Josh's family decided to try something different this year in gift giving. Instead of giving a gift to the person/family you had, we were all to do a service in their honor. It was a great idea and so fun for us to execute. I really hope we continue it next year. :)


Btw - if you want to read it, just click on the image, it will enlarge it and then click on it again to enlarge it a second time. :)

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Every year we have a birthday party for Jesus on Christmas eve. We start by writing down our Christmas gift for the Savior, sing happy birthday, enjoy birthday cake and read a sweet poem about Jesus' birthday.

This year as Kira and I were talking about what she wanted to give Jesus, Kira told me that she wanted to give him $2. (She works hard all year to earn her money.) I asked her how she wanted the money to get to him and she told me that she wanted to feed someone. As we continued to discuss it she decided that she would buy food and put it in a food box at the Salvation Army. (Throughout the year when we have time we head over to the S.A. office and fill food boxes so she is familiar with it.)
We headed over to Kroger where she bought one box of tuna helper and a 12 pack of top ramen. We then took them to the Salvation Army's food pantry.

Here are our girls sporting their new Christmas pj's and getting ready to dig into Jesus' birthday cake. As you can see, there are 4 candles on the cake. One for each member of the family. :)



We then read 'Happy Birthday Jesus'

A house so quiet, so humble, a child beside the bed,
Hands clasped tightly, it's time to pray,
So bows the little head....Happy Birthday, Jesus.
Mommy said that you were near and that
You had a birthday this time every year.
She told me how you listened to every word we say
And that you hear us calling in the night or in the day.
She explained how badly they hurt you and made you suffer so,
But said you let them do it for children like me,...I know.
She told me about the manger they put you in.
I'da let you have my blanket if I was there back then.
She said you are watching everything we do,
Her and Daddy and Grammy and.....our new baby, too!
I like what Mommy told me of how you healed the lame
And that they don't have to have any wealth or fame...
She told me you were so awful good, and then, she made me cry.
She said they nailed you to the cross...they wanted you to die.
She said that you forgave them though, 'cause you were dyin' for our sins,
And then it made me happy when she said...you came back again!
Mommy said, Christmas is what we celebrate, because on that day...you were born!
So I hope I'm not too late...to wish you a Happy Birthday, Jesus...I'll be true
'Cause Mommy said if I was good, you'd let me live with you.
~Author Unknown

It's a great way for me to bring back into perspective the true meaning of Christmas. I know im a little late in posting this, but Happy birthday, Jesus! And Merry Christmas to everyone!

Christmastime!

So I am way behind on blogging...hopefully this weekend I can get caught up!...anyways... :)

This year we tried to focus our time during the Christmas season by serving. We picked a couple angels from the Salvation Army's angel tree and Kira and I had a blast picking the perfect gifts for them. Here is a cute picture the girls with the gifts for our angels. Josh's team at work was also able to adopt two angels.

We also spent (basically all) our freetime working with the angel tree. From manning the booth in the mall - Here is Kira with some volunteers at the booth in the mall -

Kira decorating the tree with Angels :)


Miss Bonnie (volunteer coordinator at S.A.) capturing all the hard work!


to eating, drinking and breathing the toy shop. Both girls did fantastic and Kira couldn't wait until we could go back and 'volunteer' every morning when she woke up.
This picture is Kira enjoying the toy shop. There were over 3700 angels this year and each angel needs to be checked in, organized (if the angel didn't get returned a bag filled) and double checked. In this one section you can see how massive the toy shop is :)


Since we spent so much time in the toy shop we got to know Carla a lot better. This picture has (from left to right) Mrs. Major Satterlee who is with the Salvation army, Carla, volunteer super warrior, Rora, Kira, Cassidy (Carla's granddaughter and Kiras new friend) and a sweet little girl who volunteered and told me that every year she saves money throughout the entire year so she can(all on her own) adopt an angel. How precious is that!?! She is eight years old and adorable!

There is such a sense of satisfaction that you get when you immerse yourself in volunteer work. Especially when you see how the entire community comes together on such a grand scale.

Christmas I remember best...

Ok, so tonight is going to become one of my greatest memories. Here's the story:
I received an email from a friend about a family in need. Their house burned down and the children are in desperate need of clothing. I told Kira what a knew, that there is a 6 year old and 3 year old that don't have house anymore. That everything they had burned down in a fire. I asked her if she could maybe find a toy or two that she could give them for Christmas since they don't have anything. Sweet Kira went straight in to her room and started getting things together that she thought they would like. She didn't choose the toys she never plays with, or things that are ratty or broken, she picked her favorite and the best of her toys. She even gave away a couple of her new Christmas toys! By the time she was done going through her room she had grabbed a set of dishes, a unopened doll, a like new doll, her favorite teddy bear(like new), a set of like new hand puppets, a stack of books(including her all time favorite Cinderella book) and a entire trunk of dress ups, the dress ups consisting of her favorite wedding dress, her belle dress, barbie dress, black tutu, tinkerbell, a bunch of jewelry, a couple purses, some shoes and her trunk that she got for her birthday(which she LOVES!) I have to admit that when she got all her stuff together I was shocked at the generosity that she displayed. She not only gave her toys, but she truly gave the best that she has.
I am so honored that I get to be her mother. What a precious child that the Lord has entrusted to me. Little does she know that her sweet act has done more than share some of her toys, but it has touched my heart to the core. My sweet 4 year old Kira knows that it truly is more blessed to give than to receive. I can't ask for anything more.

Yesterday I took the plunge and cut Kira's hair...I knew the way that I wanted it to look and im cheap, so I cut it myself. Did it turn out perfectly? No, however, it is cute :)

I did learn that its sort of exhilarating to cut hair...even though I was petrified the entire time I was cutting, it was so nice to see that I could do it. Very empowering!