Every Light Counts

 Our church is launching a project called "Every Light Counts" as the Thanksgiving and Christmas season is upon us.  It's got me thinking a lot about just how powerful each one of us can be in our world.  We can send out a ripple of kindness that helps people see God's love in action.  For our church, we are asking each person to consider getting involved in one of the many servant events that we have happening over the next 5 or 6 weeks:

Serving meals at our local elementary school to families attending school events
Giving shoppers free coffee in the wee hours of black Friday shopping
Helping buy Christmas gifts for children who might not otherwise have them
Heading out to our neighborhood Christmas parade to hand out fun packs and glow sticks to kids
Taking snack packs to more than 400 mall employees after church

Today, while reflecting on the impact a little light can make, I was reminded of the song we used to sing in Sunday School..."This little light of mine...I'm going to let it shine."  And I realized that every person in the world has opportunity to be a light in someone else's life regardless of faith background or beliefs.  I wonder what would happen if we all started looking out for our neighbors?  What if we found ways to be kind when no one expected it?  For our church, we see it as an opportunity to help people know that God loves them right where they are.

I believe it's this type of kindness that could change the world because "Every LIGHT Counts"--yours and mine!  Why not try and be a light this holiday season?

As the Year Winds Down...

I know, I know...I've been off in blogging...AGAIN! Life has been so busy and I've been neglectful. I have so much to say, but haven't taken the time to say it. Soooo...here's a recap of the last 17 days in photos and words:

It was no small miracle that the trees and decorations got put up. It's such a process at our house and this year, it was in the midst of a very busy schedule.

Things were up just in time for DS 1 to come home and enjoy a moment under the tree with DS 3 and LG.
We had a day in Tampa to take pics with family. This is a picture that DS 3 took of my DH and Me.

And here's one of our family.

My Mom gave us tickets to spend one day at Busch Gardens before the holiday. I took DSs 2, 3, and 4 and LG and some of their friends for a day up there. It was a nice day and we had a blast! DS 4 even rode his first roller coaster.

DS 3, LG and I went out one night to look at holiday lights. We found this display at a local church where the lights are synchronized to music. They had hot chocolate and cookies after you walked through their huge display.

We had a lovely Christmas Eve Service and a quiet celebration at my in-laws. Grandma was quite creative in her gift giving this year! The boys and LG loved opening each of their presents that were filled with so much LOVE!

Once again the boys indulged me and let me get them all Christmas PJ's. It is always a fun thing for me to shop for them. This year it was a little difficult because I had to also find something that would work for LG. Still...she had a blast in the mix of all these guys!

We spent Christmas Day at my Dad's house. As always it's filled with laughter, great food, and family fun!

At the beginning of this week, we loaded up DS2 and what remained of DS 1's stuff and moved them to Gainesville. Here is DH and his co-pilot LG ready to drive the truck!

DSs 1 and 2 got a very nice apartment and will be living together this semester. They seem excited to take this venture. I am reminded of when they were little...they told me they'd never be able to be apart because they were used to sharing a room. So...here they are moved in and once again, sharing living space! I'm glad they're such good friends.
After we dropped them off, DH, DS 3, LG and I went to Orlando for a couple of days. We enjoyed the Ice! Exhibit at the Gaylord Hotel. It's such an amazing thing to see and LG was simply fun to take through it!

Shoot, it was fun just having her at the hotel. She'd never been on an escalator and was THRILLED with that experience! Then, we did the glass elevator which amazed her.

While in Orlando, we met DH's brother and his family for dinner (and to pick up DS 4 who stayed with Grandma and Grandpa a couple of days). It was a lovely visit.

Yesterday, we took the family to Islands of Adventure at Universal Studios. It was JAM PACKED and we ended up leaving early. There's no sense trying to get it all in when you're a Floridian and you can get up there in a non-peak season. Sooo...we dropped off my niece, had a nice dinner and headed home.

Knowing she'd never been on an escalator, you can imagine that the moving sidewalks at Universal were also a novelty for her!

