Thankful Thursday!

I have so many things to be thankful for and this holiday season reminded me about a lot of things that I tend to over look. One of my goals this year is to have a thankful heart and to not overlook the good that the Lord has done.

1. I am thankful that my kids know all of my grandparents. Yes, I still have all four of my grandparents and they live close by. We got see one set of them every week. I knew 3 of my great grandparents and they were alive until I was in college.

2. A Wonderful Christmas and Darin had off three whole days! He was off the day before Christmas and cleaned the house with the kids while I had last minute shopping to do. Then he got off Christmas Eve unexpectedly and Christmas Day! We are just really thankful he has a job right now.

3. My kids. They are a handful but they are all beautiful, healthy and there is never a dull moment.

4. My Manchaca youth group. We grew up together in the same youth group and for the past 11 years we have gone together to the movies on Christmas night. There is anywhere from 10-30 of that go from year to year. It is a neat tradition. This year I am thankful the movie was a good one. We went and saw Sherlock Holmes. Sure beats the year we went and saw Munich. Good movie but a depressing way to end Christmas.

5. The awesome praise and worship I have been listening to while cleaning out the kids rooms and closets the last couple of days. I pulled out some of my old Passion CDs and I had forgotten what awesome worship is on there. One of my goals for the new year is to turn off the radio and listen to more praise music.

6. My mom and dad taking each kid one at a time to spend the night and have a day with Nonna. Brighton got her fingers and toe nails painted at the nail salon with Nonna. Then she got to go see Princess and the Frog. Dalton had lunch with Nonna and got to see Avitar. Ms. Madie is there tonight and I am not sure what they have planned. It is the first time that Madie has spent the night by herself. We will see if she makes it through the night. It has been interesting to see how the dynamic has changed by just removing one child from the mix.

7. I am thankful for new beginnings. I love January because it is a time for new starts. It feels fresh and motivating to get new habits started and new goals set. It reminds me of the promise from the Lord that his mercies are new every morning.

Worship Wed. You Are Holy

Man I have had a frustrating day. My kids have been terrible for the last couple of days. (It is like coming off the holidays has effected them.) A lot to get done in a little time and I just had to stop and remember who God is. I did not have a worshipful heart today but that is when we need it the most. I love this song because of all of the things the girls part gets to sing out to God.

"You are Lord of Lords, You are King of Kings, You are mighty God, Lord of Everything, Your Emanuel, The Great I Am, Your the Prince of Peace who is the Lamb. Your the Living God, Your my Saving Grace, You will reign forever, You are Ancient of Days, Your the Alpha Omega, beginning and End, My Savior, Messiah, Redeemer and Friend. Your My Prince of Peace and I will live my life for you!"

Singing these words out to my God was like water to my weary and dry soul. It empowered me to feel better, be better and that I am not a victim of my circumstances. He goes before me. He gives me power to do all that he leads me to do. Take a moment to worship Him today for all the He is to You.

True Story Tuesday "Kissmas Is Ober!"

Confession: I did plan our Christmas outfits around my pink Santa hat I got at the beginning of December. This picture turned out cute but I wish we would have turned the TV off before we took it. They were watching a Muppet Christmas movie. I don't know about anyone else but between taking Christmas down and finding places for all of my kids Christmas presents there has not been a lot of blogging time. Here is a story that happened yesterday between me and my youngest. Madison is two years old.
Yesterday, Madie was taking a nap while I took down all of the ornaments off the tree and then was up playing while I put away everything else. (Madie is my very meddlesome child that is like a bull in a china shop around breakable stuff.) She watched me take down everything and put it away. She even watched me vacuum and clean. Then when it was all done looked over at the empty space where the tree had been and gasped, "Where da twee?" I answered. "We took it down." Then she demanded, "Put it back up!" I laughed telling her Christmas was over and it was time to take it down. "Kissmas is not ober !" She began crying. "Put da twee back!" She wailed. "I love Santa! I love him! Put the twee back up! Kisstmas is not ober!" She was working up to an all out two year old drama fit. I picked her up and told her, "Well, if Christmas is not over then we can not ever have your birthday." She stopped in mid fit and wiped her tears away. "My bithday? Yea! My bithday!" She laughed jumping off my lap and bounced into our bedroom where her daddy was and announced,"Daddy!Kissmas is ober! It's ober." Making the motion in front of her like an umpire calling a runner safe. She has spent today telling everyone she sees that "Kissmas is ober."

