Christmas Traditions II

Sunday is the traditional start of Advent. This may be a word that many Protestants are unfamiliar with, but it is simply a word, originating from a Latin word meaning "coming", which describes a season of anticipation or waiting for the celebration of Christmas. It can become a celebration all on its own. Just as the Jews anticipated the coming Messiah, we do things that help us anticipate the coming celebration.

As I stated in a previous post, several years ago, Kelly and I decided to deliberately include things in our family traditions meant to help our children - and us - focus on the real reason we celebrate Christmas. Many children can anticipate Santa and presents, but we wanted to somehow make the significance of an all-powerful God coming to earth as a helpless baby, and coming only to die for us, as real as possible to them. Yes, our kids look forward to presents and to giving gifts, but our goal was to also make this time of year of deeper import to their lives and faith.

One of the tools we use is a set of books suggested by several friends by Arnold Ytreeide. The first is Jotham's Journey, then Bartholomew's Passage, and then Tabitha's Travels. If you clicked on any of these links, you might have noticed how expensive they are. Unfortunately they are out of print (so used copies can be pricey), but maybe you can find one at a used book store or borrow one. Or check in May, they are probably cheaper then.

Each of these books is about a pre-teen child who is swept up in an exciting story set in Israel of bandits, slavery, rescue, Essenes, faith, love, family, and cliff-hanger endings. The story is divided into sections to be read each night, culminating in the climax on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day with the birth of Jesus. It is a great time for the whole family to gather around and listen to as these children - and the adults in the story as well - are faced with their misunderstandings of who the Messiah will be. Because of the exciting way each section ends, the children can't wait until the next night's story. And it keeps the coming Messiah in their minds every evening during this time.

Just a couple of notes: the books are meant to be done over a three year span, one book per year. We have done each of them once, have read Jotham and Bart twice, and will be reading Tabitha this year. Also, there are other books on the market meant for this same purpose. The Ytreeide books are in novel form, with applications after each night's selection, so it makes them particularly enjoyable, but I found several Advent devotion books on CBD that would fulfill the same purpose. I can't personally vouch for any of them, but if you are interested there are resources out there.

One final note: While we love these books, we disagree with some of the conclusions Ytreeide draws in the nightly applications, as they go against some of the things we believe as Reformed Christians. It's not in every one, but there are a few things sprinkled throughout the applications. So this last year, I rewrote the applications that we objected to for the Tabitha and Bartholomew books. I meant to do all three, but haven't made it to Jotham yet.

Wrapping Gifts, Maternity Addition

This really has nothing to do with traditions, but I've spent quite a bit of time wrapping presents today, so it's on my mind.

I had forgotten how much wrapping gifts makes my back hurt, especially with a pregnant belly sticking out in front of me. So today I thought I would get smart. I got my cutting board I use to cut out fabric and spread it on my bed. For those of you who have never seen our bedroom furniture, we have a very tall bed, with a very thick mattress on top. The top of our mattress reaches my waist - or where my waist would be if it weren't for this baby sticking out front of me. This brought the job up to a much more comfortable level. My back still aches, but not as badly. The only disadvantage is that my reach isn't what it used to be because my belly runs into the bed. :-)

I'm also stealing an idea from my friend Cathi. We've already had a snooping incident this year, so when I label the gifts I am using pseudonyms. Cathi gave each of her kids a reindeer name last year, but I am using the names from the 12 Dancing Princesses. And I won't tell them who is who until Christmas Day. Hopefully this will keep them from knowing which packages to snoop. :-)

Christmas Traditions I

One of my favorite things about the holidays is talking about different family traditions. Each family is different and I love reading and talking about different things that make the holidays special. I think this is partly because these are what gives a family an identity, a distinct heritage. Sometimes these are accidental things, sometimes they are intentionally started.

I thought I'd take a few blog posts to outline some of our traditions, things that make us the Smiths, that our children look forward to all year long. Some aren't that different from your family's perhaps, but maybe some are new.

