Merry Christmas!

Hope all of you are having a great Christmas with your families.We have done absolutly nothing today.All of our family gatherings have already been done so today was a day of rest. I can't believe another year has already come and gone, it gets quicker every year. I am looking foward to what God has in store for us this coming year. Wishing you all a very Blessed New Year!

Christmas Baking

We have been making Christmas candy and cookies this week. I always try to do this to give as gifts this time of year. I still really enjoy giving something personal. Some of our suppliers seem more anxious for it than they would a store bought gift.

Some of my best childhood memories are from cooking with my Grandmother. She was always making something. I hope that my kids enjoy it as much as I did and will keep it a tradition years after they leave the nest. I know I have boys but I think they still enjoy it.

What traditions do you and your family have this time of year?

Sick Kids/Family

Well it seems the coughing bug has made its nasty way to our house. I really don't like for my kids to be sick,but who does right. They have never been good sleepers but with this cough, they are not sleeping much at all. Which means I am not sleeping good. I am so tired. We are suppose to leave to go north for our first family Christmas celebration tomorrow. I think the kids are on the downhill side of this things so will we go but I hope I get to sleep part of the way there.

I am looking forward to seeing my family this weekend. It seems we only get to see each other once or twice a year. Even though it seems a hassle at times, we so need to keep in touch with our family. It seems harder since my Grandparents died. That generation was so much better about taking time for each other and caring for on another. We all seem to be so busy that we just let all but the imediate family fall to the side. We were brought up in a Godly home and taught how to treat each other and others and how to care for one another. I know my family would do anything if I needed it. Some are not as fortunate to say that. I am so blessed by the family God chose for me.Thanks Lord!! Lets all remember our families,love them,laugh with them and teach them so that we can all carry on to another home and a much larger family in Heaven.

Christmas Lights

I have always heard about the Christmas lights display in Marshall,Texas and longed to go. I have always loved Christmas and driving around to look at the lights.Well Monday the boys,my mom, and I all set out for a trip to Marshall. We got there a little early and thought there were shops to go through and browse around before dark, there wasn't. The lights display was ok but I could have stayed closer to home and saw just as much. The tour guide was a great man and really did a good job telling us about the town and how it use to be. It seems that too many are moving around or too busy to decorate much anymore. He took us to several different subdivisions and at one time, he said, there was not one house that was not decorated. It was a little sad to see him so excited about what had been and what was still there. It was not a total bust, they had an ice skating rink setup outside so after the lights tour we made our way over there. We rented Skates for the boys and they got out on the ice. It has been a couple of years since they had done that so they were a little rusty and it was really cold. They enjoyed themselves and mom and I enjoyed a couple of hot chocolates. I enjoyed the trip and the family time but now I will be in search of a better lights display to take the boys to. Any suggestions?

TGIF

Oh my, I am so glad this week is over. I feel like it has been such a long week.I am not sure exactly what we have done but it was sure tiring. We finished the last week of school before we take a break for the holidays. I know it seems like a long break but we will be doing some life lessons.This is a great time of year to teach about giving and helping others. We will be making homemade treats to take to some friends and suppliers. I have done this for a few years but this year the kids are going to help me bake too. I hope to post some picks later. Does your family have any yearly Christmas traditons? 

The weather has been cooler so it is really beginning to feel alot more like winter. I do enjoy the cooler weather even though I have to sist in it to watch the kids this weekend. We have three rodeos this weekend so I go out the heavy coat and made sure that there was plenty of propane in the trailer for the heaters.Guess it will be a coffee weekend.

Hope you and yours all have a great weekend.

Birthdays

Yesterday was my husbands birthday. We really thought he was going to be out of town for the day so we did not plan alot. He however got to stay home.We were so excited to beable to share his 40th birthday with him. We all gave him a hard time about getting older and such,but he can take the ribbing well. He is a great husband and father and I am so blessed to have him. I am thankful that  I have been able to see the change in his life over the years. I can't wait to see what the next years have instore for us.

Back to Life

Well after a week in Galveston with the family, we are back home and back to reality. I think the kids and I are both ready for the Christmas break. We have a couple of more weeks of school and then we are taking off for a few weeks. I so enjoy that about homeschooling. Do any of the rest of you take off  time at this time of year ?

It is getting to be cooler here even during the day.It sure makes it feel alot more like winter. I have had the Christmas music out for a week now and we will be decorating the tree tonight. I just love this time of year. I know it can be a stressful time for many people but I still think it brings out the good in us. We can teach a little more about giving and volunteering. What do you and your family do this time of year?

Galveston

We are in Galveston for Thanksgiving this year so the boys and I have been sight seeing. Yesterday we went to see a submarine and a naval ship.It was really neat to see the boys go through it and think about what it would be like to be at sea living on these things for months at a time. We are glad to have our freedom but we truely do not think about thet sacrifices the men and women make for us to be able to have it. We definitly have a new appreciation for them.

We also toured a demo of an off shore drilling rig. Wow if you have a chance to see it, it is worth the trip. Very educational and kid friendly.They have many models of the different types of rigs and the parts of rigs that it takes to drill the well. They have a display that shows some of the things that it takes oil to make, my boys were suprised at what all was there.

Today we are going to do a little bike riding and wait for the rest of the family to get here. Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving .

Unconditional Love

My Husband had the opportunity to preach at a sister Cowboy Church this monring,his sermon was on unconditional love. It really got me to thinking about who and how I love. We love it a me world today and seem to put conditions on everything. One of the biggest conditions in time. Do you have enough time to Love, to really Love. We let the world suck us in and rush around until we do not even realize what our lives have become. I know it sounds cliche but lets slow down and look around us with Godly Glasses on. See people, things and situations not for what the world has taught us and them they are but for what God sees in them. It makes it so much easier to Love when you think about how the Lord loves us and how he might see someone else. My husband challeged the congregation today to go out and show love to someone this week that you would not just normally show it to. Now I am challenging you as well, go show some love!!!

Silliness

I had to go to town this week so the kids and I did a little shopping too. While in Joann's fabrics, we had a little fun.They can be creative and have fun.

Hump Day

Today is Hump day. I wonder if we call it hump day because it is in the middle of the work week or because we are humped over by the end of it? Today has been one of those days. You know where you are continually doing something but get nothing done. Maybe I am stuck on the hump today.lol  Well I think I will just lay over the hump and rest a little while hmm.... maybe I will wake up refreshed and ready to conquer the next couple of days and then start over again.

Go brighten someones day!!

Little Moments

Tonight it is just me and the youngest one home alone. They grow up so quick ,sometimes I feel like I need to slow them down a little. Tonight we just had a little snack and got in the bed to watch some TV and snuggle.I hope they never get to big to snuggle!

Music

Isn't music fun ! It is amazing to me what can happen just from listening to music. It can change sad to happy,anger to laughter and tears to smiles. Worship music is such a gift and takes me to a place in his presence that I just love.As a family we can dance around ,have fun and spend time together with music.

Although is seems odd, I have learned that one of my sons can concentrate on his school work better if he has music on.There are also all sorts of music CD's out there to teach with. We all learned to sing the abc's and some of us learned memory verses and books of the bible this way. We have even used it to help with Math and Grammar.(Anyone remember School House Rock?)

Music seems to just help us connect. So go put on some music and have a little fun!!!!

Begining

I decided to start this blog today.I hope it helps to keep in touch with family and friends.Sharing windows of our life;homeschool,roping,family,friends,food and the Love of God. Hope you all join in and share with us on the journey to eternity.