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Back to Little Rock

We got to go back to Little Rock and visit friends last weekend! It was so much fun! We packed a lot in those 3 and half days. Bucky had work shop there and we tagged along for the ride. We stayed at the Peabody Hotel. All I have to say is "Wow!" I felt like royalty as the vallets let us in and out of the car each time we came and went. When you do get out, thereis this beautiful music playing that makes you feel as though you are going to a Ball at the palace. We saw the famous duck march...cute! We spent alot of time with Allison and her crew...Ella Marie, Cole "MAN", Conner, & Collins...love them. AnnaBrooke spent the night there the first night and wasn't even scared a bit. I got to visit with Amy Rypkema (who is pregnant!),Amanda Brown,Jaime Melcher, JoEllen Cooper, and Amy Arnold. AnnaBrooke had so much fun playing with Sophie Le...her best little friend. Her and Cole MAN (his name is Cole but AnnaB calls him ColeMan). I met with this super sweet lady, Karmen, about Kidz RAP....that's for another blog entry! Friday night we ate at our great friends Amanda and David home....so great...I always enjoy my time with Amanda...she is the real deal....a Great friend! Saturday morning we met Amy, Amanda, and Jaime and their crews at Pinnacle Park. It was an absolute gorgeous day! Pinnacle put in all new playground equipment, it was so nice. Brinley went to Peyton's that afternoon and Bronson played with Eli. Saturday night we ate at one of our favorites...Bravo's and then headed to Maggie Moos (for the kids ofcourse). Sunday we went to our old Church and were able to see lots of people we miss seeing. Chris Davis taught Sunday school and did an incredible job...challenging us to serve. We enjoyed our time there immensely but I really wasn't that sad to leave like I thought I'd be...I know God has us in Houston for a reason :)

AnnaBrooke's B-day

Well, I am quite a bit late in posting this, but as they say "better late than never", right? My little precious joy (AnnaBrooke) is 4 now!She is still so tiny and light it's hard to believe she is really 4. I remember so well marveling at her when she was an infant...changing her diaper or bathing her and just thinking "what a JOY". Her middle name in some books even means little joy. Gracious Stream (AnnaBrooke), little joy or little womanly one (which also fits perfectly for our girly girl). We were in Lake Charles for her real b-day and all went to Gatti's to eat and play in Gattiland. We then all went to Mamaw'a house to sing, open presents and eat cake. Then a couple of weeks later we had three neighborhood friends come over for a party. We rented a castle jump, had a castle cake and the girls were all dressed as princesses...the princesses of Sherburn Manor Dr. They had a great time!

Christmas came and went

Well, it's 2 days after Christmas now. Tomorrow is our AnnaBrooke's birthday! She will be 4 years old! She is not that excited about it because she knows soon after she turns 4 she has to give up her pacifiers. She LOVES her pacies as she calls them. Grandma (Bucky's mom) came the Wed. before Christmas to stay with us and left Sunday. We all had such a nice time. She baked tons of sweet yummy treats with the kids which I am having a very hard time controlling my temptation to eat all of the cowboy candy in the bag! I already ate all the pecan sandy balls! Thursday night we went to a Christmas program at Champion Forest Baptist Church. It was awesome, the first part was nice, nut the nativity part was spectacular..real elephants and camels! I think the angels may have been real too :)! Afterwards, all the kids (and their parents) headed down "candy cane lane" to go sledding down the snow hill! The line was so long, we couldn't even see the hill...but it went by pretty quickly and the kids loved it! Where else can you experience snow in Houston? Thankfully, it was actually cold this Christmas here!!!!Yeah!!!! The kids even got to see snow on the front porch Christmas morning....really...well..it looked like snow...snow in seconds. Bucky and I stayed up until 1 making the snow in seconds. Yes it really only took a few seconds for the powder to turn into snow once you add the water..but you can only add water to small quantities at a time or you want make very much...there's the catch. So I went to bed pretty late that night...stuffing stockings, putting Bucky's stocking together, putting more presents under the tree. We don't do the Santa thing, but I still like to have the stockings be surprizes as well as the awe of walking to the Christmas tree on Christmas morning and seeing all these gifts you have yet to see...as I remember growing up. Christmas Eve was a neat time. We had planned to go to our church service, but the weather was so bad when we were supposed to leave we decided to stay home. Ofcourse the weather got better soon after! We had a Happy birthday Jesus cake and sang, ate, and Bucky read the Bible. Later that night, we all had hot chocolate and Bucky read a Christmas book to us.....loved it! He had to talk pretty loud over Aaron and AnnaBrooke...since they were not interested in listening. The kids and grandma all went upstairs and went to sleep. I was surprized the kids did not wake up until 8:30 that morning! I woke up to my dad's texts..they were up before us and they don't have kiddos at home!
The kids slowly came down the stairs and opened their stockings, then I got dressed and we all took turns opening gifts. Later the kids went outside to try our their new scooters and things. It was a nice, wonderful day...I even got a 2 hour nap!