Of course, one of the first things we do is put up the Christmas tree, while listening to Christmas music. We don't have room for colored balls. Each of the girls has gotten 1-3 new ornaments each year, plus Kelly and I have a few, so we stick to the special ornaments. (This isn't a tradition, but two years ago we invested in a very nice artificial, pre-lit tree and it was well worth the money. We've had people in our home surprised to find it isn't a real tree. This is Kelly's favorite, since he was the light person. :-) )
After we put all the ornaments on, Kelly pulls out two that were set aside for the end. You probably can't see from the picture but they are large nails. Kelly starts off by asking the girls why Jesus came to earth to begin with. He talks about how He came to earth to die for us because of our sin and God's love for us.
So when we hang these "Easter ornaments" as Aubrey calls them on our tree, we are purposely reminding our children that behind the gifts and the songs, the baking and the fun, there is a deeper meaning to it all.
We have one more unusual thing we put on our tree. We don't top it with a star or an angel, we have a crown. But this is a crown of thorns. Again as Kelly talks to the girls about it, he reminds them that if Jesus hadn't been the Son of God who came to purposely die a horrible death for us, he would have been just another baby.

This helps us start off this season on a very good note. Yes we are all excited about presents and seeing family. The girls have been practicing Christmas music for their musical next month. We have stockings hanging up and plans to bake. But as a family, we stop and take the time to remember why we celebrate this time of year. And it's not that the baby Jesus was born in a stable. It's that God sent His son, the Messiah - fulfilling a promise made back in Genesis 3 - who would come to pay the price for our sins.
While this is not "traditional" Christmas to many, we have found that this helps keep everything in perspective. I hear many Christians bemoaning the commercialization of Christmas. We decided to do something about it, and this is one tradition we started to keep the focus where it should be.

A double birthday

So last night we celebrated Aubrey and Lauryn's birthday. We had an I love horses cake.

And an I love puppies cake.

And of course there were lots of presents, some from us, some from grandparents. There were Barbies.

There were games and books.

There were dress up clothes.

And you knew there had to be horses. And books about horses.


We even had a house and an airplane.


And a fancy dress for a doll.

There was lots of help with opening everything up - it's nice now that Kelly and I aren't the only ones who can undo all those annoying twist ties that try to make the toys incapable of being separated from the box, even for legitimate buyers.


I think Aubrey summed it up. "I loved everything!" Lauryn hasn't played with anything else but her new toys ever since, so I think she feels the same.

I'm this many!

Happy Birthday, Lauryn! Lauryn is three years old today! Yes, we just had a birthday on Monday as Lauryn was born four days after Aubrey's 6th birthday. So tonight we will have a double birthday celebration, with cake, ice cream (yes in spite of the cold weather!) and lots of presents.

Lauryn has been a special child, forging her own way, making her own mark in our larger-than-normal family. She was our first home birth. She was also our biggest baby by far - 10 lbs. 10 oz., 23 in. long! Yes, her middle name could have been ouch! Of course the fact that she was ten days late (!!!) I'm sure added to the size.

She makes us laugh every day. Every meal right now is "supper." She gets up in the morning asking me, "What's for supper?"

"You mean breakfast?" I ask.

"Yeah, bekfast. Ah we habing (are we having) Mack-a-meal?" (Malt-o-meal, her favorite breakfast)

She also insists that she only be called by her name Lauryn. If you compliment her, telling her what a good girl she is, or a big girl, or that she's cute, she responds like this:

"I not a big girl, I Wauwyn!" (The "L" and "r" in her name both come out sounding like "w's")

"I not coot (cute), I Wauwyn!"

And right now she is constantly asking what time it is. She copies everything anyone says, including Hailey's phonics lesson - hey maybe she'll learn right along with her, and I can get two for one!

Happy Birthday, my sweet Lauryn!

Sisters!

Thankful

I am thankful for so many things this year:

• My husband who provides for us, allowing me to be a full time mommy and home maker. Who loves me and the girls, and is the leader of our home.
• The children that God has given us, which make us laugh, bring us joy, and force us to greater maturity and patience (although that last one I have to remind myself to be thankful for :-) ).
• Our church family with whom we are a community.
• My family, including the grandfather I just lost. Even in the grief I was proud that they are my family. I am proud of the way my mom honored her parents in the last months of his life.
• Kelly's family, especially the amazing recovery from breast cancer that my MIL has had this year. This was truly the grace of God in our lives.
• I am thankful to be feeling so much better. And so far this pregnancy is easier than Lauryn's. I wasn't quite as sick, and I am not having the sciatic nerve problems so far at all.
• I am thankful that we have a plan to address some of Kelly's health problems.
• I am thankful for HOPE, the homeschool group that I have been a part of for so many years, that continues to be a touchstone for me.
• I am thankful to the God that gives us not only all of the above, but every breath.
  

