An excerpt from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Seuss.

Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, Was singing! Without any presents at all.
He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME! Somehow or other, it came just the same!
And the Grinch with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, Stood puzzling and puzzling "How could it be so?
It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags!"
And he puzzled three hours til his puzzler was sore.  Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store." 
"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"

This year we adopted two families for Christmas from AFL-CIO, like usual.  I love doing this!  I love the shopping. I love the wrapping.  But I especially love the giving.  We started this several years ago when I had no ideas for what TJ could get me for Christmas, so I said let me spend whatever I want on charity and adopting families and that will be my gift.  We have continued it since then, but now all of us get involved, and the whole family goes on the deliveries.  We get a list of wants and/or needs and then get everything we can that is on it, plus Christmas DInner, and deliver it to the family at their home. I think it means a lot to the families who are receiving, but the act of giving and the ability to give are so great that I am pretty sure I get more out of it than they do.  I also think it is a wonderful tool to help teach Jackson and Cole what Christmas is really about. I also like to give a Bible or children's Christmas book, depending on the kids' age range.  My favorite for young kids-"The Story of Christmas" by Patricia Pingry, one of my absolute favorite childrens authors. 

We had a WONDERFUL Christmas!  On Christmas morning, we opened gifts here at home, then headed over to Nana and Papa's.  The boys had a great time there, and TJ and I got everything we wanted, also.  Jax got his Nintendo 3ds and Cole got a great battery-powered ride-on toy, among other things.  We stayed for lunch. Cole and I came home for nap, and after nap headed out to my parents house for dinner and more gift opening.  Jax big gift at my parents was his KidiJamz set and Cole's favorite gifts from Grandma and Grandpa was probably noisy cars.  The boys love going there, too, and were troopers all day long, with nary a fit thrown!  We got home at about 9:45 with many gifts in tow, and two sleepy little boys.

The Lord bless us and keep us!

Oh, Holy Night!

I Have been sick for the last 3 days-some kind of stomach virus.  But it has not slowed the 2 little monsters down-thankfully no one else in the house has caught it..
With finishing up Christmas shopping, baking cookies for Santa, and making sure every present got wrapped, maybe I am just run down, because I never get sick. 
This evening was Patterson Family Christmas Eve, this year at Gary and Sue's house.  This is always fun.  There is always lots of good food-too bad I felt like crap.  Both of the boys get gifts from aunts and uncles, and Nana and Papa.   And then the adults do a grab bag, also.  Jackson was very excited to play with cousins, Kaleigh and Zack Zeisel, but they were running late and were not there yet when we left.  You see, we had to get home so that we could be asleep before Santa arrived. 
Cole has not a clue about this Santa thing, but I am pretty sure he will be ripping into packages with the best of them tomorrow morning.  Jax is very excited, and went straight to bed this evening.  I just love their faces on Christmas morning.  I may be just as excited as they are for morning, even though my gift is by the garage in the form of an expanded laundry room.

This is my favorite Christmas hymn and so fitting, as I want to make it abundantly clear to our children that Christmas is not about presents and Santa Claus, but about God's son who was born in a manger, lived a perfect life, and then died on the cross for our sins.

O, Holy Night!

O Holy night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Til He appeared and the soul felt it's worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees

O hear the angel voices
O night divine!
O night when Christ was born
O night divine!
O night, O night divine!

And in His Name, all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise his holy name
Christ is the Lord!
Their name forever praise we

Noel, Noel
O night, O night Divine
Noel, Noel
O night, O night Divine
Noel, Noel
O night, O holy Divine

When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things  1 Corinthians 13:11
As a child, you experience the most pure love, the love of a parent. It is truly unconditional.  In return, children give very little.   Children love their parents very much, don't get me wrong.
I love my parents very much.  As a child, they were the most important people in my life.  The people I loved most in the whole world.  The people I could count on, no matter what.  Whether I chose the right road or went off the beaten path, they were there for me. I counted on this. I had complete trust in their unwavering love for me.  I sometimes did not agree with them , but I knew they loved me and would always help me to find the direction in life that would suit me best.
As a teenager, I fell in love with a boy.  Not just any boy, but the boy that I believe God chose for me to spend the rest of my life with. Wow, do I love him.  This was (and still is) a very intense love.  A love that I find it very hard to find words for sometimes.  There is a song that says "Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you
Why can't I speak whenever I talk about you".  I still feel that way.  How could I ever love anyone as much as I love him?
As an adult, I became a mother.  This not only changed my love for TJ-seeing the person you love as a parent somehow multiplies you love for them exponentially- but now I have this new love.  This love that I did even know existed. The power of my UNCONDITIONAL love for my children makes me believe I can do things I could not otherwise do. 
I would DIE for these little people.  They have completed me.  I think you really do not know what your heart wants until it finds it.  I wanted children.  They are my true love.  After one child, I thought "there is no way I could possibly love someone else as much as I love this person", and then your next child is born, and your capacity for love expands to envelope them.  Sometimes, it is physically painful to be away from them.  I remember a conversation TJ and I had when I was pregnant.  We were talking about complications of childbirth, and I asked him if he had to choose between me and our unborn child, who would he save? His response-You, of Course!, My answer to him- I would want you to save my baby.  Even before either of the kids were born, I was fiercely protective of them.  Motherhood has changed me forever.  I will never be the same.2 days until Christmas festivities begin for us.
Christmas Eve at Gary and Sue Patterson's
Christmas Morning at home
Christmas Daytime at Nana and Papa Patterson's
Christmas Evening at Grandma and Grandpa Harper's
Should be a fun-filled weekend.

