Christmas Morning

This is a picture I took after Santa came! I was ready to go to bed...I am becoming a wimpy Santa in my old age. It is hard to wait for the kids to be fast asleep when I want to be fast asleep myself! Morgan discovered last year that Santa is us, and she was really wanting to help up stuff stockings this year. When Mark went to get her up though...well she wast too busy sleeping to care! I guess she decided sleep was better than stuffing stockings! Haleigh (who has a bit more common sense than Morgan) decided that she had the whole Santa thing figured out. So, when she asked me flat out, I couldn't lie to her anymore. She figured it out a lot earlier than Morgan did. Still lots of fun for Jacob though!


Mark's work truck doesn't even have a CD player in it, so we decided to get him an IPOD for Christmas. We got him the Nano since it was $100 cheaper than the others, and we got him an adapter so that he can play it through his truck radio/speakers. He loves it! Yeah for us - he loved something that wasn't fishing stuff! Mark got me a new digital camera and a gift certificate for a day at the spa! He did really good too.

Here are the kids with their new DVD's - this was the year of the 3's (Santa Clause 3, Pirates 3, and Shrek 3). The only one we're still missing is Spiderman 3. Jacob liked his movie, but he decided that Santa didn't read his note and bring him the ONLY GIFT HE ASKED FOR!

Well...he did get that. He wanted this camera so bad; just like his best friend Luke's camera! He has been taking pictures and videos ever since then! He is so proud of the pictures he takes - most of them are of the tv shows he watched!

The girls were wanting a Wii sooooo bad, and we convinced them that they couldn't be found...which was ALMOST true. With much searching and searching and searching, Mark happened to come across one right after they were delivered at a Wal-Mart in Southlake. We were so excited, and we could hardly wait to get it open as well! I have never been a fan of video games because I think the kids can just waste their life away in front of the TV/video game, but this one is truly family friendly and it can really get your heart rate up! I also now have a way to bribe my kids to clean their rooms and finish their chores...you can't play the Wii until that is done! I can beat my whole family in bowling too!

One thing Haleigh was dying to have was some toe socks, and she was so delighted - I love her face - she can get so excited about the simplest things!

We had a great Christmas, but I am glad it's over! The tree has already been taken down and become "structure" in our pond. Hopefully I can catch a great big bass off of it in a couple of years! I hope everyone else had a great Christmas - on to a great new year!

Christmas Eve/Mulitcultural Christmas

It has always been a custom in my family to open one gift on Christmas Eve, so that is what we do with our family now. I knew what the kids were getting on Christmas morning from "Santa", and I knew that the kids would care less what they got from "us" for Christmas. Therefore, I decided to let the kids open both of their gifts from us on Christmas Eve. Morgan got a much needed new pair of tennis shoes. She looks thrilled, doesn't she! She really does like them ~ she's just not great at showing it!

Haleigh needed a new pair of Nike's as well since Morgan got some ~ that's how it is with her!

Jacob got some Black and Decker "tools" ~ hopefully this will keep him from playing with Barbies!

The girls got a gift to share! This is the newest thing from Leap Frog - a writing device for the computer. They both want to be writers when they grow up, so hopefully this will inspire them to keep writing.

Jacob's other gift was Spider Man Operation. This game is really cool. He is the master surgeon! If Spidey ever needs help, Jacob will be on his way!

We collectively decided that Santa probablly gets tired of cookies, so we make cupcakes. Here the kids are making cupcakes for Santa on Christmas Eve.

On my next post I will show pictures from Christmas morning. After we opened presents and ate breakfast, the neighbors came and asked the kids to come break pinatas with them and their cousins. Our kids have never done that for Christmas, but the neighbors do it every year. It was neat for the kids to experience a multi-cultural Christmas. They also gave us tamales for lunch and their special "punch" (similar to cider). It was very nice of them to include us!

Jacob didn't have to wear the blindfold since he is younger!

The mad dash for the candy!

The day after Christmas we had to unwind and head to Joe's Crab Shack!

