Christmas.....The Most Wonderful/Busiet Time of the Year!

Shopping, shopping and more shopping, but really that's not what this season is all about, right?  It's about cooking, baking decorating, cards, events, etc,.....Well, no that's not it either.  It's about memories....good and bad.  It's about family, yes that's the real reason. Actually, no that's not it either......I think it's about Christ.  It's about giving and making memories.  I'm so glad that I have good memories from my childhood in regards to Christmas.  I also do love to give and shop and give and shop some more.  I feel so blessed to have so many to shop for but I have to work to keep my peace and not to try to be perfect.  You know how us moms do.....perfect decorating, perfect baking, kids in perfect matching Christmas outfits, etc.  Well, this holiday season I have really made an effort to get out of the materialism and perfectionism and keep Jesus the center of this Advent Season.  I bought a new and nicer Advent candle holder and we have really been celebrating Advent every night at dinner time......well, just about every night that we have a family dinner.  When my husband and I were out of town recently, but older son led it.  My daughter even videoed it for me and sent it to me.  It's was kind of funny but really great that they were doing it even though we were gone.  I purchased 2 books from Amazon that I would really recommend.  Here is the first.......

It's great for a family with young children.  The devotionals are just long enough and we all really like that they include a Christmas hymn/carol to sing together around the table every night.

I purchased this one for myself to use during my devotional time and it has been great. It's by John Piper. I feel like I am learning so much about what Christ's coming really was all about.  

I do love Christmas and look forward to this time all year long.  Here are some Christmas time pictures that we've recently taken for you to get a glimpse into our "crazy" but fun Christmas season here with a family of 12. 

We get our live North Carolina tree at the same friend's farm each year on the weekend after Thanksgiving.  We have to go at night so the kids can play tag in the trees. This year we had some cousins with us too.

This year, I chilled out and let the kids do just about all the decorating.  So, it's not perfect but it's great having older kids that love to decorate and younger kids who are so eager to "help." I sat on the sofa and drank spiced tea : )

My darling Caroline has a December birthday and this year for her 12th bday we had an artist friend come and do an art party.  It was wonderful and they all did so well!

I had to include this picture of my mom in her Christmas sweater from the 80's.  She's a treasure to us!

Patrick got to sing on stage for his preschool Christmas production.  He was so cute......tears in my eyes and he's definitely not one of my shy children.

My little guy loves to help me shop but talks me into buying way too much junk!

My husband had a conference in New Orleans so I was able to go meet him there and see my sister as well.  There is nothing like New Orleans at Christmas time.  It is beautiful and the food is as wonderful as I remember as a child.  There is also nothing like laughing with your sister and spending some time away with your husband. 

Grateful for A New Year

I can't believe it's been over a month since I have blogged.  Crazy, I know and I really don't have any major excuse.  Life has just been busy and I hardly ever have down time to sit and write my thoughts.  With the busy Christmas season, all my older kids in town for the holidays, and then being hit with the flu beginning on New Year's day it's been more hectic than normal.  So I guess I'll update everyone on last month's happenings and I promise I'll try to get back on a weekly blog post schedule : )

4 of us ran the neighborhood Jingle Bell 5K.  Christian won the whole thing with the best time! 

We made the annual Christmas Candy house.

My first born came home for a 2 week holiday exodus....yay!  He is loving the army but looked pretty thin.  We fattened him up while he was home : )

My nursing school friend came to visit me from Texas....hadn't seen each other for over 20 years!  But it's so awesome how friendships can pick-up again just like we saw each other yesterday!

Matthew sat through his first official performance of the Nutcracker.  He was very well behaved and liked hanging out with us girls.

We visited family in Charlotte right before New Year's and pretty much took over the neighborhood Starbucks......they kicked us outside : )

My big kids went bowling with the cousins.

And of course, the usual Christmas morning mess and chaos.  Wouldn't have it any other way : )

Happy New Year!

Thankfull for Fullness. Full and Fullfilled.

Patrick was a little overwhelmed at the large family Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday and this year I was just about as thankful as a mom could be.  

