Thanks, Santa

Dear Santa,

Thank you for saying just the right things yesterday when my boys and I visited you at the mall. Even though Miles talked non-stop in the line, boldly announcing to all within earshot that he was asking you for a Nintendo DS for Christmas, he froze once he finally got to sit on your lap and blurted out that he wanted a "toy robot". Huh? Never heard anything about a robot until that moment. Oops.

And Reed, who clearly does not believe in you, was trying to be very cool and stay with me while Miles made up things to ask you for. But you didn't take "no" for an answer and Reed ended up on your lap, confidently asking for his own DS.

I'm writing to thank you for your answer to them. You said it was awfully close to Christmas, and if you couldn't find those presents, would it be o.k. with them if you left a few surprises? Well, yes! Yes, it would be! Thanks for bailing me out, Santa. You rock.

Love,
Reed and Miles' mom

Christmas Tour of Homes

Welcome to our home! If by some small chance you aren't here by way of BooMama, then let me explain what this open house is all about. BooMama is hosting, for the second year, a virtual tour of bloggers' homes, all decked out for Christmas. I wasn't blogging last year at this time, but I enjoyed peeking into the beautiful homes of many of her blogging friends. So, this year, I'm welcoming you into my home. This first picture is the snowman wreath on my front door. He's the first one who will greet you when you come to the door. My friend, Syndi gave him to me a couple of years ago and I think he's cute, with his hat, mittens and scarf. Come on in!

Next is my dining room... you might guess that I really like snowmen! You will fiind them all over my home this time of year. This is a picture of my buffet with some of my collection of cute snowmen. This red wall of crosses in my dining room is also one of my favorite things in our home. The framed print directly below the largest cross in the middle says "Wise Men Still Adore Him"... love that one, too. The snowman picture frames have photos of our boys thru the years at Christmastime, and one of Jay and me from last Christmas.

Finally, we come into the family room and you'll see the Christmas tree. I have a smaller one with white lights in the dining room, but this one has colored lights. Jay and I agreed when we first got married that we would alternate lights, from colored to white every other year. My family always had white lights, his family always had multi-colored, so we thought we'd compromise and make it the best of both worlds. We've been married 12 years and this tree has always had multi-colored... oh well, the kids love it, and it does look pretty when it's all lit up, even though you can't see any lights in this picture! There is a mix of many different ornaments on this tree. Lots of snowmen, of course! One of my favorites is our newest addition to the tree. It is a beautiful sketch of our church building, on a pewter ornament. This is our last Christmas in our current building, as we are building a new church and should be in it by Spring of '08. We have so many good memories of the "old" building, and I love that we'll always have this special ornament to hang on our tree and remember with.

Well, our tour has come to an end... hope you'll stop by BooMama's and tour some other homes as well. Merry Christmas, everyone!

You've still got it, baby

Miles is 4 1/2. Miles is hilarious. Since this blog is mostly for me, I really wanted to write down some of his funny moments so I won't forget just how funny he is at this age.

For example, this past Sunday morning I asked both boys to go ahead and get in the car so we could leave for church. When I got in the car, Miles was up in the front seat, leaning forward and looking into the mirror. I asked what he was doing and he said he was making sure his hair looked good. I assured him that, yes, it looked good and told him to sit in his car seat. As he leaned back into his seat he said "Yep, I still got it". Oh yeah, baby, you've still got it.

Thankful...

...that's how I feel tonight. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and we have so much to be thankful for. There are so many hurting around us, so much sadness and suffering just in our little corner of the world. We know personally of several marriages in crises, an unborn baby with a frightening diagnosis, a suicide attempt, death of a parent, bankruptcy. I almost feel guilty that our family and extended family are well, healthy, happy. Instead I give praise to Whom it is due:

"The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust Him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving." (Psalm 28:7)

And, I know that in a split second our good health and happiness can be taken away. So, I thank Him for the blessings of today and pray for strength and wisdom to face the days when I don't feel so very thankful.

Hope your Thanksgiving Day is fun and filled with all the good things you love!