That pretty much brings us here...to New Year's Eve. I had good intentions of getting Christmas completely down today, but I didn't. I have enjoyed a nap. I enjoyed the quiet. I enjoyed doing pretty much nothing.

There's no question that this has been a busy few weeks. Heck...it's been a busy life! My goal for 2010 is to learn to sit still and just enjoy some quiet moments.

I hope your December has been just as memorable and that your New Year is filled with much love and joy!!

My Weekend Window

Once again, our weekend was filled to the brim! In the midst of busy-ness, I must say it was another reminder just how blessed I am!

On Friday, DH and I took LG to see some of her family members. LG has a brother who is confined to a wheelchair. One local organization provided a new wheelchair and lift for him. They presented it on Friday at one of their charity events. It was so nice to see him receive this blessing! And I know it was nice for LG to visit with her brothers, cousins, Uncle and Grandma.

Saturday, we took DS 4 to a local skateboard/bike competition in town. They could "free skate" during breaks. He and his friends had a great time. LG and I stayed and watched for over an hour. Then, I left DS 4 with his friends so they could enjoy the rest of this event together.

After that, she and I got our haircut. I thought MY hair was thick! Hers has mine WAY BEAT! They cut it and thinned it out. I think she's happy having some of the weight off her head!

Saturday night, DH and I took DS 3, DS 4, and LG to our city boat parade. It was a gorgeous night...not too hot and definitely not too cold! It was nice to just sit out under the stars, listen to the water lap the shore, and watch the pretty boats go by.

Here was DS 4's favorite.

And here was my favorite.

Sunday, I took LG to a birthday party for one of her cousins. Then we came home and finally finished decorating INSIDE my house! Next Sunday, we are hosting our annual holiday Open House, so I needed to know this piece was FINISHED.

I am finally feeling more "Christmasey" despite the warm humid temps we are having. It's fun preparing for the season under LG's watchful eye. She has enjoyed the many activities we've had to prepare for the season so far. I am excited to share this holiday with her and the rest of my guys.

I hope your weekend was also BLESSED!

December Blessings...

It may seem like a small thing, but I was abundantly blessed last night when I came home from work last night to see my DSs 2 and 3 doing this:

And it continued while the sun set.



And the night grew darker. Despite mosquitoes they pressed on.


Until they had it done.



I know I've said it before, but I LOVE MY GUYS!!

A Sweet Christmas Surprise!

When I was growing up, we listened to a lot of Christmas music at this time of the year. There were the "old standards" from Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole. And we had several albums of the Ray Coniff Singers. I enjoyed them all at one time or another over the years.

Of course, they were LP's (vinyl records, for those of you too young to remember) so they would get scratched and make pops and cracks occasionally.

One record that I loved to listen to around this time was Walter Brennan's "Twas the Night Before Christmas...Back Home". It's not that the songs are all that great. In fact, there are times when you think you might be listening to the same song in the background while Brennan spins a tale of the season. It's his storytelling that I loved.

A couple weeks ago, DS 3 and I were driving somewhere and talking about the season. I mentioned briefly that I LOVED listening to this album when I was little. I think I may have even said, "I'd give anything to listen to it again." And I told him that I'd looked a few years back on the Internet, but found nothing.

On Christmas morning, DS 3 told me, "Mom, your gift is not here yet. It's on it's way though." To be honest, I forgot about that exchange in the hoopla of all the other celebration and packages the season brought.

Yesterday, DS 3 came to me and said, "Remember I told you that your gift wasn't here yet?" I really only vaguely remembered. He produced this CD of not one, but TWO, Walter Brennan Christmas albums!

I have to tell you, I was BLOWN AWAY on so many levels! First, and foremost, that this young man took that simple snippet of a conversation and turned it into a Christmas surprise amazed me. Second that the album was even "out there". I honestly looked a few years back and turned up absolutely NOTHING.

So, last night, even with Christmas 2008 now firmly in the past, I listened, once again, to Brennan's special stories. I know in today's society, this album probably would never had been made. But I enjoyed, once again, Christmas stories that used to make me laugh and make me cry.

All because a young man took the time to make it so. Thank you, son! I love you!

