"Oh that you Lord would bless us indeed and would enlarge our territory, that Your hand would be with us and that you would keep us from harm." 1 Chron. 4:10.
We had a little party for the kids and they invited two of their friends over. They had such a great time. I had from corn dogs to popcorn chicken to marshmellows and pretzels with cheese and chocolate to dip in. What caught me by surprise is that I figured they would dig into the chocolate but instead they went for the cheese. At midnight we had sparkling grape juice as a special toast to the new year. We pulled out the mattresses and they all camped out in the livingroom. The playstation 2 has never been played with so much in one night as last night! I was ready for bed at 7pm but was up till 2:30am...where do these kids get their energy...WITHOUT chocolate! Anyway...here are a few pics...not many my batteries were dying. Found this really funny clip today skipping through the blog world. Thought I would share it now before the holidays leave us...
BTW Happy New Year! Hope your 2010 is fruitful and thriving!
CREAL SPRINGS-Residents in one Williamson County town are receiving enormous phone bills, that have been inflated with thousands of dollars worth of calls to sex lines. Police say someone is tapping into to the phone lines and homes and churches.
So church leaders at the First Baptist, United Methodist and the Assembly of God Church in Creal Springs have noticed big phone bills. The calls are to numbers they know they didn't make.
"Those charges are to 900 numbers which are sex numbers," said Creal Springs police chief Phil Jeralds. He believes someone is breaking into the junction box outside of buildings, plugging in their phone and running a line to a nearby vehicle where the calls are made.
"That's one sick mind in my opinion," said Pastor Sean Kelly from the Creal Springs Assembly of God.
On the say he opened the bill, he was shocked. "We open this up and our eyes are just so wide. We open this one bill which we've never seen before this company it's almost a $500 long distance bill."
During the investigation, police found that residential lines had been tapped too. So far the tab for this sex chatting has amounted to more than $4,000. Customers are working with phone companies to see how much they'll be forced to pay.
"That money has got to come from somewhere you want it to go to help people you don't want that to go to you know, this," said Pastor Kelly.
He says he'll continue to pray for the suspects.
"They need to come forward and make things look right they're ripping off phone companies making churches look bad and ripping off people that are giving to God."
To avoid having your phone tapped, police say you should put a lock on your outdoor junction box. Or have 900 numbers blocked on your phone. And keep a close eye on your bill.
Kristofer loves to buid things. He takes the most unusual items and creates all sorts of robots and creatures. Well for Christmas I told my mom that he was really getting into using legos and k'nexs. He loves to create things. So she got Kristofer a dinosaur lego kit. It can make 3 different dinosaurs. Well the other night he started to build the t'rex. He worked up till bedtime and I told him he could continue in the morning. I went to bed and around 4 AM I heard the tv on. I got up and what did I find? Kristofer working hard at his project. When asked why he was up he told me he couldn't sleep till his work was done. UGH! I got him to go back to bed and thankfully the kids are out for Christmas break becuase he slept till 10AM.
Jaron and Izzy settled in for a long journey home to Florida!
Izzy is such an addict to playing fetch and having her ball that she
wanted to play fetch in the van!
Well I am finally able to post. It has been very a very busy few weeks. In fact last week our family was FINALLY able to go on a week long vacation. Through the help of friends and family we were able to head south and bask in the warm Florida sunshine. My kids who all were born in Florida and were very close to their cousins there had not been home to Florida since my sister was married 2 and a half years ago. It may not seem like a long time to you but in that time period my kids have grown and their minds have expanded and forgotten their cousins faces.
We went Sunday and the kids ate lunch with their cousins at my sister's house.
It wasn't planned that they would eat with them but Jen was so kind as to feed
mine as well :)! Cherished memories they will have sitting around that table
laughing and eating mac-n-cheese.
Kamiya, who is now three and Sara had a great time playing together!
The last time we saw Kamiya she was a baby! She was born just weeks
after we moved here to IL 3 years ago.
Unfortunately we have not been as close to Sean's family. Not that we haven't wanted to be, it's just the miles that have separated us are way too many. When you live on a shoe string budget you drive to your destination and not fly. So driving 15 hours south is much faster than driving 24 hours. My parents are blessed to continue to live in the home I grew up in, a large 5 bedroom home. So they always have room for us to come and camp out in one or two of the rooms. Which is such a blessing to us, to not have to pay for a hotel! On our budget camping out on air mattresses is so much cheaper than sleeping in a hotel! That will change soon though, my parents plan to sell the house and move into something smaller, which will be a sad day for our family but a much needed one for my parents. Aiden, Eli and Kristofer best little buddies when they
were younger...they had so much fun playing together this week!!!
