Mayhem - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

After we returned home from our little Thanksgiving getaway, we turned our thoughts to all things "merry and bright." While I do think a person can go nuts and put up Christmas decorations too soon, I always want to get them up shortly after Thanksgiving so that we can enjoy them for as long as possible. I don't know about you, but I think there is something therapeutic about lounging on the couch, mug of hot chocolate in hand, bathed only on the glow of the Christmas tree lights. Between school obligations and church obligations and the shopping frenzy, it is just a good way to sit back, relax, and have a Calgon moment.

The stockings are hung by the {fireplace} with care......

The tree the kids decorated. I hope Grandpa Connie is smiling somewhere.
He has some great grandsons that sure do love trains!

One of the seven elves....... (Unfortunately Christmas time does not mean no laundry time!)

Human tunnels. And yes, those are swim trunks. And no, we were not going swimming.

It's Prancer and Vixen. I'll let you guess who's who!

A perfect reflection of my thoughts on the season.

Sums it all up, I think.

Even Mother Nature is doing her part to celebrate the Christmas Season!

Candyland wreathe I made last year.

We hope that all of our family and friends near and far are having the very merriest of Christmas seasons!

Mayhem - Talkin" Turkey - Part II

Originally, we had not planned on going anywhere for Thanksgiving.  But, Brian got the itch to head home, so instead we made like birds and headed south.  First stop was my parents' temporary home (they recently sold their home, so they are in between).  We spent the day of Thanksgiving with my parents, my brother and his family, and my sister.  There was family and football and cousins.  There was a vain attempt at Black Friday shopping (at least we were rewarded for our efforts - there was a fight over some towels that at least kept shoppers entertained, lol!)  There was good food, and bad mattresses, and shorts weather, and it was perfect.

A few of my favorite guys.

Teague and his best bud cousin, Stone.

Our idea of quality family time!  Nothing like a little healthy competition between spouses to keep the spark alive!

Our halftime entertainment.  That's right, he can kick your butt in the 40 yard dash, grab his engineering cap and design a flag, and then perform an awesome routine faster than Trent Richardson can get an invitation to the Heisman Awards.

After we left my parents, we traveled just due west across the state line to visit Brian's parents and our good friends. Again, there was good food, more football (of the Iron Bowl variety - Roll Tide!), and more, um, no, LOTS more cousins.  There was late nights, and leftovers, and laughter.  And, again, it was perfect.  In fact, the only thing missing was time!  All too soon, school and employment beckoned and we had to say goodbye to the people we love and places that we truly call home.

We/me/I do not have a perfect life.  In fact, it is often so very far from it.  But there are perfect moments.  Those are the moments that you look around and realize that even if you didn't have a dollar in your wallet, you are still truly rich.  I'd say we are millionaires.......

Mayhem - Talkin' Turkey - Part 1

As usual, as soon as Halloween is in the books, our thoughts start turning toward Thanksgiving! (Unless you are Wal-mart, or any other retail outlet for that matter, and then you completely forget that Thanksgiving even exists, and Christmas is the next holiday in line, lol!)

I love the holiday season.  It changes people.  Hearts are softened, and people remember all of the blessings that they have been given instead of focusing on all of the things that they do not have.  There truly is a spirit of Thanksgiving!  Brian and I have so many things for which we are thankful.  First and foremost, we are thankful for the beautiful family that we have been given.

Teague's Kindergarten class put on a little play about the First Thanksgiving and then we were invited back to the classroom for a Thanksgiving feast.  As you can see, he was an Indian brave, and he delivered his lines ("Big and Brave" - said in unison with all the other little braves) flawlessly.

Banks' class also had a traditional Thanksgiving feast.

This little pilgrim goes to church with us.  She and Banks seem to think a lot of one another.

And this was only the beginning................

Mayhem - Ho, Ho, Snow!

This morning we woke up to this:

Yes, Old Man Winter paid us a visit by surprise last night, and we woke up to that magical, powdery white stuff known commonly as SNOW!  The kids were, of course, excited:

but Mom was even more excited that they got snow and STILL had to go to school!

I have officially declared today to be a "Snow Day" here at the house.  The kids are still in their pajamas, and my only goal is to catch up on two things:  my laundry and our blog (although the former may be harder to do than previously thought, thanks to a kid getting sick in the middle of the night last night!)  But I'll press forward anyway……..

Musing - Sunday Devotional

Today has just been one of those days. Had to get the kids to church early for potty breaks and sips of water before their annual Primary (children's sunday school) program. No pics, but the kids all delivered their lines perfectly, and Brian even had several people want to know who's little blonde-headed child was sitting in the front singing his heart out. (Banks loves to sing, and he believes in making a joyful noise!) It was a proud parent moment.

Sometimes Sundays, although a day of rest, can seem even more hectic than the rest of the week. We are tired and exhausted from all of last weeks obligations, and yet, the new week is only the close of an eyelid away. There are definitely days when I just want the world to give me a break and let me catch my breath......or my sanity. The video is entitled "Good Things to Come" and it is one of my favorite pick me up videos. It reminds me of why we as children of God do what we do. No matter what we face in life, there will always be good things to come....

Mayhem - Halloween with the Boo Crew

When you have a family like ours, I don't know who Halloween scares the most: me - wondering how much money this year's costumes and things will cost or the neighbors - sitting and praying that we save their house 'til last so that they can actually still have enough candy left to pass out to the other little neighborhood Trick or Treaters. No matter, it always marks the beginning of the crazy busy holiday season, and as usual we had a calendar filled with, well, Halloween Mayhem! Appropriately so, I guess.

There were treats:

There were tricks:

There was was the seasonally appropriate gutting and dismemberment:

There were work and church carnivals to attend:

There was an elementary school costume parade:

And, of course, there was Trick or Treating!

I just had to take a moment and document the above picture for posterity. Sometimes it is ok as a parent to pat yourself on the back and tell yourself, "Good job." This picture represents one of those parental positive affirmation moments.

All of the kids had already swarmed upon and were leaving a home where there was a bowl set out on the front porch with a sign asking the kids to just take one piece. Payne had already gotten one piece, but then turned around to go back for seconds. Brian and I kept yelling at him (not in anger, we were at the street) to only get one piece, but he grabbed another piece anyway. He came running down the driveway with a big smile on his face. When he got to us he said, "This one's for Lucy." Lucy, of course, was happy to oblige his generosity. Those two kids were meant to come here so close together. They love each other to pieces.

Needless to say, we are happy to have a little break before Thanksgiving and Christmas (we have already received in invitation to a Christmas Open House and there are homes here that are already lit up in red and green!) My only regrets are that my kids do not live closer to their friends and family to be able to create these wonderful memories with them! Well, that and the fact that we have about 16 lbs of candy sitting in our bedroom floor that we aren't quite certain what to do with! And that's even after we asked the kids to only take one piece!

And I'm not talking that nasty black and orange wrapped peanut butter non brand candy stuff, either.

I am talking good 'ole Hersheys and Willy Wonka and Nestle around here. Perks of living near a million and one candy vendors, I suppose……

Good times, Good times, Good times!