Superpowers??

Ben watched the movie "Hancock" yesterday (I know he's too young to watch it probably...but he did).  When I was putting him to bed last night, he said "Mommy, don't get too close to me. We might lose our superpowers."  :)

Christmas Thoughts...

As I stop for a moment to reflect on this Christmas season...the first thing that comes to mind is "I'm too busy".  By the time Dec. 19 gets here, I will have had 17 performances that have been keeping me gone most nights from my kids.  BUT, last night there was a moment...I had a "moment".  One that stopped me in my tracks.  My high school show choir performed at the nursing home in town for a family Christmas dinner where the residents' families came to share the evening with them.  We sang our normal set of songs in each dining room and each time we got to "O Holy Night"...there were tears from some family members and some residents.  It's hard not to be moved by this scene. My vibrant, beautiful, energetic teenagers singing to these "beautiful" people who were once able to do what they are doing and are no longer able.  Then came that other "moment" where my teenagers surprise me as they always do.  Our performance was over...they were free to leave.  BUT instead...they asked if we could go caroling through the hallways at the nursing home so that the people who weren't able to come to the dinner would get to hear caroling too.  WOW.

So...we sang through the hallways and the looks on some of the residents faces were enough to make us all choke back the tears.  If they had the chance I think they might have told us not to take the days for granted...to live each day to it's fullest...be "in the moment".  I think that any one of them would have been thankful to be busy this Christmas and so I will be thankful to be busy this Christmas.  I'll enjoy being able to share the songs of the season with anyone who wants to listen.  God bless our "beautiful" older generation and God bless our youth.

Happy Thanksgiving...

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."

-Thornton Wilder

"Skateboarding...dude!"

Ben Turns 7!

Ben & his friends

Ben's 1st grade teacher...Mrs. Dane.

(Open House Night)

Ben & Evan

Kaitlynn & Ben

Ben, Ian, & Drew

Gotta love this face!

Ian is in pre-school this year and I can't get him to tell me ONE THING

about what he does there!

Mommy: "What did you do at school today, Ian?"

Ian: "Nothing"

Mommy: "What did you learn?"

Ian: "I don't know"

Mommy: "Do you like school?"

Ian: "I guess"

Talk about brothers who are opposites! HA!

Ben's First Day of School!...my big 1st grader

Oh how sweet and innocent they look...when they're sleeping! HA!

Ian Turns 4!!

Ian wanted to go to "Bounce Planet" for his birthday.

Friends: Hannah, Ian, Drew, Kaitlynn, Ben, & Brent

Ben, Kaitlynn, & Ian

Ben & Ian

"Blue Devil Basketball Camp"

Ben with his friend Dalton and Ian

Ben with Coach Daugherty.

Ben getting his basketball signed by a blue devil basketball player!

"Fun in the Sun!"

...Check out Ian's face in this picture! HA!

"Cool Kids"

"My Little Rock Stars!"

"Easter 2008"

A "Wicked" Trip to Chicago!!

So if you EVER get a chance to see this show...you just have to go!! It was so incredible that it's hard to describe. We had seats in the 2nd row so I could see all the actors faces and expressions. The girls playing the parts of Glinda (the good witch) and Elphaba (the wicked witch of the East) were both amazing! The 1st act ends with the song "Defying Gravity". This is the part of the musical when Elphaba decides to give in to her wicked side. The song itself is so moving and powerful...so take that and add the witch being raised up in the air ...center stage and her black dress and cape being blown and FILLING the entire stage...and it was enough to send me into an emotional high and I just cried through the song! UNBELIEVABLE...that's all I can say! Anyway, there's my plug for "Wicked"! It was a great trip...unforgettable! Thanks YO's! I love you guys!

"Defying Gravity"

Views from our hotel room in Chicago!

Christmas Eve 2007

Mamaw and Papaw and the boys...

The boys each picked out special earrings for Aunt Abby all by themselves.
And she made sure that they felt very special about their choices!

Uncle John with the boys...

Daddy and the boys...
On Christmas Day, Nana and Papa come over for lunch and presents!