Merry Christmas!

I hope that everyone had a very Mery Christmas. We did! The boys were so excited. Santa was very good to us. We went to my parents house for the day and it was nice. James' parents and sister came up the next day and we were able to spend some time with them.

I am so thankful for the family that we have and the time we are able to spend with them. My Pop passed in August, and it is so different not having him around especially during the holiday season. It's a true reminder that life is short, but God is good.

To us, Christmas is so much more than Santa Clause, presents, and family. It is the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. God's love is so amazing that he would allow his only son to die for us (sinners). As a parent of two young boys, I couldn't begin to imagine how God must of felt, even knowing that many would come to know Him through His sons death. God's love is so amazing!!

This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10

A friend sent this to me and labeled it heart stopping, I agree. Feel free to check it out. http://www.viddler.com/explore/MaximumReferral/videos/1/0

A Star For A Tree

Monday, December 22 I came home from a doctors and hair apt. I came in and James went out (shopping with my mother, their yearly tradition). The boys were excited to see me and tell me about their day. Sean asked "did you get a star for our Christmas tree?" (ours broke last year). I went to Home Depot while I was out, and would you believe that they didn't have one tree topper (or many seasonal decorations left for that matter). I told Sean that were I went did not have any, and he said (in a very firm, serious tone) "This is ridiculous, we only have 3 days left until Christmas and if we don't get a star then Christmas will be ruined." Of course, I was a little taken back by his response, so I said that we must call daddy and let him know (since he was going out shopping and all, besides daddy can fix anything in our house). I dialed the number and Sean got on the phone and it went something like this "Daddy, we only have 3 days left until Christmas and we don't have a star for our tree yet!" I am sure that James reassured him that he would pick one up, and followed through with an iridescent LED lit star. The boys (Sean especially) were thrilled. Daddy saved Christmas!

Update

Sorry that I have not posted anything interesting lately I have had a little set back. Last Thursday I woke early in the morning with sever abdominal pain (that I had been battling since the previous Saturday, it just progressively became more intense). I ended up in the E.R. which led to a hospital stay until Sunday. I had my gallbladder removed. I have been trying to recover fast, but you cant really rush that sort of thing. I have a ton to do with Christmas creeping up on me (more like running, we are talking 6 days, AHHHHHH!). I am just now feeling coherent enough to fill you all in.



I am feeling more like myself and less like you do when on pain meds :) It is getting harder, as I feel a little bit better, to take it easy. Thank you for all of your prayers and support. Some of my dear friends and family have really helped us out. The meals have been wonderful.



James is doing an amazing job with the boys and the house. Sean and Seth are fed, clean, and happy, and boy are they happy. They have their daddy doing everything for them and they love it. James had to take some time off from work. I never would have been able to do it without him. I am so thankful for having a husband more than willing and capable to do "my job". He has the laundry done, the house clean, homework duty (he is better at that anyway), and taking care of me. The Lord has truly blessed me with a great husband, I knew it before all of this, but this just reminds me and I am so thankful.



The boys......well like I said earlier they are loving having daddy home 24/7. They love it so much I am hoping that they are not secretly plotting to break my leg or something just to keep him home. J/K :)- Seth keeps asking to see my boo boos and if they are better yet. Sean has been to busy playing, wrestling, or playing hide and go seek with daddy, but he checks in with me every now and then. This past Wednesday was their Awana Christmas party. They were both looking forward to it (Seth more so, he asked if we were going to "class" about 10 times a day and that is not an exaggeration) and had a great time. Sean's school party was yesterday 12/18. I was supposed to help out, but that didn't happen. I just hate that I missed being there and taking pictures and just being involved. Maybe next time. Today is his last day ( its a half day) and then........Christmas break. YEAH!!!! He is so excited.

Hide and Seek

Seth asked me to play hide and seek with him. And with a three year old as long as your eyes are covered you are "hidden". I would pretend to look for him in many different places even though he would always hide in the same spot. So I started to hide in the same spot too, but just modify it each time. I'd just covered my eyes, then I would hide my face behind the pillow, then under the blanket, then pull my head and arms in my sweat shirt. He was funny because the way he would find me was by blowing on my belly. Of course I would scream and laugh and he would belly laugh like no tomorrow. I caught a little of it on camera and thought you might enjoy it.

