We had the best holiday season ever! We began to put up our decorations the week of Thanksgiving. I love the holidays. I love the music, the decorations, the smells, the food, but most of all I love the happy feelings I feel during this time of year. It seems like everyone is nicer and my heart is more open and loving, something I strive to be better at. We had Thanksgiving at our house this year. I LOVED IT! I cooked the entire meal, except the dressing. My mother makes the most incredible dressing I have ever tasted. I didn't even want to attempt to copy it. The main reason is because she never follows the recipe, well she starts out following the recipe, then she goes back and adds a bit of this and a pinch of that. Every time it's perfect. The first Thanksgiving I was away from home, I got up in the middle of the meal and called her and told her how much I missed her dressing. It's just one of those things that I think I can never copy. She will always be the dressing master! Dinner turned out great and everything was ready at almost the same time! We set up a table in the living room and I decorated it and it was so pretty! I had already set up the tree and Jackie found us this DVD of Christmas music and a fireplace on the TV. It was so nice! We actually used the china and I even let Taylor use it! Pretty impressive because its about $140 a place setting. I was not sure if I was going to let her use it, but then my amazing friend Anita and I talked about it and she said something like, "Don't you want her to know that she is more important to you than any plate?" Wow, she is so wise. I'm so blessed to have an amazing woman who is so faithful in my life!
Then after dinner we all just hung out and relaxed. Mom stayed at home and snuggled Taylor while Dad and Jackie took me to Michaels, I know these guys really love me to brave the crowds to look at crafty stuff! It was fun and we got some GREAT bargains! When we got back to the house and showed Mom what I found, she wanted to go too! So, I went back with her! Two trips in one day, I was SO pumped!
Our next project was to finish decorating the house. We put lights up outside and decorations everywhere! It was so much fun having our own place to do whatever we wanted to! Our next door neighbors are an elderly couple who have a life size manger scene they put up in their yard. They are so sweet and Taylor LOVES George and Emma Lee! I feel so blessed to have such sweet caring neighbors. Every time when we went outside Taylor HAD to go and check on baby Jesus. She loved propping him up. I asked why and she said so "everyone can see Him!" WOW, I was so proud that she is beginning to understand the real meaning of Christmas!
School wrapped up and I made a 4.0! This one was so meaningful because I took 15 hours. It was WAY too much and I won't ever do it again. I wanted to quit so many times. More times than I can count Jackie would find me crying and ask me if I was ok. I kept questioning if it was all worth it. I really began to think about limits and boundries. The Lord was really working on me and trying to teach me something. I feel like I learned a lot about balancing and trying to make the most of the time I have with my family and then do the schoolwork. I missed so many Sunday mornings mainly because I was so overwhelmed. Those were the only times I felt like I could find peace and quiet. I'm so thankful that our church is on tv. I became a regular member of the virtual church! I did really miss all my friends though. (Christine and Andrea the most!!) And my kids on the van!
Every year the credit union hosts a night with Santa. This year it fell on the same night as the CityChurch kids party. So Jackie took Taylor to church and then when I got off from work I went to church and then she and I left early and went to visit Santa. When I walked into the church youth building I could not believe what I saw! There were REAL horses! They had set it up like a barn to show the kids what it was like when Jesus was born. There was hay everywhere and lights and it was AMAZING. My allergies didn't like it though. Taylor had so much fun! She was so excited to see Santa! When he walked into the room she started laughing and saying, "HI SANTA!" That's amazing becuase last year she refused to sit on his lap at the mall and then she cried when she saw him at the credit union. This year she RAN onto his lap and just started talking away! It was so cute! Here's a photo
Santa gave her a doctor kit. She loves to play doctor and give you a shot! Paybacks for all the times I've had to take her, I guess!
The next big project I did was help plan my work Christmas Party. I loved this but spent too much time I think. I hand-painted a glass for every person attending. They turned out awesome and I was so proud of them. There were three of us on the committee, and the party was so nice. It was fun but in a different way than last year (I was on the planning committee last year too). Not sure which one was better, but I had a lot of fun. This is how amazing my husband is, he spent our first wedding anniversary with me at a work function moving tables and hanging lights and being bossed around. I know I'm blessed and he loves me. I have never ever known a man with more of a servant heart!
December 19 was a very happy day because of our anniversary and the party, but it was a hard day too. Jackie got a call about 7 in the morning that our pastor Don Lane had passed away. I can't think about him without having a few tears fall. Don was such an amazing man. He was full of vision and passion. He was such a dear friend to my husband. I know Jackie misses him terribly. When we found out we both cried and then Jackie said, "You know what I'm going to do? We're getting up in the morning and we're starting our vans and we are going to go find as many kids as we can and bring them to CityChurch so we can tell them about Jesus. That's how I can honor my friend." WOW, you see, that's the kind of man Don Lane was. He loved kids and loved telling them about Jesus. He could see what other people couldn't. He looked at 205 S Polk and while others saw an abandoned wasted building, he saw CityChurch. When others saw a meth addict, he looked and saw what was inside and what he could become. When others looked at me they saw a woman devestaed because of a bad marriage, but he saw a heart capable of amazing love! The rest of our city avoids the area north of Amarillo Blvd, but Don saw all those lost people who need Jesus! His vision and passion lives on. Don't think so? Spend about 2 secounds with any of his kids, or Jackie. You can see the kind of impact and legacy he left behind. I have never experienced anything like I did during worship on Sunday the 20th. It was so real and deep and indescribable. We all had such heavy hearts, but still lifted them up to the Healer. God did a mighty work that day in our hearts. I will never ever forget that day and that worship. Don was there when Jackie needed him and we will always love him for that. I'm so glad the Lord blessed me by putting this man and his family in my life. I know he's dancing and celebrating and loving spending all his time in heaven. I never got to tell him how much he meant to me, but someday I will!
We actually went and had family pictures made! Jackie, Taylor and I went on a Sunday and then on Tuesday Mom, Dad, Whitney, Kime and us all went. It was really nice. We had never done that! I dont' have the whole group ones yet, they are still at Mom's but I will post one of those pics next time. Here's some of the ones from our family shoot.
Christmas was so much fun. Taylor stayed awake the whole time and loved all her presents. She wanted to open each one completly and play with it. I'm so glad she had so much fun! She was SO excited when Santa came. She was really worried that he ate the cookies. Here she is opening her stocking!
See the next post for the rest of what we have been up to!
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