For other True Story Tuesday Stories go to http://www.onceuponamiracle.com/2009/12/true-story-tuesday-by-rachel_28.html

I Heart Faces- Hilarous Out Takes

We wonder why kids are afraid of Santa! At my in laws Papa dresses up like Santa every year and we send the kids to open the door for him when he knocks. This is what I happened to capture from their point of view.

Worship Wed.

Oh Come Let us Adore Him!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZKp4npV47Q

True Story Tuesday- Christmas Story

I do not know if I can top the car trip to North Texas from last week. This one is from my Sr. year of highschool. I was going on a date with the drum major from our school and I think this was one of our 1st dates. He bought tickets for us to see the Nutcracker in Austin. We were both in Theater together and I was excited to see the live show. I got dressed up in my prettiest black velvet dress. (You know very 90's style with a black velvet top and a full lace skirt at the bottom.) My mom came to tell me that Kevin was waiting for me and I went to make my grand entrance coming down the stairs to my waiting date. As I pranced down the stairs I slipped in my very slick heals, landing on my rear bouncing down the last three stairs, and landing in a graceful heap at the bottom. I tore down the Christmas garland as I fell trying to catch myself on the banister. Lucky the skirt was long and full and I was fully covered as I fell. I did not bruise anything but my ego and not a rip or runner was in my hose. Kevin was the perfect gentleman and ran to help me up. He never even let out a smile or a snicker. Which is more that I can say for my parents. They thought is was quite funny. The evening was still a beautiful event. I wish I could say that was the last time I fell down those stairs. If you want to read other true stories from the holidays you can link up with Rachel at Once Upon a Miracle http://www.onceuponamiracle.com/2009/12/true-story-tuesday-by-rachel_21.html

Christmas Countdown

I am linking up again with Liz at http://sugarplumcreations.blogspot.com/ today for her Christmas countdown.

Monday we tried to go look at Christmas lights but it was so foggy we stopped at Nonna's & Grandpa's instead to have cookies.


Tuesday the girls and I made bracelets and worked on making patterns. They turned out cute!

Wednesday we made paper Christmas Flowers. An idea that I got from Imperfectly Beautiful http://imperfectlybeautifulms.blogspot.com/. Ours did not turn out as beautiful but we had fun.





We also started our 12 days for Christmas where they get things in their stockings. Santa usually comes while we are going to get Dalton from school so that I can entice them to take their naps. And to see if Dalton had a good day at school.

Thursday we went to Dalton's party at school and helped. I was so proud how good the girls were at the party and it was cute to watch Dalton introduce them to his friends. After school when they came home I had forgotten to put the gifts in the stockings. So while they were watching cartoons in the toy room I ran around to the front door placed gifts on the front porch and rang the doorbell. Then I went back inside so they could open the door. They loved it. After that we made paper trees with the left over paper from our flowers. When supper was done and baths were taken we got on the couch to watch the movie the Grinch. Our family favorite.
Today they are going with Daddy to a puppet show at the library because I have a meeting at church and tomorrow Mimi & Papa are going to take the older two to a play. They are going to Scrooge! Madie is going to Nonna's house while Darin and I finish Christmas shopping and try to go see a movie.

I can't believe in one week it will be Christmas! Merry Christmas to you all!

Thankful Thursday

"Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, His Love endures forever!"Psalms 136:1

I don't know who to give credit to for this clip art or how to make it a gadget on the side of my blog. I found it in clip art on line. I thought it fit so perfectly.