Pumpkin Crisp

This is another one of my favorite fall recipes. This one though, is not so low-fat. But, it is crazy delicious, and I always get lots of compliments whenever I bring it somewhere to share. I found it in a Southern Living magazine a couple of years ago. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Crisp

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1 (5 oz. ) can evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup melted butter

Stir together first five ingredients. Pour into 13 x 9" dish. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture; sprinkle with pecans. Drizzle melted butter over pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until golden brown.

As you can see, I'm into yummy recipes that are also easy. This couldn't be much easier, and so good! Look for more yummy recipes at the Holiday Recipe Exchange at Overwhelmed with Joy's place. Happy holiday cooking!

Praise

Have you ever come face to face with the reality that the Lord had spared you from some terrible event? How often does this happen and we have no idea? Praise God, we were spared this week.

We have had some problems with our oven. About a month ago, we had to call Sears to come out because it was not heating up at all. The young man who came couldn't quite figure out the problem, but by the time he left, assured me all was well. Ever since that day, I noticed a burning smell every time I turned on the oven. I finally stopped using the oven and called Sears again to come out. The sweet man who came out this time informed me that there had been a fire in our recepticle at some point. He showed me the burned cord and recepticle cover, melted and charred. He mentioned that this is the kind of thing that will start a fire - the kind of fire that you don't realize is happening until it is way too late. If you know me, you know that I have been afraid of fire since I was small. Well, who isn't afraid of fire, really? I really am a little paranoid though, a little over the top afraid. So, this realization about a fire... even a fire that did not amount to anything, but the realization that it COULD have... it did something to me. I am just so incredibly grateful to the Lord that nothing happened. Praise Him with me, won't you? He is so good. All the time.

Low fat Pumpkin Spice Cake

This is one of my favorite and easiest recipes ever. It only has 3 ingredients, which is why it's so easy! It is also super low in fat; I think it only counts as a couple of points if you're doing Weight Watchers. It is also versatile; I've made this in a bundt pan, as cupcakes, and it can also be made as a loaf. And it is yummy, which is the only thing that counts, really!

Low Fat Pumpkin Spice Cake

1 box spice cake mix
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
1/2 cup water

Mix all ingredients well. It will seem like you'll need to add more liquid, but it will eventually mix together! Bake according to cake mix directions.

If you'd like to see more yummy recipes, visit Overwhelmed With Joy's Favorite Ingredient Fridays. By the way, this is my first time participating, so I hope I got all of the links right!

~Holly

Favorites

Fall is here! My favorite time of the year... as much fun as summer is, I start to long for cooler days near the end of August. The rebel in me decorates for fall at the beginning of September, even if the temperatures are still summer-like. I love putting away the shorts and capris and bringing out the jeans and hoodies. This is quite a change for me; as a kid I loathed fall with every part of me, because it meant the beginning of school. Remember that knot in your stomach the night before the first day of school? I remember it so well. Now that I'm a Mama and we are a homeschooling family, we don't really experience that, but I empathize with the neighborhood kids every year on Labor Day.

So, in honor of my favorite season, a list of my favorite things about fall...

- pumpkin pie scented candles, especially Yankee

- the "Welcome" wreath on my door (I won it last year at a Ladies Night Out for our Sunday School class... isn't it pretty?)

- getting back into a routine after a very lazy summer

- catching up with friends at homeschool soccer games

- pumpkin anything : currently loving Pumpkin Pie Spice creamer made by International Delight... have an awesome recipe from Southern Living for "Pumpkin Crisp"... and an old favorite "Low fat pumpkin spice cake" - 3 ingredients, so what's not to love?

- annual girlfriends' getaway shopping trip with Lisa and Syndi

- of course, the leaves when they change... not even close yet, but it is beautiful in VA!

- hayrides and pumpkin patches with the kids

- bonfires and the smell of burning leaves

I'm sure I'm leaving something out, but that's a pretty good start.

Happy Fall, y'all!

12 years

A few days late, but... Happy Anniversary, my love!

