Christmas Card Picutres

Each year, usually near the beginning of December but sometimes later depending on how busy we are, we take pictures of the kids for our Christmas cards. This is always a fun event.....well not really but we can pretend....can't we?!?! I always try to stay calm but about 3 pictures in I am about to yell at a kid. Cory on the other hand is usually always calm (which is annoying that he can do that by the way ;) ). He always gently reminds me not to get to wound up about a silly picture......but it is not just a silly picture.....it is a picture that we will send out to friends and family. I hate to admit it but I always get frustrated because we can't get the perfect shot....or even a decent shot. And in reality.....it is just a silly picture because in the big picture it doesn't matter. Sure, I still want a capture a great shot of all three kids but I do need to relax a little more (or maybe a lot more). Maybe I will do better next year!! :)

So, with all that being said......I want to share some of the shots that we opted not to use this year!


These first few are Hayley being Hayley. I really have no idea what she was doing or why but this is what we got......








Then we tried to get one of the three of them together.......I finally gave up!








Hayden really was trying so hard. He just wasn't producing a "real" smile for me......




Alex's turn......He was in a very bad mood the evening that we took these pictures!! He did not want to do anything that I wanted him to do, which resulted in lots of crying on his part. His crying did not help my stress level but we won't talk about that anymore!





Hey....a candy cane might help.....


Or maybe not.....






Check out the lovely drool on his chin.......


I am going to assume that most of you who try to take your own pictures for something like this end up with similar results (if that is not the case I really don't want to know about it :) ).


I will say that in the end (after I spent time reviewing the pictures, ordered them and then actually saw it in person), this might be my favorite Christmas card we have ever had!! Cory laughed at me because of the amount of stress I put on myself and grumpiness that followed that stress.......to like the card so much. He is right (yes I said it).......I will strive to do much better (not only next year when we take our pictures but all the time). Lord please help me to tackle this issue!!

So......if you haven't seen it yet.....this is our 2009 Christmas Card!

Thankful Thursday

Even though I just did my last week’s Thankful Thursday, I thought I should do another…..since it is Thursday and all!!



Today, I am thankful for getting to go shopping with my mom!



I am thankful for Dr. Pepper (even though I shouldn’t drink as much in one day as I did today).



I am thankful for getting to coach Upward basketball (with my sister).



I am thankful that we have plenty of clothes to wear (I have to remind myself of this as I look at heaping mounds of dirty laundry).



I am thankful for my friends.



I am thankful for calendars and legal pads (it seems as though I am living by them these days).



I am thankful for Christmas lights and the memories they bring (rocking babies in the middle of the night).



I am thankful for my husband who usually knows what to say or do when I need a boost!!



If you haven’t noticed……the things I am thankful for are random and really the things that are coming to mind right now. I like reminding myself to be thankful more often. It sure does help me have a better outlook on my week!




Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Hayley is 5

Tuesday was Hayley’s 5^th Birthday. We did not have a big party because we already celebrated her birthday in November. We had one party for her and Hayden! Really, she thought she was already five because we had her party.

I think she had a good day. She got balloons from both Granny and Nana. She requested Christmas cookies for her school snack (as opposed to me bringing cupcakes). Then she chose Pizza Hut for her birthday dinner. It was really a fun day!! All the kids were great while we ate (they all like pizza).

At bedtime she was acting like she didn’t feel good but I assumed it was the obnoxious number of cookies and other junk that I let her have (it was her birthday!!). But it turns out she had some sort of stomach bug. She felt bad all day yesterday but seems to be back to normal tonight. I hate that she ended her birthday not feeling well but she handled it well.

We did discover that Hayley cut her hair!!! Honestly, I am not sure when she did it but I think it was at least a week ago…..how does a mom not know that her kid cut their hair?!?!?! Apparently, Hayley is pretty sneaky. I already knew she was sneaky but she proved it a little more with this one. But even with her sneakiness, she usually tells me the truth (eventually). Thankfully, she only cut the bangs and it is not too short……I still need to even it out but it is not horrible. We did have a big talk about NOT cutting your hair (or anything else that you haven’t asked permission to cut).

I can only imagine what the future will bring with Hayley. I expect lots of laughs with a little bit of frustration mixed in. She makes it interesting around here!! I can’t believe she is already five!!!

