The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Okay, so I came up for the title of this post by typing the song currently playing on my Pandora. But it fits, since this time of the year IS pretty great!

This past weekend we welcomed Christmas into our home. We put up our tree and decorations. I made a double batch of sugar cookies. I even unpacked and set up my Christmas village. Last year I didn't set it up, since we traveled to Illinois for Christmas. When I opened this box the other day, look at the note I found inside. It says, "Packing this up on March 13th, 2012. When I get it out again, I pray Aaron will be seizure free and thriving. I believe in God!" :)

Believing God

Wow, am I glad I set my village up this year! What an awesome blessing! I had forgotten all about this note I wrote. Discoveries like this one really do make this the most wonderful time of the year. Aaron is indeed thriving. His last seizure that I saw was on May 13th, 2012...exactly 2 months after I wrote this note. Praise the Lord!!!

In other news, Braylen and Kaleb performed in their band concerts last week. It was strange to see Kaleb in concert and not have him sitting in the bleachers with us. Good thing Aaron had his cousin to sit with. :) Kaleb's 6th grade band is the biggest band the school has seen in recent years with 65 students in it. They sounded great, and our Kaleb was easy to spot in the trumpet section with his blond hair!

He's still easy to find, don't you think?!

Braylen is having a great year as top dog in middle school. The 8th graders in jazz band wore santa hats for this concert. Braylen played the trap set, tympani, and tom toms. It's fun having a percussionist and a brass player this year. :) Braylen's last song of this concert was called "Celtic Carol," and it was my favorite one of the night.

My handsome musicians!

Around the house we've been staying warm in this deep freeze that's hit the nation. Winter has come early this year, but that's fine by me. The other day I found a tick on our dog and it makes me wonder if it's been there awhile? The great thing about winter is all those creepy crawly insects go away for the season. :) And we're not mowing any lawns!

Painting his new bunk bed shelves Daddy built for him. They are working out great!

Finally, here are a few pictures from Christmas arriving in our home. We've been having fun hiding our elf in unusual places around the house. I REALLY like where we put our tree this year. Why did it take us 10 years in this house to find the perfect spot? Aaron took Derek and I to a family fun event at school where he built a gingerbread house. It was a messy, fun time for the 3 of us. :) Yep--we sure are having fun during this most wonderful time of the year!

Derek can't pick Braylen up for this job anymore!

Aaron's pretty proud of his house, complete with a sugar cube snowman out front!

F-f-f-freezing F-f-f-freddy!

;)

Birthday Boy Kaleb

Happy 12th Birthday to our Kaleb Matthew!!! How fun to celebrate his birthday on a Saturday this year! We had a slow morning and made time for important things--like opening presents and talking on FaceTime with family. Since we had the whole day together, we decided to go out for lunch to Kaleb's favorite breakfast restaurant. Yummmmm!

Kaleb and his pile of presents :)

With 60 degree weather on the last day of November, Derek and the boys spent lots of time outside today. They played basketball, catch, and kick the can. Braylen took family pictures for his aunt and uncle at a nearby park, so Kaleb and Aaron helped Derek put our Christmas lights on the house. I made homemade pizza dough and chocolate cake for Kaleb's family party--yummmmmmm!

When I asked Kaleb what he wanted to do on his birthday, one of the things he mentioned was watch a football game. We managed to get that done today too. :) Kaleb wore his Ohio State t-shirt, and they barely pulled off a win. But they DID win!

Kaleb is 12 years old, and I could not be more proud of the young man he is becoming. His first word was "happy," and that fits since he has always been a happy child. A few facts to help me remember what Kaleb is like at 12 years old:

• His favorite thing to do with Dad is go camping and ride 4-wheelers.
• His favorite thing to do with Mom is read together.
• His favorite thing to do with his brothers is play catch. I would also add play games on the iPods and Wii, wrestle, and be LOUD!
• He wants to be a chiropractor when he grows up.
• He's looking forward to visiting his Grammy and Grampy's house this next year of his life, and he also wants to visit his Uncle Eric and Aunt Amber and cousin Will!
• Kaleb is content in his own skin and content with what he has. "What you see is what you get," describes Kaleb well.
• 6th grade has been smooth sailing for Kaleb, and he's well-liked by his peers and teachers.
• He wants to invite one friend over to spend the night rather than a group of friends for a few hours.

