My quest for a christ centered Christmas.

I will have to admit, the holiday season is upon us and I am totally lacking in holiday spirit. Why? you may ask? well that is a very good question! A question I did not know the answer to till this morning. For me the holidays have become just another time of year, not much different from your tipical birthday, or anniversary. I do love decorating for Christmas but I love decorating for every holiday(much to my husbands dismay).
So my latest Christmas discovery came in the form of a phone call from my little sister. She is just recently married and learning the financial
struggles that come with life, especially scince they just signed on their first house, unexpectedly. So buying your first house can put a cramp on anyones budget, especially when the house needs repairs before you can move in. She is very excited but nervous, they close on the house two days after Christmas. Therefore they cannot afford any thing for christmas because they are putting everything into their house. Well last night my sister was having a very, woe is me moment( i have my own share of these moments)because she now could not afford to get her husband the "first christmas together," gift she had been wanting too.
Her husband came home from the bank with a tag off of the angel tree, and she began to scold him for it because they had just talked about no extra spending, he asked her to just read it, she proceeded to tell him they could not afford it, when he told her to just read it, so she did, and as she told me about it she cried and i cried, it was the tag of a five year old little boy, and all he wanted for christmas was clothes, just clothes, no toy or video game or bike , just clothes, i don't know a single five year old that wants just clothes, my six year old has a whole list of toys and books and games she wants, but she would never ask for clothes, why? because she has clothes. As she told me of this i was ever so grateful, as was she, for the great example, of my brother in law, there is always someone less fourtunate than us, who is in need this holiday season. and even when we feel we don't have much, there is always something to give.
So here is my challenge, to myself, and to all those who are lacking in CHRISTmas spirit, find Christ in CHRISTmas! we are lacking in holiday spirit because we dont truly know the meaning of CHRISTmas! it's not about what we can't give, or the money spent, it's not about getting the best gift or giving the best gift, it's not about what or who we can't be with this Christmas! it's about letting the light of Christ shine through us , in everything we do and say, it's about letting Christ back into our homes and our hearts. So my vow is to have a Christ centered Christmas, and to give my daughter the greatest gift I can possibly give, the light of christ! I know my savior lives, what comfort this sweet sentence gives! I am searching for my Christ centered christmas!

November Gratitude!

Blogging lost its fame when facebook became the fad, but facebook does not seem as personal and intimate as a blog. So i have vowed to blog at least once a month, not for anyone else, but for me. It has been a long time scince my last blog, but time certainly does fly by when you are having fun! We have made many memories and fought battles, and conquered many wars this past year! But there is not a better time of year to reflect on the past eleven months and realize how greatful i am for those past eleven months, and the people in my life that have influenced this last year! Life is wonderful, and I am so grateful to be alive, I am so grateful to be married to the most wonderful man on earth and be the mother of the most amazing daughter, who will be turning 7 in a month and a half! My life has had its ups and downs, but this month is the month of gratitude, so I am grateful for the ups in my life and for the lessons the downs have taught me. I am grateful, just truly grateful for everything!

April Showers!

The dog was in desperate need of a bath and so Hannah dressed for the occasion!

We love our red rubber boots! And our swimsuit!

March Snow Storm

One day it is 70 degrees the next day we get 8 inches of snow! The birds were a little confused.
but it was beautiful! As the saying goes in Missouri, if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes, it will change!

The fun of Thanksgiving

When you look like this you know you have been having fun! This is catie after our four wheeling adventures on Thanksgiving. We spent hours four wheeling through the woods and the mud and the hills, it was awesome, and very muddy. Collins managed to come out the cleanest, how I don't know. but this is our four wheeling group after the fact.
Mud up to our knees and everywhere else,

we got a bath and everything else did also, everyday we washed the four wheelers, Hannah loved to help wash.

She was my little four wheeling buddy! she was right there with the best of us and she had a blast, she went horse back riding also and got bucked off for the first time. We convinced her it was fun and told her she was the best cowgirl ever.

We loved Thanksgiving and we are glad it comes around every year!

Thanksgiving

This year for Thanksgiving we went to RedOak Oklahoma, Basically the middle of nowhere oklahoma, but we had the time of our lives. We spent alot of time talking around the fire. The sunsets where beautiful over the private lake
And the View from the observation tower was stunning

It was such a relaxing holiday ! It was a little hard crashing back into reality.

after spending three days in a Lodge in the mountains of Oklahoma where you don't even get cell phone reception. But sometimes it does a body good to unplug and relax and spend time with family and friends!

It made me more aware of the things around me and it made me stop and be thankful for the creations that our Heavenly Father has created for us.

Grandma and Grandpa Parry

Grandma And Grandpa Parry came to visit from Utah for a little while. We had alot of fun with them. We spent a day in Branson and we went miniature golfing. Hannah is great at cheating, but she fairly got a whole in one. Grandma and Grandpa and justen and Hannah
The pro Golfers hard at work!

Almost a whole in one, just five more hits.

We really had fun with them and Hannah had a lot of fun getting to know grandma and grandpa better. She calls them grandma and grandpa don't mess around!

When they first got here I told her we were going to see her great grandma and grandpa, and she looked at me funny and said,"there still alive?" it was funny!

We are so glad we got to spend that time with them and hope it's not so long until we see them again.