Christmas in NC

This was the year for the kids to all come home for Christmas.  We had been planning on it for some time but then we all started doing some thinking and chatting.  You know, money has so much to do with these kinds of chats!  :)  Anyway, Carrie called one day and wondered about the possibilities of us all meeting at a cabin in TN or something like that.  I started checking into it but let me tell you, a cabin in TN for Christmas was so far out of our price range I almost got tickled!  Notice I said almost!!!  Well, I remembered this cabin in NC that we had gone to several years ago with my extended family and so the search was on.  It became a little comical in some ways - got in touch with a friend on Facebook who reminded me of someone else who reminded me of the person I needed to talk to about the cabin.  I sent a FB message and the response was "Yes, it is available - we just had a cancellation this morning for those exact dates".  I shall insert a hearty "Thank you Jesus" right here!  A few phone calls back and forth with the kids and many, many FB messages later and the plans were set!  In the weeks and days leading up to December 20th, it was pretty much all we could talk about!!  

Ashley and Andrew left IN around 3:30 that day and Dave and I left an hour later.  The FL kids headed north around 5:30 or so.  The drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway was interesting with blowing snow due to high winds but we finally all arrived safe and sound in shifts between 2:00am and 6:00 am.  And then, the fun began!  Let's see, there was food, games, food, naps, food, pool tournaments, food, sleep here and there, food, Foosball games, food, devotions with Dave, and food!  So, can anyone tell what we did the most of???  That would be eating!  But we had so much fun!  Everyone kept saying over and over "We have to do this again"!!!!

I am not a photographer - wouldn't even pretend to be.  And, there are a few members of the family who shall remain nameless that do not care for picture taking......although that is putting it mildly!  But, I begged and pleaded for some family pictures!  No, they aren't perfect but they are us and that is all that matters!!  

This is all of us!  Love, love my family!  Every single one of them!!

 

My hubby and I!  I love this man - I would not trade him for anything!  He is the best husband, dad and Papaw in the world and the laughter going on in this cabin because of him was constant!!

The original 5!  

The original 3 - best kids ever!  And their spouses are the best as well!!

 No we are not proud grandparents or anything!  Nope, not at all!!

 David, Christa, Addison and David III, or Quimsa, or Buddy, or Little D or any other number of names!  The poor baby will be so confused!! :))

 Josh and Carrie

Andrew, Ashley and Baby E!

It is very safe to say that a good time was had by all!  We truly are blessed with our family and we are so thankful for what Jesus is doing with all of us!  

Daybook for December 1, 2012

No pictures to upload today.  I should - but then, if I put pictures anywhere it is Facebook which is really where most people are looking these days anyway.  As to why I keep this blog?  I don't know - not sure anyone even reads it but I like to write and it tends to be therapeutic for me!  :)

Outside the window:  It is a cool, overcast day for December 1st.  The leaves are all off the trees, the grass is an ugly green/brown, there are Christmas lights here and there, and people are on their merry little way doing all those things we do on Saturdays.  I don't care for winter because I do not like being cold but I am learning that winter - where things seem to look dead and dreary...makes me look forward to spring where things seem to come to life so to speak.  Kind of like life in general really.  Some times "life" looks dead and dreary but then "spring" comes and you feel alive again.  Wow - if someone is actually reading this they have got to be shaking their heads at me!  :)

Listening to:  Believe it or not, Christmas music.  I was listening to Pandora this morning and a familiar Christmas Carol came on but I couldn't figure out who was singing it.  When I saw the "artist", I must admit to being shocked.  That is kind of the bad thing about Christmas music.  Some artists do such a great job on the carols and other holiday music that I would buy the album in a heartbeat but then it sets me up for an inner struggle as to whether or not I should be "supporting" that particular genre of music.  But so far, nothing makes my heart beat faster than hearing the church sing "I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day".

Thankful for:  A wonderful answer to prayer in that our little family gets to spend the weekend before Christmas at a wonderful little cabin nestled in the hills of North Carolina.  It's hard for the Florida part of our family to make it north here and just as hard for the Indiana part to go south.  So we compromised and decided to meet in the middle.  Want to know how awesome it is that it worked out?  There was a cancellation for the cabin the VERY day I asked if it was available that weekend!  Talk about answered prayer before it ever came out of my mouth!!

Around my house:  Ahhhhh.....changes are coming.  Much to the chagrin of my poor husband.  But, hopefully it is time for wall paper to come down in the living room and prayerfully, it will be time for very bad carpet to be replaced.  But shhhh.....don't tell him because he doesn't really like to think about moving furniture again.  I'm sorry - it is a weakness I have!  :)  I move it too much!  :)  In the meantime, I like the Vanilla candle a very dear friend gave me recently.  Makes the cold evenings tucked inside our house all comfy like!  :))

With my kids:  Well now, here we could blog for a long time!  But, I won't!  :))  As stated before, David and Christa are thoroughly reaping what they have sown in our precious little Addison because the terrible two's are going strong!  But, they are doing a great job at just staying on top of it and when she smiles and says "Hi Nana" there just isn't anything terrible about that!  :)  Oh and hearing her sing is so cute!!  Little D will continue to go through a complex since I am pretty sure he has about 10 different names people are calling him!  However we are all corrected on a frequent basis by Papaw!  If you want to know his name for David III, just ask him because I can't pronounce it!  :)  Carrie and Josh are enjoying life!  I'm grateful that Josh has a different job and doesn't work around chemicals anymore.  That is a positive!  Carrie is possibly headed back to college in January and I am super proud of her!  Andrew and Ashley have discovered their little one will be a girl!  Now, just for the record - this little one has her parents (especially her daddy) wrapped around her little finger and she hasn't even been born yet!  :)  They will be great parents and I am super proud of them already!   (You know, I could say whatever I want to here because I am pretty sure my own kids don't read my blog!!)

What I am reading:  I have once again picked up the book "The Power of a Praying Parent" and am reading through it.  In this world we are living it, it is more necessary than ever to pray for our kids - even if, and especially because they are adults!  It is a great tool for me!  And here I will say that I love being about to have a Bible program on my computer.  I like being able to type notes while I read!  And, I like having the Bible on my phone.  It is really a blessing to be able to have Scripture at my fingertips! 

What I am pondering:  Well - this one we shall leave mostly blank.  But, the last time I did this I said something about Facebook and how I wish people were more careful about what they post.  Guess what, I still feel the same way.  But, if anything happens and prayer is needed, Facebook is a wonderful tool to use.  Prayer gets lifted instantly and that is such a blessing to people! 

My praying:  Recently, it has been a lot about me.  I had to chuckle as soon as I typed that.  I had this mental picture of God looking over my shoulder and then saying  "Really??  You think so???"  I will be honest and say that I have a hard time praying out loud.  If I ever get called on to pray in church, my insides shake.  Thankfully that has only happened about twice in the last 20 years or so.  But what has been happening recently is that God has been helping me to pray at unique times.  For instance, he woke me up this morning a little after 4:00.  Now, if you know me at all, you should know that is NOT something I do easily.  Mornings are not my cup of tea.  But, I am ever so grateful that I can pray whenever I need to.  I am so blessed to know that my heavenly Father is listening to me no matter when, no matter what, no matter why, no matter where. 

So now that I feel blessed to tears, I shall end this blog.  Take a break - stop and thank Jesus for His blessings on You today!  :)