Happy Birthday Jesus

I know this is a little late...but I couldn't resist sharing..

Out with a Bang

We ended our whirlwind trip...you guessed it...in the ER in Roswell. Katie got VERY sick and by Saturday was running 101+ fever and was very lethargic. She had an ear infection. Antibiotic and 24 hours later and she was a new kid. David and Kyra meanwhile got treated to Red Lobster. Nana and Paw Paw met us and kept the kids while we were in the ER & then took Ky home. David got his Paw Paw usual. A pound of crab legs and dessert. That kid can eat crab legs. They had fun playing on the way home...

Education

You know it is amazing how life truly is the best teacher. At Granny & Grandads the kids got to see to cows who were giving birth and having problems, so Grandad had to pull the calves. They thought it was incredible. It was pretty amazing. David and Katie tried out the new saddles and GUESS WHAT WE GOT?? Ross and Connie got both families Wii's for Christmas. We laughed until we cried playing those things. We have had more fun playing...Kyra stayed a few days at my moms but Rody, David and I have put plenty of time on ours once we got home.

Presents Galore

After opening Wednesday at home, Christmas Day at Nana's, we then proceeded down the road to Granny's for ... you guessed it more presents.

Chesser Great-Grandkids

We got the opportunity to get pics of the kids with their second cousins and Grandma Chick. These are Rody's cousin's kids and we're missing his sisters two boys. I've never seen a Grandma more in her element than when her great-grandkids are around.

Then we have pics of all the Chesser Grandkids and one with Grandma Chick

Christmas at the Welches

We spent Christmas Day at my mom and dad's...it was huge, filled with tons of gifts, food and kids. What a great day!! There was the Chesser 5, Nana & Paw Paw, Mike & Deanie & their 4 girls; my oldest niece TaNessa had her significant other and his two boys...so that's like how many people??? BTW, David was so excited that there was more testosterone in the house. :-) Kyra and David got their very own saddles to take to Granny & Grandads. Oh and did I mention Nana gave David drums...thank you Nana! We tried to leave them but they made sure they were in the truck before we left. :-)

Family

Here are some pics of the family ... Tabbie...how in the world did you not get in the pictures? Since I spent most of the day holding Katie I didn't get a ton of pics..

Katie Bug

I guess b/c she is little but Katie had a ton of pics of her. Bless her heart she was not feeling good on Christmas and fell asleep in Shelby's lap. I love this t-shirt. Mom & Dad got it at the National Finals Rodeo and it says "Shh....I'm Hunting Cowboys". I love the one of her and David playing in her new Elmo kitchen...

Christmas Eve Presents

We were at home on Christmas Eve and opened our presents that morning. We laughed at the kids excitement the night before and how many times they got up to count presents. They are a hoot. We told them they had to wait till the sun came up and they did. They let me sleep till 7:30 (that is late at our house) and they were dressed and ready. Katie thought it was entirely too early.

More Presents Galore

It was really amazing to watch as they did not want to tear into all of them but would open one and play for a while and then open another. You know I think of the passage in Matthew 7 where it talks about how as parents we know how to give good gifts how much more does our Father in Heaven gives good gifts. As a parent I have to exercise extreme discipline...because I just want to get them everything that makes their eyes sparkle adn light up...don't you think that God feels that way when He blesses us. I am glad that God often is referred to as a parent, He is good and we are lucky to be His children.

Gifts from Aunt Margaret

My boss, Aunt Margaret as she is affectionately referred to, sent the kids these precious outfits and fun gifts. A cell phone...that is appropriate seeing as my kids know the tag lines for our clients and are always on 'pretend' phones working with mommy...

Thank you Aunt Margaret

Park Day

I'm playing catch up...sorry. The Saturday before Christmas we had beautiful weather and after running a few errands we went and spent some fun time at the park just playing...here are some pics.

Waiting Expectantly

As the days to Christmas approach and we have been counting how many more "Sundays' or 'Wednesdays' till Christmas the anticipation of opening presents is almost more than my kids can stand. Especially David this year...he knows that under that tree something is there for him and it is probably something so great that he just can't wait to open it.

Are you waiting that expectantly, that excited for the return of your Lord and Savior?? I am reading a book called Jotham's Journey with my kids that is an advent type reading. The story is really great and written well. The other day it was talking about how the Jews were eagerly awaiting the promised Messiah and what that meant and the comfort he provided through the words of the prophet Isaiah while they waited...we too are like the Jews. We are in exile in a land that is NOT our home...we feel restless, unsatisfied, unfilled, yet we are to live life, share the hope we have with others so that they too will know the Lord when He returns for us.

Isaiah 61:1-3 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Painting

We have used this week at the Chesser home to do all those school things I don't do during the year...you know art & creative kind of stuff as we get ready for Christmas. The kids had a great time painting crosses that they gave to their Awana teachers and Sunday School teachers. Katie got to do her "own" painting. Didn't realize I don't do this as often as I did with Kyra who got to paint all the time....b/c well it is just different when you have 3 painting than 1. :-)

Myth Busters

For any of you that watch myth busters on tv they had this cool experiment of dropping Mentos into a coke bottle and it would explode like 25ft in the air. We found these tubes at the store yesterday and i couldn't wait until Christmas (and I had the kids with me so you can't really be sneaky). They loved it and it was our science yesterday as Kyra tried to determine what in the Mentos made the coke fizz and explode.

When you drop the Mentos into the soda, the gelatin and gum arabic from the dissolving candy break the surface tension. This disrupts the water mesh, so that it takes less work to expand and form new bubbles. Each Mentos candy has thousands of tiny pits all over the surface. These tiny pits are called nucleation sites - perfect places for carbon dioxide bubbles to form. As soon as the Mentos hit the soda, bubbles form all over the surface of the candy. Couple this with the fact that the Mentos candies are heavy and sink to the bottom of the bottle and you've got a double-whammy. When all this gas is released, it literally pushes all of the liquid up and out of the bottle in an incredible soda blast.

David Attempting the Soda Explosion

When I Grow Up

do you ever catch snapshots of what/who you want to be when you grow up? i visited with a couple last night that were brining their GREAT-grandchildren to Awanas. GREAT!! Wow! I hope that first I am close enough to be around my great-grandchildren and that two I will be a spiritual influence in their lives like these grandparents were being. How many times do you hear people say....my grandmother always prayed for me or took me to church. What a place to aspire...and you know what. If God moves my kids oceans away...I pray I find a kid in the neighborhood and adopt them and become a spiritual influence in their lives!

Caroling

This weekend was packed with activity ... to say the least. But it was good...after all the excitement, we had a day of rest at home today while I held a puking baby. She is much better now and fussing with her brother.

Here are the kids at their church Christmas party. We went caroling, ate and they exchanged gifts. We carol to some of our shut ins and they always love that. You know it just makes me think how I do not want our parents to be alone when they get older. But thank goodness for teh body of Christ that family is not only blood but also spiritual.

And here is Katie enjoying a red cupcake...it was ALL over the place but she loved it. And yes I made her get naked (top only) to eat it so we didn't ruin clothes.

Little Shepherd and His Flock

Last Wed at Awanas we had holiday spirit night. I was at my wit's end trying to come up with something. So after reading in our advent book we determined a shepherd and sheep could be done without having to go to the store and by one more thing. :-) Here they are...Katie would kind of say baa...but in this pic she is panting like a dog.