Happy New Year! :)

I have had such a great holiday season! I haven't been blogging at all and won't be until at least the 10th when my parents leave. We are having the best time! Thank you God so so much for time with them!

I am looking forward to another year. I can't believe it is 2009 tomorrow. I remember thinking back in the 80's and 90's how crazy it would be to be in the 2000's...... now we're 9 years into the 2000's and it IS still crazy feeling!

Time goes faster every year --- my grandma taught me that mathematically makes sense - since each year that you are older - one year is less of a percentage of your life. (For example when I was five a year was 1/5th of my life. Now that I'm 25 a year is only 1/25th of my life!)...

so each year DOES seem faster because it's a smaller percentage of my life. They really do just fly by. I sound like such an old lady saying that. For some reason - after you have a child the time passes that much quicker. I think because they just change SO much and the days go by so fast when there's so much fun to be had! :)

2008 has been a great year. I have no words to describe all I have been blessed with this year. I am so undeserving of all of it - thank you God for everything.

I pray for health and joy and hope for me & my family and all my friends. May people's hearts to be open to you God. May the message of eternal peace & joy that only the One and Only Savior could bring be spread more this year than ever before. May the Spirit comfort all of us as none of us is without struggles. May we praise you in our storms and in our victories. May we honor you with our time and not take one day for granted.

Advent Devotional

Received the below advent devotional last night and wanted to put it on here.

Christmas really means more to me each year. Jesus' birth really does deserve an incredible celebration. The feelings we get around Christmas sometimes are just superficial feelings that come and go and that's okay - enjoying those feelings is great....

but the best thing is not the feelings but the deeper understanding that all the joy and peace and excitement we have now is representative of what's to come. These gifts that the Savior can bring into anybody's life who accepts Him and believes in Him -- are worth celebrating over. Joy, peace, faith, hope, love.

If God gave us nothing else in this world but our Savior who allowed us through His suffering, crucifixion and resurrection -- to have eternal life and reconciliation with God --- then we would be beyond comprehension blessed.... but look at how much more He does for us and gives to us than eternal life and relationship with God. It's amazing!

I love being able to reflect back on each year at Christmas time and look at how much God has blessed us with over the past year. What an incredible, crazy, radical love He has for us!

What an incredible Savior!!! :)

"Who Is Coming To Town?"
December 22, 2008

The end of this Advent season is just two days away. And with the end of Advent comes Christmas. It's so close now you can almost feel it. For most of us Christmas brings a sense of joy and excitement, if not this Christmas then certainly the memory of Christmases past which were filled with anticipation and excitement. But what is coming and what should we really be excited about? For most kids that's an easy question to answer, "Santa Claus is coming to town." And soon there will be all kinds of new, shiny, exciting packages in their stockings and under the Christmas tree.

But if that's the only joy this Christmas brings, it will be gone almost as quickly as it gets here. When the last present has been opened, when the last decoration has been taken down and put carefully away, when the last cookie is eaten, will there be any lasting joy from this season?

The Bible gives us a clearer view of what is coming. Advent and Christmas are times of both tradition and anticipation.

As the Scriptures remind us, someone greater than Santa Claus came to town that first Christmas. God "so loved the world" He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to become flesh and live among us. His title, "Immanuel"-God with us, tells us He came to stay, not just ride through one starry night and then fly back to where He came. We remember His promise, too: "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20b).

The gifts under our tree remind us of the Wise Men who brought their gifts to celebrate the coming of that great King and the promise of salvation He brought. Of course, we know the greatest gift was the Savior Himself. He came clothed in righteousness-the righteousness He gave to us as He bore the thorny crown of our shame. It was our salvation He won on a cross and empty tomb. When Jesus came He brought a gift that is for us and our children. He gives it freely without cost, and it does not wear out or become obsolete over time. This true giver of gifts that the world despises is our only hope-the one who has come and will come again!

