Bad Blogger...Remember Thanksgiving?

Ugh...once again I've gotten caught up in living life and
have gotten behind on sharing it with loved ones.

The HOLIDAYS...seems like it takes my household
until February every year to recover.

Well...during our virtual absence we've packed ALOT in.
Perhaps we should resume telling our story
at Thanksgiving morning 2008.

It was cold, it was early...we were in Broadripple
at an event with 7,022 other people that is being
touted as the 3rd largest race event in Indy, behind
The Mini and The Race for the Cure,
The Drumstick Dash...

Eli wanted to run it (we said no...the crowd was GIAGANTORIC).
SIDENOTE...he, Eli, also hates his picture below, I had so many
layers on him that he looked like a red and black version
of the Michelin Man. Everybody say, "Puffy Coat".
Isaac pedaled it (fell asleep on his
handlebars the last 1/2 mile or so).
Matt and I starbucks-ed through it.
It was a blast and it felt good to be
"moving" with a purpose.
All the proceeds went to Wheeler Mission Ministries.

We didn't see it, but a Fox News guy nearly killed himself
walking backward to film Isaac and his wheels. He filmed FOREVER.
Isaac was probably on the news but who in their right mind
watches Fox News? (That's a little shout out for all my
ultra-conservative family and friends...luv ya :))

Merry HO hum...

-Dang germs makin a fella sick during
his birthday week! Please pray for Gusser.
If his temps keep running high they'll do a chest
x-ray to check for pneumonia. He's feeling punk.
Thankfully we learned that it is NOT whooping cough
which is rearing its ugly head in Westfield.
He's missing his school program tonight where
they were gonna sing "Joy to the World"
on the stage and everything
and his last day of school before Christmas
tomorrow. That's PARTY DAY! How
unfair is that? Shoot! Dern! Dag-nabit!

Paw Hates Christmas Tree Stars that DON'T Light Up...

So...I've been on this QUEST to find a
tree-topper that is a LIGHTED star...there's all
sorts of dumb ones out there but here's the closest
thing I could find this year. You'll hafta forgive
that it looks like we stole it from Superman's
Fortress of Solitude. You know, if you pull one of
the crystals out and put it in the Superman
player thingy then you can get a video
presentation of Jor-El, Superman's Father.
I reckon that'd be Marlon Brando and not
Glenn Ford...OH, go watch the movie!
My story is funny, trust me.

A funny if you ever experience the Christmas Crazies!

This Husband and Wife are not speaking since
this is how he responded when she ask him to
put up the Christmas Lights.

The Christmas "Holidays" can be so full of the wrong
things. I constantly struggle to keep it all in perspective.
This image helped me laugh and realize that nothing has to
be perfect as we go to celebrate the birth of Christ because,
really, nothing else can be. HE already is...
Perfect plan...perfect peace...
Praise HIM...

Don't let the "Christmas Crazies" getcha!

Angel Breakfast

Cold little lambs at Angel Breakfast this year.
Snow, SNOW, SnOw...
(check the halo over the toboggan)

There were sparkly lights and glorious angels
telling The Christmas Story with a really sweet
live nativity where we could pet the donkey, sheep,
and camels. We made Christmas ornaments and
had a yummy breakfast, sang carols and just
generally made ready to receive
The Holy Spirit at Christmas and celebrate
the birth of Jesus.

Isaac was so excited and flew through the halls from
one activity to the next. He's a blessedly happy
blur in most photo attempts but here's two shots
of some of The Lord's sheep...cold little sheep...

The Box

I keep threatening to ship them to their grandparents.
Today, I got the box.

Mom, Dad...if there's a box on the porch with some holes
in the top, open it quick. Isaac probably has to pee.
Thanks and good luck...

:)

TrAaa-diTION!

