Sappy story about Skip

Skip and I celebrated our 14 year anniversary last Tuesday. When I say celebrated, I mean the day came and went as we drove 3 whiny children home from the beach. We usually choose to go to dinner or something nice for our anniversary but timing wasn't on our side this year. Anyway.. what has the last 14 years meant.. Everything!!! Yes, I would do it all over again.

Things I love about Skip:
* Whistling.. he always whistles.
* He ties is cough drop wrappers in a neat little knot.
* He can talk in almost any accent. It always makes me laugh.
* Skip juggles
* He makes yummy noises when he eats wasabi.
* He brings me a large sweet tea (1/2 and 1/2) from Mickey's D's most every day.
* He brings my coffee upstairs for me in the morning.
* He takes really long cold showers. How in the world can he take cold showers?
* He let us get a dog even though he didn't really want one.
* Skip is so darn incredibly smart. He reads history books all the time. I do make fun of him because I don't understand the need to know about the wars I have never heard of. But, I admire his desire to learn more and more. He has has photographic memory which is amazing! He graduated from college 1 month after turning 20 because he clept so many courses.
* Skip sings and plays drums in the car all the time. Caught a good rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody in from a 'butt' call one time.
* He loves British humor. Frankly, I can't understand what they are saying. Maybe it is my southern upbringing.
* He is handy around the house. He has built a sun room, installed hard wood floors, built shelving, you name it.. he can do it.
* Skip loves his children more than anything. He is an absolutely amazing father. He is more consistent with discipline and boundaries.
* He reads to the kids every night.
* He is 43 and his iPod is full of hard rock, alternative and classic rock.
* Skip will ride his bike with the kids to Publix. He will take a back pack for the groceries he buys.
* Skip's closet is insanely organized.. Collars, colors, you name it.. they are in order. I used to find humor in hanging things up backwards.
* Skip gets embarrassed when other people make mistakes. Example: He will blush if an ice skater falls in a competition.
* He loves chapstick. I mean he is addicted to the stuff. He calls it Chappy. He even keeps tube in his jammie pants pocket.
* Skip loves the Lord. He has a very clear and pointed relationship with Jesus. I am in awe.
* Skip is one sexy dude! That's all I will say about that~
* Skip takes care of me and the kids. He would do anything (anything!) to keep us safe and make us happy. We are always #1 to him.
* Skip calls me several times through the day to chat or check in.
The list could go on and on....... He is more than I deserve!
I love you Skip!

Catch up....

My purpose in blogging was to document me our family activities for prosperity sakes. I am not a scrap booker. It is not that I have anything about scrap booking but I can't bear to cut photographs. I guess it is the photographer in me. As you can see, I have been rather slack in updating the blog. So.. here is an update of things going on in our crazy house in 2009.

February: It was a crazy month. We went to Disney for a long weekend. We only had 3 days of fun but it was a nice break. We went to Magic Kingdom, Epcot and then downtown Disney one day. We had a great time. I think it was the first time I have been to Disney without a stroller or bag of some sort. I just went with my purse. I have to admit that I missed having a stroller as a 'carry-all' for stuff.

My friends, Angela and Tandy, came over for a wonderful day of cooking.. We cooked weeks worth of food for all 3 families. It was so fun! We gathered recipes that are great to freeze. We all purchased items for the big cooking day. Not only did this save time, it saved money. PLUS.. the food was fabulous.


Waverly has been growing her hair long for quite some time. She decided she wanted to donate her hair to Locks of Love. So.. when her hair was long enough, we went to Tru at the Avenues and had her hair cut. They have to cut at least 10" to send to Locks of Love. This was a neat experience. Here is the before and after...



A Fresh Hope partnered with Cedarcrest Church to host an Easter Celebration in April. It was such a wonderful community outreach event. Skip even dressed up as the bunny.. Kendall was so embarrassed....




We had some friends over for an Easter Cookout and the bunny showed up again...


My sister-in-law, nieces, nephews and friends came for a visit. It is always wonderful to visit with the Doug/Steph Gilcrease family. If our kids grow up with 1/2 the manners and love of God as these kids, I will be one happy momma!

Genesis.... In the beginning...

Waverly and Kendall are participating in a Tech Fair tomorrow. We were really sweating on what to do for this project. Waverly and Kendall then came up with the idea to do it on Genesis, the first 7 days. So, they put photos we took and some photos (without copyright) and made a slide show. They then put Amazing Grace music in the back ground. The girls then took turns reading Genesis. I don't know if we did the project correct but it turned out to be a sweet project anyway. There is something so sweet about a child reading scripture. Enjoy....

