Christmas only lasted the day

Christmas morning was wonderful, sleep deprived and all. Alex and I went to bed at 6....in the morning. Not really so much by choice. We didn't get in from visiting family until 3am......again, not by choice.....can you say family drama? Anyway, once we got in we still had hidden presents to get out and wrap and put together. Of course hubby gets the assembly duty and I get the wrapping duty. As we wrapped and hammered we chatted, and finally our bodies said enough. Ashley gets up at 8am saying "It's Christmas! Come on mom, get up!", to which I say, "Honey, please do me a favor and just lay in your bed for a little while longer." I was thinking more like until early afternoon longer, but I knew that was asking too much. She falls back asleep and at 9 we finally all get up. Oh, the kids were so happy. My son says , "Mom, am I dreaming?". The kids are sharing their DS games, playing so happily. They play with my baby girl's kitchen, playing tea party with her. It was a sight for a tired mom's eyes. But...that only lasted the day. As we mom's know, we try to soak up those moments for we know that soon enough they will be gone. The next day it was "That's my game!", "Don't touch my tractor!", "Bubba, you make my baby cry!".

Ahhh, yes......Christmas only lasted the day......but what a joyous day it was!

What a wonderland it was

So we decided to fork out the money this year for Santa's Wonderland. We hadn't in years...maybe 3 or 4 years. But my sister is down visiting, they mentioned wanting to see them, the weather was great on Monday, so we said let's go for it. I remember years ago being dissapointed with the lights we saw for the price we paid - but not this time. Maybe it was the great company, the oohs and ahhs from the kids, whatever it was, it was worth every bit of $20.

Or $40....there was too many of us to pile in one truck. So we had to stay in 2 cars...so $40 later. Kinda steep you say? You bet. But if you go, if weather permits, let the kids ride in the back of a truck. That puts them at a whole other level of enjoying the lights.

Have fun if you get to go!

It's so hard to say goodbye

Yesterday was the real goodbye for my baby girl and her best friend. These girls are about 3 weeks difference in age, and have been in the same classes at church literally since birth. There was just something about these two that made them bond. Could be they could speak each other's baby language long before either mom could. Could be they both shared a common silliness that only they two understood. She didn't even want to go into her class on Sunday. Thank goodness Ms. Julia was there. You see, For my baby girl, church and school = her best pal and Ms. Julia...the two just go together...you don't have one without the other. And I think my baby girl did understand when I told her that her best friend was not coming back to school on Sunday. On Monday she fell and immediately started crying for her best pal, something she's never done before. Just crying inconsolably....it was heartbreaking. Since infants her mom and I would say that they seemed like sisters. These two little pals are truly "Sisters at Heart".

Did you ever have a best friend move away?

More to praise about.....but NOT about me!

I found out about...uummmm.....3 hours ago....that this same sister that I blogged about last week is PREGNANT! She said she and her husband found out in the emergency room the night of their accident. They were absolutely stunned. Their baby girl is only 7 months old, and their older daughter is 4. This is a very welcome surprise! She feels great, and is probably only about 4-5 weeks pregnant. Lots more to give praise about this Christmas!

Praise be to God

Over the weekend I recieved a call from my mom telling me that my sister and her family had been involved in an accident. They were on the way from Seattle Washington to Lubbock for a funeral. In Cheyenne, Wyoming there were really bad road conditions, ice, snow...and while traveling up a low hill their SUV started to slide back down. It then slid down an embankment, flipping several times. When it stopped my sister said she heard crying outside, then looked back and saw all their windows broken out, and didn't see her 4 yr old in the vehicle. She jumped out and saw her laying in the snow several feet up the embankment. She ran to her and lifted her up, while her husband yelled "No! Don't move her!". She wanted to...needed to...get her out of the snow..and didn't think about checking for neck injuries. Her daughter was crying and said, "Mama, this isn't fun anymore." She said she then laid her in the suv and she and her husband started checking her for injuries. They are both active Army military, and that sweet girl coudn't of had anyone there better to take care of her. They would of known exactly what to do. Thank the Lord, she seemed to be ok. Her husband then went to climb up the hill to try to find help...they couldn't get any cell phone reception. Several cars passed him by before an 18-wheeler truck driver stopped. Thank goodness he stopped when he did because my sister said they were all getting really cold. He told them that he almost didn't because he had been robbed by gunpoint before for stopping for someone. But the Lord had the perfect person stop because he had access to his radio to call for help, plus a warm bed and TV in the back for my sister and her 4 yr old and her 6 month old. He even had the movie Cars that he put on for my niece to watch so she could calm down.

By the grace of God everyone is perfectly ok. They were completely checked out at a local hospital, several x-rays, MRI and cat scans later. The hospital even paid for a hotel for them to stay at for several days and provided them the transportation there. They thought about flying back home from there, but decided that they were close enough to Texas to go ahead and come this way, plus they really want to spend time with family after this, as we want to spend time with them. I told her I wouldn't of let her leave Wyoming without seeing her and her family. They are so precious to me and am praising God for the miracle of saving their lives.

They have rented a vehicle to come to Texas, and will fly home from here. We offered to fly them here, or go there to pick them up, but they wanted to be able to see his family in Lubbuck and then come here to spend time with our family. The reason we are not there in Wyoming with her now is because she didn't call anyone until Sunday, all of this happened Saturday! She said she didn't want to call until she knew everyone was ok, or if anyone had to stay in the hospital. Please pray for them as they continue to travel this way today, and that they have a safe flight home. All praise and Glory be to God!

My baby is almost 3!

I know all moms say this....but I have to say it anyway...I can't believe how fast my baby is growing! I feel like my time with her is so much less than my older two. Since her birth she has been been hauled around to every sport event and school function that older sister and brother have going on. She's had to be picked up from the comfort of her bed during nap to go pick up kids from school. I'm sure she's had more naps in her car seat than at home. So much that one day she said, "I sleepy. I want my carseat." Which comes to prove...she knows no other way. This is her life. And as she slowly awoke from her nap this afternoon (in her car seat) after taking big sis to piano practice, she smiles a big smile and says "Bubba! Sissy! I miss you! You bring me candy?"....I realize that she enjoys her life the way it is.

Something I should learn to do myself!

Here we go.....

Ok...so I've decided to give this blogging thing a try. I don't quite get it yet, but I feel since I've mastered Myspace and Facebook that I was ready. It's a little intimidating though. Myspace and facebook you can pretty much just set up and update every now and then. But this...this you have to keep up with. That is, if you want anyone to read it, true? And maybe I can get some advice...just how exactly to you add pictures to this thing? The technical difficulties begin already.....