So Long 2014!

I probably say this every December 31st, but I don't know where the year has gone! It has been filled with family, friends, and fun. Our family grew with the addition of Storm's birth in June. We got to spend time with friends both near and far. We managed to complete a few projects around the home. And although it's not technically "new" to us after more than a year, it still feels new!

This past year I used the Our Daily Bread Devotional Bible for my daily devotions. I enjoyed it immensely and have passed it on to Jessica for 2015. I'm looking forward to using a new chronological Bible, the "Chronological Life Application Study Bible" NLT. Unlike my old chronological Bible, this one is filled with charts, maps, and loads of "helps". I am so excited to get started on it tomorrow morning!

My stitching this year was made up of baby samplers, Christmas stockings, and afghans. I only managed to complete 12 projects. Ugh. I need to make three stockings next year. And I also need to finish my share of both my afghan and Jessica's. I'm hoping to get lots of starts going in 2015. I also hope to "finish" the 15 or so finishes I found in my craft room yesterday. They're stored in plain sight so I guess that means I'm consciously avoiding seeing them!

I've also committed (or maybe I should be committed) to making a lap quilt for Katie out of some of the kids baby clothes.

On the book front, I've had a pretty good year. I read a total of 79 books. I have a stack of new ones I received for Christmas ready to be read. And I'm working on my list for the VNSA book sale in February.

I have many hopes, dreams, and goals in mind for 2015. There's just something about opening the pages of a blank calendar book that makes me feel excited and optimistic!

So as 2014 winds down in these last hours, I hope you're looking back with satisfaction at a year well lived and looking forward with anticipation to the opportunities and challenges of 2015!

Happy New Year!

Looking Ahead: One Word

For the past few years I've been choosing One Word for the new year. In 2014 my one word was Home. It was an easy choice. We had just moved into our new home and I wanted to concentrate on using the blessing God had provided us as a way of thanking Him for his provision.

The previous year's words include: Bold, Freedom, Confident. As I look back on them I can see how they fit into what my life looked like at that time.

This year's word came to me loud and clear last week during my morning devotional. Time. I was convicted about how much time I waste. And believe me, it's a huge chunk of time. In 2015 I want to be aware of what I'm using my time for. I want to be in the moment. Fully in the moment. I don't want to while away the hours playing Mahjong or Trivia Crack on the phone. You get my drift.

So there you have it. I need to stop wasting time. I need to be in the moment. I need to have better priorities. Not to mention more self-control. Time. Once it's gone, I can't get it back. I want to be deliberate about how I spend my time.

For everything there is an appointed time,

and an appropriate time for every activity on earth.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 NET

Looking Ahead: 2015 SSMT

Wow, it's hard to believe that an entire year has gone by since SSMT 2013. I'm looking forward to another year of memorizing attempting to memorize 24 Bible verses in a year. Don't know what SSMT is? You can check it out on Beth Moore's blog here.

If you've ever attended a Beth Moore Bible Study you know how enthusiastic she is. Her blog reads just like she sounds on the videos. If you decide to take on the challenge of memorizing for 2015, let me know. I'd love to be your cheerleader (and I could use an accountability partner myself!).

I will be choosing a verse to memorize on the 1st and 15th of each month in 2015. If I can do it, you can do it!

Photosynthesis

Sunny stunned us one day last week as Katie, Dan, and I were talking by saying, "That's like photosynthesis." Katie commented that photosynthesis is a big word and does Sunny know what it means. Sunny then proceeded to explain to us the progression of a seed to a plant and back to seed.

Wow.

This child is in Kindergarten. I'm pretty sure I did not learn photosynthesis in Kindergarten.

On Tuesday, she probably brought home her plants. She informed us that one is a vegetable and one is a flower. Yesterday she and Gramps planted them in a pot in our back yard.

And a new generation gardener is born!

Stripes

The other day I noticed that Gramps and Storm were both dressed in stripes. Of course, that calls for a photo!

Gramps, Storm, Sunny

A Savior, Which is Christ the Lord

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Crafts

Sunny has always been very creative and interested in crafts. She has been begging me since she turned three years old to teach her to stitch. Thunder is now getting more interested in crafts, so I thought this year would be a good one for Christmas crafting.

I bought one of those foam DIY ornament kits at Hobby Lobby. They made several individual ornaments, and then we decided to make the rest of them into a garland they can hang at their house. They worked on their ornaments individually, and I was surprised when Thunder took more care making his than Sunny did. I think she got bored.

Anyway, here is the end result!