I am thankful for:

1. Laughter in my home. We have been through some stressful times and the other day I guess the way I was acting tickled Darin and he laughed until tears came to his eyes. I had not seen him laugh like that in a long time. Hearing giggles from my kids as they play.

2. Having all of my grandparents still living. Once a week I have been taking my girls to have lunch at my grandparents house in San Marcos. A couple of weeks ago I got to watch my girls beg my grandpa for a ride in his golf cart around their house. It was sweet to see their enjoyment and his as they laughed and begged him to go faster.

3. My girlfriends amaze me! God has given me a rich group of sweet friendship. My move has brought me back to one of my friends that we have been friends for 15 years and it is neat to be with someone that has known me through a lot.

4. Basket sales for Mary Kay have been good this year. I make beautiful baskets and have sold them to people for Christmas gifts.

5. Dalton is at the school where I went Kinder-5th grade. His grandmother is a 2nd grade teacher there. It makes me feel safer sending him.

6. Hearing my son read. It is magical to see him bringing home harder and harder books and he is reading them. I taught struggling readers and it is so nice that he is such a strong reader.

7. Little girls that love makeup and dress up and are just girly little girls. They are so much fun to play with.

8. Watching Madie's little personality come out. She is talking so much and revealing her unique little thought process. We thought she would never talk and now she is making up for lost time.

9. Jesus and is patience with me and all the ways that fail. For feeling inspired again, like I am back on track in my relationship with Him.

Jenny Childress put this out on her blog at http://gottaruncatchmelater.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas-fun.html
Christmas Fun
Answer these fun Christmas questions and post to your blog :) Enjoy!
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping with big bows
2. Real tree or Artificial? Fake pre-lit and no needles to vacuum
3. When do you put up the tree? Friday after Thanksgiving
4. When do you take the tree down? After New Years
5. Do you like eggnog? Yes
6. Favorite gift received as a child?My cabbage patch doll
7. Hardest person to buy for? My dad
8. Easiest person to buy for? Jenny Helm or Brighton
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes 3
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? When I do them by mail
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? My mother in law bought luggage for Darin and put both of our names on it the 2nd year we were married.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? The Movie the Grinch Love Jim Carey
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Depends this year it is late
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I plead the 5th
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Chocolate! The small recess peanut butter cups
16. Lights on the tree? of course! Lots Pre-lit
17. Favorite Christmas song? I love a lot of them, Oh Holy Night
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? My family is all here so I get to stay at home and I love it
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? You know Dasher & Dancer, Donner & Blitszen, Comment & Cupid, Prancer& Vixen, But do you recall...the most famous reindeer of all...(That is how I remember it.)
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? A big bow
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Did not listen to Dave Ramsey this year and have Christmas Saved so the stress of the budget has been hard this year.
23. Favorite ornament, theme, or color? Bright, Red Green and gold! Christmas is the one time of year you can't be too gaudy and sparkly
24. Favorite for Christmas Dinner? What I don't have to cook
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I've got a long list......

Worship Wed.

This is the song of my heart that expresses what I could not say this week. From my heart to His this song lifted me into the Lords presence this week. I love the picture in this video of the woman's head being lifted by the fingers of Jesus. It is one of my favorite thoughts about Jesus. He is the lifter of our head...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOkJlVWJDow

True Story Tuesday-Christmas Trip that took Forever

A couple of years ago it was the day after Christmas and we were going to be traveling to my sister in laws house in North Texas to celebrate with Darin's family. We went out that night with our group of friends to our annual movie night and my mom called to tell us that Dalton has thrown up. I thought it was just from eating too much junk that day and we still went on to start our trip. Big mistake. We got in the car to leave and the kids (I only had two at the time and was pregnant with baby number three. Thank goodness I was past the morning sickness phase.) We got down the road to outside Salado. Dalton started crying saying he had to go to the bathroom. Those of you that have traveled that road up IH 35, there is not a stop between Georgetown and Salado. Darin raced down the highway trying to get Dalton to a bathroom. But needless to say we did not make it. His tummy was torn up and we had a huge mess. We pulled over on the side of the highway to let him go to the bathroom and clean him up because there was not where else we were going to make it to. Here was are on the side of the road with a 4 year old going potty and trying to change his clothes discretely. Luckily I had a pair of flip flops for him to slip on his feet to stand outside in. By the time we got through Belton and Temple I thought we had seen the worst of it. Wrong! Again he started crying outside of Troy that he had to go potty. Again there is not many places to stop between Troy and Waco and we had another accident. By the time we got him changed he was wearing the Dallas Cowboys football costume that he had gotten for Christmas, one of his sisters Princess pull ups and flip flops. We get back in the car and get down the road a little ways and he throws up again. So we are down to one of my night shirts and a princess pull up. We were over half way there and decided to press forward with Lynne's encouragement. She said to come on and she would help take care of it when we got there. We got back on the highway got through Waco and Dalton fell asleep. We had one hour left and it looked like we were going to get some peace for the rest of the trip. Just has my body relaxed I heard the awful sound from the back seat. My two year old daughter projectile vomited all over the back seat. (Why had I given them red Gatorade to drink in the car.) Her car seat, the back of Darin's seat and even Dalton's brand new spider man pillow doll got it! At that point I wanted to cry. We were out of wipes to clean her or the car. We were outside of Waco and had to pull into an old gas station and ask for paper towels and trash bags to bag up the mess. My car smelled awful, they were sitting in stripped down car seats and mismatched clothes. Darin was frustrated and I wanted to cry. We made it to Lynne's house and her mother instincts kicked in. She took both babies from us and went to cleaning them up and being a care taker. My mother in law came out to gather clothes and car seat covers to get into the wash and we cleaned up the car. The funny thing was once we got to her house they were healed! They ran around like they had never been sick, opened presents and were just fine. Until, we got into the car to go home the next day. Luckily Dalton made it all the way home until we got to Crackelbarrel to eat with my parents in Buda. Let's just say that we did not go back to that Crackelbarrel for a little while after that. The lesson to the story is I now have a box in my car that has clothes, clorox wipe, a puke bucket, and trash bags. To this is my True Story for Christmas. You can go over to http://www.onceuponamiracle.com/ to read more stories.

Scarlett I heart faces

This picture of our Scarlett was one of the last good ones I got of her. We lost her this October. She was 13 years old. Scarlett was a beautiful boarder collie that we got when we were first married. She was our first child and was wonderful with all of our kids. She was gentle and kind. We miss her very much.