Christmas 2008 Revisited: Christmas Eve and Beyond

After everyone left, we carried on our Christmas Eve tradition of the boys receiving Christmas PJ's. I love it that they "allow" me to continue taking the photo each year!

The older boys had their gift exchange with their friends M & K and then they went to play Ultimate Frisbee for a bit.

I was so excited because I was literally able to finish wrapping presents in a little under an hour AND watch the end of my favorite Christmas movie: "It's a Wonderful Life". This is a first for me (at least in a REALLY long time) because I am usually STARTING to wrap on Christmas Eve. I have even had the boys help me in pinch when it's been after midnight before.

But, this year, the prep was small and I was able to get in bed around 11:00pm. It was SO NICE!!

Christmas morning is usually us opening gifts here and then, in the afternoon, heading to Tampa to see my family. Santa brought two gifts this year. He knew that Grandma and Grandpa N were getting us a Wii, so he brought Wii Fit and Rock Band 2.

The boys have had a ball with all the new Wii games they received in addition to these two as well. It's been a great source of entertainment in the days beyond Christmas.

I put the stockings in here because I really wanted Danielle to see just how similar our stockings are! Our stockings are always opened last. And, in our family, we only give them to the "kids". Although, I'm thinking about changing that next year after reading some of the traditions in blogland this year.

Christmas has been a great time of family and friends for us this year. It was simpler than normal. Everyone cut down on the presents they gave, but there has been no shortage of love and laughter. I'm thankful for each and every memory we've made this week.

And I am looking forward to 2009 with much joy and hope!

Christmas 2008 Revisited...Toward Christmas Eve

It may seem like I fell off the face of the blogging Earth after DS 1 got home one week ago. And, in many ways, I guess I did. So much has happened that I want to recount, however. Soooo...I figure there's no time like the present to start. This first post will revisit our week up to Christmas Eve.

We've had a great time visiting with DS 1 and our friends and family over the past week. Of course, there was shopping to do. And baking. And wrapping. And all the other "stuff" that goes along with preparing for the "big day".

Just a short 24 hours after DS 1 was home, he broke his front tooth skateboarding with DS 4. I have to tell you it was so cool how it all worked out. DS 2 came home about the same time with his friend C, who's stepdad and stepGrandfather have a dentist practice. DS 1 knew to put the tooth in milk. C's Stepdad told us to meet him down there on a Saturday. Both men met us down there along with the hygenist. They were able to rebond the tooth (thanks to the milk). AND...they didn't charge a cent for the visit! He told DS 1 that he is so thankful for the job that service men and women do that it was the least he could do. What a blessing it was!

On Sunday, we had a fabulous service at church where we created gift bags for employees at the mall. We created 450 bags of prewrapped snacks and treats. We left and went in teams to the mall to distribute the bags to employees throughout the mall as our way of saying thanks for giving through the holidays. It was SO COOL! Employees were simply blown away that we thought of them.

DSs 3 and 4 and I went to Busch Gardens for a day on Tuesday. DS 3's GF went with us. DS 1 and his friends also went---although we only saw them one time all day. We are thankful for Gram giving us tickets to go to the park. Christmas Eve was SO neat this year for us. As you might remember, our church meets in one of the local schools. Since we only get one day a week, we made the decision to host Christmas Eve "service" at our house. We spent time visiting and eating (of course). Then, about half way through, we got out the guitars and several people got out percussion instruments so we could share some carols.

Now, here's the neatest part. DS 3's GF and her family came. Her family is not involved in church. Her Dad is a Jehovah's Witness. And she has a step Grandmother who is Christian Scientist and a Grandfather who converted to Mormon.

And DS 4's friends were here as well. They are Jewish and in the middle of Hannukah right now. Yet, they took part in the percussion section for the evening.

And, there we were singing, "Oh, HOLY Night" and "O Come Let Us Adore Him"! All I could think was, "Wow, this must be similar to the stable on that first Christmas so long ago." I mean can you imagine people from all different backgrounds at all stages of the journey gathering to worship the Newborn King? And NO ONE was judged...it was simply a time of pure joy!

