One Last Christmas Post

With all the craziness from Passion and the coming home and getting back into the swing of our normal schedule, I never got a chance to post about Christmas with my family.   I don't want to neglect that as we had a wonderful time as usual celebrating with my parents, brother and sister in law.  We didn't go to Atlanta until a few days after Christmas.  We have now realized that we really NEED to stay home as much as possible over the holidays.  It is stressful enough with 4 children and school parties and everything else that goes on.  Traveling with children is tough.  Thankfully our families understand this:). 

I totally have Silhouette Cameo envy now.  How cute are these tags Erin made with her Cameo?!

In addition to exchanging presents, we ate lots of yummy food, played a lot and more.  Mom and I also got to finally take the girls to the American Girl doll store.  I think I had more fun than they did though!  Thanks to our sweet grandmothers Christmas generosity, the girls picked out a set of Itty Bitty Baby twins to bring home.  They are so in love with their dolls! 

 A few phone pics...

playing on their new leap pads from my parents

riding around with Uncle Ryan

cooking with Aunt Erin

We also got in a quick visit with my Uncle Mickey and Aunt Susie who had not met the baby yet. 

I think that does it.  Not pictured is that my camera broke in the midst of all this.  My Nikon D60 was so good to me.  I was able to get a new one with my Christmas money and I'm still learning about it.  I'm excited about it but sort of missing my first DSLR:).   I better figure it out because we have a certain someones FIRST BIRTHDAY party this weekend!!! 

Passion 2013

January 1-4, Jeff and I had the privilege of serving at Passion 2013 in Atlanta. 

If you have never heard of Passion, you can read more about it at www.268generation.com

Our ministry, Cru, partnered with Passion for the second year in a row and it was great! 

60,000 college students rocking in the Georgia Dome is not too shabby. 

We have so much respect for Louie Giglio and all the musicians and team who help run this great organization...all for God's glory!

 The way Passion is set up is that they have large group meetings with worship and great teaching in the dome to worship Jesus.  Then the 60,000 students split up into community groups which are smaller groups of about 1000-3000 to really let all the teaching sink in.  Even within these groups, the students split up into smaller little circles to discuss and pray.   This is is such an important time for really letting the Lord work. 

Jeff was one of the 20 community group leaders.  What a privilege!  He did this last year too, but I wasn't able to go because I was about to have a baby:).  I am so blessed that I got to go this year.  Passion started when I was in college but I never got to go to one of their conferences.  So here I was 15 years later, getting to go!  So much fun!  

The community group Jeff led was made up of about 1200 Cru students from around the southeast

Rocking in the Georgia Dome.  Seriously good for my soul to worship here with some of my favorite Christian artists!

The Passion people treat community group leaders like VIPs, even though we aren't.  It was so cool though because we got to hang out among the ranks of the true VIP's like...Chris Tomlin, Christy Nockels, Beth Moore, John Piper, David Crowder, Matt Redman, Louie Giglio, Francis Chan, and more.  We also had hosts for the week who were kind of like personal assistants.  They just so happened to be fellow Tuscaloosans:).  So fun to make new friends!

Kyle and Laura served us so well and it was just fun to have another mama to hang out with:).

Seriously though, we got to meet Beth Moore...not long after she gave one of the best talks I've ever heard.  She talked about the Last Supper and I learned so many new things that I can't wait to study  more in my personal times with the Lord.  Beth Moore is so gifted and meeting her was a highlight.  She's beautiful and so sweet! 

I mean really, how cute is she? 

The community group times were great.  Jeff taught a few times from Ephesians and then the other times we split up into our campus times so we got to be specifically with just folks from Bama.  I think God really used those times to work on some hearts.  

These students just kept on praying even after we were done one morning...

Some of our Bama girls praying during campus time...

Most of our group from Alabama (although some were still sleeping...this was our last morning)

Speaking of the last morning, Jeff actually got to go down on the stage! Whoa was that cool! Louie asked all the community group leaders down to be introduced.  We even got a big Roll Tide from him which is a big deal since he's an Auburn guy. 

Besides getting to hear from speakers like Louie, Beth Moore, John Piper, and Francis Chan, the best thing about Passion 2013 was the amount of awareness and money that was raised for slavery/human trafficking.  Did you know there are more than 27 million slaves in the world TODAY??? That is more than at any other time in history.  That is sad.  It needs to end.  We need to help.  

Passion 2013 helped raise over 3 million dollars for this very cause.  3 MILLION DOLLARS from college students??? How awesome is that!!!  Passion is partnering with several organizations who are on the ground around the U.S and the world who help get people out of slavery and the sex trade.  It's amazing to hear the stories.  Many of them come to a saving faith in Jesus.  Now that is true freedom! 

If you want to know more about helping with slavery and human trafficking go to the website www.enditmovement.com

Truly, these 4 days I got to be a part of Passion were so wonderful.  I feel like God used it to renew my heart for Him and His word.  He also used it to just give me a few days to not have to fix any meals or change any diapers or break up any fights or give any baths or do any bedtime routines.  I actually got ready and dressed 3 days in a row:)!!! As much as I love love love my kiddos, it's just nice to have a break!  And how awesome it was to have a break to truly worship Jesus and make much of HIM! 

  A big thanks to my parents for putting up with our crew to make it possible!!! 

 

2012 in Review

Last year, I did this awesome recap of 2011.  I looked back at it a few days ago and realized how much more time and energy I had before a certain someone entered the world just a few weeks later:).  So I told Jeff my recap for 2012 would be...

I SURVIVED!!!

By God's grace and a lot of help, I survived the first year of having 4 children.

There were times I wondered if we would.  

There are still times I wonder how we survive. 

It's chaos.  

