Graduation...

Well, we made it through graduation! Everything about it was wonderful- having family here to celebrate with us, the weather (sunny and 80 degrees!), the graduation ceremony, all the friends that came to visit, the food, and of course the fact that this girl is now an official 2009 graduate...

Jessica with her brothers

Jessica with Aunt Say Say, Anna Claire, and Uncle Mike

Here are some pictures from the open house we had the following day...

I had some of my best girlfriends help out at the open house... what a tremendous blessing this was!

Thank you Lori, Betsy, Tammy, Carrie, and Kim ( sorry I didn't get pictures with the two of you)... you all are wonderful and I love ya!

Hugs from Aunt Beth

Jessica with the Grandparents

Jessica with her cousin, Andrew, who also graduated this year.

This frame was one of those last minute items we purchased and what a keepsake this will be for Jessica. Thanks to her cousin, Andrew, we also have the open house on video with people offering words of wisdom, well wishes, and encouragement for Jessica. I know this will be something that is very special to her down the road. Thank you to everyone who came and made this be such a memorable day for Jessica!

Our Week Of Celebrating Advent...

In this post, I shared that our family is doing an advent calendar. The activities or messages in each of these boxes was some way of giving a gift back to Jesus. Our week began with celebrating our family. As the children get older- 11, 12 and an almost 18 year - old daughter (who is in school, works, and most importantly, has a social life), it's often difficult for us to have time together as a family. My hope was that through some of these planned activities, we could be really intentional about celebrating the fact that we are family - that it was all part of God's perfect plan. I would like to think there is a smile on His face when we are truly delighting in one another.

Behind one door, the children found a note that said:

Tonight we are celebrating the gift of FAMILY. We are going to watch a movie - which will also include a trivia quiz of how well you know the movie, play cards and games. Pull out your sleeping bags because we are also going to sleep in front of the Christmas tree.

So, here we are. Jammies and all...

All I can say is that sometimes things don't go according to the plan. You've always got to leave room for the unexpected and the unplanned as was the case for this particular evening. Jessica got home late from work and was exhausted. Knowing that she had to wake up pretty early on Saturday morning, sleeping on the floor just wasn't sounding too appealing to her. If there is one thing that Steve and I have learned through the teenage years, it's that you pick your battles. So, Jessica snuggled into her bed, and the rest of us cozied up by the lights of the Christmas tree.

At about 2:30AM, Sam and I woke up at the same time... with the same stomach virus. At that point we were celebrating the fact that we now have more than one bathroom compared to our old house. Steve and Ben were the only ones who made it through that night in front of the tree. That's all I have to say about that.

What could have happened with all these unexpected events is that I could have completely flown off the handle with things not working out the way I had planned. I didn't though. I wanted my kids to see grace in action, flexibility, and understanding. The night didn't end without telling each of them how much I treasure them, love them, and thank God that He made us a family. It was a night that in spite of the circumstances, a memory was made and I know that we gave a gift to God by how we loved one another and enjoyed each other.

Here are a few of the other surprises that were tucked behind the doors from this week...

Following our evening of what was supposed to be sleeping in front of the tree, the kids woke up to find this note...

God has given us the gift of rest. When we take time to slow down and rest, we can focus on Him, worship Him, and enjoy being in His presence without distractions. Today you get to stay in your jammies all day long. You can do nothing at all, or you can do the things that you love. Whatever you do, worship Him!

How fun was it that it ended up snowing almost the whole day. As I was laying in bed because I was still sick, I could actually hear the boys laughing outside and just having a ball together. I know that God was smiling down on these boys of mine too.

Another day included this message:

Ephesians 6:2 says, "Honor your father and mother-which is the first commandment with a promise. Write a letter to Dad telling him what you love and respect most about him.

This reminder...

Behind another door was a note that encouraged them to do something thoughtful for someone today.

And finally, this:

The Bible is filled with promises from God. It is a gift to the Lord when we study His word. We grow closer to Him and it is a way for us to know that He is real. When we know His word and what the Bible says, we can also share it with others. Choose a Scripture to memorize and be ready to share it next week.

So, there are just a few highlights from our advent calendar this last week. I'll share again at the end of next week because I don't want to give away any surprises of what is behind the doors for this upcoming week. I hope that all of you are having a season filled with blessings. Knowing, celebrating and experiencing the reason we celebrate... Jesus.

Celebrating...

Since our daughter, Jessica had to work tonight, my family celebrated my birthday last night. We had a delicious dinner and Jessica had this cake for me...

My mom came for dinner (I missed you Dad!) and she brought some Graeter's ice cream...

Graeter's is an ice cream store that is based originally in Cincinnati. My Dad grew up in Cincinnati, so he can remember having it when he was a young boy. When I was a little girl, my grandmother would get Peppermint Chip and Mint Chocolate Chip at Christmas time for us to have. This is probably the best ice cream around! What makes it so special? It is the HUGE chunks of dark chocolate they put in it. YUM! Last summer when we were at the beach in North Carolina, my aunt had 8 pints of it shipped there for us to have. Yes, they do ship all over the U.S. :)

Mom brought two flavors that I have not tried yet. Usually you have your one or two favorites that you also get when you go to Graeter's. Last night we had Pralines and Cream and Coconut Chip. It was pretty much like eating a Mounds candy bar, which I love. We now have a Graeter's a few miles up the road from us and it one of those places we always take people new to the area to. Our family spends a lot of time there too. Especially in the summer! Thanks for bringing the special treat Mom!

Today, we are keeping the boys out of school to go to the John McCain Road to Victory Rally. I think it's pretty neat because several summers ago, our family also saw George W. Bush when he visited the Air Force base in our area.

Thanks to my family and friends that are making this a special day for me!