Sniff, sniff...

Kati and Ray moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana on January 2, 2013 due to a job opportunity for Ray.  Kati came over on New Year's Day and spent some time with us before they left on their life-changing journey.

I cried, cried, and cried some more.  I will miss my sister being close to us!  But we had some really good quality time to share our hearts and hugs with each other.  We also took pictures of Kati with each member of our family...

 

Elise colored a picture, Isaac wrote a note, and I helped the kids make a handprint project for Ray and Kati (above).  We were hoping that they would help make their new apartment a bit more cozy when they arrived. 

 

We will miss them terribly, but we know this is a great adventure that will include lots of wonderful opportunities for Kati and Ray.  And thankfully we have email, facebook, Skype, text and cell phones!

 

Kati and Ray, we love you both and wish you the very best on this new part of your journey!

New Year's Day with Ronny and Theresa!



On New Year's Day, we had lunch with Pawpaw Ronny and Theresa!  Ronny had made real barbeque for us in his smoker, and he and Steven pulled it off the bone that morning.  We all enjoyed eating BBQ sandwiches with homemade slaw and baked beans.  We enjoyed catching up with each other.  The kids loved showing off their new toys, too!

Here is Theresa, playing with one of Isaac's remote control cars:

Then we exchanged Christmas gifts with each other...

What a great way to start the new year!

Christmas Lunch 2012!

The kids got all dressed up to go to Nana and Ba's...

 

We had a great lunch of sandwiches, chips, and homemade Dirt Pie (which was my contribution to the lunch) with my parents, Kati & Ray, Granny & Pawpaw, and Aunt Sylvia & Uncle Leon.  We have shared Sunday lunches in December with this same group as my parents' have hosted Advent celebrations at their house.  We had our final Advent service together and fellowshipped with each other.  Then we opened presents.  The kids were THRILLED that there were MORE gifts! We spent the rest of the day at my parents' house - resting, chatting, playing, and just enjoying each other...

Elise had gotten a pair of wings from Steven and me, which she wore there while she danced around...

 

Isaac helped Steven to play Steven's newest song, which he had just completed...

Opening presents...

Steven's gift from Kati and Ray!

Leon and Sylvia with their personalized blanket from our family...

And the only family picture we managed to get during the Christmas holidays...  We took less pictures than ever, but we certainly had just as much fun or more than ever!

Happy Birthday Jesus!  What a wonderful day, weekend, month of celebrating!!!

Christmas Morning 2012!

After a long, but wonderful, Christmas Eve, our kids were tired enough to sleep until close to 8 AM on Christmas morning!  When they got up, they came and snuggled with us in bed like always.  I headed downstairs to get our breakfast in the oven (sausage balls and a cinnamon Butter Braid pastry!)

 

Then we told the kids they could go downstairs and see what Santa brought.  They were so excited when they got to the bottom of the steps.  Santa had brought Isaac a remote control astronaut, and he brought an Aurora doll for Elise.  We spent time singing Happy Birthday to Jesus and talking about how Santa gives gifts out of his love for Jesus.  We used a ceramic music box that my Nana made with a depiction of Santa bowing to Jesus in the manger to explain that Santa loved Jesus and lived his life in worship of Him.

 

After that, we had our yummy breakfast, and then we exchanged gifts with each other...

It was such a special time to share together.  After playing with all our new "toys", we got ready to head to my parents' for lunch...

Getting ready for Santa...

Christmas Eve 2012!

Christmas Eve 2012 was a great day!  We started the day with our annual Biscuits and Gravy breakfast at my grandparents' house.  We were able to see and fellowship with my extended family there.  My Granny and Pawpaw worked really hard to make lots of biscuits and chicken gravy to feed us all, and we ate every bit of it! 

 

Kati helped Isaac get his biscuit torn up and covered in gravy...

 

Elise was super-excited that Christmas had finally arrived!