Written by Pastor Brandt Hoffman

Raymond reading Frosty

Raymond eating Christmas clementines

under the tree - dang I want to fix that skirt - didn't realize it was pushed up like that hahaha

Christmas cards on the piano --- we have had a record number this year - everybody was in the writing mood I guess! :) I have LOVED getting them and reading them!!! :) I think we've gotten about 40 cards. way more than any other year. I'm so thankful for them! xoxo

Raymond Linus

After watching Charlie Brown Christmas again --- I realized that Raymond really is Linus. I tried so hard to find a picture of what raymond's usual pose is..... but he always sucks his right thumb and plays with his left ear with his blankie!!! His blankie is huge like Linus's is too!! They are so much alike! :)

and then today -- he had the shepherd pose down pat. He just tossed it up on his head for some reason and from the side especially it reminded me SO SO much of that scene where Linus is holding it on his head! I couldn't find that specific scene... but this is close enough.

He really is like Linus! :) and I am totally okay with that comparison... because we all remember this scene:

Random Pics & Thoughts

I always post so many pics on facebook but thought I'd put some of my recent faves from my camera phone on here. Totally random but each have a story with it.

I have enjoyed not being on the computer as much and just enjoying this season especially. This year the theme of my life seems to be simplifying, enjoying the little moments and learning to be still. What a difference from the old Randi. I love how little demands I have and I allow myself that freedom which is actually hard. I think we tend to get our significance by how much we get done in a day. How many things we get crossed off our to do list. I know that's the way I was. and it's just not true. I am really making myself learn that my signifiance and the value in my days has nothing to do with to-do lists at all. It's a big lesson for me to learn. Totally opposite of my personality and how I've lived most of my life. and I'm loving it.

but really --- I DO have things on my to do list....but the difference now is, I don't feel better/worse about myself if they do or don't get done. and I understand that wifey/mommy things are priority over whatever else I "need" to do! The to-do list is just to help my mommy brain remember some things I wanted to get done.



so for some random pics. This has got to be one of the worst pics taken quality-wise. Horrible pic of me, horrible fussiness and position.... but I LOVE IT. It is probably one of my favorite pictures ever. I loved this moment so much. Sitting in pj's playing Christmas hymns together. Raymond was doing such a good job and was even trying to sing with me in key. What a moment together. I am pretty sure I'll never forget that.
Making Christmas cookies together :)

This next picture to me looks like a summer picture - but it's not! It was taken yesterday - and yes it was in the 70's --- as you can see from those curls! :) We were sweatin running around outside and so the curls were all full force. I LOVE them! :)

This nativity calendar is so great. I love it. It is such a great way to teach Raymond. He has been doing such a good job placing the peaces. I would recommend this to anybody! It has been great to teach and to get us excited about and reflecting on the Christmas story.

here's us watching one of the parades this year. raymond couldn't stop moving so they were all fuzzy of him :)
it's not Christmastime to me without clementines. They remind me of Christmas & "home" so much. We always got them in our Christmas boots.
Raymond fell asleep on the couch last night!! First time ever. We were watching a Christmas special and he fell asleep. He has had a nasty cough so hasn't been sleeping good... but it was such a special treat for us!! We never get to see him sleeping. I loved watching him so happy and sleeping. I was crying watching him. He's so big!!! and he looked so peaceful and beautiful.






I love his little feeties so much.... but he's never still enough for me to really look at them and take pictures - so I got to last night!!! what a treat!


This just reminded me of when he was a baby so much. Rocking him before bed. Look at how LONG he is though. I feel so so old saying this but literally it feels like yesterday I took a picture of Brandon and baby Raymond before bedtime and he fit right into his arms --- now he is sooo BIG!

This was a picture from our hotel room in New Bern last weekend. We had such a great time for B's work Christmas party. I loved getting away the 2 of us and the coworkers were nice too. New Bern was pretty neat. Very historic and pretty.

I was excited to find out that Pepsi Cola was invented right in THIS bulding in New Bern. No wonder so many North Carolinians are obsessed & so loyal to the stuff! :)

So those are all the random pics for today. I have so many more I'd like to share but oh well. That's all the time I have for today! :)

Teaching about Jesus, Parenting

I try to leave off my Raymond stories on this blog and just put them on his totsites & baby book but since this one is a Christmas story - might as well put it here. as shown, I am keeping my blog "light" and not having a lot of deep posts right now..... but I am still journaling a lot and will have more thoughts to share after the New Year. Anyway, Raymond story and thoughts on parenting....


