{Come and Gone...}

 

Christmas was so good I love being with family and seeing my kids excited faces. Every year we say we aren't going to get out of control but the night before Christmas eve you know the one the late wrapping session.... we seemed to be wrapping and wrapping and I seriously felt a little sick to my stomach! I hate wasting money! oh well the damage is done and the kids are happy! 

My favorites moments of the Christmas celebrations was going to the old folks home Christmas eve with D's fam the little kids did the nativity and we sang and then my kids were supposed to do a poem but they froze and kind of whispered it {a little embarrassing since they can belt it out good at home oh well} 

whats done is done lesson learned! {hopefully pictures to come}

But its was a good feeling to go serve and the kids enjoyed it and I loved the K2 was just so worn out by then that he feel asleep on my shoulder through the whole program that never happens..he is growing up so fast and that made my day..love that sweet boy!!

My favorite reaction was K2's to a gumball ball popper machinehe smiled clapped his hands and started pushing all the right buttons and putting the balls in....

thank you santa he loved it! and he's now super protective of it now its so funny he hates when the kids try to even touch it! It's the first time he has showed the "mine" attitude its cute!!!

and of course the kids reaction to getting a wii....

The other highlights for me was making a tied fleece blanket for each of my kids and D they all were surprised and loved them and it makes me happy to see them all cuddled up with them at night {well except D ha ha} when I go to tuck them in...those are the kind of gifts that make Christmas to me...

another favorite was the vintage pearl necklace my sis and I gave to my mom with all our names on and "come what may" stamped on it...made her cry....another favorite moment was giving one of my favorite pictures I knew my sister would love too and made her cry I love meaningful gifts that come from the heart.....

and then the gift for D's parents from all nine of the siblings went on in....

a big family picture we got matted and framed turned out super good and she cried...so yeah I'm all about crying gifts ......

that to me is what its all about..... it feels so good to touch another's heart through gifts and service of thought and time. I love those feelings!! 

That was our Christmas well besides the look of shock on my face when D bought me an ipad for Christmas I may not be a texting cell phone carrying kind of girl  but I have an ipad lol! 

{I seriously was going to take it back because my first thought was there is no way he actually got me an ipad! } with all of Christmas expenses I wasn't going to keep it and had decided to take it back 

but by the end of the day after telling our families they all said I was stupid if I did so I um kept it and kind of love it!!! My dang husband! 

As if he did that I still can't believe it!!

So all in all it was a great Christmas eve and day now we are recuperating de junking and enjoying my brothers family here for the sugar bowl {basketball tournament in town!} fun times....

HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GREAT CHRISTMAS 2!

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 ME THINKS

 REFLECTIONS

It is so hard to believe how fast this year went, how fast Christmas came and is now gone...... but its been a great week, month and year. with a few ups and a few downs but we are still here and ..I seriously have a hard time thinking its going to be 2011 where have all the years gone! I have a nine year old ! Four kids and have been married almost fourteen years so hard to believe....

.. I have been blessed over and over and I see those blessing everyday...I don't dwell on the things that have been hard or have happened to me or us because each thing that has happened has made me who I am and has helped me learn a lot of valuable lessons in life....that have helped me and others who needed it...

I have learned that we can either take what happens and be bitter about it and to everyone around us, always bringing it up..... or we can stop talking about it and dwelling on it and make our lives better and those around us better...by seeing the good that came out of it or
the different path it took us on. 

There is a reason for everything..

its how we take it that makes or breaks us. 

I hope this next year brings change 

Change of attitude

Change of spirituality {stronger}

change of growth {upward}

change of pace {slow down}

change of course {straighter... better choices for all of us}

change of words {choosing better}

change of thinking 

change of time {better use of it}....

a change of heart .......and so on

Change might just be my word for 2011...

Hopefully many changes for the good.

We all need a little change ..

If you don't like something, change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it.
       - Mary Engelbreit 

Change your thoughts and you change your world.
       - Norman Vincent Peale 

There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.
       - Nelson Mandela

Merry Christmas {week}...... and a Happy New 2011{of change}

{and congrats to my little {not so little} brother and his wife who had a healthy baby boy this morning!}