7 quick takes Friday.......

1. My pastor told this incredible story Sunday and I thought that I would share it with everyone....Hope it makes you think about the gift that Jesus is to us.

A young husband loved is his new wife very much. They had not been married for long when she shared with him a desire of her heart...When her grandmother died a few years back she was supposed to have received a special ring from her grandmother but it could never be found. It turns out that her grandmother's father fought in World War I and right before he was killed in battle he sent her grandmother a beautiful diamond ring. Her grandmother cherished this ring her whole life and always promised it to her beloved granddaughter. But when the grandmother died, the whole house was searched as family when through all the belongings...the ring was never found.

This husband listened to his young wife's story and decided to go on a quest to find this ring for his wife. After much investigating and interviewing, he found out that a distant cousin had taken the ring from the house during the funeral. He explained the importance of this ring to the cousin, but she was unwilling to give it to him. She made him purchase it from her for an exorbitant price. The husband was sad...He had anticipated giving it to his wife for Christmas, but he would have to save money for a long time.

Several years went by. The husband saved money and finally had enough to buy the ring for his wife. He went and got it....He put it in a box and wrapped it. He put it under the Christmas tree and waited for his wife to open this ring...He knew that this would be the best gift he would ever give to her...

Well, if you haven't guessed by now, here is the point of the story.......God felt the same way this young husband did the night that he gave us Jesus. He was giving us the greatest gift ever, and even though later there would be suffering and His Son would take on the sins of the world, God still felt so much love and anticipation as He gave us this most wonderful and saving gift. This story really made me think about the birth of Jesus and God's gift to us this Christmas....I am so loved by GOD! So loved that He would give me the most precious gift of my life......

2. We are actually having having Christmas with my family tomorrow!! AAAHHHHH! How did this sneak up on me so fast....So much to do before we travel this weekend...Hope I can get it all done!

3. I am thankful for my best friend today. Yes, Beck, I mean you. Her family is so sick and I just want them to all get better for Christmas.....Who wants sick kids for Christmas? I don't ever remember being sick on Christmas.....Get better soon my sweet friend!

4. I noticed that Jen at http://craftbugjen.blogspot.com/ asked what everybody's favorite Christmas song was! Wow! I had to think about this one for a while......But I think that it is "Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel"....at least that it is my favorite hymn. I really love it when Bing Crosby sings "The Christmas Song" too....

5. Jen at http://conversiondiary.com/, the one who hosts all these great quick takes, wrote in her blog today that she was scared of carolers coming. I just had to laugh at this because I remembered back when I was in college and Christmas carolers came to our apartment. It was about zero degrees outside and we were standing there with the door open with these silly grins on our faces while they sang, and sang, and sang.....We didn't think that they would ever leave!

6. OK, I am NOT a Starbucks junkie and I do not go there very often, but I just have to share this one little tidbit. I got a White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha there this morning, and seriously people, it tastes like Christmas in a cup. Yummy.

7. I hope that all of you bloggers out there have a really, really wonderful Christmas!

Trim the Tree Thursday....No. 3

Well, I worked on my dining room this week. Also just had to show you guys a picture of a cupcake that this sweet woman who I make hairbows for made for my children. Have you ever seen a cuter cupcake in your life? Let's see, what did I get done this week? Put some beautiful green ribbon on the lights in the dining room (which I may leave up all year?), put out my extremely whimsical dining room placemats and napkins, added some santas and snowmen to the decor, and got my Christmas dishes out which are Santa, Snowman, and Reindeer. I love to get these out every year....It is so fun to go through your Christmas boxes and feel like that it is new to you just because it has been packed away for 11 months! Can't wait to look at everybody else's wonderful decor, too. Have A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!

7 Quick Takes Volume 3

Well, the most wonderful blogger, Jen at http://conversiondiary.com/ has gotten me addicted to Quick Take Fridays. So fun just to read the random stuff that is in everybody's heads and hearts at the end of each week! Go to her sight to see all the Quick Takes fun.

So, here are my Quick Takes for this wonderful Friday, December 12th! Only 13 days to Christmas ya'll. You have to imagine me saying the 'ya'll' with an East Tennessee twang or it doesn't work....

1. OK, so I already knew this but today it hit me in the face like a ton of bricks for the 2nd or 3rd time in my life....I AM HORRIBLE IN EMERGENCIES. I saw a horrific car accident today.....a tractor-trailer took out a small pickup right in front of my eyes....I was the only one on the scene so I had to call 911. I have had to call 911 several times in the past as well, and let me just tell you, I feel sorry for those 911 people. I was yelling at her "There's been an accident; there's been an accident" over and over without giving her the needed information. And I never know where I am. When she asked me what road I was on, I had to sprint out of my car in the torrential downpour and look for signs. Luckily I was at an intersection where the highway numbers were clearly posted or we would have all been screwed. I was running in the rain back and forth between the two vehicles....Luckily I think that everyone is going to be OK but that is no thanks to me. I think they probably ended up listening to a more rational 911 caller that arrived on the scene a little later.

