It's Christmas Break...

It is official, the boys are OUT for Christmas break.  Onto the days with no routines, no schedules, the wrestling, the nerf gun wars, the messes, the fights, the tears, the Hallmark movies for Mom, some time off for Dad, the winter cleaning, but MOST of all it is almost time for Christmas.

We celebrated my birthday on Sunday and it was just perfect for me.  Quiet, church morning, lunch out and then home for the rest of the day....I got a short nap in, the boys wrote me lovely letters, we opened a few gifts, Jack made me an angel food cake, we had my favorite homemade spaghetti and meatballs for dinner and capped off the night with a Hallmark Christmas movie.

My gift from Scott was the gift of time...the best gift he could give to me.  We spent yesterday in Kansas City, leaving around 6 am and home by 9 pm.  3 meals out, shopping, holding hands, walking, looking at the Plaza lights, browsing through stores...filet for dinner...perfect.  It is so rare for us to have time alone that I soak it in like a sponge.

This morning was Max's Christmas party at school, I signed us up to run "games"...it was fun, even Tommy came to help.  That may have made me cry a happy cry when I saw him.  When we left he was in bed...so I am thankful he had a change of heart, even if that was his Dad helping him have a change of heart.

The gifts are wrapped, the tree is lovely, the cookies are baked...now we wait and we enjoy each other.  I love this time of year.  I am so grateful for it...as crazy and hectic as it may be.

Breakfast in bed complete with a Starbucks Hot Chocolate

 A homemade birthday garland from Jack and Max...priceless to me.

The Plaza in Kansas City...if you look close you can see the "Skelly" sign at the top of the building, my Grandpa Twig had a Skelly Gas Station so that is near and dear to my heart.

Life in the Locker Room

I often use this as a hashtag when I post photos... #lifeinthelockerroom

Here is an example of why...

Does anyone else wake up to this on their bedroom floor?  Saturday morning wrestling.  I cannot make this stuff up. 

Stat Boy

The last few basketball games Max has decided he wants to take "stats".  How he ever learned the term I don't know, the blessings of being the baby brother I guess.

It is so cute.  He watches the game, takes "stats" and acts like a little sports announcer.  Chatting the entire time, like a radio you cannot turn off.

Last night I peered over his shoulder to see exactly what he was writing.  He had Visitor/Home and scores.  He crosses them out and keeps updating them on the page.  At the bottom he had DMC written.

He is truly the icing on the cake...

Official Bobcat

Friday, the mail came and there was a letter from Ohio University addressed to Tommy...we weren't expecting to hear back from them so soon.

And we heard this....

 A pretty exciting day for this guy....

he hasn't made a FINAL decision yet, but he hasn't applied anywhere else as of now,  Ohio University was his first choice. 

So...he may just be a BOBCAT!

Kindness Update

We have been working on our Random Acts of Kindness this month...not every day, but several.  We are having a great time with it and Max may be loving it the most of all.


It is SO much fun to give.  Love it!  Scott told me today that he read a recent article that when asking kids what they would like for Christmas, and then asking if they would rather GIVE a gift or receive one that 80% of kids asked said they would rather give.  I love that.  I pray that our children embrace that too.  Gift giving is one of my love languages...I LOVE giving gifts, big, small, expensive and free....always have, always will.  I LOVE Christmas time where I can try to find the perfect gifts for those that I love the most.

Here are some snapshots of what we have been up to with our kindnesses...

This was easy...Friday is trash day on our street AND we had early outs due to our Christmas program, so Tommy, Jack and Max went up and down our street and brought peoples trash cans up to their garage doors for them.  It was a windy, chilly day so I am sure the neighbors appreciated it.

This was fun, we bought a $10 gift card at the grocery store, and since NO one was in line behind us, we wandered the store until max found who he wanted to give it to.  A Grandma, shocking I am sure...she was shocked and very appreciative.

Again, no one was in line behind us at Starbucks drive thru so we purchased a $5 gift card and left it at the window for the next person to be pleasantly surprised.  The Starbucks barista loved the idea and I think it ended up spreading the kindness to him too. 

Another fun one, we purchased a $5 bouquet of flowers at Hyvee, had them wrap them in tissue with a ribbon and we, Max and Jack, found another Grandma type and Max handed them to her.  She looked like she might cry.  She was so touched.  It's the little things that bless others.  SO FUN

Handmade mail, Jack and Max drew some pictures and we mailed them off to some older friends of ours in nursing homes...and we also sent them to people who didn't have grandchildren.  Fun to get kids art in the mail always. 

This was fun, we had wanted to buy school supplies for a teacher who needed them for their students and low and behold a teacher friend of ours, actually one of Scott's good buddies daughters...posted on Facebook that her students always need school supplies and how that breaks her heart.  Voila...and Office Max gift card was sent off to Miss Ferrell and she will be able to purchase some of what her students need.

We are so grateful for our school and staff.  We dropped off donuts in the elementary and the secondary lounge for the teachers and staff to enjoy on a dreary Monday morning.  So fun. 

This Boy's Heart

I have been working like a crazy woman to get done with edits...and posted this yesterday.  Drew teaches with me in our Hand in Hand Sunday School classroom at church.  Amara has been in the classroom for as long as we have been teaching, probably 6 years.  She and Drew have become buddies, and she has him wrapped around her finger.  I LOVE this boy's heart and I love how she lights up when she sees him.

