A Christmas Uncomfortable

I am torn over Christmas this year, torn between celebrating a holy holiday and all the stuff, business, and over-everything that Christmas has become. There is not a single thing I NEED from any store yet I get all panicky and excited about sales. There is nothing my children really desire but I am tempted to lavish them with gifts just because I can and it would be so pretty and fun. We need nothing and have more than enough for several families already. The more God shapes my heart for the the things he cares about the more the manic and over-indulgence of the Holiday season grates me. Jesus came as a babe to poor teenagers not to prosper the world but to save it. I can imagine I much more fitting way to honor his sacrifice than to indulge in excess while ignoring his precious children around the planet but yet I still get sucked into the holiday merriment. My heart is so torn.

A far more eloquent article on many of the things that have been rambling through my head this month: Read it! Do it!

http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2011/11/29/the-christmas-conundrum

patient a

She looks so sweet and innocent. But don't be fooled, this little girl packs some serious dynamite. Her precious giggles were apparently laced with a nasty strain of flu and she took out nearly our entire family over Christmas. She even gave everyone a stealth version of the flu that was triggered by travel resulting in some really miserable drives and flights home for all involved.

Only 4 remain, who will be the next to fall....

And to the businesses along US HWY 82, I have no idea where the puke bags came from. None.

in the crosshairs

Will you be praying for my sister, and her precious family and their town?

Nasty old Ike is making a beeline for their home and it looks like their home and all the homes of their friends and family may take a direct hit tomorrow morning. They have evacuated and are fine but shaken. They live just a hop, skip, and a jump (about 4-5 miles) from the beach so they will be getting the full brunt of the storm.

**** edited to add:
They are fine, their house is fine, and I think that most of their friends homes are ok too. What is not fine is the lack of electricity and functioning sewer citywide so they can't head back to work or get back to normal just yet. But in the meantime, I had fun seeing my sister, my niece and my sister's mother in law yesterday while they have relocated to my parents house until things settle down on the coast. Moo taught little Booger Bear all about trains and the girls slobbered on each other.

family portrait

I have been wanting to do a family portrait for several months, this is not what I had in mind.....


Not exactly what I had in mind. This is the Moo's idea of our apparently dysfunctional family. Upon closer inspection you will find that my father is missing a nose and a thumb while having a horrible eye brow dye job and my mother is a prom dress animal wearing teeny bopper wearing lace up tennis shoe tanks. My husband is apparently a big time player cheating on me with my near identical twin while I stand by. She is only referred to as "not papa". No idea who "girl moo" is or why he joined the fam. I do like that I am really skinny with long luxurious hair and am very stylishly dressed while carrying Ella Bella. Also notice that my son finds it completely acceptable that babies be drug around in wagons. No idea where he got the idea that was ok.

And yes, my son plays with Barbies.

*edited to add: None of this was staged, not the outfits the names, or the "posing"