Day of Encouragement

Today we are overwhelmed.  Overwhelmed with love, support, prayers and encouragement.
Bruce had the opportunity to preach at Mooringsport Baptist Church, where he grew up, this morning.  We were able to share about the adventure we are on and ask them to join with us.  Their support was evident and they took time after the service to pray for us one by one.  It was such a special time.
That afternoon we were visited by friends from New Orleans that were passing through Shreveport on a road trip.  These friends are extra special because they have been where we are headed.  Lillian, after she awoke from her dead sleep, was excited to see old friends and they played and played.  MAB and I hung out and had girl talk in the living room while her man and my man had coffee in the kitchen.  We had a time of prayer before they left and truly felt renewed and refreshed.

Lil with her two NOLA friends!

Merry Christmas

Friday, Christmas Eve, started out with family portraits by Hannah Hough Photography.  Bruce does not like getting his picture taken and told me I might just ruin Christmas with this picture taking! :)  Everyone survived the pictures and as always when we get them  back they will be thrilled we did it.  We came back to the house to finish wrapping up gifts and let Eli take a nap.  While Lillian and I were wrapping Bruce asked her about the true meaning of Christmas and why we give gifts.  She answered and then said, "If Christmas is about baby Jesus why aren't we at church?"  I loved that!  I told her we would be going to church that evening.

Here are three of our four princesses.  Snow White, aka Emma is MIA.

We had a wonderful lunch with Bruce's family.  It was so wonderful because the adults ate while the children napped!  I can't remember the last time we had a nice meal together like that!  Then we played some games, ie guess the number of lights on the tree, ornaments on the tree, JOYs in the house (Bruce's mother's name is Joy and she collects anything with Joy on it.  I believe the final count was 86 JOYs!).  Unfortunately, Michael and I were the only total losers!  Everyone won something but us.  O well there's always next time.

Eli is getting some much needed cuddle time with Aunt Rae.

I really enjoyed the Christmas Eve service and then we returned to the house to open gifts.  The grandkids started out with a scavenger hunt which they LOVED, Lillian has asked multiple times when we can do that again.  Then we opened the gifts under the tree.  Everyone was pleased.  Lillian is SO fun to watch open presents.  Her gift from Emma was wrapped in Mickey Mouse paper and just looking at the paper she says, "I LOVE it, it's just what I always wanted!"  But not only does she get super excited about her own gifts, every gift one of her cousins opened she gasped and said how cute or sweet it was.
Lillian and I slept in the back at Gramma's on an air mattress and at 5am on Christmas morning she cupped my face in her hand and said, "I love you so much.  What was your favorite part of today?"  I said, "Going to church with my family.  What was your favorite part?"  Lillian answered, "Opening presents!" and then she went back to sleep :)
It's been a relaxing Christmas day.  We spent the morning at Bruce's parents.  We had an awesome Christmas lunch, Thank You Joy!  Now we are at home and everyone is sleeping except me.  I'm scared that if I was to lay my head down and get some rest someone would surely wake up.  And it's just not worth it!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Week

We have had such a wonderful week.  Bruce's last day of work was Friday, Dec 17 so he's been at home and we are all happier when Daddy's home!
Monday morning Lillian and I finally got to the movies to see Tangled.  We've been trying to do this for weeks.  It ended up being perfect though because Gramma Joy was able to meet us.  We also ran into some friends from church.  Lillian has been to the movies a couple times with Bruce but this was my first time with Lillian at the theatre.  We had such a great time.  Lillian is quite dramatic though, she hid her face and screamed at mean "mother", she also cried really hard at the end when she thought Rapunzel's prince had died.  I've never seen her get so involved in a movie! :)
Tuesday Lillian and I went to the Happy Birthday Jesus party at the Daffern's house.  There were children everywhere and I think it reached 80 degrees that day. We had fun playing outside and celebrating the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus.  I also had the thrill of introducing the ladies to sweet potato biscuits.  yummy..an Eastern Shore tradition.
Wednesday the whole family went to Longview, TX to have lunch with Bruce's mother's family.  We don't get to see his cousins much so it was great to spend some time with them.  That evening Bruce and I joined 5 other likeminded brothers and sisters for dinner.  It was a wonderful time of encouragement from people who have been where we are going!
Thursday we spent the day at Bruce's parents.  It was my first time to see the Puckitts!  Lillian had a wonderful time playing with her sisters (cousins) and eating as many sweets as Gramma would give her.  Hopefully there will be no long term damage!

