My new beginnings...
1. is to stay on budget all year long and to actually have some money in the bank at the end of the year.
2. Start homeschooling Kindergarten in the Fall.
3. Learn more about God and Jesus. Start by reading one of Lee Strobel's books.
4. I can see myself having a hard time with this one, but I would like to start having a menu for each month and some kind of prepared schedule for the kids.
5. Scrapbook 100 pages this year.
We had a wonderful visit with my parents and with my brother John and his wife Beth. They were only here for a very short time and they had to leave today. 
John and Beth are in the Peace Corp. and they are stationed in Bulgaria. So this was a real treat to be able to see them. They will be finished with their term in 6 months. So they will come back to the USA before going off to Japan. (I think this is where they plan to go next.) I sure miss them. They are SO good with my kids. And John just makes me laugh all the time. I wish you could hear him talk with all his different accents.
For a Christmas present John made us all hats. I thought that was really cool. 
He semi taught me how and I plan to make a few. But here are a couple pictures of the hats he made.
So Ashley said she was hungry and wanted some ice cream. I told her I didn't have any money. And she said, "but Papa does". I told him that and he just rolled his eyes. But it worked and she got her ice cream. 
So he got the boys ice cream too. 
And my lil' stinker Austin said, "I want Chicken and French fries this ice cream isn't healthy." Luckily he was able to get his chicken and fries and he ate them all up.
On Thursday, we went to Opry Mills Mall. It was terribly busy. The kids got to ride on the Carousel. And we walked all around the mall. The kids didn't want to stay in any store very long...so it was very hard to shop. My parents wanted to buy me some clothes for Christmas and so that's why we went out again on Friday. John and Beth watched the kids on the playground while 
Mom and I went in and found some clothes. 
Secret Identity: My Dad
My brother John
and his wife Beth
My husband Greg
My Mom
and me.
Hey aren't you glad I didn't say they "crack" me up?
Introducing: Saturn Girl
Name: Saturn Girl
She came from outer space...
And landed in the hearts of the Earthlings!
With her interstellar style and her planetary punch, this battlin' babe lights a fire under the rumps of wrong-doers-
And looks cool doing it!
No one can with stand the fighting fury of...
He walks in the clouds… a mysterious “guardian angel” who has rarely been photographed.
Shining the light of heaven into the darkness, 
he swoops down upon the earth to avenge the innocent. Living lightning flies from his fists! 
And with the fabled Trumpet of Gabriel, he falls on his foes with the might of an archangel.
Lightning Monster is his name…
Introducing...MAGNET
Name: Magnet
Like a bolt of lightning, he comes... hurtling from the heavens to smite the wicked! 
His feet, swift as thought, catapault him into the frey.
His Hook and Bomb lay low the forces of evil. His righteous fury is the polarity that draws the good to his side and repels the bad.
He is......... MAGNET.
{Dear God, Thank you for sending your son to save us! Today we celebrate his birth.}
I believe that this will become one of our many traditions that we do in our family. We did this last year too. We made a birthday cake for Jesus and sang Happy Birthday!
We had a potluck at church today for anyone who wanted to come. And my kids were the talk of the day. Everybody LOVED the outfits, which made me so proud! Poor little Ashley needs some black cowboy boots.
This picture just makes me laugh. I wish it was better of Mason. I tried to work a little Photoshop magic, but I wasn't able to do it this time.
When I got up I had them put on their "jammies" that I made. They were all excited to get into them, BUT Ashley didn't want me to take a picture of her in it to show Gramma, Nana and the Papas. She wanted to show them in person not in a picture. So she was giving me tr
ouble with getting a good shot. I made these shirts. I found images of their favorite shows or things on the internet and made and iron-on of it. Mason's is just part of the material I used for his pants.
2. Santa goes to our church and everytime Ashley sees him, she gets big eyes and runs to him. Here is a picture with him today at church.
3. After church we came home for lunch and then let the kids open their presents from Nana and Papa. Oh boy did they have a good time! Thank you Nana and Papa. We will call tomorrow to thank you on the phone. I don't know if you know this Gayle, but those are things I really wanted to buy the kids and didn't. They are great presents.
4. Greg and I stayed up late getting the house ready for Santa. We got caught 2x by Mason. He wanted to know what I had (I was wrapping a gift). Greg even helped me make the puppets for the puppet theatre.
5. Ashley found some fabric and wanted me to made her something with it. So I made her some pants to go with the shirt I made. Unfortunately, I couldn't get my sewing machine to work right. So again this will be something she can play in or sleep in at home, because it's just not made very well to go out in public. I even called a friend who sews and she gave me lots of suggestions and I tried all of them and still couldn't get to work. (Thanks anyway Amy!)
Well now that i see a picture. I realize that I need to fix the ribbon that the kids continue to pull down and that I need to move those blue presents elsewhere so they are not all together up front. But that will need to be done in the morning, because...
Now I better get to bed!!! I'm looking forward to tomorrow! (or later today in just a few short hours)
Good night and Merry Christmas!
