Unspeakable Joy - Edited

Shawn has been in Brazil a little over a week now and will be there for another two.  Before he left we were sitting in our office and we prayed as a family for safe travelling mercies and protection both for him and us while he is away.  Of course I was crying...me, emotional, what? lol!  Jase saw me crying and we explained that Mommy was just sad that Daddy was going away and Daddy told Jase that when he sees someone crying that he needs to tell them it will be ok and give them a hug.  Needless to say I got plenty of hugs and "it will be ok Mommy" that evening.  Shawn also told Jase that when he looks up at the sky and sees the moon to know that Daddy will be looking at the same moon.  It was the sweetest thing...and of course there I went again boohooing! lol!  So, every time I see the moon, of course I think of Shawn.

That evening and the next day I really longed for Shawn.  I completely realized how much he means to me and this little family that God has created.  I also realized that I take him for granted way too much.  Not only does he work full-time, but he is a great help around the house (dishes, laundry, etc).  And it's not just what he does around the house that sticks out the most, it's his simple presence, his support, his smile; he's such a godly man and I am truly blessed to be his wife.  If you're reading this, you may think this is way too sappy, but I can honestly say these are my true emotions towards him.  He is definitely my soul mate.

One night this past week I was upstairs with the kiddos getting them ready for bed and when Shawn is gone we have our little nightly routine.  We all start off in Jase's room and read for 20-30 minutes, then we'll turn off all the lights, say our prayers and lay in Jase's bed.  (Btw, Jase is apparently too old for songs or he doesn't like my voice because he never wants me to sing anymore...probably the latter!)  Then I'll take Allyson in her room and lay her down in her bed.  Well, I was laying down in Jase's bed just thinking and had a huge smile on my face.  I had this joy that had completely overtaken me.  I knew it was the touch of the Lord.  While Shawn is thousands of miles away I was at complete peace with everything.  It was a great feeling to have and know that myself and the kids are doing just fine.

Earlier this week a friend of ours' baby (6 months old) had surgery on his heart to repair/plug a hole.  While they were operating, they found two additional holes: one that does not appear to be operable and the other they tried plugging, but had complications.  He will probably have to have another surgery in the near future.  Since his surgery he has developed further pulmonary issues and now has fluid in his lungs and body making it very difficult to breathe.  He had his breathing tube reinserted to help increase his oxygen.  This family has been very heavy on my heart lately and I am praying for them frequently.  In our evening church service we gathered together as a church family and had prayer time.  It was very powerful to be part of this prayer service and lift this little boy and his parents up in prayer to our Lord.  We know that God is still in the miracle performing business and nothing is too big for my God!  Please God touch his little body and heal him up, be with his parents and give them the strength they need to endure this. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

I'm looking forward to the new week and my goal is to turn all of my fears and worries over to the Lord.  I want that peace and joy every single day to where I cannot stop smiling...what an awesome feeling!!  I hope you can do the same!

Added after a friend asked why I did not blog about it:
Last night while we were praying at the altar at church one person would pray, then after they finished another would start.  We just kept praying until everyone had been given an opportunity to pray if they felt led to do so.  Well, Jase was sitting with me and had been moving back in forth between myself and my sister, Alisha, who had been sitting next to me.  So many thoughts were running through my head as he was doing this, like I hope that he is not distracting anyone or can you please sit still? lol!  Well, he was sitting with Alisha and all of a sudden I heard "Dear Lord" come out of his mouth...he was starting to pray.  Alisha told him he needed to ask his mom.  So, he came and sat with me and he told me he wanted to pray for baby Lincoln.  We have been praying for him at home together so he knew of the situation, as best as a 3 year old could.

So, I told him that when the lady finished praying that he could, but he needed to speak loud so everyone could hear his prayer and he said ok.  At this very moment my heart started pounding, I started getting hot flashes...not kidding at all.  He could probably feel my heart beating on his back!  I was very nervous, like I was about to pray in front of the church.  I said a prayer for him right then and there and maybe one for me too!  When the lady finished her prayer Jase began (not word for word, but close): "Dear Lord, please be with baby Lincoln, he is sick.  Be with the doctors and his mommy and daddy.  In Jesus' name I pray, Amen!" I think he also tried to say Elisabeth (the mommy's name), but then did not know how to exactly pronounce it, so then he ended up with mommy and daddy! :)

While he was praying, tears of joys were streaming down my face.  Definitely not trying to boast, but I was proud of him.  Proud that he was asking the Lord for help.  I know for me, I have never prayed in public like that before, so for my 3 year old son to do it, just melted my heart.  Makes me think of a couple of things: that I need to have faith like a child and Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."  I'm so thankful that God hears our prayers and Shawn and I pray to God asking that our children will come to know him through salvation one day and it is awesome to see God already working in his life...what a miracle.

