New Years Bags

Each year we have a New Years countdown with paper bags. I usually print out clocks and there is a riddle and the kids open a new bag on each hour. Last year we were in Florida and were not able to do the bags and everyone missed them. This year we will be driving home from FL on New Years Eve and staying in a motel in SC. Soooo, we are going to have our NYE bags travel style! We will end around 10:00 because we should reach our motel about then and we are staying somewhere with an indoor pool, so the last bag is swimsuits and we will celebrate 2011 in the pool!

Here are the riddles and bag treats for 2010

2010 is about to end and we have a trip to make. To get us in the mood open bag # 1 and we will celebrate!

4:00 Party hats and necklaces and glasses

Road Trips can be kinda boring and slow, but we can make it great. Open bag #2 and see what fun you can create!

5:00 Mad Libs

2 hours down, just 4 more to go .these bags are fun, they are so neat. Start checking signs on the road..because now its time to EAT!

6:00 Dinner

Our bellies are full and we feel good, but now what can we do? How about opening bag number 4 and enjoy what is in there too!

7:00 a movie

Take a break to see whats in here, just a little something to give you some cheer! :)

8:00 suckers

We are close to reaching our stop for the night, but New Years Eve is not the same if you don't try and make it bright!

9:00 DS game for all three? OR light ups battery sparklers

We are here! That was great! Now...... Are you ready? Are you set? What is in this last bag you will need cause you are gonna GET WET!

10:00 swim suits

Word of the Year

I am involved in a home school online community and for the past 4 or 5 years we have all encouraged each other to choose a Word of the Year. A word that you will remember and will help you in the coming year to be a better mother, more like Christ, a better wife..the reasons are all different as to why ladies choose their word. I love to read every one's word and why they chose it. I also love to hear the reflections at the end of each year and how meaningful their word has become to them. Below was my post on the forum about the word I have chosen.

My Word of the year is : Expect

I have been " expecting" my Ethiopian babies for 13 months now..(sort of the gestation of a baby elephant!) God gave me this verse back in July when we were waiting on our first baby referral never even knowing that we would actually be 3 weeks away from leaving for Ethiopia and still have not laid eyes on our baby!

"Yahweh, in the morning you shall hear my voice. In the morning I will lay my requests before you, and will watch expectantly." Psalms 5:3

I was convicted that I pray and then don't EXPECT Him to do great things and that I should. He loves me and wants to give me the desires of my hearts. He also EXPECTS that I will grow and learn more of Him and His love through the trials and the joys of life. That way the desires of my heart are also the things that please Him.

I am EXPECTING great things in 2011!

Christmas Sunday Pictures 2010

Cookie Day

Today we made our sugar cookies for Santa. We have a friend that goes to Wake Forest that is from Benin ,Africa. He just graduated and is moving to NYC. He came over for dinner and a movie and to help us decorate our Christmas cookies. We are going to miss Dallys in NC, but are praying he has a wonderful time and a successful career in the big city of New York!

Steak and Shake

Every Christmas we go to Steak and Shake the day we go and see Santa. It is the only time a year we ever go to S&S, but we started it 7 years ago and just cant imagine going anywhere else on this day! I love their chili and their Christmas milkshakes are the BEST! The first year we went our kids were 2, 4 and 6..my how time flies!
Nathan and Greg..silly boys!My expression to the silly boys!

My beautiful girls waiting for their burgers
With those yummy shakes!The CRAZY part of our day was when we got to the mall at 12:15 , the line for Santa was already blocked and they said he would be back at 2:00. Well, no one wanted to wait 2 hours to see him, so we dropped off Esther's letter to an elf ( she was the only one that still wanted to write to him or sit on his lap! :( ) and told her that maybe Nana and Gramps could take her to see him next week in VA! So our Steak and Shake and Santa day was just a S&S kinda day this year!

Esther to the Nutcracker

Esther was able to go with her friend, Kirstyn, to see the nutcracker ballet. The girls took their American Girl dolls with them. The looked so cute! Esther said that she liked the ballet, but she had to make up words in her head for the story because no one talked!

weight watchers

I started WW back on July 2. I just did the online program and kinda tweeked it for me. Here is a photo of a few weeks before I started the program
This is a picture in September. I had lost around 20 pounds.
This picture was taken Dec 2. 6 months on WW and 42 pounds lighter. I feel better, sleep better and I am much happier now. I have about 8 more pounds to lose before I meet my goal, but I am oh so close I know I will make it before we leave for Ethiopia

Thanksgiving

We went to Virginia for the beginning of Thanksgiving week. My sister and her boyfriend were in from Colorado and so we had an early Thanksgiving. I am sad because it was after we left VA I realized I did not take any pictures :( It was a lot of fun though. We had a bonfire and my mom cooked a yummy meal and my BFF came over..and no pics! The only camera I have is on my phone and it doesnt really take great pictures..I may get a new one soon though.

We left the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and went to Pawpaw and Grandma's cabin near Murphy, NC. We had gumbo and crab legs that night...yum!

Esther Hope can eat herself some crab legs!
The next day we got up, watched the parade on tv and the kids not so patiently waited for fried turkey and all the trimmings
After lunch, everyone crashed on the couch for movies and naps
The kids love playing outside around the cabin

Abby turns 13

These are really bad pictures. I was busy and did not stop to take good pics, so this is it! Abby turned 13 on Novemeber 19th and she wanted an outside soup party. So I made a bunch of crockpots of soup and had some friends bring soup and it was a beautiful day to eat outside and play. The kids had fun on the playground and Abby had a great birthday. I am so proud of the sweet young lady she has become. So far so good on the "terrible teens".

Softball champs

Our church has had a softball league for the last 3 or 4 spring and fall seasons. This year they WON the championship in our division! It was so much fun going to games and cheering them on! I cant wait until March whe they start playing again!

Family Pictures

Blogger block and the fall in review

I have been sooo bad about blogging this fall. Its not like I have not had time or not wanted to...I just have not. Here I am going to do a bunch of posts here together and catch up!

Trunk or Treat ( Greg was a tree and I was a tree hugger)

Rockstar party