Sledding

The kids had their first day off of school due to weather today. They took advantage of the extra day sledding on the ice. Janice and Jim even braved the roads and brought their kids for the fun.

I manged to make cookies and fudge along with several batches of hot chocolate. Today really helped me find my Christmas spirit! Jackie

Christmas Countdown, Nutcracker and all kinds of stuff!

It's hard to believe that it is already Dec. 12. We seem to jump from Thanksgiving to the middle of Advent in the blink of an eye! This year's Christmas Countdown got off to a great start. We have celebrated Mimi's 70th birthday, shopped for our "Adopt A Family", and made it through another Nutcracker. The kids were disappointed to miss the Christmas Parade this year, but one case of tonsilitis and one round of the stomach bug kept us home. Mama did not mind too much though because it was Cold that night!Molly had a great time in the Nutcracker this year. This was her third year to be in the show and she was a snowflurry and a lamb in Marzipan. It is so amazing to see the hard work these kids put in for months take shape on stage. The magic of it all is reflected in the eyes of all the future ballerinas in the audience. Molly seems to have found her place on the stage. She is so at home there. She dreams about future parts and makes plans for when she is the director!Last night we went to Winter Wonderland. This is an annual trip we make as part of our Christmas Countdown. The kids always spend time with Santa and mail their letters to the North Pole. I am sure Max is starting to outgrow some of the things we do, but he continues to have fun and surprise me with his enthusiasm for little Emma and Caroline.

"It's Beinning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"

"It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas..." After all my years in retail, I finally love Christmas again! While Advent services kept me sane through those retail years, it has been my kids that have brought joy of Christmas back to me!As with most things, we share this time of year with my brother and sister and their families. One way we do this is through our Annual Christmas Countdown. A friend shared an idea with Janice and she shared with us and now it has become a family tradition. Every morning through Christmas, the kids get to open a pocket on the countdown. In it they find things like making gingerbread houses with their cousins (at grandma and grandpa's who say they don't mind the mess!),school parties, Nutcracker premiere and shopping for a needy child. We also always hit the Downtown Winterwonderland and mail our letters to Santa. And yes we do most of these things with all 7 kids.There are some things we do as just the 4 of us-decorate our tree, cookies for Santa and plenty of Christmas movies! The countdown ends the same every year: Happy Birthday Jesus! The kids always check this before they check their own loot...I keep waiting for Max to tell me he is too old for the countdown, but it has yet to happen...It is so magical watching Christmas through their eyes. They love the presents but they seem to understand the true meaning behind all the glitter. And for that I am thankful.enjoy the season-Jackie

Thanksgiving

It's hard to believe another Thanksgiving is here. Every year seems to race by faster and faster. We were remembering our first Thanksgiving with Max. He was 5 months old, we had closed on our house the day before and of course me being me, we moved that Wed. night. So Thurs. morning dawned bright and cold and we began the Thanksgiving marathon! A whole lot of turkey later, Max cut his first tooth after having (disgusting) green beans baby food for the first time and then projectile vomited said green beans in Wal Mart. We finally arrived home (to the new house) to find we had no heat! The kids were rolling over this story but it made me realize that time is racing by- and while I am enjoying every second of it (although I don't miss baby food!) there are times I wish it would slow down.

At dinner each night we all share something good that happened that day. This week we covered what we were thankful for instead.

Molly's list includes: God and Jesus, her family and friends, Ringo, school and her teacher and turkey! Max was thankful for his family and our health, a house to live in and food to eat.

My list echos theirs quite a bit:
1. Family- far and near they bless me every day
2. Health- my own, Dennis', the kids, our siblings and their childrens, and our parents- Dennis' dad's has been a little rough but he is hanging in there.
3. Jobs we are both lucky enough to work with people we enjoy
4. Friends- new and old they are the family we pick. this group expanded to include baby Eli (Lawrence) this year
5. Grace-without this all the others are meaningless

I am also very thankful to live in this country and be able to enjoy all the freedoms we so often take for granted. So thank you to the pilgrims for dreaming and enduring to leave a legacy for us today. And even though Molly has told me the first Pilgrims did not have it, I am thankful to be heading to my mom and dad's for turkey!

Happy Thanksgiving and many blessings this year-
Jackie

Right now we are in what I call "our busy season" Molly is doing Nutcracker every night (on top of school, art, ballet class being 7...), Max is swimming everday and racing whenever he can. And then there are the Holidays!!!
Most years I tend to want to wallow a little about the craziness. This year instead I am embracing it. We are so lucky to have healthy kids, be close to both our families, and all the other things we tend to take for granted. I am adopting the the"we get to " not the the we "got"to attitude. (Not my idea- belongs to John Miles)

I hope I can keep it up after my upteenth trip to the Foundation or the pool. I want them to remember how much fun they had not me complaining about living on the road...

A blog site. Hmm not sure I'm ready for this. Several of my friends have started their own blogs- they keep telling me EVERYONE is doing it! Janice, my sister, even caved. She is doing it instead of scrap booking. So here I am.

I am hoping to use this as an archive of our life. When Dennis and I got married, one of the songs in our wedding was In My Life by the Beatles. We both love the words "I love you more". But I also love the part that goes "all these places have their moments ...I have loved them all" I don't want to forget the moments or places or people that come into our life- even if they are only for a moment or a lifetime. I am not good at baby books or photo albums or scrap booking (sorry mom) but maybe I can do this.

Enjoy your Life
Jackie