After breakfast, we had a service where Granny read from Luke chapter 2, and we sang Christmas carols. 

Then everyone opened their presents from Granny and Pawpaw.  Isaac got some walkie-talkies, which he LOVED!

Elise got a Belle doll with a tea set...

...which she enjoyed playing with her older cousins Abby and Savannah:

Then we played a White Elephant gift exchange.  Apparently there was an extra gift that Granny had added to the pile in case anyone didn't bring one.  That gift didn't end up getting grabbed up, but Abby found it after the exchange.  It was "body art" crayons.  So Abby asked everyone if they wanted artwork drawn on them.  Steven was such a great sport.  Abby offered to put a crown on his forehead.  Here she is, creating her masterpiece:

All done!  (We thought it also looked a little like the three wise men!)

 

After our wonderful time at Granny's, we went to Steven's parents' house for a visit.  It was good to see them and spend some time together. 

 

We also stopped by Michelle's house and got to spend some time with her. 

 

Finally, we ended the night by going to a Christmas Eve service at church with our friends Jeff, Jennifer and Gabby.  Isaac and Gabby sat beside each other and really enjoyed the special music.  At one point during the evening, Gabby put her arm around Isaac, and he didn't move it off!  It was so sweet!  What a blessing is a good friend!

 

When we got home, Isaac set out cookies and milk for Santa and he also spread some oatmeal out on our lawn for Santa's reindeer.

 

After that, the kids were SO exhausted that they went right to bed and slept deeply all night!

Sweet smiles!

Betsy's 2012 Book List

During 2011, I picked back up a habit I have long enjoyed - reading!  I had taken a few years off to have two babies and get adjusted to sleep deprivation and motherhood in general.  I set myself a goal in 2012 to read six more books, and this was my list:

Boundaries for Kids by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
Approval Addiction by Joyce Meyer
Strong-Willed Child by James Dobson
Love Languages for Kids by Gary Chapman
Her Daughter's Dream by F. Rivers
Her Mother's Hope by F. Rivers
Friendships for Grownups by Lisa Whelchel
One Thousand Gifts

However, I ended up taking a much different direction than I had planned.  I know that God led me to the books I ultimately read.  There was an overarching theme of embracing my role as mother, parenting with grace, and letting go of the past to grow as a woman - mom, wife, friend...

Here are the books I completed in 2012:

One Thousand Gifts
by Ann Voskamp
*Excellent book!  Ms Voskamp's writing is very unique, quite illustrative and profound.  She shares her quest toward really understanding thankfulness.

Friendships for Grownups
by Lisa Whelchel
*This was an easy read about Ms Whelchel's experiences with friendships.  I had heard her speak at a conference in February, and most of what she shared at the conference was also in the book.  That was kind of a bummer!  But her stories are good and the ideas she shares are definitely thought-provoking.

Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours

by Kevin Lehman

*Great book with good ideas for helping children learn to be obedient!

 

Her Mother's Hope

by Francine Rivers

*This was my summer fiction book.  It was good, but a little long for me.  There is also a second book in the series that I tried to read, but I couldn't make it through because I wanted to get back to my non-fiction books!  I guess that's where my heart is.  Or maybe I only have so much time to read these days, that I want to make the most of my reading time.  I will finish the series eventually.  I just have other priorities right now. :)

Families Where Grace is in Place:  Building a Home Free of Manipulation, Legalism, and Shame

by Jeff VanVonderen

*Oh man!  This one was awesome!  It really helped me to understand ways that we can unintentionally parent our kids with shame and legalism rather than the grace that truly reflects the grace that God shows His children.  It was practical and really hit home for me.

 

Parenting With Love and Logic

by Foster Cline

*This book has been highly recommended to me for a while, so I finally read it.  Wow!  I should have read it much earlier.  This was also very practical, and I gleaned some great ideas for our parenting challenges.