2. OK, so the most annoying Christmas gift that I am trying to find right now is for somebody that I don't even know. I grabbed one of those Angel Tree angels off at church and got a 13 year old boy who wears size 11 (men's) shoes. The only thing that he really wants is velcro tennis shoes. Well, they don't really make velcro tennis shoes for men. I am afraid I am over thinking it......I can't help but wonder if there is some cool trend that I am missing and maybe just the really really expensive shoes are velcro....or if he can't tie his shoes for some reason and needs velcro....... or if some clueless adult wrote that down and he really doesn't want velcro and if I get them for him he will be mortified. Doesn't really matter though because I can't find them anywhere.

3. I want it to snow so badly!! SNOW, SNOW, SNOW!!!!!!!

4. I have realized that I have a lot of people in my life that are constant complainers. So, the only thing that I can deduce from that fact is that God must want me to have more patience with people that complain, right? I mean, they have to be here for a reason......

5. I have been going through all of our digital pictures on the computer trying to find some really cute ones of the kids to put in some photo calendars I bought for the grandparents for Christmas this year. After going through at least 600 pictures I realize that there are about 7 pictures total where I appear. Out of those 7 pictures, 5 of those are either the side of my face or back of my head. And the two that are actually purposeful pictures of me where I am looking at the camera are really depressing. I look fat, haggard, and all red in the face. I really don't want my children looking at these pictures from their toddler years and remembering me this way, but what can you do?

6. So, somehow I got on to the Victoria Secret catalogue mailing list back in the summer. And the first catalogue I got had sweaters that they were trying to get rid of from last winter. I am a sucker for a deal so I spent something like $13.00 and got two sweaters. Well, it is winter time now and I got them out to wear the other day. I put them on and realize that they are really funky. They have huge cowl necks and sleeves that stop at the elbows. And they hit somewhere between bellybutton and boob. Now, you are supposed to wear a long sleeve shirt under them of course, but I put it on and felt self-conscious the rest of the day. You know how sometimes you just know that you are not pulling something off? So, essentially I have wasted $13.00.

7. I am really getting excited about Christmas. My friend Gina and I decided today that we are going to start a new tradition together...We are going to get our kids dressed up like somebody from the Nativity and throw a birthday bash for Jesus! We are going to act out the Christmas story with the kids and then eat birthday cake and sing and everything. Before we have the party, we are going to have each kid make something for Jesus so that they have a gift for Him at the party! FUN!

Have a blessed Friday everyone! May God bless you and your family!

Trim the Tree Thursday II

Here I am again for Trim the Tree Thursday! Time is flying by. Where has the week gone? I didn't get as much done this week but hopefully by next Thursday I will have more to show...I did put some things in the entryway bathroom, got the kid's Little People nativity out, got my Jim Shore nativity put in the hall, and made a floral arrangement for our breakfast table! Hope you like the pictures! Go to http://thesouthernhostess.blogspot.com/ to see everyone's beautiful Christmas decor!

Christmas Lessons from the Grinch

I watched the Grinch tonight with my children. It is one of my favorites. I love the part where the narrator says that the Grinch realizes that "Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store." As I watched it I was thinking....What if we as a family didn't have any presents? What if we didn't have any food? No Christmas decor? What if some green monster snuck into our house in the middle of the night and took it all away? What would we do on Christmas Eve and Christmas day without all of the mayhem of opening gifts? Would we sing like the Whos just for the joy of Jesus's birth? I hope that through the next several years of my children's lives I can help them to understand what Christmas truly is. That even if we don't have all the trappings, it is a day of celebration no matter what that looks like. Watching that show tonight made me think seriously about what traditions we need to form as a family that will honor Jesus no matter what our circumstances. That way if there is ever a time when we have nothing....No presents, no decorations, and no "roast beast", we will still have a meaningful Christmas together where Christ is honored.

My 7 Quick Takes for This Wonderful Friday.....