Oh, Daddy, What a Catch!

I was thinking today that someday the two of you (or your girlfriend/fiancee/wife) may be interested in knowing how your Dad and I met and started dating.  Well, we met for the first time at a bowling alley.  Then, we went to a football game together.  But our first real date, where Dad picked me up and met my parents (Grandma and Grandpa Harper), was early November 1996.  He was the first guy who had ever picked me up and taken me on a date.  We went to a Sawyer Brown concert with his parents (Nana and Papa Patterson).  It was great.  And so began an amazing relationship.  Just last month, Dad and I have been together for 15 years.  And next year, when I turn 32, we will have been together for half of my life.  Crazy to think about.  We dated all the rest of high school, Dad went to Northwest Missouri State University his freshman year of college, and then transferred to UMKC when I started college there.  After 3 and 1/2 years of dating, Dad asked me to marry him.  He proposed on The Plaza in Kansas City by the big fountain with the horses.  We got married in July 2002, on what was our 5 and 1/2 year anniversary of dating. 
The following song makes me think of your Dad when I hear it, because he has always been so good to me, and now to the two of you. 
What a Catch!

Mama's Song Lyrics (as sung by Carrie Underwood)
Mama you taught me to do the right things
So now you have to let your baby fly
You've given me everything that I will need
To make it through this crazy thing called life
And I know you watch me grow up
and always want whats best for me
And I think I found the answer to your prayers

And he is good, so good
He treats your little girl like a real man should
He is good, so good, he makes promises he keeps
No he's never gonna leave
So dont you worry about me
Dont you worry about me

Going to the Store, I guess.

I am going to break down and do it.  I am getting an Elf on the Shelf. I mean, I have to go to the store, anyways.  We are out of waffles, and for those of you who know anything about our house, you know that being out of waffles is absolutely unacceptable.  Jackson had to eat a Pop Tart for breakfast.  The horrors!!

So, one of my friends has been blogging about her Elf's fun locations around the house.  And, as the story goes, the Elf watches the kids during the day, and then each night after they are in bed, he goes to the North Pole to report to Santa what nice (or naughty) little children they have been.  I think I could use this to my advantage.  I will keep you posted about our Elf (if I get to the store to get one.)  Should be fun.

Cole has decided to call out "Mommy" just as I am getting ready to leave his room after I have laid him down at night.  So, I go back in and ask him what he needs. Nothing, of course.  Repeat. And again.  Like 10 times.  He knows he has me wrapped around his little finger.  We have started singing the ABC's and working on colors everyday.  He can repeat a few colors back to me, so maybe we are getting somewhere.

Jackson has started giving us ideas for what he wants for Christmas.  Bey Blades, Nintendo DSI, scooter, remote control anything....and the list goes on.  Some of these things I have never even heard of. Maybe Santa will bring them.  Jackson has a jam-packed social life. Tonight, he is going to Night out with the Griffs (a fun evening put on by the Missouri Western student athletes).  Tomorrow afternoon, he has a birthday party at Benji's house.  Which just made me realize, duh!, I need to get a birthday present for Benji. Crap!!  Guess I will be making it to the store today, after all.

Great Hair and Dimples!

All is calm, All is bright.
Yeah, right. Who am I kidding? Things are never calm around here. But, with all these Christmas lights blazing, it sure is bright.
Cole will not stop trying to plug things in and turn things on, and now that he has figured out he can just move his step stool to wherever he wants to reach things, there is no stopping him.  He has slowed a bit on the removing ornaments from the tree.
Jackson can not stop playing (or asking us to play) catch and football long enough to eat (or even breathe, for that matter).  Sun up to sun down!
The wrapping has begun, and somehow nothing has been unwrapped yet.  I figured Cole would start unwrapping things under the tree the minute he saw them, but maybe he has not realized this is a possibility yet.

Today, I had both of the boys get haircuts.  This was much needed for Jackson, in my opinion, but I only had Cole's cut because Daddy finally put his foot down.  He said the sideburns had to go! I loved them.  I loved how sometimes they would get brushed forward onto his cheeks, like a brooding young rebel. SO CUTE!  It was absolute torture for me to get it cut today.  I love Cole's hair long-he has got great hair. Baby fine but so Thick, Lots of body, a little natural wave that makes it lay just right, and beautiful natural dark blonde color with very light blonde natural highlights. I am envious.  On the contrary, I love Jackson's hair very short.  It is coarse and thin, the coarseness making up for the thinness.  Looks great with gel in it (Dad does it for us).

While I am commenting on fantastic features, I should point out one of my favorite features on Jackson.  Anyone who has ever seen him smile can already guess what I am going to say, but I will say it anyway.  The kid has KILLER dimples.  I mean, like, "Girls, watch out!" These are heartbreaking dimples, and boy, does he know it.
Funny, since neither TJ or I has dimples, but then again, neither of us have Cole's blue eyes either. 
More differences to point out- Jackson's olive skin and dark hair (from my Dad's side of the family-American Indian) vs Cole's fair skin and blonde hair(TJ was a platinum blonde as a child-Irish and German roots). 

Like I always say, Genetics is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get (to paraphrase Forrest Gump).