We Love You Hayley!!!

Thankful Thursday.....a little late!!

So I missed Thankful Thursday by a few days......I'm trying!!! :)


I am thankful that last week is over!! I hate to say it like that because there was a lot of good stuff that happened last week.....a LOT being the key word here. We were super busy and I am thankful that next week, while it will still be busy, won't be quite as bad.


I am thankful that Hayden loves reading (now we just need to encourage a love for math too).


I am thankful for Hayley's silliness (I just have to remember that I am thankful for it when she is being silly at an inconvenient time).


I am thankful that Alex can tell me "nuh-uh" for "no" (again I have to remember I am thankful for that when he is being difficult).


I am thankful that Cory not be traveling until some time in January!!


I am thankful for the reminder I got in Sunday school this morning about the true meaning of Christmas and what we should put our focus on.....and not just now but all year!!


I am thankful that I have all the things that I take for granted but I pray that I would appreciate them more and that I would have more of a heart for those who don't have the things they need!


I am thankful for so much more......


What are you thankful for?

Thanksgiving!!

This is great time of year to really think about what we are thankful for. And we have a LOT to be thankful for!! But I have really tried to not just save all my thankfulness for one time of year. We have so much to be thankful for all year long. I read another blog and the writer does a “Thankful Thursday” post each week. I am going to start doing that (if I can remember to post once a week) so I can really think about all the things (big and small) that we have to be thankful for throughout the year.

As I think about all the things we have to be thankful for I can be overwhelmed with how God blesses our family each day. I have to work hard at looking for those things sometimes so I don’t get caught up in life and not appreciate each moment.

I could try to list all those things….but there is no way I would ever be able to do that. The “good” things in our lives are multiple. But we have also had a few “bad” things as well. If I really think about it then I am thankful all those things as well. I am thankful for those things because they are God’s plan for us and even though they might seem “bad” to us at times, He has a plan based on every experience we have. The things we see as “good” and “bad” are all given to us to help us grow into the person (and family) that He wants us to be.

I sat in church Sunday and listened to our pastor talk about being thankful. He talked about being thankful for our Savior and what He did for us. I was thinking….well, of course I am thankful for Jesus and that He died on the cross to save me from my sins. But I guess he challenged me to think a little deeper. If I didn’t have Jesus as my savior then all these “things” that I am thankful for wouldn’t matter.

I am thankful for each one of you that is interested enough in our family to read about us! I hope that each of you has a Very Happy Thanksgiving!!

Super Naked Girl & Captain Underpants

Cory informed me today that Hayley decided what she wanted to be for Halloween next year. Are you ready for this one? Let me first say that Hayley is a little out there sometimes and tends to make us laugh quite a bit!

Super Naked Girl

That's right.....my daughter wants to be Super Naked Girl......oh my!! I am not really even sure what that would consist of....

I tried to explain that she could NOT be Super Naked Girl because clothes are required at all times. Which, honestly, in Hayley's world they tend to be optional! So, while I am struggling with Hayley begging to be Super Naked Girl (and at this point I think she is just going for as many laughs as she can get), Hayden pops in to the conversation. He says, "Well, if Hayley is going to be Super Naked Girl then I will be Captain Underpants!"

No....I am not kidding.....this was an actual conversation in my house!! Where do thing kids come up with these things!!

Hopefully, they will forget about Super Naked Girl and Captain Underpants before next Halloween......because if they don't that will be quite embarrassing for all involved. And I can't imagine what Alex could be...Diaper Man, perhaps!?!

I have an eight year old!

It is official…..I am the mom of an eight year old. Tuesday, November 10^th was Hayden’s birthday (I am just a little late posting this). I really can’t believe that he is already eight. I mean…..really…..people tell you that it goes by fast…..and they are right!!

We celebrated his special day with cupcakes for his class at school. They all sang Happy Birthday to him….in a whisper as to not disturb the other classes. It was very cute…..and the 2^nd grade version is pretty funny!!

