Good-bye Blackberry...

I have had my Blackberry 2 whole years!!! That is a long time for me. I have been taking pictures with it and never took the time to figure out how to put the pictures on my computer. So why did I do it now? Because my new phone is on the way and these were too precious to throw away.

I have 2 years of memories! I had 177 pictures on that phone! I didn't even know it could hold that many. I was amazed at how fast time has gone by. JD is a complete different size. Derek is alot taller. Georgia has matured even if her size is still small. Aaron and I are just goofy. Jenna had her babies. We went to SeaWorld and thank goodness for my phone because my camera card got left at home. I thought I would post some of my favorites. One of which is not a picture I took but one that was sent to me and I saved it. Rock on Grandma S.!!!

So...for now my phone is in hospice...waiting to be laid to rest for the final time...

Christmas Kick Off-Part 2

On Sunday we gathered at my mom's house for christmas tree decorating. Every year we all gather to get the decorations hung and in place. Chuck put together the tree and lights before we got there. Everyone helped decorate the tree. The kids are extra eager to help in anyway possible. Derek helped my mom set up her nativity scene on the mantle. JD helped set up the church. Georgia dressed the tree with a skirt. I helped make sure those Hershey Kisses got lots of attention. Hey! Someone had to eat them!

Usually she has Christmas music playing but this year football was the priority:)Hershey Kisses are a must. - she will go out of her way to be sure there are plenty! Thanks! We determined Zach is still taller than the tree. Visiting about what is going on in our life, visiting about an upcoming baby...! Zach and Claudia are due in May!

I love the decorating of everyone's homes and trees. Some call it a hassle. I call it a blessing!

Santa Claus is Coming To Town

Yay! We got to see Allison's first trip to see Santa!! Allison is a beautiful little girl. Good friends Angie and Dan invited us to spend an evening with them at Bass Pro Shop. Seeing Santa was the highlight. Allison and Georgia got there pictures and visit with Santa. We were pleasantly surprised that Allison did not get scared of Santa. Who know next year it might be a different story;) There were plenty of activities. Some of which Aaron participated! Georgia made an ornament and JD was more interested in looking at the overwhelming store. He could be there for an hour or more and not be bored. It was neat and I was blessed to be invited!

Jingle Bells...Batman Smells...

Junie B. Jones was awesome today! We have read several books in the series and listened to lots of them on C.D. in the van (by the way, audio C.D. is a mom's secret weapon in the van. Pure silence.-awesome!) Anyway, we went with our homeschool group to see Junie B. Jones at the Majik Theatre today. I love to go there. We had alot of good laughs. I was pleasantly surprised at how alike the actress sounded to the narrator on the C.D.s.

Junie B. is a character that I think really captures what is going through the mind of young children. Her perception of how the real world appears to children is dead on. Her character is kind of bratty and I know several parents that are skeptical of having their children read it, fear of them really acting that way I'm guessing. However, listening to Georgia read it has really given us alot to talk about. Understanding what they think is definitely key to relating to them in order to bring them up in the way they should go. Some kids are more comfortable acting out their confusion than others. It should be addressed either way. The books always have a good message.

At the end, Junie B. (the B part of her name is very important to her so, I will honor it...heehee) and her classmates got to exchange secret Santa gifts. The most loved gift? A burping ball, just what kids need to keep them laughing. It concluded with the class singing Jingle Bells, Batman smells, Robin laid and egg.....Then actors took a bow. Georgia got to take her picture with Junie B.

They're off!!!

Derek got his braces off today! I can go on and on about how handsome he looks. He looks all grown up.....I could cry happy and sad tears at the same time;) Love you Derek!! You look so handsome!

Christmas Kick Off- Part 1

After the shopping was done on Black Friday we headed out to Nana and Papa's for Christmas decorating. They got a real tree that looked perfect! Papa was busy making a manger for a nativity set. Aaron and JD put up the lights on the outside of the house. Derek helped Nana get some of the last decorations out of the attic and set up a little Christmas city to be displayed. And Georgia and I helped out with other little things. We all enjoyed decorating the Christmas tree together!

Once we finished eating more turkey, we headed out to my favorite thrift store! I love that place. You never know what you will find. It's kind of like a treasure hunt. I left with a little something for everyone.

When we got home we finished decorating our house with ornaments on the tree and a fire in the fire place. JD was begging for that! What a great way to start of the Christmas season!

Prayer Whales

We all like to go to theme parks. Here in San Antonio we have two nearby. We go maybe once a year. Derek, however, usually has a season pass to Fiesta Texas. It's a lot easier for him to just take off for a day with his friends or another family member. Most of his friends have them. This year we had an opportunity to purchase Sea World tickets for a discount. It was a fundraiser for the church and it included dinner and a special Shamu show with christian music! This was all a part of a conference our church was hosting for church workers. We were siked!

The weather was perfect! No jackets needed. We did go to Sea World earlier this year for a homeschool day. The disappointing part of that day was I forgot my memory card for my camera. NOT this time! I got to capture every moment I wanted. Shamu was waiting for us at the entrance for a picture. Derek talked of tackling the whale but he did no such thing. He insisted on taking the picture-he's too cool to be in it, you see...Oh, well. Thanks.

We moved on to feed and pet the dolphins. Jd and Georgia knew what to expect and acted like pros. It wasn't crowded so we really got to see the dolphins actually play. It really is neat to feel their skin. I finally got some decent pictures of the kids and this beautiful creatures!

Next, we headed out to meet up with Nana and Papa to ride the rollercoasters. JD was big enough to ride all of them. -and he did. Georgia was big enough for all but one. She only rode one... BUT she rode it eight times! The others were considerably bigger. Derek, JD, and myself loved the other rollercoasters and rode them several times. Even after we ate, we went back to ride the STEEL EEL 7 times! We had to see what it felt like to ride in the front, back and middle. We decided that the front is the definately the best seat! We then enjoyed other fun things like the Polar Express in 4D! Roaming around the park had all kinds of fun things to see and do!

I wish Aaron would have been able to ride with us but he had alot of work to do because he was the" go to" person for this church conference. We did get to eat together and sneek off to smooch under a massive mistleto. Totally worth it!! ;p

We ended the night with a beautiful praise and worship show. Finding a seat in the Shamu stadium is a big decision. Do you sit in the splash zone or not? Aaron, his parents, BJ and M'lel and myself decided to not be in the splash zone. JD, Georgia, and Derek sat right up front! Shamu led us in worship and Pastor Dan led us in prayer. Those killer whales are quite an amazing sight. How can you question God as our creator when you see great beauty such as that? Shamu showed off her beauty and strength with several great big splashes. JD and Georgia quickly realized they were not in the seats that maximized their splashability, so they moved. They quickly got in the right spot and enjoyed being drenched! Thankfully I had a sweater in my bag. Georgia was pretty cold.

Thank you God for moments like this. Thank you for the chance to pray with whales;)