a chock full posting...

there it is...the tree of wonder. ha ha!

kids kids everywhere...

As Becky pointed out, Molly's legs look so stocky in these tights.  love it...

Molly kept flipping her hair...Levi didn't. but he did suchhhh a good job!! He kept his head up, he sang (we heard him, by golly!!) and all of the kids did a really good job!

I love love love that I caught this pic of Molly. My brother's pictures are more clear and such but I have to download them from Facebook (so if you wanna see more, go to my Facebook wall and I will hopefully have posted them by the time you get there. unless you are friends with my brother, then you can go to his wall...) From where he was sitting, Molly kept ending up behind the mic pole...From where I was sitting, I got to see this! Isn't she a hoot? She's a natural performer. Who knew??? Levi looks a little more uncertain here but he did so well!

I loved all the hand gestures and motions that their director, Hannah, incorporated. She also did an amazing job. It is not easy to work with this many kids. and have them sound good even. but they did.

Sweet Pipes and Darling Norabean came with their momma...My parents and bro were in attendance too and my dad thinks he may have been having his stroke on the way home from here...more on that later. gosh. I tell ya.

an interesting angle on the JOY tree. Can I just say how amazed I've been at the outpouring of love and JOY from you, my friends, near and far? I really hope I'm not forgetting to blog or Facebook the kindness, and as I type, I know I've already forgotten to blog about Tashena, my lovely, glowingly pregs neighbor who is beautiful anyways but pregancy becomes her (HIIIIIIIIIII neighbor), and her gift of homemade hot cocoa, lip goodies, nail polish, body spray and a very cool JOY ornament that i need to remember to post also. whew...I'm outta breath...

a fun little craft that Mel and I made. she made one for her room and I haven't figured out where to put mine yet. it's right here by my computer. For the record, I don't tell people Season's greetings and Happy Holidays..I tell them Merry CHRISTmas. also, St. Nick is just a fun myth we tell our kids about but none of them have ever "believed" in him...they did that all on their own. (remind me to tell you about Ethan when he was in preschool, telling all of his 3 year old friends that Santa "wasn't real"!)

Jamie. sweet Jamie. One of the most thoughtful grievers I've ever met. She lost her sweet son Sully over 11 months ago and she has really come up alongside me, telling me what to expect and what not to expect on this ocean of grief...she never fails to warm my heart and send a card at just the very rightest of moments. I got this one last Thursday...love ya, girl. I am learning a lot from you. Amazed at God's provision when you don't expect it...yeah, if our boys had lived, even one of them, we wouldn't be friends. 

Here it is...our first ever (after 18 years of marriage) family newsletter.  David wrote it, I edited it and added some bits and used the printer paper that I bought on mega clearance 2 years ago. I've run out, so many cards I'm sending this year, and so I will have to get more today. I have about 50 more cards to send so hang tight.

So Hi.

I have so. much. catching. up.

I'm almost overwhelmed by it so here goes.

Do you ever envision something, a month, a celebration, an event, and when it arrives, it looks NOTHING like you imagined? yeah, I've had a lot of that this year....the biggest let down was on June 30th but you all know that.

I envisioned a very Martha Stewart December...nice, even speech...crafts abounding, treats baking daily, a clean house...always...and even tempers.

Then I woke up...not that things are bad or even non-fun around here...but trying to keep things clean, straight, non-gooey with Levi and Molly under foot is next to IMPOSSIBLE. We stayed home alllll day yesterday, got both levels of the homestead cleaned...and if I wasn't wiping something up or yelling upstairs for one of them to come get some item of junk they'd left on my level, I wasn't breathing. 

Lots of "choose joys" under my breath yesterday. and I feel like we succeeded. it was a most pleasant day around here...I'm fun when my hormone levels are even. ha ha.

anyways....

My Dad, Jim, had a mild stroke on Sunday night. David's mom fell and broke her wrist on Saturday night. We learned of her fall on Sunday night and I told him, "Here we go, our parents are beginning to fall apart..." kinda jokingly, saturated with love and some trepidation....then we awoke to the phone call from my brother on Monday morning about my dad's slurred speech and such. 

KA-BLAM!

it's such a weird place to be. I know I say that a lot. To face the vulnerability and pain of life. I know I should add a deep quote here, and I've heard many good ones, but none come to mind currently. (coffee hasn't kicked in yet) but to think of pain, fear, death...it's scary on a good day, having hope in Christ...I cannot fathom NOT having that hope. Knowing that I will see Jack again, knowing that I will see my parents, David's parents, our other loved ones who have gone on before and those that haven't yet...brings such comfort and makes these aches and pains seem a little less painful. 

But my Dad is doing ok. he is tired today. but they are getting his meds regulated, running a few more tests and his regiment will be more strict...diet, medicine, rest, exercise...if you see him, he makes fun of himself for slurring or drooling. that is how he copes. I now know where Beck and I get our coping skills. I'm glad you're ok, Dad...so blessed by the way my Mom has sat there with him and just the example she has set of servanthood. I'm taking stock...I love you guys. 

Praying also today for some friends from my OCA days...Mrs. Eastman, who is preparing to meet her Savior. Praying for Terri, Suzanne, David and Ed as they say good bye to their momma and wife...I know her jolly and cheerful disposition will be painfully missed but as Suzanne posted on FB, "sorrow but not despair". God bless you and give you peace and comfort today, Eastman family.

Can I say it?

Cherish your loved ones. Watch your tone...I have to apologize to my kids and spouse on a regular basis...

Hug hug hug hug hug...you can never hug, touch, kiss, smile at, laugh with your kids and loved ones enough. have fun. be JOYful, get over yourself. encourage, pray, sit still.... (I say all of this to myself today! everyday)

happy Wednesday...hugs!