Now, A Year of Grace

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November

Happy 5th Birthday to our little lady, Hannah Grace, We Love You!

The Celebrations Continue

To continue to the Birthday celebrations, we took Faith out to Red Robin to eat on Saturday night; Red Robin is the home of the unlimited french fries - what could be better for a four-year-old?Big Daddy and the Birthday girls

These are just a few pictures we took before we headed to church Sunday morning.

Come Make a Silly Face with Faith and Hannah Grace

This past Friday night we had the girls a Mr. Potato Head Birthday party. Travis and I had so much fun decorating for the party. Travis had to go to Texas for a quick trip on Thursday and I stayed up late to finish cleaning the house and to decorate a little, Faith got up Friday morning before Hannah Grace but when she walked in the kitchen she went running back to their room yelling, "Come look, get up, come look, get up, get up, get up!" So needless to say, the girls loved their party theme.

We set up tables in the garage (which was a party first, but it worked great and we will use it again) and we couldn't believe how many Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head's we had accumulated over the past ten years. Many of the "heads" came from Goodwill and Downtown Disney has a great toy store where you can stuff a potato with as many parts as will fit. Samuel has always loved to play with Mr. Potato Head and the girls love it too.

Now on the pictures of the Birthday girls!

Here's my favorite picture of the girls:

We had a great time and enjoyed seeing friends and family during this time of year, we hope everyone else did too. Tomorrow Hannah Grace turns five years old - wow!

Dancing With The Star

Memama and Helio

A Year of Faith

Instead of a Friday Family Funny, I want to show you some pictures of our funny little girl, Faith, who is turning four years old tomorrow.

January
February

March

April

May

June

July

August
September

October
November

Happy Fourth Birthday, Faith! Thanks for keeping us laughing - we love you!

More Celebrations

Today, Hannah Grace is celebrating her Birthday with her class at school. She took snowman cupcakes as her "Birthday Snack".

Here are my sweet girls in their sweatshirts they made a school with their "hands" and "feet" - aren't they sweet - the sweatshirts and the girls!

Both girls also had their Christmas Programs at school this past week. Hannah Grace's class played the "handbells" - she did great; she is going to be a great choir member, she never took her eyes off her teacher.

Faith on the other hand, couldn't quit grinning and waving!

Samuel was sick all night Sunday night, but is feeling much better now.

(No new pictures of him right now - sorry!)

We are gearing up for a Silly Mr. Potato Head birthday party tomorrow night for both girls as the celebrations continue...

Friday Family Funnies - I Want to Eat with Them

Last week, Grammy and Big Daddy, Uncle Rick and Aunt Cindy, and Uncle Dick and Aunt Lou returned from a week-long cruise. Before they left, I was telling the girls about their cruise and that they were going to Mexico and we wouldn't see them for a couple of weeks. Faith quickly replied, "Why, I want to go eat Mexican with them."

Have a great week-end!

Let the Celebrations Begin

In the month of December with Christmas we also have the girl's birthday's and our anniversary; plus Grammy and Big Daddy's and Memama and Granddaddy's anniversaries are in December too.

With all those special days, we spend the month of December celebrating and the celebrating began today with Faith taking a "Birthday Snack" to school. She wanted Tinker Bell cupcakes. She was so excited to go to school today - more excited that she usually is, and that's a lot!

We have a set of boxes that have different characters (a Star, the Shepherds, the Animals, an Angel, Mary and Joseph and Baby Jesus) and each Monday night leading up to Christmas Travis tells part of the Christmas story using one of the boxes and inside the box is a special treat, the first box always has Little Debbie Christmas Trees inside. I love hearing Travis tell the story and watching the kids eyes, especially the girls, as they listen. Last night Daddy told us a story about the animals at the manger and inside the box was each of the kids Christmas ornament to put on the tree. After Hannah Grace thanked Jesus for the animals at that manger we went into the living room to put our ornaments on the tree.

The prayer Travis and I have for our children is that with all the different celebrations we have in December they will see that Birthday's and Santa and all that goes with those are fun, but the real reason we Celebrate is Jesus' Birthday.

Lessons in Giving

This past Saturday we took the kids to The Dollar Tree to do some Christmas shopping for their grandparents. We told them they could get anything in the store, aren't we just big spenders! Samuel saw what he wanted to get and was finished. Hannah Grace was very intention in what she got for each Grandparent, but once she saw what she wanted there was no changing her mind. Faith, would get very side-tracked and forget that she was shopping for others not for her. She did pick out her gifts, but was not very happy as she was leaving about not getting a coloring book.

At first Travis and I almost gave in and got each of them something too, but then decided that this shopping trip was for others and this would be a great, but hard, teaching moment. Samuel (who doesn't look very happy in this picture - he was getting frustrated with himself and wrapping) and Hannah Grace were both happy to get for others, Faith did cry all the way home, but once we got home and began wrapping the gifts, she was happy and excited to give her presents (as you can see above).

Later in the afternoon, while I was getting a "Welcome Home Supper" together for Grammy and Big Daddy (they had been on vacation for a week) Travis and the girls decorated pine cones for the birds outside.

Faith wanted to eat the peanut butter too - another lesson in giving - we were giving to the birds God has created not eating the peanut butter!

It was a great week-end:

Travis and I were able to go out on a date Friday night for supper and then to do some Christmas shopping for the kids, thanks to the girl's school Polar Express movie night; our fun day together on Saturday; and then a GREAT day of worship yesterday. I stood there yesterday with tears in my eyes thanking God for leading us to a church who worships Christ and that is teaching all five of us.

I thank God for the week-ends like He gave us during this season we are to celebrate the coming of His Son.

I look forward to sharing with more of our Family Christmas fun and celebrations. I pray that you and your family and finding time together and having fun too!