A Must Read!!!!

All I can say about this book, is WOW!!!!!  This was a gift from my parents and I had the book read in a day......if you are ever doubting God, Jesus, Heaven.....then you need to read this book!  So many parts of it had me in tears.....I love gifts like this one, b/c it goes on from the initial excitement and I've gotten so much out of it!  This excerpt says it all, "I think more about what it might really be like in heaven.  I accepted the idea of heaven before, but now I visualize it. Before, I'd heard, but now I know that someday I'm going to see." After reading this book, I feel the same way!!!!

Christmas 2011

We had such a great Christmas season and w/ this album, I hope you get to see all our fun we had.....Brenton and I are so blessed w/ these 2 precious boys that we enjoyed every, single minute w/ them this year!!!! Christmas Day was a fun day and I'm kind of sad it's over, but we enjoyed it, so that's what matters.....Now, bring on the New Year!!!!

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24 Hours of "Ralphie" is here, YAY!!!!

What a great Christmas Eve it was this year.....unfortunately, Colin had a terrible cold and was a snotty mess, so he and I stayed home and didn't make it to church w/ Brenton and Ethan, but what a wonderful service (I watched online).  The negative to that was, I didn't get to see Ethan take part in the service, as one of the children up on stage listening to "The Christmas Tree" story!  Our plans changed this morning, due to the boys and their coughs/colds, that we figured we'd watch online before heading out to the Shroyer Christmas.  Well, Ethan begged and begged to go to "his chorch" that we couldn't not go, even if that meant, it would only be Daddy with him!  Anyway, it was so cute from the pictures Brenton got (I'll post in the Christmas album) of him listening so intently to the story and from what I hear, he danced his little heart out in the aisle, too.....I guess he was quite the show!!!  LOL  This time of year, is such a fun one and meaningful all at the same time. The boys bring so much joy and make the season so magical.....we are doing our best to teach them the "real" meaning of the season, as well!  Ethan is so into it and Jesus' birthday, he's such a great little boy!!!  Colin, obviously has no idea, but he makes us smile as we watch him do things "his" way....lol  I'm kind of curious how tomorrow morning will go, b/c he has NO interest in unwrapping gifts.....loves the gifts, but hates opening them, hahaha.....he's so fun!!!!!  Anyway, I'm sitting here watching 24 hours of 'A Christmas Story' and watching "Ralphie" is definitely a holiday tradition, as well.....I do believe Santa has already made it to our house, b/c as I look down the hall, I see sparkling lights from the upstairs decorations that were turned off when we all went to bed ;), so I'm going to try to go to sleep, as I patiently wait for the boys to wake up.....man, I can't wait to see their faces in the morning ☺

Almost Time!!!!

Well, I can't be more excited, b/c it's almost time for Santa to visit our house!!!!!  Lots to do, but lots of fun this upcoming weekend and I'm happy to say, that after almost 4 years I FINALLY get to enjoy a nice, long holiday weekend w/o having to return to work early!!!!  I'm super excited about that and happy to get this time w/ my boys, yes, even Brenton is taking an extra day off this year....YAY!! ☺ So, this weekend will be so fun and enjoyable!  This is my last day for the week and I don't have to be back, until Wednesday ☺  This Christmas, I can't wait for, I feel like I'm 8 again b/c the boys are in such fun stages that I can't wait to see their faces come Sunday!!!!  Anyway, if I don't get back on here before Sunday, MERRY CHRISTMAS, blog friends and we hope you have a wonderful New Year, as well!!!!

Ethan's turn at this!!!!

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Ethan wanted to blog, so here's what he was typing above, "Hello, my name is Ethan and you spell my name E-T-H-A-N....hahaha....I asked him what he wanted to say, so that's what he said and typed (or atleast tried) ☺ He's learned to spell his name and he's very proud of that, so now is working on learning to write it.....Anyway, not to much going on here at our house, but just waiting patiently on Santa Claus to come ☺ Brutus the Elf visited us again today and found his way to the Scooby snacks.  Ethan thought it was pretty neat that Brutus found them and that he liked them, too...lol  What a fun Christmas season its been at our house.  I realize we only have a few more years of this, so we are enjoying every single minute of it.  Anyway, hope you all are having a great season, as well!!!!

Brutus found Ethan's favorite snack!!!

Hard Candy Christmas?!?! =)

Ever have a moment where things just hit you and you realize, "how lucky you really are"???  So many people around me have lots of crazy things going on in their lives and I have to admit, it put some thoughts into my head and then many questions came out....However, I've realized that I myself, was in those same shoes several years ago and boy, what a terrible time that was!!!  Honestly, I hated it, but by the grace of God, Brenton remained my best friend and that time....made us stronger!!!  As we were putting up our "family" Christmas tree this year (we buy family ornaments that represent that year, so its turned into our family tradition tree), actually each year we chuckle, b/c the only year we don't have an ornament for is 2005 (since 1999 when we started buying) and not having it, just reminds us of "where we don't want to be again"!!!  I heard it stated, "sometimes things need to fall apart for them to come back together in a great way" and I have to say, I couldn't agree more!!!  =)  God is good and I thank him everyday for the love Brenton and I share, b/c as I look around at these folks dealing w/ hard situations it makes me sad for them!!!!  As I look back, I remember that Christmas in 2005 and every time I hear "Hard Candy Christmas" by Dolly Parton, I remember how terrible I felt, but now all I can do is smile and reflect on the blessings that I have in my life.....I believe in the power of prayer and God still continues to bless my life and having my boys, all 3 now, my life is complete!!! As I sit here, I'm realizing that having that "Hard Candy Christmas" back then, sure has helped me appreciate life and its treasures, b/c never again will I take special things for granted!!!!  I continue to pray for my friends that are hurting and hope that God will bring them peace in the situations they are faced with, so they too can enjoy a "happy" Christmas season!!!!!

Message from Santa!!!

Last night was a fun night for the boys......Santa sent messages to them via the PNP (Portable North Pole) and it was so cute to watch their faces. ☺  They giggled as they watched each of their videos, while Brenton and I enjoyed it just as much....It's these small things that make Christmas so much fun!!!