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If you want a play by play of our awesome Orlando trip click here.

We're Back!

We had a wonderful time in Orlando with the O'Donnell Family. I am totally exhausted, but it was worth it. Robin is so resourceful. She can find free stuff really well. We did a lot of things without spending $$$. We even went inside Disney World for free! We didn't pay for parking or buses and our kids still felt like they got to see Disney! Lauren even got to see Cinderella's Horses! I will say that it will be a long time before I take my kids to a theme park again. Waiting in lines for over an hour is for the birds! Especially with a 2 year old. I'm glad we didn't pay for those tickets! Yeah, I said it.....free.....We did a time share schpeel thingy and they gave us tickets to Islands of Adventure at Universal. Also, Michael's dad works for Universal and he help the rest of our family get in for free.....I'm telling you, if you're travelling, call Robin first! I will set up a slideshow when I get all the pics. Robin and I have to email each other....TTFN!

Strep Stinks!

I have been in bed since Wednesday with Strep Throat! It is not fun. I used to get it all the time when I was young, but having it as an adult is much worse.
Eric has taken over as "mom" and dad. He has been cooking, bathing, and bedding all the kids, as I haven't been able to be around them. Today is the first day I have been outside of the bedroom during the day. We are going to Orlando, this week, for vacation and I am determined to keep the rest of my family healthy. I will be so disappointed if we aren't able to go.
Have you ever had strep throat? Share your stories.....

Christmas Fun.....

We had a wonderful Christmas, as usual. The kids had a great time seeing GiGi, PaPop, and Uncle Robert.
I think the hit of the whole day was this JumpSmart Trampoline. It's a single person trampoline with handles. It had music and a counter. The kids can all play on it. It's really neat.
Michael got a Flying Dragonfly from MiMi and Pop Pop. That was his favorite toy. We are currently trying to retrieve it from the top of our tallest oak tree!!! It really flies! Michael has spent every moment of daylight today outside playing with it.
Lauren got some horsie stuff, of course. Who knew she would be so easy to shop for.
Emily has been eating everything in sight. Her appetite has been the most indulgent thing this Christmas.
We had a big breakfast. Eggs, bacon and hashbrowns. Then we had an early dinner. Filet Mignon, corn souffle, cranberry salad and yeast rolls. Yummy! It was a great day.
We are looking forward to seeing The O'Donnell Family next week. We are going to Islands of Adventure in Orlando for a much needed family vacation.

Have You Been Elfed Yet?

A South Dakota friend sent me the cutest email and I had to share it. Click this link to see my 3 little elves. My 3 Elves
We just took a short trip out of town to see Eric's grandmother. She is 86 and had to have bypass surgery. Her surgery went very well. While we were there we celebrated Christmas with Eric's family. We really enjoyed seeing them. My little nephew, Brandon, had a blast playing with his cousins. Emily likes to boss him around. They are about 5 months apart. He really looks up to Michael. All in all, it was a nice visit.

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

Michael had requested a picture of our Christmas tree. So, I took a picture of my very good looking hubby in front of our tree, which is placed in the midst of the unbelievable remodeling he has done. Is he not the greatest!?

Does Christmas Reflect Christ?

On Saturday, I went with 8 other ladies from our church to St. John's Town Center to do some Christmas shopping. We left at 7 a.m. and I arrived home at 10 p.m. It was a full day. We had such a good time. The fellowship, alone, was worth the trip. I finished my shopping. It was easy this year since we decided to cut back. We are trying to follow Dave Ramsey's advice and get some bills paid down. We only bought for our kids this year. We stuck to the same rule as the O'Donnell family. Something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read. I think this really helped.

Christmas is a time to reflect on Christ coming into the world to redeem mankind and I want that to be our focus. It's so easy to get caught up in the gift giving and receiving and I am no different. I have gone overboard for so many years, especially with my children. I think of the verse from Luke 11:13 that says, "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" God has a gift He wants to give us, but we miss it, most times. The most precious gift came in the form of a baby. How awesome! I want Jesus to be our focus this Christmas. I know this requires a choice, on my part, to shut out what the world says this time of year is about. Without Jesus, there would be no Christmas......think about it.....

Squirrely

OK, if you are squeamish, this may not be the blog for you. My kids are so proud to spend quality time with their daddy. Yesterday, he took Lauren and Michael squirrel hunting. We have an infestation of these cute creatures at our church. They are getting inside the building through the roof and causing all kinds of problems. Michael and Lauren were very eager to assist Eric in ridding Providence Baptist of squirrels. They only got four, but boy were they excited. Michael waited up for Eric to get home last night from a church visit to help clean the squirrels. Why are you cleaning them, you ask? My husband thought it would be interesting to cook the meat! I will not be partaking in this unusual redneck delicacy, but my son and husband cannot wait to try it! No thanks. You can tell by the looks on their faces that this was time well spent with their father. That's what's important....

Resolution

Okay, I know it's a little early for a "New Year's" resolution, but reading Mr. Chambers this morning has again reminded me why I started this blog. I'm still the same fat blogger I was when I started. Robin and I were talking the other night, and she mentioned how much money we have in our Weigh Wednesday account. We have been putting $5 each away weekly for over 20 weeks. You do the math. It's not a fortune, but what, in weight loss, do we have to show for it? I need to reevaluate why I decided to do this. In the beginning, I don't think it had anything to do with my body being a "temple of the Holy Spirit." I just wanted to be thin and healthy. My motivation was wrong. There is nothing wrong with being thin and healthy, but if I'm not doing this to bring glory and honor to my Father in Heaven, it's really in vain. My Utmost For His Highest says, "I must exhibit in my own body the life of the Lord Jesus, not mysteriously or secretly, but openly and boldly. "I discipline my body and bring it into subjection . . ." ( 1 Corinthians 9:27 ). Every Christian can have his body under absolute control for God." Is this me? Not quite! Not hardly! God has given me the honored responsibility of my "temple."
I am going to give time in prayer today to seriously evaluate what I plan to do with the conviction Christ has placed on my heart today. What about you?
To read today's devotion by Oswald Chambers click here.

Robin Reed Christmas Crackers....

We had a very nice visit with my dad and step-mom, Wendy, yesterday. They drove up and got to see Michael play his last soccer game. They won!!! The weather was perfect. We came back to the house and just took it easy. My step-mom made supper and brought it with her. She also brought a special treat for our kids, which they loved! I think we have found a tradition that we will adopt every year. They are called Christmas Crackers and in England, where Wendy is from, it's a popular tradition. To open the cracker, you pull on one end and someone else pulls the other end, kind of like a wishbone. Whoever gets the longer end gets the prize and has a crown (made of tissue) to wear. The cracker makes a popping sound when it's opened. My kids had so much fun and the anticipation leading up to cracking them open, was fun for me. I got to watch the kids squirm a little. I think that's fun for all parents!!!

Click here to learn more about Christmas Crackers.