Advent ribbons are a Schantz Family thing.
This is Matt's actual advent ribbon from when he was a kid.
I believe, when he was little, that Jan (Oma) tied candy
to his and Dan's ribbons but we've tweaked it a little so as
to not pump them up with sugar right at bedtime.
The numbered tags correspond to a story or movie or
activity or treat or small gift that we have prepared.
They, of course, love it!
I, TOTALLY, get all my "good daughter in-law"
brownie points for continuing the tradition.
Everybody wins and The Oma is happy.

"December 1st til Christmas is the longest time of year.
Seems as if ole Santa Claus never will appear.

How many days til Christmas?
Is so mighty hard to count.
So this little ribbon will tell the exact amount.

Untie a candy every night
when the sandman cast his spell,
and Christmas eve will be here
by the time you reach the bell."

BUT Baby it's Cold Outside...

SO, today we're featuring a two for one...
We're walking back to the car after Gymboree
and Isaac's art teacher says, "See ya later honey-bunch."
To which Isaac replies, "I'm not a honey-bunch, I'm
sugar-bear!" This gets a laugh from the art teacher
whereupon I suggest to Isaac to tell her what his
brother's pet name is (I, apparently, was experiencing a
severe memory lapse at this particular moment forgetting
that the boys often argue over the possession of Eli's
pet name of Foo-Foo). So, Isaac grabbing the moment
shouts at the teacher who is, by now, getting in her car,
that he's NOT sugar-bear, he's FOO-FOO. I immediately
realize my mistake and start the emotional clean-up
attempting to honor the "Foo-foo" pact Eli and I had made
in the wee morning hours the day Isaac was born,
before he was born, that he, Eli, would always be
my first and only foo-foo. So, to avoid a high-octane tantrum
in the parking lot on the coldest day of the year so far,
I begin to suggest other cool names and the first thing
that pops out of my mouth is, "Love monkey"
to which Isaac loudly replies,
"I'm not the LOVE MONKEY, that's Daddy!
Daddy is the Love Monkey!" This produces a large
fit of giggles from the poor art teacher who is still trying
to get into her car. We side-step the whole foo-foo faux pas
with a Tootsie-Roll. Do you know how hard those things
are when they've been left in a frigid car? Have you ever tried to
wipe too-hard-tootsie-roll spit off of your
kid's chin in sub-zero temps?
AND...my kids' daddy is, indeed, a love monkey... :)


The most exciting moment of the day for Isaac is when
Eli gets home from school and can respond to
his question, "Eli, do you have homework?" (Read,
Eli, can you play with me now?) Today, Eli had no
homework and the boys (all three, think dog) were
dying to get outside in the little spitty (yes, s-P-itty)
bit of snow that we got last night.
So, we're bundling up to go out and
Isaac decides that he needs to tell me repeatedly that
it is very cold out and he really needs, "glubs". I keep
telling him that I know he needs "GLOVES" since
I AM a certified mommy and everything I can figure out
that a 5 below wind-chill requires, at least, gloves for the
whole 15 minutes that they'll get to go out.
He doesn't get it and keeps hollering at me,

"But, but, but MOM, I NEED glubs!"

Soul Food

They're bringing GLORY to GOD in the midst of their suffering!

If you need an AMAZING BLESSING today,
if your soul is hungry and you need to hear
how God is moving in the lives of HIS people,
check this out...and join with us as
we lift The McCraken Family up in prayer.

Oh, How HE Loves Q (SusieQ)
Oh, how HE loves you and me...

http://www.ohhowhelovesq.blogspot.com

PRAY

This beautiful lady in the middle
of her beautiful daughters is
Susie McCracken and she
is fighting cancer.
Today, Susie had surgery
to remove a tumor from her
brain and next they have to
go after the spots on her liver.
We love this lady and we want
to ask everyone that we know to
PRAY
Pray for her and her family's peace
and strength and comfort and healing.
Pray that they feel acutely the fact they
they are being held in God's own hand.
Please friends...pray with us. Thank you.