Merry Christmas!

I wish you and your families the most blessed of Christmases this year. We work so hard to not lose sight of the true reason for the season, the birth of our Lord and Savior. We set out our nativity scene each year and the kids are starting to really understand that we celebrate "Baby Jesus' birthday" at Christmas, and it's something we're very excited to teach them about.

One tradition we have also adopted has been to visit Santa at the same location each year. We take the kids to see Santa at the Regency Square Mall in Jacksonville, and I thought it would be fun to share the photos of them with him at age one, two, three and four (this year's photo). There was a visit from Santa at the hospital the day the kids were born, and I harrassed good ol' St. Nick into sitting in a chair in my hospital room and holding the kids for a pic, so while it's not the same Santa in the same location, it's their first official Santa photo ever. :)

December 2005 - only a few hours old!

December 2006 - One Year Old

December 2007 - Two Years Old

December 2008 - Three Years Old

December 2009 - Four Years Old

Giving Thanks

Another Thanksgiving has come and is almost gone already. It seems like time flies by even faster as the kids get older. Probably because I have to move so much faster to keep up with them these days!

We had lunch with my side of the family and dinner with Steve's side of the family. Steve had to work, but he was able to meet us at his parents' house about an hour after the kids and I got there. :)

I have to be proud of myself, because this month a friend challenged me through Facebook to write something I'm thankful for as my status update every day. I got the notice 18 days ago, and today was the 18th day I did it! I know we say constantly how blessed we are, but when you start challenging yourself to count ALL of the ways, you become even more amazed by all the blessings. So I thought I would copy my "thankful" notes into my blog so that I'll have a way to look back and remember them once in a while. Some of them are very small, others are very large, but it's not the size of the blessing that makes it so important...it's just the fact that it's a blessing at all.

One more note I should mention is that I didn't get to work on this for the whole month because I didn't receive the challenge until the second week of the month, so it's just from November 9th on. :)

Nov. 9 - Today I am thankful for two children who are 100% pure energy and sunlight, because it means they have their health...and that's a blessing.

Nov. 10 - Today I am thankful for my husband, who is my best friend. I am truly blessed to be in love with someone who understands me (and all of my quirks!), and my children are blessed to have a father who takes such wonderful care of them.

Nov. 11 - VETERAN'S DAY - Today I am thankful for our nation's veterans who have fought for the freedom we enjoy in America every single day. I salute my father, other relatives, friends and everyone else who have served in the past, as well as all those who currently serve and those who will serve in the future. God bless our veterans and the country they serve to protect.

Nov. 12 - Today I am thankful for the roof over our heads and the warm beds we sleep in each night, especially when the Florida temperatures (finally) begin to drop a little more at night.

Nov. 13 - Today I am thankful for Fridays, because even when you don't work a typical Monday-Friday job, Fridays are just so much more fun. :) I hope all of my family and friends have a WONDERFUL weekend!

Nov. 14 - Today I am thankful for the opportunities I have to work from home while staying home with my kids during their early years. I'm also thankful for the great people I get to meet as a result of these opportunities!

Nov. 15 - Today I am thankful for the love of God, who knows what even our smallest hopes are and takes care of us. We may not always understand why things happen (or why other things don't happen), but there are reasons for everything.

Nov. 16 - Today I am thankful for the opportunity to substitute teach from time to time, because there are those moments when you're working with the students and you can actually see that they're listening and learning from you (even when they're trying to be stubborn teenagers!). It makes me happy to know that I might make a glimmer of a difference somehow.

Nov. 17 - Today I am thankful for my friends! I grew up as part of a Navy family and we moved all over the map as a result, so I have friends from almost every station. I am blessed to have friends who know me and understand me (and also friends who may not understand me but accept and love me anyway). And I'm thankful for the long-ago friends I've reconnected with on FB because they are wonderful reminders of my younger years. I may not ever be a millionaire, but I'm rich in friendship and that's what counts!

