Blue Christmas

My new favorite color is Ocean Mist Metallic!



Yeah for me!

Hey, do you know anyone that would like to buy a white van? I promise to clean out the gum wrappers, juice box straws, sticky finger prints, goldfish crumbs, happy meal toys, pink sunglasses, kleenex...

These are a Few of My Favorite Christmas Things

Following my friend Jill's lead, I thought I would post a few of my favorite Christmas things around the house. These are not listed in any particular order.

I love the candles, crystal and Fitz and Floyd ceramics on my buffet. I can't wait to have company and light the candles and watch the glow! I added the poinsettias to the buffet and the also to the banister. I was so excited to have stairs in this house. I have always loved the decorations on banisters for Christmas.


For the past few years, my mother has been giving me Jim Shore decorations. One of my favorites is the Santa. This year's gift was the Santa and Rudolph. Aren't they cute?!? All of the grandkids want to watch the Rudolph video at her house even when it is not Christmas!


Let's just say that I am a spoiled wife. Since a company Christmas party in 2002, Larry has been giving me a Swarovski crystal snowflake for the tree every year. It sparkles like crazy with the lights on the tree. This picture does not even begin to show it's beauty. The kids know they can not touch mommy's ornaments and they are hung just in my eye sight for maximum viewing pleasure. Larry, you're such a great husband.

These stockings are a treasure for the Texas Tollesons. They were hand made by Larry's grandmother Annette.

The "Christmas Chronicles" series by Jeff Guinn is one of my favorite Christmas reads. I have read The Autobiography of Santa Claus and The Great Santa Search, both of which were very cute. I have just checked out this one. I can't wait to start reading. My favorite cd's this time of year are Amy Grant's "A Christmas to Remember" and Relient K's "Let It Snow Baby... Let It Reindeer". If you have not heard their version of the Twelve Days of Christmas, you are missing out on one of the best songs of Christmas!

I L-O-V-E our huge tree. We have had it for 13 years and though it gives Larry trouble every year, it looks fantastic when it is finally up! Right now there is another string of lights out, but if you squint your eyes, you hardly notice it at all!

My mother made this quilt. It is on of the first quilts she ever made. She is quite talented. Thanks mom.

Every girl should have a pink tree in her room! I never had one, so I am living my dream out through Lily. It is pink, sparkly and Zebra. What's not to love?!?

Have a wonderful Christmas season and enjoy your holiday decorations while they are up. It will all be over before we blink our eyes.

Deja Vu

OK Maybe I'm mistaken, but haven't I already posted a blog about a boy with a sprained arm?

Oh, yeah - that was the other boy. Yes, Small Groups has become an insurance liability for the Texas Tollesons. Zachery fell. Hard. We now know, after a trip to Urgent Care, that he is just sprained and bruised. Nothing that a week out of PE won't cure. We have just three weeks left with our Small Group, please pray there is not a Deja Three!

Cruel?

So, does this classify as cruel and unusual punishment???

I'm not sure, but I think two little elves were involved.

Home Improvement 201

I have known for a long time that the interior walls needed some paint. Bad. Six years of little hands and little spills and race cars and sticky lizards had made the walls, well NASTY!

I started planning to paint a year ago. I just knew that when school started I would have lots of free time to paint. Problem #1. I also knew that I would have a helper since mom is retired now. (Yeah Mom!) Problem #2. So, I decided to start with the dining room. It has 4 walls with a good stopping point (something my living room lacks). The hardest part of painting this room was deciding on the color. Who knew there were so many reds!
Before:


After:

Now, I L-O-V-E love my dining room. It is probably my favorite room in the house. I think we need to eat in there more often just so I can appreciate my handiwork!

Oh, and to address the Problems. #1 - I DO NOT have more time to do anything! If anything, I think I am home less than I was before all three of the kids were in school. Just FYI for all of you moms with kids still at home, enjoy your days at home and try not to volunteer all of your free time away. I have learned the hard way that there is not a magic fairy that cleans the house, does the laundry, grocery shopping or anything else while you are volunteering your time away. Spend some time for you. If you do not take care of yourself, how can you take care of anyone else?

Problem #2 - Mom does not do ceilings. My neck still aches! Just giving you a hard time mom, you do great corners! xoxox Dot

In Training

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6



I am pretty sure Larry has taken this scripture to heart. The boys get soooo excited to go hunting! They love getting up early, getting to eat donuts and getting to shoot guns. They don't notice the cold. Or the rain. They are not tired. They do not complain. They have even asked for waders and duck calls for Christmas. Larry, Zac and Logan are crazy about hunting.

But I don't mind at all. Larry is teaching the boys so much more than just how to hunt. He is teaching them patience. Respect. Obedience. And most of all, how to be a loving dad. I would never take that away from Larry or the boys. He is providing the boys with life lessons that will help them be better Christian men. Boys, enjoy the season. I'll see you in February.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Logan is thankful:

• for my family.
• for my friends.
• that we're here at Thanksgiving.
• that we are alive when we come back (from hunting tomorrow. Yeah, I hope that too buddy!).
• that I'm going hunting with friends from church.
• that we had fun at lunch today. (Thanks to Doug and Dena for hosting. Doug, Logan loved football in the front yard!)
  