2 degree changes...

The pastor at our church gave a message on making 2 degree changes. If you make small changes, then you are more likely to stick to your goal. Example, if you do not drink water but your goal is to drink 10 glasses a day, start with just 2 a day until you have accomplished that goal, add 2 more glasses, etc.

I want our kids to be goal oriented. I want them to think about their goals and ways to accomplish goals. Being reasonably goal oriented can help in your schooling, personal life, work life, family life, personal growth, walk in faith, etc. I gave everyone a piece of paper at dinner. The paper had the following:

2 Degree changes:
Home:
1.
2.
Health:
1.
2.
Heart:
1.
2.
What would you like to do in 2009?
What are 2 of your goals for the year?
1.
2.

I gave everyone 4 days to complete their sheet in privacy after much thought. We then all brought the papers back to the table and shared our goals, 2 degree changes and ways to accomplish our goals. It was interesting to see everyone's thoughts. I won't tell you Skip's goals or the kids' goals as that would invade their privacy. But.. I will tell you my goals to keep with my desire to be transparent on this blog. By the way, any suggestions on meeting the goals are welcome.

2 Degree changes:
Home:
1. Better bedtime routine- smoother, structured, nurturing
2. Plan meals ahead of time to cook more nutritious meals, more family meals, save money, healthier meals...
Health:
1. Cut back on Diet Coke- 2 or less a day
2. Lose 5 lbs.
Heart:
1. More dates with Skip
2. More prayerful family

What would you like to do in 2009?
Go to the Laser Show at Stone Mountain, Rent a boat on Allatoona (annual tradition)

What are 2 of your goals for the year?
1. ~Successfully make tuition payments~
2. Fix up the Laundry Room

So far... I am doing pretty good with my 2 degree changes except for the 5 lbs. change. I haven't put forth any effort on that change so it will remain. I am down to 2 or less Diet Cokes a day. We will bring out our sheets in a month or two for a goal check. For goals reached, we will replace it with a new 2 degree change. I'll post an update in a month or two on my goals. Wish us luck!

Waverly and Kendall were Grand Marshalls

Friday was Mt. Paran Christian School's Homecoming Parade. Waverly and Kendall had the privilege of being the Student Grand Marshalls in the parade. A wonderful mom from Mt. Paran (and our church) won the position in an auction. She turned the opportunity over to Waverly and Kendall for their service with A Fresh Hope. It was so neat that Kendall was recognized. She does so much of the grunt work for A Fresh Hope but is very behind scenes. She stuffed back packs for hours and hours this summer. Waverly and Kendall got to ride on the back of a car and wave at everyone on the parade route. They seemed to be okay until they reached their own classes. They were then embarrassed a little but still smiling from ear to ear. It is neat to be in a school with graes K-12 where the younger students get to participate in the spirit type of activities. All high school grades created the neatest floats. Fun day!

be still....

As all momma's do, I love my kids. I love my kids more than I ever knew possible. I love their individuality, their spirits, their hearts, their little faces, their cute fingers and toes, and their presence. I don't always take the time to stop and be still. Time is flying by and we all need to be still and soak in the moment. Life is so busy and I find myself multi-tasking to get things done. I am undoing back packs, repacking back packs, signing agendas, checking homework, packing snacks, finding sports uniforms, and forget to stop, look in my child's eye and say "tell me about your day". I am working on stopping the multi-tasking and sit down to watch a movie with them, cook with them, shoot hockey goals, and pray with them.

I very clearly remember a moment in Grant's life. He was 6 weeks old and EXTREMELY critical. He was on a respirator and his stats were horrible. He was in the Cardiac ICU at Egleston after crashing and having a Code Blue called at Scottish Rite. I remember the surgeon walking in on Thursday night at 7:00 on 8/11/01 and say "if he is still here tomorrow, we will do surgery." At that very moment, my heart sank. I was incredibly nauseous and felt like I was having an outer body experience. I remember laying in bed that night. I cried harder than I have ever cried in my life. I prayed so hard and so long. I was trapped in a hotel room unable to sleep and panicing. I had to be still and be with God. I asked God to give me one more smile. I told him I would be okay with a trachetomy, trachea reconstruction, severe disabilities, medical issues but I just wanted my little boy to give me one more smile. I can honestly say that I felt God speak to me. God gave me a sense of peace that he would make it through the the night and through the heart surgery the next morning. That was good enough for me.. after that, God was faithful. Grant stayed on a vent for quite some time after the surgery as he was having a tough time. I remember walking into CICU 1 week later and seeing Skip leaning over the crib. I saw Grant look up at Skip and smile. I was warm all over. God had his hand on me. I have no doubt that God sent that smile to me. Grant was a medical miracle but more than that, he was God's miracle.

