Christmas update

Alex and I went Christmas shopping on Tuesday and I believe that we are pretty much finished with the little ones. The only things left to get are the stocking stuffers. That is a pretty good feeling. Now I have to get Alex something and Lillie has already asked him and has his list memorized. :o) It was so much fun shopping together this year. The past couple of years it seems like we have to go shopping alone and then we end up spending more than planned by trying to guess/remember what the other had picked up.

We also were able to order a couple of Christmas presents for free!! I ordered a princess popup tent and tunnel and a Disney princess book from Amazon.com. The total of this to me was around $10 (shipping and tax). I paid the rest of it with gift cards I earned using swagbucks!!! I have only been signed up for about 7 months and hoping that by next year I can pay most of my Christmas using swagbucks. It is very easy and even better - free to sign up for and use. Just simply search the web using their search engine (powered by google), earn points, and redeem for cool prizes - such as gift cards. I think that the best deal is the five dollar amazon gift cards for 45 points. Click on the links above to start earning points!

The girls are very excited about the snow. I let them go out on Monday for a few minutes and play. It wasn't very much, but enough for them to enjoy. They also loved watching the snow Wednesday. Lillie wished that it would not stop snowing until there was enough to build a snow man. Honestly, I wouldn't mind a bunch of snow, but after this weekend. I love snow now that I don't have to get out and drive in it. :)

I hope you are having a great Christmas thus far.

Funny Things

These are just a few things that I have found funny about my kids the past few days.



:o) Yesterday I had to intervene when my girls were fighting over who was bigger: Jesus or Gracie. Of course Gracie was telling Lillie she was bigger and Lillie informed her that no one is bigger than Jesus. This went on for several minutes, as I chuckled in the other room, until both girls came to me to ask who I thought was bigger.



:o) When we got home from the store today, Lillie comes from running over as I am putting groceries away. She excitedly says, "look what they gave us, a free bag." She was holding an unused plastic bag that had been stuck on a used bag. You would of thought she found a new toy.



:o) As looking for pictures, Gracie gets mad because Lillie is wearing one of her shirts in the picture. Of course it was Lillie's shirt before Gracie's.



:o) I asked Lillie to pick up her doll toys that she had been playing with. Later I saw where there was still stuffed animals and toys out, when I asked why she didn't pick up her toys, she replied, "I did, you just said to pick up the doll toys. I did that."

A Lillie Thought

Lillie, the Theologian, says to Gracie with a very serious look on her face,


"When you get to heaven, Gracie, you forget all the bad things you done. That's right all the bad things you done."

Hammer Time

I have started working out this week. My church has a gym set up in it and I have gone three days this week with my friend Amber. I have tried the working out at home, but with two little ones it is pretty hard to get too much done. I am usually too tired after they are in bed and really who wants to get all sweaty and then have to shower again before bed? I have tried getting up in the morning, but they seem to sense that I am going to get up and rise before I have a chance.

So, it is to the gym and honestly it feels pretty good. I am also more likely to go because someone is waiting for me. There is also a little bit of a competitive spirit that rises up in me and pushes me a little harder when I am working out with another person. I have already noticed an increase of energy when I get home from working out. I have been running, biking and using the elliptical demon... I mean machine. :) Since I can only work out when Alex is off, I am trying to do more stuff at home. Yesterday I did a bunch of sit-ups and push-ups and today I am going to try to run too.

I am also watching what I eat as well. I am not a dieter, so instead I am just eating smaller portions and trying to cut back my snacking. I am hoping that all this will produce some outcome in the next couple of weeks, even if small.

Spreading a Little Christmas Cheer

It is December and Christmas will be here before we know it!!! My girls are pretty excited, of course I am too. :)

Lillie has spent the past several days making presents for everyone and anyone! They usually consist of paper, string, stickers, markers, and glue. It is pretty thoughtful though because she has one for each member of our family (and some have two). She closes her door with her craft supplies, wrapping paper and works away only stopping to ask me to write down names on a sheet of paper that she can copy from. I was pretty impressed when I found a present she had wrapped for me. She had figured out how to spell mommy by sounding it out and wrote it with no help. Because she has been so sweet and thoughtful and since everyone but her has a present beneath the tree, I surprised her by wrapping a present for her. Just to see her eyes was priceless.

What makes the above so much better is that she knows Christmas isn't about presents or Santa which are nice, but about the birth of Jesus. When commercials advertise and say it is all about the _______, Lillie jumps right in and corrects them!

Well, she is pacing right know with a stack of paper robots she made and wants to wrap. When I asked her who they were for, she replied - I don't know yet, but they will be for someone. :)

A Lillie Thought

Lillie came to realization today.

While putting lights up outside she goes, "Mom, when Jesus was born he didn't have any clothes on."

I answered, "that's right - no one is born with clothes on."

She then thinks for a couple of minutes and goes, "Oh, I think I might have known that." :)

Thankful List

"I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High" Psalm 7:17

I thought I would post a list of some things (or people) I am thankful for.

~ My Lord Jesus, who without there would not be much of a list. He took me out of the miry clay and He set my foot on the rock to stay.

~ Alex-my husband who works hard to allow me to stay home and raise our babies and takes such good care of me. I love you!

~ My beautiful girls. They make me smile, laugh, and just plain happy. They love me no matter how dorky I act. :)

~ The rest of my family. I love that the Lord blessed me with christian parents who have taught from early on the importance of Christ in my life. My siblings - we may not always see eye to eye, but I love them and know that they will always be there for me. And the rest of the crew, I love them all, even the crazies (which is the category that I am afraid I may fall into)

~ My friends. I love all of you and am so blessed that God has surrounded me with a wonderful bunch of women. Thank you for being my friends!

~ My house and car. I like playing in cardboard boxes with my girls, but don't care to live in one! ;)

~ My church and pastor. I love my Pastor and his family. I am so blessed to be part of a church with a pastor that doesn't just talk the talk, but goes to the street and walks it.

~ Peanut Buster Parfaits. Need I say more. :o)

~ Internet. It may seem silly, but there are several friends from my past that I have been able to reconnect with thru facebook, blogger and email.

I hope has a wonderful Thanksgiving! Gobble, Gobble,Gobble!