet and priest. The song was performed just three weeks later at a Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.

Initially, "Cantique de Noel" was wholeheartedly accepted by the church in France and the song quickly found its way into various Catholic Christmas services. But when Placide Cappeau walked away from the church and became a part of the socialist movement, and church leaders discovered that Adam was a Jew, the song--which had quickly grown to be one of the most beloved Christmas songs in France--was suddenly and uniformly denounced by the church. The heads of the French Catholic church of the time deemed "Cantique de Noel" as unfit for church services because of its lack of musical taste and "total absence of the spirit of religion." Yet even as the church tried to bury the Christmas song, the French people continued to sing it, and a decade later a reclusive American writer brought it to a whole new audience halfway around the world.

Not only did this American writer--John Sullivan Dwight--feel that this wonderful Christmas song needed to be introduced to America, he saw something else in the song that moved him beyond the story of the birth of Christ. An ardent abolitionist, Dwight strongly identified with the lines of the third verse: "Truly he taught us to love one another; his law is love and his gospel is peace. Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother; and in his name all oppression shall cease." The text supported Dwight's own view of slavery in the South. Published in his magazine, Dwight's English translation of "O Holy Night" quickly found favor in America, especially in the North during the Civil War.

Back in France, even though the song had been banned from the church for almost two decades, many commoners still sang "Cantique de Noel" at home. Legend has it that on Christmas Eve 1871, in the midst of fierce fighting between the armies of Germany and France, during the Franco-Prussian War, a French soldier suddenly jumped out of his muddy trench. Both sides stared at the seemingly crazed man. Boldly standing with no weapon in his hand or at his side, he lifted his eyes to the heavens and sang, "Minuit, Chretiens, c'est l'heure solennelle ou L'Homme Dieu descendit jusqu'a nous," the beginning of "Cantique de Noel."After completing all three verses, a German infantryman climbed out his hiding place and answered with, "Vom Himmel noch, da komm' ich her. Ich bring' euch gute neue Mar, Der guten Mar bring' ich so viel, Davon ich sing'n und sagen will," the beginning of Martin Luther's robust "From Heaven Above to Earth I Come."

The story goes that the fighting stopped for the next twenty-four hours while the men on both sides observed a temporary peace in honor of Christmas day. Perhaps this story had a part in the French church once again embracing "Cantique de Noel" in holiday services.

In 1906, Reginald Fessenden--a 33-year-old university professor and former chief chemist for Thomas Edison--did something long thought impossible. Using a new type of generator, Fessenden spoke into a microphone and, for the first time in history, a man's voice was broadcast over the airwaves: "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed," he began in a clear, strong voice, hoping he was reaching across the distances he supposed he would.

Shocked radio operators on ships and astonished wireless owners at newspapers sat slack-jawed as their normal, coded impulses, heard over tiny speakers, were interrupted by a professor reading from the gospel of Luke. To the few who caught this broadcast, it must have seemed like a miracle--hearing a voice somehow transmitted to those far away. Some might have believed they were hearing the voice of an angel.

Fessenden was probably unaware of the sensation he was causing on ships and in offices; he couldn't have known that men and women were rushing to their wireless units to catch this Christmas Eve miracle. After finishing his recitation of the birth of Christ, Fessenden picked up his violin and played "O Holy Night," the first song ever sent through the air via radio waves. When the carol ended, so did the broadcast--but not before music had found a new medium that would take it around the world.

Since that first rendition at a small Christmas mass in 1847, "O Holy Night" has been sung millions of times in churches in every corner of the world. And since the moment a handful of people first heard it played over the radio, the carol has gone on to become one of the entertainment industry's most recorded and played spiritual songs. This incredible work--requested by a forgotten parish priest, written by a poet who would later split from the church, given soaring music by a Jewish composer, and brought to Americans to serve as much as a tool to spotlight the sinful nature of slavery as tell the story of the birth of a Savior--has become one of the most beautiful, inspired pieces of music ever created.

Reprinted from "Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas" for educational purposes only, from Zondervan.

House Blend ~ Christmas Edition

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So, Christmas is right around the corner and everyone is frantically trying to wrap up their Christmas shopping. I would say that they’re doing this because Christmas is “the season of giving” but there’s no way an onlooker who knew nothing of Christmas would call it a “season”. Most likely, they would say there is a day of giving and a season of utter madness. (save for the few people who actually observe the holiday for what it is and refuse to get swept up in the hustle and bustle of finding the perfect gift.)