'Twas the day before Thanksgiving...

and all through the house, all the feet and backs were aching, but all the mouths were watering, anticipating the 'morrow.

I know, I know, it doesn't fit the cadence. But it definitely fits the day. Like most of America today was cooking day in preparation for tomorrow. But what a difference this year! Last year we traveled and helped while at Kelly's grandparents' farm, but there were many hands then, and the girls weren't needed.

This year, since my back yells at me already due to the pregnancy, I needed their help. What a difference older girls make! Kora rolled out pie crusts, made the cornbread for the dressing, separated eggs, and chopped up the onion. Aubrey helped me mix up the pie crusts, and she and Brynna did many dishes. Hailey and Lauryn sampled the pie filling to make sure it was edible. :-) The last time I did any serious Thanksgiving preparation, I did not have nearly this much help. It makes me look forward to the day when we can all be in there cooking away.

But it was a fun morning, in spite of tired bodies. We had Christmas music blaring (remember they are practicing for a Christmas musical being performed in just over a month), had cinnamon treats made from left over pie crust, and many tasks accomplished, including one burned finger (mine) which is evidently a necessary part of any holiday cook-a-thon. I have 3 chocolate meringue pies sitting in my refrigerator, the dressing's dry ingredients assembled, ready for a final mix with wet ingredients in the morning, and fruit all ready to cut up for a salad. I love the smells of fall.

It's even supposed to get chilly here by tomorrow, making it really feel like fall! While we are going to miss our family this week, we are going to enjoy the time with members of our church family and each other. I doubt I'll be posting tomorrow, so I'll just wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Pancakes and (Traditional) Shortbread

I wanted to share a recipe that our family had for the first time yesterday - YUMMY! Tastes like eating a pumpkin pie for breakfast.

Pumpkin Pancakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 cup milk (I used buttermilk and added 1/2 tsp soda as well)
  
• 1/2 cup cooked or canned pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, milk, pumpkin and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter.

2. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot greased griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until second side is golden brown. (Make sure these get done, or they will still be gooey in the middle.)

Click here for the full recipe from allrecipes.com, including an apple cider syrup to go with it. Sounds good, but I didn't have time to make it. I had to double the recipe for our family and it was barely enough. But it was a unanimous hit!

Today, I made shortbread cookies. However, these are for Christmas time. For some reason, shortbread gets better after a few weeks, so I like to make it ahead of time. (Also makes a good gift for that very reason - and this stuff is much better than the tins you can buy in the store!)

Shortbread Cookies

• 2 C butter (if you aren't going to use the real thing, don't even bother with this recipe)
• 1 C brown sugar
• 4 1/2 C flour

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Add 3 to 3 3/4 C flour; mix well.
3. Sprinkle rolling surface with remaining flour. Knead it in for 5 minutes, making a soft dough. Roll to 1/2 inch thickness and cut 3x1 inch strips or cut out shapes. Prick with fork before placing on ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes until just starting to turn golden. If you can keep from eating immediately, store in airtight container or bag for a few weeks. Enjoy with coffee or hot chocolate!

*No these don't have pumpkin in them, but I thought I'd put this in because this is a great time to make them ahead for the Christmas season. But if you look in the comments section, I did find several pumpkin shortbread recipes (that I have not tried) that do look good. I may try those next week!*

Nine Years Old!

Nine years ago today, a certain red head came into our lives. She surprised me in a couple of ways. She came a day early - my all time record. And she had red hair. That may sound silly, but it had never occurred to me that I might have a red headed child, despite the red color of my mother-in-law's hair. In fact, right after she was born and laid on my stomach, the first thing I said was, "It's got red hair!" I didn't even know the gender yet. My midwife said, "She sure does." So I had to ask, "So it's a girl?" The midwife grabbed each ankle and separated them like a wishbone. "Yep!" So that's how Aubrey came into our world.

Aubrey's nickname is - well, she really has two - "Red" and "Mini-Me." But only Kelly calls her the second, because she is just like a little female version of my husband. Not only does she look like his family, she thinks like he does, has his sense of humor, is good at math and science like he is, and just generally makes us laugh at the resemblance.

She loves horses, loves to read (especially about horses), is a natural organizer, and will laugh so hard she starts crying. Happy Birthday, Aubrey Blair!

