Christmas Morning!

Waking up early and making their way downstairs...

Their matching pjammies!

Wesley's new gun!

Emmy Grace with her new double stroller, her pink gun and holster, and her high heels ! WOW!

Loving on their Mimi!

Papaw was trying hard to stay awake! Early morning!

My gift that Travis wrapped for me and Wes trying out his new machine gun he got from "Santa".



It was such a blessed day! My parents came over for the morning and breakfast. Then we took naps, and went over to Mom and Dad's for dinner and games! IT was just a relaxing day with family! The first Christmas I ever had with my little family in our own home. NOrmally, we go places for CHristmas...but this year was truly special! I loved every minute of it!

Christmas Eve...

Wes reading to his baby brother! Love it!

Before the maddness begins! (See Travis' unique wrapping job with the tarp and bunge cord! Oh my husband!)

I got the table set and ready for breakfast the night before. We "adopted" a sweet tradition from a family friend. They eat breakfast together before opening gifts and they are greeted with their stockings on their plates to open first! So much fun! The kids loved it!

Cookies made and ready for Santa. Wes made a "happy birthday Jesus" wreath so that Santa wouldn't forget the TRUE meaning of Christmas! I love that little boy!

Ready to go! They were so excited!

Merry Christmas!

Boast in the Lord

God is so good to His children! Especially to this one here recently! I am in the grip of His grace and loving every minute of it! How much I don't deserve yet He lavishes upon me...His goodness, His love and His mercy! To be the recipient of such wealth...it is too wonderful for me to grasp!

And don't you stand amazed at the thought of the Creator of all the universe, providing a way for us to communicate with Him! It blows my mind...the kindness of our Lord. This week I have been reading and meditating over 1 Corinthians 1 and these verses jumped off the pages of my Bible straight into my heart!

vs 25-31..."B/c the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling brethern, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise,and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world, and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, so that just as it is written, ' Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord."

Isn't that incredible! To know that God uses the foolish things of this world for His glory, for His kingdom! That through His strength and might, we can become used to make His glory known! It makes my heart truly happy knowing that EVEN THOUGH, in the world's eyes, I might be worth very little to society, that through God's eyes...I am useful and worthy! Being a mother and wife may have very little impact on the world and how it sees me...but through God's eyes....He is using me to make His glory known! And that impact far outlives any the world may put value on! It encourages me and reminds me to boast in the Lord! For it is He who makes any of us worthy or even mentionable to others! It is He who our lives should reflect...not our own accomplishments or acheivements! WOW! Just another reminder from His word on who I am and why I am here! His GLORY! That is it!

Christmas Confessions

Okay, Lindsay, here are my Christmas confessions...

10 Christmas Confessions

1. I think I get WAY more excited on Christmas morning than the rest of my family. I love sitting back and watching everyone else open their presents first! The look on their faces! So great!
2. I get up extremley early on Christmas morning to fix breakfast! I make Travis feel bad b/c he sleeps in but SECRETLY, I don't think I could sleep any later if someone paid me too! Too much excitement!
3. My favorite service all year long is Christmas Eve service! So precious!
4. I love the mess of opening presents but especially the joy in cleaning it all up! I am weird huh?
5. Travis always gets me just what I ask for...yet every year I still doubt he will get me anything. Where is my faith huh?
6. I eat entirely too much on this day! But LOVE it!
7. I tell everyone this is my favorite day of the whole year...but ACTUALLY it is Christmas eve day! I love the excitement of "getting ready" for the next day! I love planning and organizing!
8. This year I made my kids eat breakfast BEFORE presents...and it was great! I think this may be a tradition!
9. I stole number 8 tradition from a friend...not very original I know!
10. I'm going to go shopping and buy everything Travis couldn't find me tomorrow. And I might even wrap them up and unwrap them just because! Who knows!

And number 11...I researched the origin of Christmas day this year...and come to find out...Jesus wasn't even born in the winter! It was more like fall. And our tradition of Christmas came from a pagan holiday! It really upset me when I found out all the history behind it...but decided that this is the day I will celebrate the birth of my Lord. It isn't about the ACTUAL day...but the meaning behind the day! It almost tripped me up...but I worked my way through all the emotions and am a better person because of it! YAY! Merry Christmas all!

