Update on the Boys

Things are going quite well around here! Owen likes to cuddle when he's "invited" to do so. We had a little cuddle session last night, and then this afternoon too. I'm pretty sure he's a Grandma's boy. And, he didn't even fuss about going to bed last night...that might have been because he was so very ready to rest from the activities of the day! The boys even took a short nap just prior to bedtime last night. Yes, I did say short! Tucker helped me take down the tree before Owen came the other day. Such good help I had! I am wondering how much Owen will like the neighbors celebration of the New Year??? I think I am going to do well with this Grandma thing! Aren't they the cutest???

Owen's First Sleepover @ Grandma's

Oh, yes, Owen has come for a visit! Owen spent the first couple of days while his parents are gone with his Uncle Chris, but last night, Chris delivered him to us. He arrived in his crate, in the back of a truck...didn't like the trip too much, and was pretty petrified when he got here. So, while trying to get his cage opened, and leash on, we broke his collar. Thirty pound wild dog in the street, small neighbor girl finally gains control. Collar repaired. WILD dog chase through Grandma's house as the cousins re-unite. Owen needs to eat...too busy visiting, so we take his dinner to the porch. Owen doesn't want to eat, wants to play with cousin Tucker on the OTHER side of the door and body slams the glass door. Luckily, no harm done, to the door or the dog. He eats. NOW we can get down to the playing stuff! Just when the real fun starts...Grandma and Grandpa decide to start a new rule and keep Owen off the furniture. Owen is really not sure about this visit, poor thing! But, I will say, Owen is one SMART dog and learns quickly and wants very much to please! So, everyone has a pretty good evening, and then it's bed time. Oh geez. Owen has to go in his cage and sleep alone. That wasn't really the way he wanted it, and he complained a bit, but he did very well till the sun came up. Grandma gets up with him and tries to rest on the couch with him on the floor beside the couch. At some point I woke to the thirty pound dog snoring on top of me. Well, he WAS on me and not the furniture. Good dog! He's already learned Grandma is not a morning person and can be easily taken advantage of before 9AM. Well, we just returned from running a few errands and came home to find the bottom of his cage in two pieces. Guess he didn't like being left very much and maybe did a few jumping jacks to entertain himself. Now, we just have to figure out what to do with him when we go to dinner tonight! He is absolutely the cutest thing ever-gets his lips hung on his teeth sometimes and smiles real cute at ya! For now, they have been playing real nice and things have been calm for at least three minutes! We've almost made it 24 hours! Just three more days of bonding time to go! I think this is a very good time to show you just how precious he was at Christmas! Santa found him, for sure!

Joshua's Birthday 2008

Today was Joshua's birthday. Joshua and Jen came over for dinner tonight, we had steak, and I even made a chocolate chip pie. However, as usual, we are pretty much over all the sweets and no one was terribly interested in pie. After dinner they left to meet up with friends. Tomorrow they leave and spend a few days in Michigan with Jen's family. Carissa got Guitar Hero for Christmas, and finally had a break in her schedule this evening to get it set up and practice a bit. Steve came over to help and, of course, dad got a turn too. Tucker paid very close attention!Kaylee has been staying busy babysitting over Christmas break.

Random Thoughts

I know, it's been awhile! I've had many computer issues, among other things! There's really nothing big to report on here, so this will just be random! We ended another season of "The Biggest Loser" with our favorite taking home the prize. I'm not a big TV person, but I get excited about this show. I like it because it actually means something...like a person's life is changed for the better. Somehow, watching people eat nasty things on an island doesn't do a thing for me. I really started watching this when mom was in the hospital and we would watch it together. This time of year brings back all those memories, it's now been three years. And, this is my first Christmas without Spike. He made Christmas SO fun because he loved every part of it so much! I am really dreading stockings...he loved his stocking more than any of the kids ever did! It won't be the same. Oh, I was pretty excited the other day when my friend had the opportunity to tell her four year old daughter that she was a princess! I wish I had fully understood that when MY girls were four and had been able to start pouring it in, building a foundation. Kaylee is spending the day with me today. We are going to get our nails done and shop a little. Around here the world stops for the City of Palms Tournament, so my family has been going to that every afternoon and evening. We are about ready for Christmas. I think everything is wrapped and ready! Joshua and Jen will spend the day with us tomorrow. We'll have our traditional Chicken Salad at lunch (on Christmas china, of course), go to church at 4, to our friends, the Propps, and then home for gifts. Christmas Day I'm doing a ham and we are planning to go see a Christmas movie. Friday we are meeting up with Cary's family, and Saturday Joshua will have a birthday and we'll all be together for dinner. Then we have just a couple of days, with no particular plans, before Cary and Carissa leave for Guatemala. They will be building two houses in the village destroyed by the mud slides, where we have worked before. I'm still thinking about writing a Christmas letter. Notice I said THINKING. I may do our first one by email! I've gotten a couple this year, so I think it's ok to do now! Well, have a Merry Christmas!

