Parades, Parks and Parties!!!

Last weekend was packed with all things Christmas. Our small town hosted its annual Christmas Parade. Below is a picture of Paul and Clara Beth ready and waiting for the fun to begin. It was cold so we all bundled up and waited for the parade to pass. Even Anna Kayla and Greg's dog joined in the fun. We waved as floats and people passed by us throwing out peppermints and chocolate to fill our coat pockets.

After the parade had rounded its last corner we gathered in our town park to sip hot chocolate and wait for the arrival of Santa Claus. We met some other special friends while there. Clara Beth was very curious as to why Elmo was wearing tennis shoes, I told her he had to because he had to walk so far in the parade.

Here's Greg helping Clara Beth with her hot chocolate. The park was filled with people, games and food.

Finally the big guy in red arrived and we were second in line to hop on his lap. Well actually only Clara Beth would sit on his lap. Emanuiel prefers to stand beside him and talk.

After they shared their very short list with Santa we walked to Anna Kayla and Greg's house for lunch. This has become a tradition after the parade. Here are Clara Beth and I leaving the park.

Anna Kayla had everything ready and waiting for us. Her house was decorated so pretty. Here's a shot of her mantle.

We enjoyed Loaded Baked Potato Soup which was perfect on such a wintry day and for dessert we had coffee and a yummy Cinnamon Cake. Below you can see Anna Kayla and Greg finding out what it's like to try and entertain little ones while getting lunch ready!

We topped off our visit with them by opening a door on the Advent calendar and discovering little chocolate goodies inside.

After that Anna Kayla, Clara Beth, Emanuiel and I headed off to a birthday party at a Christmas tree farm where we drank more hot chocolate, petted goats and enjoyed a hayride through the Christmas trees while the big boys all watched football and napped at home.

Later that night we headed out once again to enjoy a carriage ride(in the bitter cold) through a light filled children's home and farm. After our ride we had what else......but more hot chocolate and some homemade baked goodies. It was a day that was filled with many Christmas memories.

Until next time.......................... I hope that you and your family are busy making memories of this wonderful Christmas season.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV
[A Time for Everything] There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

Robin

Ahhhh, The Ones That Won't Make It!

On the Christmas card that is. Oh look, Greg is already bored and we just got started! Not sure what everyone is doing in this next picture. Clara Beth seems to be striking a pose and Emanuiel is looking to the Heavens hopefully offering up a much needed prayer!

Looking for just the right spot..............

Finding it and just enjoying the moment!!

Making last minute clothing adjustments while we wait for daddy to join us.

One of our first attempts with everyone present but it seems that Clara Beth and Emanuiel are having a little too much fun.

Now let's get serious, no wait........ what is that? Notice that the biggest clown of all is holding up "rabbit ears" behind my head. Land was the only one that knew this was taking place.

We all seem to have different things going through our minds here, Greg perfecting his perfect posture, Emanuiel is probably thinking about running through the puddles that are nearby, Clara Beth is just relaxing and enjoying nature, Land's just trying to smile his way through the torture, Anna Kayla is pretty much always picture ready, Paul has finally put his hand down and I am smiling through clenched teeth trying to make sure that everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing, you know, we are supposed to look like the "perfect little happy family".

Well we are far from perfect but we ARE very HAPPY!!! So until next time........ I'll tell you that none of these made the cut, but the one that did turned out great and we can't wait to share it with our family and friends.

May you find much joy in making your Christmas cards this year and hopefully a lot of humor too!!!

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

Psalm 126:3

Robin

A Visit From..............

The Tooth Fairy!!!! Our little guy recently lost his first tooth(quite by accident I might add) and he finally put it under his pillow. This was him the next morning finding his treasure. His tooth was safely tucked inside this little plastic container.

At first he thought he just got to keep his tooth! Then he saw the green stuff!

He wasn't quite sure that it was his though.

Finally he decided this tooth business might be a good way for hime to earn a little extra cash!

Until next time..................May all of your teeth be happy ones, he thinks his are!!!


Genesis 49:12 NIV
His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.

Robin

Counting Our Blessings This Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from our little nest to yours. May your tummies be filled with good things to eat and your hearts filled with happiness!

Until next time.............................Thanksgiving Blessings


Psalms 69:30 NIV
I will praise God's name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving.