Sisters and Chuck E Cheese

I've been wanting to take Lil and her cousins to Chuck E Cheese since we moved to Shreveport 6 months ago.  Since time is drawing nigh I thought we should go ahead and do it.  We braved Chuck E Cheese on a Saturday night.  The girls had a blast.  Actually I think we all had a blast, it was a great time.  Here are some pics...

Mag is a pro horseback rider!

Fun times

This last pic reminds me of a story :)  The only we could get all four kids to Chuck E Cheese was to take Becky's SUV.  Bruce drove and as we were merging onto the interstate Maggie says, "put your hands up! WHEEEE!"  Like she was on a roller coaster :)  That gave me a good chuckle!  Becky, do you drive like your on a roller coaster too?

Christmas in Roseland

I've been getting cabin fever lately.  I think it has less to do with how much I'm actually in the house and more to do with the fact that I'm stressed if I'm in the house b/c that's when I think about needing to pack! :) And I don't have a clue how to pack so I've been procrastinating.

Tonight we went to Christmas in Roseland.  Outside Shreveport are the Gardens of the American Rose Center.  At Christmas they set up lights all through the gardens and have local schools provide entertainment.  We had a great time walking through looking at all the lights.  Lillian hunted nativity scenes.  There were two or three.  One of our favorites was the singing Christmas tree but the batteries were dying in the camera so we didn't get a great picture!  o well.  We had a great time together.  Enjoy the pics.

Merry Christmas Charlie Brown



Made a stop to get some snacks halfway through the gardens.



Lil was not so excited when she realized they weren't real! :)

The baby JESUS!  Lil loves to find a nativity scene!

We are CARless!

We sold our car tonight!  We were really starting to feel the crunch of time and resources when Bruce came to me and said "God told me not to worry about it, the car will sell."  I put aside the worry that was creeping in and remembered the Lord's faithfulness time and again.  This was on Monday.  On Tuesday, Bruce returned to the house from running errands with a Starbucks cup in his hand.  My first thought was "Why was he at Starbucks?  I don't remember that being one of the errands."  But before the words could leave my mouth Bruce starts telling the story of how he met a man in the parking lot that was interested in the car.  Tonight that man and his son came and paid for the car.  Doesn't God spoil us?  I'm overwhelmed at how He loves us. 

Refining...

This morning my husband came into the bedroom at 7:20 am and said, “You’ve showered (which is a rare thing that early!), your children are being fed, I hope you will find time to spend with the Lord this morning.”  Ouch!  Yes, it’s a daily struggle for me to set aside time to spend with my Father.  I wake up most mornings to the sound of a child, sometimes crying sometimes happy but always needing my attention and I rarely get a breath until they are in bed around 8 pm (pretty typical for a mommy, I think).  By then I’m exhausted and can’t even think about doing anything requiring my brain much less my heart!  But this morning I am left without excuse to spend time with the Creator, my Savior.  I dusted off the bible study “No Other Gods” I had abandoned months before.  It is a study I was doing with Erica, my college roommate and great woman of God.  It was such a sweet and challenging time but like I do with most bible studies or books, anything in print really, I slowly allowed other things, should I dare say idols creep in and take priority until I wasn’t picking it up at all!  I think as our time here in the states is coming to an end I find it harder and harder to spend time with the Lord.  In a way I’m scared that if I do take the time to get still before Him and share with Him my fears and more importantly release my idols to Him I may just fall into a heap on the floor and never get up!  I’ve always dealt with stressful times by sleeping LOTS and hard issues by denial.  I know this is not healthy but it is what it is.  Thankfully a challenge from my husband this morning pulled me from my sad reality back to the throne of God.  And just like God the next day in my “No Other Gods” study was entitled Good Goodbyes.  When I saw it I almost shut the book!  But it was a good time studying Abraham and how he withheld nothing from the Lord, not even his son.  It was a picture of not only laying aside my idols but offering them to the Lord and trusting that He will provide for me.  It’s strange to me that I’m still learning this because the Lord has provided so much for me and my family.  How is it that I still withhold certain idols from him?  How is it that I do not yet believe that He is more than enough for me?  The study closed with a prayer from Tozer I’d like share.

“Father, I want to know Thee, but my cowardly heart fears to give up its toys.  I cannot part with them without inward bleeding, and I do not try to hide from Thee the terror of the parting.  I come trembling, but I do come.  Please root from my heart all those things which I have cherished so long and which have become a very part of my living self, so that Thou mayest enter and dwell there without a rival. Then shalt Thou make the place of Thy feet glorious.  Then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shine in it, for Thyself wilt be the light of it, and there shall be no night there.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Also, I really enjoyed this song, Breath of Heaven, on Sunday and it has ministered to me since.  I do realize it’s Mary singing but I share her fears of not quite measuring up to the task set before me.

