New Christmas Pals

Tobey made some new pals this week. On Sunday he befriended a kitty cat. We traveled to East Texas to celebrate Christmas with some of Rodney's family and they had a new kitten. She loved hanging out underneath the tree and that is where Tobey spent most of his time. I am glad that he doesn't know how to ask for a kitty cat yet because it would not be fun telling him no. Then last night he met Santa Claus. This is the first year we have taken him to see Santa. I was a little hesitant on the whole thing because I was afraid he was just going to cry and refuse to go near Santa. When we were the next ones in line I asked him if he was ready to see Santa and he said Yeah! very exuberantly. When it was his turn he took off running. I think the stuffed reindeer standing in front of Santa really helped. Although, once we set him up on Santa's knee he froze and refused to smile for the photographer. But he never cried. He is such a big boy. He saw a stuffed Santa today at Hobby Lobby and he ran up and hugged it. I can't wait for his first Christmas after Jesus becomes his pal. I am praying for that day already!

Love Thy Neighbor, Part II

The basket of goodies for my sweet neighbor and her husband was delivered today. It was filled with all kinds of goodies. Brownies, butter scotch haystacks, blizzard party snack mix, and yummy oatmeal cookies. I got the recipe for butterscotch haystacks from Amanda and the oatmeal cookies from Sunni. They were both delicious. Thankfully there was a little bit of each left over for us to enjoy. It has been a wet and cold day. The rain slowed down for a little bit this afternoon so we walked our basket over. Mae was not home but we got to visit with her husband for a little bit while Tobey invaded their living room. Oh, the curiosity of a toddler.





This was definitely a highlight of my week. Our neighbors are so kind and gracious and it felt wonderful to give back to them. Other highlights of the week include a birthday dinner on Monday night with three of my closest friends from high school. We all met at Pei Wei and it was delicious as always.



On my actual birthday we just hung around the house. My man ended up being home all day so I had my two most favorite people with me all day long. We didn't do anything special. In fact, all three of us stayed in our pajamas until late in the afternoon. That evening we decided to venture out for groceries and grab a bite to eat. We called our good friends Greg and Rebecca at the last minute and they joined us for some On the Border. It was so nice to catch up with them and enjoy some good laughs. Another highlight of the week included a weight check at the pediatrician's office. I am thrilled to say that my boy is back on the charts and we don't have to go back to the doctor for a checkup until he is three. Yay! And lastly I was back to part-time work this week. The prior two weeks I had picked up extra shifts equivalent to working full-time and I was so drained. Plus, my house went neglected and the laundry went neglected during those two weeks. I was able to get everything back in order this week so that was a highlight too! And finally the highlight of my life. Tobey has learned how to cheese it big time. He does it mostly at random times but usually when he is doing something he knows that he is not supposed to be doing or when we ask him to show us his teeth. The only time he refuses to show that big beautiful grin is for a posed picture. After days of trying to record that big cheese in a photograph, I finally caught him with cereal on our bed and he turned on the charm and the cheese!

The Perfect Gift

My birthday is coming up this next week. I will be 29 and I have decided this is going to be a great year. I will not be filled with dread and despair as I approach the big 3-0. It is going to be a good, no a great year! Rodney decided that we would celebrate my birthday today just in case he has to be out of town on his actual birthday. He arranged for his sister to babysit for us and made a list of restaurants for me to choose from. I was torn between Perry's which I have heard very good things about and Gloria's. I chose Gloria's at the last minute and was not disappointed. I love fried plaintains and make them often for myself at home but they were so good at Gloria's. I also got a tamale and a pupusa which is basically a handmade tortilla with pork and cheeses stuffed inside. It was all delicious. I really wanted to try the flan but I was too full and I opted out instead. But I will have to go back and try it sometime. We then preceded to Northpark mall and window shopped for a little while and then went to the movies. It has been so long since we have been able to go to dinner and a movie. It was quite lovely and relaxing and wonderful. We saw August Rush and I thought it was very good even though it did not receive great reviews. As a parent who is totally in love with her child I was drawn to the storyline and the beauty of the bond between a mother and her son and how they find each other again through music. The music was pretty awesome too. Afterwards we bought some gelatto and strolled back to the car. It has been a most perfect day. Earlier in the day I got to open my birthday presents and had the biggest birthday surprise ever. I actually already knew one of the things Rodney had bought me because I received an email last week telling me about a shipment sent out to our house from Target. Naturally I opened it because it was my email. Apparently Rod had ordered this gift from Target under my account so the email got sent to my address. He went into my account and deleted the first email but Target sent another one when the item actually shipped which is the email I opened. Well it was a spice rack which is great because I really need one for the pantry but I have to admit I was a little disappointed. However, Rodney hinted around that there was something else too. So I opened up the spice rack first and patiently twiddled my thumbs while we oohed and ahhed over it's amazing features. It really is going to organize the spices milling around in my pantry. And then the moment came. He asked me to close my eyes and sternly said "no peeking". Well, I started giggling like a little girl because i just couldn't help myself. Part of me thought that I might be getting a new vacuum cleaner because I have been complaining a little (alot) about the tired and worn out one we have had since we got married. So with my eyes closed and no peeking he led me out to the sunroom and this is what I saw....



and this is what I did...



