Prayer Calendar

I am not creative. I am not playful. I can follow instructions. I work well with lists/tasks. I need suggestions, ideas from creative folks when it comes to parenting (and plenty other areas too). So when I saw Gillian's blog title today I got SO excited. A prayer calendar for my children. Click on this picture to be taken to the site where you can download a PDF for printing.

This is a printable calendar with 31 days (reuse each month) each with a different biblical virtue to "pray into your children." Hope this helps when you, like me, are bone tired and want to pray for your sweet kiddos but just don't have enough brain left to do it.

This could really be personalized for ourselves and husbands as well...because if we aren't praying for them, who is?

Standing on the table...take 2

This week Lila has hit a new milestone - climbing on the breakfast table. This morning I caught her enjoying Andrew's breakfast leftovers. When I started this blog, Andrew had just discovered the mischief offered by the table. Everything old is new again. The second time around I decided it was more important to grab the camera than grabbing her off the table.

I cannot say it better than this

Billy Graham's Prayer For Our Nation

'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the earth with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'

Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,' and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called 'One Nation under God.'

Winter Vaca

A few weeks ago we travelled to Aspen, CO to spend time with family in the snow. What a fabulous treat. We skied...we played...we relaxed...we ate. Papa got the pleasure ;) of flying over with us. We arrived in Aspen on a cold snowy day. Mimi & Uncle David were already there waiting for us. We got settled and dressed the kids to play in the snow. They loved it. Well...Andrew honestly never got adjusted to gloves so that made things a little difficult but it was the only bump (that I recall) that we didn't get over.

Drew and I had lots of time on the slopes in Snowmass. We truly enjoy skiing together - although we like to break for our own runs every now and then. The fresh snow we got on the first few days made conditions great. By the end of the week it was in the 30s and much warmer than when we arrived.Andrew went to ski school 3 days while we were there. He LOVED it! His age group had snack, played indoors, and skied for 1 hour in the mornings. After skiing they came in for lunch and napped before more play time. The first day we didn't time our runs just right and we missed seeing him. We were quite disappointed but the moment we picked him up I knew he loved it. He wanted to put his skis back on. "I need little skis." Drew and I picked him up early on his second day and took him for a few runs on the bunny slope. The last day he went with his cousin Luke. We have no doubt we've got more skiing vacations in our future with these two. Andrew loved tubing and sledding and stomping in the snow...if only his hands could stay warm and dry without gloves.
Lila would have been on skis in 2 seconds if they had let her. She stayed inside with Mimi in the mornings so we could enjoy the slopes. She had fun playing and eating "crack ah"s. Each afternoon she greeted us at the door ready to bundle up and have her turn in the snow. She tromped and stomped and hit and scattered the snow wearing her big bright smile. She enjoyed taking strolls and sledding as well. She had an especially fun time once her cousin Ainsley arrived to play with her.

This trip was lots of fun. We spent lots of time enjoying one another and making memories that although the kids may not remember, we definitely will. Thanks Papa and Mimi for a fun time in Colorado!

Christmas 2008

My heart has been filled with thanksgiving this Christmas season. I was a tad bit overwhelmed before our family began to arrive on the 22nd. But by Christmas Eve everything had fallen in place and everyone was settled in to enjoy each other as we celebrated the birth of our magnificent Savior.

Drew, Andrew, me & Lila at a Christmas Eve service at our church. It was Andrew's first time in "big" church and we were all a bit surprised he made it through...loved lighting the candles at the end.

Reading the account of Christ's birth before heading downstairs to open presents.

Here's a link to more pictures of our Christmas fun:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=12407&l=a2806&id=1388395781