FOCUS ON THE INSIDE (MY 16 YO'S THOUGHT)...

We had our annual Christmas card devotional last night, where we pray for all our friends we received cards from.  I was afraid that maybe our tradition might have been outgrown by our kids, but when Dad told them we were going to do it last night, all 3 made sure their friends knew they weren't available until 8 p.m.  In fact we did have 2 extra to eat pizza but they made themselves scarce because they knew we were having family devotional.

I've been recuperating so I did not prepare any thoughts whatsoever about a verse to encourage the family.  My husband went off an idea from our youngest son and it was a really interesting spirit led conversation.  The highlights:  he read two verses from the Bible and asked what they had in common.  One was Genesis 1:1 and  I wasn't sure where the other one was found.  Turns out it was the very last verse of Revelation.  Our son said the point was that life is not about the beginning or the end, but what happens in-between.  Which led to many other cliches from the family that we all think are good.  A couple I remember:

It's the process, not the product (that counts)

It's about the journey, not the destination!

So I asked if they could find a scripture to back it up.  This was their choice:
I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made.  But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me.  Friends, don't get me wrong:  By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal where God is beckoning us onward - to Jesus.  I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.  Philippians 3:12-14 MSG


Then a song broke out which surprised me, it's not really a popular song, or one sung by youth much.  It's amazing what your kids soak in, in their short lives!

Living by faith in Jesus alone,

Trusting, Confiding in His great love,

From all harm safe, in His sheltering arm

I'm living by faith and feel no alarm.

My kids laughed at me because once again I couldn't make it through our round robin prayer with out crying.  But really one thing I just have to thank God for every time I hear their spiritual thoughts and prayers is that I have been able to watch them mature a little more spiritually.

I don't tell you this to say my kids have arrived or that I have perfected parenting.  It wasn't some super sermon or a well planned lesson at all.  Just a time we gather to share a thought and pray.  I tell you all this to encourage parents out there to have some structured times of devotion with your kids.  We used to do this much more frequently, but things change when they hit high school and it's harder to find the time.  The only way to do it without awkwardness is to do it little by little throughout the years.  There was no hint of awkwardness this time - I loved it.

Happy 2012.

BEST TIME TO SCHEDULE SURGERY...

is right after Christmas.  That way, your family will put up the tree and all the decorations!  It also has given me the time to read THIS.  Great book!  Now to find the movie!

SHARING OUR AWKWARD CHRISTMAS PHOTOS...

                         He was so excited that his REAL fudge set up this year!

                                                 Are we having fun yet?

                             My little cousin looks like the HOME ALONE kid!

Poor David won the award for the ugliest pajamas at our Christmas pajama party!

This is a picture of me trying to get my kids to stand up and take a picture with me.

         I actually love this awkward angle of my daughter showing off her boots!

I always love taking a picture of the Christmas MESS!  It actually stayed this way for 24 hours because we went to church and then to my mother's house for the rest of the day and when we got home we were too dog tired to pick it up!

TO ALL MY BLOG BUDDIES...

FAMILY GIFT...

Our "family" Christmas gift has transformed from a board game we can play together to much more.  Just because the college kids are home for a little while doesn't necessarily mean we are eating dinner together every night or doing a whole lot together.  So we had a surprise night on the town - that I think everybody enjoyed!

Started off with dinner at Vito's Italian Restaurant on North May Avenue.  The bread and dipping sauce here is worth the trip!

After dinner a little Starbucks!  My daughter couldn't be happier about this little espresso cup her Daddy got her!

Time for a little go-kart racing at Pole Position!  The boys loved it, but unfortunately it made Dad get a little motion sickness and my adventure girl turned claustrophobic in the helmet! Still was fun though.  I had gotten a groupon for this a few months ago, so it was something we hadn't done before as a family.

Best of all we made a stop at Cuppies and Joe, where we got cupcakes to go.  Chocolate Rain is pretty delicious!  We ate them in the car while watching this fabulous light show on a house at 19th & Ollie.  It's synchronized with the music and plays many different songs and different colors.  Someone told me they spent $45,000 on this display!  Pretty incredible.

Family night - 5 hours of fun together!  Love these kids despite the burping and whining (yes, it still happens, jokingly most of the time)  Gotta do it while we can!

THE ULTIMATE EVENT PLANNER...

A blog buddy of mine sparked a thought in me with this verse a couple of days ago:

Hebrews 10:23-25

New International Version (NIV)

²³ Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

She mentioned the fact that the word DAY is capitalized, a hint that it is something special, not just an ordinary day.  It will be an EVENT!

I began to think about God as the ULTIMATE EVENT PLANNER.  How cool is that?  I love planning events, have even thought about it as a possible job option when my youngest graduates high school.  When I plan womens' events at church, I think about the setting, lights, sound, even the temperature of the room.  How to satisfy the 5 senses.  Not to mention the food, decorations, and program!  It's impossible to please everyone, but goodness knows I try.  When I feed lots of kids at the high school, I try to accommodate their likes and dislikes, make it good nutritionally, and find volunteers to serve and bring desserts.  When the college kids come over they get goody bags to take back to campus with them of things I've collected over the month.  Details, details, details....To think that God is working on that DAY to make it the biggest event ever, paying attention to every detail, makes me love Him even more!

The end of each year brings many festive parties, and I enjoy them all!  But many times there's a let-down after all is said and done.  Family members leave (maybe thankfully for some of you), messes are left, decorations have to be put away.  Holiday pounds left to disappoint us.  But guess what?  There will be NO let-down on that DAY.  It will be the ULTIMATE FOREVER EVENT!

Are you anticipating the BIG EVENT?

