Caleb LOVES Soccer

Caleb is finishing up his first season of playing soccer. He has had a wonderful time, and his best friend is on the team with him...Christopher!! Christopher's dad is the coach.



Here are some action shots:

"Jesus Takes a Shower for our Sins"

Sunday was Caleb's first time to celebrate the Lord's Supper since asking Jesus to come into his heart. It was only Bethany's second time! I wish we did it more often. Todd and I enjoyed a sweet time of praying with our kids and teaching them about the symbolism of the cracker and the grape juice.

While Bethany was busily sticking her tongue as far as it would go into the little cup (didn't want to leave even one drop! I remember doing this as a kid too, and wanting more because I was still thirsty!!), I heard Todd and Caleb talking about Jesus' blood forgiving us of all of our sins. Todd is so good with symbolism, and explaining things to the kids in ways that make sense in their little world. So, at one point in the conversation, I heard Caleb saying that "Jesus does not need to take another shower for our sins (in other words, to wash them away), because He already did it on the cross".

What an honor it is to teach our kids about Jesus...and even though it sounds a little strange, Caleb gets it! Jesus paid the ultimate price for us when He gave His life on the cross...to wash away our sins. Without His blood, we would all need to remove our sins on our own (and there's no shower strong enough to do that!!). Thank you, Lord, that you have already done that for us, and we simply need to accept...with the faith of a child.

Halloween

As a family, we like to use Halloween as a time to spend with our neighbors. Typically, Todd takes the kids around to trick-or-treat, and I sit with a few other neighbors in one of our driveways to hand out candy. This year, even Todd dressed up! The kids were thrilled!

Photobucket Album

Rylie and Rachel at Gymnastics

Rylie and her "bestest friend ever!", Rachel, are taking a class together at The Little Gym. The girls LOVE being together, and are really enjoying learning together too. I enjoy the class, because Loree (Rachel's mom)and I get to visit while we are watching the girls. These pictures were taken on Jammies Day...which is a most wonderful privilege if you are a kid! Rylie and I even ran a few errands after class, and she thought she was hot stuff wearing her jammies in Walmart.

Photobucket Album

Mistletoe and Mingle

For the last several years, I've wanted to do a big Christmas show in my home...where Elisa's Envies stuff was displayed and for sale...but where other vendors could also display and sell their products too. So, this year, thanks to my friend Deanna Burdett and her neighbor, I had the encouragement to make it happen!



On October 21st, there were TEN vendors in my home! I think over the course of the morning and evening shopping sessions, we had at least 150 people come through. It was so fun! And, when it was over, I completely collapsed. Now, I am trying to recover enough to fill all of the orders I received!

At the end of the evening, I asked Todd if I could do "Mistletoe and Mingle" next year, and he said "NO". I said "are you serious that you would not let me do it again???". And he said..."okay. Just not anytime soon." So, check with me in a year...hopefully I will do it again!

All of the vendors were successful, and I got a bunch of orders too. Phew.

Caleb's 6th Birthday

My boy is 6!!!! He is in Kinder, he is 6, he looks more like his daddy every day, and I adore him. He is the world's best 6-year-old Lego Builder. His smile will melt through any attempt at being in a bad mood. He is emotional, inquisitive (boy, is he ever! I'll be surprised if he is NOT an engineer!), tough, focused, bright and asleep at the moment...thank goodness!

His day began with his favorite breakfast...malt o meal with brown sugar on top. I had the great idea to put a candle in it. It worked well, until the candle started melting in the hot cereal. It left a blue puddle in the cereal, but Caleb thought it was great. Then, for lunch, Rylie and I took a Happy Meal to school and ate with him. Unfortunately, the McD's people gave him a girl toy instead of a boy toy...and that's just not okay for his birthday! So, before school was over I had to go back to McD's and exchange the girl toy (Glenda...the good witch) for...yup...good timing...a Batman Lego helicopter thing...thanks for your support, McD's!

That evening, for his party, we went to Chuck E. Cheese and celebrated with his best friend Christopher, who was born on the same day. I managed to still stress over even a simple party! Christopher wanted a Batman theme, and Caleb wanted a Lego theme...so we had both! Only, as I began looking for Lego plates/napkins, I quickly learned that no one carries them. Guess they don't exist...at least not in San Antonio! So, the Batman Lego party turned into a party with a Batman Lego cake, Batman and Transformers balloons, and Darth Vader party plates and napkins. Caleb and Christopher were both happy, though!

I love you, my Caleb. Happy 6th birthday!

(By the way, I'm experimenting with photo albums. I don't know why the photo is so big...but click on it to see the rest of the pics. Thanks for the Photobucket suggestion, Kathryn...love you, friend, and may you get make it to Houston soon...)

Photobucket Album

Return of the Chinaman

He's home! Todd's flight was due to arrive in SA from Chicago last night around 11 pm. But, due to Hurricane Ike it's rainstorms, his plane left Chicago three hours late and arrived after 2 am. So, Todd's really the one jet lagged, but I kind of feel it too! I let the kids sleep until 1/2 hour before his flight arrived, and we drove to the airplane to get him. I had two different offers to bring him home so we could stay in, but...are you kidding? We haven't seen him for 2 weeks!

Of course, the kids bombarded him immediately about what presents he brought them! So, here are the kids waiting...



Rylie is definitely the family princess, and she was SO excited that daddy brought her a Chinese princess dress, hat (with braid), and matching purse.



Daddy gave Caleb a farmer's hat (notice his "Chinese farmer dance" in the second picture) and two puzzles...one is this snake thing that twists around to form different shapes.



Bethany also got a Chinese farmer's hat, and Daddy brought her more Chinese music CD's (I told her to guard them closely...or I would steal them from her!)



Our final gift was REAL Chinese Checkers for the whole gang! We never finished, because too many people had to go potty during the game.



Later, after naps, Bethany put her Chinese princess dress on (Daddy gave it to her after a previous trip), and both girls posed and curtsied.