I'm Dreaming of a Warm Christmas

We've been in San Antonio with Tyson's sister Stacie and their family for a few days. I love being here in the Hill Country. You can walk and get a workout because there are HILLS here! You can wear your hair curly because there is humidity here! And you can see friends you don't get to see very often!

Mailey, Paige, and Stacie


Looking at Christmas lights


Sweet Mommy Melanie

Tatum the miracle baby

Mel, Shar, Steph...we so look just the same as in college! haha!

Hilarious Julia played with Mailey for hours

Spouses

How did all these kids come from us??? Makenna, Wesley, Nick, Devin, Meredith, Julia, Mailey, Nathan, Tracen

No Words...

I have not blogged about our life lately...the deep, real, nitty-gritty of our life. Pictures and fluff have filled the blog.
Today I cannot do one more thing without getting all these things in print, so my heart and mind will never forget them.

Tyson lost his job about a month and a half ago. Yes, the job we loaded up and moved all the way back here for. Ugh. It has not been fun.

Decisions have been pounding in our brains for weeks...
How long do we look for a job before moving back to Mom and Dad's?
How many months of savings do we use before enough is enough?
How will this affect the kids, their school, church, friends, life?
What on earth will we do?

I know everyone says everyone has been here before. Maybe this does happen to everyone. I don't know. I do know that blessings have been poured out upon my family during this time.

We have so much support and help and love from those around us that so many families out there struggling do not. I see hurt and poverty and oppression everywhere. Why on earth does my family need anything extra? We do have resources others do not that have found themselves in our same situation. Why us?

What do you do when you become that family?? You get a passion in your heart to be others-centered, and to help those who need it. We have learned many lessons through these blessings, and want to honor those who have shared with us.

It has been unbelievable.

Here is a glimpse:
Rent and groceries for December taken care of.
Christmas pictures bought for us.
Gift card from a sweet friend from college stuck in their Christmas card to us.
Huge bag of gifts for each kid from their pediatrician and nursing staff.
Gifts from one of my old students...and a movie night out for me.
Money sent in a card from a teacher at Mom's school.
Gift card...huge...from Monterey High School Orchestra and their stellar conductor.

All of these things are completely undeserved. There are so many who need it so much more. How do you even accept these things? High school kids raising money for months, knowing they would help some Angel Tree kids, and then having so much they gave all the rest to us?? Money that came in the day we had to take Makenna to her last play therapy session for nearly a month that I knew we could not pay for. Groceries covered by a gift card for the next month? My kids' doctor blessing them with some fun gifts, crying as they brought the bags into the exam room, because they love us? Unreal.

I cannot express enough our gratitude to these people. Each one has said that God told them to do this...why do we not think God does love us that much? My Almighty Father whispered in so many different ways...and people responded.
May I always do the same.
May I always respond, Lord Jesus.
May I always be available to use.
May I always listen to your promtings.
May I always find someone else to bless.
May these faithful friends realize what they've done for us.

May I do the same.

He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."
Luke 11:28

Ladybug Tea...Abby Turns 3!

Our sweet friend Abby turned 3, and was very sweet to invite Mailey to her first tea party. I was a little worried we would be spilling and making messes and generally acting 1 instead of 3, but Mailey did a great job being a big girl!

Beth threw such an amazing party, of course, and everything fit the ladybug theme perfectly. Thanks for having us, Abby Gray! We truly cannot believe you are 3!
Abby's ladybug name

Sweet Birthday Girl!

Happy Birthday!

Red and black treats

Yes, Beth made 2 ladybug clips for each girl there. So cute!

Painting my ladybug...or blob of red paint.

Munching on some great black and red food.

Yay for presents!

Carol of Lights

Well, Stephanie and I sometimes end up wondering what on earth we were thinking...but we (I) thought it would be a great idea to take the kids to Carol of Lights at Tech. This is a holiday tradition here, and tons of people go. The chiors sing, some dude sings 'O Holy Night' with great flair(miss the vibrato o o o o o o of the old guy), and the circle is lit up with glorious lights. This is a huge date night thing here, and that is exactly what we were lacking in this situation: our dates.

We went to One Guy to eat, and maybe to see my brother, Scott, too, and then on to campus. The most amazing part of the night was the weather. So many times this lovely tradition is FREEEEEEZING. Like bitingly windily frostbittenly cold. In college I sang in the choir on the steps, and most often thought I might die of exposure. What a great twist for it to be in the upper 60s. Yay!!!

Here are some pictures of our evening of fun. It truly was, despite the whining, pouting, breaking the towels in the bathroom, pulling shirts, hitting, trying to see anything, and declarations of boredom while lying on the grass.

Really. We love being with the Trooks, and we've decided next year the girls are going to take the "easy" two, while the dads are going to take on the "spirited" two. Can you guess which 2 will go with who???

=o)