Christmas Eve and Morning

Christmas has come and gone, and I am asking myself, "What... am I 5?"  Why is it that I always have the after Christmas blues? Since I was a little girl, I have always felt sad after Christmas day is over.  It was a good Christmas, a little differant this year, working until last friday, but it was still good.  We read lots of Christmas books together, we did a Christmas puzzle (500 pieces, their biggest puzzle so far) baked cut out cookies and made an impressive mess in the kitchen doing it, watched Christmas movies, drank gallons of hot chocolate, wrapped presents, listened to all our big band Christmas music, looked at Christmas lights, and saved the bottom 2 inches of our Christmas tree. It was all great, so why is it sad... I guess because it's over.  So then I say, why does it have to be over?  Yeah, the tree will eventually have to go, and Christmas activities wouldn't be special if we did all of it 365 days of the year, but the spending time together, and the slowing down and focusing on each other doesn't have to end.  So, instead of it ending abruptly, I am trying to keep the spirit of the season going in my heart.  I guess I will always be a sap when it comes to the holidays and start counting down to next year!

Christmas is here!

Well, the house is decorated, the outside lights are complete and last night we had our first "Christmas outing" of the season... (wait! does black friday count?!) Abbey and Olivia were both in their schools choir Christmas performance.  They did great at the singing, however I think the dressing up part was their favorite part of the entire evening.  They looked pretty sweet, and Daddy thought they looked a little too pretty ; )  As we watched the program last night, visions of them all as toddlers seemed to keep going through my mind.  Watching them, looking so beautiful, innocent, and singing a song like "O Holy Night" made me feel like they are just growing up so fast.  It was one of those moments where their beauty, both inside and out makes your heart ache, and you think it was only yesterday  when Makayla and Olivia were in flannel Christmas nightgowns that Grammie made them, with Barney slippers on.  Or that little Abbey had no embarassment in stripping down to her tinkerbell panties to try on a new dress-up dress she just opened at her birthday party.  So.... I tell myself to hold on to these moments, treasure them away in my heart, and enjoy the moments while they are here!

Day of Giving

Well today at church was our Thanksgiving dinner.  It topped a 5 week series on giving at church, and was  a great way to top it off.  I was very thankful for all the wonderful cooks at church today... the food was amazing!  Like Thanksgiving dinner on steroids.  Olivia gave the blessing for dinner, and although she was a little nervous to pray in front of the entire church, she did a very beautiful job.  It was a great day and thankfulness and giving, spent with our family and church family.  A truly beautiful day!

Auntie M's Baby Shower

Well yesterday was Auntie M's shower, and I think it went pretty spectacularly, although being one of the hosts, I really shouldn't say that.... what went so wonderfully is the support that everyone who came gave Amanda.  Not only was there friends and family from here in Santa Rosa, but family from Eureka came down to support her as well.  With 50 ladies there it was a real out pouring of love for Amanda and her soon to arrive Lucas Michael.  Opening all her new baby things sure did make this auntie pretty excited for the big day.  He is going to be a very loved little guy.  Personally I can't wait to help give him a bath, put on that sweet smelling Johnson and Johnson's baby lotion and slip him into some fuzzy footsie pajamas.  She is definitely set though, in the baby department!  His room is ready, and his bag is packed; now if we can just get his Mommy to pack her bag... considering he's already almost 7 pounds and she still has 3 weeks to go, I think she needs to get movin'... if praying her into labor was possible, he would already be here... can you tell I'm excited?

Halloween through the decades!

Well this year we went through the decades in our family for Halloween.  Makayla was a poodle girl from the 50's and skipping right through the dark 60's and moving straight into the 70's with our Disco Diva Olivia.  To top it all of we come to the decade where I personally feel style hit it's all time best... Abbey was our 80's "Material Girl" complete with neon, bangle bracelets, and "walla bangs" that I must say... she totally rocked!  Mommy on the other hand, went for a more sinister feel as Cruella Devile!  We all had a great time at "Trunk or Treat" at church and I think the girls got about 20 pounds of candy.  The girls loved dressing up and playing the part of their eras.  It was a great night and we all had a ball... This morning as we were reminiscing about last night the girls said to me.... "AAHHH... it feels like CHRISTMAS!"   HEY!  What happened to Thanksgiving?