Sunday Night Confessions

I have not kept up with my Sunday night confessions in a while but I have a great one this week. I had an epiphany this week and this is my only place to share it. Most of you know the emotional roller coaster I have been on since last May with all of the changes in our lives. Praise God things have gotten so much better. I love living in the town I grew up in. I LOVE my new house and we are settling into a good routine in the Koenig household. Thank you for all of the prayers and encouragement you gave. You will never know how much your words of encouragement meant to me.
Through all of the things that were starting to turn around I still had a nagging in the pit of my stomach that would not go away. Guilt. I have struggled with it all of my life but, this was gripping me and keeping me from moving forward. I am getting back on track with Mary Kay and getting back on my diet. Since November, I have lost 11 pounds and my clothes are fitting better. I am getting back into the bible and trying to evaluate my life. But guilt was robbing me of my joy and I could not snap out of it. I could not stop thinking about "woulda, coulda and shoulda". Yea I had lost 11 pounds and I was back to where I was this summer but where would I be if I had not gained the pounds this fall. I would be well onto my goal weight. I am starting over where I was in Mary Kay. I knocked it out of the park last year and was setting records all over the place. It was nothing to sell $2000 in a week and now I was struggling to sell that in a month? I am having to start totally over on my team. A girl that was in Director in Qualification with me is well on her way to earning her Cadillac. Where would I be if I had not stopped working, and how to I get back to that place emotionally? Then there is the guilt that separated my walk with Christ. I was walking on water with him last summer. I had reached a new height in my faith and was being set free. I was on a new level and could not wait to see where he took me and yet I literally fell off the mountain and could not see the peak I fell from. How could I let this happen? Where is that faith now? I look around at my internal thoughts and thought, "This is not me. This is not who I am. I have come to far in my life to be back here emotionally and spiritually. Where would I be if I had not taken this step so far back?" I kept telling myself to just shake it off and snap out of it already.
But in faith I kept plugging along. I continued to read my bible every day and I press in and waited for the feelings to catch up. Then Friday night as I was in the shower (I think it is one of the only times I am alone.) the Lord spoke. Wonder if this is how Peter felt when he denied Christ? Then it hit me. I have blogged before about Peter being my favorite story and feeling like I identify with him the best. He walked on water with the Lord. He saw Jesus heal people, feed the 5000 and raise Lazarus from the dead. Jesus told him that he was going to build His church on him and he denied Jesus. Jesus even told him that he was going to disown Him and he does not believe Him. I can only imagine the guilt that Peter felt. But when given the chance at redemption and forgiveness Peter ran to Jesus. When Jesus appeared to them on the beach that morning when they were fishing, Peter jumped out of the boat to swim to the shore and he fell at Jesus feet. He did not wallow in the self loathing and guilt. He did not go on like nothing had happened and settle for a lesser relationship with Jesus. His failure set him up for an even greater victory. I bet it also changed how he related to people too. In a relationship going through a conflict and being forgiven only strengthens the bond of that relationship. If you never have to go to Jesus for forgiveness and restoration you don't fully learn the depths of it. He took that passion into his new ministry and helped build the new testament church. The day of Pentecost in Acts, three thousand new believers were added to their numbers that day! His shadow healed people. God released a power into Peter's ministry that Peter would have NEVER experienced had he stayed at the point of his failure. When I was telling Darin about my new thought we began to discuss it and I thought of the difference in Peter's ending and that of Judas. Judas walked with Christ and was there too though all of the wondrous works that Jesus did. Judas betrayed Christ and let the guilt of it lead him to hanging himself. I don't feel like Judas was unredemptive. I wonder what good could have been brought out of his ministry if he had not let his story end there. What could the Lord have done through Judas like he did through Peter. Both men failed Jesus and lost footing in their walk with Jesus. Where does my story end? At the point of where I fell, wondering how I could have let myself get to this place? Or to run to the feet of Jesus and let Him restore all that was lost and place me back in a place of even greater faith and power to do ministry for his kingdom. I am more excited about what God has in store for me than I have been in months. Please leave your thoughts in the comments because I am excited about the insight I feel the Lord gave me.

Friday Top 10-Holiday Traditions

Christmas is a time of year that makes me realize I am not a kid anymore. This is the time of year that I get flooded with so many memories from my childhood from Christmas pasts. I get to think about the holiday traditions that I want to start with my kids. Over the last couple of years it has been really cool to play Santa with our kids and see Christmas again through their eyes. So my top 10 List today will be the Holiday Traditions that I grew up with and the ones we have started in the Koenig house.

Helm House
1. Pictures with Santa every year that my mom still has in a book.
2. The Christmas Cantata at church. We were in it every year with the adult choir and then we would have a fellowship afterward in the fellowship hall and the Pastor would dress up as Santa. I miss being a part of a Christmas Cantata.
3. 12 Days of Christmas. We got gifts in our stockings for the 12 days before Christmas.
4. Getting to unwrap one gift on Christmas eve from mother and daddy.
5. Putting out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer on Christmas eve.
6. Daddy reading the Christmas story or the The Night Before Christmas before bed. Then we would watch on the news to see where Santa was located on the Doppler system and head to bed.
7. The Friday before Christmas would be with the Helm cousins at my grandparents in San Marcos. As teens our tradition was to throw wrapping paper at the ceiling fan and see who could shoot it the farthest. Yes, it is Texas and the ceiling fan was on in December.
8. As teens we went on a Ski trip with our Church leaving Christmas night with the Family. That was awesome!
9. Shopping with my mom for Christmas gifts for the family. I wish we still did that.
10. Looking through all the Christmas pictures we got in cards from family. I love Christmas cards.