You can always count on Haleigh being the life of the party! I will post our X-mas day pictures during my next post.

Our 3 Chipmunks

We went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks a couple of days ago - Mark and I decided that we have all three of them. Haleigh is Alvin (always mischevious), Morgan is Simon (tall, skinny, and smart), and Jacob is Theodore (so stinking cute). Jacob woke up this morning and said "Theodore is awake"! He and Haleigh thought the movie rocked - Mark, Morgan, and I would have rather seen National Treasure! Here are our three little chipmunks!

They think it is really funny to take "pretend sleeping" pictures - this was our first attempt. I love the look on Haleigh's face!

Retry - much better this time! Merry Christmas!

Chirstmas Tree and Gingerbread House

So, it is that time of year - I'm not a super big fan of Chirstmas time - I just like for it to pass so that all the shopping and planning will be done. I am looking forward to two weeks off, and it will be really nice to just spend time with the kids at home. We are not going to Colorado this year, so it will be very different for us . We are kicking off our "Christmas celebrations" this weekend. We have one side of Mark's family get together on Friday night in Rockwall, and then we will be going to Gunter Saturday morning for his other side of the family. We will have to quickly get back here for Morgan's basketball game, and then Mark and I will be spending Saturday evening in Ft. Worth for Mark's company Christmas party. We have a very full weekend up ahead, and hopefully we will make it to all events. Mark woke up Sunday morning around 4:00 with a stomach virus. He is back to work today, but he is still feeling weak from two days of not eating or drinking much (by the way Jeff, he said he is not playing in the basketball game tonight). Morgan woke up this morning at 3:00 with, what appears to be for now, a weaker version of Mark's problem. I am not feeling well either, so I am anticipating it hitting me today too. Anyway, here are a few pictures of us getting ready for Christmas. As mentioned in previous blogs, Jacob cannot take a picture without Lightning anymore - here are a few to enjoy.

Mark is trying to protect his ears from Lightning - in case your wondering what he's doing!

We have found, over the years, that not too many people in Decatur buy the live tree for Christmas. That means that not too many people sell them either - Wal-Mart used to be the only place that sold them until Lowe's moved in! Wal-Mart sold terrible trees too, so I am glad that Lowe's came (great trees by the way). We used to drive to Denton to buy a decent tree! We have a very small house that we are living in right now, so as you can see, the tree had to be short and skinny. This is Mark's favorite part of christmas (sarcasm here)! He did say this was his favorite tree rather than the ten foot trees we had at our old house with the tall ceiling!

Haleigh really loves Christmas, and this truly is one of her favorite things to do!

Morgan decorating! As you can see, we had to use the entry way to put up our tree - good thing we use the back door!

This picture shows Jacob's two "things" right now - 1)being in his undies and 2)sticking his tongue out. I don't know where either of these areas of interest came from, but he does look cute in his Spider Man underwear! I could live without the sticking out of the tongue!

The final touch - putting Santa atop the tree! Only, there was a problem with the skinny, wimpy tree...

Santa was too heavy...so, our tree is topless right now. I guess we need to look for something lighter or just go without a topper.

On to decorating the gingerbread house - if you'll notice, Jacob is not completely unclothed this time - just slightly! Morgan got a new haircut too! And, yeah for our b.ball victory against Paradise - we are 1-0!






Isn't it lovely?!

Okay, now to answer questions about my interview - the principal said it went extraordinary, but they cannot give me the job. I am not yet certified in Texas, and they cannot even make a recommendation for me to the administration building because they won't even consider me. Well, that really stinks, huh? I have worked my butt off for the last two years to finish school, and I'm not "highly qualified" according to the "GREAT STATE OF TEXAS". I was already going to have to start the process of getting certified in Texas, but I wasn't aware that it would keep me from being employed. Apparently the state is able to withhold funding from any school district that hires a teacher that is not certified by the state of Texas...well, they don't want to take that chance on me. So, I will continue my aide job that pays really well (ha ha) until next school year. The next available test date is Feb. 23, 2008 - so, I have lots of time to study!