Maggie Mae is home!

 

So, our dear little Maggie came home with us yesterday after the long ride up from San Diego. 

What a sweetie she is... she is a complete little princess!  She was 9 weeks old yesterday, and the smallest in her litter.  She has a pretty mellow personality, and is such a little lover.   She loves to nuzzle her head in your neck when you pick her up.  She has silky soft fur, and smells like puppy breath... she is so far doing good on her accidents.  When we came home from church today, she did kind of "happy pee", but other than that, she is doing good.  Bailey is still kind of trying to figure out if there's a love connection between himself and Maggie, and Jack (out  kitty) sees her as a new chew toy.  We will keep you updated on Maggies adaptation in the the Thompson household... but I will say... so far.... SO SWEET!

Can You Say School Spirit?

Well as you can see, today was our school colors, school spirit day at Santa Rosa Christian.  The girls and I had such a great time this week planning everything that we could do to show school spirit.  From black and yellow finger nails to homemade puffy paint shirts, to curly ribbon and 3 cans of glitter spray paint, we were decked out in LION Pride!  The girls were a little nervous to get out of the car when we pulled up, but once we were there, they felt pretty proud of themselves.  Everyone thought they looked great!  One thing you can't see in these pics are their yellow and white striped knee highs... they really do complete their outfits :o)... I was pretty proud of our school and my girls school spirit today!  Go Lions!

The Newest Thompson

So it's not a new baby... I guess until the girls are married and having babies of their own, this is as good as it gets.  Until then, we are pretty excited to welcome "Maggie-Mae" or just Maggie to the family.  She is a blond golden retriever and she is 2 and a half weeks old.  Her Mommy and Daddy belong to friends of ours who live in San Diego and we are so excited to bring her home.  Every time the girls see more pictures of her, they squeal and jump up and down.... is there anything better than little girls and puppies?  OK maybe they're not little, little girls any more, but they still act like it when it comes to Maggie.  Truth be told.... so does Mom.  She looks so sweet and we can't wait to rub her little fat belly and pet her soft fur... it is definitely a case of love at first sight.... don't you think?

Anyone for Body Surfing?

For Labor day, we went out to the ocean with a bunch of friends from church.  The girls had their first experience trying to body surf, and I think it is safe to say they absolutely loved it!  When they finally got the hang of it, you could hardly get them out of the water.  The ocean was so beautiful on Monday, which isn't always the case in Northern California.  It was probably about 85 degrees, with very little wind... just enough to keep you from feeling like you were sweltering on the sand.  It smelled salty and fishy and sandy all in one sniff!  Going to the ocean is always a kind of spiritual experience for me; the beauty and majesty of it never cease to amaze me.  I love seeing the girls enjoy it too, and learn to love being out at the coast.  It was a beautiful day for all of us, and boy were we tired when we got home... totally not ready to go back to work and school the next day... oh well... not every day can be a "day at the beach" at least not until heaven!

First Day At our New School!

