Our Southern Snowstorm

After a few weeks of rain and warm temps, we got to experience a rare treat not typical of our Southern weather....a southern snowstorm.  It didn't last long but the beauty is memorable.  School was delayed so the boys got play in it for a little while.  I was fortunate to capture an unexpected post card view of our street during the snow falling.  It actually looks like a scene from a mountain town but knowing we are nowhere near a mountain range, this view is not typical of  the rest of  our neighborhood just from our little house looking down our street, only.

I hope you enjoy the few pics I took.  Even my little Gizmo, as sick as she is, took a short stroll in the snow. 

Christmas 2012

I know it's been a while since I've blogged.  I think most can agree that the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas becomes a blur with all the activities that happen.  When I'm busiest, I'm least prepared to blog with no time to think thoroughly enough to record my thoughts.  And when I actually have something I deem blog worthy it's gone by the time I can actually sit down and record it.

So, here's a run down of our Christmas...not much 'emotion' into it just a record for journaling.

We spent the weekend before Christmas in Alabama visiting hubby's family.  We enjoyed visiting and spending time with them. 

Hubby's parents then traveled over here Christmas Eve, spent the night, celebrated Santa and Christmas morning with us.  This a rare treat for them.

The boys enjoyed their Santa gifts. In typical fashion for them, their response was still reserved and calm.  They have never been ones to jump, squeal and show much celebratory emotion and this year didn't prove to be any different.

Santa brought motorized Scooters, remote control snake, new baseball bat, army role play toys, walkie talkies, lego type sets of planes, jeeps, and other contraptions, movies, 'real' Bibles and other various toys.

I surprised hubby with 2 rounds of golf at our neighborhood course, gift card to Chic Fil A (his food of choice for work lunch) and The Boys of Fall video he's been wanting. 

He surprised with me the latest edition of PhotoShop Elements.  I'm super excited about this gift as the previous edition I had was hard to learn.  This newer edition is much user friendly. 

I got several kitchen items.  I'm super excited about these as I have resolved this New Year to cook more with menu planning.  A new crockpot that is programmable, unlike my old one allows me to set the time and it will automatically cut off.  No more getting up in the middle of the night or rushing home to make sure I don't over cook.  Momma gave me a new All Clad cooking piece and my sister gave me a new hand blender with chopper and whisk attachments. I can't wait to use them in my attempt to cook more. 

We celebrated Christmas with my family the Wednesday after Christmas.  It's always a joy to see the boys excited celebrating with their cousins.  There's just something about cousins that make celebrating fun and memorable. 

The continue to be blessed and thankful for the Lord's mercies and goodness.  His season is always a reason to celebrate.

Broken Thoughts from a Broken Heart

On FB, I share a little more of my thoughts than I do here.  Mainly because they are shared in "fragments" and not as a whole 'blog post'.  It wouldn't serve any purpose to record my many thoughts via blog multiple times a day.  And when tragedies such as the Sandy Hook killings happen, I have so many thoughts that I need to 'get out of my head' and FB provides an outlet for those thoughts. 

In attempt to keep ongoing journals on here as a way of reminiscing in the future I am gonna list the thoughts I shared on FB as a blog post. Each paragraph will be different thoughts that I posted at different times as I processed the tragedy throughout the weekend.

"In response to some of the posts, blogs and tweets I've read:
I have seen such a variety of emotions and responses regarding the tragedy at Sandy Hook. Some have been the sweetest most sincere raw emotions one can express as parents and teachers. I have also seen responses that have been nothing but judgement, political rants and raves, criticisms and "I told you so". I've even seen people use this opportunity to prove there is no God...but just as opposite Christians who are using this opportunity to politicize God in schools. And I must say, I've even been disappointed with some of the responses from Christians...from skeptics and non believers, I expect such responses but Christians...NO! And now it's time for my rant, albeit, it might not be the time or place. But during a time of such tragedy, the last impressions non believers and skeptics need to see or hear are the ones that show lack of faith, love, mercy and grace. It's times like this that our faith in Christ can be a beacon of hope and light. This is NOT the time or incident that we start pointing to reasons as means of a blame game as to why this happened b/c we don't know!!! And it's ok to express that we do not know b/c what we do know is far greater than any speculations and blames of why...we know the HOPE and LIGHT of a Saviour who is the only answer to any tragedy and evil this world bestows on us. This is a time that Christians can glorify God and live examples of the Hope, Love, Faith and most needed Peace that He gives and so greatly wants a lost world to see and accept. When we as Christians use this opportunity to judge, politicize God, go on rants that compare this to abortion, we miss an even bigger opportunity to show who what this fallen world really needs from us and that is the faith, love, hope and peace he called us to show. Yes, there is a time and place for preaching God's judgement but during the most raw of these, pointing fingers of blame is not either."