Nov. 18 - Today I am thankful for my health. Even on days when I wake up with sinus trouble or a little twinge in my back that reminds me not to overdo, I know I am very lucky. I am also thankful for Steve's health and the health of our kids.

Nov. 19 - Today I am thankful for the simple things I sometimes take for granted. We have piles of laundry, but that means we have clothes to wear. We have a car payment, but that means we have a safe and reliable vehicle for our family to travel in. We have a stack of dishes in the sink, but that means we are lucky to be able to provide food for our family. We are blessed in so many ways!

Nov. 20 - Today I am thankful for my parents, because I know that they love and support me. My parents always let me know they were proud of me...they celebrated even the little milestones and reminded me that I could do so many things if I worked hard enough. I have many valuable lessons that I have learned from them, and I wouldn't be the person I am today without them!

Nov. 21 - Today I am thankful for my friend Cindy Sturgill...and she knows exactly why. :) [Cindy decided she was thankful for me that day, too...so we exchanged thankful posts!]

Nov. 22 - Today I am thankful for my brother Kris and his family, as well as my brothers- and sisters-in-law and their families, because having an extended family adds so much love to our lives! The kids are always so excited to see their aunts and uncles and cousins. :)

Nov. 23 - Today I am thankful for all the photos I've taken/had taken of the kids for the past four years. We're rapidly approaching their fourth birthday, and it's so nice to be able to walk down memory lane and remember them in their "smaller" days. :) Time flies when you're having fun...but each day is a miracle and we appreciate them all!

Nov. 24 - Today I am thankful for Steve being back on day shift for a couple of months! The kids and I love him so much, and we get to see much more of him during daylight hours now.

Nov. 25 - Today I am thankful for my children (again). Sometimes I just sit back and watch them play together, and I realize how lucky we are to have them, and how lucky they are to have each other.

Nov. 26 - THANKSGIVING DAY - Today I am thankful that I've had 17 other days to count my blessings, and I am reminded that I have SO much to be thankful for. I wish you and your families all the best the season has to offer...we are truly blessed, and we give thanks to God every day for everything!

Heaven's New Angel

I shared a story about baby VernaAnn in a post last week titled "Calling All Angels." An update to that story is available now at this link: http://artisticaccentsbydarla.blogspot.com/2009/11/birth-of-angel.html I know the story is sad, and one that we will never fully understand the purpose behind (because only HE can), but the family is strong and I know they can only benefit from our continued prayers.

At the prayer service for this sweet little girl, the pastor shared a story that a friend of mine so graciously shared with me. It is also now posted by the pastor on the blogosphere at this link: http://pastorsheets.blogspot.com/2009/11/heavenly-glimpse-at-life-of-vernaann.html?spref=fb

Happy Veterans Day!

Just a note to say that I hope everyone has a wonderful Veterans Day! I hope you get to spend time with your family. Read a newspaper. Talk to friends and family. Go out for a nice meal. See a movie. Go shopping. Whatever you do, have a GREAT day...and remember that you are able to do every single one of those things because you have the blessing of a living in a free country. :)

Please stop and say a prayer for each and every one of those who have served/is serving/will serve in our armed forces, past present and future...and thank them for the commitment they have made to keep us safe, secure and free. God bless America!!!

Calling All Angels

In the day-to-day life of parents, we sometimes forget to count our blessings and make the most of our miracles. My kids were definitely heaven-sent, even if they sometimes get loud and rambunctious. Today was one of those days where I needed a reminder of this fact, and I know I'm not alone when I say that I have moments where all I want is a nice quiet room to just relax in. Then I come home and catch up with some friends on Facebook and other sites, and I find a link to THIS blog: http://artisticaccentsbydarla.blogspot.com/2009/11/calling-all-angels.html

Please take some time to read this entry and say a special prayer for this family as they go through this journey together. If you're like me, you'll need some tissues. And if you're like me, you'll run to your kids and give them an extra hug, and thank God for the miracles they really are.

Talk About Scary!