Thankful for family. Thankful for my country. Thankful for the Lord seeing us through another year. Thankful for the here and now. I was recently asked at our church small group what was the best thing about this past Thanksgiving and what was the worst.  My answer was the same for both.  The worst thing about this Thanksgiving was that it was our first Thanksgiving without all my children home.  I was a little sad about it at first, but I was so thankful for where those two were.  My #1 son left for the army on Nov. 18 on a 5 year contract to do special forces.  He ate army food on his first Thanksgiving away from family.  But this is right where God has him, right where he wants to be and right where he needs to be.  Surprisingly, I didn't even shed a tear.  My #2 son stayed back at college for Thanksgiving to avoid the long drive since he will be coming home anyway in 2 weeks.  He ate dinner at the Dean of his college's house.  We missed them both but life's a constant series of choices.  Choose to look at who's not there at your table or choose to look at who is.  Choose to see the problems and troubles we've all had over the last year, or look at all the blessings. Choose to be thankful that we are all together, no matter how imperfect we may be. 
We had 24 for Thanksgiving dinner.  All of them family and one special friend who is like family.  We also had 2 additional dogs brought by relatives......it was crazy, but crazy fun!  So thankful. So full.  So fulfilled. 

We awoke on Thanksgiving morning to see the first pictures of our soldier on facebook.  He's the one right up front and looks so cute with his new haircut. 

Some of the crowd.  Tired and full after a fun day.

We played Christmas songs with Mommom. 

We played silly games.  And we laughed and laughed.

Springy Break

The Gang's All Here.....plus 1

It's amazing that all 3 of my college kids had spring break the same week even though they are at 3 different colleges. Ben brought his roommate home too, so we've had 13 in the house.  It's been a busy, fun blessing having them home.  I'm so glad they all chose to come home for break rather than travel the world.  We've still been attempting to do some homeschool but in the midst of all the craziness not much has gotten done.  And I had gotten used to "only" cooking for 9 people and half of those people rather small.  My grocery budget has gone out the window.  Yes, they are eating me out of house and home.  It's so funny how when the boys come home for break, they want to eat and eat and actually gain weight.  One batch of homemade cookies don't go very far around here right now.

So, here are a few pics of our crazy week.......

Anna's friend from college, who is originally from Malaysia, came to spend the day with us.  She wanted to experience large American family living first hand.  She even went to the grocery store with us. 

Patrick and Ben have reconnected. Now that Patrick is talking and saying their names, it's so funny.  The younger ones so enjoy the older ones around and vice verse. 

Ron took the older kids, well really all of them except the little boys and me, to the beach for a two days.  Here are my 3 precious older college kids.

And here is Ron with the others.....it was cold.  And I had a nice quiet time at home with the little boys getting some much needed things done.  It was like a "teacher workday" ; )

The little boys and I visited the neighborhood library.....I love spending time with just my little guys. 

2012 Bucket List

Happy Happy New Year!

2012 was a great year, a fast year and a very full year.

When you have many children of many different ages and stages, there is really never a dull moment.  So, here is a quick recap with some interesting large family tidbits thrown in : )

Matthew, my son with Down Syndrome, took off walking independently after he turned 3.  A wonderful milestone for him. 

Still homeschooling 5 different grades, plus 2 very active toddlers.

Graduated our oldest daughter from a Christian school and now have 3 in college, yes 3!  (it's really not so bad, God provides : )

Our large 12 passenger 7 year old van went away : ( It needed a good bit of work and with only 7 kids living at home all the time, we were able to go back to a 9 passenger Suburban.  Actually, we were all pretty happy, especially me and the teenage drivers.

My mom had a bad fall in March and took about 3 months to recover, but has emerged from all this so much better.  She is off a lot of meds that she didn't need to be on and is so much more herself and enjoying life again.

We took 3 lovely vacations this year.....to the NC mountains, the beach, camp in Pennsylvania and Ron and I were able to have a few weekend trips away (I would highly recommend this for a healthy marriage.)

