things heard 'round my house this week

me: hey, mad. (little girl who shall remain nameless) called, and wants to know if you want to "scooter" to her house and play.

mad: i don't think so.

me: why not?

mad: her mom's kinda scary. not scary, BOO! but definitely scary.

will: i'm sooooooooo glad i was born!

me: me too, bubby (remember...kentucky)

will: 'cause if i wasn't born, i wouldn't be getting all these presents

me: william aidan!

will: and i wouldn't get to celebrate Jesus' birthday.

(laughter) (pause)

will: and...i wouldn't get trick-or-treat candy either.

(where does he come up with this stuff?)

wes: more-mores? more-mores? (what i believe he means to say is, "may i have some more, please?")

wes: can-cane? (again-"may i have a candy cane, please?")

wes: no, no (i think this comes out just like he means it to)

wes: mine (in a 'clear-as-day' voice, and pretty sure it's without a please:0)

it feels good to be home

those were will's words last night when we walked in the door. so, what exactly is the definition of home?
home [ hōm ] noun (plural homes)
Definition:
residence, family group, birthplace, native habitat, place of origin, headquarters, safe place

i don't know, i kinda like this one...Peace, like charity, begins at home. - Franklin D. Roosevelt

maybe that's why i like home so much. peace. nope, that's not it. there is no peace when we go home. livin' out of a suitcase, runnin' around trying to visit with anyone and everyone, sleepin' on the couch. definitely not peaceful. or maybe it is. maybe it's peace in another way. peace like...

• watchin' will run up the sidewalks of the junior high school (to see hunter play ball) and jumpin' in the arms of codie, who was waiting for him
• friends ("holla" mitzi) standing' in their yard with their kids wavin' bye as we jump in the car
• tears welling in my mamaw's eyes as we leave her house for the last time this visit
• layin' in bed all day (yes, all day) with my mom watchin' cheesy movies
• squeezing 20+ around a tree on CHRISTmas mornin' and watching all the grandkids squirm in their spot waitin' for their turn (maybe not all, a few are too big for that now:()
• walmart (forget facebook...all you gotta do to catch up on gossip is go to walmart, during Christmas, in your home town)
• convincing yourself, there's no place like home, so you can force yourself to leave

maybe one day, we'll move "home." (whatever that means!) but, if we don't that's okay too. maybe we are home. maybe it really doesn't matter where you hang your diaper bag. maybe it's the absence that makes our hearts grow fonder. it makes these visits what they are. i do know one thing though... In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:2-3 my prayer is that in my ultimate "home," there you all will be also. happy new year...ya'll! love, love

way to much awesome

that's what will had to say about comer claus this year. (i know, we're big dorks!) every year, we do santa early because we travel for the big day. last year, we came up with a name for it...comer claus. we get up and have presents and i make monkey bread. then we take the money that we would have spent on our cousins and in-laws and find opportunities for some random acts of service. this year we paid for a few peoples' orders in the drive-thru and left them a scripture and merry Christmas card. then, because it was so cold and snowy, scottie took mad and will into wal-zoo (i mean mart) and they each picked out a customer to pay for their purchases. they did it real sneaky like and gave the cashier the cards to give them.

it's so fun to try and be anonymous and to know that on the second busiest shopping day of the year, you get to remind a few people of the true meaning of Christmas. it's also pretty cool to see the reaction of the cashiers and drive-thru workers. "do you know these people?" "nope!" (then you usually get a big smile and a "merry Christmas!")

God, thank you for my family and for the blessing of your son. we love you, sweet baby Jesus (thanks ricky bobby)!

i will be praying for all of you (our family and friends) to have a merry CHRISTmas!

oh, dear Jesus!

seriously, that is what i kept thinking as i read. i came across this blog from a friend of a friends. my mom was here, and it was snowing while the kids were in school and wes was sleepin'. unknowingly, i clicked on the link under welcome to go to the beginning of the story. the two of us read that thing until we couldn't breath from crying. this family is such a blessing to me. it's funny how God can put people you don't know in the flesh and connect you in the spirit. if you find yourself with some time (maybe after Christmas), i highly recommend reading it.

anyway, this pray 7x7 was what i clicked first, and i am going to challenge all you moms to this. i hope to do it until it becomes a habit. i pray for my kids and i pray over them for lots of things, but it never occurred to me to do it like this. oh well! better late than never.

happy reading. be blessed.

i'm just mad about...

maddie! maddie had a tooth ache this morning and so I let her stay home. by around 9 o'clock she was pretty much healed. so, me, not wanting to get back out in the arctic tundra, decided to let her slide. i caught these of her on the chair this afternoon. (can't you see the pain on her face in the middle shot?:-0) i can't believe how big she has gotten. they told me at the y that when she turns ten, she can go to the teen center! (gasp...horror...choke) teen? center? are they kiddin' me? for cryin'. out. loud.

a few i think i'll use...

as our our CHRISTmas card pics. just wanted to put them up so i could ponder over them. maybe? maybe not? guess i should hurry up. oh whatever...you'll get your cards, when you get 'em! (and that was said w/the mostest of love-no holiday stress here:0)

zat you santa claus?

ho, ho, ho...I mean ha,ha,ha. let me tell you, laney did not think this, grown-up version of dress up, was the least bit funny. i, however, found great humor in it all. this is scottie's second year to play santa to the neighborhood kids. our neighborhood rocks. we have such cool stuff all year 'round. of course, scottie just wants me to quit volunteering him to do this crap. whatever, i was the elf. (okay, so i didn't have to wear an outfit) the parents wrapped a gift for each child and we made in-home visits all afternoon. i couldn't put other kids faces on the blog, but there were some great pics. (perhaps he could work for olan-mills in wal-mart! yes, he was definitely a wal-mart grade santa;0) love ya, mr. claus.

more later.