Why am I telling this story? I am telling this story because those very specific moments are so special to me. They were me and God. A moment that I was able to feel and understand because I was still. We need to be still. We need to be still in the moment with God and be still with our children. Time keeps ticking.. our children are growing up. Cherish the little things.

Gilcreases go Green

The Gilcreases go green.. say that 4 times fast. Well, let's just say we are making 2degree changes in our lives to start living a more environmentally friendly way. Our trash company doesn't put much effort or availability on recycling so we took the easy way out. We are now recycling plastic and cans. We take them to a local school for drop off. We took our tree to Home Depot to be chopped into mulch. We took it one step further and had a truck full of the mulch dropped off here. We are going to have to put it through chipper one more time but it will be great mulch for the natural areas in our back yard.

My hubby is the most studied human that I have ever met. Come over to our house and you will find a library FULL of history and science books, a downstairs office full of books, bedroom bookshelves full of books and a stack from the library at any time. Skip reads several books at one time. None of them are at all appealing to me. His last book was 1300 pages of Lincoln and his cabinet. My point with this is that he is very educated, very! I go to him with questions all the time. My latest was concerning global warning. How in the world can people say Global Warning does not exist? That blows my mind. How do people think we are not effecting the environment? If you have ever flown into Atlanta on a hot humid day in the summer and have seen the thick yellowish/grayish layer of smog, you will see we do have an impact on our environment. You almost wonder if the plane will be yellow when we get through the blanket of yuck. Yes, the earth has warmed and cooled over time but NEVER as fast as it is now.

I think we need to teach our children to respect the environment. My children were actually proud of us for starting the recycling. I think they are taught recycling at school and it should be enforced at home. I am looking for ways to do better. If you have any ideas, please comment. I would love some 2% Green ideas... Thanks Jim for the ideas.. will change the light bulbs on the next trip to Home Depot.

Gilcrease Bow Tie Pasta Salad

If you know me, you know I am not a cook. I cook because I need to feed my family. Other than that, I get very little enjoyment out of it. Due to my lack of enthusiasm, my end product is usually lacking. My most awesomest hubby is a fantastic cook and loves to cook. So, we make a great pair.

There is one thing that I can cook well. I guess it involves more cutting and mixing than cooking but I think it will fall into the category of cooking. I decided to add this recipe to my blog. My buddy, Crumbs in my butter, adds recipes and they are always yummy.

Gilcrease Bow Tie Pasta Salad

Salad:
8 ounce Bow Tie Pasta, cooked
½ green bell pepper, diced
½ red bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (Hint: Use the basil sun dried tomatoes feta cheese)
1 celery rib thinly sliced, optional ( I do not add celery- personal preference)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Chopped olives, optional ( I do not add Olives- again preference)
¼ cup pasta salad dressing

Dressing:
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
¼ cup olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 green onion thinly sliced
1 garlic clove minced
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried tarragon
¼ tsp salt
Whisk together salad dressing ingredients

Make the night before. Add ½ of the dressing the night before and the remaining amount before serving.

Garnish with Fresh basil and Plum Tomato wedges right before serving.

I usually double the recipe since bow tie pasta comes in 16 ounce boxes at Publix.

Bon Apetite

BUUURRRRRR!

Woah! It is cold here in the deep south. It was 10.9 degrees this AM with a wind chill of less. I am okay with cold weather but this is uncomfortably cold. I am sure Skip enjoyed letting the dog out at 5:00 AM while she ran and played enjoying the outdoors. We lived in New Hampshire for 4 years. Waverly and Kendall were born in New Hampshire. New Hampshire is part of the great white north and has a reputation for some pretty cold winters. But.. something is different there. I don't know if it is because it is less humid or you just get used to it but it doesn't feel as cold as it is now in Georgia. I remember walking the streets of Portland, ME one night window shopping and the temperature was -1 degrees. It wasn't this cold. I remember thinking.. "Boy, I am not cold right now. Odd?"