For me, THIS was a PERFECT night!

A Sweet Surprise

I'm bummed cause my video didn't come out at all. BUT here's the surprise that happened today. DS 1 came HOME! DS 4 didn't think that he was going to get to see his big brother until May. He has been quite bummed about it.

DS 1 gets two weeks off to spend the holidays here at home. He flew in this morning and DH brought him directly to school. I went into DS 4's classroom while they were singing to video it. And suddenly, DS 1 walked in...it was so exciting!

He said, "You didn't tell me you were coming home!" And "This is my BEST Christmas present this year!"

It was a precious precious time and I am a happy Mom. More to come.

Anticipation...and a blessing...

I'm anticipating today. There is a much-loved surprise coming to my DS 4 and I can't wait to take part in it. I will be videoing and hope to post it later.

I'm going to be BRIEF...but I have to say what a GREAT "Santa" my FIL is! He helped carry out operation Santa today in a BIG WAY! I'm blessed for sure!

I'll check back in later.

Weekend Window

This weekend was no different from most of our other weekends. It was busy. Generally, it was a good busy. Saturday we started at the soccer field with DS 4. His team won.

I left immediately for my wonderful manicure and pedicure! I went with Christmas Red this time. DS 3 and I were at DS 2's Ultimate Frisbee match on Saturday and I couldn't resist taking this photo of my feet. Weird, huh?

Speaking of DS 2, here he is all dressed up for the "hat tournament." I guess in Ultimate Frisbee language, that means that they draw the names for the teams out of a hat to make sure everyone is somewhat evenly matched. There is also some rule about if you score and you lose the hat in the catch, then you don't get the points...or something like that. I have a lot to learn about this sport for sure!!

DS 3 and I had fun watching the game and taking some goofy photos (a la my feet). He reminded me on my Facebook page that I was playing with the camera, and not him. Still here we are being the dutiful frisbee fans!

Saturday was topped off with a call from DS 1. He is doing great. He was chosen to be the PG for his platoon, which I guess means "Platoon Guide". When we researched it, we found out it was a kind of "bittersweet" job. It recognizes him as a leader, but with leadership sometimes comes ribbing from peers. Isn't that a life lesson, though? When you become a leader, there will always be those who don't recognize you as one. He seemed very proud and excited. We are proud of him as well.

Decorating this year has been a LOOOONNNNGGG process for me. The boxes came out soon after Thanksgiving, but it took until yesterday to get it done. I just haven't had the time (or the drive) to really dig into the entire project, so I did a little at a time. DSs 2, 3, and 4 helped me get the outside done yesterday.

Then I finally finished our formal tree. DS 4 was a BIG help with the ornaments on this one. And it wouldn't have all come together without DS 3's height and angel placing ability.

I told someone yesterday that showing my nativities is like showing photos of your grandchildren in some ways. I love each and every one, but I know it probably gets a little boring for those of you for whom they really hold no meaning. Still, I thought I'd share with you one of my new ones that I got last year. It has a light on it and plays music. I love how the whole thing is in that word "JOY"!

My village is always a highlight of my decorating each year. This year, the table really ran out of space on it. I am going to have to consider how to freshen it up with nowhere to go...Still, it was the FIRST thing completed this year. Yesterday, DS 3 and I put timers on everything so I wouldn't have to remember to go around and turn it all on and off. Well, this timer didn't work last night, so POOR SANTA (he's on the bottom left in a sleigh) went around in circles ALL NIGHT LONG!

And, while I'm sharing some new things...I got some new Ohio State Snowmen this year. I loved adding them to my menagerie. This, too, is out of room...no more snowmen, I suppose.
I always love our family room tree, because it has all of our homemade ornaments on it. It has many many pictures of family as well. I wish I could show you a real close-up, but there are too many names on it.

I also finished book 2 of the Twilight Series (review to come) and am well into book 3! All in all it was a fabulous weekend. Now, we just need to make it through this final week of school and we're in for our two week break! I am SO HAPPY about that!

Have a great week, everyone!