Anyway, the title of “Give, Give, Give” has nothing to do with Christmas shopping or the madness that goes with the last minute craziness. The title is in reference to what’s going on in my heart as we face one of the most celebrated holidays by Christians and non-Christians alike. I feel an urgency to give but not in a crazy shopping kind of way. No, I feel an urgency to give to those who have a need as a way to share God’s love.

Our pastor shared a simple note that was written after a group of women were given free tickets and V.I.P. treatment at our church’s Christmas program. At the end of the “thank you” note, the woman wrote, “Go tell it on the mountain”. Our pastor shared that we should all keep that in our minds and hearts. Our job as Christians is to do just that however, whenever, and wherever we can. This is exactly what I want to do.

The hubster signed my family up to possibly be matched with a family in need. I say “possibly” because the response of people in my church to the call to adopt a family has been overwhelming and we may not be matched up with anyone. When we were discussing this last night, we moved on in our conversation to people who live in our building that we would like to bless in someway.

Honestly, my family may not have a lot of money to share but I’m always looking for ways to give to someone else. I don’t want to “throw money” at issues. That’s not my intent. What I want to do is give something, even if that means sacrifice, with the message of God’s love attached to it. Why? Because what I give physically can never, ever match up to what God can give a person or even an entire family. God’s love and care is continuous and mine is, well, whatever it is for the time being. Sure, I have a big heart and am always thoughtful and prayerful for others. Unfortunately, our finances never match up to what my heart feels and prays.

So, I’ll be sensitive to those around me and try to give as much as I can to meet needs or even be a simple blessing to others in His name and for His glory. For me, that is the true spirit of Christmas.

Matthew 25:40b (ESV)
"Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."

Give, Give, Give

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Happy Friday! It’s time to kick back and take it easy with Kailani over at An Island Life with a simple question/answer post. If you’d like to join in, click the banner to be taken to today’s linky.

*this is a fun way to meet other bloggers and hop around the blogosphere a bit!*

Here’s my question for the day: (it’s one question in 2 parts)

Do you do something fun or special for Christmas? What is it?

We always do breakfast at my parent’s house and dinner at my in-law’s house. It’s so much fun because the hubster and I both get to be with our families for Christmas and the kiddos get time with their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. It’s a busy day but it’s wonderful.

Aloha Friday ~ 12-18

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When you’re on a budget

but have a FABULOUS new camera,

Taking your own Christmas photos

isn’t so bad after all.

Christmas Photo Fun

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T.G.I.F., right?? I mean, really! Whooo!

Today’s a day to take it easy with Kailani and ask/answer a simple question. If you’d like to play along, click the button above to be taken to Kailani’s post where you can read the rules to play and link up.

My question for the day is:

What has made your grown up Christmas list this year?

At the top of mine is a home photography studio kit. I FINALLY got a Canon Rebel and would L.O.V.E. to shoot my children’s photos at home to save some cash-ola.

…K…back to taking care of baby…

Aloha Friday ~ 11/06

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I always look forward to Friday, how about you? For me, it’s a chance to kick back and take it easy with Kailani over at An Island Life by asking a simple question. You can join in by clicking the banner at the top. It will take you right to her post for today. :)
My question for today is…

Have you started thinking about Christmas/holiday shopping yet?

The hubster and I just sat down and figured out our Christmas budget the other night. Oy Vey…

Aloha Friday ~ Aug. 21st

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This year's Christmas proved to be quite interesting. My little family planned on doing 2 days of Christmas back to back with family. 

Christmas Eve arrived and we were going to my in-law's for the day. Unfortunately, I barely made it out of bed and grew very sick very quickly. I had to send Alex and the hubster off to Christmas Eve without me as I stayed home alone and watched movies.  I was SO upset that I was missing everything.  :(

...I'm not pregnant...don't get too excited.

On Christmas day, I was feeling better...not quite 100%, but better...so I decided I wasn't going to miss anything. The day turned out wonderful. We spent time with my family and my in-laws joined us for dinner. 

Alex really enjoyed himself. He loved opening his gifts and playing with every one before he moved on to another one. Here are a few pics from his morning:

 

We just LOVE Melissa & Doug toys

 

These blocks are the coolest. Alex just loves dumping them out and sorting them.

 

Here is just one of the MANY Little People sets Alex received.

And, since this is MY blog, I get to brag about my fave gift this year. Oh, boy, do I love this! 

 

I got a Pink Nintendo DS Lite. 

 

 Isn't she cute? 

What's that? 

Oh, the "Rocker" hand? 

That's from playing Guitar Hero on this pink beauty.

You didn't know I was a "rockin' mama" did you? 

:)

What was your favorite gift? 

My Christmas Review

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