To continue the celebrating we let Hayden pick where we would eat for supper. He chose Denny’s…..yes Denny’s. So we drove to Corsicana and ate at Denny’s. I brought my camera to take pictures but I left it in the truck. Sometimes eating out with three kids has to be more about making everyone happy and keeping them semi quiet than about getting pictures! Hayden ordered pancakes with a whipped cream smiley face. I am pretty sure that he ate the entire whipped cream smiley face by scooping it up with his fingers……hey…it was his birthday (and he was quiet…..see how this works sometimes…and it had nothing to do with the fact that I was busy keeping Alex quiet and Cory was busy keeping Hayley quiet). Although we did insist that he use his fork to eat his pancakes….because he did try to just pick them up and eat them with his hands too. Who needs a fork?!?!

Hayden is a great kid and we are so proud of him. He is so much fun! I love getting to spend time with him.

Happy Birthday Hayden……We love you!!

The Akeman's and The Johnson's

I have talked many times on our Caring Bridge site about Paul, Angie and Avery Akeman. Avery is a very special girl!! She is an adorable four year old who has had to endure a lot in her little life. She has been in the hospital a total of 372 days and has had 20 surgeries or procedures requiring anesthesia. With all this medical intervention, Avery’s case is still a mystery. To read more about her story go to: www.caringbridge.org/visit/averygraceakeman

Some of the Akeman’s friends have been planning a way to bless them financially to help with all the medical bills. The amount of money that is required for the things that Avery needs daily is a highly overwhelming number. There was a benefit last night to help with this effort. Cory, Alex and I were able to attend and we feel very blessed to have been able to witness the outpouring of love for this family.

The benefit consisted of a dinner, silent auction and live auction. I know that it is hard to accept financial help and I can’t imagine the humility involved in receiving on this large of a scale. I know that it sometimes feels like you can’t bless others in the way they are blessing you. But I want to say that Paul, Angie and Avery bless me and so many others way more than any amount of money could bless anyone. The way they have handled everything that has come their way is a true testament to their faith in Him. In the midst of their trials, they continually concern themselves with others and what is going on in our lives. Angie has been a huge blessing to me and has had many words of wisdom since we have been on our own “Caring Bridge Journey”. Thank you Paul, Angie and Avery for what you mean to so many people and for the way you continue to bless others with your love and kindness!! I loved getting the chance to give you a hug!! We love you!!

Cory, Alex, me, Angie and Paul

Unfortunately, Avery was not able to attend the benefit. She cannot risk getting sick even with the most minor things because her body can’t fight it off. I hope to meet Avery Grace someday and see her beautiful eyes in person!

Along with the benefit last night, a website has been created where donations can be made to continue to help with the ongoing medical expenses. www.averyakemansangels.com

We also had an opportunity to meet another family that we found through Caring Bridge. I am really not sure how I found them (but I assume it was through the Akeman’s site) or when I started following their story. The Johnson’s are an amazing family and I feel like I know them because Marianne updates every single day!! Her daughter Makenna has Cerebral Folate Deficiency (CFD) and to be honest I really don’t know much about this disorder. (does that make me a bad friend? Marianne explains it on their Caring Bridge site like this: CFD is a disorder in which folic acid is not absorbed into the spinal fluid and brain. Folic acid is necessary for a brain to function normally.) What I do know is that Makenna is a beautiful 5 year old girl and reading about her life for the last year or so has had an impact on me. She has had four brain surgeries in which a large section of her brain was removed. There are quite a few things that Makenna can’t do but what she can do is amazing and truly shows God’s miracles.

Makenna

I might haven used a picture from her Caring Bridge site....hope that's OK Marianne ;)

I think one of the reasons I felt connected to Marianne, Makenna and their family is that they also go to Cook’s and Makenna’s neurologist is the one who told us about Alex’s stroke. I guess it makes it even more real to read about someone you have never met when you know that they have been in the same offices and hospital that you were in (looking at the same screen with a picture of your kid’s brain). Also, Marianne shares about their lives daily. She is so open and honest and that has really encouraged me. She loves Jesus and doesn’t worry about what people think. I strive to be more like that!!

So, back to meeting them at the benefit. Cory ended up outside most of the night because Alex didn’t think the auction was as exciting as I thought it was! Marianne’s husband Matt was also on kid patrol for awhile too. It did give us a chance to chat and it was so great!! Marianne, I am so glad that we got to meet!! I am so thankful for your friendship!!

Me and Marianne

Me, Angie, and Marianne