The Next Five

6. I am thankful to be a college graduate - this has been a huge life goal of mine, and I am done! I won't have my diploma in my hand for another 2-3 weeks, but I am a graduate! I never thought it would take me 14 years, but life doesn't always work according to my timeline. It's funny how things just really seem to work out when you least expect it. There is a tremendous weight lifted off of my shoulders, and I am proud to be an example of an "educated woman" for my daughters.

7. I am thankful for the convenience of my life - can you imagine life in the "old days" when people didn't have running water, heat/ac, a stove, a washing machine, Wal-Mart, etc. I am thankful that I didn't have to give birth in my home or without an epidural (Morgan was my exception, but after that I was TRULY thankful for the invention of the epidural)! I am just so thankful for the intelligent people that came before me so that I am able to enjoy the conveniences of my life.

8. I am thankful for my family; my sisters, my brother, my mom, and my dad - what would life have been like as an only child? I know people that are only children, and I don't mean to imply that it would be a bad thing, I just can't imagine it for myself since I come from a large family. There was/is never a boring time when we are together. I am thankful that my dad was willing to come into a family that was already quite full. For those of you who don't know, my real dad died when I was three. So, my dad came into a family with three children already. He has never treated us like we were not his own flesh and blood, and I am extremely thankful for that gift. I am thankful for my mother, who in her 20's, became a single mom with three very young children (1, 3, and 5 years old). She is an amazing story of survival, and I am thankful for her perseverance. I am thankful for the siblings I have - they have made my life so fun!

9. I am thankful for my friends - when we first moved to Decatur I was somewhat isolated. I was really young - not much older than the kids in the youth group that we were working with but much younger than the other young couples in our church. I hated it here in Texas, and all I wanted to do was move home to Colorado. It took about five years, but I started to find my niche. I have some very special friends now that I wouldn't be able to function without! They are a true blessing and a gift from God!

10. Finally, I am most thankful for the gift of Jesus - what an amazing sacrifice. Without that sacrifice, none of these other things would even matter. I don't even think that I can begin to describe how thankful I am for that sacrifice, that amazing gift that I don't deserve and can never repay.

The time of Thanksgiving comes and goes without a second thought - onward to Christmas. I just think I need more time to dwell on my thankfulness, but I shouldn't only do it on Thanksgiving - it needs to be a part of my every day. Hopefully it will be.

Thanksgiving

Thanks to all of you that prayed for me for my interview - I feel like it went well, but you never know about that stuff! Anyway, the principle said that he is needing to make a decision before Dec. 20th (the next school board meeting) so that they can make a recommendation to the board. There are a couple other qualified people also interviewing, so we'll see!

Now, I have been too busy to write about Thanksgiving. I have been thinking about truly being thankful...I don't say the word thank you nearly enough, and I really want to work on that. I expect my children to use the words all the time, but I don't know that I set such a great example of that. So, I wanted to make a list of at least 10 things I am truly, truly thankful for in my life. Here goes:

1. I am thankful for God's plan for my life - I can only imagine where I'd be if it wasn't for God's hand guiding me! I would never had gone to Harding, never of heard about Camp Deer Run, never met Mark at CDR, etc. He had a plan for me from the beginning, and I never thought it would include living in Texas, but like they say, God works in mysterious ways!

2. I am thankful for my husband - he is truly the other half of me. Morgan told me yesterday that we are just perfect for each other even though we argue about stupid stuff (like me not being able to drive at night)! I can't imagine going through life without him - I just love him so much.

3. I am thankful for shelter - can you imagine living without it? The rental we are living in right now is only about 1100 square feet, but it is so much nicer than most of the places I saw in Brazil last summer. I am so thankful that I have a place to live - something I take for granted all the time but am truly thankful for.

4. I am thankful for my children - I know several people that struggle to conceive, and I am so thankful that I was not in that position. God has truly blessed me and Mark with three beautiful, amazing, and wonderful children...they are the light of my life.

