Grand Ol'Opry ready for Christmas

 Such a cool hotel to see especially at Christmas.

This picture was taken INSIDE the hotel. They bring the outside in!

 So cool this is all inside!

 Carson and Jedidiah on the INDOOR boat ride!

Too cool. Jedidiah was a bit fussy at this point in

the day but it was cool to see.

 Annalina on the boat ride.

 Opry Christmas tree. Beautiful!

These pictures were taken outside. It was beautiful!!!

The kids loved exploring with Grandpa.

Inside again and oh so beautiful!

Grandma and Grandpa Johnson's for Thanksgiving/Christmas Celebration

 Carson's robot outfit from Grandma and Grandpa!

He loved it.

Ok, I have to say how disappointed I am in the pictures I DIDN'T take. The kids played games with Grandma (especially Gabriel--that's their thing-Mankala and Chess), raked leaves, pruned, cut flowers, went to see Christmas lights, played and played and played, and I took almost no pictures of the time with Grandma and Grandpa at the house which is the most important time! Oh well, good memories for sure. The kids had an absolute BLAST with them and didn't want to leave. I heard that A LOT leading up to our time to depart! That is just as it should be. We're blessed that my parents are such involved grandparents and make it a point to influence our children through their love and attention.

They gave Babe and I an AMAZING gift . . . nights spent at a hotel! A nice hotel! We weren't sure what to think about it at first because we wanted to spend time with my parents but we really enjoyed our time together and ability to sleep in. I never thought of that! I'm used to early mornings! Grandma and Grandpa enjoyed having the kids to themselves without us 

around to crush the fun!:-) Again, just as it should be. It was just what Babe and I needed and we didn't even know it!

 Fun in the pool with Grandpa!!

 Good times!!

 Time with Grandma and Grandpa is never boring.

 Jedidiah really enjoyed the pool with Daddy . . .

 and SPLASHING!!

 Grandpa is learning how to play this complex war game.

Gabriel has his ruler out measure how far some warrior can go!

 Yep, Kaya was at the game time watching.

OOOh, let me at the toys the bigs kids like so much!

Thanksgiving Traditions

OK, Carson needs to learn about sanitary hands.

 I think it is so fun that traditions are forming. We move so much, which is wonderfully fun, but doesn't always make it as easy for traditions. This is our third year of making packages for neighbors . . .  Pilgrim hat cookies (idea from my sister in laws websight Theo's Creative Corner) and some type of snack mix. This year I changed the snack mix to Pumpkin Pie Chex and I added chocolate chips to the recipe! YUM! We make bags of snack mix and a plate of goodies for our neighbors and the kids deliver them. Annalina wrote on the labels "Thankful for good neighbors." We really do have good neighbors.
It's a fun project that the kids really enjoy and we get to share with the neighbors. This year our neighbor next door saw them coming and turned on his Christmas lights for the first time as they came to deliver the goodies. I thought that was cool. We're going to miss them. They are putting their house up for sale in January and they're retiring.

Another tradition is we read certain books. The primary book the kids think of at Thanksgiving is Voyage of Freedom by David Gay. It's about 150 pages long and gives a more realistic picture of what it was like on the voyage. It was not just a jaunt across the ocean. The book is historical fiction but I think it adds to their understanding of the event and teaches good principles. Next year I would like to read some  also of Of Plymouth Plantation. We'll see.

Lysne Craft Projects--Yep, my blog is NOT a craft blog!:-)

 Annalina likes to sew on her sewing machine and she decided to make me a bedtime hat. It was

a bit small but fit Jedidiah GREAT! She eventually did make one that fit me and Gabriel said "Daddy is going to get a good laugh when he goes to bed tonight!"

 What a cute little model he makes!
Annalina got fabric from Auntie Theo for her birthday and
she has put it to use!

 Ross made me this very creative craft. He LOVES

cardboard! LOVES cardboard! This sits on my nightstand.

 While the guys were on one of their hunting trips Annalina and

sat down and messed around with scrapbooking supplies I had given her.

She made me a really sweet card and I made . . .

 a Christmas card for our piano teacher and her husband. Don't laugh!

I bet they don't get another one like it!!

Brotherly Love

 Gabriel rocked Jedidiah to sleep.

Jedidiah ADORES his brother actually all of them. 

Look at his little hand grabbing onto his big brother.

This seemed to be an appropriate post to blog about what I heard the other day. I thought it was so sweet I picked up a pencil and paper and started writing it down as I heard it! 

Gabriel to Jedidiah: 

I know it's hard work but you have to crawl to get the shiny coin (not a real coin, it's BIG). . . . .Want me to bring it to you or crawl for it? OOH, you got the coin GOOD, JOB! Jedi, Yah you did such a good job! I'm so proud of you baby! Watch Gabers. He teach you.

Then Jedidiah starts "talking" to Gabriel and making noises. Gabriel responds "I know you worked hard you did such a good job. Is it a cool prize? I know, it's such fun to have a conversation. Do you want help? (Then Gabriel starts joking referring to Patch the Pirates Banana Man). . .  AHHH, Bananaman! If you're up a tree just call me!

I am so glad I wrote this down. It is so sweet and I would have forgotten in no time.

Funny Boys and other Brag stories

Today Carson said to me "I have a phobia of spiders."-- What a kiddo.