 

This was in response to so many claiming God is not in our schools hence the reason the shooting happened:

 

"First, God has never left schools. School officials may not be able to publicly pray but he's still there. To say he's not is to say God removed himself therefor forsaking us. Second, where he needs to be most is in the hearts of humans and the heart of  homes. A parent's, a teacher's or a school administrator's prayer is no less just b/c it's not publicly prayed. God can still be glorified when a teacher or student helps the least of these. God can still be glorified when a parent prays with their child before school. God can still be glorified when a group of students stand outside their school before classes and openly prays for their fellow students, teachers and country. God can still be glorified when students publicly ask God to bless their food before eating. God can still be glorified when students show love, grace, mercy and hope to those in need during school. It's not just about a public display of prayer, it's about a public display of a life lived for Christ that goes far beyond a 'routine out of obligation prayer'. There are so many crying out for prayers to be put back into schools and while this would be ideal, it's just not gonna happen. So I ask...how many of us pray at home, how many walk the halls of the school in prayer, how many meet with fellow parents on a consistent basis praying for their children, fellow friends and classmates and the school administration, how many live a life that glorifies God outside of church?  Fully relying on the government to be responsible for 'God in schools' is not the answer and not the will of God."

 

Sunday night preparing to take the boys to school the following Monday morning:

 

"Tomorrow will be the hardest morning to watch my boys walk away leaving my wings of care when I drop them off at school. Unbeknownest to them, innocence was yet again stripped away. My worries as their mother became even more valid this past Friday. I, too, am just like the mom's of Sandy Hook...never thinking it will happen at our school. Now that possibility became a little more realistic and I will have to face that worry head on tomorrow morning between 7:15 and 7:30. I just thought my tears on the first day were hard to contain but tomorrow will be no comparison."

Different Tragedy, Same Emotions

I wrote this back in 2007 in regards to the Virginia Tech tragedy.  Sadly, I am posting it again as it still applies. 

http://www.007family.blogspot.com/2007/04/tragedy-at-virginia-tech.html

My Cub Scouts

Christmas Parade 2012

Their ride in the Christmas Parade

BB Gun range at Camp Hood 2012 (CB)

CB and BB 1st Cub Scout camping trip at Camp Hood 2012

CB and BB ready for their 1st Cub Scout Pack Meeting

CB at the BB gun range at Camp Hood 2012

BB at the archery range at Camp Hood 2012

CB and BB at their 1st Cub Scout Camping trip to Camp Hood 2012

I need to catch up on the boys extra curricular activities.  This past fall, the boys joined the Boy Scouts.  So we have 2 little Tiger cubs prowling around our home.  They have really enjoyed their meetings and activities.  They've been camping, hiking, picnicking, BB gun shooting, archery and the most recent, our city Christmas parade.  They are in a great den and have enjoyed making new friends.

My Southern Snowmen

My southern snowmen aren't fat like their northern counterparts.  It's just not cold enough to keep packed snow and ice around their mid-section.  The heat here in the South just melts it away.  (Oh, how I wish the Southern heat would melt the stuff around my mid-section).  Yes, my snowmen have on scarves like it's not 70 degrees.  They protested saying, "it's too hot to be wearing these scarves" but I insisted they needed some color.  They were just too white for a southern snowmen and since you can't 'tan' ice and snow, you just add a scarf for color.

I've got 6 of these skinny southern snowmen, lining my front yard flower bed.  This is another Pinterest project I completed with the help of my daddy over the Thanksgiving holidays.

I'm hoping the temps become cool enough for them...they'll thank me for the scarves if that happens.

The War of the Sexes

Me: "BB, what are y'all playing?" (outside with friends)

BB: "War"

Me: "Who are y'all fighting?"

BB: "We huntin' down girls!"