Happy New Year!

Since I won't be staying up 'til midnight...yes, I'm a wimp...I thought I'd wish you all a Happy New Year now! We had a nice visit with Grams. Here are a few lovey pics from her visit!

Advent Finale Favorite...

We had our finale for Advent on Christmas night. This is my favorite picture...you can see Caleb's little face and Emma smiling and Darren reading the Bible...Grams is to the side of me smiling back at Emma!

Click here for my conclusion to our first year's Advent tradition....

Merry Christmas 2008!!

Our anniversary flowers from Mom and Dad Wells' are in full bloom! Aren't they pretty?!

Emma shrieked with glee about her slinky! She didn't even know what it was yet! Caleb is still suspiciously sticking his arm into the stocking. In all fairness, it was sort of scary, since the first thing he picked out was a plastic bug! HA!

Unwrapping bedlam!

Playing with the new barn amid the wrapping paper hills!

Playing with our toys on the couch....losing some down the crack, no doubt! Chillin' out with Grams!!!

Grams has arrived!

Grams came for a Christmas visit yesterday. Thankfully, her flight from GA was uneventful and quick! The kids are enjoying entertaining her! She helped me make cookies today by reading to the kids! They loved this special time.

A Wells' Christmas!

A funny moment when boy shirts were in Emma's package and girls' in Caleb's! HA ha!

Playing together...sort of...with the toy still in the box!

Grandma in her new apron!

Poor Grandpa trying to figure out how to get the doll out of the package without hurting it!

Uncle Dan and Caleb figuring out some toys!

Favorite Christmas Card...

As some of you may remember, my dear sweetie went to China on business a while back. He is on a project with this group and they sent us a Christmas Card! We were so excited!

It is our most interesting card yet! Emma liked the signatures...like me! It is so neat to see a symbol based language in varying hand writings!

It also tickles me to know my husband is respected among his colleagues!

"Her husband is respected in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land." Prov. 31:23

Thursday They Speak...

I just can't leave Wordless Wednesday totally wordless. You have to know...

Caleb has turned rotten. Yes, my children don't wait until two to become terribly rotten...they hit right around 15-16 months. He's into everything...and repeats many of the words from his sister! He's also ADORABLE...and he knows that his MomE thinks so and that she struggles to keep a straight face to his rottenness!

Emma got some new play dresses from friends of ours...and Caleb was not going to be left out. He insisted on the red one...and he looked ridiculous! He could never pass for a girl...ever! He was quite pleased with himself as I'm sure you can tell from the first pic. Emma got all excited and exclaimed, while hugging him, "Cawub, you're a sistah!"

Gotta love it!

Wordless Wednesday...

From Floury Fun to 9-1-1

Awww! Don't they look cute! Yes, MomE made Springerlie cookies last night. It is a much messier process than I remember. Hmmm? All was well...as you can see...until Caleb started rubbing his eyes and fussing. Darren took them up to the tub while I finished and cleaned up the mess...ha! Then....

...Darren yelled for me to get the Benedryl and come upstairs. NOW! For those of you who don't know my gentle husband...he very rarely...if ever...yells at me to do anything NOW! I ran up the stairs and saw Caleb's little face swelling before my eyes. I got the Benedryl in him...decided his eyes were swollen shut...and we were calling 9-1-1! I've never called them before! They were FAST...here in three minutes.

Long story very shortened (cuz I didn't get home from the ER until 1 AM)...he has bronchial pneumonia and the slight allergic reaction to the dusty flour put him over the edge. He is on the nebulizer, antibiotics and no cold air (so no outside) for two weeks! Poor lambie! MomE is feeling rotten...like she should have known something she didn't! Dr's can be really good at making you feel this way!

Our sweet neighbors are retired and were at our door before the squad left. They asked to help...she cleaned my kitchen, my floors, my bathroom and he played blocks with Emma. God was sooooo good to send us family when we needed some close! Praise HIM!

Happy Early Anniversary to US!

Because our anniversary is so close to Christmas...we decided to celebrate it early. We went to Beethoven's Vienna downtown at the Scottish Rite Cathedral. We had a great time. Our sweet babysitter took our picture before we left. Our children love her so much they hardly took time to kiss us goodbye! HA!



























The concert was in the ballroom...and all the chairs were at the same level. So, anyone who knows me knows, I couldn't see a thing. That was okay...the music was still beautiful. Apollo's Voice, a professional chamber chorus, sang excerpts from Mass in C Major and Fanstasia in C Minor. Markus Groh was the guest pianist and he was marvelous---Didn't seem to miss a note! I loved the conductor, Maestro Raymond Leppard. He came in and gave a rather rambling, yet endearing, commentary on the history of this Beethoven Christmas music. Carolina Castells sang Ah, Perfido. The music was very odd...the translation said a lot about deserved pity, etc. Her dress was quite low---making me wish the opera singers would curtsy and not bow! HA! I guess my favorite part was the Mass. Here are excerpts of what they sang in Latin.