Robin

Thank you Mrs. Dawn for helping Clara Beth make this precious little acorn family. When we count our blessings we think of you.

So Many Wonder Why........This is Why

There are over 126 million reasons why and one of them could be your child. This is a beautiful song that says what I feel. Daily I am blessed because of adoption. Is God speaking to your heart? It may just be a whisper listen.........and then you may ask yourself...Why Wouldn't I






Until next time..............

John 14:18 NIV
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Robin

The Celebration Continues.........

Friday night the celebration continued with Land's choice for his birthday dinner. Of course he didn't make it easy for us(he never does when he plans the menu). I promise if we had closed our eyes and taken in the aromas we would have all thought we were by the sea shore! We dined on steamed crab legs, Shrimp Scampi, Cajun Buttered Shrimp, Lemon Pepper Salmon, Cajun Broiled Flounder, Baked Potatoes and Tossed Salad!! How's that for some serious seafood! Needless to say we were ALL STUFFED.
We did manage to save enough room to enjoy this delicious Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake! As you can tell it brought lots of smiles.

Here's Land about to open his gift from Anna Kayla and Greg.




Our four legged friend even tried to crash the party. After they partied on the porch for a while we moved into the kitchen for some dancing. Sorry there are no pictures of this. I was busy doing some dancing myself!

Until next time.........................

I hope you find a reason to dance this week!

Psalms 149:3 NIV
Let them praise His name with dancing and make music to Him with tambourine and harp.

Robin

Look How He's Grown.........Happy Birthday!!!

It's so hard to believe that this big guy is 13 today!!! Where did the time go........... Just two short years ago he looked so young. This is still one of his favorite shirts but now he just wears it around the house because it's too small!

Here we are on our first trip to China when I was still the taller one! Now I look up to him!!!

Dancing at Cotillion last year and I had on heels then!!!!

Heading off to Boston with Dad last March and since then he is almost as tall as Paul now, only about an inch to go and he will pass him!!!!

Looking so handsome for his first Cotillion this year. We love you so much and are so blessed to have you in our lives. Happy Birthday, no matter how big you get you are still my little sweetie!! May God continue to grow you into the man He would have you to be.

Until next time.........................We have some celebrating to do!!!

Psalms 145:7 NIV
They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

Robin

Here, There and Everywhere!!

The title of this post says it all. I'm doing a little catching up so this is just a peep at what we've been up to lately. Time just seems to slip away from me and I'm having a hard time keeping up. Everyday is filled to the brim with things to do. It seems that we have literally been here, there and everywhere!!! This picture was taken at a goat farm nearby while we celebrated a friend's birthday. The two little ones stopped off in the herb garden to smell some flowers.

This picture was at another birthday party at a different farm. We arrived a little late(imagine that) so the little ones enjoyed the animals while the others were away on a hayride. They had so much fun running around they didn't even mind missing the ride.

I'm sure they were asking"Is your mama a llama?" in this picture. If you have small children I know you are familiar with the book by the same title.

And then there was our very rainy Halloween night spent at our church's "Trunk or Treat". We met up with Anna Kayla and filled up our tummies and our pumpkin bags with goodies.

I think Emanuiel's afraid Anna Kayla's going to tell me that he has been drinking "cola" as he calls it.(something he knows I don't approve of, but since it was Halloween I did allow it, along with the potato chips that you saw in the last post!)

After Halloween we were finally able to get away to the mountains to visit the apple orchard. Paul packed us a picnic lunch and we headed off to see the sights. It was a blustery day but that didn't stop our fun. Here's CB and E posing with some cornstalks.

And what is it about my boys and wooden cows. If you saw Land in an earlier post he was milking a different cow and it looked a lot like what Emanuiel is trying to do here!

And finally here are a few pictures of my porch that I promised. The chair on the right is my favorite. I love to go out very early in the morning while it's still dark and sit by the lamp and have my quiet time. The mornings are chilly now so a warm robe and blanket are needed along with a steaming cup of coffee. So peaceful.

Here's another view. We are still not quite finished. Paul has to paint the rails and we are supposed to screen it but our dog Flopsy loves spending time on it so much we are in a quandary as to what to do. We are thinking about just leaving it open for now so that she can sleep on it during the winter.