Koenig House
1. Pictures with Santa. (I can't find them this year since we moved. GRRR!)
2. Watching some of our favorite Christmas movies with the kids when they come on TV and drinking hot chocolate.
3. Taking the kids to look at Christmas lights and watching their reactions.
4. Decorating for Christmas the Friday after Thanksgiving.
5. Baking cookies for Santa and leaving them out with milk. We leave out deer corn for the reindeer.
6. Reading the Christmas story from the bible on Christmas eve by the Christmas tree.
7. Picking a family in need from the church or community and delivering their Christmas to them on Christmas Eve. We always try to include the kids in on this. If not then we do an angel tree gift and pick a kid close to the age of ours so they can help pick out the toy.
8. This year I started reading a chapter book to them every night, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. It is one of my favorites from childhood.
9. Making Christmas paper crafts to help decorate the house.
10. On Christmas morning we open gifts as a family, then the kids get to play with their gifts while we make a special breakfast and eat it while watching the Disney Parade in Disney World. It is my goal and dream to surprise the kids by leaving Christmas night for Disney World and spending the week after Christmas there through New Years eve. Then we go get ready and head to Nonna and Grandpa's by 11:00 to open presents and spend the day there. Great Grandparents Nana and Grandad spend the day with us too. On Christmas Night (For the last 11 or 12 years) our high school youth group goes to the movies all together. This was a tradition started in college when everyone would come home for the holidays. If it is a kid friendly movie then my kids go if not they spend the night at Grandpa's and Nonna's house.

I linked up with Sugarplum Creations today because I love the idea shared on this site.

Thankful Thursday

This is one of my new life verses. In the past few weeks I have allowed frustration, resentment, anger, & gossip to creep back into my life. It led me to feeling just yuck on the inside and unclean. I kept doing my quiet time and prayer but I was not feeling it. I did not want to be the person that I felt like. Finally I just came to realize this week is that I was going to have to discipline myself to getting these things that I listed out of my life even when I did not feel like it. When we were out Christmas shopping I thanked or complimented every clerk and went out of my way to be nice to people in the stores. My thought was, well if I feel rotten on the inside I am going to go out of my way to be extra nice to those around me. I thought that would fix my melancholy but it didn't but, that is where faith steps in. Just keep doing what you know is right to do even when you are not feeling it. Feelings and even hormones change. So today I am going to get back to my Thankful Thursdays. Because I really am trying to notice and thank God for every blessing in my life. I love the movie Pollyanna especially when she would play the glad game. I think we as women need to follow that thought process in our homes and it will change the temperature of out homes and teach our kids a valuable life lesson. So here is my glad game for the past week.

1.Frustration: My washer and dryer went out the day before Thanksgiving and could not be fixed. I did not have the money to buy a new one and the timing of Christmas was perfect. Then on the day I was catching up on the 10 loads of laundry my dryer went out too.
Blessing: My in laws bought a new washer and dryer giving us their old set for free. It is newer than mine and nicer.

2. Frustration: Feeling like a single like mom with Darin's new work schedule. He has not had many days off and it is very undependable about when he gets off and when his days off are.
Blessing: He has a job that is paying him better than he has in a while and he is happy with his work. I get to be a stay at home mom and many moms don't. I do appreciate it.

3. Frustration: My kids and their demands and fighting with each other.
Blessing: They are all beautiful, healthy and smart children. We never had any trouble getting pregnant, not had bad pregnancies. I am blessed with three kids.

4. Frustration: Messy house and feeling like I am the only one who cleans it.
Blessing: I have been homeless living with my parents. I have a beautiful home. It is one story and easier to keep up with than my two story house. I have sweet neighbors that are Christians.