This 'n' That

Things have settled down a little for us last week. And thankfully, this week should be less busy than normal.

Monday night was the fall awards ceremony for scouts. The girls did get badges, and that is always fun for them. This was Hailey's first awards ceremony as an official scout. The Kinder group gets beads for a necklace instead of badges, but she didn't mind. :-)

Wednesday Kelly had a CAT scan on his sinuses done. He even brought home the films and had an impromptu biology lesson with some of the girls, showing them what his head looks like. Alas, the films prove what many have been saying for years - his brain appears to be missing. (Hey, I can make that joke 'cause Kelly made it in church today.) He had a follow-up appointment with the ENT doctor on Friday and they have set a surgery date for January 3rd.

They are hoping to accomplish several things. He still has, despite another surgery several years ago, a deviated septum. So the right side of his nose is nearly shut off. He has a left sinus that is blocked off from the rest of the sinuses that they will open up. He also has turbinate bone structures which are far too large and misshapen. The doctor is going to break those bones, and turn them down in hopes that they will heal smaller. I'm sure there is more (like closing up the hole in his septum) but I think those are the main things.

This is all being done to hopefully kill two birds with one stone. As many of you know, Kelly has sleep apnea. How good a night's sleep he gets is largely dependent on how good he breathes, and over the last year or so that has been very poorly as his sinus situation has worsened. He also gets chronic sinus infections, one about every 4-6 weeks. Between these two issues (and another unrelated health issue that is now under control) he has missed many, many days of work in the last several months. Plus he just feels rotten most of the time. The family doctor and ENT have had him on medicines and they just don't work. So we are praying that the surgery will help both issues and help him feeling like himself again. It would be really nice for him and us if he could use his time off from work for fun things like camping trips instead of it all being for sick days! And that isn't an exaggeration!

I also had my next check-up with my midwife. Everything looks great. I'm nearly half-way through! Now that I'm done with morning sickness, I can forget I'm pregnant at times. Until my back starts yelling at me because I have been on my feet too much. We are still unsure if we are going to have the baby at home or at the birth center. It depends to some degree with what the midwife's billing department works out with our insurance company. We aren't sure what they'll cover if we have the baby at home. We paid for Lauryn's birth completely out of pocket, but we are hoping that we don't have to do that again. :-)

Of course the burning question is "Are you having another girl?" Kelly and I both believe it is a girl, but I don't think we are going to find out until D-day. But, come on, what are the odds? In fact, after church today, one of the girls in our church asked Brynna, "Is your mommy having a girl or a boy?" Hailey jumps in with a face that said "how could you ask such a dumb question" and told her, "It's a girl. My mommy only has girls!"

I've also been Christmas shopping and getting ready for Thanksgiving week. We will be doing a little school on Monday and Tuesday - to catch up after some of the sick days from last month. We also have two birthdays this week! We'll also be spending Thanksgiving with about 45 of our closest friends. :-) Much as I love to visit family, I am glad we don't have to travel this week! I am hoping that with a week off of scouts, piano lessons, Bible study, musical practice and with Kelly's two days off, it will be an enjoyable, restful week. May you have a good one also!

A first for our family

Two weeks ago when I packed for our trip to go to my grandfather's funeral, we had a first in our house.

For the first time since 1996, I didn't pack a single diaper, pull-up, or wipe. Yep, that's right. For almost 11 years straight we have had someone in diapers of some kind.

We actually had a month or two with no one in diapers during the day. Aubrey was already two when Brynna was born, and had been potty trained during the day for a month or two before Brynna came along. But she still needed a diaper or pull-up at night and nap time. And that's it.

Lauryn potty trained back in April or May during the day, but finally was able to go without anything while sleeping about a month or so ago. It feels weird not having to buy something in that aisle of the grocery store.

I guess I should enjoy that while i can, as that will change again in just a few months. :-)

A couple of (history) book recommendations

Last week I finished Bruce Catton's A Stillness at Appomattox, which covers the last year of the Civil War. Actually I've read it several times before. This book won the Pulitzer Prize when it was first published back in the 50's. It's part of a trilogy on the Civil War, but I haven't actually read the first two books, but I assume they are as well written as this one. If you love history, the Civil War, or know someone who does this is a must read.

