Important Traditions

I totally showed my boys one of their Christmas gifts tonight.... I knew they would be so excited about their new Bog boots I couldn't hardly help myself.......Just before I showed them their new boots (that will be wrapped and given to them on Christmas Eve) I let them in on an important tradition....a tradition started 19 years ago this Christmas Season.
1994 was the first Christmas Matt and I celebrated as a married couple- For some reason, that Christmas I was really excited about giving Matt his gift (Can't even remember what it was)- I was also really excited about seeing what he had gotten me-
One night in early December that excitement got the better of me and I took out that hidden gift and showed Matt what it was............I then begged him to show me what he bought me.......after we both took a looksee we carefully put the gifts away and they did not appear again until Christmas Eve-

Since that first Christmas gift 'show off' between Matt and I, we have done the same thing every year- not just limiting it to Christmas but to Birthday's too!
This year it was time....
time to let our boys in on this important tradition...

New Blog Look

A couple of weekends ago we had our family pictures taken.......They turned out BEAUTIFUL!  It has been my habit, since first blogging (2010), to have our family picture as the header on the top of the blog.  The colors we wore this year (pink/black for Ellie and I & black/light blue/white for the boys) did not match the color scheme on my blog back drop so I decided to change up the blog background a bit....
Have a great Thursday!!

Favorites.....

A few favorite 'Couple' shots- Ones that are heart warming no matter how many times you see.......

(Thank you to my facebook friends, who had absolutely no idea that I was going to use these)

:)

 

 

That was then

This is now

The Sportsman by Eli

The following was written by my son Eli (a senior in high school) for his English class.............
You did an awesome job on this poem Kid!!

 

FOR MY PEOPLE

ELI B

PERIOD 2- ENGLISH

11/4/13

 

For my people everywhere hunting and fishing

This is not a sport for some, it is a lifestyle.

From the beginning of time to the end of days,

There will always be the sportsman.

 

For the bow hunter that once roamed the land

The skill was attained by the user.

This was quickly turned into a sport for some

This we call the sportsman.

 

For the man with the Winchester which brought great destruction.

Others used it in a different way.

The way of the modern sportsman

This brought new light in spite of the destruction.

 

For the father teaching his children the simplicity of life

For the soldier fighting for our country

For the farmer working the land

They all have the same thing in hand.

 

For the camo that is worn by some

But, worn out by others

This is the sportsman.

 

For the modern sportsman

The honest, hardworking sportsman

Whose work isn’t nine to five

But, five to nine

This is the way of the modern sportsman.

 

.

 

 

 

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words, Adoption Awareness Month

Each November is recognized as 'National Adoption Awareness' Month- Adoption is important no matter what month it is but, during the month of November, certain organizations will take both ad space and work time to educate others in honor of it being the 'awareness' month.

Adoption Awareness

You know how they say a picture is worth a thousand words

As most of you know, we adopted our Ellie at birth- Ellie's birthmom's  name is Heather......She made the selfless decision to place Ellie with our family, not because she did not love Elle's, but because she loved Ellie so much that she wanted to do what was best for her. 

In our family, Ellie is adored by her big brothers Eli and Ryan

 

 

 

She is ADORED by her daddy......

 



 

 

And She is adored by her mommy................

 

 

Thank You Vivid Photography for this photo

Adoption Awareness is this:
If you are wondering if adoption is right for your family, don't stop wondering until you have pursued to the closed door (or open door)
If you know adoption is not for your family, don't stop praying for those of us that have the incredible privilege of being part of adoption- Pray for the child that has been adopted, pray for that precious birth mom that made that selfless decision, pray for the family that was blessed with having a child join them by way of adoption, and pray for the children that are waiting in either foster care or orphanages for their forever families.

Family Pictures....funny, weird, gross!!

It's that time of year.........Family Pictures
An hour of forcing my boys to stand (or sit) posing for the camera- Ellie throwing a fit while being bribed with gum (her new fav)..........Matt grabbing me in places that are not appropriate for our family picture just before the picture snaps so that we have to re-take so that you all are not traumatized when you get our card........
I was going to skip them this year until last week- My sis in law hands me her phone and say's
'Look at our family pictures'
They were LOVELY!!
I was so inspired after seeing hers I booked ours.....
Once they were booked the research started
pinterest: family pictures
Google Images: trendy family pictures?
stalking facebook for friends family pics...........

It was amazing what I came across-
some funny, some weird, and some just gross (the adam eve)
I will post our family pics after they are taken  BUT until then please enjoy what I have been looking at

:)

hee hee hee! If someone sent me this card I would keep it even after Christmas just because it makes me laugh everytime I look at it.............Cheesy- absolutely..............funny- oh yea!!

First thought when I saw this was....what a disrespectful bunch of kids- Second thought...this picture looks like a scene from the 90's movie 'Home Alone'

Too much kissing.............YUCK! One couple kissing is cute- two is just....well...Weird



#nowords #gross #whatrtheythinking

Is this really a moment to celebrate.....on a Christmas Card?
For those that attend my church- On first glance who does the dad look like-
Hint...KH

Everyday Life....Pictures from Oct. & Nov.