Today the girls started school at their new school.  After many months of praying and trying to figure out what we could do differently with the girls, the Lord opened the doors to send them to Santa Rosa Christian.  It is a private school, and one that I never imagined we would be able to send the girls to.  It it only the Lord that has made it possible, and we are truly thankful.  I have a job at the school as the kindergarten aide and the job has made it affordable for us.  As I watched the parents drop off their kindergartners today, I thought back to what it was like when the girls first went to their first days of school.... I remembered Makayla falling apart crying and her teacher scooping her up in her arms, and Abbey running around in circles all by herself as Chris and I wondered how she would make friends... all gut wrenching moments for me; today however was full of more of those moments.  Watching Makayla and Olivia standing off to the side not quite sure how to join in the middle school.  Abbey standing at the 3rd grade orange cone alone, while groups of other 3rd grade girls were huddled together laughing and talking... to be completely honest, my knee jerk reaction was that I wished I could scoop them up and drive them the half mile to their old public school where they know everyone and are completely comfortable.  However, as a Mom, part of loving our kids, isn't always doing what is "comfortable" for our kids, but what is the best for them... that is a mothers sacrificial love, putting our own hurting hearts aside so that our kids can grow.  As I have pondered this all day, I have thought a lot about my Heavenly Father.  I have asked Him many times and on several occasions over the years, "Why can't you take me out of this difficult situation?"  "If you love me, why do you stand by while I am hurting so much?"  Today, I think the Lord was showing me a bit of His heart for me.  I think there are times when the Lord looks at me... at us, and wishes that He could just scoop us up and place us where it is more comfortable... but He, in His wisdom, in His ultimate goodness, sees what is best for us, knows that certain situations, though maybe more comfortable, are not ultimately, the best He has for us.  

I am still processing the entire day.  The girls had some great moments, and some hard moments... all part of the transition to a new school...  I know they will be fine, I know that God has directed us, and opened the doors for this move, and so I trust Him.  I trust His Fathers heart that sometimes must allow the difficult moments!

Gone Campin'

Well we are home from our favorite place on earth.  Instead of writing about the trip, the girls and Chris have told me that I should share my journal entry from our second day up at Wrights lake, so here you go....

"Is there anyplace as beautiful as Wrights Lake? I am yet to see it.  Coming up here, for me is like visiting my "Mt. Sinai," the place where God dwells.  Why does God seem closer in this place? Because His beauty, the beauty of who He is, the beauty of what He wants for us, is spoken in the landscape and wild life of this place.  It's a place where as I sit, I can almost feel the fingerprints of the Father.  A mere word, even a whisper from Him, and this mountain came into being.  

   As we drove up Wrights Road yesterday, I couldn't wait to get my window down and breathe in the fragrance around us.  To smell the pine trees, whose needles smell like Christmas and also fresh cut wood: and yet it's mixed with the sweet smells of thousands of wild flowers.  Even the dust that is kicked up by our truck smells musty and woodsy.

No matter how many years we come up here, I'm still anxious to come up over that last hill in the road, and get my first look at the granite mountains that surround the lake in all their majesty.  To me, I've often thought that they seem to protect the lake and this beautiful place.  Almost as thought they are keeping the rest of the world from finding out this place is here.  The colors that seem to pop out to me are blue, green, and pink.  The sky is blue, while the water is a clear green, that looks cool as the sun sends sparkling light across it, and I am anxious to feel it on my feet.  The mountains with the sun shadows on it, are a coral pink, and they reflect across the surface of the water.  WOW! All of this has hit my senses in the 30 minutes it has taken us to drive up the mountain, and the words that keep going through my mind are, "I lift up my eyes to the hills, from where does my help come from"  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."

Needless to say, it was wonderful, and we made many great memories together!  I am so thankful for this last week, it was time I will never forget with my family!

6 Flags Discovery Kingdom

Well, to say that we had fun really doesn't cover it.... we had a blast!  Yesterday, we went to 6 Flags AKA Marine World with Chris' sister Tanya's family.  The girls had just finished a fun filled week up in Chico with them, so we thought it would be fun to meet at Marine World for the day to pick them up.  Unlike when the girls were little, we spent less time around the animals, and more time on FAST roller coasters.  When we first started, Makayla was absolutely not going to go on any roller coasters.   However, after the other kids got off "Medusa" she was starting to cave... so on the next big one... "Kong", Daddy kind of made her try it... she was not happy... as we began the 3 story ascent, Makayla, who is strapped in next to me is beginning to cry and saying,"I can't believe you forced me to do this!!!"  Meanwhile, I'm thinking I need to be turned into CPS.... what the heck is she going to do when we take this first dive?  The next thing I know, we are dropping and Makayla is screaming.. "I LOVE THIS RIDE"