A little funny...after he finished praying he looked at me and I was still crying and my eyes were closed because there was no telling what my face looked like with mascara on.  He said "you're crying and getting me wet!!" It was funny!  He probably thinks I am a basket case...jury is still out on that one!! :)

Santa has come and gone, but the Christmas Spirit lives on!

This Christmas season was probably the best that I can remember!! It was pure joy setting up on Christmas Eve and watching the kids open gifts on Christmas morning.  We loved it!!  I can honestly say I'd rather give, than receive.

On the night of Christmas Eve we went to Church for our Christmas Eve service.  Both Ally and Jase did great in the service.  Ally is always in the nursery and Jase usually has his own activities going on, with the exception of Sunday evening service, and he is with us.  Later that evening we went over the Sheffield's home to celebrate Alisha and Joseph's arrival.  Little did she know, he was asking for her hand in marriage at The Festival of Lights in Moody Gardens.  I am so happy for both of them! Here are some pics from that night!
  

Jase at the Sheffield's waiting for Alisha and JoJo



Alisha telling Jase she and JoJo are going to get married!



Alisha and future father-in-law, Melvin!!

  

Aunt Alisha helping Allyson open a gift!



Newly engaged couple!!



Nanny loving on her boy!!


After we left the Sheffield's, we headed home for our very own Christmas Eve traditions! While getting Santa's milk and cookies ready, Daddy and Jase ran outside to put out the reindeer food.  The weather that night was not that great: cold, damp, and rainy.  Mommy stayed at the door and took a few pics!

Jase and Daddy about to go outside and put out the reindeer food

Jase and Daddy sprinkling it on the lawn

Coming back in- great pic of these two!
We were trying to teach him to look at the camera!!

Homemade candy and milk for Santa and veggies for the reindeer

Next, we sat down as Daddy read us the Christmas story from the book of Luke.  Jase followed along in his bible as well!  Jase has really been wanting to take his bible to church lately, which is great!  The other day he quoted John 3:16 for us...it was an amazing feeling!!! So thankful for Sunday School teachers that devote their time to help our little ones learn the bible.

Reading the Christmas story...the birth of baby Jesus

And now, Christmas morning!! Both of the kids were super excited that morning and we did not think that they would ever get up.  I think they finally woke up at 9 am, which was the norm over the Christmas break.  Before Jase would open up a gift, he would make a fist, throw his arm up in the arm and say "Merry Christmas" very loud and drawn out.  We loved it!!! And sometimes before he opened a gift he would say "thank you Mommy and Daddy." It was the best. 

Allyson opened a few gifts, but really did not have a clue what was going on.  LOL! Seemed like she was more interested in Jase's gifts...go figure!  After they opened their gifts, Shawn and I were in the kitchen starting the cinnamon rolls and he looked at me and said "this is the best Christmas ever!" I agreed with him hands down!  It was pure joy watching the kids open gifts and getting so excited and being so thankful.  

Santa left the stockings full this year!

 

Jase and Allyson love their new kitchen from Santa!!

 

Jase got a new tennis racket and balls from Santa...he loves sports!

 

Mommy showing off her new Vera Bradley bag from Daddy and kids!

 

Jase trying on a new hat!!

As we close the books on the 2010 Christmas season, we know that without a doubt the real reason continues to live on...CHRIST! We pray that we continue to grow closer to Him in the new year and that your family will as well.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town...

Saturday evening was our scheduled night for Santa to come down our street with the Deer Park Fire Department.  Shawn and I had choir practice so we asked his parents to come over and watch the kids at our house so they would not miss it.  The time span was from 6-9 pm, so when we got home at 7:45 I figured we would have missed him...nope.  We had the front door open and ready to go!!  We waited and waited and finally at 8:45 we heard sirens.

Jase was ssoooo excited!! He ran around screaming in the front yard...it was some funny!  I got some footage of it on my phone.  It was dark, so the footage is pretty dark and not the best.  Oh and please excuse the loud woman at the beginning!! ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFaKyCwlu3o

Daddy said that Ally was excited too!!  When Santa came by he threw Jase "Pablo" from the Backyardigans...which is his new favorite show as of Saturday!! Thankful for "on demand" episodes! :)  Santa threw a Frog Build-a-Bear dressed in what appears to be a military uniform (it's all white...Navy?).  She hugs him, which is too cute.  She is really at a fun stage now, where words are starting to come and her personality is shining through...I absolutely love it!!



