Run Run As Fast As You Can...

I have never really been a fan of the Holiday Season because of all the craziness involved. I appreciate the meaning behind Christmas, but it has been lost by most. With all that being said, this Christmas has been different. I think it is because we have kids.

Yesterday a co-worker had Trader Joe's Really Big GingerBread Man Kits in her office. As soon as I saw them, I knew that I wanted to do one with Moses, not matter the cost. Earlier today I went to TJ's and much to my surprise they were only 99 cents each! I also picked up a Sugar Cookie Workshop kit for 99 cents too. It includes the cookie mix, two packages of frosting, four packages of decorations, and three cookie cutters. The best part is all the ingredients are natural including the dyes in the decorations (they are made of beets and spinach). I left an extremely happy customer :)

Here are some pictures of the fun we had:

The happy 7 Month Old Princess

They are both excited for the decorating

Our work in progress...

Moses loving his new friend

All Done

Our lovely Ginger People

Frosting Toes

This has been the craziest week ever! Tonight we went to Christmas party #3 for the week and have two more to go. Highlights for the week are below:

#1- Taking Moses and Emery to Disneyland. It was so beautifully decorated and snow fell on Main Street and Moses

was so excited. It even smelled like Gingerbread after it melted :) Also, our friend April was here from Michigan and it was so good to be able to spend time with her and Carly at the happiest place on earth!

#2-Emery is now mobile! She isn't crawling yet but she is scooting around like crazy. I can't believe she will be 7 months old in a couple of days.

#3-Frosting sugar cookies with Moses and Liz. Moses went crazy with the frosting and sprinkles. He didn't taste it until the end and then it was over. He was eating spoonfuls of frosting and somehow got it all over his feet, so then he was eating it off his toes.

#4-Christmas shopping for Jarrell and the kids. We got Moses a Toy Story toddler bed and I am so excited to see his little face light up when he sees it.

#5-Moses dancing/playing the drums to Rock Band. We were at Christmas Party and Moses was so happy dancing and playing the drums. It may have been the cutest thing I have ever seen him do.

#6- (This one hasn't actually happened yet, but I

am super excited for it and will post pictures) Moses and Emery are going to be in their first little Christmas play at church tomorrow. Moses is going to be a sheep and Emery is baby Jesus. (She is the youngest in the church)

With Christmas just around the corner, I can't help but reflect on all the wonderful things that

are in my life and be thankful and humbled.

I am so thankful that God sent His Son to

redeem the world.

Imperfectly Perfect

I want to start this post out by saying I am not perfect and I don't need to be (This probably doesn't shock most of you). I am mainly stating that fact for myself, because it is something that I struggle to accept. There have been a lot of things that have happened in my life that have caused me to think maybe if I was better at blank then blank wouldn't have happened. I am starting to realize that this way of thinking is an illusion, a lie that has caused me to be over controlling, anxious, judgmental, angry, fearful, and to have a lot of stress.

My friend Jill (and her family) pick words every New Year to be their word of the year. I really like the concept of this so I myself have decided to adopt a word this year, which is going to be GRACE. I desire the following four outcomes for this word:

*To learn how to better accept the grace given to me through the sacrifice of Jesus

*To learn how to extend MYSELF grace when I make mistakes

*To learn how to freely give grace to others for their mistakes and shortcomings

*To accept the fact that I am imperfect, but that I am imperfectly perfect and that there is beauty and strength in that

Don't Blink

Life seems to be flying by lately! I can't believe we are almost a week into December. Tomorrow Jarrell and I are leaving for a Staff Retreat and I am so nervous to leave the babies for three days and two nights :( This will be the first time that they have been away from Jarrell and I overnight, let alone two nights. In honor of this occasion, I am going to give a quick update of the babies.

* I feel like Emery is growing and changing by the day. She is almost 19 lbs. and is 28 inches tall. She is still off the charts for weight and height

*She popped through her first tooth a couple of days ago and number two is almost through. She was waking up screaming for several nights in a row and Jarrell and I nearly lost our minds due to exhaustion and frustration. Now that the one tooth is through, she seems to be doing better.

*This girl loves to eat! Her favorite thing right now are Mum-Mums

*She still adores Moses and their favorite activities to do together are jumping on the bed and riding Moses' cars. (Don't mind the bruise on Moses' head, he head-butted Jarrell)

*So far he has pooped three times and peed twice in the potty. Hopefully we can

continue to make progress

*Moses has quite the vocabulary and never ceases to amaze me at the things that he knows. Last week he dropped a box of toy cars on his toy and it tore off all the skin. He was so upset and I was comforting him when he looked up at me and said in the saddest little voice, "My poor toe." I almost died laughing.

*Moses still loves to read. He knows all of his

books by heart and recites words to them now.

*He is ridiculously obsessed with Toy Story. The first thing he says in the morning is, "Woo Woo" and he has to watch it everyday. (Luckily we can switch between 1,2, and 3)

*He played in the snow for the first time in a couple of weeks ago and he loved it, until his hands got cold.