Thank You Uncle Potty

Poor Todd will always be Uncle Potty to my kids. Hank couldn't say Toddy; it always sounded like potty. Good thing he is secure in his manliness.

Jake and his military history books.
Note the conflict at his feet. Ahhh siblings...they bring so much joy and turmoil to each other.

Shane's crocs with football and baseball jibbitz.

This is a play and learn guitar. We'll see how well they do. I hope they really come to enjoy music and stick with it.

Uncle Toddy sent gifts for the kids. We waited until they all arrived before opening them.

Shane tore just enough paper to see what was inside. That is his "Oh yes!" face.

Climbing up to get a better look.

Ella's new crocs with jewels

Hank's new crocs with soccer and basketball jibbitz

Jesse Tree

Bill and I both felt like the kids needed some preparation for celebrating Christmas. I had heard of a Jesse Tree so I did some reading about it, and we decided to introduce it as a new family tradition.

The kids and I cut a couple of branches off a tree in the yard, and Ella and I made ornaments following patterns and ideas from a book we bought.

Each night after dinner Bill would read a devotional and the kids took turns hanging an ornament. Some of it was a little advanced for the younger kids, but we're hopeful that repeating this each year will solidify the story in their hearts.

The devotionals...they were chronological from creation through years and families until the birth of Jesus. "Although not all of the characters are in the direct line of Jesus, they are all part of his national family and each foretold something about the promised Messiah." From the intro of The Jesse Tree by Lawrence and Hubbard

More Mr. Sillypants

Mr. Sillypants

While Hank has his silly side, he and Jake are fairly literal. We call them the engineers..everything has its proper function and no deviating from that please. Ella and Shane...very creative and goofy. I can't wait until he can talk...they are going to come up with some crazy stuff.

Gingerbread Cookies

I found a recipe for gluten/dairy/corn free gingerbread cookies. (no gagging sounds please!) They were actually pretty good. Shane and Hank scarfed them down in no time flat. We didn't decorate them because I didn't have time to run out and get the stuff for icing - and I didn't think ahead to order candy.

Shane loves to wear other peoples shoes and hats which is very cute. He's so adorable, I can't help but think what a pretty girl he'd make when he puts on his sister's shoes. He did try to wear her hot pink cowboy boots to church once. I didn't let him..figured Bill wouldn't let him out of the truck much less into church!

Ella's Dressing Table

She really cracks me up. She is such a girlie girl, but she'll also shoot a bad guy in a heartbeat... Annie Oakley in heels with lipstick.

Santa Baby

One of the moms in our playgroup has some really great connections....Santa came to visit! Most of the kids were a bit afraid. Ella sat on his lap and told him all about the baby swing and baby with hair she wanted. (news to me!) Hank stood next to Santa and stared at the wall while talking to Santa about the good guy knight he wanted. Shane...as usual made quite an impression. He wouldn't go closer than 4 feet but stood there waving franctically and shouting "Hi!" in his loudest, yet friendliest voice. Pretty funny!

Some of these are cropped funny because I try really hard not to include other kids' faces.

My Uncle Gary

My dad's brother, my uncle Gary, died of bone cancer on Christmas eve. We were out of town and I didn't find out until we returned yesterday.

My cousin gives some details on his blog.

I don't know that side of the family very well. They always lived on the west coast and us in Texas and then on the east coast. Growing up, I always thought of them as cool. I grew up in a tiny town in the middle of Texas. Not very exciting...

He and my aunt went to Central America for a summer to learn Spanish and work with missionaries. One of my cousins lives in Japan. How cool is that? One is a police officer. Again, pretty cool. One is a surfer and pastor. Dude...cool.

I really wish I had known him better. My kids love Bill's brother and sisters. They ask me at least once a week when we're going to visit my brother at the beach (he's in Guam now so that's a bit tricky).

But I am glad to know Uncle Gary is now free...free of cancer...free of pain. And now he's has just enjoyed 2 glorious days in heaven with an eternity of days to come. Now that is not only cool, it's awesome, really awesome.

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith, Charles Surgeon
Your sorrow shall be turned into joy - John 16:20

Their particular sorrow was the death and absence of their LORD, and it was turned into joy when He rose from the dead and showed Himself in their midst. All the sorrows of saints shall be thus transmuted, even the worst of them, which look as if they must forever remain fountains of bitterness. Then the more sorrow, the more joy.

If we have loads of sorrow, then the LORD's power will turn them into tons of joy. Then the bitterer the trouble the sweeter the pleasure: the swinging of the pendulum far to the left will cause it to go all the farther to the right. The remembrance of the grief shall heighten the flavor of the delight: we shall set the one in contrast with the other, and the brilliance of the diamond shall be the more clearly seen because of the black foil behind it.

Come, my heart, cheer up! In a little while I shall be as glad as I am now gloomy. Jesus tells me that by a heavenly alchemy my sorrow shall be turned into joy. I do not see how it is to be, but I believe it, and I begin to sing by way of anticipation. This depression of spirit is not for long; I shall soon be up among the happy ones who praise the LORD day and night, and there I shall sing of the mercy which delivered me out of great afflictions.

I'll add Christmas pictures when I get a chance.
In the meantime, watch Cletus take the reel. I saw it on Josh Harris' blog.
Oh my stars, it's so funny that I almost wet my pants laughing. Enjoy!

Practicing with Daddy

Daddy has banjo lessons on Monday nights so he usually practices when he gets home while the info is fresh in his mind. We have an old kids guitar a friend gave Jake many years ago. The kids love to take turns with it and practice with Daddy. I don't think it's very productive time for Daddy though. It's kind of hard to concentrate with 3 little pips plunking away in the background. Who knows though, maybe one of them will end up actually playing one day.

Picasa

I downloaded Picasa and I'm sifting through jillions of pictures and trying to figure out how to best use the program. I'm sure I'll be posting lots more of old pictures in the weeks to come.

Look familiar

I must have forgotten how, um, challenging Hank was when he was 2-3 years old. I had to look twice at this to realize it wasn't Shane. The Lord makes them cute so we don't eat them. :)

Another special nap

I knew I had a picture somewhere of these two sleeping and holding hands. IIRC, Hank woke as I started snapping. Such cuties.

Go here to see the picture of Hank and Shane napping together.

Christmas Tree Hunt

We took these a couple of weeks ago, but we've been crazy busy and didn't have a chance to download them. We didn't cut down our own tree this year. The schedule just didn't allow for it. So Bill and the kids headed to the local Boy Scout tree lot to find the perfect tree.

It should fit right here.

It looks like it was a successful hunt.
Notice the 2 in the corner ready to start putting ornaments on.
Waiting not so patiently.
Daddy's little barnacle, um helper

Twins born 4 years apart

They look so much alike, and yet at the same time they don't. Their eye shape is very different and Hank's hair is more blonde/brown while Shane continues to be white/blonde.

They most definitely have different personalities!

Aztec Eagle Warriors

This week we're looking at the Aztec and Incas before the Spanairds arrived. We read about the Aztec Eagle and Jaguar Warriors. Pretty mean dudes.

We made the Eagle Warrior feather head bands and decided we'd be the nice eagle warriors who helped other people and did nice things.

More snow fun