Sweet comments on Facebook yesterday I didn't want to forget.

My Love

I ran across this today as I began sorting the entire 2015 year's photos to begin the boys Shutterfly Christmas books...yep the countdown is on it is CRUNCH time around here.

This is EXACTLY what Scott would have said, and probably did actually say 21 years ago as we began planning our wedding this time of year.  He didn't care about the details of the wedding, not one bit.  He wanted me, that was all he cared about.  I love that about him.  #itmatterswhoyoumarry

Loved this reminder today...

Random Advent Acts of Kindness

I want to be intentional this month with others.  It is December, my favorite month of the year and we have SO very much to be grateful for...it's time we step out of our box a little bit more and love others well.

Here is the list I have come up with, with the help of fellow bloggers and our boys'.  Things we want to try to do this month.  One each day would be ideal, although realistically I am thinking 5 per week may be what we can do with our schedules.  Some are things we have done in the past and some are brand new.

My prayer is that we would not only bless others through this, but that we ourselves would be even more blessed.  Loving as Jesus would love in HONOR of Jesus' birthday.

• bring Donuts for school staff
• handmade mail to friends/family
• encouraging notes on cars
• handmade ornament delivery 
• purchase school supplies for classrooms
• baked goods for fire/police station 
• snack and coffee for salvation army bell ringer 
• red box rental bucket/gift card/cash
• treat for trash man
• treat for mail lady
• leave notes & gift cards in shopping carts
• treats to pediatrician’s office
• return grocery carts
• gift person in line behind us at grocery store with gift card
• buy someone’s lunch 
• sticky notes on mirrors in public bathrooms 
• give someone flowers
• buy starbucks for someone behind us in drive thru
• buy gas for someone downtown
• bring the homeless shelter treats
• Christmas light tour 
• bring donuts to church
• visit a nursing home with flowers
• Bring up neighbors trash cans
• Gift cards or flowers for custodians
• Mail cards to loved ones
• coffee for people waiting for the bus or outdoor workers

  *

  

Happy 13th Birthday to Jack!

Last week Jack officially entered the world of TEENAGER, although he has seen quite teenager"ish" to me for quite sometime.   We are SO proud of him and the young man he is and he is still becoming.  He loves his family, his friends, so much about life.  He loves the outdoors, loves fire,  he loves football, he loves his Buckeyes, Browns and MN Twins.   He loves math, bible, TAG and learning. He is SO very good to his baby brother Max, they are truly the best of friends.

His birthday was a bit unique this year.  Max was up throwing up all night, Scott and Drew were headed to Ohio at the crack of dawn for their Buckeye week, we had no heat and a snow storm was headed our way.

We started out his birthday early, with presents first thing before Scott and Drew left.  Jack had requested Cinnabon rolls from the mall, so we had gotten those the night before and that was easy.

 He is WiDE awake and ready

 Despite having the stomach flu this one didn't want to miss a beat with his big brother

 He may be SORT OF excited to have an iPhone

Last pic before Drew and Scott headed out to Ohio

 Birthday breakfast

This is pretty much how my day looked.

Jack's BFF "Big Max" face timed from a mission trip to Haiti to check in on Jack's birthday and Jack had to show him what he got.  I LOVE their friendship.  They are like little old men.

 Jack requested Texas Roadhouse for his bday, and so we had take out since Max wasn't feeling great.  After dinner we had a cookie cake.  We face timed Scott and Drew to be a part of the birthday singing and grabbed Drew for a pic of the brothers and the cake. :)

 In hindsight perhaps allowing Max to help with the candles wasn't the best idea...I ended up with the flu 24 hours later and Jack 36 hours later.  Drew had it in Ohio too, but he missed the germs on the cookie cake.  Oh well...

Jack chose the football as his piece. :)

And we got official word that our furnace was dead around 7:30 pm while there was a snowstorm and 27 degrees outside.  We slept in the family room, with the fireplace on.  A birthday to remember.  

Big Day, Big Stuff

Monday was a BIG day around here.  Tommy completed and sent in his first official college application.  His first choice continues to be Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.  How many times do you think we have told people "Yes, Ohio University, no NOT Ohio State.  It is 1 hour 45 minutes SOUTH of Columbus and Ohio State."  We are still praying over the direction for Tommy's future.  He is planning on completing the "Common Application" as well which includes many schools,  Iowa State, Ohio State, Northwestern University in St Paul and many many more all in ONE application.

Ohio University HAS the major he wants and seems to truly CARE about their students and looks at college as the beginning of a career not just 4 years of school and then...best wishes.  Tommy has ALWAYS always ALWAYS wanted to work for Nike.  Or do something like a Nike.  He LOVES marketing and LOVES the thrill of sports, sports apparel and shoes.  Did I mention the kid LOVES shoes?  I mean LOVES Nike shoes....

SO as he clicked SUBMIT on his application I gulped and said a prayer.  "Dear Lord, please guide this son of ours.  Please guide him to where YOU want him to be.  Help us to be content in whatever that answer is.  Most of all Lord, we want him to LOVE YOU and to have YOU first in his life.  If his heart TRULY follows you, all will be well.  Amen."

BIG stuff people...BIG stuff.

 Summer visit with Dad

 Fall visit with Mom

SUBMIT