Eight

Dear Reed,

How can it be that you are eight years old? When did you grow up? It seems like yesterday, driving to the hospital on the night before you were born. We had been there already, several times in fact, only to be sent home because it just wasn't time. But the morning of the 8th was the perfect time; it was scheduled for you to come into this world on August 8th long before we even dreamed of you. My doctor even said it was a great day to have a baby, but then, he probably says that every day! Turns out he was right.

In honor of your 8th birthday, a list of things about you... (and even in your favorite color)

-you are almost as tall as me; just a few more inches to go

-your feet are already bigger than mine!

-you are a good friend, and everyone likes to be around you

-you are a natural athlete, especially on the basketball court - you are so fun to watch!

-you went tubing for the first time this weekend and loved it

-you love your dog, Laci, and are good at taking care of her and making sure she doesn't escape from the back yard

-your favorite foods are "cheese hamburgers", macaroni and cheese, and pizza, among many others... favorite dessert? carrot cake, which we served at your party, and fondue!

-you love to collect Pokemon cards, and you have hundreds of them - all over the house

-your favorite pasttimes? Xbox, swimming, going to Mac's house (which also involves xbox and swimming)

-YOU ARE SO MUCH LIKE YOUR DADDY... as evidenced by the first 4 items on this list!

- YOU ARE LOVED MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER KNOW (until you have a boy one day of your own, who is bound to be just like you!

Here's to being eight years old! Let's enjoy it together, all year long.

I love you sweet boy,

Mama

Coffee, anyone?

Here's another fun giveaway that I found over at Scratchin' The Surface. Click on the link here for some free Folgers coffee. I chose Vanilla Biscotti. Yum!

Crossing my fingers...

... that I might be the big winner! The ladies over at 5 Minutes for Mom are giving away a flat screen TV, compliments of Best Buy . If you click on the Best Buy link it will give you all of the details. If anyone besides my husband is reading this, go on over and enter to win, too!

Jay

Why I love this man...

He is a fun daddy

He makes me laugh

He is very handsome

... and he knows it...

He is a friend to everyone

He works hard to provide for us

and... He loves me...

Good times and good friends

We had a wonderful vacation... lots of fun memories and lots of yummy food. (Thanks, Lisa!!) We played cards, lounged around, watched our kids build sandcastles and brave the chilly water, laughed alot and just enjoyed the time away and time together. It's so good to have good friends. Good friends that you don't even have to put makeup on for. Now those are good friends! I just love this picture of our kids together, and one day I'll use it as a scrapbook page titled "Growing up Together".

Here are the four of us, on our last day ready to head back home to VA. Lisa was our Phase 10 winner for this trip ( as well as the only reason any of us had a decent meal), Steve was our Wii master, and Jay was our expert tent putter-upper. Here's to next year's trip!

Rosy cheeks

We are supposed to leave tomorrow morning for a mini-vacation with our sweet friends, Steve and Lisa (and their kids). Wouldn't you know it, our youngest has been sick all day. High fever + vomiting = not a productive packing day. Feel better, Miles!

(and by the way, you know you're sick when it's 92 degrees outside, your temperature is 104, and all you want to do is wrap up in a fleece snowman throw... poor sweet Miles)

The beginning

So, I've been reading several blogs now for about a year, I guess. It all started when Lisa Whelchel directed us (those who read her weekly journal) to support her good friend, Sarah, as she began a new blog. I have been hooked ever since! My husband thinks it's sad, the time I spend reading up on all of these strangers' lives. I count it a blessing to "know" these ladies, most of them Christian, most of them young moms, all of them funny and so likeable. I've prayed with them as a daughter underwent heart surgery, as one found out she has cancer, as one buried a parent too early... and I've also rejoiced with them at the birth of new babies, baptisms, fun vacations. Too many times to count I've laughed out loud and sometimes even laughed through tears streaming down my face. So, as I begin my very own blog, let me introduce you to some of my very favorites....

Boomama (trust me... you will love her... go see!)
Bigmama (again with the name thing... trust me)
Sarah, at In The Midst of It
Heth, at From Under the Laundry Pile
Beth and Amanda, at The LPM Blog (what's NOT to love about her???)
Amanda, at Baby Bangs

These are just a few of the blogs I read regularly. Hope you take the time to check them out. You will be blessed, I promise!