Luke's Gingerbread House

Instead of a Christmas party, Luke's teacher had a gingerbread house decorating.  One of the other Mom's had built a house around a milk carton along with an ice cream cone tree.  It was then the job of the students to decorate however they pleased.  I was really glad I was able to go.  It was my first major outing since I was sick, but I wanted to be there for Luke.  Each child was given a plate covered with icing and that bag of candy sitting on Luke's desk.  After that, they got to work...both constructing and eating.  It's always a good time for me to go and see Luke in his class.  I always enjoy watching him interact with others and for me to interact a bit with his classmates.  This afternoon did not disappoint.

Getting started!

Finished project!

Christmas Cookies

 I was so sick a couple of weeks ago that I really didn't think decorating Christmas cookies was going to happen this year.  We don't make them for anything special.  I just know my kids really, really enjoy mixing, cutting and icing.  So, each year I try to tackle the project for their delight and all the yumminess afterwards.    If I would have been left up to my own efforts, this just would not have happened.  Thankfully, my parents made the trip out to lend a huge hand to me while I was still on the mend.  In addition to getting our home back into shape, Mom made and decorated cookies with the kids.  Here are some of my favorites from their time.

 Everyone making sure their cookie cutter is represented

 Icing the perfect cookie

 Hannah making sure her "H" gets well decorated as well

 Working hard

 Luke really enjoyed the project.  He loved how yummy it was!

Some of the finished project

Another Finished Project

I'm thinking my priorities may have been a bit off.  I was intent on finishing my quilt and let some of my Christmas responsibilities fall just a bit behind.  However, I was thrilled with the outcome.  Earlier this year, I decided I wanted to make a quilt - my first quilt - the biggest bed in the house.  Yes, I start with big projects!  Along with that, I asked Chris to make us a bed.  We'd only had just a metal bed frame since we were married 10 years ago so it was a fun project.  Chris used a pattern online to make the bed and I went out on a limb to paint it red.  I still think I was crazy to pick that color - so out of character for me - but I absolutely love it and adds color to our otherwise neutral room.  The bed has been finished for a few months now, but I just finished the quilt last week.  I was very pleased with the outcome and love our new look.

Oh, just for the record, I did not quilt all the layers together.  That would have just been a task my sewing machine couldn't have tackled so I hired it done here in town and thought she did a great job as well.  Mom also helped me with the pillow shams.  Crazy to do this type of thing with no pattern.  So thankful for youtube and instructions from friends!

Favorite Reads of 2012

Reading is one of my favorite activities.  So much so, that I actually have to be careful or I could just read and do nothing else.  This is usually just the case with fiction, but I do get through non-fiction books on occasion.  I thought I'd share some of my favorite books of this past year.

The Bible
 Our ladies' Bible study at church read through the Bible this year.  I really thought about it for quite some time before fully committing to it.  I've read through the Bible before on a couple of other occasions, but it nearly always takes me a year and a half to get through it.  This time around, I would need to do it in a year.  Plus, I just didn't want to read it to say I'd read it.  I wanted it to be meaningful.  The other part that was making me hold back was the fact of reading and discussing it with other ladies.  I like to privately read through the Bible.  However, this turned to be one of my favorite parts to reading it this year.  It was such a delight to discuss and share perspective with dear friends! 

I feel like each time that a person reads through the Bible that you can come away with something different each time.  This time around, God was really speaking to me that he abhors any other gods.  There is a reason that "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" is the first commandment (Exodus 20:3).  It is also why David was considered to be a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22).  He had no other gods before him. 

I will miss it next year, but maybe I will just need to read it again.  This time maybe I'll read it chronologically......

The Knowledge of the Holy by AW Tozer
Loved this book.  It is set up with about 30 characteristics of God.  It was a great supplement to my Bible reading.  I think we so often put God in a box.  This book served as a great reminder as to how big our God really and truly is.  God is beyond our written and spoken word and that just blows my mind!

1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp
Wow, this book was a challenge for me to get through so it's amazing that it made my list of good reads for the year.  It was hard for me to read simply because her writing style is very different.  A friend suggested that it was written more as a poetry and thinking of that helped me get through it.  It made my list because it was a challenge, reminder and encouragement to give thanks in all things and all circumstances.  Through these reminders she has weaved her own story and from that I think you, too, will be encouraged.

Little Pilgrim's Progress by Helen Taylor
I have never read the original Pilgrim's Progress, but this book was suggested as a good book to read to my kids.  I have to admit that this was a good way for me to make my way through the book.  My kids absolutely loved it and begged to read "just one more chapter of Little Christian". They may have read it for the adventure, but there is so much woven through the story that we would stop and discuss some of the symbolism and making notes of how we should live our lives for Christ.  I highly recommend this as a good chapter book to read to those in late preschool/early elementary.

The First Lost Tooth

Yes, we had another milestone in our home last night.  Hannah lost her first tooth and it was the first of many teeth losing times in our home.  Luke was rather sad he wasn't the first one to lose one since he is 15 months older, but Hannah was thrilled that she had done something before her big brother. 

