Christmas Highlights

I can hardly believe another Christmas has come and gone. The hustle and bustle of December is over and we're getting ready to swing into another new year. We had a great time at Christmas. Even though we only live a few houses from my parents, we still slept over there on Christmas Eve. That's how we had done it before, so we just kept up the tradition. The four of us had Christmas at our house on Christmas Eve which was nice but I love that Ben and Anna Kate have Nana and Papaw so close and so we stayed again. We stayed at Pop and Mimi's on Christmas night and had fun with Scott's brothers and their wives and kids. It seems like life gets so busy and Ben and Anna Kate LOVE playing with all the boys on the Duncan side. I wish we could all do it a little more often.
Here Anna Kate is on Christmas morning hugging her purple bunny from Santa. She cuddled it for a few minutes before we dug into the rest of the presents. I'm so glad I was able to find one. I was one panicked mommy the week before Christmas when I still hadn't gotten it in the mail!

Okay, so these pictures are backwards...sorry about that. This is actually on Christmas Eve. Before we went to church that evening, we did our birthday celebration for Jesus. Here is Ben reading the Christmas story from Luke. I love it that he can read. He is absolutely the smartest little thing. He was very big for us this year. I can hardly believe he'll be 6 in 10 days!

Here we are as a family. I love, love, love my little family! Scott is such a sweetheart! We actually shopped for one another this year. It's the first time in many that we have done it. He had my engagement ring reset for me. Quite a few years ago I smashed my hand in a window in the car...it was one of those automatic things... I'm a little clumsy and that just proves it! I just needed to see how cold it was and I smashed my ring to pieces. We had it "fixed" but it has never looked the same. So, he had it reset but he had it reset in white gold because I only wear silver and white gold most of the time. He also asked me to marry him again when he gave it to me. It's nice to know that after knowing me as well as he does, he would choose me again. Like I said, he is a sweetheart and I am so blessed to have him. I then got another precious surprise. My mom's original wedding band is white gold and she entrusted it to me to wear with the diamond Scott had reset. I love that I have that representation of marriage...Scott with his sweetness and a part of dad and mom too. I am soooo blessed!!!!!

Here are my kids eyeing the cake. They love cake!!!! Just like their mom! Yes, I let them dive into it even after all the sweets they had from the day! And yes, Jesus' birthday cake says "Deck the Halls" but I couldn't find anything else.

Well, another year starts. Ben and Anna Kate will be starting school again on Monday and I hope that I can do them justice and teach them properly! I hope this year I can do a better job of staying out of the way too. I would like for God to be able to use me...if I could just quit my selfishness half of the time. I think my resolution this year is to get up in the morning and look in the mirror and say my favorite quote to myself everyday! "Just stop it!!!!" --Bob Newhart

Away In a Manger...

no crib for a bed. The lid for the Jesus came down His sweet head...

Anna Kate's version.

I Want to Dance!!!!

In Anna Kate's ballet class this morning, she and her dancing friends got to perform for all the parents and grandparents. We all got to go into the studio and take our cameras! I enjoyed it so much. She loves, loves, loves to dance and I love, love, love that she loves it! The song and dance was all about a little girl who wants to be a ballerina and she prays before she goes to bed that she will be. It was so sweet...because that just fits Anna Kate.

Here she was doing one of her warm-up exercises. Look at her point that toe. She's getting so good at it!

Here she is doing another warm-up. She kind of has trouble staying on track...there's always this cute little girl walking beside her in the mirror that she likes to look at!

Here she is during her performance. She takes it so seriously!

This is still the performance. She's praying here. I know that there are unsaved people who bring their children to this studio. I'm so thankful Anna Kate's teacher is unwavering in her statement of faith.

Well, now this, I was so impressed with. She is doing her curtsy. Look at the way she's doing it! Almost perfect...I was so proud that I almost cried and I was ecstatic that I got it on camera!

Anna Kate is such a joy...not that Ben isn't...they are both a joy in different ways. I'm so thankful that God has given me such great kids. Sometimes it's hard. I would like more little blessings but I know that probably will not come to be. But I LOVE the kids God has blessed me with...exasperated as I get at times...I am so thankful that I get to share my life with them.

I Can't Help Myself!

Just had to share this beautiful picture of Anna Kate! I think she is just about the prettiest girl God ever created!

Once upon a time...

there was a girl named Jasmin who didn't have a family. So, she found a family and then she glued an orange cup to the window. Then she made a clown. Then she made a raggedy dog named Purdy. The end.

Story told by Anna Kate in the car...

Christmas Party and Great Elves!!!!

The Christmas party for the kids was tonight at church. Let me go ahead and say that Ben stayed at home with Nana (long story that proves I really am a nut!!!!!), so you won't see any pictures of him. However, Anna Kate was there.

Now, I have to say that Scott and I have never really pushed Santa Claus. It's not that we think he's from Satan, and we don't tell the kids it's evil, but we have always told the kids that he's just pretend but that we can have fun with it at Christmas. Well, "Santa" was at the party. Anna Kate made me sit with her and when he asked her what she wanted she said in a very sweet voice "A purple bunny."

