Ringing in 2010

We had our friends, The Johannes, over tonight to help us ring in the new year.
The kids had a PJ party!

And the kids decorated clock cookies.
Happy 2010!

Christmas in Little Rock

Apparently, Santa made a delivery for the kids at Nonie and Poppa's house too!

Baking Mommy a Birthday Cake

Merry Christmas!

These pics just don't seem to need any explanations...

Perfect Day...

Seriously, they just don't get much better than today!
We didn't have anything on our agenda...
and we have just been enjoying this
wonderful moment in time.

We let the kids each open a present this morning...
so they could spend the day enjoying it!

I would freeze my kids at this age if I could!
They are old enough to "get" and enjoy holidays!
They just get so excited and believe anything you tell them!

Hudson got a cool Black and Decker tool bench set.

Lawson got a three-in-1 baby doll center.
It is ideal for her triplet baby dolls.

These toys have really kept them busy all day!

Lawson and I wrapped presents this afternoon.
She is a huge helps and LOVES wrapping.
If your present isn't wrapped perfectly this year,
you now know why!
Actually, she is really pretty good at it!

And to top it all off...
it has been snowing ALL day!
I don't know if I remember it ever snowing on Christmas...
but it has just made my holiday!
It's beautiful...
and the kids are just so excited to see it come down and collect in our yard.

We played in it a bit after we went to Christmas Eve service tonight!
This is a day to remember!
Thank you, God, for this most wonderful day.

Buie Christmas Card

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Visit to Santa

We took the kids to visit Santa tonight.
This is the first time in 4 years that I took kids to see Santa and no one cried.
So, another milestone...no more fear of Santa!
All day Hudson said he couldn't wait to touch his beard.
At one point, he reached up and touched it....
Santa thought he was going to hug him! Funny!
Lawson made sure to ask him where Mrs. Clause was...
she has been very curious about her this year.
Lawson asked for school teacher stuff and
Hudson asked for a Big Wheel and football shoulder pads.

I Heart Keystone Church

We have been going to Keystone Church for the last 3 months and we joined this past weekend! It is a crazy wonderful place! If you live nearby and don't have a church home, you MUST come with! You will NOT be the same! I have been SO impacted and challenged
in the short time we have been there.

http://www.keystonechurch.com/

I thought I put together a list of the things I love about Keystone:

Atmosphere.
This church really IS as friendly as they say they are!
We have been warmly welcomed on SO many levels.
In fact, we casually met a couple during the welcome time one service and we had an email
from them inviting us to their small group an hour after church! Not sure how they remembered our names and got our email...
but that was impressive!
The building feels so warm....and it really has everything to do with the people.
I'm excited to be a part of this team.

The music.
Oh my goodness....don't get me started!
Brian and his team have incredible talent and God uses them to just draw you right into his presence. I'm not sure I have ever had more intense worship experiences than I have at Keystone. I constantly have a new "favorite" Keystone song...
because its words are just so powerful.
Here is the current one I'm stuck on...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n3NLkCe0eQ

The messages.
It is SO evident that God has a calling for Brandon to pastor a church.
Brandon keeps Keystone SO focused on its mission...
To lead everyone to find a passionate life in Christ.
( I haven't been there long but already have the vision statement down!)
Too many churches waste so much time and money on things that do not matter to the kingdom.
Not the case here.
Brandon says that Keystone doesn't have a mission
but the mission has us.
When you realize how God lovingly redeemed you,
you can't help but share that with others.
We LOVE that he speaks bold truths continually and shows how Jesus' love, mercy and power are so relevant today. I always leave church with my eyes open to a new thought or an area I need to make a change.
You will not find yourself looking at your watch
while Brandon is speaking!

Kids Area.
I love that I hear my kids laying in their beds at night singing songs they have learned at Keystone. I love that they offer an opportunity for my kids to tithe each week. I love that they have a safe and fun place to learn about God each week.

Creativity and Purpose.
For example, Keystone gave out Red T-Shirts that say "Ask me about Christmas Eve at Keystone" (with the service times on the back)for their people to wear while they are out and about this month. What a fun and creative way to advertise this service!
The church recently celebrated their 5 yr anniversary. They kicked off the service with Central High's Drum line and gave everyone thunder stix to bang along. I have never banged thunder stix in a church service before!
But, I'm sure God was celebrating his church's 5th birthday too!
Keystone doesn't hand out bulletins or flyers each week. They mention the announcements at the end of the service and then point people to more cost effective ways of communication...email, website, facebook, etc.
You can tell that thought and purpose goes in to the way things are done there.

I just love it. It is just what I need.

Upgrade!

After only a week in the toddler bed,
Hudson was the recipient of a full-size bed
courtesy of his cousin Mary.
She got a new bed and handed this one down to Hud.
He is thrilled with it!
Thanks, Mary! What a generous gift!
And Rob's parents drove 6 hours (one way) to deliver it to us.
We are blessed.

Weekend with Nonie & Poppa

Rob's parents came down to deliver Hudson's new bed
and spent the weekend with us!
We had a great time!
Here they are with the kids at the donut shop!
Which is my kids new happy place!

We made Gingerbread Houses.
This was a first for ALL of us!
And we all agreed this was a really fun thing to do!

I couldn't believe they turned out so cute!
The kids really did most of the work too.

Lawson was super proud!

If you have never built a gingerbread house before,
you should!