my favorite christmas picture

quick rundown

It's snowing here in the Panhandle of Texas. Although I am not a huge fan of snow, or cold for that matter, I have to admit that it is beautiful when it is falling. Rarely in the Panhandle do we get a snow that falls peacefully. Usually snow is accompanied by winds that make it most unpleasant. One of the things I love about it the most is being HOME, by the fireplace. That is exactly where we are today and I love it!! We are only expecting 1-2 inches of snow today and into the night. Shouldn't affect life as we know to much.

I can't believe that we are one week through the holidays, and it has been over 10 days since I blogged. Time has flown by. I really hate when I get this far behind. Especially during the holidays when I have so much to tell you. But, that is exactly the reason...it is just that...the holidays. I have taken pretty much a holiday from most things to be with tend to my family.

Let me give you a glimpse of the holidays for the Kirkland family.

We didn't waste one single day of Christmas break before beginning our Christmas festivities. On Saturday (Dec. 19) we had Christmas with Robby's mom's (Glass) family. They are a really fun bunch. She has three sisters, and they are each a treat. We laugh and laugh. I really love getting together with this side of the family because we are always assured of a very good time. My kids really love the time with their cousins as well. (Pictures to come)

On Monday, Santa took our family on a mini-vacation to the Gaylord Texan and Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine. Santa knew our kids didn't need much, so some fun family memories were to be made. It was fast and furious, but we did have a really good time...until...the night before we were to come home on Wednesday, Cydney began throwing up. She was very sick!! She was sick through the night. We thought we had finally reached a break and loaded up to come home. About halfway home, she got sick again!! Little did we know this was only the beginning. Yesterday, 5 days later, was the first glimmer of health in her little body. She was finally eating and drinking again. In the meantime, I was sick on Christmas day and missed festivities with my family. Carson came home from my parents sick. Somehow...Calleigh remained healthy through it all and I am so thankful!! I have had all the nasty sick stuff I want for a very long time!!!

So for now, we will just sit in our warm house and watch it snow. I am going to edit some pictures of our trip and Christmas to share with you. I also need to do some updating my blog layout since Christmas has gone for the year. Looks like a pretty busy afternoon. Better get to it!!!

Hope your afternoon is wonderful. Stay warm!!

christmas buzz

It is definitely buzzing in our world.  We made it home safe and sound from our Las Vegas get-away.  It was so great to have our entire family back in the safety of our little house.  We are back in our own beds, back to our busy schedules, and most importantly back together.   Vacations are always fun, but it really makes me realize how very much I love home.

This week has been buzzing in the Kirkland house.  Our church is having a Christmas progressive dinner tonight, and our house is one of the stops.  We had mountain of laundry to get washed, a gingerbread house to be constructed (photos to come), dinner menu to be planned, and presents to be wrapped.  All in preparation for the progressive dinner.  It looks as if we are going to make it!!  As much as I would love for my house to be spotless, it isn't.  Never!!!  Carson kept wishing our house cleaner would come so he would not have to do some cleaning on his own.  Didn't happen!!! Sorry, Bubba!!  But, that is what I love about my church family.  I can be who I am...and they love me anyway.  Just like our Heavenly Father!!!  Praise the Lord, because I am a mess.

The menu tonight for the Kirkland's stop of the progressive dinner is....BEEF, of course!!!  We are serving beef fondue.  My mouth is watering thinking of eating this yummy stuff.  We are preparing bite size pieces of deep fried steak which can then be dipped in any of the 9 sauces that we have prepared purchased.  We will also be serving a selection of olives and Hot Crackers which were purchased homemade.  I have to admit though...they are super easy!!! And...super delicious.  My kids even love 'em.  I might reduce the amount of red pepper if my kids are going to be munching on them.

Christmas is in the air at school also.  Christmas parties.  Excitement of a two week holiday.  Semester tests.  Christmas play and concert.  So much going on....I can hardly keep up.  Knowing that I have a two week holiday lying two days in front of me keeps me smilin'.  I can hardly contain my excitement.  Better get back to the work that I am supposed to be doing right now.

Have a blessed week!!

am i doing the right thing?

This morning on our way to school, the kids and I were talking about our plans after school was out today.  I told them we were going to head in to the city to do our shopping for our Salvation Army angels.  Robby and I used to always adopt an angel from the angel tree, but the last few years it seems they have been gone before we got one, or we just didn't get by to get one.  When we were in town on Sunday we noticed there were still plenty and decided to adopt two, a boy and a girl the ages of our children.  It is our intention that they begin to understand that Christmas is about giving and not just receiving.

As we are driving to school and discussing what is means to adopt a Salvation Army angel, the kids had many questions.

What does it mean to adopt an angel?

Why are we adopting an angel?

Will we ever meet the kids?

What are their names?

What do they want for Christmas?

I explained that some children were not as fortunate as we are at Christmas time.  Their families didn't have a lot of extra money to buy Christmas presents, so by adopting them we are helping make their Christmas a little better.

What do we buy them?

Well, mostly the kids need clothes, shoes, and maybe even a coat.  Some of the kids have asked for special gifts like a dsi, or other toys, but mostly it is just necessities.

Does Santa not come to their house and bring them the toys they want?

 What???  I mean, well, yes....Santa does come to their house as well?  What am I saying?  How do I answer this question?? Um....

Thankfullly, we pulled into the school parking lot and it was time to get out of the car.

But, I began thinking, are we doing the right thing by telling our children in Santa?

