Month: December 2008

I am sitting here eating the last of the pecan (PEE-can) pie and wondering where to begin on telling about our Christmas.  The day of Christmas is just magical, I mean…I just wish we could rewind and do it all over again.  The kids loved waking up to a room full of gifts (who wouldn’t?!).  I loved watching their faces.  We had lunch with great friends and their adorable kids. We let the kids ride around the church parking lot on their new bikes.  We took a drive out to our house under construction.  It was just a great day.  AND I WANT TO DO IT AGAIN!  🙂  Of course it would have been absolutely perfect if we had all of our family here with us, too.  Maybe next year. 

Ruby is a great gift-getter.  She “ooohs” and “aaahhhs” at everything she gets as well as what Molly and Mack got. When Mack was coming down stairs Ruby said, “C’mon, Mack, there’s toys all around!!!”

 

 Ruby’s gifts included a new bike and helmet, a Tinkerbelle doll, a Leapster game, a pair of boots, and a set of LITTLE MERMAID figurines, a book and a huge writing pad to practice her handwriting.

Molly got a new bike, a baby doll with a blow dryer and other hair thingys, a Cinderella figurine set,  a medical kit and some marker stamps.

Mack got a mini trampoline for indoors (the hit of Christmas for all three), a road rug with cars and trucks to roll around it, a John Deere lunch box, and Power Ranger figurines that he couldn’t care less about.

We had breakfast and read the Christmas Story from Luke 2.  Then, we all got bathed and dressed so that we could start cooking for our Christmas lunch.  This year we had the Andersons over to eat with us.  It was so much fun, and I agree with her that it felt like being with family.  Our kids play so great together, so we were even able to have good adult conversation!

 

Here are some other fun shots from Christmas Day:

 

 

It was sort of shocking to see how well Molly did on her new bike.  She isn’t the most coordinated of little girls.  However, she is doing so good riding a bike.  She takes her time and is not interested in racing Ruby.  Ruby even said, “Molly, I am gonna go around you!!!”  Molly replied, “It’s ok, Ruby, you can go around me.”  Not competitive like Ruby-doo.  She is always saying, “Wasn’t that fast, Daddy?  Did you see me go so fast?”  Mack totally cracks me up.  His legs aren’t long enough to push the pedals so he uses his feet to get around on his Hot Wheels.  It’s hard to describe, but a great image to relate it to is when you see old men in nursing homes sitting in wheel chairs and stepping with their feet to get where they want to be.  Mack keeps us laughing.  

 

We went to our church Christmas Eve service on Wednesday at 3:00.  The kids did ok, but they didn’t last through the whole service.  We had to leave early.  The girls got to ride the trolley (charlie, as Molly says) from the parking lot up to the church.  We never get to do that on a regular Sunday because we get there so early!  The trolleys aren’t even running when we arrive….so Christmas Eve is exciting for the kids mainly because of the trolley ride to church.

 

 

 

 

 The girls are upset that we took the tree down and all the decorations already.  I just told them that Christmas is over and next year we will do it all again.  They still don’t understand.  Ruby likes to point out all the other people that still have their tree/decorations/lights up.  She doesn’t know it yet, but it is sort of a pet peeve of mine when Christmas decorations stay up a long time after Christmas.  I don’t know why it bothers me, but it does.  There is one house that I can see out my kitchen window and they seem to leave their tree up and turn on the lights for at least the whole month of January!!!  It bothers me.  When I tucked Molly in bed tonight she asked if she was going to get up and open lots of presents.  Nooooo, but you have a lot of new things you already opened to play with, my child!  And Ruby told me the other morning that she was going to write Santa and let him know what she wanted next year. (Have I mentioned we don’t do Santa?  She just believes.  How sweet.)

We leave on Thursday for Christmas in Albany with Gran and PawPaw and GG and Papa Mac.  We are looking forward to it.  I haven’t really told the girls that they have more presents coming.  They would ask me about it every ten minutes.  Until next time……..

 

We went to Augusta on December 19th-21st.  It was a fun-filled weekend, as usual.  On our way over to Augusta, Ruby said, “Mama, Sweetie (my mom) doesn’t have a lot of toys, but SHE HAS COUSINS!”  When we go to Josh’s parents house, the kids play with tons and tons of toys, and they love every minute.  When they go to my parent’s house, they play with some toys, but they love playing with their cousins.

My mom rented a bus again for all of us to pile onto and ride around in on Saturday.  We went to lunch at a local Mexican restaurant–loud and you get food immediately!  Then, we made a few stops to see some friends and family.  We went back to the house for naps, then we went back out that evening to look at lights, stop at McDonalds and then head back home.  It was a really fun time.  There were so many funny conversations, but I cannot remember them all!  We saw a very tacky and over-decorated yard…Ruby loved it.  She said that we should make our yard like that so that she could run around in it.  Not gonna happen.  Overall, it was an incredibly fun time.  Here are some pictures of the craziness…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   This morning we went to Wal-Mart to get some toys for some families that aren’t able to provide Christmas for their kids.  Wal-Mart is always an adventure with three kids, but today was even more exciting.  Ruby really seemed to help me pick out the right toys and in a timely fashion!  Molly was a bit thrown off because we went too early for the slushee store to be open, and she was quite disappointed.  Anyway, we got the gifts and came home.  After getting the little ones into their beds for a nap, Ruby and I got to work wrapping presents.  She got super-excited and said, “Mama, let’s get my card so that the kids will know what the true meaning of Christmas is!!!!”  She was even upset because she didn’t have more cards just like that one to put on all the gifts…”How will they know what the true meaning of Christmas is if they don’t have a card, too???”  Thankfully, I picked up a book about Jesus for each family, so that made Ruby feel better.  The card shows kids looking at baby Jesus being held by Mary.  It came on a gift from their Aunt Pep and Uncle Jerry last night.  When Ruby saw it, her first response (unprompted by anyone), was, “Look, Mom, I got a TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS card.”  It was so great to hear her say that!!!!  What a great way to start off this most incredible week!  I am so proud of her and am praying that the Lord will work in her heart and draw Ruby to Himself.  