Brothers...

Wes was reading to his brother today. So precious. Wes has learned to read beginner books...And...not TRYING to brag...but he is just in Kindergarten and reading!!!! YAY! Luke LOVED him reading...until I got the camera out! What can I say...that boy loves the camera ALMOST as much as his mommy!

PRO-LIFE!

Something I have been pondering these past few days...something to make you think...but I am Pro-LIfe all the way! I believe with all my heart that a BABY is started the day of conception. And that since God is the designer of life, He has plans for that little one! So, who are we to take that life and snuff it out? Even in the most horrible circumstances, if there is a life conceived, God has a plan! And His ways are much bigger than ours, so much bigger that we can't always wrap our mind around it! I know taking a stand in today's world on this isn't very popular! But we must stand up for the voices that are being murdered every day! If we don't, who will?

What if Mary, the mother of Jesus, had decided that her body was her own...that she had a "choice"...her circumstances were far from ideal. Her future loomed before her uncertain...she was engaged and now pregnant! What would Joseph say? What would her famliy say? Would she be accused of the forbidden? Would they stone her? So many questions stared her in the face as she "Choose" to believe God and trust Him at His word! Scared and frightened...she embraced the impossible and walked blindly into the unknown! AND PRAISE GOD SHE DID! God brought forth the Redeemer of the world, the Saviour, the King of kings and Lord of lords into the world wrapped in a baby's cry, a girl's obedience, and a new husband's faith! What a night that must have been...the night that Mary gave birth to Emmanuel! WOW!

Merry Christmas!

This season is so amazing! I LOVE CHRISTMAS! I have a huge long post to write about...but for now I just wanted to post some pics of my adorable children! They are truly the light of my life! I love being a mommy!

My Angel...

Emmy Grace all dressed up!

Mommy and Emmy all excited!

Emmy watching the piano player!

last This was the end of the night! SHe was tuckered out!

So, last weekend, we went to the Ballet! The Nutcracker! It was so much fun! I'll begin from the beginning...

The evening began with much time spent on "gettin pretty". We had to curl our hair, get our dresses on, and even put on make-up! Emmy Grace was SO EXCITED ABOU THIS NIGHT! I talked it up big...and big it was! We started out with dinner...she was the belle of the ball! She asked Mimi, "Why does everyone keep smiling at me?" They were smiling...how could you not? She was so precious!

After dinner we went out for dessert! Yummy! Emmy Grace LOVED the piano player! She couldn't take her eyes off her! It was so fun to watch her be amazed! Then the DANCING! She loved the ballet! It was so beautiful! (although I am glad that we saw the community production before we saw it bigger...they did good though considering it was Fairbanks) I thought for sure that Emmy would get bored, fall asleep, need to go to the bathroom, be all antsy....but NOT AT ALL! She sat on the edge of her seat the ENTIRE time! And when it was over, she asked could we watch it all over again! It was a great night! I love my little girl! She is so sweet! I love my boys...they are amazing...but that little girl! Thank You Lord!

LIttle Girls!

I am sitting here at this computer, trying to write something amazing, and all I see before me is this little girl, twirling and spinning, dancing and singing, pretending she is a beautiful princess! Well, in my book, she doesn't have to pretend very hard! She is the most glorious little girl God ever created! She makes me smile! I love my boys, don't get me wrong! They are rough and tough...they love to get dirty, and run and play! They give me the biggest bear hugs and LOVE to make me laugh! Boys are the ulitmate FUN! But a little girl...there is just something special about a little girl and her mommy! And my little girl is the girliest girl you could ever imagine! She loves pink, and sparkles, princesses and babydolls! She loves to sing and DANCE! But my favorite is when she twirls! SHe dresses up in her pretty dresses and twirls! I see the sparkle in her eyes...she is a princess for sure! My heart swells so big...b/c I know the EXACT feeling she feels...for once I was a little girl in a pretty dress...twirling and singing and dancing! Oh the joys of being a little girl! It is the best feeling EVER!