Kiddos with their Santa treasures

Oh...one more thing.  We get home from choir practice and Shawn's mom informs us that Jase opened a gift to him from Ally!! I had just put the first wrapped gifts under the tree that afternoon.  It was so hard to keep a straight face when talking with him...haha!  Shawn and I were in awe that he did that!  Although, he did inform us that he liked the gift!! It was a set of Toy Story figurines I had picked up at the Disney Store.

Merry Christmas...Pre-k style!

We went to Jase's school this morning for his Pre-k Christmas party.  All of the kids looked so cute in their Christmas attire.  They had pizza, cookies, fruit and capri suns...a complete meal!  Daddy even showed up just in time for the book exchange...what a surprise!  Enjoy the pics!



About to dig in...cookies first, of course!

Sporting "Santa's #1 Guy" t-shirt!

Ally even stopped to give a "cheese" smile!

Time for the book exchange...circle around!

Jase is patiently waiting his turn.

What did I get...YES...How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?
Awesome...he has really been into them lately...Dino Dan on Nick Jr. is his new fav show!

Super excited about digging into the buckets with goodies in them.
Christmas is going to be so much fun this year!!

Leah..a cutie from his school!

Precious little reindeer with a personalized cookie attached!

Not sure if he loves the reindeer or the cookie! lol
I'll go with the reindeer!

Christmas ornaments I made for the kids using Mod Podge - had fun, but definitely a trial and error project!

Baking with the French Fam!

As I mentioned in my previous post I have really been in the baking mood.  Great for family activities, but not so great on the hips, stomach, legs...lol!  In the past week we have made two different types of cookies: one great and one not so great!

I wanted to make an easy sugar cookie with Jase.  Something he could help with and not lose his attention span with 40 steps.  I found a 6 ingredient basic cookie dough mix in Cookie Monster's Yummy Cookies cookbook.  I bought some mini M&M's per Jase's request.  I set the table and we were ready to go.

We have everything we need...let's start mixing!

Jase was helping me feed Ally a cheese stick to keep her preoccupied!



We followed the instructions and packed it all up to chill in the fridge



Not sure what was going on with the rooster hair that day!



Mom it's good...I like it!

Long story short I got the dough out of the fridge, attempted to pat it down (with out a roller) and cut it with the cookie cutters...no luck. The dough was so sticky and did I mention that it tasted like I had just got it out of a play dough container?!?!  Awful!!  I triple checked my recipe to make sure I did not miss something, but everything was correct.  I had no idea how Jase was eating the dough and smiling.  So, I plopped some dough down on the cookie sheet and baked them.  Yep, still disgusting!!  Shawn had one when he got home and thought so as well.  Oh well, we had a good time making them.
At our Sunday School Christmas party this past Friday I tasted a cookie there that was delicious.  It is not your ordinary sugar cookie...way better!  Heather passed along the recipe to me and I was super excited, especially since the flop experience I had had just days before.

After decorating Jase's tree last night, we came downstairs and started on our new cookie recipe.  At this point in time it was 8 pm.  No worries, we'll be finished by 10 pm easy.  And while I'm at it, I'll go ahead and double the recipe.  There were three different parts to this recipe: making the dough, glaze, and icing.  The dough was no big deal and it went straight into the freezer for a quick freeze.  And it tasted good too...always a good sign.

Next, we moved onto the glaze.  You take one egg yolk, one teaspoon of water and mix it up real well.  Then you add some food coloring.  We ended up making red, blue, green, yellow, and brown.  After the quick freeze was fulfilled we pulled them out rolled out the dough (with my new roller!).  We made snowmen, bells, candy canes, gingerbread men, stars, and angels.  After you cut out the figures, you paint on the yolk glaze.  We stayed very basic with one color per cookie.

Then you baked them for 6 minutes and moved them to the cooling rack where I attempted to pipe the powdered sugar icing on.  I did not have the right set up for this and I was making a mess!!  I had my last batch in oven and I was decorating some cookies, so I asked Shawn to check on the ones in the oven.  He opened the oven door and said "you did not put any glaze on these!" "WHAT" I said!  LOL! At this time it was pushing midnight and I started feeling delirious...fighting to stay awake!  I remember telling myself to push through and finish the stinking cookies!! At this point I was rethinking double batch idea!  I had to improvise so we got the sprinkles out and those were some of the best ones!

The 4+ hour cookie fiasco was over and after looking and tasting them I was happy with the end result.  I enjoyed it, but why in the world did I start at 8 pm?!? 

We're down to two plates...one will be going with Shawn to work tomorrow...get them out of here! LOL

Here is the website if you're interested in trying these!  I did not use the orange/lemon zest in the dough nor the egg whites in the icing.  They taste great and were a lot of fun...time management could have been a little better, but what else is new? :)

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/12/my_favorite_christmas_cookies_from_childhood_and_beyond/

Christmas Trees!