 

Professionalizing Motherhood

by Jill Savage

*I really enjoy reading Jill Savage's work.  She is a mother of five children, three of whom are grown and married.  She shares wisdom about how to truly embrace the profession stay-at-home motherhood.  Most women don't even see it as a "profession", but she argues the point that it truly is, and she gives lots of tips on how to thrive in this "position."  GREAT book!

 

The Mom I Want To Be: Rising Above Your Past to Give Your Kids a Great Future

by T.Suzanne Eller

*This book was wonderful to help me grow as a mother.  Ms Eller shares how our upbringing really does shape the way we parent our kids.  If we don't address negative issues from our childhood, we are sure to repeat them with our own children.  She asks questions at the end of each chapter to help dig deeper into the reader's life and help work towards growth and change.  This one was a little more intense for me because I chose to really work through all the questions, but it was definitely well worth the time and effort. 

 

A Love that Multiplies: An Up-Close View of How They Make it Work

by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar

*Another wonderful book by the Duggars!  This one included lots of practical information of how they do day-to-day life with so many children.  I need to re-read this one now that we have baby #3 on the way!  Very enjoyable!

 

My Heart Is At Home: Becoming the Intentional Mom Your Family Needs

by Jill Savage

*Another book by Jill Savage that centers around motherhood and embracing your family and home life.  Very uplifting and enjoyable.

 

Stressed-Less Living: Finding God's Peace in Your Chaotic World

by Tracie Miles

*This was a good reminder that a relationship with Jesus is the only way to truly defeat stress.  Ms Miles gives a few impacting personal examples throughout the book, but I felt that overall the book had a less-relatable feel than I would have preferred.  I did especially like the chapter on being addicted to adrenaline (basically feeling like you always have to be "doing" something to the point that you over-stress your body and mind.)  It was helpful to identify ways that I have struggled with this and work to figure out a solution.

 

Overall, I feel very fulfilled with the books I read in 2012.  I'm so excited about the books that I plan to read in 2013.   Here are the books I plan to dig into this year:

 

Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions by Lisa TerKeurst

 

The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized: Manage Time, Eliminate Clutter, and Experience Order by Karen Ehman

 

Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes... In You and Your Kids by Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller

 

Upended: How following Jesus remakes your words and your world by Jedd Medefind, Erik Lokkesmoe

 

When Pleasing Others is Hurting You: Finding God's Patterns for Healthy Relationships by David Hawkins

 

Growing Grateful Kids: Teaching Them to Appreciate an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Places by Susie Larson

 

Here's to a great year of reading!

 

 

Santa Train 2012!

After having such a great time last year, we (our family and my parents) went to the NC Transportation Museum for their annual Santa Train ride.  The kids really enjoyed riding the train and meeting Santa and Mrs. Claus during the ride.  Then Santa's elves came by and handed out candy canes and oranges.  After riding the train, we got to make a craft, get a Thomas the Train temporary tattoo, and tour the Transportation Museum. 

 

We found a few fun photo ops:

 

 

And the kids liked playing on the life-size toy trains:

Fun times!

Christmas Tree 2012!

Our family tradition is to get our Christmas Tree on the day after Thanksgiving.  This year, we rested in the morning, did some Black Friday shopping in the afternoon, and then went to a local tree stand in Mt. Holly before nightfall.  We picked out a perfect tree, and the kids loved every minute of running around all the evergreens.  They also enjoyed the lollipops that they got there.  

 

Once we got home, Steven put the tree up...

Elise got the lights out...

And we all decorated the tree together... (this was the first year that both kids were really into decorating the tree.  It was so special to be able to share this part with them!)

And "ta-da!"  Here's our tree:

Thanksgiving 2012

This year, we spent Thanksgiving at my Granny and Pawpaw's house.  We had a wonderful time visiting with family, playing football (the guys!) on the lawn, and eating lots of yummy food.  We didn't take many pictures, but Isaac and Kati grabbed the camera and got these two cute shots:

 

SO thankful to have family to share such a special day with!