Kyrie Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Benedictus Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Agnus Dei Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Grant us peace.

So, Darren continues to reign as the Date Night Guru!

Girls' Night Out in the Manger!

Emma and I went out to run some errands and get our hair cut last night. We've never done this before...and it was indeed fun.

We had a good time...she was such a good girl at the hair salon. She sat and watched patiently while Mommy got her hair cut too! She was excited that it was just us girls!

As we were driving I was pointing out the Christmas lights. She ooed and ahhed and practiced her colors. "Those are blue...those are red...." We came to a stoplight and she said, "Look it's a Mommy, a Daddy, and a baby!" I said, "Who is that?" She said, "The baby Jesus!" I wanted to notice this moment and make it special for her....so I started to sing...

"Away in the Manger

No crib for His bed,

The little Lord Jesus

Laid down His sweet head.

The stars in the sky

Looked down where He lay;

The little Lord Jesus

asleep on the hay."

It was such a special moment. She talked about how hay is for horses. I affirmed this and said that the baby was born in a barn...with the cows, etc. She asked to sing again...and she joined me in her little toddler voice.

I figured I might blog about our Girls' Night Out...just not this way...

...Yesterday, while blurfing (blog surfing) I came across this site Chatting at the Sky, and her challenge everydayunwrapped. It was challenging to me and even though I'm a bit late, I think I'll use this special moment with Emma yesterday and link it to her site. As I understand it, everydayunwrapped, is an opportunity to write about stopping to take the time to celebrate the moments without getting caught up in the December crazies. As I've mentioned in other posts we are celebrating Advent this year. Already I have felt the difference this has made in my own spiritual life. It has changed my focus...helped me anticipate the real reasons for Christmas...helped me make life applications with my kids.

Merry Christmas!!

Mary Did You Know?

My Heart, Your Home...

Come and make my heart Your home.
Come and be everything I am and all I know.

Search me through and through

'till my heart becomes a home for You.

A home for You, Lord.

A home for You, Lord.

Let everything I do open up,

A door for You to come through,

And that my heart would be
a place where You want to be.

Come and make my heart Your home.

Come and be everything I am and all I know.

Search me through and through

'till my heart becomes a home for You.

You are my portion, filling up everything.

You are the fortune that's causing my heart to sing.

That it's amazing,

that You could make Yourself at home with me.

Come and make my heart,

Come and make it Your home.

Come and be everything I am and all I know.

Search me through and through

'till my heart becomes a home for You.

My Heart, Your Home by Watermark

Wordless Wednesday...

Vroom, vroom!!

It tickles me that Caleb knows how to make car noises without ever being taught. We are slowly accumulating "boy" toys in our house. Today, we went over to play at a friend's house...where there are lots of cars and trucks. Caleb (and Emma) loved it!! Caleb was making car noises. So cute....it sounded like, "oooottt, ooooottt, mmmmmmm!"

It is funny how you never intend to make gender differences with kids but you do anyway. We never thought to get Emma cars and trucks...yet she likes them so much we are thinking of getting her a truck for Christmas instead of a dolly cradle. Caleb likes dressing up in tutus just as much as Emma! It is nice to have this time where they haven't noticed the differences themselves and enjoy playing anything and everything. I will savor the moments!!

Advent Alterations

We are having a good time celebrating advent with the kids this year. We may need to make some advent alterations. The ornament tree is working okay...other than Caleb trying to take the bulb we just put on for the day and running around the house with it. He is really confused by the concept of just saying "pretty" and not touching the pretties!

The kids like the candle lighting on Sunday nights. We lit two candles last night. In an effort to make it "do-able" for the kids, we made the reading short. I think it is too short. The candles are barely lit before we blow them out again. Emma loves the blowing out part. We say what all the candles stand for before we blow them out....HOPE, PEACE, JOY, LOVE, JESUS!

I'm thinking of adding a Christmas carol. Emma likes to sing in the car...so we could add it to this tradition. Even Caleb sings..."Jesus, Jesus, Jesus..." and I finish, "there's just something about that name." It's like an echo song!

Hope you are all enjoying this time too!

Wordless Wednesday...

STILL THANKFUL!!!

We had a great visit with my parents in Ohio. Here are some photo highlights of our visit!

Darren and Caleb snuggling!

Emma loves the antique meat grinder. She could do this for hours!

Grandma cooking with her new apron.

Grandpa blogging...or something!

Uncle Dave reading his new book!

The place mats MomE and Emma made!

STILL THANKFUL...in case anyone is wondering why that is the subject of this blog...

Our van had major issues about half way home. Praise the Lord we were close enough to Darren's parent's house that we could limp the rest of the way there. It was dark and rainy...but God was GREAT. The kids were better in the car than I could have ever expected them to be. They were great in the car dealership the next day and great the long final two hours home! God is good...I am still thankful! My Memory Monday passage was

1 Chronicles 29:10-13...

"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in heaven and earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from you, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now, therefore, our God, we thank you, and praise Your glorious name."