i'm still here!

it feels like it's been forever since i blogged, and well, i guess that's because it has been forever!  thanks to some really sweet christmas blessings, we were able to upgrade our technology.  and with an upgrade in technology has come a steep learning curve for me!  i'm definitely not as smart about these things as i once was!

so we have a new laptop (a macbook pro!), which means i am now using the old macbook and we have plans to use our old pc laptop for the boys.  just as we swapped things out, the old pc refuses to log onto the internet and with the holidays and getting back into school, we just have not had the time to address it.  so unfortunately a few pics that i would love to share here are being held hostage by the old pc.  it's probably mad because we are now a macbook family, ha!

and to further complicate things, i was able to upgrade my camera to a canon t2i dslr!  i'm totally excited and totally overwhelmed with all the things this camera can do.  so in between working full time over christmas break, getting everyone back into school and back on a schedule and being the all-around super-wife and -mom, i've not had a whole lot of time to figure things out.  i finally sat down with the camera and the manual for about an hour last week and learned what all the buttons mean!

i will say i am completely impressed with the upgrade in technology.  i would love to someday take professional looking (you know, because i'll never be a professional) pictures for families that just cannot afford to have that done the conventional way.


so other than the upgrade in techonology, here's what else we've been up to:


*we took a trip to abilene to meet up with 2 of my college roommates and their families (6 adults and 9 kids 8 and under!).  it was super fun to take the kids to our college campus and reminisce about our days there.   here are a couple of pics from john's phone (mine are being held hostage, remember?):

 these are the 6 oldest kids.  the 3 youngest were napping.  we had kids ages 8, 7, 6, three 5 year olds, 3, 2, and 1!

then came christmas with my family on christmas day and with john's family the day after.  here are a few of my favorite pics from that:

 then we rang in the new year with friends and back to school and routine we went.  it has been a smooth transition and we are all reminded of how helpful routines can be!

and just when you think the celebration is over, january 11 comes and we get to celebrate our anniversary.  this past tuesday i celebrated being married to this cute guy for 8 years!  i am reminded daily of his love for me.  i am truly blessed!  we celebrated our anniversary this year by leaving the boys with mimi and poppy and heading to downtown mckinney to check out their little antique shops.  we had such a great time and i am so thankful to the Lord for giving me such a good gift in john!

so that's where we've been.  busy, busy little bees!  hopefully i will rule this new technology and it won't rule me and i'll be a more faithful blogger!


blessings,

christmas 2010

i think i love christmas more as an adult than as a child.  this time of year is so rich for a believer.  we loved (again) reading our advent readings each night and hanging an ornament on our advent tree.  burrito even read a few stories to us this year.  we enjoyed receiving christmas cards in the mail each day and praying for those families each night at dinner.  i love it when it's so cold outside you don't want to leave your house, or change out of your jammies.  i love the childhood anticipation that comes with christmas morning.  this christmas was no exception, and we have truly savored each minute, even the hours we've spent assembling lego sets!

here are just a few of my favorite pictures:

christmas eve present opening:  new jammies!

our traditional 3 presents on christmas morning

john's stocking stuffer...yes, he wanted a snuggie!

and then more presents at mimi's and poppy's

pillow pets, lego sets and new shoes topped the list of favorites this year.  we are blessed beyond measure.  praying you and your family had as sweet of a time as we did.

when i figure out how to download pics from my new fancy camera, i will post more pics from our christmas with nena, pappaw, nonna and uncle daniel.

merry christmas!

advent reading day 25...He's here! Merry Christmas!

advent reading day 25

scripture reading: the birth of Jesus, from luke 2, JSBB pgs 182, 190, 192-198*

symbol: baby Jesus!

*we are using the jesus storybook bible by sally lloyd-jones for our kid-friendly readings

advent reading day 24

advent reading day 24


scripture reading: the King of all kings: the story of the three wise men, from matthew 2, JSBB pgs 184-188*

symbol: the three wise men and the star

*we are using the jesus storybook bible by sally lloyd-jones for our kid-friendly readings

advent reading day 23

advent reading day 23


scripture reading: the journey to bethlehem, from luke 1 and 2, JSBB pgs 180-181*

symbol: a scroll, representing the census that was taken

*we are using the jesus storybook bible by sally lloyd-jones for our kid-friendly readings

advent readings day 22

advent reading day 22

scripture reading: mary and the angel, from luke 1-2. JSBB pgs 176-179*

symbol: an angel

*we are using the jesus storybook bible by sally lloyd-jones for our kid-friendly readings

advent reading day 21

advent reading day 21

scripture reading: the story of john the baptist, from matthew 3, luke 1 and john 1, JSBB pgs 200-203*

symbol: a shell, a traditional symbol for baptism

*we are using the jesus storybook bible by sally lloyd-jones for our kid-friendly readings