In the 4 years we lived in NH, we only had to plow our drive way a couple of times. We lived on a beautiful peninsula in a town called Dover, NH. The Great Bay surrounded our peninsula. Since we were close to water, we didn't get as much snowfall as they did inland. We had to cross a large bridge to get to our house. There would be tug boats (the old fashioned red and black ones) pulling large barges up and down the bay. Maine was on the other side of the bay. I can tell you that as beautiful as the view from that bridge was... it was also a terror on snow days. Me.. with my GA plates.. would drive about 5 mph over the bridge. I would be white knuckled on all 10. I am sure I aggravated the stew out of all the Yankees behind me.

So.. here we are in GA. Thankful we will not have to go out today. Sorry our kids had to get on a school bus... Freezing our little tails off... drinking hot coffee... praying for a snow day.. and complaining. But, it gives our Yankee Transplant friends something to talk about. And Yes, we will all buy bread and milk today even though there is no chance of snow. Just in case.. you never know.

Yea Kendall!!! You did it!!!!!!!!

Hip hip hooray... We are jumping up and down in our house today. Kendall and Waverly got their report cards yesterday and both of them got straight A's. Waverly has gotten straight A's her whole life but this was a first for Kendall. We are proud of Waverly's grades but wanted this post to be a celebration for Kendall. Kendall is a very bright young lady with significant dyslexia. We have explained this to her as a gift, it makes her who she is. A lot of folks have contacted me about her dyslexia because they may be experiencing something similar with their child. From everything I have read, dyslexics have a larger right brain than left brain. PHonics and spelling are in the left brain which explains why it is so hard to grasp those skills. People with dyslexia tend to be very creative and think outside the box. The number of people with dyslexia that have changed the world is amazing: Eisenhower, Patton, CHurchhill, Picaso, Mozart, Beethoven, George H Bush, George Washington, Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Louis Pasteur, Da Vinci, etc. I could go on and on... God will use Kendall's dyslexia one day.

Here's the story... Kendall had a difficult time learning to spell, read her sight words and other basic skills. She was on grade level so was not tested by the school system. We finally followed our instinct and got testing on our own. The path we took enabled her to get the proper testing and it was covered by health insurance. We explained the scenario to our pediatrician who then referred Kendall to a neurologist. The neurologist did some basic testing and referred Kendall to an educational psychologist. The testing was extensive and took several visits on her part. Skip and I also had an appointment. The teachers had to fill out paperwork. So.. we went in to meet with the psychologist to get the results of the testing.. turns out she is very very bright(gifted) but has a severe LD with spelling and written expression. She was given an IEP at school and put into an inclusion classroom. By the end of 3rd grade, she was miserable. By the time she got home from school, she was over it, done, finished, not going to do another thing. Her grades were suffering too. She came home day and and had left her books at school. She said to me, "I decided I will just take the X tomorrow." At that point, we realized that the environment was not for her. We cut back on whatever we could to finish the year. We did not ask her to take 1 single AR test the whole 9 weeks. Now, I am not against AR but it was another pressure item that was hanging over her head.

By the last week of 3rd grade, Skip and I just knew that something had to change. She is one of the happiest, bubbliest, outgoing kids on the block but all of that was going away. It is not worth it! We contacted Mt. Paran Christian School. Waverly was already at Mt. Paran but we had not enrolled Kendall out of fear that she would not get services she needed. We met with the principal and curriculum administrator (both have a dyslexic child). This was the place for Kendall. We found out that Kendall qualifies for the GA Education Scholarship. Any child with an active IEP that attends public school for 1 year can get a scholarship for private school. This is a huge blessing. If your child has an IEP, check out the GA Department of Education website for scholarship information.

So, Kendall started 4th grade this year at Mt. Paran. Her teacher, Mrs. Gross, goes to our church, West Ridge. I can't exactly describe why this year has made such a difference to Kendall. I don't know if it is the class size, structure, teaching styles, staff, environment. I think the whole package is just the right fit for Kendall. The work is harder than she was used to but it is reinforced in a way that she responds to. She had strep throat this week and missed 2 days of school. She cried each day because she missed school. WOW.. what a change. Kendall has worked hard for straight A's and really done some extra studying but she has proven she can do it. She still has difficulty with spelling and written expression but her confidence is back. She is happy again and her anxiety is down. She is no longer on medication and does not have trouble concentrating in the environment. She also matured so that makes a difference.

