DECEMBER 2008

Here is a quick recap of December for our family:

We usually take the month of December off from school in order to enjoy the fun and festivities and to take care of the preparations that make the holiday season special for everyone. I get too overwhelmed trying to carry on with everyday "normal" life and also prepare for Christmas. I end up being so distracted that I am unable to focus on the real reasons behind the most wonderful time of year. We all thoroughly enjoy our time off of school, that's for sure. It is so refreshing!

The girls and I have done a lot of cooking and baking, we have watched a number of Christmas specials on TV, decorated our Christmas trees and the house, made Baby Jesus presents to place in our Advent calendar, enjoyed Christmas crafts, played in the snow outside (we had at least 2 to 3 feet), played games, visited with family and friends, did some Christmas shopping, attended a cookie exchange, and participated in the Kids' Christmas choir performance at our church. We also went to a church potluck, although we were about an hour late and had already missed most of the eating. I was bummed because I had spent about 2 days preparing a bunch of food for the potluck. Oh well. Brent got his truck stuck on Mt. Hood because we had a huge snow and ice storm, and that's why we were late. One of the children's pastors that we work with was so very kind and went the next morning to help Brent get his truck unstuck. We could not have done it without him! That was the second time in one week that Brent needed help getting unstuck on the mountain. A car at the top of the mountain spun out in front of him which caused Brent to slam on his brakes. Obviously, once a big-rig stops in the snow going uphill, there is no way to get started again! Brent had to call a tow-truck to come help him out. Brent was also driving around all week with no heat in his truck. His heater was broken, and Brent was working in Eastern Oregon where the temperatures were well below zero degrees! In fact, it was 18-below-zero in some places! The conditions were rather miserable for him that week. I truly am thankful for a husband who is so selfless that he is willing to persevere through the horribly unpleasant conditions in order to provide for his family. Brent, you are a blessing to both the girls and me! I could not do what you do everyday!

On Christmas Eve, we went over to my brother's house and had our usual traditional celebration of eating, reading Christmas stories, enjoying family time, and opening/giving gifts. It was a little interesting getting to my brother's house in the snow and ice, but we made it there. It was a different story on the way home, however. We ended up getting stuck in the snow about a mile from our house. An extremely kind man stopped to help dig us out (he had a shovel with him, of course, we were not smart enough to bring one) while Brent put our chains on. This guy was in a hoodie (no coat), had no gloves or hat on, and he helped Brent for over a half-hour in blizzard-like snow! He touched my heart so much...a kind stranger on Christmas Eve willing to help a family no matter what the circumstances, and without expecting anything in return! I pray that God pours out his rich blessings on this man! It's astounding how much of an impact one person can have on another person's life. This act of kindness meant so much to me. I thought long and hard about his generous, unselfish, caring deed, and it made me want to do the same for other people. A kind act from one human really can change the world one person at a time. Pay it forward really does work, ya know? We can help make a difference, and even change lives, when we help others from our hearts! I pray that in this new year, God will open up doors for all of us to help those in need. Don't ignore his whispering voice or nudging! Even the little things matter! In fact, sometimes it's the smallest deeds that have the greatest impact! And if you happen to be on the other side of things, i.e., someone who is in need, I pray that God will send someone to you to be your guardian angel. I will always remember the "stranger in the night" as our guardian angel on Christmas Eve 2008.

Christmas day was very relaxed for us. We opened presents at around 11 AM (the girls were very patient), and then we went and saw a movie with Grandpa and my brother. The rest of the day, we came home and played with all of the girls' new toys! We took turns racing cars on a new electronic race track, we built a huge K'Nex rollercoaster, and we put together a V-Drop Hotwheels racetrack and had a tournament to see which Hotwheels cars were the fastest in our house. The V-Drop racetrack hooks onto the top of a doorjam and goes straight down to the floor. You place 2 cars in it and they race one another. We even got creative and added jumps and ramps to make it more interesting.

As of this date, Monday 12/29, Brent is still home (he has to renew his expired driver's license before returning to work). We have loved having Brent home for 5 days! It has been a nice break for him after such a tough week last week.

We will be hanging out at our house for New Years Eve. We are starting to feel old because we never do anything on New Years Eve anymore. We are rather boring. We usually just spend it with each other (by choice).

I am still working on editing pictures and creating a slideshow of all of our 2008 adventures. Just when I think I am catching up, more pictures get added to my collection! AGHHHHH! It never ends. Maybe I will have more time in January to work on this. The girls are starting swimming lessons and AWANA in January. We will also resume school again.

I hope you all have a joyous new year!

VERSE(S) OF THE DAY:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, " declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

Merry CHRISTmas!