I knelt down and laid hands on my new pottery wheel and started sobbing. My husband blew me away this year with the perfect gift. I have wanted a wheel for a really long time but they are quite expensive so we never pursued getting one. I did bid for one on ebay but I lost. I never expected that this is what he got me for my birthday and I was so wonderfully surprised. I took ceramics the last three years of high school and I loved it. I was not great at it by far but I made some really nice pieces and entered a few in an art show my senior year. I was the girl walking around with dried clay on my jeans but I didn't care because it was something I really enjoyed. After high school I took several classes in college also. I even toyed with the idea of majoring in ceramics but it just didn't seem practical at the time so I went for nursing instead which is very practical. As much as I love my job as a neonatal nurse there are times that I regret that I didn't pursue an art degree. I often wonder where that road would have taken me. Once I started nursing school I stopped doing pottery because I was too busy and I didn't have the resources since I wasn't in a ceramics class anymore. And the rest is history as the saying goes. I haven't touched clay since. But I have always dreamed of having my own little studio where I could make pieces for fun or even enter into a craft fair or something. But like I said it is kind of expensive to get started so it was just one of those dreams of mine that I didn't expect to happen anytime soon. It is not just a pottery wheel but the beginning of a fulfilled dream and that is why it is the most perfect gift.

Mandisa

It is amazing how God can speak so directly to our hearts through other people. My sweet friend Janelle invited me to a Mandisa concert at her parent's church this past week. I had heard of Mandisa but only through Janelle. She was a finalist on the 5th season of American Idol which I did not consistently watch. So I did not see the famous episode where she sang Shackles but I have seen it live now which is even better. I honestly did not know much about her. She gave a little bit of her testimony throughout the concert and I was so inspired by her courage and her faith. And yes that girl can sing! But she didn't just sing for us, she worshipped with us and ministered to our hearts. I brought my mother-in-law with me and I heard several amens escape her lips. Mandisa said so many good things and I wish I had brought my journal to write them all down. I tried to remember the little tidbits of wisdom that poured from her mouth but by the time I got home I could only remember a few. Maybe they are the ones that God wants me to hold onto. The first one had to do with her struggle with weight. I may not struggle on the same level as she does but I still have so many insecurities when it comes to my weight especially those 10 marriage pounds and 10 baby pounds I am holding onto. As much as I want to lose that weight I feel defeated most of the time and I feel less than beautiful most of the time. She said that when she is faced with a craving for food that is not caused by hunger that she tells herself that this cannot fill her up the way that Jesus can. She may be satisfied for a little while but only Jesus can satisfy us completely. Amen! I know this in my heart but it was so refreshing to hear someone else be so honest about their own struggles. She also talked about praising God for what he has done in our lives and how she could have turned out so differently if Christ had not changed her. I am sure every Christian relates to this but it is so true for me. Jesus changed my life and has blessed me with so much. When I think about my family and where I have come from, I know that Christ is the only reason, the only thing that sets me apart from members of my family that are struggling right now. She just beautifully expressed herself and her thoughts and God used her to minister to my heart. He is so good like that and I declare His praises!

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:9

Rocking Around the Christmas Tree

We put up our Christmas tree this past week. It was lots of fun this year because Tobey was able to help. I bought him his first set of ornaments. They are Sesame Street characters and he was very excited to hang them on the tree. He kept taking them off and rehanging them. We also lost a few of our glass ornaments when Tobey tried to hang a few. We quickly decided that the more delicate ornaments should hang up high and the more durable ones down below.


This is one of my favorite times of the holiday season. I love opening up our ornament box and reminiscing over the ones we have collected since we got married. I love unique ornaments and ornaments that tell a story about our lives and where we have been. Here are a few of my favorites!

I always think about our first year together, our little cozy apartment, and our first tree.

We bought this ornament while on our honeymoon in St. Thomas which was the start of a tradition. Now whenever we travel someplace we look for an ornament as a souvenir.

We traveled to Alaska with Rodney's whole family in tow so that I could be in my friend's wedding. Three weeks before we left I broke my arm playing softball. I felt horrible so I got a red cast to match my bridesmaid dress in hopes of not standing out as that girl in the wedding with the broken arm. I think it worked. My bouquet of flowers helped out also. That was a really great trip. After I finished up with wedding stuff we had several days to enjoy Alaska. We went on a day cruise to see glaciers and it was so amazing. We also became very familiar with the puffin which is the state bird of Alaska. They are the coolest little birds. They actually can dive under the water and when you see them from above it looks like they are flying under the water. Well I fell in love with the puffin. I would have brought one home to Texas if I could have but I had to settle for an ornament instead.

The ornament that symbolizes the greatest blessing in our marriage. We started our new life together as two....

...and now we are three. Sometimes I miss those care-free and spontaneous days when it was just the two of us. Life was definitely easier and less stressful. But I wouldn't trade anything for my little family or the overwhelming joy I feel when all three of us are together.

Oh how we love us some Mavs! Your tree is not complete unless it is decorated with a Dallas Mavericks ornament.

And finally my most favorite ornament of all. Honestly I can't even remember where it came from. I think it was one of those ornament gift exchanges at a Sunday School Christmas party. I'm not sure but I absolutely love this ornament. The picture does not do it justice. It is a handpainted water color of the nativity scene and it is just beautiful especially when the lights from the tree bounce off of it.

And that is how we rock around the tree in our house!

**Update** My bad! I just found out that the state bird of Alaska is not the puffin. But it should be. Those birds are everywhere in Alaska. Plus they are much cuter than the willow grouse.