Raymond isn't that verbal yet but some days he must just wake up and say... today is a day I am going to talk. haha Today he been very talkative. He never talks (or does anything) on demand but if he wants to, he talks so much and those days are my favorite!


Because most days he doesn't do a lot of talking (I guess he's gonna be more like daddy than mommy) I don't really realize how much he listens and is absorbing. Many times I think he isn't paying attention --- but when he does eventually talk - I realize he is a total sponge! and he is always listening and watching!!


I've been trying to plant seeds about Jesus and the story of His birth. Any time I mention Christmas, I try to mention Jesus somewhere. When we talk about Jesus, I describe him as "savior"... telling him that baby Jesus grows up to be the savior of the world. I didn't really think that Raymond was getting the whole Jesus story or even really understood Jesus at all (even though we use his name in prayer with him at dinner & night)..... we do the advent calendar nativity scene in the morning each day - and we do talk about baby Jesus in the differnet decorations around the house.... but I didn't know if he was 'getting it'


but just now as I was putting him down for his nap - we were reading one of his Christmas books and one of the pictures was of Santa. and I said what does Santa bring!? I was thinking he would answer 'choo choo' since that is what he asked Santa for at Enchanted Airlie (he ran right into his lap and said choo choo pwwweeeeasseee)..... but he said, "he brings Jesus" and I just about lost it.


I don't know why that struck my heart so much but it just gave me so much joy that he was getting the link between Christmas & Jesus' birth and that we are celebrating Jesus birth-day and rejoicing because He's very very very very very special. I felt myself fill up with warmth and get all misty eyed :) what a special moment!


Thoughts on parenting:

I told myself that I would never by a mom/parent that always compared my children to others. I had a good friend growing up and his family was always doing that and it drove me bonkers. I don't want to ever catch myself saying, "oh well ____ already sings songs and knows the alphabet and bla bla bla" .... comparison is the root of all inferiority. I do not like comparison. All of us are so unique and different. We are all sinners but all have different unique special talents & skills. We are all loved equally by God and I truly do believe that we are all equal in His eyes. The majority of people really never do get that --- but that is a lesson I learned during childhood that I am a huge advocate for. I am not perfect in that area and I do compare people. I definitely make the mistake of valuing some over others.... but I know the truth. I am open to that truth.

Hand in hand with that comparison lesson is another lesson I really vowed to try to keep as a parent. and that is to not make others around me feel inferior as I 'brag' on Raymond. I want to uplift other's kids as much as my own. I love raymond so much and think he is the most special gift ever..... but I don't ever want to "use" him as a way to make myself feel better about myself... or make somebody feel worse. I guess you could call this -- comparing parenting skills. The whole --- look at what a better parent *I* am because my child does *this* - type attitude. So I pray that even in my raymond stories - I do not come across like that. I definitely do try to even limit the stories I tell about him though. I tell myself I am allowed to tell every THIRD story I want to about Raymond. :) If I told as many stories of him as I wanted - I could tell them 24 - 7 and nobody wants to be around that :)


I don't want to be prideful over him -- though I do want to be proud of him!! I do not want to project the image that Raymond is perfect.... that he NEVER sins, throws tantrums and is just PERFECT.... because he's not and I am not embarassed of that all.....I am not embarassed of his imperfections. I'm proud of him - all parts of him and I love him - all parts of him - and I really do believe I'm doing the best I can to teach & guide him so that's all I can do! I don't want to compare my parenting to others and I never want to brag on him so much that it would make anybody else feel inferior.


**steps off soapbox **


So those are some 'things' about being a parent that even before I even became a parent knew I did NOT want to be like.... I am not perfect in these areas and need to work on it continually. but I know first-hand what parents who have these 2 qualities are like - and it's not fun or positive for anybody around them. not for their own kids, their fellow parenting peers, their kid's peers.





here's Raymond doing day 1 of the nativity scene advent calendar

R's Peppermint Ice Cream Night

It's a family tradition to have peppermint ice cream throughout December as well. I should have added that to our traditions on the previous post but didn't.

