Twenty-Eleven Christmas Wrap Up

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. – James 1:17



This Christmas we celebrated as certified Georgia residents. It was a great Christmas and we were once again blessed with too many gifts and the fun of being with family. We are so blessed and it was good to remember that God gave the greatest gift of all in His Son, Jesus. 

Jake and Judd enjoyed a little shooting with Big Buddy, Daddy and the Cousins.

Sadie enjoyed opening presents this year.
Jake’s face here is priceless. Judd got a real Angry Birds game and he was excited. 
He is always so laid back and enjoys life. 
We are continuing our tradition of opening pajamas on Christmas Eve. Even Mema got a new set this year. 
Jake was happy to get UGA pajamas. 
Anna Kate was enjoying her new pj’s.

Christmas morning….
Anna Kate got Littlest Pet Shop
Sadie was happy to have an “extra” blanket to use in the car. Hopefully, this will help with the screaming. 
The boys got a basketball goal and enjoyed a few minutes of bball before getting dressed for church. 
She is so shy and hates to perform!ha!
Mema wanted a few pictures with the kids, however, she really only got this one!

I think that Sadie wasn’t really interested in taking pictures with Mema and Uncle Zim on Christmas Day in her new Christmas dress. 

Thankfulness 486-500

486. hearing my kids sing Christmas carols around the house all week

487. worship on Jesus’ birthday

488. my kid’s excitement over playing with their cousins and seeing other family

489. lots of playing the Wii

490. Christmas pajamas

491. the kids loving all of their gifts

492. hearing Anna Kate say “that’s what I ALWAYS wanted” after she opened every present

493. watching the boys enjoy their new basketball goal

494. playing new games together

495. the kids singing Happy Birthday, Jesus and blowing out His candles on the cinnamon roll cake

496. celebrating the birth of my Savior with those I love…what could be better?

497. enjoying a date with my husband using a gift card

498. taking now the Christmas decorations and getting the house back in some form of normal

499, I am SO excited that Sunday is coming and we will officially be at Second Baptist Church January 1, this Sunday!!

500. I am so thankful for sweet Sadie but I do wish that she would not S.C.R.E.A.M every.single.time. we get in the car especially since we have a 25 min drive every time we want to go to “town.” (wink…that is for your Jim).

Saying Goodbye…

This post is just a collection of pictures taken our last few weeks in Tennessee.

Sadie saying good-bye to Caden. 
This was our last meal (breakfast) at our kitchen table. This was my ninth anniversary and I was so very emotional about giving this table away. 
 
Jake (6), Cooper (6), Judd (4), Colton (3), Anna Kate (3), Caden (17 months), Sadie (12 months)
We went to the Kenney’s Thanksgiving night. The kids enjoyed playing together one last time. We were able to get them all together for a picture. 
 This is PawPaw and YaYa. They were our Jake, Judd and Anna Kate’s Sunday School teachers throughout or four years at Crosspointe.
 This is the text for Jim’s last message. 
 I was able to capture him preaching his last message at Crosspointe. 
I decided to take a picture of the church sign as we were leaving for the last time. 
 We were in Tennessee for a couple of weeks before moving so we decided to make memories before leaving. On this particular night, we drove to Sikeston, Missouri to eat at Lambert’s, The Only Home of the Throwed Roll. 
 Our kids thoroughly enjoyed the roll throwing and the time together. 

 Good catch, Jake!
 This is the day the moving truck arrived….
Jake (6), Graham (9), Simeon (6 weeks), Judd (4), Emelia (6), Sadie (12 months), Anna Kate (3)

The Tuso’s were kind enough to invite us over for dinner since everything we owned was in boxes.

 Sweet Sweet Nae-Nae deserves her very own blog post. We LOVE and MISS Nae-Nae more that we can even begin to express.

 Day Two of the movers packing the house. 
 Sadie’s high chair during all of the packing. 

This was were we stayed our last night in Tennessee. I took this picture as we were pulling out heading to Georgia.

I miss my normal. I miss my home. I miss my friends. I miss my kid’s friends. I miss my life in Brighton, TN. I miss Crosspointe. I miss life as I knew it just three months ago. I am so thankful for my time in Tennessee and all that God did while we were there.

BUT

I am excited about my new normal. I am excited about SBCWR. I am excited about my new friends. I am excited about my kid’s new friends. I am excited about our future!!

Thankfulness #474-485

It has been so long since I last posted. I am still counting all of the things I am thankful for but it seems that I am too busy to listed them out one-by-one.

474. Pinterest and all of the new ideas it brings into my life and our home.
475. We are thankful for all of the friends that we left in Tennessee.
476. I have been blessed to enjoy the weather in Georgia not staying below 60 since we moved.
477. We are enjoying the longer days that middle Georgia bring. It actually stays daylight until 6 instead of pitch dark at 5:00.
478. I am thankful for Jim having time to help transition our family these last few weeks. I will miss him being home after the new year, but we will all enjoy a more “normal”routine.
479. The boys and I are eager to start our new Classical Conversations community in January. We will be joining a group in Warner Robins.
480. This past week Judd turned five. He will be getting his own post as soon as I take pictures of him being-FIVE!!
481. It is such a huge blessing to be able to spend these first few months of transition to Georgia with my Mom. We are praying that our house will sell soon and then we can pursue permanent housing options, but in the meantime we call Elko home.
482. Jim and I are thankful that we have two very reliable vehicles especially with the long drives that come with living in Elko.
483. Oh, I am quickly learning what it means to have family to help babysit. 🙂
484. I am thankful for just a few minutes of quiet time….oh how I need just a few minutes each day.
485. I am thankful for this Christmas season and what it means to my life.

This boy…


This boy…is FIVE!


Judd is sweet! 


My sweet sensitive Judd. When asked who you love you say “both” (mommy and daddy). You are never far from your Daddy’s side if he is home. You still want to do and be just like Daddy. You love football, baseball and basketball.  

You are a great eater. You love egg sandwiches, vegetables and fruit. You are one of the only people in our family who eats chocolate. I love your big imagination and how you still love to snuggle even at five. You cry easily. Did I mention that you like football? You are quick to ask every.single.night. Is there any football on?baseball?basketball? 

Judd, you love your siblings. Oh, I know you love Anna Kate and Sadie, and I’m sure you will grow to have a wonderful relationship, but you really love Jake. The two of you play and play and play, and most of the time, very well together. Your giving heart just amazes us. You are SO giving and considerate especially to your siblings. We love watch you hug and take care of Sadie. 

This is one memory that we don’t want to forget: One night Jake was going to get a spanking for some very apparent defiance and as your Daddy was walking into your room YOU stop him and say, “Daddy, don’t spank Jake. Spank me instead.”

You are a FIVE year old boy who still wants me to help you brush your teeth, put your shoes on your feet, and brush your hair. Just to see your smile makes others smile. Your gentle and caring spirit is seen in all you do. At five, you still sleep with 8 stuffed animals positioned ever so perfectly in your bed. You share and want others to be happy. 

School is something that you are enjoying very much. You can write, are learning to read, telling time, counting money and infatuated with numbers. When we are sitting around the dinner table you are always asking: Daddy, what is 1+99, what is 89-7+3+7=? I am glad that you are enjoying going to Classical Conversations and memorizing so many things. I am  impressed at your desire to learn. 

Judd, this is your last year of Cubbies and I am praying you continue to hide the Word in your heart. I love to hear you walk around quoting John 1:1-7. 


Judd, you are a beautiful person, inside and out and we all love you so much.