Almost Christmas

Well, Christmas is a week away, it always comes here before I know it. Like my mamaw says...every year it seems time just goes by faster..I think I agree. Christmas is always a busy time of year and its hard to juggle the commercial part of Christmas and truly focus on the true meaning of what we are celebrating. This year has not been as busy for our family because we don't really know anyone good enough yet to be invited to Christmas parties and such, but don't feel sorry for us...its kind of refreshing actually. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy all the get togethers but it is also nice to have time just to.... be during this season.
We have been going to this church called The Met and it is such a neat church! I think Brinley said it best this morning when she said, "I just love The Met and I don't know anyone there but I just love it". That's how we feel too. The preachers are phenomenal and it is truly a others focused, mission minded church. Every week I have been inspired to give more of my self. Like today for instance, wow, they showed this boy in Uganda some had videoed when on a mission trip there. He lost his parents at 6 years old and is now 13 and his only concern is trying to find enough to eat each day. He said, :I go to church and people tell me Jesus loves you, we love you, but it is so hard to believe when everynight I go to bed hungry." Well, this couple from the church saw this video (it was played a year ago) and felt strongly led to adopt this young man! God had been working on their hearts for months about adoption...even though they were getting excited about the idea that they were about to be empty nesters!So the couple shared their journey of how they were able to adopt this boy, Samuel. There were soooo many road blocks yet They consistantly believed God would do the impossible to enable them to adopt Samuel, and He did! Then the whole family...extended family too and Samuel got in front of the church and they dedicated him ( like parent dedications when you have a baby). I am smiling just writing this...it was so awesome! The husband said God told him that Samuel was going to be a great man of God and one day go back to his people of Uganda and lead thousands to Christ. WoW! Oh, something else I just love...the husband said when he was watching that first video of Samuel that he heard him say somehting like I hear of Jesus but don't see him here...and God told him "Go be Jesus to him, go get him, go get your son." I'm sure I didn't get the wording just right, but I hope you got the jest of this incredible story. There is so much hurt in the world and I often get overwhelmed thinking of it all, and then ...do nothing. I don't want to be like that. I want God to use me, I want to be open to what God wants from my life. Merry Christmas!

Brinley's Birthday

I have not blogged about Brinley's 9th b-day yet so although this is out of order..oh well..so is my life! :) She had a friend party in Little Rock before we moved at the Arkansas Skatium and had a blast. Two of her best friends were not able to make it but it was still a fun time. We celebrated her real b-day with family..us, grandma and nana and pappy. They all came to Houston and they had fun playing with the kids outside. Brinley got a new bike from us and roller blades from Nana and Pappy so she spent all day outside going up and down the sidewalks on her new wheels. We went to Itz that night, ate pizza and the kids rode rides...lots of fun!
Update of Brinley...she plays alot with a girl her age down the street...I am thank ful to God for this friendship...she is a sweet indian girl...not positive if they are hindu are not. she reads every chance she gets, is on a gymnastics team, rides horses twice a month (her love), and plays the violin. She is most likey going to play soccer in the spring. She is growing up too fast! I just pray I can help mold her into the girl God wants her to be.