I am always struck, when I read about the Civil War by several things. One thing that always gets me is how much we know about every aspect. Some Civil War buffs can recreate the movement of every battalion of either army in any given battle. The amount of not only official documents and reports, but letters, journals, and even photographs is staggering.

One of the most interesting things about this war is actually that it was two wars, at least in tactics and strategy. While most of us think of WWI as being the first trench war, the latter year or two of the civil war really could be classified as such, even though it started off as more of a "traditional" war, with the armies meeting in wide open fields, and firing rounds from a standing position in carefully choreographed cadences. New technology also changed the war. Repeating guns, ones that could fire several bullets before needing to be reloaded, while not in widespread use in the entire army, were beginning to make an impact that old tactics couldn't account for.

This and other developments were causing a material change in the nature of warfare, and for the most part, the military leaders seemed to be completely oblivious to it. Even the "greats' like Lee still sent armies into battle in straight battle lines to be slaughtered, until his need for purely defensive tactics forced him into the trench. But of course this is always easy to point out in hindsight. Makes me wonder about the things that are going on under our noses that we are missing.

Growing up, I always laughed when I read (or saw in the movies) the Southerners' claims that one of them could "lick 10 Yankees" - or was it 12? Anyway, while it seems foolish considering the outcome of the war, the more I read about the actual military campaigns, the more I believe it, at least when it comes to the leaders. I am constantly astounded by how the northern generals were so talented at bungling things up. Obviously the Confederates had a decided advantage in that they were on the defensive most of the time, but the Federal army couldn't even get orders to attack to the right people half the time, so that it wasn't unusual for a dawn attack to be delayed until 3 pm. I haven't actually counted, but I do believe that Lee really did lick many more than 12 generals.

If you are ever interested on a real in depth read about the war (or want the ultimate gift for a history buff), I highly recommend Shelby Foote's three volume series entitled The Civil War. Foote was a writer first, who grew interested in the Civil War. So the writing is top notch, and very engrossing. One of the best gifts Kelly has ever bought me!

One of these days, I'm gonna blow my top!

(FYI, the title is an old Cagle family joke.)

I thought the police would be at my house before lunch time today.

I really did.

I figured one of my neighbors (perhaps the doctor next door with the new baby) would call 911 reporting the sound of a gun being fired. And no, it wasn't my kids who were in mortal danger.

It was our washing machine. Again. I really thought about taking our shotgun and putting it out of our misery.

About three weeks ago, a computer part went out. A week later I was still getting the same error code. So out the repair men came again. The computer part they had just put in had gone bad because the electrical panel was causing spikes of electricity to be shot at this computer panel. So both parts had to be replaced. Needless to say, if we had known ahead of time that both parts would need replacing, we might have opted for a new washing machine, because it wouldn't have cost that much more.

Well, since last week, the washer had been behaving bea-u-ti-ful-ly. Just like it had for three years. Then this morning, I got an error code. But a different code. This one telling me that it was taking too long to drain or wasn't draining properly. I messed with it, and restarted the drain cycle several times, but to no avail. Finally the girls and I had to take out the clothes and hand wring them out over the sink. Then I had to call my husband with the bad news.

After he got home, he took the washer apart a little to inspect the drain hose, etc. Everything seemed fine until he got to the drain filter. A small article of clothing had worked its way under the gasket seal, and into the filter causing major backup. So we are so thankful for a cheap fix this time!

Moral of the story: if you have very small items of clothing that you are washing, use those wonderful mesh bags to zip them up securely in while laundering. They re very inexpensive at Wal-mart and work great!

A few tips for the Season

Seems like this is the time of year to blog about Christmas shopping. Everywhere I read, bloggers are sharing their thoughts on this. Well, I had planned on doing the same, so I guess great minds think alike. Then I wondered if I have anything original to add to this discussion. Probably not, but it's my blog, so I'm going to add my two cents anyway.

1. Shop throughout the year. Oh, wait, I know that's one everyone has heard. And it is easier said than done. Even for me. I am usually pretty good about doing this, but this year I fell down on the job, and now I am regretting it.

At the very least, if you don't buy stuff throughout the year, set aside money throughout the year, so that when November/December roll around you have most/all of the money you need to buy the gifts. (This method has its advantages too if you get loss leaders this time of year.) You can put it in your savings account, create a special bank account for gifts, have an envelope that you add money to every pay period, whatever. But plan for it throughout the year. This is critical if you, like me, have 4 birthdays in your family in November and December. Thank goodness this baby is coming in the spring!