When she got home from school, she bit into something that made it bleed.  She was not happy about that - the blood part that is.  Later, she was showing Chris how loose it was.  She showed me how it was standing taller than the other teeth.  Chris challenged her to see if she could pull it any higher.  She told him she could.  Then, I challenged her to see how high she could pull it.  Just a few seconds later with a look of shock she exclaimed, "it came out" followed by cries of delight.  Needless to say, it was all we could do to keep her from taking that tooth to show to her teacher. 

Just as a side note....poor early elementary teachers.  I'm sure they see more of teeth than they would ever really care to!

Room 328

Wow! Little did I know that last weekend when I went into the ER (since there is no urgent care here) to get some antibiotics and hopefully be home within a few hours and feel better the next day, that I would really get myself a two day stay in the hospital with "classic" and "major" pneumonia and three rounds of IV antibiotics.  Since then, it has been a huge learning curve.  I knew pneumonia affected the lungs and that was pretty much it.  I had absolutely NO idea what it could do to you.  For starters, the lethargy is unbelievable.  I do not sit still and do nothing very well, but right now I really could care less with all that needs to be done here.  That's a sign that it's really bad.

All of that to say, I have been absolutely blown away.  I shouldn't be surprised because God has deeply blessed us here with amazing friends and people in our lives.  For example, I was admitted to the hospital last Saturday afternoon and it seemed like by the next morning that we had meals for an entire week.  Chris has been a man of many hats this week: pilot, nurse, mom, chauffeur, etc.  He's worked so hard.  I've had friends able to watch Andrew during the school day and a friend came over and just helped with some things here in the house.  Others have offered help as well.

I wanted to write this post now because I didn't want to forget the gratitude that I feel.  Words can not express how much I appreciate all that have helped us.  Yes, it would not have been my choice to get sick, but I have not regretted it.  God's timing has been absolutely perfect.  God's provision has exceeded my expectations.  For all of that and more, I am thankful beyond words!

Olden Days!

Well, I guess it's official.  All the years leading up to today are now classified as "olden days" according to Luke.  Last night after baths and Chris playing Santa by wrapping each child in a blanket and then slinging them over his shoulder (can't believe the blankets can still support that weight!) and hearing delighted cries of "do it to me, Daddy!", we all gathered in the living room.  Luke promptly handed Chris the remote.  Not missing a beat, I told Luke that when I was growing up we would at times during the Christmas season gather, be quiet, listen to my Dad read a selection for Advent, listen to Christmas music and just chat.  It is one of my very favorite Christmas memories.  So, Luke wanted to give the "olden days" a try.  I turned on the music and then he said, "ok, chat" (we'd already done an advent reading).  We did.  We laughed.  We played.  It was an enjoyable few minutes.  I hope to do it again, but will be thrilled of reliving one of my favorite memories from the "olden days".

A Mini Outing

This post is a bit out of order, but I just saw the pictures and decided to share them.  On the way to take Chris's parents back to the nearest airport (2 hours away).  We made a stop at one of the highest points in our part of the country.  Granted it measures in at just under 2500 feet, it does give a pretty good view of the surrounding area giving a the desert like climate a somewhat pretty look.  Here are some of our favorite pictures from our brief stop. 

It was rather cool and a bit breezy accurately making us look rather chilled and my hair having a crazy flare!

 Grandpa and Grandma Robey with Luke

 My Man!

 A few of the many windmills in the state

A Reader After My Own Heart

I just really like what they do for gifts at the children's Christmas party - parents are responsible for purchasing a book and wrapping it for Santa to hand out at the party.  I was excited about the book I got Luke, but I really wasn't sure if he would like it.  As you can see, he loved it!  Santa was still passing out gifts and Luke was being used as a prop, but he didn't let that distract him from his book. 

Over the last few months, I've seen Luke's reading just excel.  He has just thrived under his first grade teacher!  All that to say, I knew it was time to introduce him to chapter books.  He had checked out a few basic chapter books that really didn't need chapter numbers before, but this one was truly a chapter book with just a little over 100 pages.  I thought it would take him a few days to read it, but he finished it in less than two days!  I'm sure it helped that he is a lover of all things Adventures in Odyssey and this book is from their Imagination Station series.  Now, if I can just get him to wait for Christmas to receive the rest of the series!

It's a Peppermint Twist Christmas

Peppermint Twist was the theme for this year's squadron kid's Christmas party.  Even though it felt fun, chaotic and out-of-control, it really was fun for the kids and it was a nice party.  The chaotic feeling just is a part of kids and Christmas I think.  They all enjoyed a pancake breakfast, boucy castles, crafts, candy favors and of course, a visit from Santa.

The Santa visit kind of made me laugh a bit.  As soon as he entered the room, Luke informed his good friend, Joel, that that really wasn't Santa.  They had fun with him, though.  When asked what they wanted for Christmas, Luke said Legos (of course!), Hannah wants a big baby doll and Andrew wanted cowboys.  It was also very fun to share this time with our good friends that we've been blessed with here!