I began tutoring a Classical Conversation's class in the fall at our local co-op.  I teach my daughter and 7 other 1st graders and absolutely love it!  If you homeschool and have not heard about Classical Conversations, check it out!

We still go through at least a gallon of milk a day and about 3 dozen eggs a week.  When everyone is home from college, I'm sure we go through more.  My grocery budget has gone up to about $450 a week due to buying more organic and healthier foods, plus groceries have just gone up in price in general!

We've had a surge in hunting and trapping, thanks to my teenage sons. We also have had quite a menagerie over this past year.......quail, geese, rabbits, raccoons, possums, a fox, ducklings, hamsters and the usual cat and dog.

I weaned my baby mid-summer and this is the longest I've gone without being pregnant or nursing since we were married 23 years ago.  I'm almost down to my goal weight and getting in better shape.  Who knows, maybe really done having babies.

Well, that's about all that comes to mind. We're excited to see what God has in store for 2013......whatever that may be I'm so thankful for all his blessings and committing this year to cultivate more joy and thanksgiving into my life.

Whew....Made It Through Christmas : )

Our family uncensored............

Don't worry, a better Christmas family picture was taken and I'm sure will end up on my blog but this one is just so "us."  The older brother is "torturing" the younger teenage brother, Anna is yelling at them to stop, my husband is thinking it's all funny, the oldest and middle boy are getting irritated by trying not to show it, the little boys want to watch the older ones and not the camera, the little girls are posing sweetly and I'm getting mad!

It's December 26th!  I used to be sad as a child that Christmas was over, but now as a mom of many, I say "whew!"  I do love Christmas time and have such fond memories of Christmas as a child.  I want my children to have the same sort of memories.  I love to shop and I love to give my children gifts, so put the two together and this is just about the funnest time of the year to me.  I have to keep an organized list of what I need to get and what I've already gotten after they each give me a Christmas list.  We had a crazy but very blessed day yesterday opening presents and opening our home to 3 friends that had no other family to enjoy Christmas dinner with.  But as I've gotten older, I love the day after Christmas.  It's so nice to just be still and quiet, organize our new things, let the kids play with their new toys, clean up and not have to go to ANY store!  Plus, tonight my daughter is babysitting as a gift to us and treating my husband and I to a movie date.  Bliss : )

This is my favorite one.....candid and everyone happy

Thankfully Feeding Forty

The Kiddie Table

I think the number one thing I was thankful for this Thanksgiving was family.  I know that may sound cliche, but I hosted 40 (yes, 12 were my immediate family) and all of them were related to me in some distant way except for 1.  I looked around the room when we all shared each others thankful leaf that was hung on our Thanksgiving tree (see above picture) and my eyes welled with tears with thankfulness.  So many people are alone on the holidays or come from broken families and have broken hearts and memories.  It is only by God's grace and goodness that I have the family that I have.  Just about all of the guests were from my husband's family.  They were all down here due to a nephew getting married about 40 minutes from our house 2 days after Thanksgiving.  So, how did I do it all?  Since I keep getting that question asked to me, then I will tell.........

1. Delegate.  I asked everyone to bring things.  People like to contribute and most women like to cook, right? : )

2.  We started getting the house ready about 2 weeks in advance.  This included polishing silver, getting the carpets cleaned, etc.

3.  Lists!  I make lots of lists, regarding food, what needed to be done, etc. 

4.  Enlist help and borrow items if need be.  I really wanted everyone to have a table to sit at since it was Thanksgiving and because the weather was pretty warm, I was able to put 3 tables on the porch.  I was prepared to borrow an outside heater or a table if need be.

5.  Start cooking early.  I did this and put things in the freezer.

6.  Don't stress.  I think most people can feel if the hostess is stressed, strained or all the kids have just been yelled at because Mom is "loosing it."  You know, it's not worth it. Whenever I have a big gathering or party, I think back to all my other large events and realize that it always comes together in the end and I learn something to do or not to do the next time around. 

Well, here are some priceless pictures that my husband was able to snap during the craziness. 