I'm a Princess/Saint

Cary has been teaching on Wednesday nights about who we are in Christ, and that when we belong to Him, we are saints. First, I'll say that Cary uses the word "saint", but my word for it has been "princess". I suppose the reason for that could be the fact that he is not a princess! It has made me think that THIS is my passion, and I should probably document it in more detail than I have before. If I could, this is the one thing that I would love to be able to open up your head and pour inside. I want you to HAVE this! Understanding this has changed my attitude toward life! When I was in my early twenties, one of the pastors I worked for told me that I needed to read Psalms 139 everyday until I could believe what it said. I committed to doing just that, and I would love to know now how long I did it. It was a long while, that much I know. I have always said that when I retire, my first project is to cross stitch every word of Psalms 139. Somewhere in the process, I really did come to the point of believing that I was worthy of being loved, simply because I am His, and He created me for His glory and to make Him famous. I have purpose simply because I am His. I am a child of the King, thus I am a PRINCESS! That is a great place to start, but life happens, and I had 20+ years of the world's junk invested in me. That would take some time and healing. God used different people and books to bring that healing and so much of the process came through the ministry of Beth Moore. God has SO used her in my life to teach me who I really am. After many Bible Studies and miles together, Beth wrote a children's book called My Child, My Princess and it is one of my favorites. I love to give it as a gift. I also love a small devotional book called His Princess, by Sheri Rose Shepherd. Those are just some tools that remind me of whose I am. I was saved when I was 7, but freedom didn't come until MUCH later. I think there are many people that are saved, but maybe even never find freedom. It's two different things! Proverbs 28:13 talks about being set free from my shame. It's that freedom that changes the way I live each day. Everything else seems trivial when I am living for an audience of One. Just a child of the King! I am God's masterpiece, I am not an accident, I have value, I am unique, I have been bought with a price, and I am a beautiful princess! Cary told a story one night about an eagle that acted like a chicken because it had been raised with chickens and knew no different. That's what it's like until you find true freedom...an eagle trapped in the body of a chicken! The quality of life is so much richer when you live like you were created to! Kind of like being remodeled! When we really understand and believe how much He loves us, we are changed! It takes time and allowing Him to work in us. More than anything I know, I want you to believe you are a princess! I've mentioned this before, but this one thing is why the songs Shackles and Great is Thy Faithfulness mean so much to me. Freedom came through His faithfulness!

Moving on to Christmas!!!

On Friday, Cary and I spend a good portion of the day with a couple that was in town for the weekend. They came over for breakfast and left at about 2:30! We had a great time just visiting and catching up. Of course, we DID hit the stores then! We shopped a little, but not much, and then had dinner at P.F. Changs. On Saturday I cleaned and put away the fall decorations, then started right in with Christmas! Kaylee wanted to be in charge of the Christmas tree this year, and I was all too happy to let her! In fact, we were at the tree place when this all came up and I told her if she'd do it all I'd jump up and down. I was serious. I did it. I think it turned out wonderfully! After she did the tree, I got to put out my nativity direct from the Holy Land! It is real olive wood, made in Bethlehem, and it came with a camel. I had to beg for that part, but I won! On Sunday night we had our first Christmas party here, and yesterday I gave myself the day off! I LOVE to read a Christmas story at this time of year. In the past, I've read the whole Karen Kingsbury series, and the whole Donna Van Liere series. I had to go out on a limb this year with an unknown author, but oh, I was NOT disappointed! I just finished reading "The Paper Bag Christmas" by Kevin Alan Milne. I would say you should probably rush right out and get it, put your feet up and enjoy! I always say that, I've been pleased every time, can't go wrong with any of the ones I mentioned! Whatever you do, take the time to enjoy this season!