I am not knocking her prior public school or any public school for that matter. Her prior school was an incredible school with incredible teachers. We miss the school and teachers terribly. Grant is still in public school and having a great time. If I learned anything from this very emotional experience, it is each kid has individual needs and that moms need to follow their instinct. I think we try to give the same to all our kids which really doesn't make sense when you think about it. We are all unique and respond to situations individually. We all have different learning styles. What is right for one kid may not be right for the other.

2008 Wrap up....

It has been a long time since I blogged. Sorry.. life just got crazy with the holidays, outreach and family activities so some things had to be put on the back burner. New Years has past and it is a great time to reflect on 2008. Here is what our family was up to in 2008:

January: January started with the kids going to my moms for a few days. Skip and I had a wonderful time lounging kidfree, watching movies, cooking dinner, etc. Grant came back a complete sports fan since he participated in the college bowl game picks with my mom. Skip's brother and his family came for a visit in January. They stayed the whole weekend. It turned out it was the weekend it snowed. They live in Tampa so they do not get a lot of snow. The kids spent the weekend playing football, sledding and building snow-men. The adults stayed inside near the fire and watched movies. It was just good ole' lazy family time.



February: We went on a cruise to Cozumel Mexico and Key West, FL. It was a great get away for our family. The kids had one room and we had an adjoining room. Kendall met a sweet friend from Indianapolis. She makes friends so easily. Grant learned to shuffleboard and became competitive at shuffleboard as he does any sport.


Skip takes the girls to a Father/Daughter dance each year. The girls love this time with their daddy:


March: Kendall, Waverly and I spent the night at the Chattanooga, TN aquarium with Girl Scouts. We slept in the tunnel under the sharks and big sea turtles. It was really one of the most peaceful nights. I remember looking up and seeing a large sea turtle, hammerhead shark and parrot fish swimming above me.

=
Waverly and Kendall started spring soccer. They have been on the Bulldogs for years. This was their last season with the Bulldogs. We will miss that great group of families. Grant went to ADay (Auburn) game with my dad. This was the beginning of transforming the little guy into an Auburn Tiger. Skip and I went through a renewal with our marriage this month. It was a challenging process but our marriage has never been stronger.

April: We went to Panama City Beach, Fl for spring break. My dad and step mom have a place in PCB that they frequently loan us throughout the year.
We spent time with Kim Wood and kids. We always enjoy our time in FL for spring break. We see the same folks there every year. Kendall is 100% a surfer girl. I have no doubt that she will end up living on the coast one day. Mt. Paran had Service Day which is an awesome event. It was my first experience with service day. The entire school and parents participate in a service project for a day. I went with some kids to the Warehouse of Hope in Hiram, GA. Skip turned 40 something this month. I surprised him by getting his mom to watch the kids. I got a hotel in Atlanta and sent him a text to meet me there. He was very surprised. It was a fun little vacation.

May: I went to the beach with some lady friends of mine. This was the 3rd year we have gone to the beach for a kid-free weekend. It was fun as always. Our beloved baby-sitter heaven went to be with Jesus in May. She died in a housefire trying to save her 2 year old son. Amber's son made it out of the fire but Amber did not. Amber was Grant's baby-sitter when he was young. She is missed. Our family went to Cozumel with my father. We stayed at a resort we have grown to love. My dad has stayed at this resort many many times. They know his name and know we are part of his family. It was kind of like a homecoming for us and the kids. The kids absolutely LOVE Cozumel. See posting about Cozumel. Grant became an Atlanta Braves addict. Skip and Grant went to the Braves game any chance they could get.


Cozumel:


June: June was the beginning of a very busy and crazy summer. It started out with Kendall and Waverly going to Girl Scout camp for a week. They loved the camp and had a great time.