SHE HAD A BALL!  When we got off she informed us she would never miss out on another fast roller coaster ever again!  We really had so much fun with Mike, Tanya, and their kids.  They were so good to the girls, it really made Chris and I feel great!  The cousins all seemed to have so much fun together.  At the end of the day, Shawn even gave Abbey-girl a piggy back ride all the way from the Tram to parking lot D.... up hill!  It was a great day!

Visiting our Cousins

well, yesterday the girls and I went over to Hollys so the girls could meet their new cousin Jared.  They absolutley loved him and thought he was so sweet... although Abbey didn't understand why his skin was wrinkly. :o)  The girls had a  great time swimming with DJ too, and I think it was a good thing for him to get a little attention.  Jared was the sweetest thing ever... such a contented little man.... Auntie lou held him pretty much all day... I just couldn't get enough loves from him... at the end of the day, little DJ just conked out... he was so tired from playing and swimming with his cousins... it was a great day!

Home From Camp!!

Well the girls are home.  Tired, were a little cranky, but doing much better...When we picked them up yesterday, the parents all sat in the chapel, waiting for the kids to come in from lunch.  When the kids came in, visions of "Pigpen" from Charlie Brown came to mind; you know the kids who always had a little dust cloud following him wherever he went?  Needless to say, the kids were filthy.  Abbey was wearing her Hello Kitty pajama bottoms, which I found out she had worn everyday until lunch time... they went in the garbage when we got home.  Black feet don't even to begin the state my daughters feet were in.  Even after supervised scrubbing when we got home, they still didn't look to good.  Ok... enough on the dirt, nothing a good shower and a lot of lotion didn't take care of. :o)  They all had a great time, from Zip lines, rock wall climbing, slip and slide contests, belly flop contests, feeding eachother M&M's with their toes, diggin bubble gum out of flour and blowing bubbles, to a ton of swimming... they made a ton of great memories and supposedly a little camp romance along the way... don't worry, Chris gave the poor little 48" kid the major stare down!

We are glad to have them home, although I think they maybe have the after camp blues, and they are already talking about next year.... OH BOY!

Our Happy Campers!

                                                   

Well, the girls are off to camp, and Mom is missing them terribly!  All three for the first Year... I can hardly believe it.  They were so excited that saturday night they couldn't sleep... in bed at 8:30 and awake until midnight!  I thought maybe Abbey would kind start acting nervous once it was time for us to leave yesterday, but no way... she was more excited than the other two.  This morning as I sit here, I just keep thinking that it's going to be tomorrow, and we'll be off to college.  They grow up to quickly!  I do hope that the girls have a great time, and maybe miss Mom and Dad just a little ! :o)

4th of July 2008

This year for the 4th we had our annual church picnic, complete with water slide and old fashion gunny sack races... we even did the Virginia Reel as a group, it was so much fun.  With no fireworks show at the fairgrounds this year, and with the fact that fireworks are illegal in Santa Rosa, a bunch of us went over to the Bojorns house in Rhonert Park where they still are legal.  We all brought fireworks to share, which led to a two hour show... yes, I said 2 hours.  We all talked about how when we were kids, we would try to stretch out the fireworks to hopefully get 20 minutes worth of action.  Well, this year, it was the show that wouldn't end.  Between all the families we had about 400$ worth of fireworks. We had a blast though, and it was the first time the girls can remember doing them this way.  The men of course loved the fireworks that were the size of the sunday paper, while most of the kids loved the sparklers.  As for us moms, we just enjoyed watching the guys and our kids have so much fun.  After a very long day, we arrived home at 11:30pm pretty pooped, but all the girls said it was the best fourth of July they ever had.... I'm glad!