2. The Christmas Kora turned 2, it was like a toy store blew up in our house. Between gifts from us, both sets of grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc., our small house could hardly hold it all. After that we decided to change how we did this. Then I read somewhere about a family that only gave each child three gifts, just like Jesus received three gifts from the Wise Men in Matthew. We decided then and there that if it was good enough for Jesus it was good enough for our kids. So from us, our kids only get three gifts. One of these is always books.

Sometimes they might share a particular gift if they both want it. especially a more expensive one. For instance, last year, Brynna and Hailey received the Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses Magical Dance Castle. It was about $80-$90 retail last year. Well that was more than I would spend for one gift on any one child, but I got the best deal I could find on it, and gave it to both of them. They were thrilled. They share a room and all their Barbies anyway, so it was a perfect match.

I have heard of other ways to limit the gifts. One lady I knew had a different system. They gave four gifts: one each for their spiritual, mental, physical and recreational lives. So a child might receive a study Bible or devotional book (spiritual), a leisure book or CD (mental), a pair of roller blades (physical) and then something fun like a toy of something for their hobby (recreational). However you do it, they children are much more appreciative of the gifts if they are a few thoughtfully given ones, rather one on a sea of other gifts.

We do, on top of those three, put one or two smaller things in their stockings. These are usually small toys (my pretty Ponies work well), jewelry, nail polish, a small stuffed animal, etc. This also in no way limits what they get from the extended family. But it has helped us enjoy our Christmases more. I can honestly say that our girls have never asked why they don't get more, as we choose carefully to get them things they really want.

And as a note, we do not do Santa with our kids. There are no extra toys under the tree, even at grandparents' houses from Santa. We have our reasons for that, but that is another blog entry.

3. Keep a list. On December 26, make a list of some kind of everyone you will need to get gifts for the next year. Keep it handy so that throughout the year you can write down ideas of something you could get them. Maybe something someone gave somebody else gives you an idea. Maybe you are talking on the phone and something they say gives you an idea. WRITE IT DOWN. Then check it off when you buy for that person. Also write down how much it is so you can keep track of holiday spending.

4. Give group gifts. If you have cousins or couples to buy for, don't feel obligated to buy each one of them a gift (unless you have all the money you need for that type of thing, in which case, I think I am a long lost cousin). I have bought movies, books, games, art supplies, and even made a tent for gifts for all the kids in the family. For couples, think of home items they can both enjoy (maybe a nice pair of candlesticks with candles for mood setting), movies, gift certificates for a date night (if you live in the same town, offer a night of free babysitting for them to use it!), or items they are both interested in (maybe they are both readers or both collect something). You'll spend less than if you try to buy two gifts, you'll be less stressed, and it will be just as appreciated.

Don't know if this has helped anyone else, but these tactics have helped keep me and our family sane through the holidays, and out of debt. It also helps keep our focus on the real meaning of the season, while still enjoying some great gifts.

Busy week

Although I am always busy - a lifestyle with 5 (and a half) kids, homeschooling, housekeeping, cooking, church going, kids activities, etc. will do that - this week has been particularly so.

Of course, Sunday we returned from Abilene and my grandfather's funeral. I had a migraine that prevented me from doing too much after we got home. But Monday I hit the ground running. I still had the headache when we got up and Kelly still had a sinus infection, so he made me go to the chiropractor that morning while he was home. I followed that up with a trip to the dentist. I was supposed to have a tooth filled Tuesday afternoon, but since Kelly was home on Monday, I called to see if they could get me in then. They could, but I got a little more than I bargained for.

A corner of my tooth had actually broken off, and a cavity visible to the naked eye could easily be seen (even without an x-ray). What I didn't know, this being only my second cavity in my life, was that he was going to deaden my mouth. And not just with the cream - he actually gave me two shots with deadener in it. Although I was thankful not to feel anything they were doing, having the right side of my face numb for hours had not been in my plan for the day. I felt like my face was swollen past my ear (it wasn't) and I couldn't eat until the effects went away.

I had to go grocery shopping that afternoon, but fortunately by the time I had to talk to the checker I was just about back to normal and not talking like Bill Cosby anymore. That night, I had to take Brynna and Aubrey to the Laurie Auditorium at Trinity University for a presentation of The Sound of Music, performed by marionettes. The girls are working towards their puppetry badge in scouts right now, so this was a neat opportunity that just happened to fit right in with what they were doing. Kelly took the other three to scouts on the other side of town.