When Raymond put his face to the bowl - I just had to let him go for it :) I got such joy out of seeing him making sure he got every lick & last morsel of that dish of ice cream! I kept thinking about that scene from the Christmas Story... the mom laughing at the little piggy and the daddy in the background looking like... gross - because that is how Brandon was looking at us.

OHHH I wish I had my camera in that instant --- I should have grabbed it! These would have been so good in higher quality than my camera phone! What a SWEET December we are having! :)

Advent Devotions & Traditions

I was looking for some advent devotions to read during my quiet time.... the only one I found was on this page:

http://www.adventdevotions.net/

and here's the daily devotionals:
http://www.adventdevotions.net/dailydevotions.asp

Seems like a good site. Let me know if you all have any good sites I can go to.

I am also trying to think of more Christmas traditions we could do as a family. Because we will always be at different locations each year on Christmas day, it has to be something we could do anywhere.

We had SOO many awesome and fun traditions growing up - I will probably try to incorporate some of those.... but since my love language is words and I'm so sentimental, I'd like something to do with writing notes to each other or to God but I can't quite figure out exactly what I want to do.

My traditions growing up, many of which I have incorporated into our own little family now are:

• decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving
• lots of baking & special meals throughout the month
• playing & singing hymns together (I play piano - we sing)
• sending Christmas cards
• "counting Christmas lights" ---- growing up - we did this on Christmas Eve. We drove around our little community and counted how many houses had lights. Whoever got closeset to mom won. We drive around down here too and do the same.
• Christmas eve punch - not sure what the secret recipe is for that - have to ask Mom!
• present exchange on Christmas morning
• lots of Christmas music
• lots of Christmas movies - we always watch.... Rudolph, Emmit Otter's Jugband Christmas, Frosty, Muppet Christmas Carol (which we always watch on Christmas Eve), Christmas Vacation, a Christmas Story, It's A Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, Charlie Brown's Christmas
• have some sort of dispute/heated discussion while trying to put together a toy with a billion pieces & batteries :) hehehehe or install some sort of machine one of us received :)
• reading a Christmas book at night with Raymond each night in December
• Reading the Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve
• reading the Christmas story from the book of Luke on Christmas day
• family photo in front of the tree every year
• when we are in New Jersey we have Christmas "boots" that are ceramic which I love. We open those first on Christmas morning. My mom has continued to make ones for all of us - when we go up there in a few weeks I will take pictures of them!! Otherwise when we're in N.C. we do the traditional Christmas stockings.

when we are home in NC.... our traditions are:

• downtown Christmas parade
• town of Leland Christmas parade
• Enchanted Airlie (which is now a tradition for us - we did this for the first time Friday night)
• Christmas Eve service at church

Would love to hear about how you all celebrate this most incredible, beautiful awesome season!!! :)

I did have an idea for a tradition that will work when the kids are older. It's setting verses on the place setting of each person on Christmas day dinner --- having a number on each and then reading the Christmas story in order - whoever is #1 reads first, etc.... and go through the whole story of Christ's birth in Luke.....

or maybe picking scripture from the Old Testament that prophesied about Our Savior & then others at the table would get New Testament verses showing how Jesus fulfilled it. Anyway - just rambling out some ideas.

Merry Christmas early! :)

Memories

My mom has been going through some of her old photos and has come across some really really cool ones. My great grandfather was an excellent carpenter. He made lots of incredible furniture we still have around the houses. Some of our most precious heirlooms are his chairs he made. He really made the best rockers. So much detail and SO sturdy. You won't find anything made today that compares. She just sent another big batch of pictures - most of which brought me to tears....but out of all of them these three were my favorite.

Here's my grandma in the baby rocking chair.... then my mom in the baby rocking chair.... then Roxie, my baby dolls, me and Ryan on the chairs he made. The baby dolls got the special rocking chair this time haha. We used to make 'trains' like that all the time. I had such a great childhood - I miss my siblings and those childhood years so much.... but I am thoroughly enjoying being able to re-live some of those moments with my Raymond. I love watching him have an imagination and find joy in chairs, empty boxes and family (me, Lennox & daddy right now.... but maybe some day there will be siblings).