Blessings:
1. My family. My parents live in the same town as us and Dalton is at the same school my mom teaches at. My bothers and sister-in-laws are close by. Yesterday when Darin and I were Christmas shopping and he got called into work I was sad and did not want to go home yet. But I also did not want to go shopping with the girls by myself. I called Stephanie and Jenny and we all met at Academy and then went to lunch. It was awesome.

2. My friends. Moving is hard when you have to make new friends. Moving back to the area you grew up in has been awesome. I reconnected with my group of close girlfriends and am actually living closer to them than I was before. I reconnected with my best friend from high school and we are having fun with our girls together.

3. The women in my life through Mary Kay. They are so positive and uplifting. If I never made a dime or did anything else I am blessed because of these women and the love they pour into my life.

4. Last but not least I was blessed yesterday. I got pulled over yesterday and discovered that my licence was expired, I had not put the new insurance card in my wallet and I was going 11 miles over the speed limit. The wonderful officer only gave me a ticket for the licence and said to contact the judge when I got it renewed. It could have been so much worse and the judge is my friend on facebook so who knows what she will do when I contact her. Thank you kind officer!

Worship Wed.

Purify my heart
Let me be as gold and precious silver

Purify my heart

Let me be as gold, pure gold

Refiner's fire, my heart's one desire

Is to be holySet apart for You, Lord

I choose to be holy

Set apart for You,

my MasterReady to do Your will

Purify my heart

Cleanse me from within and make me holy

Purify my heart

Cleanse me from my sin, deep within

I heart Faces

Napping with Grandpa
I am trying to link this up to the I heart faces contest and I hope it works. This week's theme is Sweet Dreams.

Friday Top 10-It Ain't Christmas Until I've seen this on T.V.

These are in no particular order

1. Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer (The old claymation one.)

2. A Christmas Carol

3. A Christmas Story "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out"

4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Cartoon Version)

5. The Grinch (Our Favorite!) I want a whoville Christmas.

6. Meet Me in St. Louis

7. Mickey's Christmas Carol & The New Mickey mouse Christmas one that came out last year.

8. National Lampoon's Holiday Vacation (The crazy old grandma wrapping the cat up and then the cat catching the tree on fire is the funniest part.)

9. Polar Express

10. Elf "It's Santa! I know him!"

11. Shrek the Halls ( A new favorite.)Ok so I did 11! It's my top 10 and I can.

Brighton is 5!

I remember the day I found out I was pregnant with baby number two and immediately knew it was my chance at a little girl. When we found out for sure I was so excited. I finally had a bow head I could dress in pink. I was going to get my Brighton. We had her name picked out way before we started having kids. I was induced on December 3rd and after three hours of active labor she was there. Brighton has been everything I envisioned my little girl would be and then some. I wanted a mini me with big blue eyes that was girly. Brighton has been a girly girl since she came out of the womb. We called her our little "Cindy Lou Who" baby because that is what she looked like. With her two little pig tails and her big blue eyes sucking on two fingers. She got up and walked at 10 months because she was not going to be out done by the other kids running around at bible study. Her first word was "Happy". She got it from Dalton who's favorite song to sing at two was "You are My Sunshine." Brighton has always been a prissy, dramatic, giggly little girl with a stubborn streak that would test any one's patience. She is a middle child with the personality of an oldest child. She has her way of doing everything. She does not walk, she flits and priances wherever she goes. Brighton has always had an imagination that was well advanced for her years and a vocabulary to match. Even before she had her little kitchen set she would pretend to cook a full coarse meal with absolutely nothing in her hands and then serve it to everyone in the room. At three years old her playmates were Cinderella, Spiderman and the three little pigs. Throughout that year Batman and Robin were added to the group along with Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox. After Brighton's 1st trip to story time at the library, she came skipping out of the kids room by herself. I asked her if she had a good time and she said, "Yes but the free lidle pigs got board. (the three little pigs)." Then later that day as we were shopping she was riding in the basket and called out to the open space, "Hurry Brer Rabbit. Get in the basket." Then sticking her hands out she stated,"No, No Brer Fox you are not going to knock his block off." After that scene in Ross we decided to leave all of our "little friends" in the car when we went in places. Brighton could often be found making soup for one of her little group that might be sick. (Once for Robin, who was in the hospital because he got ranned over by the bat mobile.) At bath time she is often stiring up poison to feed the bad guys. Or creating a birthday cake to celebrate one of playmates birthdays. She could tell me all about Batman's birthday, what they ate, what he got and all the details. Once I even herd her in the bathroom grunting as she struggled to go potty and then sigh and say, "Oh my gosh Cindawella! Do you smell that!" Now that Madie has gotten older and she wants to play with Brighton, the imaginary friends are not around as much. She has a new little playmate to have tea parties with and cook with in her kitchen. As long as little sister's follows Brighton's rules. If not then we have to hear how "She is wunning evwy thing!" On a side note don't drink the water at one of their tea parties. You may not want to know were it came from.

