Whats in store for 2009?

I have really enjoyed reading everybody 2008 highlights and all the pics and if I had time (I really need to get off of here and get the Christmas stuff down and the house clean and all that fun stuff) I would probably do it too... Instead I want to know what your 2009 resolution is??? I am still trying to decide rather to make one or not cause like I heard yesterday "Why make promises that you can't keep".. Here are some that I would like to keep...

1. As always I say I want to loose weight and get healthy but it seems every year I say that I gain the weight instead so I don't want to say that this year...

2. I reallllly want to get my house in order and painted and some updates done. Our house is to small for the 5 of us and when we moved here it was a 5 yr plan and now it is 6 yrs and we are still in it and every time I mention moving Eric says we can move to Goucher now if you don't know where that is let me tell ya it is between Paclot and Gaffney and there is NOTHING around there. I am a country girl but I do like be able to run out at 10 to get milk and back at home by 10:10.. So, I need to be happy here and just get somethings done...

3. I want to be a better friend. I want to listen more, send b'day cards out you know all that stuff...

4. Going with that I want to be compassionate and more forgiving. I have a heart but sometimes I don't know how to use it and I am giver but I want to give more...

5. I want to spend time with my kids and husband more and not be on the go so much. But I do have 2 teenage boys and they are on the go too.. Maybe we can have a family vacation this year where we all go...

6. I want to learn something new this year rather it is a craft, a language, or whatever I want to learn something. I would really like to go back to school for nursing but somewhere I don't have to do shots...YUCK

7. I want to be more positive and look at things on the positive side not look for the bad.

8. I want to continue reconnecting w/ family and friends and continue those relationships..

9. But the most important one and if I don't do the above 8 I want to know my God more. I want to spend more time with him and I want to share who is more. You know it is easy to get on the computer, to watch TV, read, talk to friends, go out but for some reason it is like you can't make time for what really matters. This year I pray to make the time. I pray to grow closer and to know him more on a personal level. I pray for family devotion nights, I pray to do a couple devotion with my husband. I pray for God to be the center of our family...

I look forward to 2009!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Girl's Night Out

So, for the last month or so it has been CRAZY around here and I have been running one way or another so myself and a couple of my friends took a night off and went to eat mexican and then went off to see Four Christmas and then to Barnes & Noble for coffee (well they did).. It was a fun night to let our hair down and just laugh and let all the stress from the past month to go away.

Never a dull moment


Kim & Shelia are a delight to be around


I think she is still trying to figure out why she came w/ this group..


Shannan was my date for the night


My friend and co-worker Beth, I am so proud of her for coming out with a bunch of strangers


Trouble on the back make out row


They kept the popcorn going for us, but watch out for them too


We ran into Hannah and Hannah at Barnes and Noble


I love these girls, they are some of the best friends you can have


The late crew

Christmas

My top 8 favorite moments of Christmas 2008

1. Going to my first Christmas Eve service and seeing all the people who come out to celebrate the birth of our Jesus.

2. Watching Tyler savor every single thing from his stocking to the his presents. He did really get alot but he still has not open everything.

3. Seeing Tyler's face as he open up his Gamecube

4. Seeing Ryan's face when he saw that Santa brought him his very own bass and case for it

5. Hearing the beating drums of Stephen playing Guitar Hero cause that means I don't have to get real drums yet.

6. Staying in my pj all day and laying around watching movies and now worrying about the house or the dishes or anything but relaxing and listening and watching my kids.

7. Keeping everything a secret and hide this year from the older 2. Can't snoop if it is in my car..lol

8. Tyler making Jesus a b'day cake and what he said... "I hope Jesus has his eyes close" and when I asked why "Cause I don't want him to see what I am doing until his cake is done..opps," me "what", Tyler "I hope he didn't hear me cause then it would not be surprise" Happy birthday Jesus, we love you!!!!!!

Christmas w/ the Darwins

The past couple of years our good friends Tim and Ginger Darwin have invited us to come and spend Christmas Eve with them. Her dad gets a country ham every year and he cooks that and along with her mom they cook eggs, bacon, grits, flat biscuit, red eye gravy it is all good and we are so happy they invite us. This year Ginger invited another lady from church Deanna and her 2 kids. The kids ate in one room, the men in another and us ladies got to eat in the fancy dining room cause we don't mess like the men and kids lol..... We have a great night of fellowship and we are thankful to have great friends like them...Afterwards we went by and saw the lights my friend Kim Hewitt talked about on her blog and they are great.. The only bad thing about this night is my boys "think" they are to grown up to come and spend the time w/ us so they went over to Billy's house to play Call of Duty and hang out... I miss them being little too and being w/ us but it is ok I have them ALL day Christmas day right now... Ryan and I did go to the Christmas Eve service he was playing so I had to sit along cause Stephen was asleep already and Tyler was not feeling good by now and Eric had to stay home w/ him and start getting ready for Christmas day... Maybe next year we will all get to go together.

Christmas Eve

Well, for the past week I have been working, trying to get all the presents bought and not had the great of luck at times. The night before Christmas Eve me and my friend Kim went to Greenville to see if they had Stephen's shoes at Dicks (yes, I know I could have called but I needed to go and meet my friend Amy anyway). Well, Dick's didn't have them, Target didn't have what I wanted so the night was a waste except spending some time w/ a good friend and we did get a few things but not all. So, Christmas Eve after I got the mac & cheese in the crockpot about 8:30 I took off to finish shopping esp for the lunch time gift giving.. I got the last gift right at 11:45 and we had to be at Eric's mom at 12 so I rush home help get everything out to the car and we went to his mom for the afternoon by the way, I do shop earlier but I was trying to find 1 gift esp and then also a decent enough 80's t-shirt and yes it did take that long. I really need to start shopping earlier next year, like now...

Hollywild

Last Sunday night after the Christmas concert we took off to Hollywild with Susan and her kids. We wait for about 30 to 45 mins to just get in and it was pretty much worth once we got in there and saw all the lights and got to feed some deer and a zebra. I have to say, that some people out there really disappointed me as fast and reckless as they were driving out where the deer were. We would be trying to be still and quit to get the deer to come up to us and then all the sudden here would come up a car and the deer would run away. We were polite enough when we saw somebody in front of us doing that we stayed back but all in all it was good fun and cold night. The hot chocolate was good, kids had a ball and just seeing them and their reactions to the lights and feeding the animals were priceless...

What a Proud Moment

Last Sunday at church our youth choir Day 6 put on their Christmas concert and our youth band Ready to Rise perform a couple of songs. Both of the boys sing and Ryan plays in the band too and I was so proud of him watching him run back and forth between singing and playing and proud of Stephen cause I think I actually heard him sign instead of moving his mouth. The band started out with Carol Of Bells and I have to say they did an awesome job, just as good as Trans Serbian Orchestra. You can tell all the kids in the band and the choir put in a lot of hard work and practice and that they are under great leadership of Sara Beth and Bucky...

Ryan and Jessie w/ Nate behind them playing Carol Of Bells


Day 6


Stephen singing


Mary Beth dancing to Still


Sarah Beth signing and Hannah lead singing Breath of Heaven... It was a moving song esp w/ SB facial expression she brought it to life so much...


Later that night our adult choir put on there Christmas musical and last performance in our church since we will be moving to the new one in a couple of months. Ryan plays in the adult orchestra too and he just loves it. I am so proud of him and the musician he has become...

You can barely see his head but that is him and Chris playing the bass.


Our adult choir


I didn't get early enough to get a good seat to get good pics and nor did I think to get pics afterwards of the boys.... Next time I will need to remember...