So it's Halloween. I know that for some, it's not much of a holiday. For others, it's their favorite. We've always been pretty neutral on Halloween, and for our kids we give them the chance to stretch their imaginations and be whatever they want to be, and we try to cut out as much of the scary parts as we can. This year, Megan is a fairy princess and Jeremy is a football player (an Oklahoma Sooner, to be exact, but Mommy is trying to look beyond that! Go Gators!). We'll go trick-or-treating tonight, but only once around the block, not for miles and miles. We've gotten to know several more of our neighbors, so it's not as "scary" for me anymore. Two years ago when we went trick-or-treating for the very first time, we stopped at our next-door neighbors' home first. The kids did the usual...knocked on the door, said "Trick-or-treat!" when the door opened...and then proceeded to walk right past the lady of the house and into her living room. Oops. That just makes you a bit freaked out! Last year they managed to avoid the same problem, and I know they'll do just fine this year. In light of recent events (a little girl from the next county over was abducted, killed and left in a landfill in Georgia...so sad), I will be even more cautious than usual (not sure if that's even possible, but I'll try!)...but since Steve walks with us and is in law enforcement, I do have a little more peace of mind.

The kids have the most incredible imaginations. Last night a couple of hours before bed, Megan was telling me about her friend, gesturing to the air next to her. I realized that she has her very first imaginary friend. At least, I thought it was only one. As the evening progressed I noticed that she had gotten Jeremy in on the game. And that there were more "friends" than I realized. Turns out all of the Disney princesses (and their prince counterparts) are her "friends." She told me they had all gone to the park together, and they might go to the beach the next day, and she was just so excited about it. I remember having an imaginary friend when I was young, but I was older than my kids are now when my friend first arrived on the scene. I guess it's just scary to think about how fast the kids are growing up. I feel sometimes like I've hit the fast-forward button on their toddler years. They'll be FOUR in December, and I remember when they were just months old, and I was thinking to myself how far away the school years seemed. I didn't "wish" that they would get to that point quickly, because I knew they would get there and I would miss the earlier days. But it's amazing to me that I've been blessed with almost four years as their mom already. Imagine being that much closer to having two teenagers...now THAT'S scary! :)

Over The Top

My blogger buddy Alana at http://alana-isms.blogspot.com/ tagged me with the "Over the Top" award today. The key is to provide only one-word responses, which can make for some fairly creative answers!

Here are the rules for the Over The Top Award:

USE ONLY ONE WORD! It’s not as easy as you might think. Copy and change the answers to suit yourself and pass it on. It’s really hard to use only one-word answers so try your best!

Tag 6 other bloggers and let them know that you think they are 'Over the Top'!

1. Where is your cell phone?

Purse

2.Your hair?

Clean.

3. Your mother?

Caring

4. Your father?

Dedicated

5. Your favorite food?

Chocolate

6. Your dream last night?

Strange

7. Your favorite drink?

Rootbeer

8. Your dream/goal?

Writer

9. What room are you in?

Office

10. Your hobby?

Scrapbooking

11. Your fear?

Failure

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?

Happy

13. Where were you last night?

Home

14. Something that you aren’t?

Famous

15. Muffins?

Chocolate

16. Wish list item?

Couch

17. Where did you grow up?

Navy

18. Last thing you did?

Showered

19. What are you wearing?

Nightgown

20. Your TV?

DVR :)

21. Your pets?

Three

22. Friends?

Blessings

23. Your life?

Full

24. Your mood?

Exhausted

25. Missing someone?

Definitely

26. Vehicle?

Vue

27. Something you’re not wearing?

Socks

28. Your favorite store?

Disney

29. Your favorite color?

Blue

30. When was the last time you laughed?

Tonight

31. Last time you cried?

Grey's (stealing your answer for this one, Alana!)

32. Your best friend?

Steve

33. One place that I go to over and over?

Crazy

34. One person who emails me regularly?

Stacey

35. Favorite place to eat?

Home

I'm going to stick to my old routine and ask that anyone who WANTS to participate, please go ahead and do so! I don't know if I have six followers anyway! :)