Tuesday was Kora's piano lesson, of course, but I also had to start cleaning the house. Kora had a chance to go horseback riding with her scout group that day, but there was no way we could make that. After the girls were sick for so long, followed by Kelly's sinus infection and my allergy attack, the house had been somewhat neglected, especially after being gone over the weekend. And we had company coming Wednesday night. The Prathers, friends who moved away earlier this year, were coming to stay with us for a few days, along with their three kids. So I had some serious catch up work to do Tuesday and Wednesday. I also had some curriculum that I needed to get ready for this week. And Wednesday nights are Bible study and practice for the kids' Christmas musical they are in. I felt a little like my head was spinning.

But the house got clean, the Prathers came, and we have had a great time. I even got the final shopping done for our November birthdays we have coming up. So while it was very busy, it is nice to feel that we got so much accomplished, after what seems like weeks of dealing with nothing but illness. But I have to admit that a laid back, very quiet Lord's Day has been very nice today!

I'll leave you with a picture of Lauryn holding the Prathers' newest addition, 3 month old Melia. And while Lauryn thinks she is a big girl for getting to hold the baby, Melia is evidently not enjoying it nearly as much.

I don't usually go for bumper stickers, but...

I saw one today that Kelly and I both need on our vehicles:

Tact is for people who aren't witty enough to be sarcastic.

The Flip Side

There is nearly always a humorous side to things, especially when kids are involved. So it was this weekend.

During the funeral procession from my grandparents' church to the cemetery, we of course had police escort. They let us go through all the lights and stop signs and blocked traffic on the loop while we were on it. This really impressed the girls. One of them, I think it was Brynna, said, "It's like we're breaking the law... and we don't even care!"

The other good laugh we got was actually from a sign we saw in Brady, which is right in the big middle of huntin' country.

Going shopping with your husband is like going hunting with the game warden.

Saying Goodbye to Granddad

This last weekend was bittersweet. Of course it is always hard to lose someone you love, even when he was ready to go home and had been suffering for so long. It was hard to watch my grandmother and mother in particular. I can't imagine having to face a loss like that, and then have to turn around and make all the arrangements, sign all the legal documents, empty out his room at the nursing home, etc.

However, the funeral went very well. Granddad had set out years ago exactly what he wanted. He even had a list of hymns he wanted sung, and he wanted my dad to lead them. He wanted my uncle and his preacher to do the speaking. He wanted it held at the church building (that he had built), and he wanted Psalms 23 read, which was done by my cousin, the only grandson (yes there seems to be a dearth of males in our family).

My grandfather was one of 7 children - 3 boys and 4 girls. One of his brothers passed away a few years ago, but his other brother and all four sisters came up from the Texas coast to attend. I don't remember how many nieces and nephews he has, but they counted up and about 3/4 of them were there as well. Needless to say, the family section of the church was quite full. All the children, grandchildren, grandchildren in-law, and great-grandchildren were there, of course. (On a humorous note, my family took up one entire pew.) The rest of the church was full of friends and church members of the church he served as elder for 30 years.

After a brief graveside service, we were back at the church for a family meal - the fellowship hall was full. But the food was so good - small town West Texas church ladies can cook! It was startling to me how many of these family members had come across my blog somehow. I had great- aunts and uncles asking me if I was feeling better now. (Hi Uncle Glen and Aunt Peggy!) But it was so nice to visit with family that I haven't seen in a while. I even met my cousins' kids of whom I had only seen pictures.

So even though I had a headache from all the tears, it was a good weekend. It touched me to see all the love people had for my granddad, and what an impact God had used him to make in that town. But I think my grandmother expressed it best when she said that it was going to be very hard to get used to not having him around.

If you are interested in reading the obituary my father wrote for Granddad, click here.

Exciting News!

We are just back from attending my grandfather's funeral. I plan to write more about the weekend, but I have been suffering from a bad migraine since yesterday, so I can't stare at the computer screen. But I couldn't resist posting our family's exciting news.

My sister Jaime and her husband EJ are expecting their first baby next July! They have been having infertility issues for a year and a half, so while a baby is always a joyous event, they are especially excited and thankful for this news. As is the rest of the family for them.

Congratulations! Even better, we'll have cousins just three months apart!