  THE DAY? 

 Applaud God - THE ULTIMATE EVENT PLANNER!

HOMEMADE FOR THE HOLIDAYS...

Well here we are again for the homemade gift round-up!  It's one of my favorite traditions with Waugh Family Christmas!  From left to right back row:  Santa can, Framed monagram on burlap, Scrapbook paper tree, T-shirt shopping bag.  Front row:  Shotgun shell Santa ornament, Christmas frame, Made by "somebody somewhere" ornament, Painted ball ornament.

These are my gifts this year - I've been into burlap!

                            Here are the crafty Waugh women with their goodies!  I have to say the most useful gift made was the t-shirt shopping bag.  My sister in law in Frisco is making them to be sold to benefit the PATH OF HOPE.  It is a foundation to help girls in Central America continue their schooling past the 6th grade.  Sweet, huh?

We are so blessed.  

Thank the Lord today for your education!

Thank Him for your family!

OH YES HE DID...

n

He wore his Dad's lime green leisure suit to the Winter Ball!  Just in case you hadn't heard the story before, here goes:  When my husband was a senior back in 1978, his grandmother let both he and his twin brother pick out fabric for suits! My DH had impeccable taste back then and still does, of course.  She made this suit for him and bought the shirt at JCPenney's.  The tie is our only addition to this ensemble!

Here's what the other guys wore just in case you thought maybe they all went retro!

And one of the lovely ladies who did the asking and foot the bill for this one!  Aren't they beautiful?  Thankfully it wasn't too cold because those dresses are not very cold weather friendly if you know what I mean...

ROUND UP THE KIDS FOR A GUESSING GAME...

Got this idea for a guessing game the other night with my little neighbors!  These are some of the ornaments we have from our travels through the years.  Can you guess where they are from?  

 

 

In order:  Stocking with grass skirt:  Hawaii
Beer server:  Germany
Capitol bldg:  Washington, D.C.
Eskimo:  Alaska
Blue "eye":  Greece
Beefeater:  London
Red tassel:  Chinatown, San Francisco
Girl with lei:  Hawaii
Lighthouse:  North Carolina
Man wearing kilt:  Scotland
Mounties on horses:  Canada
Abe Lincoln nutcracker:  Illinois (Lincoln library)
Pinocchio:  Italy
Alamo:  San Antonio, Texas
Wooden box with scene:  Switzerland

Anybody else out there collect ornaments on your travels?  Maybe we should have an ornament party and share them!

MAKING A MOVIE...

was not what I planned on doing Saturday.  Goodness, we had parties all weekend to attend!  But sometimes mommas jump when they get the chance to do something for their children...

We arrived at home after some shopping to find our college son turning our house into a movie set.  Lights, cameras, and his friend with wardrobe changes making a movie.  It was for some kind of 48 hour contest.

Imagine my delight when he asked if they could use the bike in the attic.  You mean the Cabbage Patch bike?  The one I bought at a garage sale years ago?  Yes, that one.  Now this is the ONLY bike I've saved folks. Because it was the only good quality one we had, and it was 10 years old when my daughter got it.  Cabbage Patch, 1983, it says.  So we got it down and it's as sturdy as ever!  Dad and I got to help with the scene and had a lot of fun with that.

Then we got to the REAL fun - we were in it!  Playing parents, what else?  We were in a "family eating dinner" scene.  Maybe I'll be a movie set decorator next.  I got all the old frozen food out of the freezer and made a beautiful meal of ham, grapes, and salad on those dinner plates.    You'll have to watch the video to see what happened, but here's a clue -

  My son did buy these dishes at Goodwill.  

So here's the  2 minute MOVIE.  I wish I would've fixed my hair. 

HOW LONG IT TAKES TO MAKE A GUMDROP TREE...

Longer than you think!  It was time for my annual Christmas craft night with my little neighbors.  Inspired by this, I thought we would make gumdrop trees.  This was a home-made gift from my sis-in-law several years ago and it has amazingly held together!  I display it every year.

It starts out pretty fun - sorting and tasting each color!  I found out from the package those weird flavors are anise and clove.

Dixie the cat had to check out our gumdrop tree making!

12 hours later....JK!  But they did take a while.  Little one had to take a break.

 On to Christmas pennants!  These girlies are getting to be experts at sponge painting and hot gluing!

Their burlap pennants hanging on the stairs

The finished products and two little girls on a sugar high!


Fun times!  I was also blessed to get to hear the entire 3rd grade Christmas program, song by song.  Nothing like hearing two little girls singing!

 Have yourself a merry little Christmas!

DINNER WITH THE COLLEGE KIDS...

We had our final dinner of the semester with our college kids! On the menu:

Country Pot Pie with Cheesy Bacon Crust

Green salad, Fruit Salad

Squash Casserole

Green Beans

Blackberry Wine Cake

Apple Crisp

Ice Cream

 I enjoy doing this but it stresses me out a little, too.  I seem to do this to myself a lot!  The type A personality in me, I guess.  I always have fun once we sit down to eat, though.  One of these days I will just order pizza.

We were glad to see our nephew and his girlfriend!  They just got back Tuesday from the PacRim tour.  They traveled the world this semester and I'm sure learned more than we will ever know.  They said the best food they had was in Japan.

They're the cute ones in the back!

Lots of pretty girls!

The evening ended with my son getting his friend to model his creation for the Plastic Fashion Show.  It's a required project for one of his art classes.  You can tell he was really into this...(NOT - no comment on how long he spent).  So they all ran out to the fashion show.  I was too tired and had lots of dishes to wash but I bet it was pretty good!

Wishing them Happy Holidays and a great Finals Week!