Well, today is 7 Quick Takes day but I am probably not going to put myself on http://conversiondiary.com/ just for time's sake. But you can go to this website and read everybody else's 7 Quick Takes if that floats your boat.
1. So my children are spending their first night away from home tonight. Without us I mean. They are at the grandparents scarfing down cookie dough and candy like no tomorrow. The problem with that is that there is a tomorrow and when I get them back then they are going to be exhausted and full of sugar.
2. Since we are minus the children, Matt and I actually got to go see a movie together. Probably haven't done that in at least a year and a half to two years. We saw 'Four Christmases' and it was so funny. We laughed and laughed. It was much better than I guess I thought it would be, so I recommend it. Go see it! If you are able..........
3. I am doing a craft fair at church tomorrow for 6 hours. The fun part is that I am doing it with my friend Katie so we get to hang out and talk the whole time. The bad part has been that I really procrastinated and made most of the bows this week.........It is a lot of work and I am very, very tired right now of little girl's hair bows. I may just rebel and never make any again.
4. Also because my children are gone, I was able to go out this afternoon and run in the daylight! (I usually run in the dark...after Matt gets home from work.) Even though it was 3:30 in the afternoon, it was my coldest run yet. My hands and feet were completely numb when I got back in the house. It is a very weird feeling to be really hot and really cold at the same time.
5. We got a new digital camera this week. I am really excited about that because now maybe we will be able to take some good pictures at Christmas. Our old camera was getting really bad....It just stopped taking the pictures fast even with new batteries. When you have to wait 15 seconds for the pictures to take after you hit the button, you know you have gotta get a new camera. Especially with kids. In 15 seconds they are already in another room.
6. So, my husband is going to pick up the kids tomorrow afternoon by himself. My craft fair is over at 3:00 so I will actually have about 5 hours tomorrow completely by myself. I really have to say that I don't think that has happened in probably the past year and half to two years either. What will I do? The possibilities are endless. I really don't know what I will do with myself.
7. I am so excited now because some of my old Greensboro friends are getting on Facebook. It is so great to talk to them......We have been in Knoxville for about 3 and a half years now so it shocked me a little bit when after I talked to them yesterday I felt really homesick. For Greensboro. I loved it so......And I loved my life there. It was such a different life than the one I have now. I think I just really miss all my friends and my old job. But I know that I am also really having a great life here in Knoxville too.....It is just as fun but just so different for me being a stay-at-home mom and not working. I think that God really blessed me then in my life as much as he is blessing me now.......I am so grateful that I have been able to have been so fulfilled by a job and just as fulfilled as a mom.
Happy Friday!

Trim the Tree Thursday....The Timbs Family Christmas Decor

I am so excited that we got all of our Christmas trees decorated! They make our den feel so cozy and colorful. A really cool blogger, http://thesouthernhostess.blogspot.com/ is having a really fun Thursday entry where everyone shows off their Christmas decor, and I thought I would participate the month of December. Maybe by next week I will have some more decor to show off, but for right now I am just glad to have gotten the trees done. We have a very whimsical Christmas style at our house......I love all ornaments and don't ever want to leave any off! By the time I am old and gray the tree will not hold them all because I just love how they bring back Christmas memories from my childhood and remind me of the things my children have loved for the past 5 years.

Oh, the joys of motherhood.....

Today was a little crazy at our house. I overslept majorly and was trying to get Caleb out the door to preschool in a record 45 minutes.....Getting me, Abby and Caleb all ready to get out the door in 45 minutes is impossible and that was clearly evident today as it did not take me 45 minutes but and hour and 20 minutes to accomplish the feat so he was 20 minutes late to preschool. Anyhoo, had a crazy time at the grocery store afterward with Abby......She kept standing up in the seat of the grocery cart everytime I would reach out to pick up an item and some little old lady (bless her!) came over to me and said "Honey, that child is gonna bust her noodle open!" I was also afraid she was going to bust her 'noodle' open so I continually fussed at her down every Kroger aisle.

We went back to pick up Caleb after lunch and his teacher gave me his preschool report card. They get it at the end of every semester...Then you can choose to have a teacher conference if you want to. I may be doing that. Bless his heart, it seems that he has lots of things to work on. Not doing so well in the hygiene/self-help department or the social/emotional skills. His sweet teacher wrote things like "Has to be reminded every day to clean up after himself at lunch", and "Never waits to hear the directions." These were actually strangely comforting to me because at least I know that she knows my child well. And these are the things that I try to teach him day in and day out. Too bad they haven't stuck yet. On the upside, he has good gross motor skills. But I knew that already. The boy can run like a gazelle.

And then Abby.....Oh Abby. She is such a mess. I had decided that "Santa Claus" was going to bring her the Cinderella princess dress from the Disney store. I had gone and gotten it the other day when Matt was home to keep the kids and I could actually shop by myself for a little while. I felt so good about it....I knew that it was something that she really wanted because she has talked about it for months. So, what do I do? I bring it home and hang it in the very back of her closet, behind all of her other clothes. Now, this may sound stupid to you but all of our Christmas presents have to be hidden in her closet because we have no other storage in our house...I just knew that since it was hanging in the very back that she would never see it anyway because it was covered up behind all the other clothes. All the other presents in there are hidden in bags and boxes, and I have been keeping the closet closed with a childproof closet lock on it anyway. Well, today I forgot to use the childproofing gadget so her closet was open.....I was downstairs working on supper when I heard her little voice say...."Mommy, I just did pee-pee in my pants so I am going to put on my Cinderella dress instead of new pants, OK?" I realized that she had must have had an accident and had opened her closet to get new pants all by herself and somehow spotted the one-half inch of Cinderella blue that visible in the back of the closet. By the time I ran upstairs she had pulled that dress off the hanger and had it halfway on. DADGUMMIT!!! I guess Santa is not bringing that one after all. I will just have to wrap it and stick it under the tree and tell her it is from Mommy and Daddy. So much for Christmas surprises. I am sure that for the next 23 days she is going ask me where that Cinderella dress is.