NYE at Emily's

The kids and I popped over to Emily's for NYE and it was a sweet, quick trip.  We enjoyed good eats, sweet wine, lots of games and gabbing, staying up til midnight watching a movie, and Lee surprised the whole crew with fireworks and no shortage of screams and laughs.
Fun finish for 2019!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ready for a fresh start in a new year.  Welcome, 2020!

Christmas 2019

It has turned to be for the best that we stayed home in TN this Christmas.  Josh went down last weekend with a fiery cold and shivers and sweating that he still hasn't kicked.  Noah woke up Christmas morning with fever that he still hasn't kicked.  And Anna has come down with some inexplicable painful headaches and shivers midday on Christmas.  Thankful, so thankful, there is not stomach stuff going on, though, and that these germs are just mild ones you lay around and wait to pass.  

Anyway, Christmas magic and goodies we enjoyed nonetheless.   A Holiday Lights Scavenger Hunt we finished on Christmas Eve.  That chimney and Mrs Claus proved to be so elusive!  We also finished up our Prepare Him Room Advent Devotional right on time too ... squeezing the last two in before bedtime. ;)

Josh and I broke a sweat getting all the Santa gifts out that night.  It's been close to 70 here this week and it just ain't right!

 

For the second Christmas morning in a row, I woke up early with a migraine, so there I was downstairs at 6:30 am.  Noah (and his new fever) and Lasa were already up and into their stockings. Lasa had accidentally unpacked Anna's but Noah had quickly packed it all back for her as best he could.  Good move, big brother!

 

We blew Anna's mind with a new iPad she didn't even/wouldn't even have dreamed of asking for.  She had to buy her last one herself ... her last one has been hobbling along not holding charge for awhile making her crazy.  I am, like, a Christmas superhero to her now. Ha!  Anna's other main gifts were a Sofa Sack beanbag and a markerboard.  She is in heaven.

 

 

Noah had to have all his gifts delivered to his poor, puny self on the couch.  Good sport, though, squeezing out a smile for me regardless!  His main gifts were an air hockey table he held out no hope of receiving so that was a fun surprise.  And a new Star Wars video game and some backyard bunkers for Nerf Wars.

Lasa's main gifts were an American Girl doll and a horse to go with - now named Christina and Mexico.  Mexico?  Yes, Mexico.  I have no idea why.  She also got an awesome new watercolor set which has been used a ton already.  And some Calico Critters and their treehouse.

 

 

Noah managed to eek out energy for one game before going back to bed to sleep. Anna and I think sick Noah is the sweetest.  Don't judge us.

 

 

 

 Josh got me a beautiful new journal, a new stash of pens, and a smart battery case - which is awesome.  I got him a blue tooth beanie cap for jamming to his tunes while he works in the shed and greenhouse this winter and a Preds jersey. Anna got him a trash can for his car which the man neeeeeeeeeeeds so badly.  If he will just use it! Ha!

And bright and early this morning Lasa dropped her entire chunk of moolah from Memaw on this wild Hatchimals toy.  I tried to talk her out of it and show her how cool other less expensive toys were, but the heart wants what it wants so she is now the proud owner of a Llamacorn.  A LLAMACORN with 250+ tricks and sounds and responses. I am dizzy.

 

 

We are settling in with new toys and football games on queue and days to rest and recover at home and we aren't complaining at all.  If we are lucky, we will hit up McKays Used Books store again on Monday.  That's becoming a bit of a Christmas break tradition too.  I have gotten so much good reading and journaling done!  Glad.  

Merry Christmas, y'all!

Missing Angelique

I truly never expected Angelique to just drop out of Lasa's life entirely.  And yet that seems to be  what has happened, what is happening.  I am sad about this.  I sincerely hope it isn't true.  We have tried repeatedly this year to meet up and at other times to just even get a response from her at all.  We even tried some Rodney numbers, but to no luck.  Back in March we had a fleeting bright response from her and an excitement to meet up, but it was promptly followed with radio silence.  So hard and sad.  She did share with us in that flurry of texts that she had another baby, which I think I shared about this summer already on Lasa's birthday post.

Anyway, I can't ignore the fact that it has now officially been two years since Lasa last SAW Angelique.  Two whole years. Basically half her life now. 

And now it has been one full year since Angelique texted Lasa of her own initiative.   She didn't reach out on her birthday or Halloween or Christmas this year ... which were firsts for her to not text around.

Those full chunks of time having now passed just don't bode well for much hope.  I still WILL hope (even though NONE of my friends can understand why) that she surfaces again one day even if for just a second.  I sure would love for Lasa to have as updated of a pic of her as possible to hold on to.

I just struggle with the loss for Lasa FOR Lasa.  I don't know what else to say. 

December Random

Lasa finally upgraded from her car seat to a booster seat and it's just such a fun transition.  She loves it ... though she says she feels less safe.  Then she models how far over she can bend in the seat now. Not used to not being so strapped down apparently?

Why is her food so adorable to me??

How you can tell when Lasa is home during a school day...

Cool sky one drive.

Anna's Rake and Take idea, which was so smart, ended up only getting one taker.  Go figure!  And that might just be for the best.  Turns out, it was a lot more work for the money than Anna anticipated and she has learned a valuable lesson.  HA!  Anna's Rake and Take is no longer taking customers after this.  She and her helpers, Josh and Noah, worked for over 4 hours in a neighbor's front and back yards.  She quoted her $35, but the kind lady dropped them $50 when all was said and done. Fair pay.  Hard work.  Good lesson!

 

Oh yeah, this year's Christmas card. 

And my first ever stovetop potpourri!  Super Christmassy feeling.

A Year of D Group Love

Just wrapped up a solid year with these dear friends from church, my D Group.  We met up every week on Thursday nights at 8:45 (til almost midnight sometimes!) to discuss our followed Bible readings/responses from that week, to pray, to share, to laugh, and to recite two whole chapters of Scripture we memorized a verse at at time.  We all did Ephesians 1 and then half of us did Ephesians 2 while the other half did Psalm 103.  I landed on the Psalm 103 squad. We went through the whole Bible this year and a lot of personal ups and downs in our families.  We grew closer to each other and to God's word and I am gonna miss this standing gathering after this ... not counting the Friday morning hangover from being out so late. Ha!  It was a year well spent.  Thank you, Lord!

Pic from our last night together this week.  We had dinner and had a little Favorite Things exchange which was SO fun.  Maddie had to miss because she was out-of town for a funeral, so Lindsey Jo cropped her in the second pic.  Keeping the gang together at all costs!

 

Love.

PS - I have never in my life memorized such huge chunks of Scripture.  It was amazing to do!  Definitely clinging to this worthwhile practice.  I think it is my favorite thing from this year along with such strengthened friendships.

Santa's Special Deliveries

Pics from another year of Josh's jolly day visiting and delivering gifts to the self-contained special education classes in his district as well as homebound students.