I have so many other stories to tell from our trip to see our Augusta family, but I just don’t have time to expand right now.  Maybe later…..

For anyone who reads this blog, please say a prayer for Garrett and Traci Grubbs and their entire family.  Their baby boy, Gabe, was born prematurely on Thanksgiving Day and went to be with Jesus just yesterday morning.  They are having services tomorrow…I would just ask that your pray for this precious, godly family.  Thanks.

 

     This pretty little ornament was given to Ruby last Christmas from Gran and PawPaw symbolizing her first year of dance class.  Well, I put it on the tree and Ruby  just loves it.  She says, “Mom, seeing that ornament really makes me want to play with it.”  I tell her that I am glad she likes her ornament, but the rule is that we don’t play with our ornaments or even touch the tree. (Remember, I am scarred from Mack pulling my tree down to the floor the morning after we got it and decorated it.)  Ruby seems like a compliant child, but she actually just goes around the rules sometimes in a very sneaky way.  SO, this cute ornament keeps getting moved.  Each night I sit on the couch, look at our tree, and find that the Barbie ballerina is in a different place than when the day started.  By now it is just comical.  I have only caught her a couple of times with it in her hand…but it has been in many different spots on the tree!  Sneaky Ruby-Doo.

 

      Now, this precious ornament was given to Molly to symbolize how much she loves, loves, loves riding on the golf cart at both grandparent’s house.  (This can apply to Mack as well…”gof-cat” is what he repeats the whole time we are at either grandma’s house.)  Anyway, I think it is just adorable, and I am glad Mack hasn’t tried to reach it and play with it.  He seems content to just point to it a hundred times a day and say “Gof-cat.”  

 

  These are our stockings hung by the chimney with care.  Josh’s stocking is HUGE.  I thought this was appropriate since he loves Christmas the most out of all of us.  Giving and receiving gifts is a favorite part for him.  

 

 

 

 

These are great friends of ours, the Koester kids.  We went to their house to eat lunch and play.  The kids always have a fun time at their house.  They have great toys and so much dress up clothes!!!  Molly likes to play on Ben’s piano.  Mack gives it a go, too.  We were about to leave, so that is the only reason Ruby was actually dressed.  🙂  These girls change clothes a hundred times and sometimes stay a little “free” from any clothes at all.  Too funny…

Ruby and I have already had conversations about modesty and what it means and why it is important.  In Barbie’s Christmas Carol movie, Barbie wears an inappropriate dress.  My friend, Mary, prepared me for it before we watched the movie.  I mean, you don’t see the cleavage, but there is a plummeting neck line with sheer material “covering” the skin that only your husband should see.  So, anyway, Ruby now will say, “Mama, I like the bottom of her dress, but I don’t like the top.” 

Last night we were watching abc family movies…not sure what movie it was, something about Brain Freeze…the lady in a part had a dress on that pushed her ta-ta’s up and together, making quite a bit of cleavage.  Ruby, on her own, said, “Mama, it is not nice that all of this right here (pointing to the non-existent breast area on herself) is peeking out.”  or something like that….Then, she said something about how she sees a lot of people that do that.  

While I am sad that she has to see so many immodest folks, I am glad she recognizes that it is inappropriate.  We have a long way to go with this, I am sure.  It is so important though and will be worth our time and effort!

Last Saturday night we did a Christmas pageant in our living room.  Molly was Mary.  Ruby was a shepherd girl.  Mack must have been a wolf because he was attacking all of Ruby’s sheep.  Josh read the story from Luke 2, and I suppose I was the stage manager as I tried to direct the kid’s in what to say and do.  It was interesting….

 

 

 

 

 

We had a shopping swap with the Bakers, and it was a huge help! We both took care of each other’s kids while getting some Christmas shopping done. Josh and I still have a bit more to go, but that is ok.
Alex, Faith, Ruby and Molly made a gingerbread house….

Well, Ruby is going to a birthday party with Katherine this evening and then spending the night with her. She is so very excited! When I told her about the plan this morning, she hugged me and told me I was the best mom in the world. Cute. I am so thankful that she has a close, sweet friend with a great family that I totally trust. She loves spending time with them.
So, that leaves me, Molly and Mack here alone. Josh is on his way back from NYC. Molly thrives with one-on-one attention. She likes being THE big sister to Mack. She helped me fold clothes this evening, too. She wanted to know why Daddys wear underwear and girls wear panties. Mack was hiding from us and then coming out and “attacking” us with growls and all. He is such a boy! He fell down one time, and I was just talking to him and saying, “Mack, what happened to you? Huh?” Molly let me say it a few times, then she said, “He fell, Mom.” I told her that I knew he fell. I was just talking to him. She then said, “Mama, he can’t talk” as if I didn’t know that.
Josh’s truck has been here because he rode with Jeff to the airport. Well, Molly asked me today, “Is Daddy walking everywhere?” It was funny. She thought that if he didn’t have his truck, then surely he was having to walk to wherever he was going.

I am not sure what we are going to do this evening…I am sure I need to drag out some paint or some sort of game, but I am SO POOPED! We got up this morning, I bathed and dressed everyone (and all that it entails), went to church to pay for dance class and handwriting class for the Spring, went to the carwash to get my car cleaned and vacummed out, then went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things….$111.00 worth of “a few things.” How does this happen????