2011 Ends..........

The Holliday girls and boys are so looking forward to what 2012 will bring and to invest ourselves in THOSE moments that matter and for the rest to slide off!

Measurement...........

I feel as parents, we are always looking for ways to measure ourselves on the job we did raising our children and more importantly for me, what does my relationship look like.  This hits me harder as I have 2 older children:  Michael, who is almost 22 and then Amber, who is 17. (thank you Lord, we still have an 12 yr old at home, as I am not ready for the next stage of life)   I feel our job as parents is never done, but with the death of my father, I realize how much that relationship can change.

So.........one night, mine was measured.  Mike and I went out to dinner, just the two of us, and as we were eating our appetizer, Mike mentioned we should see if Michael would want to join us.  Now mind you, it is Mike and I, just the two of us, and at our age and stage, the conversation is not the most stimulating for a almost 22 year old to participate in.  So, out of "wanting to be nice" we called Michael and invited him to dinner with us........and would you believe it, he joined us.  He came, he ate, he talked, he laughed and he said "thank you."  We then went our separate ways...........and I felt very accomplished as a parent, but more so, loved as a mom!!

Smaller scale...

This year, we went all out for girls time (our 2 and 1/2 weeks in Mio and then a wonderful weekend meeting friends in Chicago) when I started my 4 month leave of absence from work.  Our Chicago trip was a birthday celebration for Shelby's friend Jordan and Mike and I chose to treat it as a celebration for Shelby's bday.  Therefore, when Shelby's actual birthday came around, we did something on a very small scale.  She had 2 friends spend the night and McDonald's delivered to the party.   The girls loved it, Shelby loved it, and Amber even had craft time with the girls.  (pictures to come later).   So even though it was very small scale, the impact was the same,  Shelby felt celebrated.  We did do a family dinner on the actual day of her bday (pix to come) and that completed her transition into her 12th year.  (wiping away tears!) 

On a another note, Shelby never went to bed the night of her sleepover, she was so excited, so thrilled, so full of energy, she kept going and going and going, while her friends slept.  Needless to say, I was very tired the next day, but the girls picked up early in the morning where they left off the night before.  It was a fun time.

Time.......

Enjoy the time you have.............

Family and time are very precious!

..almost done

This picture represents the week we are in.......it is so much nicer to have a family/friend (or in the case above, a brother) that will come alongside you and help do whatever you need!  Today, I am relying on my kids to help me finish up the last few projects before Christmas.

Seeds are planted...

This picture reminds me that we are always planting seeds, esp. when you are working in Children's Ministry in a church.  My son, the handsome guy in red, has had to help in some fashion in CM (Children's Ministry) since he was in 6th grade.  He has done it all, helped with crafts, played dress up, shared nuggets of spiritual truths.  He has been puked on, peed on and has had to referee sharing of toys to helping cut out crafts.  Name it, he has done it and has done it with a heart for God and for children.  (hint:  this is a great attribute of a husband)  Now that he is in college, and his life is very busy, it is rare he is able to come and help...but when he does, the children remember him and they enjoy having him around.  It blesses my heart to see my own children blessing others!!  I love this young man and the heart he has.

Beginning of an Egyptian Queen

Not a good picture....but the beginning of her Egyptian outfit.  She made the jewelry and put the trim on.  We have both enjoyed this unit on Egypt and have learned many new tidbits.  Tomorrow we will work on the crown.

Long ago...

This picture is a reminder to me of how fast things can change!  The two boys in the back are preaching to an array of stuffed animals (which are not in the picture).  They would spend hours going through their Bibles, finding scripture and reading it aloud.  The cutey in the middle was firing marshmallows at them as they preached!  I would love to go back to those days, and this time I would sit down and listen to them as they shared God's word!!

Note Taking

Well, we took another plunge and started lecturing and having our youngest take notes.  At this stage, she is learning what is important and what is not.   She wants to copy everything down word for word.  The skill of condensing thoughts and information and then putting those same concepts in your own words is not coming easy to her.  But, we are pushing forward and spending time each school day on the skill!  Today was a good day..........