So last week we spent the whole time being with my family and spending time with our friends. There were many highlights to the week. One of the best for me was getting to spend the day with my sister Jeanette, my mom and Sara. We took a day to do girl things. i am not sure who had more fun; Sara or my Mom! We went and had pedicures...Sara loved it!! : ) Training her right as my sister would say! Then we went shopping for earrings. Yep my baby girl got her ears pierced, YAY! Her Aunt Nennie (Jeanette) did it for her the day before. Then we went to lunch at Panera! I love Panera!!!
Another highlight of the trip was a planned trip to Tampa to visit my dear friend Michele from An Adoptive Family's Life. Michele and I have been friends since high school but in the past 3 years we have grown closer and have seen each other through some tough times. Sure we may not be in the same state but we talk all the time on Facebook and we pray and fast for each other all the time. But not only did we get to spend time with Michele but also a dear friend of mine who I met through Michele. I have talked about and sent you, my readers, many times to her site...Pastor Deanna Shrodes.I can't tell you how much Sean and I enjoyed spending time with Michele & Marcus (her son), Deanna, and her husband Larry and their daughter Savannah. Our kids chose to spend more time with their Grandparents and who could blame them! We both were so blessed to just sit and talk with them. Larry poured into us in a great way and we are so blessed to have been able to worship at their church later that night! The time spent with them was so short but so cherished!Earlier that week we went and spent time with some other cherished friends, Troy and Ellen French. They were on staff with us at Venice Assembly of God and had been the youth pastors. Our boys, Kristofer and Garrett are the same ages. We love spending time with them! Ellen made sugar cookies and the kids had a ball decorating the cookies.In fact Sara had such a grand time decorating that we had to take a picture of this creation. We call it "Find the Cookies" : )
One of my favorite places in Venice Florida is the South Jetty. The kids really enjoyed being ale to climb on the rocks and Eli spotted a dolphin swimming near the rocks as well. It was beautiful. Was coming out of the water from nose to tail. The kids really loved that. Earlier that week my parents took them to the beach where they were able to find all kinds of shells and sea urchins and even some coral. I have the job of bleaching them now...they stink (coral and sea urchins) but the memories they now have are priceless!
Tonight while I was preparing to do dishes I had my bird Baby on my shoulder. Well as soon as I turned the water on she climbed down my shirt and got right in the pan of water. At first I thought she wanted a drink but of which she did, but then it became a full fledge bath. She was so happy just splish splashing. She played in the water for a good ten minutes which gave us a chance to find the camera and take these pictures. I love my bird and she loves me, knows my voice and really responds to me. She loves to just sit with her head agaist my cheek. She is the best bird! = - )
Found this really funny clip today skipping through the blog world. Thought I would share it now before the holidays leave us...
Kamiya, who is now three and Sara had a great time playing together! 
Aiden, Eli and Kristofer best little buddies when they 
Then we went shopping for earrings. Yep my baby girl got her ears pierced, YAY! Her Aunt Nennie (Jeanette) did it for her the day before. Then we went to lunch at Panera! I love Panera!!! 
But not only did we get to spend time with Michele but also a dear friend of mine who I met through Michele. I have talked about and sent you, my readers, many times to her site...Pastor Deanna Shrodes. I can't tell you how much Sean and I enjoyed spending time with Michele & Marcus (her son), Deanna, and her husband Larry and their daughter Savannah. Our kids chose to spend more time with their Grandparents and who could blame them! 
We both were so blessed to just sit and talk with them. Larry poured into us in a great way and we are so blessed to have been able to worship at their church later that night! The time spent with them was so short but so cherished!
Earlier that week we went and spent time with some other cherished friends, Troy and Ellen French. They were on staff with us at Venice Assembly of God and had been the youth pastors. Our boys, Kristofer and Garrett are the same ages. 
We love spending time with them! Ellen made sugar cookies and the kids had a ball decorating the cookies.In fact Sara had such a grand time decorating that we had to take a picture of this creation. We call it "Find the Cookies" : ) 
