The Twelve Days of Christmas

For any who may have missed it last year,

here's a fun rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Strong male vocals with a little 80's flavor tossed in for good measure....

you just can't go wrong with that!

Enjoy!

and Merry Christmas!!

We're heading out of town today so things will be quiet around here for a little while...

I pray you all have a restful Christmas...

a peaceful Christmas...

a wonderful Christmas...

as you rejoice

and celebrate

and worship our risen King!

************************

"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea,

to Bethlehem the town of David,

because he belonged to the house and line of David.

He went there to register with Mary,

who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

While they were there,

the time came for the baby to be born,

and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.

She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger,

because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living in the fields nearby,

keeping watch over their flocks at night.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them,

and the glory of the Lord shone around them,

and they were terrified.

But the angel said to the them,

'Do not be afraid.

I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

Today in the town of David

a Savior has been born to you;

he is Christ the Lord.' "

Luke 2:4-11

1000 Gifts: December's blessings

As December swiftly races by, I pause to give thanks to the Father...

for His countless blessings,

for the outpouring of His love,

for His gifts that never cease.

0226

daddy... finally home for good... after many weeks of travel

0227

more snow than we have ever seen!

0228

hills to sled. mountains to climb.

0229

the generosity of my snow-covered boys, poured out on someone they didn't even know...

as they gave away one of their sleds because he didn't have one of his own

0230

snow-packed streets. cars buried deep. shops closed tight. home-bound rest.

0231

red faces. weary legs. radiant smiles. wonderful times.

0232

hot cider. hot chocolate. peanut butter cookies. contentment.

0233

one-year old hands, clasped tightly over eyes, as heads bow before mealtime for a prayer of heart-felt thanks

0234

the Father's comfort... the Father's peace... the Father's faithfulness... every. single. time.

0235

prayer warriors

0236

I love you.

0237

walks with my boys

0238

games around the kitchen table, a movie before bed, daddy's homemade popcorn

0239

family gathered 'round the computer.

voices raised in chorus.

Christmas hymns and songs of joy...

our church service via the internet.

0240

a community of neighbors-- working together-- to dig out each other's cars, to scrape each other's driveways, to clear each other's steps... the selflessness of others... love in action

0241

color amidst the gray

0242

a reason to celebrate... His wondrous birth

0243

the fulfillment of the Scriptures. God's Gift to mankind. Jesus, the Truth that sets men free.

0244

and His life-giving Words:

"I am the light of the world.

Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,

but will have the light of life."

John 8:12

Merry Christmas!

May His peace fill you beyond measure this holiday season~

and the list continues...

Chick & Ruth's

This is Chick & Ruth's.

It's a hot-spot in downtown Annapolis...

a must-visit sort of establishment if ever you're in the area.

It's long been a favorite in my husband's family,

and now it's a favorite amongst the younger generation, as well.

Here's why:

It all started weeks ago,

before we even knew we'd be attending the swim meet at the Academy,

during an episode of Bub's and Noh-man's favorite television program,

Man vs. Food

(for those who are unfamiliar with this program, here's the deal--

Adam Richman, the host, travels all over the U.S. from one restaurant to the next,

seeking meals that stretch him to the limit,

that challenge him to his very core,

that serve up more calories from beginning to end than any normal human

should ever consider consuming at one single sitting).

At the time, Richman was broadcasting out of Chick & Ruth's

as he struggled to conquer the Colossal Challenge--

a 1.5 lb sandwich accompanied by a colossal milk shake.

Boys' note to self: we must try this this soon!

So last Saturday,

as bellies began to grumble and big people started to think about breakfast,

Bub loudly voiced his request (could there be any other?!).

And when Poppa (Chris's dad) confirmed his suggestion,

it was a done deal.

Now as a quick disclaimer let me just say this:

normally my children don't consume 1.5 lb sandwiches,

and normally we don't gulp down colossal milkshakes

(we do, however, very frequently treat oursleves to much smaller ones :).

But this was a special event,

and the ice cream lovers in the family simply refused to let it pass.

So we bypassed the sandwich.

And Bub ordered up the colossal six-pound chocolate milkshake instead.

Yep.

You read that correctly.

SIX POUNDS.

Have a peak:

Determined to not let any go to waste,

we passed around the straws,

and we passed around the glass,

and would you believe,

we drank every last sip??

We did :)

So when can we go back for another??

Wordless Wednesday: Do you see WHO I see?

Yep. That's Michael Phelps...

the fastest swimmer in the world.

He was there, too.

One little word...

Surreal.

Wonderfully surreal.

1000 Gifts: The Christmas Invitational

North Baltimore Aquatic Club's Annual Christmas Invitational

December 11-13, 2009

The United States Naval Academy

Annapolis, Maryland

It was a blast.

A rip-roaring good time.

A family thang~

And a weekend of extraordinary accomplishments.

Just one more adventure,

punctuated by the LORD's blessing and the outpouring of His mighty hand~

"I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;

I will tell of all your wonders."

Psalm 9:1

So this morning, with a heart full of wonder,

I give thanks...

0216

a selection, an invitation, a most generous offer to attend this prestigious event...

and the team of coaches who believed in my boys enough to extend it

0217

weeks, nay months, of training and the privilege of competing

0218

teammates who encourage, who push, who cheer... who drive one another to excellence

0219

teammates who play, who laugh, who congratulate, who accept

0220

a weekend of spectacular accomplishments, almost too numerous to count

Noh-man, my very favorite 8-year old in the whole wide world

(swimming in the 10 & under age bracket)...

• was the only 8 year old boy to compete at the meet
• swam 9 separate events... swam 8 personal bests
• swam in the finals round three times (for having one of the top 8 times)... out of 45-60 swimmers per event
  
• smashed 2 more team records... in the 200 IM and the 100 fly... by over 14 and 11 seconds respectively!
• made an age-group qualifying cut for the 9-10 age bracket
• placed nationally in the 100 yd butterfly-- he's now ranked 7th in the country amongst 8-year old boys
• made this mama prouder than a peacock!

Bub, my very favorite 11-year old in the whole wide world

(competing in the 11-12 age bracket):

• was the youngest 11 year-old on his team to compete
• swam 9 solid races with 5 personal bests (including 2 shatterings of his previous results)
• firmly nestled himself atop the 11-year old pecking order by once again finishing first amongst his competitors
• courageously proclaimed the gospel of Christ to all who cared to hear... by boldly tattooing (in marker!) John 3:16 on his shoulder... by sharing our true Hope, our true Light, this Christmas season
• made this mama prouder than a peacock!

0221

their love of the sport

0222

the love of grandparents-- 4 wonderful grandparents...

who traveled many miles and sacrificed much to support & encourage their grand-kiddos

0223

a favorite coach, her never-ending support, lots of hugs & high-fives... her care for my boys

0224

a weekend rich... with memories that will last forever

0225

the outpouring of God's favor... His wonders never cease!

and the list continues...

Wordless Wednesday: Monticello

(Weeks ago, after wrapping up our studies on Thomas Jefferson,

we paid a visit to his amazing plantation home,

and while there we caught a glimpse of life altogether contrary

to what we know & experience today.

We learned a ton, we had a blast, and yet somehow or other,

I completely forgot to post any photos of our day.

So... after this not-so-wordless rambling, I think I'll share a few of them now,

allbeit many, many weeks late :)

+++++++++++++++++

Monticello

Charlottesville, Virginia

p.s. If Monticello is somewhere on your radar screen, please go...

it is so, so, so worth the visit!!