Christmas Eve

Just for Fun

The cool dude Christmas mornning...with not enough sleep.

Thanking my princess for the beautiful frame and bracelet she made me. (Thanks for your help, Donna - it's nice having a crafty neighbor. :))

Max opening his Santa shorts and hat. Why did I buy him these?....because I knew he would wear them. :)

Charlie opening his gifts....which will be shredded in minutes.

Some Christmas Traditions

Since Landon was a toddler we decided not to "do Santa." (I'm struggling with how else to say it? Hmm...) Anyhow, we chose to wake up on Christmas morning and celebrated Jesus' birthday instead. (I don't have anything against the jolly ol' guy...but we just didn't want him to get the attention on Christmas morning.) My sister-in-law, Jeanette, made us these adorable stockings 10 years ago, so I tossed our store bought ones and have used these ever since. (She makes Martha Stewart look un-crafty! Is that a word?) I also made Jesus one (...but, it's definitely not as cute!). So every Christmas morning we put a birthday gift in His stocking - then the following year we read the gift and discuss if Jesus was blessed by the gift (promise) we made. It's a nice way to hold each other accountable for our promises to Him.
If you care to visit my post last Dec., I shared about my 'favorite' Christmas tradition.
I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' ~ Jesus

Of course the Ginger Bread House....(P.S. I buy the kits after Christmas, usually for a buck or two....and freeze them for the next year - it works great.)

Payton and I making tamales alone for the first time. (That's my daughter, a Red Sox t-shirt on while cooking. I have a picture of her as a toddler, holding her brother's snake with high-heels.)

Nineteen Years Ago.....

Our wedding ceremony took place in the Squadron at Davis Monthon AFB, Tucson AZ. Our wedding "was" planned in New Mexico. We knew Max was going to be deployed in January, so we chose to get married in Dec., so our families could be together for our wedding and Christmas before he left to Dessert Storm. Well...it didn't go as planned. We had to cancel the wedding because he received his orders and could not leave the state of AZ. So, I got on the next flight to Tucson while my mom and my friend, Cathy, cancelled my wedding. I was heart broken, but it was short lived, because the my soon to be husband was leaving to war! (It's all relative, isn't it?) He really wanted to get married before he left. (That's my practical husband, wanting to make sure I would get his insurance, etc. if anything happened to him. I wanted nothing to do with that thought...but, I did want to be his wife, and he did promise to marry me again when he returned. He knew I wanted a church wedding with our families present, and...I had a beautiful wedding dress to wear. ;)) Our plan was to go to the court house to get married, but Max's co-workers informed him that the justice of the peace would actually go to the squadron to marry us. He called to ask me if I was fine with that? Of course, I agreed. (It was better than trying to find parking down town...and trying to walk in heels. :)) My assumption was we would stand in his office and recite our vows. (P.S. Even though we weren't in a church setting...God was there, and will show up anywhere He's invited. :) Our promises were made to each other, and to Him.) Anyhow, I would never have imagined in such a short time that I would actually have a 'wedding!' By the time Max picked me up...his best man, Tony Jones, had flown in from Las Vegas, Cathy had a corsage and a boutonniere delivered, Max's wonderful co-workers had purchased a cake and champagne. They took pictures and video taped the ceremony, and they did a beautiful job decorating the room with crated paper and silk plants. But the clincher was...one of the guys went home and picked up several of his old ties that they all wore with there flight suit. They hummed the wedding march (not only are they my heroes because they're warriors...but they could really carry a tune!) and the commander walked me down the made shift isle. My wedding was AMAZING. It didn't consist of a three tiered wedding cake, professional photographer, gifts, etc. (Not to say there is anything wrong with that, it just didn't happen for me.) But it was a beautiful reminder of how every occasion can be made special if there is thoughtfulness and love involved. I thank God for everyone that made my beautiful wedding special, but more important...I thank Him for my wonderful groom! Happy 19th Anniversary, Snoopers! (Now the goofiest pet name is made public..."and" the BIG hair. Ugh! ;))

Tea Party

Payton and I had the greatest time with some homeschool friends this weekend at a Tea House. The girls had a blast! They must have tried on dozens of hats, boas, etc. We ate lots of cutsie sandwiches, scones, petit desserts and had our very own pot of tea. (Which I'm sure had caffeine...explaining why ten girls had so much energy to try on SO many accessories! ;)) It was a wonderful afternoon for mother and daughter.