12 Gifts of Christmas

Our Christmas Pic of 2011

Read to the tune of "12 Days of Christmas"


One High End Mountain Bike for my Hubby


Two Kindle Fires


Three LSU Hoodies


Four pairs of Toms


Five different types of guns


Six dolls/stuffed animals


Seven fluffy bath towels


Eight yummy smelling candles


Nine Assorted Books


Ten Christmas ornaments


Eleven Lego men


Twelve Christmas Candies


Yes, this is a legit list of some of the things actually given by me to my kids or husband...whew, glad the shopping is done!


Joyously celebrating the best gift ever.....God's Son Jesus!  Merry Christmas to all!

Christmas Traditions

I love Christmas time and always have since I was a little girl.  The sights, smells and sound of Christmas Carols bring back so many wonderful memories for me.  But a few years ago I found myself so stressed and rushed around Christmas.  I started to almost wish I could just "jump" over to January.  I realized that year that I was trying to do too much, you know, "for the kids."  I was stressing way too much about shopping and saying "yes" to every party and Christmas event.  You know, the holiday traditions mean nothing and are not enjoyable if Mom is all frazzled!  So I decided that quality is better than quantity when it comes to holiday traditions (a quote I got from Barbara Curtis)and really the children remember more about the atmosphere of the home at Christmas time than anything else.  

Here are the traditions we do just about every year and now I have older children to help!

We get our live Christmas tree every year on the Friday after Thanksgiving.  We go to the same farm near our house.  We have to go at night, no matter how cold it is, so the kids can play tag through all the Christmas trees.  We usually don't get it all decorated that night, but at least set it up and put some lights on it.  Then I always make homemade hot chocolate.

My older kids put up lights on the front of our house.  This year we added at blow-up Nativity that we bought from Lowes.  I love it!  We're making a statement about what Christmas is really about.

I've really chilled out about the front of the house being perfect.  I'm just glad that my kids have taken over this task.

The children love hanging up the stockings.  Our mantle is really getting full!

Every year we make our Louisiana Candy House. I did a post on how we do this last year.  Look under the Christmas tag on my side bar.

A few other traditions:

We make lots of Christmas cookies and candy, including Norwegian ones from my husband's childhood.

We have the children draw each other's names for gift giving.  So they buy a special gift for the sibling that they choose (of course I help the little ones with this.)

We go to our church's Christmas Eve service every year after eating Chinese food beforehand.  

We have the large turkey dinner on Christmas day after all the presents are done.

I usually take the kids, or sometimes just the girls, to one Christmas play or ballet during the season. 

So, what are some of y'all's unique Christmas traditions?

A Chinese Perspective on Large Families

 This Thanksgiving we were host to 6 Chinese college students from UNC.  None of these precious students had ever had a Thanksgiving meal, actually had never eaten a meal in an American home and certainly had never been in a home with 10 children!  They were absolutely a delight to be around. Our church has an International student ministry and we volunteered to host a few Chinese students. I had heard ahead of time that a few of them wanted to come to our house especially when they heard how large our family was.  I was a little leary about that and wondered if we would freak them out : ) But they were so interested in everything and loved all the children.  All of them had grown-up in one child households and said that they grew-up so very lonely.  They said they each had one cousin.  In talking to them, I was reminded of the new law in China that says if both the husband and the wife come from one child households, then they are allowed to have two children.  They were all so excited about this.  It was precious to see their faces light-up talking about possibly having 2 children, but was somewhat sad to me too. They loved playing with the children and taking a tour of the home.  Anyway, all of this got me thinking of some questions people ask me at times, like "How do you have time to spend with each child? Do you enjoy each one individually?"  Well, here is my blanket answer to these.....God gave me these precious ones and He knew that should be on this earth right now. He gives me time for each one and He multiplies my time. Actually,  it's really not about me "enjoying" each one (which I do) but about raising them to be godly, mature adults.  The practical ways we do this will come in the next post :)

Our precious Chinese visitors.  They loved taking pictures with us!