And tomorrow...we are dressing up in our PRETTIEST dresses, and going out to a fance dinner, and then our first ever night at the BALLET! THe NUTCRACKER! I am so excited! It is going to be so splendid! (And she is excited too!) I can't wait...I'll post pictures tomorrow...awww...thank you Jesus for my little girl!

HOme Again...

Well, it has been a while since I have last blogged...we have been quite the busy family. We spent the last month traveling...to Idaho, Mississippi, California, back to Idaho, and then home again to Alaska. It was great...wonderful...crazy...fun...and now I am so tired! But it was a marvelous triP!

And...Happy Thanksgiving to all...just a little late:) We had a great day/weekend with family and friends. I love my family! They are the greatest in all the world. And adding kiddos to the mix makes it that much grander! So awesome! I always miss my extended family this time of year...but am thankful they are healthy and God is taking care of them all:)

But most of all....Happy EARLY Christmas! I LOVE CHRISTMAS! And the time is upon us! Everything it stands for...the emotions and feelings it stirs in my heart...I am so excited!

So we are home again...and it is so amazing! The kids are back in swimming lessons...and LOVING it again! School is back in full swing. I am so proud of my little students. They are always so eager to learn and take such pride in all their work! Makes being their teacher a walk in the park. And little Luke has adjusted back to Alaska time zone! That is one of the hardest parts of traveling with an infant...he doesn't get the time change thing! But he is doing better now....And snow EVERYWHERE! Love it...white, crisp, COLD, and brrr amazing! (I am still wishing for more...you can never have TOO much snow) And then the temps...a tad on the cold side but all is good:) Next weekend we are attending our first ""Nutcracker" performace! Emmy Grace, Mimi and I are dressing up, goin to dinner, and watching our first ballet:) VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT! Life is good...that much I can not escape from! Thank You Lord so very much for all You give!

Fall Leaves!

The day after our sunshine...snow was predicted! It didn't grace us with her presence until a few days later. But before the snow flew, I thought it would be fun to rake the leaves and let the kids have fun jumping and playing! And boy did they have fun! It was a blast! I couldn't stop laughing! Having kids is the best thing in the world. Talk about cheap entertainment! Watching them laugh and play makes my heart literally happy!

Sunshine!

We had an amazingly sunshiny day and we just had to take pics of the kids in the back yard! So gorgeous! We had fun!

Boo At The Zoo

We are in Idaho. We arrived a week ago and already we have been busy! The kids are having so much fun! After we got here, Travis and his dad took off and went elk hunting. They have been gone almost 8 days now. The kids and I have been hanging out with Debbie, Travis' mom. The first weekend we went to Boo at the Zoo. My first time ever!~ IT was quite the experience. The kids dressed up in their costumes and we went all over the zoo looking at animals and getting candy. They had a blast needless to say! Luke went along for the ride. He was so good...he didn't get the least bit fussy! After the zoo we spent the day shopping! It was a glorious, beautiful day! Fun Times!

Dear Little Luke

Dear Little Luke,

What are you thinking sweet baby? What do you see when you look at your mommy so intently? What is going in inside your cute baby head when you break out into a toothless grin? My, you are such a sweet little boy! The sweetest baby ever! I think it is the funniest thing when you will be smiling from ear to ear one minute...and the very next second break out into a lip puckering, sadder than the day after Christmas cry...and then back into that heart-stopping smile! It makes your momma crazy with happiness! I love you so much! I am pretty sure you know that...I mean, who else makes silly faces at you all day just to see that little face light up? (okay, other than Mimi) You are growing so fast! Too fast! Slow down! You are my baby! And I am countlessly joyful that God KNEW much better than mommy and daddy that you were suppose to be here in this world...for already you make it a better place! I have complete confidence that you will grow into a fine man one day! But first, let's just enjoy this stage, this day, this moment in your little life! You are staring at me right now as you bounce away the cares of the world while mommy writes this post. You stare and smile for no good reason...other than you are completley content and happy! My happy sweet little Luke! Love you buddy!

Love Mommy!

Positive!