It was also nice that the guys had time alone...although, lunch at Moe's and hanging out at Books a Million wasn't nearly as fun as a dressing up for tea party. ;)

A Birthday Dream Come True!

Payton's favorite thing in life are horses! Thanks to a friend, she got to spend her 11th birthday with KC (and all of us, but she didn't notice we were there!). Thank you, Ginger, for blessing our birthday girl. The rest of the day was filled with "lots" of food and fun. This girl knows how to celebrate...we all collapsed at the end the day. She would make such a great Queen. She LOVES royal treatment. This reminds me of her 5th birthday in Germany. We gave her a royal day. Included, was a bell to ring if she needed anything. She wouldn't even sit down without ringing the bell so daddy or Landon could push in her chair. It's too bad the bell got lost in the move. :)

Happy 11th Birthday, Princess. May God bless you as much as you bless us. I love you very much!

Amazing Grace and Grandparents

This is my favorite picture I took at the Colosseum.

If you haven't seen/heard this video, you will be blessed. If you have, it's worth listening to it again. It's incredible!

Like many, Amazing Grace is one of my all time favorites. The story behind it is wonderful, but it also has a special meaning to me. When my grandfather was dying of lung cancer, his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren (all 50 of us!), were gathered around his bed singing hymns. We finished singing Amazing Grace...at the very same time my tata took his last breath. We were heart broken, and he was at peace. It was a beautiful, difficult time. Beautiful because he was at home surrounded by his family that loved him so very much. Beautiful because he knew he was rich. Not rich in world's eyes with possessions, but rich with love. He was our patriarch. We buried him the week of Thanksgiving, 12 years ago. My nana joined him in heaven two years later. We were blessed to have her that long. Because when he left, he took her heart with him. She was crushed. They would have celebrated their 54 anniversary that Dec. She was lonely, but never alone. My dad and the rest of the family made up a schedule so that she would never have to stay alone at night. They did this for two years. That is love! It was an amazing close family. The kind I want for mine. I get very nostalgic and miss them especially during the holidays. Their home was 'always' filled with love, laughter, (good food!) and wonderful memories. I didn't know my mom's parents, they passed away when I was little. But I do know, my nana and tata made up for both sets. I only wish that my kids could have known them. One day, they will!

In memory of my nana and tata, Antonio and Sofia Romero....and God's Amazing Grace!

Four Tenors (Il Divo) singing inside the Coliseum in Rome .

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1785324681?bclid=1338935106&bctid=1913313052

Landon in Training

Landon is on his way of earning 1/4 of an Elective credit. I love to watch him work hard physically, so he learns the importance of working hard mentally. :) And, what a better teacher than his dad? They both received an "A." Max for his patience, and Landon for taking directions well & working hard without complaining. However, the biggest accomplishment was him not loosing a finger, while cutting the tile! (Oh, was I stressing out! Have you seen blade on that thing?.....and how close it gets to the fingers?!?) As a result of my freaking out, they politely asked me to leave. :)

Is it a Hurricane?

......no, it's Payton baking banana bread for our hard working guys. She LOVES to bake/cook (and is really good at it)....but boy, is she messy! Again, I was asked (politely) to leave until it was all cleaned up. (She knows how hard it is for me to see such a mess. Payton in the kitchen is good therapy for me.) :) Anyhow, she served us with the smile as warm as the bread.

Remembering.....

Remembering 9/11 - Thinking of all those who lost their loved ones on that tragic day. And, praying for all those who continue to fight for our freedom and protection today. May God bless them all!

A Penny for Your Thoughts?

Landon confessed something to me a few days ago, that I have to write down. (If I don't...well we know what will happen? It's lost forever....) Anyway, ever since he was a little boy, I would catch him in a deep stupor. (He's always been a thinker, so it happened often!) So, I would then follow up with, "A penny for your thoughts, Sunshine?" Of course his reply was...."I'm not thinking about anything." (Can we really think about nothing? I don't think so, but we usually do give the same answer. :)) Anyhow, I would always reply to him...."Oh, come on, I know you're thinking about how wonderful your mama is!?!" He would just chuckle, snap out of his daze, and that was the end of it. This has gone on for years. Well the other day, we went through our typical scenario, but this time he laughed and told me....when he was a little boy he remembers times when he would think about me, jsut so he could say "yes" if I asked him! We got such a good laugh out of it! Then of course, Payton rushes into the room wondering why she was left out of the fun? So, we shared with her.....the rest of the story.... :)

Good Bye Summer!