We love you Kaleb!!! May God bless you richly as you live each day of your life. :)

Isaiah 40:31 "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Kaleb loves his chocolate cake!

New Things

Our computer is back! Some things are still missing. Like my email. I think all of my emails I saved during the past 7 years are gone. Gone! Who knows what I had in my inbox? And while we're at it, let's change Internet providers and email addresses. Wow, what a mess. But our pictures are all here. And our iTunes account was recoverable. You know, the important things. :)

So, here we are, 2 days before Thanksgiving. School is out until Monday--woohoo! Lately I've been thinking about fresh starts, new beginnings, and new ways of doing things. A Bible verse has been floating around in my head the past few days, and I think it captures what I am feeling.

Isaiah 43:19 "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."

I dreaded Derek leaving his position at the high school. I dreaded night shift even more. Those changes were my own personal desert and wasteland. But I had no idea how many good, new things would come from them. It's like God was waiting in the wings whispering, "Trust Me. I am making a way for you." I was too busy mourning the life we were leaving behind to hear those whispers. I hear them now. :) While not everything is perfect, and some things are hard, our home is filled with more joy than before. More togetherness. More laughter. More peace. Only God can make a way like this.

Another new thing around here? Derek is willingly listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving! In the 19 years I've known him, that has never happened. :) My favorite new (to me) Christmas CD is by Lady Antebellum. My oldest son calls my taste in music "that country trash," but I've caught him listening to it a few times. :)

Yesterday Kaleb was given permission from his doctor to run and jump again--his knee has healed! 2 months is a long time for an active boy to sit out in PE, but he kept a positive attitude through it all. What an example he is to me. I've said that before, haven't I?

Speaking of Kaleb...he turns 12 on Saturday. 12!!! My big, chubby, 9 pound, 10 ounce baby boy is becoming a young man. We have so much to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!


Kaleb's pyramid project. Everything is edible, even the graham cracker "sand."

Aaron's latest book. He showed it to Ginger, since she looks like the main character. :)

Braylen and Derek each got a buck this year. One shot each!

I find this picture amusing, since Kaleb is the one reading a book!

The beauty of our land is in the sky!

Nocomputer November

     So far we have made it through 9 days without our computer. I miss it. It's much more tedious to pay bills and check our main email account on a tablet. Thankfully I found an app for Aaron's online math homework. Without our iPads I would have panicked. Is that sad? Probably so, but it is our reality. A first world problem, for sure. Our pictures are obviously not accessible, but thankfully they are backed up. After too much money and loads of frustration, we WILL get our system up and running again.
     I have been looking at pictures from the Philippines. The devastation from the typhoon is heartbreaking. I get tears in my eyes when I see those people suffering. It makes our computer problem look like no problem at all. We are so crazy blessed in America.
     Today is 11-12-13. We are 12 days into November, the month we remember to give thanks for our many blessings. I think it's important to tack on WHO we are giving thanks TO.

• Thank you God for my family. All of them.
• Thank you God for my husband's job. Derek's shift is going better than I thought it would.
• Thank you God for medicine. Aaron remains seizure-free.
• Thank you God for laughter. We laugh a LOT in our home. With 3 boys, how can I not laugh?
• Thank you God for good books. I enjoy reading so much.
• Thank you God for our kids' schools. They are thriving in them.
• Thank you God for food. We never go hungry.
• Thank you God for my house. I don't like paying the mortgage every month, but I love living in our cozy home.
• Thank you God for friends. I am blessed with so many good ones.
• Thank you God for freedom. It didn't come to us without great costs.
• Thank you God for music. I started playing Christmas music yesterday. Shhh. :)
• Thank you God for nature. I see Your handiwork in the sunsets, colored leaves, and bright moon.

So now it is time for me to let Aaron do his math homework. Maybe next time I can post a picture. :)