How often do we complain? How easy it is to find something wrong! Why? B/c there will always BE something wrong with something! But the greater challenge lies when we overcome the fleshly desire to COMPLAIN and find the beauty that may be staring us straight in the face! It is there...I PROMISE! FIND IT! LOOK FOR IT!

God has been convicting me lately of being so negative...of complain...of judging others or ASSUMING things that 99% of the time, aren't even true! And He has challenged me through His word to find good...to look for it...and be a ray of light in this dark and cynical world! It is depressing to be so negative...not to mention being around negative people. But I have actually had FUN looking for the good, the positive, the beautifuL! It is rewarding internally, to see the beauty God has placed all around, in things, in circumstances, and especially PEOPLE!

There will always be bad! There will always be ugly! There will always be negative! We live in a sinful fallen world! But when we choose to look past all that, and see through our ETERNAL Glasses, we see Christ all around! He lives! He is the VICTOR! He is glorious and beautiful! And His creation screams His goodness! And yes, I said GOODNESS! I believe with all my heart, that finding the good is bringing our Lord glory and honor! I am loving this new challenge...and I challenge you to do the same! It will make you a happier person, and it will bring joy to others around you! I PROMISE!

Prayer

Have you ever say and thought about the extreme coolness it is that we have means of communication with the God of the universe? The very one who spun the world into motion, speaks to each of us in the most intimate way! He has given us His very own words and thoughts, spelled out in a language that we can actually understand...and then He tells us to pray, to talk to Him daily! He tells us that we simply don't have, b/c we fail to ask! He desires us to come to Him...He LOVES our conversations!

Awww...so sweet! So amazingly wonderful to know that I serve a God who not only knows my name, the very number of hairs on my head, but also listens and SPEAKS to me!

My kids love to pray. We pray about everything! But I have never been strict on telling them to "pray with their eyes closed". Why? Why would I? Why do we pray with our eyes closed? It isn't in the Bible...the best explanation I have ever gotten was from my dad. He said it is because it helps us not get distracted. And very true! But sometimes it is so fun to keep our eyes wide open! Have you ever watched people pray. I love the expressions on people's faces when they are in deep conversation with the Lord. It is like stealing a peak into the most intimate moment with them and their Creator! I love it! I don't know if they would love knowing I am watching...but it is still a very surreal moment.

I truly love my Lord! He thought of everything...and knew exactly what we needed! Don't we serve an awesome God!

Slow Me Down!

Being Busy! I enjoy soaking up life to the fullest! I love going and doing! It is fun and exciting to try new things, hang out with people, minister, serve, have fun! But too much good stuff just makes you BUSY! And too much busy=not good at all! I have been too busy as of late! And I know b/c of the look in my baby girl's eyes today! Wesley loves to go and do just about as much as I do! He enjoys being out and about! He is truly a people person just like me! And Luke does pretty well on the go...just so long as he gets fed and gets to snuggle throughout the day with Mommy! But Emmy Grace is another story all together. She is very much like her Daddy in the fact that she likes time to herself. She enjoys being with people, but she needs her downtime! And I have been stretching her too far these past few weeks. We have just had so much to do...and even though she likes "doing"...today she was DONE!

We woke up early...I mean REALLY early to get school done before our busy day. Wes gets out of bed easily and bounces around the house so ready to tackle yet another day! But Emmy moves slower...she likes some cuddle time with Travis or I...she HAS to have her cup of chocolate milk each morning...and she doesn't like to be rushed or in a rush! She tends to get confused, overwelmed, and VERY VERY sad! Small tasks become huge hurdles that she cannot jump over! She becomes frustrated! And so, today she finally snapped! She was trying to get her shoes on as we were hurrying out the door, and she just couldn't do it! So she finally sat down and started to cry! And she just couldn't stop. I asked her what was wrong and this was her response..."I am having a hard time. Can we please go slower!" She looked up at me with tears streaming down her little cute cheeks and I knew it was time to stop! Slow me down Lord! Help me take it easy...and be sensitive to my children! They are amazing little people! I want to enjoy every minute with them...and not loose those precious moments to the busyness of life. SLOW ME DOWN!

Cute Faces!

The many cute faces of Luke! So Sweet!