I have traveled many moonless night
Cold and Weary, with a babe inside
And I wonder what I've done
Holy Father You have come
Chosen me now to carry your son

I am waiting in a silent prayer
I am frightened by the load i bear
In a world as cold as stone must I walk this path alone
Be with me now
Be with me now

[chorus:]
-----------------------------------
Breath of Heaven Hold me together
Be forever near me Breath of Heaven

Breath of Heaven Lighten my darkness
Pour over me, your holiness For your holy Breath of Heaven
-----------------------------------

Do you wonder
As you watch my face
If a wiser one, should of had my place
But I offer-all I am
For the mercy-of your plan
Help me be strong
Help me be
Help me

[chorus]

Trimming the Tree

I was very excited to get the tree up and decorated!  Bruce was supposed to get off early, make a gumbo (I refuse to learn to cook cajun food when I have a husband that is so great at it!) and then we would decorate.  Of course, many things happened which made that seem impossible!  Bruce did not get off on time.  Our car that was supposed to be picked up at lunch was not ready and had to be picked up after work.  It was almost 6pm when we began to head home.  That doesn't sound too late but with preschoolers it meant decorating was not looking good.  We made a quick decision to pick up some Chinese and try to salvage the evening.  We got home, ate and Bruce started putting up the tree while I went to the garage to find the decorations.  We have gotten rid of almost everything but I did save the special ornaments.  I was very sad to find Lillian's first Christmas ornament and the ornament I purchased on our honeymoon MIA.  I'm guessing they were sold at the yardsale in the giant bag of Christmas stuff a month ago. :(  I did really bad job of putting on my happy face and getting over it while we finished up decorating the tree.  Lillian and Bruce on the other hand really had a blast hanging ornaments and dancing around.
I went to Micheals today and got some ribbon to put around the tree to finish it up.  I'm really bad at stuff like this but I think it turned out ok.  I'm pleased with it at least.  We also had our delious gumbo today after church and shared it with family!

I think he was taking ornaments off not putting them on!

the reason we decorate!

Notice the star at the top!  We found that in the decorations at the house...had to use it!

Disney on Ice - Princess Wishes

Lillian LOVES the Disney Princesses so when I saw this was coming to town I knew we needed to try and go.  Luckily the tickets started at $12 so it was possible!  (a box of popcorn was $7, now we know why the tickets were reasonable)  Aunt Becky graciously agreed to keep Elisha and this was our first outing with just Lillian since he's been born!  I had such a great time.  I've never been to a show like that!  It was so fun!  Lillian enjoyed it too, here are some pics...

At the pre-show she met Cinderella and saw the princess dresses!

Be our guest!  ...this was my favorite.

but Lillian loved Arielle

Back Home...Which Home?!

We had a wonderful visit with my family in Onancock.  The past couple holidays there have been so wonderful b/c everyone, cousins and all, is on the same rotation and whether it's Christmas or Thanksgiving we are ALL together.  This year was a Thanksgiving year and Marce was gracious enough to host lunch.  There were over 30 people and she managed to get all the adults at one table! 

We ate way too much and then the children celebrated Christmas together exchanging gifts.  I was surprised by Eli. He was very excited by his gift and played with it the rest of the day.  I didn't realize he was ready for big boy toys!  I enjoyed watching him play. 

Lillian opened her gifts and then escaped to a quiet place to raid the goodie bag Liz had given her.  Uncle Dave found her in the kitchen eating Hersey Kisses! :)

One day towards the end of our trip to VA Lillian asked for her playhouse.  I explained it was at home and she could play with it in a few days.  She responded, "Which home!?"  I hadn't realized how confusing all this here and there was for her.  When we did pull in the driveway days later she was not very happy.  Apparently, home to Lillian is New Orleans and our six months in Shreveport has not changed that!

Now that we are 'back home' we are finding ourselves very tired!  It's not that we are doing more than normal or even what we need to be doing. I assume its emotional exhaustion, the kind that comes from trying to get all your belongings into a few bags ready to leave, or the reality of leaving family for years.  Things you push away and try not to deal with but eventually they catch up with you. 

Tonight we are going to try and forget all that and decorate this house we have been blessed with for Christmas!