Carson was calling me "Nightmare" the other day not out of meaness just he is silly. It was funny and I got a kick out of it. Being the mother of boys is never dull.


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Also today, I was in a room and I heard Carson say to Ross "Sir (when they are in imaginary worlds they speak military) anyway, "Sir, you are going to die if you do that." Ross replied "I am a dare devil." At this point I figured I better go and see what was going on . . . good thing I did. Ross was going to put himself down the stairs in a tall very narrow box. He has done this before in a taller box and shot down like a bullet but there was a BIG difference this time only his body up to his neck was in the box with his head sticking out!!! It would have been really bad to go down with the head thumping down behind and his hands stuck in the box since it was narrow.  And we only have one more chiropractic appt. from another thing Ross did and had to be "fixed". We don't need another round. Didn't think I'd ever say this but thankful Carson was cautious and had foresight to realize it was indeed a bad idea! WOW, that sounds weird . . . Carson CAUTIOUS and FORESIGHT not two words I would have put with him.

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Lots of Thankfulness for my Kiddos

I've known for awhile now that Annalina is not typical there's something different about her (I probably figured that out when she was in kindergarten) and if you spend much time around her you see it. 

I've had it spoken to me before about how unique Annalina is but recently I've gotten more comments confirming my thoughts. One lady down in town said "She is so different from other children! She is a joy!" (I knew this lady doesn't care for kids but I bring them near her anyway!:-) She needs to see that Jesus makes people different . . . not perfect but different. I brought the boys one time and she never said anything to me about them (I saw the disgust she had on her face as they came) but later she talked to Gabriel about how well behaved they were.) Then again recently someone told me "Annalina is unique and I mean that in the best sort of way. She is a joy to have around." Nobody is perfect but I know I am blessed with an unusual and sweet little girl that looks at her life as a blessing and loves who God made her.

Honestly, I believe ALL my kids are different. There are days I feel like pulling out my hair with frustration but they are sweet and loving and different. What is the difference? . . . I know it. . . it's Jesus and they love Him and take Him seriously.

I took all the kids into a Pottery Barn store in an upscale mall this past weekend while we waited for Daddy to meet us. One lady said "you guys are so well behaved! . . . You should be on a commercial about how to behave in a Pottery Barn store!" I was in there before with the kids and a lady started talking to us and commented to me what a sharp family we have and she asked where they went to school. One of them answered they were home schooled and she said "I knew it!" I was able share about Jesus with her little girl.

Just recently, I took them to the doctor's office with me. I took Carson and Jedidiah in with me. Carson wanted to be with me and watch me get my stitches out from one of my biopsies. He thought is was a little freaky but watched! Anyway, the other kids I left in the lobby. We were walking out the door when a lady stopped me and asked "Are these your children?" Well, "Yes". She said "Those are the best children in the world!" I agree with that assessment but I have to say it was a bit weird to have a stranger make a statement that emphatic! She was a sharp looking middle aged lady that obviously was watching them.

I took the kids shopping at Goodwill and Carson told me he wanted to show me something. He took me to a small Christmas basket and told me he wanted to get it for Annalina for Christmas. Annalina thought that was so sweet and I did too. Later in the day we were at Annalina's favorite store Claire's. Ross was asking her questions and following her around trying to figure out what she liked and what to get her for Christmas. He was determined and focused on his job and it was incredibly cute and sweet.

All God's gifts are not deserved but I really look at my husband and children and marvel at what I have been given. I goof up SO much yet have been given so much. God's grace is so evident in my life. My life is so full of wonderful! I am learning that which is NOT wonderful is for my teaching and I have plenty of that too, believe me. This fall I have had to face fears I've had since a child. I've always been extremely afraid of medical things and I've gone through a lot of that and have more to go. He is working on me and teaching me to rest in Him. Thankful He is so patient in His teaching of me.

Hymn Sing with the Ferrins=BLESSING!!

Sunday was the Hymn Sing I had blogged about a little while back. Annalina did get the song (Arise, My Soul, Arise) memorized and was able to sing it with the others. It sounded great.

Mr. Ferrin LOVED it and wants them to sing again at a Hymn Sing in April at another church. I am going to try to get Gabriel, Ross, and Carson up to speed so they can be apart of it too!

Brian and I got to talk with Mr. Ferrin a fair amount at the fellowship time afterwards and realized we had a lot of similar walkings in life. It was a lot of fun to talk and figure this all out! He went to college in Minneapolis, MN which is near where my dad went to seminary and near where Babe and I were married. He and his wife had a church ministry in San Jose, CA and he was excited that we had just come from Monterey, CA. His dad was a pastor in Lakewood, CO and my dad was assoc. pastor VERY close to there (now we are different generations. They are about my parents age.) Later in life he was pianist at the church where my dad was assoc. pastor (Beth Eden Baptist Church) but way before that time. His dad was part of the conservative Baptist split which would be extremely interesting to my dad since one of his doctorate's is in baptist history (Minnesota though). Mr. Ferrin and his wife were such sweet people and it was fun meeting them.

The service they did was a blessing to Babe and I. What a blessing to just sing and listen to hymns and hear the history! We thoroughly enjoyed our morning of hymns and fellowship. Just what I needed to start out this week.