Oh how I love this time of the year.  I love decorating the tree and our home and baking!  I just wish I could stop eating what comes out of the oven! Haha!

We purchased a tree from Lowe's a week and a half ago and had it all decorated that same evening.  I even had my hubby help me, which he is not too fond of.  Don't get me wrong Shawn loves this time of the year as well and is all about putting up lights outside (which he did!), but there is something about decorating the Christmas tree he cannot cope with!  I enjoy it and always have.  I remember helping my mom when I was younger and loving it then.  I love getting out all of the old ornaments and reminiscing on memories, then opening our first Christmas together 2004 ornament and looking at the picture and realizing I never put a picture of us in there...so there are two random people in the frame. Haha...I love it! One of these days I'll change the pic! :)

Jase and Ally have loved the tree as well.  Since I am at home with them everyday we turn the lights on every morning and do not go off until I go to bed.  The season is too short not to enjoy it.  Please Spark Energy be nice to us!!  I bought the kids a new Hallmark ornament this year and it has become a little tradition for a few years now.  Jase got Mickey Mouse Choo Choo Express and Ally got a little bear with a 2 hanging down for her second Christmas.  Both are cute.  I was so excited that I let Jase see his when I got home.  Next thing you know he had pulled the lever on the locomotive, which broke right off.  His little face and "I'm sorry Mommy" just melt your heart.  No biggie, we'll glue it.  So what do I do...I give it back to him and he breaks off of one the hands!  This is a $14 ornament...I start getting a little frustrated at this point.  After several glue jobs by 3 people it is back to its "near" original state.



Noble fir tree...decorated with love

 

Bow my friend Becky made...my Dollar Tree star had seen its better days!

 Every year I say I am going to do new decor/colors and then I get everything out and realize I like what I have and better save my money!!  I was very nervous with the tree and Ally getting into, and even contemplated buying a gate to put around it.  All and all she has done fabulous.  I still have to tell her no now and again, but it is more of a game to her.  She'll walk over to it and look at me, wave her pointer finger side to side and say "no no".  It is too cute and you cannot help but smile!

Jase mentioned that he wanted his own tree in his room this year.  This was the first I had heard of him wanting one, so what did I do that same night...go to Hobby Lobby and buy everything for my Bubby's tree!! (With Shawn's approval of course!)  We had a great time decorating it together.  Even sister joined in the fun.  By the way, his favorite ornament is a soccer ball...go figure!



Of course we had to do a before shot!



Jase and Daddy opening up the lights.  Daddy was on assigned to opening packages! :)

Allyson and Jase checking it out



Jase and Mommy adding decor to the tree!



Daddy and Ally fixing a couple of bulbs!



Finished product...Cowboy Snowman tree topper and all! :)



My first tree!

Walker, PJ's, and Christmas!

Wow...December already!! Allyson turned 15 months on the 1st and is now a full-fledged walker!  She has taken several steps for a couple of months now, but really started walking the week of Thanksgiving.  It is so funny to see her wobble around, and I'm not sure if she is bow legged or if it's just from the diaper, but her little legs are something else.

Jase is getting into the Christmas spirit and has packed up my Precious Moments nativity set several times in his backpack.  Don't worry, it's plastic! Ally too...she loves it...loves to chew on it.  On Disney there is a show called Special Agent OSO about a bear that helps kids solve problems in 3 special steps.  Well, they have been showing a preview for a Hanukkah episode pretty often and have a catchy song to go along with it.  Jase just about has it memorized: Hanukkah, Hanukkah, Festival of Lights, Light a Candle each night..." Well, I guess I just about have it memorized as well.  I was joking around with Shawn and told him that we just might have to light the menorah this year!

We love our PJ's around this house...so much fun! I bought the kids some matching ones with guitars on them and they looked so cute.  It is hard to be matchy matchy with a boy and a girl, but I try! I need to do it now while he doesn't care, because that day is coming soon.


First shot...sleeper hold!

Cute one of Ally!



Jase is showing Ally how to do a good cheese!



A decent picture, but wait...glare from the fireplace!

 

And the winner is...finally got a good pic. I even had to give them bells to play with!

 

Snow Belle PJ's...from Nanny! Oh, and when does the slobber stop? lol



She is not afraid of a thing!

We are really excited about Christmas this year!  Jase is a little over 3 1/2 and he has started anticipating Santa Claus coming and getting presents.  He liked opening gifts last year, but I think this is the first year he has asked for things and realizes what is going on.  He still thinks that Christmas is tomorrow and his birthday party is right after that! lol!  Fun times at the French house!