5. I am thankful for my health - not only for my health but that of my family. I see the special needs children at school every day, and I cannot imagine living without sight, hearing, or the ability to walk. I am thankful for my legs, my arms, my sight, my hearing, my health! I am thankful that the most traumatic health issue we have had in my family is that Jacob had to have two sets of tubes instead of only one! We are truly blessed.

That's the first five, and the post is getting quite lengthy. I need to get my kids in the shower, so I will write the next five soon! Thanks again for your prayers for my interview!

Please Pray!

I have my job interview first thing tomorrow morning (Thursday) at 8:30 a.m. Please pray that all goes well ! Hopefully it is in God's plan for me to get this job. Thanks! Have a great day.

Haleigh's Pictures of the pond

We have been having some trouble with our pond ever since the heavy rains hit over the summer - the pond was full and holding water, but then the rain just kept coming and coming and coming. That was a good thing for all of our lakes and ponds, but somehow it caused a leak in our pond at the dam. We don't really know what happened, but our pond guy came out to fix it recently. Now, we are holding water, so it is almost full again. Mark, Haleigh, and Jacob went out the other night to see if they could catch any of the bass that we stocked in it. They didn't catch any of the bass, but they did catch a couple of perch. Haleigh had the camera, and these are the pictures that were on the memory card! Haleigh would just die if she knew everyone saw this picture, but it was only one of about ten in which she was giving the peace sign with one hand while taking the picture with the other - she sure is a nut! She thinks she is a little gansta!


Like always, here is a picture of Lightning with JACOB (he can't take a picture without him these days).


You can see the bridge in the bottom right hand corner of this picture, and this is a view of the left side of the pond (almost full again)!

Here is the view to the right of the bridge - you can see the lily pads (few, but growing).

Here is a picture of the left side of the pond from the bridge - so pretty with the reflection of the trees in the water.

I guess she let Mark have the camera for a little! She is using Mark's fly rod, and she has a perch on - look real close and you can see it just above the water.

We can't wait until the bass grow and grow - good fishing to come!

Last Days

I haven't posted in so long - too busy. Here is a really cute picture of Jacob and Lightning. Jacob wants me to take his picture all the time with the dog. He just loves him so much! Just had to put this picture on. (Jacob's hair looks like that because he had just taken a bath)

Thursday was my last day to work at The Learning Ladder (where I work after school in the homework room). There weren't very many kids there on Thursday, but here are a few pictures with some of my favorite little people. This is a group of the kindergarten and 1st graders that were there. They are so cute, huh?

Here are the 2nd and 3rd graders that were there - they are a handful.

They wanted to take a silly picture too!

Here are the 4th and 5th graders (hardly any there on Thursday).

There are normally way more, and you gotta love them too.

Friday was my last day in my classroom. Here is my host teacher (the best teacher ever), and here are the kiddos in the class (2 are absent). They are so stinking sweet. They had a going away party for me this week, and all the kids made me a card and they gave me a huge box of classroom goodies like stickers, dry erase markers, post it notes, staplers, paperclips, pointers, bulletin board decorations, and so much more. Hopefully I can use them soon!

Silly picture...

...and yet another silly picture! Why do all kids want to take silly pictures?


These are just some of my favorite people in all the world - it is killing me to have to leave them. However, I start my new job Monday. They got me funded as a special ed aide as well as an instructional aide (since I am highly trained now)! I get to work as a reading interventionists for kindergarten, first, and second graders. This will be good training for me, but VERY little pay. Anyway, a foot in the door is a foot in the door. Also, I talked to the principal on Friday and they are going to interview me for a second grade job. As of Friday, the second grade is FULL! My friend Tera said I must have pretty powerful prayers! Anyway, they are going to open up another second grade class, and my interview is Thursday, November 29th at 8:30 a.m. So, I need you guys to pray again - really, really hard! I would love to have this job!

Anyway...done with student teaching, yeah!