Waverly attended a soccer camp at Mt. Paran. Waverly and Kendall then went to Tampa for "Cousins Camp". Aunt Stephanie has the kids at her house each summer for cousins camp. It is great fun. She is amazing! The following week was SURGE camp for West Ridge. I taught a photography course to 3rd- 5th graders. It was an incredible experience. Waverly took cooking, Grant took basketball and Kendall took scrapbooking. Skip worked with the parking guys. A good time was had by all. We headed back to the beach to recover from the crazy month. Grant turned 7 and had football birthday party. See post about Grant's birthday.
We spent time with friends during the summer. Here is a photo of one fun summer day at our neighbors, the Dennehy's, pool:


July: Kendall went to an English camp at Mt. Paran. Grant went to my mom's house for a visit. Kendall then went to Camp Glisson in Dahlonega. This is a great Christian Camp out in the woods. Skip went when he was a kid. It is not fancy at all but a great way for the kids to have a good ole' fashioned camp experience. Kendall turned 9 while at Camp Glisson. She was showered with attention and really enjoyed having her birthday at camp. I felt like a heel for planning the camp week with her birthday in the week. She had a spend the night party when she got home from camp. The last two weeks of July were spent working on a Community Makeover with Engage Atlanta. www.engageatlanta.com We got a group of friends together and did a make-over on a friend's home. We originally were going to put down flooring and ended up hard-wording and recarpeting the entire home, painting the home, adding furniture, landscape work, doing extreme repairs, cleaning, making drapes, decorating.. It was truly an effort by many that has changed the life of the family.


We also spent the summer getting ready for the Back to School Drive. Boy oh boy did that take a lot of time. It is quite an experience working for your 10 year old daughter. We had to give our sweet dog Judd away. See post on Judd. We still see Judd often and he is doing great.


August: The big event in August was the Back to School Drive 8-9-08. This was A Fresh Hope and West Ridge event. Over-all, 1100 new back packs and supplies were given to kids in the area. It was a true blessing for our family. It really brought service to the forefront of our family mission. Skip and I started the Dave Ramsey course. Although we did not graduate, we did learn a lot. Even 5 months later, we are putting his principles into practice. Kendall and Waverly started Mt. Paran and Grant started Picketts Mill. All 3 have had an incredible school year so far and LOVE their schools. Grant went to an Auburn game with my Dad. I think they went to 3 or 4 games this season. It has been a great way for them to bond.



September: Skip and I went to the mountains for a little R&R. My mom came and watched the kids for the weekend. My kids love when Gram and Joey come to watch them. Skip, Waverly and Kendall went to Father/Daughter Girl Scout camp one weekend. This was their 4th year to go to this camp. They bike, hike, cookout, etc. Skip takes several tents. They are not roughing it as Skip is usually working on his laptop after the girls fall asleep.

October: October was jammed packed with flag football, soccer, fall carnivals and events, etc. Our kids once again got their flu shots. They just love getting the flu shots, ha ha ha... it is a sight to see. Grant has to get his at the pulmonologist because of his egg allergy. This month was monopolized by junky election stuff. I hate elections and have over-posted on this fact to date so I will just drop it. I was diagnosed with mono so our life slowed down a bit. Skip was diagnosed several weeks after me. Thankfully, the kids never got it which is amazing!

November: Waverly turned 11. We went to Tuscaloosa for a weekend for my cousin, Lindsey's, wedding. It was beautiful. I could not believe Little Lindsey was getting married. We then headed to Tampa for a visit with the cousins. My kids LOVE the cousins house. They have 6 kids and live on several acres. There is more than enough for any child to do at any time. I enjoy spending time with my sister-in-law Stephanie and the gang. Skip, Grant and Waverly went to the Bucs game before we headed back home. Doug is the Chaplain for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers so we are big Bucs fans. Obama was elected President. It was a historical moment that our children will remember for a lifetime.

December: I am officially no longer 40 as I turned 41 this month. 40 is not nearly as bad as everyone makes it sound. In fact, I think it is better than 30. We spent the month preparing for the Outreach Party. The party was help on 12/21. A Fresh Hope partnered with 5 churches, CAYA and Toys For Tots. We had an incredible outreach event. Over 5000 in the community were served.. Amazing! see www.afreshhope.blogspot.com for more information. The kids had their annual Christmas party. They love doing this little party. It started 8 years ago as a cookie decorating party for a few kids. It is now 25+ kids with crafts, parents, and good eats. The boys typically play sports and the girls will do a craft.

Our Christmas was slimmed down this year but it was the best Christmas Ever!!! We spent more on giving than on our own gifts and felt very blessed in the end. Our kids "Got It" and that was the best part of all.
We adopted Lily Bleu in December. She was an 8 week old Goldendoodle when we adopted her:

This year ended in St. Louis celebration Grammy and Grandpa Gilcrease's 50th wedding anniversary. It was a great celebration of 50 wonderful years.