Lily is thankful:

• for my friends, my house, my beds, my food, my family.
• that we had a great trip home from camp (last weekend).
• for our cars that we can drive in.
• for our phones so we can talk to people.
• for Molly, for showers, for pictures of all of us, for tvs. (Do your kids ever pray the room?)
  
• for school that we can learn stuff. (Is the technical word for your education...stuff?)
  

Zachery is thankful:

• for my family, food, our house, our dog, our church.
• that I have a Bible.
• for my siblings. But I guess that's family.
• for getting to live in this free country.
• well, I guess I am thankful for entertainment. Things I enjoy like sports and tv.
• for God creating us and for giving us choices, not just sending us straight to heaven.

Larry is thankful:

• that even though it is not great, enough health to do things with the kids and do whatever I want to do. (Everyone please continue to pray for his good health.)
  
• for his wife. (Ahhh, thanks sweet)
  

I am thankful:

• for my family. I love you all and I can not imagine the void in my life without you.
• for our friends and the love and support you give us.
• for the Macy's parade.
• for turkey, dressing, cranberry chutney, corn casserole, chocolate cake, Ruth's brownies. I am sooo full!
  
• for all of God's unending love and blessings.

I am thankful that we have one day specially set aside for counting our blessings. I think we take too many things for granted in the world today. And though it should not surprise us "what the Lord hath done", it does. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17 I encourage you to look for His blessings daily for we are greatly blessed.

Home Improvement 101

Home improvement projects have a mind of their own. They grow and grow until you never seem to be finished with one project before you are starting the next. Our home improvement began last June when we decided it was time to split the boys into their own rooms. We moved Logan to the guest room, aka my craft room. Notice the scrapbooking supplies spread out on the bed and the sewing machine and notions on the desk. Yes, it was a sad, sad day to lose my space.
Before:

After:

Logan is so proud to have his own room. He is probably the neatest of all three kids and takes good care of his room. On Fridays he can invite Zachery or Lily to have a "sleepover" in his room.

We did Zachery's room for his birthday. He knew we were doing it, but he did not know what we were doing in his room. He was having a fit to see it all finished!
Before:

After:

Of course Zac loves his room and he LOVES the fact that he can get away from his siblings and have some quiet time. (When do I get my own room away from the kids for quiet time???) I used the logo from the youth room at church for a focal point of the room. (Hope that's ok Jason!)

We have other projects that we have done, but I will save those posts for another day. Right now I have to get the kids ready for bed. We have a big day planned for Thanksgiving tomorrow. I pray that you all have a blessed day.

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 118:1

Camping Out

We had a great weekend at the Texoma Youth Camp with Legacy's Kidz United. There were 13 kids and 8 adults that froze our tails off enjoyed the cool weather. The kids had a lot of free time to play and develop their friendships. Zachery and Logan played a lot of football with the guys and Lily ran around with the big girls.



I have to say that I am very impressed with the Legacy kids. There were kids there from 5-13 years old and they played so well together. They were all helpful, kind, and respectful to each other. Thanks to all of you for your wonderful example. "And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3-4

My Hero

This was the situation yesterday afternoon.

Larry is on his way home from Little Rock. Zac is doing his homework. Logan needs to read his book to me. Lily needs to draw a picture but she is crying because "I don't know hooowww." The microwave is beeping to turn over the meat I am defrosting. Logan starts reading. Lily start crying. Restart the meat. Listen to Logan. Show Lily how to draw an octopus. Listen to Logan more. Lily is now throwing a huge fit. Can't hear Logan. Lily comes over and immediately falls asleep in my lap. Atleast now I can listen to Logan. Zac is asking me to check his homework. Logan finishes his book. I wake Lily up. She still doesn't know how. Start cooking the meat. Show Lily how to draw an octopus again. More crying and then she throws her pencil. I have had it!

And then, ta-da-da-da! My Knight in Shining Armour walks in the door. Ahhh...

Within minutes of his arrival, he has Lily under control and happily working on her picture. I finally can get dinner ready. After dinner, my Hero starts covering Logan's arm so he can shower and all the kids follow him upstairs. Once again, peace has been restored.

I made my Hero some cookies. Thanks sweet!

Playing With the Big Boys

Playing with the Big Boys is fun. It is a privilege.

It is dangerous! Last night we had our Small Group over and the boys (ages 7-14) were playing football in the yard after our lesson. Well, somehow Logan's hand got stepped on. It was pretty swollen last night, but thankfully Dr. D told us not to run to the ER. We waited until after school today when the swelling had gone down some. Luckily, it is only sprained. Logan was pretty happy that he would only have to miss one week of PE and not six. But secretly I think he was wishing it was broken. He has loved the extra attention he has gotten today.

Joyful Perspective

Today Allan preached from Philippians about having a joyful perspective. Paul did even though he was persecuted and imprisoned. To live is Christ and to die is gain. What about me?

"How are you doing?" people ask. My reply lately has been "OK" or "good, I guess". What kind of lame answer is that?!? I am not imprisoned. I'm not being persecuted for my beliefs. I have everything to be joyful about, but I don't always feel joyful.