Thunder

On Mondays and Tuesdays Thunder and Storm are at my house for Grammy Daycare. When Storm goes down for a nap, Thunder and I find something fun that only "big kids" can do. This week we made a garland for him to take to his house for Christmas decor. I snapped this photo of him thoughtfully creating his ornaments. What a cute, sweet, and creative boy!

White Elephant Party

We held our 2nd Annual Family Christmas Party this past weekend. It was a blast! It featured, games, prizes, singing of carols, White Elephant Gift Exchange, Desserts, and Appetizers. Since it's a family party, I tried to find games that we could all play from the youngest (well, not quite, Storm couldn't play) to the oldest.

I had read a blog post about a Candy Cane Scavenger Hunt game that a mom used to teach math concepts to her kids. I adapted it for game night, hiding candy canes all over the house. Obviously the person who found the most was the winner - it was Thunder! He found 32 candy canes. We also played Christmas Bingo. I also adapted a baby shower game by handing out jingle bell necklaces to everyone. If anyone was caught saying "Christmas, Thank you, or gift" they lost their necklace. The winner had the most necklaces at the end of the night - congrats Matt!

The food was delicious, the carol singing was enthusiastic, the gifts were creative, funny, and yes, even useful. I've already started searching Pinterest for games to use next year!

Me, Katie, Sunny, Thunder

Dan and I with the grands

Gabe, Sunny, Katie, Thunder

I love these kiddos!

Me and my girls

The winner of the Candy Cane Hunt!!

Matt and Storm

Matt and Shelby with Sunny

Matt brought the best white elephant gift.

It was a can of Pringles and a gold fish - fish and chips!

Sunny and Thunder were ecstatic that they now own a fish.

Six Months!

Storm turned six months recently. It's hard to believe he's half a year old! He scoots all over the house, is very inquisitive, and is a really terrific eater. He has a sunny disposition and loves to play with his cousins. He's also fascinated by Duke and Rascal. Whenever they come into his view, a huge grin breaks out on his face.

As you can see from the above photo, the main thing Storm has done the past month is GROW! Here's how he looked in the first picture he took with his monkey:

Pretty soon he'll be sitting up and holding that monkey!!

Family

We were so blessed this year to have our entire family together for Thanksgiving.

Katie hosted at her house and a great time was had by all. The forecast high for that day was 82 and we ended up breaking a record at 87 degrees. Of course, we ate outside!

Shelby's brother and sisters were here and joined in the celebration as well as some friends of Katie and Gabe. We totaled 25 - just enough people to have a low roar as you walked up to the house!

Grammy, Gramps

Sunny, Skye, Thunder, Storm

My brother Mark and me

The whole family!!

Tia Janel, Tio JD, and Storm

They came from Kansas to meet him

My original boys - JD and Zach

My boys today - Adam, JD, Zach, Matt, Gabe

Me and my SIL Kelly

Official Five Month Photo

Time is flying by...

Storm and Grammy

That monkey just keeps getting smaller and smaller!

Yes, I'm Behind...

I haven't posted since before Halloween! Goodness gracious, I wish I could give you a good reason why, but I can't.

Today will be the first of my catching up posts. Halloween was such fun this year. We went over to Jessica and Adam's house for trick-or-treating. They live in a great family neighborhood. Tons of kids. Tons of parents out with the kids. Lots of houses decorated to the hilt with scary or funny costumed characters in attendance. The kids got a lot of candy (even Storm!) and they looked very cute in their costumes.

Here's a peek:

Storm chose a Mutant Ninja Turtle costume (haha)

Storm's 1st Halloween

Cowboy, Turtle, and Super Girl patiently waiting to go trick-or-treating 

Let's go already!!

Katie, Thunder, and Sunny at one of the decorated homes

Wow! Great haul for his first time out

Grammy Day Care

We've had a busy two weeks at Grammy Day Care. Sunny was on Fall Break from school for a week and we enjoyed extra time with her. Storm started coming three days a week after Columbus Day. So I've had one or more grandkids four days a week for the past two weeks. Whew! I'm tired!

Here are photos of some of our fun activities:

Sunny is great at entertaining Storm

Storm loves to play with the Octopus

I don't know how I got this shot of him in the mirror!

Practicing sitting up

Sunny and I had a "girl's day" so of course we baked cookies

Ta da! The finished product

Gigi came over for some playtime and reading

Papa rocking with Storm

Thunder, Gramps, Storm

Yes, we offer manual labor at GDC!

Don't you just love Thunder's sense of style?!

It takes confidence to carry off this look.