Sorry that this is sideways. Haven't figured out how to turn it yet. Hope to fix it soon.

Brotherly Love

The boys were watching TV like this. I had to take a picture of it because I am sure they will not believe me when I tell them later in life. They are so cute! Seth wasn't feeling well, (ear infection) and wanted to be loved, held or cling to me all day, so I got a little break when Sean came home from school :-) Yes, they were watching Tom & Jerry, they love it!

Thanksgiving

We went to James' families house, in Virgina, for Thanksgiving. We headed up Tuesday after Sean got out of school (at 3 pm) and didn't arrive until 9:30 pm. It was a long trip, but the boys did well in the car. We didn't have any planned plans (with the exception of the big feast, of course), we just hung out, and relaxed. We spent some quality time with the family and caught up. The kids couldn't have played better together. It was a great time!!

Thankfull

On the heels of Thanksgiving and the tip of the holiday season, I have a lot to be thankful for. Wonderful family and friends, health, home, food, I could go on and on. But I think that I am most thankful for Gods grace (meaning: unmerited favor) and mercy (meaning: compassionate, or kind treatment shown toward an enemy; benevolence). I didn't put those meanings in there because I doubt your knowledge , I put them in there as a reminder of what they really are. Me, the enemy (sinner), undeserving of Gods goodness. And yet, he still showers me and my family with His goodness. WOW!

All of this is on the forefront of my heart and mind, as we have had a few situations that could have been life changing, or tragic. If you have a few moments I would like to share them with you.

October 29th, in the wee hours of the morning, James was working night shift. He was conducting field sobriety tests on a suspect at the conclusion of an accident investigation. At the conclusion of the sobriety testing, the suspect took off. A foot chase took them in the woods, the suspect repeatedly resisted arrest. During one of the struggles they both went to the ground, James lost several things, keys, badge, handcuffs, and the channel on his radio changed to which he was unaware. He was trying to radio the barrack but did not have success. The barrack or his shift partners did not hear him because he was on a different channel. A 911 center from another county, thankfully, was scanning the channel and heard him. The dispatcher called the barrack to notify them of James' situation. The suspect ended up being drunk and high on cocaine and marijuana. Search of the suspects car revealed $1000 cash and almost a pound of marijuana for distribution. James was struggling by himself and unable to reach backup for about fifteen minutes. I think that we all know that the Lord was watching out for James, and that it wasn't a coincident that the dispatcher from another county was scanning several channels. Other than some minor scraps, bruises, and some aggravating poison ivy, James was unharmed.

October 31st we took the boys (Spider man and Batman) trick or treating with my sister and her girls (cheerleader and a puppy dog). The kids and parents had a great time. We went back to Nana and Pop Pop's to check the candy and eat some. I thought that we were pretty good with the boys candy getting out all of the peanut and peanut butter pieces. But.......we must have missed something. Sean ate two pieces of candy, smarties (which we all saw him eat) and a piece of chocolate, he says, (which no one saw). We headed home shortly after. The boys were zonked by the time we got home, and we put them straight in their beds. Early that next morning, around 5 am, Sean woke up yelling my name. I went in his room to find that he had vomited everywhere. It had to have been early in the night because all but the puddle he was laying in was mostly dry. He said that he had something in his throat, and kept trying to clear it. I think that it was just swollen, I gave him some benadryl, kept a close eye, and he was fine the rest of the day. I was a bit "off" knowing what had happened and what could have happened (he could have choked or aspirated his vomit, his throat could have closed, a number of different things). AGAIN, within two days, another very clear and apparent act of God's grace and mercy.

I am sure that things happen all the time that we are not even aware of, so when these two incidents happened so close together, and were so apparent, I felt that I needed to at least tell people. How thankful I am and how GREAT God is. I don't really know what else I am to do with this, so I am starting here.


From the fullness of God's grace we have all received one blessing after another. John 1:16