The table is a favorite spot for Clara Beth and Emanuiel. They love to eat outside. If the weather's nice they sometimes have breakfast here or snacks after school. Hopefully we'll get it all painted and finished soon, if not then we'll just keep enjoying it like it is. It's hard to get things finished when you are here, there, and everywhere!!!

Until next time............ Between our comings and goings I hope we will all find a place for a little quiet and probably some much needed rest.

Mark 6:31 NIV
Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."

Robin

Pure Joy

This is one girl who absolutely LOVES potato chips!! Just look at her face. Have you ever seen anyone enjoy a potato chip more??? (Ummmm not unless you've seen me eat one but that's another story) Needless to say, I don't buy them much but when I do this is the reaction!!!! Pure Joy!!!!



Until next time...................

Let's not forget our complete joy:

John 15:11 NIV
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Robin

Got Milk????

No but he is trying!!!!!!!!!!! Land had a little fun at "BOO at the ZOO" with the wooden milking cow!

Until next time..................

May we all be craving the right milk!

1 Peter 2:2 NIV
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

Robin

Why I Love Living In Small Town USA!

There are times when I just say to myself how blessed I am to live where I do. Today was one of those. Nothing special or extraordinary happened. It was just an ordinary day(my favorite kind). I was getting into my car leaving our little grocery store and I felt such contentment. It doesn't have a big deli or bakery but it does have all of the necessities for you to purchase things and go home and create your own deli or bakery if you so choose. What I love most about it is that the people who work there know me. I could forget my purse and they would let me bring my groceries home because they know me. The drug store is next door and I can call them up and they will fill my prescriptions and they know me. They even know what I need! I love that!

I love the fact that the only time there is heavy traffic is at 7:45 in the morning because people are out and about taking their children to school. I only have to stop at two red lights on the way to school and just one on the way home. I love that!

I don't mind that our dining out options are limited because the few that we do have are delicious. My Land would much rather eat at home any way. When he was little he would lovingly rub our kitchen table and tell me how much he loved to eat there. Now that's motivation to do more cooking at home! I love that!

I know that God puts us right where He wants us to be and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Here I am content! I love that!

Until next time....................

I hope that you too find contentment.

Job 36:11 NIV
If they obey and serve Him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.

Robin

Does This Say Love or What!

Can you tell that these two just love each other to pieces! It is so sweet to just watch the two of them together. Their actions speak louder than words!

We all need to do a little more of this!

Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:18

Until next time............
Robin

Having A "Ball" This Fall!

Yes, we are literally having a ball, a football that is! Land is playing for his Middle School team and this is keeping all of us very busy. He has practice every day until about six and then games every Thursday. He's doing a great job. This is a guy that has wanted to be a "sootball" boy since he was three years old! Back then he wore a football uniform to play in everyday! Here he is now in a real uniform after a big win. His position is full back and it is so much fun(and nerve racking) watching him play. We are so blessed to have a great group of Christian coaches leading these young men.

Here's Land and cousin Jayde before their first pep rally. I had to sneak over to his school to get some pictures and a peek into the fun before their first big game. Which they won!

Hugging on my very sweaty big guy after a game. Look how tall he is!!!!!!! and he just keeps growing. I think he's going to pass Paul soon.

My two favorite big guys! See how he is almost as tall as his dad. We are loving these fun, fall football days!

Here's my handsome guy ready to leave for his second year of Cotillion. He has grown so much since last year's Cotillion.

And no post would be complete without the little ones soaking up some fall fun! No pictures of my big girl this time and Greg they are busy with church and work but they did manage to slip in a quick flight to Florida to visit Mickey Mouse(we were so jealous)!

Oh and I did FINALLY get the house decorated for fall before we had some very special dinner guests last week.

I do love fall........ the leaves, apples, chilly days, warm soup, pumpkins, jackets and steaming coffee on my new porch where I am headed right now(pictures soon). I hope you are loving the fall season as much as we are!!

Until next time...................

Galatians 4:10 NIV
You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!

Make this season of your life special!

Robin

Working Away

We have been BUSY around this house with so many things, kinda like this little guy!!! Making sure it's just right.

Working hard helping daddy with the new screened in porch.(Notice the pencil behind the ear for marking correct measurements, just like dad)

That looks about right!

Until next time..................

When you are busy working away, remember this most important truth:

Philippians 1:6 NIV
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Robin