A Winter Joke from Lizzy

Why shouldn’t you tell jokes on the ice?

Because the ice might crack up!   :)

Nutcracker

After a very filling dinner at Pei Wei, we headed over to see the Houston Dance Theater’s production of the Nutcracker.  It was a really good production!  Our cousins, Megan, Grace, and Aidan, were in the ballet!  Good job y’all!

Christmas Music!!

One thing that we love around here is Christmas Music!  KSBJ, our local Christian radio station, plays some wonderful Christmas music from the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas Day. 

We love this one by Downhere.

How Many Kings

Follow the star to a place unexpected
Would you believe after all we’ve projected
A child in a manger

Lowly and small, the weakest of all
Unlikeliness hero, wrapped in his mothers shawl
Just a child
Is this who we’ve waited for?

Cause how many kings, stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
How many Gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that has torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Bringing our gifts for the newborn savior
All that we have whether costly or meek
Because we believe
Gold for his honor and frankincense for his pleasure
And myrrh for the cross he’ll suffer
Do you believe, is this who we’ve waited for?
It’s who we’ve waited for

How many kings, stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
How many Gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that has torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Only one did that for me

All for me
All for you
All for me
All for you

Park

On Friday most of the kids and I went up to the farm.  Bob and a couple of his kids plus Mandy and Nathan and my clan headed over to the park at Saddle Creek.  We stayed until we made ourselves sick spinning round and round and round.

Setting up for Christmas

Our traditions are working!  The kids anticipated what would happen this year.  They knew that we set up the tree while watching the parade on Thanksgiving Day.  BUT…as they kept reminding me, we broke our traditions this year.  Since we hosted Thanksgiving we waited till the next day.  Oh my!  The moans and groans!  :)  My heart was happy, though.  Our family traditions are important to my children.  Yeah!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had Thanksgiving dinner with my parents, Nathan, Mandy, and Bob and his family.  In the evening, Jason and the big girls went over to visit with the Turpin clan that were gathered at Marissa’s house.  Hopefully someone took pictures at the Turpins and will send them to me!  Please!?!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Happy Birthday Sammi!

Happiest birthday to my Sammi Wammi!  I can’t believe that you are 11 years old.  How is that possible?  The day started very early.  Sammi was excited to open her presents.  Grandma and Grandpa Turpin took us out to IHOP for breakfast.  Then for Sammi’s dinner she wanted sushi.  Everyone was so brave and met us for our Japanese experience.  We were all very pleasantly surprised – the sushi was excellent!  We all left full and happy.  We enjoyed cake and ice cream here at home.

Happy 11th Birthday Sammi!  May this be a fantastic year for you!

A few unexpected presents from Sammi’s friends, Sister Burdin, Brother McIntosh, and Brother Scott.  Thanks y’all for remembering our girl on her birthday!

Playing in the Park

We are having fun with Jason and the kids home.

 

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I love this time of year!  Everyone is starting to get excited.  My family has started humming Christmas songs.  Everyone asks each other about their Thanksgiving plans.  No one that I know is left out of the festivities.  My children are out of school and playing.  My in-laws are visiting.  We are looking forward to gatherings with family.  My heart is full.

My Cute Family

My sweet kiddos – Joy and Bella are too fun and cuddly.

Sammi enjoys Joy’s therapy too!  :)  Sammi is so creative.  These are base 10 counters.  She sees things I don’t.  I am analytic and logical.  She is creative to the max!

   

Jessi got a belated birthday present from nurse Ann.  They had so much fun playing with it.

Grandma and Grandpa got here!  They are visiting for the holidays.

Becca, Sammi, Jessi, and Lizzy are so excited – no school all week!

My Shepherd Will Supply My Need

I love this song!  Our Ward Choir is singing it next week at Ward Conference.  Lucky Jason – it’s his week to go!

The lyrics totally explain what this past year has been to me.

Lyrics by Isaac Watts.

My Shepherd will supply my need:
Jehovah is His Name;
In pastures fresh He makes me feed,
Beside the living stream.
He brings my wandering spirit back
When I forsake His ways,
And leads me, for His mercy’s sake,
In paths of truth and grace.

When I walk through the shades of death
Thy presence is my stay;
One word of Thy supporting breath
Drives all my fears away.
Thy hand, in sight of all my foes,
Doth still my table spread;
My cup with blessings overflows,
Thine oil anoints my head.

The sure provisions of my God
Attend me all my days;
O may Thy house be my abode,
And all my work be praise.
There would I find a settled rest,
While others go and come;
No more a stranger, nor a guest,
But like a child at home.

Bowling with Nathan

We are having a lot of birthdays!  For Nathan’s birthday celebration, we all went bowling!  That was a lot of fun.  Believe it or not, Becca won!  She beat Grandma – unthinkable!  :)  We came back to the house and had cake and ice cream.  Bella was having her time off the vent, so we brought her outside as well!  Hoping for more times when Bella can be with us all.  Happy Birthday Nathan!

Tabernacle Day

At Sammi’s school, we all got together and they made a scale model of the Tabernacle.  They built it and then had a pastor talk about the symbolism in everything.  It was very cool!

Playing before it got started…

Building the structure…

Adding one of the four curtains…

the Shewbread…

The ark of the covenant…

 

Our turn to go inside…

the Holy of Holies..

And then a stop at McDonald’s on the way home…  :)