Paul never questioned his purpose. Paul was actively teaching people and bringing them to God. I question my purpose. I wonder if all of the things I do in a day really matter to God. Am I doing his will? Cooking meals, doing laundry, grocery shopping, PTA projects, helping with homework, kissing boo-boos, reading stories, cleaning the house, coordinating small groups, teaching Bible class, mailing the bills, etc, etc, etc. How do these everyday, mundane things fit into God's plan to further the Kingdom?

And then I hear Lily humming an old church song that she does not even know the words to yet. I see Logan seeking out a friend that is visiting to make sure she feels welcome. I see Zachery being a leader in church by reading scripture, leading prayers or hugging the widows. I may not be a missionary in a foreign country, but I am raising Christian believers. I pray that their faith will be strong and their hearts will be tender. I pray that I can joyfully continue to fulfill God's purpose for my life.

Lily's 1st Field Trip

Well today was a very important day for Lily. It was her first school field trip. Her first time to ride on a school bus. It was also her first time to pet a dead possum.

Her class went to the River Legacy Living Science Center. They have a field investigation program where the kids can "explore the seasonal ecology of River Legacy Parks and observe the animals and plants inhabiting the woods". After the presentation the kids could explore centers such as critter cafe, leaf magnification and stuffed dead animals (possum, skunk, raccoon, owl, woodpecker). Then they took a walk through the woods to look for things like animals, animal homes and food. It was a great program for kindergarten and Lily had a lot of fun.



Thankfully, she said her favorite part of the trip was seeing the real possum (not the dead one). It was pretty cute. For a possum.

The Long and Short of It

I just want everyone to know that I love BOTH of my boys. I know that it may not look like it. But I do. I decided that today was a great day to give the boys haircuts. I like my boys clean cut. Zachery wanted his hair real short. He had long hair a couple of years ago, but it didn't last long. I bribed him to cut it with a new hat. Hey, whatever works!



Well, now Logan wants to try long hair. I told him that he would have to brush it every day. That was ok with him. I told him he would have to get it styled at the barber. That was also ok with him. So, since I let Zac grow his hair a few years ago, I have to let Logan do it too. But believe me, I will be thinking of how I can bribe him to cut his hair short too.

A Change of Heart

I have been VIOLATED!!!

Sometime between Friday night at 6pm and Monday morning at 7:40am, someone stole items from my car. We always lock it, but we must have forgotten just once. It could have been at Walmart, the ball park, church or home. (Who would steal from church-goers?) I first realized that my cd's were missing. Then I noticed that my phone charger, headset, sunglasses and Larry's old sunglasses were also missing.

How dare they???

Those were MY things!!!

Those were all of my favorite cd's. Amy Grant, Acappella, Zoe Group.
Those were Lily's favorite cd's. Dora, Veggie Tales, Silly songs.

There were many other valuable things in my car that they did not take. They did not take the Dora umbrella. Or the wet wipes. Or the baggie full of gum. Or my gold PTA volunteer badge. Or my store coupons. Thank goodness they did not take the store coupons. I would have had to track them down!!!

Well, they were probably disappointed by my selection of cd's, but I hope they enjoy listening to them. Maybe they will have a change of heart.

You Know What I Need?

One of the best times of the day is 2:30pm. That is when Lily is home after school and before the boys get home. We get to have some special time just with the girls. Every day, she comes in, lays down her backpack, then throws her shoes in the floor. She knows I am waiting. She just grins. "Lily, do you know what I need?" She knows. She runs over and gives me a big, long hug and I get to drink in the smell of her. This is my baby. But she is not the same. She is "growing up" and it makes me sad, but on the other hand, I love to see how much she is growing as a person.















Today she said "Mom, it was a great day!"
De - "Why Lily?"
Lily- "Guess who was the line leader?"
De - "You were!"
Lily - "No. Mandy was and she is my friend and I like for all of my friends to get to do fun things."

I wish I could always have such happiness for all of my friends. Sometimes I feel so jealous of others clothes, figures, hair that is not graying...things that Satan wants me to be focused on. Today my prayer is that I can rid myself of jealousy, accept myself as God made me, and love others as Jesus does.

Maybe one day I will grow up like Lily.

Worms

Today was a great family day! Well, for some of us it was. After Lily's last softball game and team party this morning and Zachery's two baseball tournament games, we decided to go fishing at the ponds. So our kids and the Henry kids started digging for worms. Who knew we had such an abundance of worms right in our own back yard?!? Personally, I am glad that is all we unearthed! As we walked to the ponds, Lily said "Those worms just have no idea what we are about to do." Ha! Those poor worms did NOT have a good day today, but the kids sure did! We caught 25+ fish! Well, actually, not we. I watched. I don't bait hooks. They had fun, got dirty and caught lots of fish with dad. I have to admit that I was not real excited about going fishing. It's not my thing. But I'm sure glad I went! I got to watch my kids experiencing God's wonderful creation and making memories that they will hopefully cherish for a lifetime. To the worms, sorry it wasn't your day.