This is my pre-conversation thinking...I know there is debate about whether it is right or wrong to tell kids about Santa. I love doing Santa.  I don't believe that we are making our children believe in a lie by having them believe in Santa.  I realize Santa is not real, but it is meant in good spirit and not intended to lie to our children.  So, yes, Robby and I have always done Santa with our children and plan to do so this Christmas.  We write Santa letters and visit Santa when the opportunity arises.

This is my post-conversation thinking...I still love doing Santa.  My family is very blessed and my children usually get at least one gift they ask Santa for.  Robby and I talk with them in the days leading up to Santa's arrival, and they pinpoint that one gift that would be special for them on Christmas.  Sometimes they get a little greedy, and we try to talk to them about greediness.  "Santa has to buy gift for boys and girls everywhere and Santa doesn't need to spend his entire budget on our household."  But yes, we are blessed to have many nice things.

As they are questioning me about whether Santa came to visit these "angel" children, I wondered if I am doing the right thing by having them believe that Santa does come to visit all girls and boys...so you better be good.  In reality, I don't know that Santa does come to every house.  My heart breaks for this thought.  As I looked around my classroom this morning, I wondered what houses would Santa be visiting this year.  There all good kids!!!  But some families just can't afford it...this is real!!!

So my great debate...should my kids continue to believe in Santa?  Not because he is make believe, but to realize how blessed we are and there are others in this world that just don't have the things we have. I know being blessed doesn't mean we have to have things.  Blessings are in the form of family, friends, love, friendship, salvation, grace, mercy, etc...  Should my kids continue to believe in Santa?  Not because it is not real, but to realize how exciting and rewarding it is to give at Christmas time.  How special it can be to help make someone's Christmas time a little merrier.

I have so many thoughts rambling through my mind.  I really don't know the right answer.  I am eager to share my thoughts with Robby tonight.  I would love to hear your thoughts about this as well.

But for now, I am off to town to shop for our angels.  Be blessed!!!

christmas card photoshoot

Last night was Mimi's (Robby's mom) night for an attempt for a Christmas card picture.  Every year it seems the same thing...trying to get 5 6 pairs of eyes looking at the camera to get a GREAT good shot is almost impossible.  There is always wandering eyes, a goofy grin, a little girl fleeing the scene, or a shaky camera.  Each year the same words come rumbling from Kelly and I's mouth..."If you don't cooperate during these pictures..."

Well the photo shoot ended without blood shed.  Actually, everyone one was happy...even the momma's.  After the some fun photo editing from my new found friend, here they are...

...still some wandering eyes, goofy grins, and shaky cameras...but the kids sure are cute!!!

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

We put the finishing touches of Christmas on our house tonight.  And it looks wonderful!!  It really is not characteristic of me to decorate much for the holidays.  Yes, we have a tree and stockings, but not a whole lot of extras.  And I hardly ever decorate for other holidays.  I mean seriously, what is the the point of changing your entire home decor for 25 days???  I just don't have the time or patience to undo, decorate, undo, and redo normal living decor.

I have a friend, that happens to be my neighbor, that decorates all out for the holidays and I have to admit...her house is sooo cute!!! It kinda inspires me. Well, yeah kinda...until I get home and get out my own decorations and then is bah-hum-bug!! But this year...we got it all done and I love it!!! I know some go all out, but for me...this is as good as it gets.

Thanks Honey, the house looks terrific!!

Ozzie, our Elf on the Shelf

Actually, he is hiding in our Christmas tree.

Hope your decorating is coming along just great!!

all i want for christmas is...

...my two front teeth.  December is here...20 days 'til Christmas.  I love Christmas...I love shopping for my kiddos, I love a 2 week vacation from school, I love eating yummy food at Christmas, I love spending time with our families, I love my house being decorated with Christmas lights, I love my Christmas tree, I love that our precious baby Jesus was born!!  What a spectacular time of year.

I know that Christmas is NOT about the gifts...but I have to admit, I do love shopping for my kids.  I love Christmas morning when they see the "just right" gift they have been longing for.  I love the excitement that fills the air...the laughter, the wide eyes, and the jumping around.  I love the surprise!!

This year this is my Christmas "WISH" list...mind you, this is a wish list.  We can't afford and don't NEED all these items...but, wouldn't they all be fun???  I know, I know...Christmas is not about the gifts!!

This year we are going to try something new in hopes of it becoming our new family tradition.

Something I want

Something I need

Something to wear

Something to read

a new macbook

       (something I want)

lisa leonard necklace

(something I want)

something I need (because I am freezing in my bed)

 (something to read)

and

an LG washer/dryer combo...yes, this machine washes and dries clothes in the same machine.

I want two...oh, the laundry I could get done with this baby!!!

(something I want)

I think I better revise my list a little...I don't think it meets the guidelines of our family's Christmas.

What's on your Christmas "Wish" List this year?

oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree

The Christmas tree is finally up at the Kirkland household.  This is always a fun night for our family.

The kids are such a huge help.  Which I absolutely loved...then I could perch on the arm of the couch and take pictures of all the action.

We had to stop and take a mini-break when Mimi & Poppy got home from a Thanksgiving weekend

get-a-way.  Cydney was so excited to see her Mimi.  She can already say Mimi, and we're working on Poppy.  Most of the time he is just Pop.

Cydney added a little extra touch this year to our decorating.  She undecorated as quickly as we decorated.  This may be an interesting Christmas.

We even decorated her as our little gift...what a wonderful addition to our family.

This year Calleigh wanted a Christmas tree in her room.  I had these trees in the attic and thought they were just perfect size for her.  She and I worked to get them just perfect.  We still have a little work left to do.

Daddy adds the final touch to our tree with the star.

While Cydney holds on to her daddy's leg for dear life.

How lovely are your branches.  

Hope your Christmas season is merry.