A couple of months ago she had asked for a white bunny, so I started searching sites on the internet for the PERFECT white bunny with a pink nose. I found it...but now she thinks Santa is bringing her a purple one! We got in the car to come home and she asked "Mommy, when will Santa come?" She also asked "Mommy, can Santa see my room?" and "How will he get in our house?" and "Can I have my picture made with Santa at our house?". I asked her "So, do you think he's bringing you a purple bunny?" She said "Yes." Now, despite our many efforts to be sure our kids knew he was make believe, she now believes he's real and that he will somehow figure out where she is on Christmas Eve to bring her a purple bunny!

When I got home, "Santa" got on the internet and searched "purple stuffed bunny" and, of course, "Santa" found one for $3.00..."Santa" can't help it!!!! She's pretty much bought out at this point! So, yes, Anna Kate will have a purple bunny. One day I will look back at this and remember her eyes when she saw the purple bunny and be so happy that I could make her that happy with something so simple! Is it spoiling? Maybe so... Now, for the rest of the party! We had great elves there from Santa's workshop. This is Matt Curry. He's pulling the Taxi. That's Anna Kate in the front...I think he had the hardest job!

I'm not sure what Anna Kate was telling this elf, but I'm wondering if it was about a purple bunny!

The elf from the toy store, helping the kids make a toy. Yes, Patty, that's your boy!!!! Divin' right in!

When I took the picture below, I asked "Josh, you don't care if I blog this so your mom can see it, right?" He smiled and said "No". I think he knows that I'm a whole lot like his mother...you never let a photo op pass you by!!!!

A Stompin' Party

Well, this week Ben did his last worksheet in his kindergarten phonics book. I purposely pushed him on through because he already knew most of it. The door on the right bottom of the page is supposed to be his first grade door. After the first of the year, he'll be doing some first grade work in spelling and reading and phonics. He's actually reading on a third grade level, but I just feel like I need to take him through it just to be sure he understands. Now, look at the pictures below and you'll see his celebration. I let him have a Stompin' Party. He took the kindergarten workbook and did his best to destroy it. All of the pages were out of it so it was just the cover but it was fun for him. We just got him a new book series called "The Magic Treehouse" and so far he really likes it. They are chapter books so it will take him longer than a day to read each of them but he's doing a good job with them so far. I'm looking forward to the new year in school. We are beginning somewhat of a break. Shortened days this week and then two full weeks off before January. Whew!!!!! I must say, I am tired and sometimes a little pushy with him, but I think it's all worth it.

Sleepy Girl

Anna Kate: Mommy, can I get under there and take a smoof?

Me: Do you mean a snooze?

Anna Kate: Yeah, I don't wanna be tired at Cubbies tonight.

A Loving Sister

I have a rule at my house when Karley and Colton are here. No running! Although I like my house and it's beginning to feel like home, it's not big enough for four kids to run uncontrollably and, believe me, if it starts, it becomes uncontrollable.

So this morning, Ben, even though he knows the rule and why asks me why again. I got a little agitated and said, "Ben, this house is small and with all the toys in the floor, when you all start running, someone inevitably gets hurt. Karley and Colton are under my care while they are here and with four kids, school, lunch, clean up, snack, drinks, diapers, etc. I can't have my eyes on them the whole time. You know the rule and why. I don't want to have to call Aunt Marisa and say 'Sorry Marisa, I was busy doing something and the kids were running and Colton fell and broke his arm'".

Karley, being the helpful and loving sister she is spoke up and said "It's okay if Colton breaks his arm Aunt Jenny. It's just an arm."

Lights, Camera, Action!

We had our Christmas play this past weekend on Friday night and Sunday night. It was titled "Christmas at Bethlehem Gulch". It was really cute and Anna Kate was in her element. The spotlight, singing, a little dancing, a cute cowgirl hat for a cute cowgirl, and ATTENTION! She was absolutely the most adorable thing, especially when she had control of the... microphone! Oh, how she loves a microphone. She really had control of it the second night and you could hear her voice loud and clear over the other kids singing. She is such a diva and such a daddy's girl. I have noticed here lately that she is beginning to try to wrap her daddy. I'm almost positive that it's working. But look at her, how could you not be wrapped?

Then there's my little man. He only agreed to be in the program if he could be Joseph and not say anything or sing. Apparently, he and Mary were very tired and decided to rest. Baby Jesus must have kept them up late the night before. Notice the silver sequin shoes underneath the manger? I didn't know Mary was so stylish...

Well, now, isn't he the cutest Joseph you've ever seen? He is such a great kid. He knows what he's willing to do and not do though. I hope he keeps that resolve as he gets older and doesn't give in to peer pressure. I wouldn't go back to being a kid for anything and I have to force myself not to think of future things with my kids. I'm just trying to enjoy my little cowgirl and Joseph right where they are and continue to pray for them.

Enough bragging on my kids for now. I just can't help myself though! I'm VERY excited to start posting basketball pictures of my little man. He starts in January. Some of you may be very shocked to know that he's going to play basketball...um, well, let's just say, he will probably be the first paid basketball player that is only 6. Yes, I bribed!!!!!!