Memories are so special. I'm so glad there are so many more ways to keep them and remember them 'now a days'.

Temper Tantrums - Dobson Excerpt

Well I know that this week is different because Raymond is sick still and so that is why his normally EXTREMELY strong will and temper is at an exceptional high (which I didn't think it was possible to get higher).... but I feel I'm at my end with what to do to handle them. I am losing the battles, frequently and quite exhausted... so here's my next course of action when the next tazmanian devil temper tantrum comes:

Everyone who has raised a toddler has probably been confronted at some point by a full-blown temper tantrum. Its fury is something to behold coming from a kid who only weighs 25 pounds. Usually a firm hand will discourage such violent behavior—but sometimes not. Some children throw tantrums specifically for the purpose of stirring up and manipulating the big powerful adults who claim to be in charge.

I knew one family, for example, that had a three-year-old boy who was still throwing the most terrible fits when he didn't get his way. He would fall on the floor—kick, scream, spit and cry. His parents had done everything they knew to stop the tantrums, with no success. One night, they were reading the paper when the kid wanted them to do something. They didn't move quickly enough, so he went into his violent contortions. Out of exasperation, since the parents didn't know what else to do, they didn't do anything. They just went on reading. The child was shocked by their unresponsiveness. He got up, went over to his mother, shook her arm, and again fell screaming to the floor. Still neither parent reacted. He then approached his father and hit the newspaper before going into another tirade. By this point, Mom and Dad were secretly watching to see what would happen, but they remained passive. This kid felt so foolish and stupid throwing temper tantrums with no audience—that I never threw another one.

The next time your toddler goes a little crazy—you might try doing nothing. It worked in at least one case with which I am quite familiar.

http://www2.focusonthefamily.com/docstudy/newsletters/A000000814.cfm

So I'll try more deliberately to ignore the next episode. Keep you posted...

Prayer for my children from Dobson Article

Taken from the article, "How To Shape Your Child's Will"
Dr James Dobson

“Lord, You know my inadequacies. You know my weaknesses, not only in parenting, but in every area of my life. I’m doing the best I can to raise my kids properly, but it may not be good enough. As You provided the fish and the loaves to feed the five thousand hungry people, now take my meager effort and use it to bless my family. Make up for the things I do wrong. Satisfy the needs that I have not met. Compensate for my blunders and mistakes. Wrap Your great arms around my children, and draw them close to You. And be there when they stand at the great crossroads between right and wrong. All I can give them is my best, and I will continue to do that. I submit them to You now and rededicate myself to the task You have placed before me. The outcome rests securely in Your hands.”

I’ve found that God is faithful, as a loving Father, to hear and answer that cry of the heart. Turn to Him for solace when you’ve reached the end of your rope. He will be there to comfort you and work within the soul of your beloved child.

Multimedia message - video in car

Multimedia message - video pool

Multimedia message - video zebra

Multimedia message - video backhoe

Multimedia message - Video R balls

Vacation Pictures - Thursday

Entry from Vacation

Me on the upstairs porch
what we are waking up to every morning ---- life is good
boys and their toys (Papa, Hunter, B, Raymond, Bonesy, Christian)
the 3 'kids' and their significant others playing mini golf (RyRy, Katie, Roxie, Bonesy, B, Randi)
the girls --- Katie, MomMom, Randi, Roxie, Baby

We are having such a great vacation!! I am LOVING having my boys all to myself - no cell phones, no work at ALL for Brandon - it's just awesome. It has been so so awesome to be with my family and let the boys play. Another great annual vacation for us. I am sneaking on here real quick to upload all my pictures since my memory card is full - so we're not totally away from technology hehehe.

BUT here's a quick glimpse of what we've been experiencing so far. Here is a live camera of the boardwalk! You'll probably see us walking with our wagons/strollers! :)

http://www.rehobothbeachcam.com/

Hope you all are doing great

Raymond turns 2!!!
Raymond on a ride
Hunter, Christian, Raymond
Raymond on the beach
Look at our view from our yard!!