Age four brought an entire new level to her playing. She became the damsel in distress. She would tie herself to things and call for Dalton to come rescue her. One day I caught her standing in her upstairs playroom with one foot in the windowsill and one on the art easel. (Not to mention that that window was open.) I tried not to yell so not to cause her to fall. I just asked her to get down. She looked at me and very matter of factly said, "But mommy I am locked in the tower."

Brighton does not call me mom most of the time. She refers to me as Best Friend. She got very indignant a month ago when my girlfriends and I went out for the big midnight showing of New Moon. She really thought she was going with me. Then after dragging in way past my bedtime I was awaken at 5:30 in the morning to a chirpy little voice that asked, "So how was the movie?" Then the next night at bath time she scolded me. "You know that best friends are not suppose to leave their best friends at home when they go out with the girls right? I should have gone with you. I would have worn my I heart Rosalie shirt and sat between you and Aunt Jenny. " She came out the other day after getting herself dressed and she had on a pink shirt, little boot cut jeans with black boots on. She asked Darin, "Do I look like mommy? Do you think she will have on her black boots today?" She is the first one to compliment my hair, my make up and my clothes when she sees me. "Oh mommy you look gorgeous!" Then it is is followed up with, "Can I have___like you are wearing when I get big." She came out of her room the other day to get in the car and she had one of my old purses over her arm. In it was one of my old cell phone, an old Mary Kay compact with a lipstick inside it, and one of my old wallets with Mary Kay cards in it. She is my mini me.
Brighton loves to sing and dance. She can perform almost any Taylor Swift song. Love Story had to be banned from my car for a little while because she wanted to hear it so much. Often I could look out in the back yard and I would see her standing on the top of slide hanging onto the A frame of the swing and singing "Some Where Over the Rainbow" to the clouds. The other day I heard her in my closet and when I went to investigate I found her singing to my shoes. She had them all matching in pairs lined up in a semicircle around herself. She was totally in her element when she took ballet and tap last year. She had the prettiest posture with her little neck held high and shoulders in place. She loved her teachers and every minute of it. But, she can also run faster than her brother and swing a might baseball bat.

She loves Fancy Nancy, well she is Fancy Nancy and has the vocabulary to prove it. One night she turned to my mother in law and said, "Oh mimi. This food you made is absolutely delicious." She expresses herself about everything. Weather it be the beautiful outfit she wants to wear, the delicious exquisite food she is eating or the terrible baby that is messing up her room. She adds the hand motions to accentuate her point. She also never comes out and says that she is hungry. She says things like, "My tummy's growling." Once she even told Darin, "Daddy my blood sugar is dropping. Can you make me a peanutbutter fold?"

Brighton has stop you in your tracks beauty. Since she was born we could not go anywhere with out someone talking to her. When she was three taking swim lessons I found out that some of the life guards were hoping to get the little princess who pranced around the pool in their swim class. Can I add that she was even prissy when she did that too. She is confident and strong. She adapts well to any surroundings and I love that about her. She loves life and loves big. I am having fun with each stage I get to experience with her.