Merry Christmas!

We hope it's been a very merry Christmas season for your family!  I just thought I'd share a few glimpses of our season as we close out another year together.  As you see, little santa here is still a fun fixture at our house.  Adorable huh?

Making cookies, decorating gingerbread houses, and cultivating friendships.  There has been plenty of time for that over the holidays. Where has the month of December gone?

Even without the beauty of a white Christmas we enjoyed the magic of Christmas morning blended with the joy of children.  Though we are filled with laughter and fun at our house, I can see these years melting away as my children are growing up so fast.  May we never forget to be present in today and make it count toward a better tomorrow.  We have been so blessed. 

In just 3 more days I'll celebrate 16 years as one flesh with my Man.  I never could have imagined the life we'd have together and I wouldn't trade a day of it for anything.  This wild and crazy family is a blessing from God and I pray I never lose sight of what I have to be grateful for.  May that be true for you as well in the coming year.  God is good, all the time.  Happy New Year!

Christmas Plays

It's the most wonderful time of the year....... (cue music)

We were blessed with 2 tickets to see a professional production of A Christmas Carol.  I almost turned them down as I figured there was no fair way to decide who would get to come with me.  Well, I was very pleased to watch as three of my kids bowed out gracefully so that their sister (who fancies herself an actor) could go.  Goose and I had a great time and made some fun Christmas memories with Ebanezer Scrooge.  Thanks for the tickets Lori!

The following week I enjoyed watching the kids in their annual Christmas Pageant at church.  This beautiful angel even sang a few lines with only 2 friends (that's HUGE for a shy girl who used to cry standing up with a group).  Precious.  Goose and Spiderman had some speaking parts (which they handled wonderfully) and sang with the entire group.  Jabird was a bit too old (and very relieved) to be in the performance this year.  It was a sweet play and we were all reminded that there would be no Christmas without Jesus.  Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!!!

More important firsts.

Not to be outdone by their little sister, the boys recently had their own big "wildlife firsts".  Spiderman shot his first deer, this beautiful buck.  Of course it came with it's own drama.  He took the shot without much light left in the evening and they didn't see where it ran.  They searched the area with lanterns but had no luck and began to question if he even hit the deer.  Spiderman was in tears to think he either missed the buck or hit it and lost it, what a rough evening.  The next morning, my man went looking again in the daylight and found it laying in some long grass.  When he came  home with the good news, Spiderman was overjoyed (and he got out of school while he helped Dad haul it home and hang it up).  What a RELIEF!

Just a couple days later, Jaybird came home ecstatic to report that he had caught 2 racoons in his live traps, more firsts!   This photo is of a particularly large male (that earned him $9 from the buyer).  He has since caught even more, bringing his total to 6 racoons.  Now if we could only trap the pesky coyotes that like to hang out at our place. 

Now, I don't post many photos of my man's deer harvests because there are always so many (he's shot 6 so far this year) but this particular buck is special.  With 15 points, it's almost the biggest deer he's ever killed (technically he has a 10 point on the wall that measures slightly bigger) but this one is visually more impressive to me.  The only thing that would have made him more proud would be if he'd taken it with his bow instead of a rifle, archery is his true passion.

So - way to go men!  I'm proud of all of you!  

Boo's Birthday

Believe it or not, my "baby" is 8!  (This is particularly momentous to her because she no longer has to ride in a booster seat)  We recently celebrated with a party of friends.  It's so fun to watch her with her peers.  Boo's always been my more independent child, willing to play on her own.  She has begun to branch out and find some friends of her own and yes, to navigate the complex friendships of girls.  Here is the party crew down below.
 

Boo still loves her imagination and the limitless possibilities it will provide.  It's not uncommon to see her outside making pud pies for her doll or practicing her ninja skills on the trampoline.  She always has a song in her heart and on her tongue, whether or not she thinks anyone is listening.  Delightful!  Above she is pictured with her doll, Kara, who is modeling the new clothes that Grandma made for her.  Boo also loves to do her hair.

And finally, Boo wanted to get her ears pierced for her birthday.  She'd had them years ago but eventually let them close up.  Now she feels "big enough" to enjoy them and take care of them on her own.  We made the trip to the store and she nervously sat to have them done.  As soon as the first one was in, she emphatically declared that it didn't hurt at all.  About five minutes after they were finished, she started to change her mind. :)  I love the earrings she chose, little hearts with crystals in the middle.  They are just like her - sweet on the outside and twinkly in the middle.  I love you Boo!

Doe, a deer, a female deer

Yep, that's my Goose with her first ever deer.  She was so excited to harvest this deer on her own (sitting by Dad) and her first words after the shot were "Thank you Jesus!"  My man couldn't have been more proud of his daughter.  It was a perfect shot, a quick kill, a major accomplishment and a memory that neither one of them will ever forget. 

Friends like family

What a fun week we shared with our friends the Jeffries.  Friends since WAY back in college, is was great to reconnect.  We've actually been able to do this a few times over the years so they are certainly not strangers to the kids.  We took the week off of school so the kids could play, the men could hunt and the women could scrapbook a few pages while trying to keep our sanity!  It was a FULL house with all these people squeezed in but it was full of laughs, love, stories and food as well.

The boys got along famously and spent  many, many hours locked in their room with the Legos.  Most shocking was that there were no requests to play video games ALL WEEK!!  Unheard of!  Just don't expect to see the carpet on their bedroom floor - it was replaced with the Legos.

These two girls were the biggest surprise.  Boo is usually tagging along with the older kids and their friends but doesn't have many close playmates.  All week these two were off playing pretend happily and expanding their adorable imaginations.  Goose got into the mix as well but she really bounced between the girls, boys and even the adults (going hunting once with "Grandpa Skip" to keep him company).

Everyone is already scheming to see if we can make another reunion next fall.

Spiderman is 11

Can you believe it?  Time still marches on.  My Spiderman keeps growing up no matter what I think about it. :)  He celebrated his birthday a couple weeks ago with the family but he's waiting another 2 to celebrate with his buddies so he can have a sleepover - uninterrupted by early morning soccer games.  He's practical, just like his momma.

This photo cracks me up because it was taken after a sleepover the night before.  He kept insisting all day, "I'm not tired.  I'm not at all."  The next thing we knew, the sugar wore off and he was curled in this rocking chair in the most uncomfortable position possible, SOUND ASLEEP! 

Here I am with my boys at the annual "Mother & Son Stampede".  They had a good time roasting marshmellows, running obstacle courses, playing soccer and decorating pumpkins all while I cheered them on.  They were thrilled to connect with their friends but realized they are getting a little old for the activities. They really are becoming young men and I am proud to be called their mom.

I see this guy growing up in many ways.  I marvel when I look back and see all the adjustments and changes he's made over the past 4 years.  He's still as sweet as ever and I catch him calling me "Mommy" pretty often when others have graduated to "Mom".  Those days are numbered I'm sure.  As you can see, we have not tired of Legos yet.  If you ask him, he plans to be a Lego designer in Denmark when he grows up.