But it's also full of life and joy and moments I wouldn't trade for anything! 

So here is a summary of all that the chaotic year of 2012 held for our family...

{JANUARY}

I finished up my favorite nursery of all time:).  Seriously, I love this room! 

And more importantly, we welcomed our fourth miracle into the family!

Anna Mitchell was born two weeks early via c-section (after laboring all day) on January 19.

What a sweetie! 

{FEBRUARY} 

 We decided to add more crazy to our life and put our house on the market to try to get a better house plan to accommodate 4 children, and move school zones.

 All the while still having a very fussy newborn in the house...

We also celebrated Ellie Kate's 5th birthday at a local gymnastics gym.  She loved her party! 

{MARCH}

 I must have started feeling more like my old self and was itching for a creative craft so I made over a little night stand I had picked up from Salvation Army months before. 

We also had the flu which was NO FUN with a newborn in the house...but thankfully she didn't get it! 

Samuel also started his second year of baseball. 

{APRIL}

Just a lot of living life this month.  I think I posted about feeling overwhelmed and frazzled...hmmm I may have had some sort of post like that every month this past year:).  

We had a quick trip to the beach for a conference...that is always an adventure:).  

My discipleship group had a My Favorite Things Party that was so much fun! You can read about that HERE

{MAY}

This month may have proved to be the craziest of the year.

We sold our house...and moved into a new one less than 3 weeks later.

 

 Anna Mitchell also got baptized...

Two days after we moved into the new house...we packed up and left for Miami where we would spend the next 6 weeks. 

{JUNE} 
Chaos in Miami is what I like to summarize June as.  The kids loved it...me not so much.  Thankfully, we had a student named Paige with us who was a true gift from God.  She allowed me to be involved with the project, and she helped me so much with the kids!  I wouldn't have made it through this month without her!  Most of our days were spent at the pool...

Anna Mitchell at 5 months old started creeping and scooting and was officially on the move! By the end of the month she was crawling.  


{JULY}
 We made it back home and spent this month unpacking and getting settled into our new house and neighborhood that we LOVE!  Anna Mitchell pulled up in her crib for the first time right at the end of her 6th month and scared me half to death.  She is a monkey for sure!  The girls went to gymnastics camp and had a blast.  Samuel spent time helping me organize closets and rooms (he is really good at that).

My big project of the month was my farmhouse table!  I had someone build it for me, but then I stained and painted it.  I also recovered the upholstery in my chairs. 

 {AUGUST}
Time for school to start!  We were all a bit nervous about the new school and Ellie Kate starting Kindegarten and she and Samuel riding the bus...but the first few weeks of school went great!

    
I also tackled another project that I had been waiting to do.  My first chalk paint and upholstery attempt on some garage sale chairs.  I love them! 

 

{SEPTEMBER}
I managed to gut out four posts this month.  Apparently, it kicked my butt as I mentioned in two of the four posts:).  This month is Jeff's busiest time of year on campus and with kids in school full swing, I think it was just a little crazy. 

Anna Mitchell turned 8 months and is busy busy busy!

 

{OCTOBER}

Always a busy month...but we welcomed fall with some mums and pumpkins! 

We also had our very first family photos taken by the talented Heather Durham! Still obsessed with them...

Our big boy turned 10!

 {NOVEMBER}

We celebrated Abigail's 4th birthday with a pajama party...

And Samuel's 10th birthday with a kickball party...on the same day as Abigail's:)

We also had a lice outbreak with the big kids that was awful.  I would not wish it on my worst enemy.  I HATE LICE!  We celebrate our 7th adoption day with Samuel.  Can't believe he's been in our family for that long.  We are so thankful for our boy! 

I also finished up a DIY Advent calendar to use for December to help our family focus on Jesus at Christmas...

{DECEMBER}

We enjoyed the advent season and celebrating Christmas with school parties, programs, friends and family.  Another highlight was our real tree again.  I always love decorating this time of year and it was especially fun being in our new home...

Well, after doing that I realize that we fit quite a lot into 2012.  I am thankful for all the fun things we were able to do as a family and all the things I was able to accomplish.  I truly love having some time to do creative things every once in awhile.  Thank goodness I have a supportive and helpful husband who indulges my desires for time to do them:).   Our God is so good to us and words aren't adequate to express our thanks to Him for all He has done in our life even in the ups and downs of life! 

Here's to another great year for our family! 

Christmas 2012

Our Christmas festivities started Sunday night with our annual minivan express!  We started this last year after seeing something on pinterest where I could print out the tickets.  Then I posted about our experience with it last year HERE and that post went viral on pinterest in November and December this year.  So fun!  Anyway, this year the kids were so excited again and loved it.  We were able to find the best little spot in Tuscaloosa with a cute neighborhood all decked out (mostly tastefully). 

Christmas Eve we got to have Jeff's parents down which was nice.  I cooked a good lunch and then we had our candlelight service at church.  After church, we read our last advent reading and the traditional Night Before Christmas book that was mine when I was little.  Kids went to bed sooo excited of course!

 Christmas Morning!!!!!! 

Samuel got some construction stuff (he is into building right now), a new scooter, books and a few small toys

Ellie Kate and Abigail got American Girl dolls.  They were so excited!  I was excited, I mean "Santa" was excited, because he got two of them and several outfits for the price of one doll thanks to our local facebook garage sale and a Today Show steal/deal.  The big girls also got a little bunk bed for their dolls, books and a few other little things.

Anna Mitchell got a pottery barn chair, books, a ball and that dog plush toy that she loves!

The aftermath...and my christmas morning breakfast of monkey bread and breakfast casserole muffins.

We had a great Christmas and enjoyed being home for the second year in a row making our own family traditions and memories!