Advent Day 4

We have some wonderful friends that we love and they love and adore the girls.  We call them Bro & Sis.  They play games online with hubby and the girls.  They've done this for years!

Each year they send us such special gifts and we love each gift but we love Bro and Sis more.  Today, the girls wanted to make them feel extra special so for advent day 4 we made cards to send to them.  It's Sunday so the cards won't actually get picked up until tomorrow but that was still today's special service, donation, or gift.

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Advent Day 3

WOW!  3 posts in one day!!

Now, I'm posting on advent.  This is the 3rd day!

We decided we would work together to do a service as unto the Lord.  We cleaned out the van today!

Oh!  What a relief to have it done!

Here are Madi & Sarah finished with helping me clean out the van.  Sarah Faith has a few things to bring in!  It was a great feeling to have it done!

.....GUESS WHAT.....

Someone special joined us for Advent today!

Daddy!  Here he is helping sweep out the van (gotta go vacuum it later) and doing some last minute things working to help us!  A SUPER blessing!

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Decorating our tree

After the parade today, we came home and decorated our CHRISTmas tree!  :)

Jesus is the ONLY reason for the season!

This ornament means so much to me.  You see, it was on the tree my sisters and I decorated growing up, while living at home with Mom & Dad.

That makes it special but there's something even still to make even more special!

Do you remember when we lost the things in our home?  Well, we lost our ornaments too.

My sister, KJ, decided to give me one of her ornaments from our childhood tree.  I could *NOT* believe it when she gave me this one!  It's her favorite!  She always hung this one and it was always "hers."  I commented about all of this and she said, "that makes the giving of the ornament more of a sacrifice" and she'll never know how blessed I felt at that moment or how grateful.  And, I still feel those ways!  I have an amazing sister.  I love you KJ!

Sarah Faith & Hannah Joy decorating...

Madi Grace & Hannah Joy decorating..  :)

Dad (my hubby) is hanging the ornament his parents gave us last year from M.D. Anderson while his Dad was fighting cancer.  YEP, he beat cancer!!!!!!!

 This year, KJ, helped me find the perfect ornament to add to represent our year!  (a tradition I'm going to copy from her with her happy permission!)  It is a key with purple small stones in it.  It says, "The key to our 1st new house 2011"  It was just right!

The Little Children!

Hannah Joy - age 5

Sarah Faith - age 9

Madi Grace - age 11

What a blessing to be able to have such precious children and enjoy decorating the tree together.  A special Daddy/hubby too!!!!

So Happy;  MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

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Waking up to a Parade

Today, my husband woke me up letting me know his  parents had called to remind us about the parade.  So, I got the girls all up and dressed as well as myself in about 15 minutes or less!  We were on our way!!!  We watched from their yard because the parade ends there and it's a lot of fun to watch it with Nonna & Papaw.

 I just *had* to take their picture by Nonna's sign, "Welcome to the Littles".  We need one just like it!

I thought this one was very special.  Papaw and Hannah Joy looking out to see the beginning of the parade heading our way!

Here are a couple of views of the parade.

There were TONS more but no need to add them all

(We love our volunteer firefighters!  We know many of them!)

Of course I couldn't help but post some of the horses!!!!  Yee Haw!!!

Some of the floats still had candy when they got to us, the very last house.  The girls got two bags filled nicely and began to eat their candy with the drinks from Nonna & Papaw!

What a lovely time we had!

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Advent day 2

Today we decided to bless a little child by donating to the Shepherd's Shop.  It's ran by a local church by all volunteers and the prices are so cheap it's unreal.  I buy there often, myself.  They also help people in need at no cost.  So, I thought someone will definitely be blessed to find a few good toys waiting there just for them.

 

Each girl chose a toy that they could let go of to bless another child.  Hannah Joy gave one she still plays with but she said yes on giving it.

It was cute while we were there because she didn't quite understand what we were doing.  She kept asking them to put batteries in it.  lol  She left it with no fuss though.  God is good~!

As we were leaving the sweet lady (we know her), Ms. Suzie, tried to give them something to drink from the soda machine.  I told her they couldn't receive something for giving.  She said she understood and could she give them drinks the next time we were in their shopping.  I told her that would be wonderful!

I love this time of year.  Even little things, like we did today, will bless someone.  If everyone joined in, can you imagine how many people would be blessed around the whole world?

All Smiles,

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Advent Day 1

Today is the 1st day of Advent!

How very exciting!

The time to celebrate Jesus' birth is near!!!

Today we decided our first blessing to others would be to my parents because it is their 26th anniversary!  We are so blessed to have Mom & Dad.

So, we started the day out at my sister, KJ's house.

We love to go there and hang out with her and her boys!!  Cousins play and Sisters visit!

We decided to make them fudge and let each child make a card.  Here all the children are making their special cards to their GiGi & PaPa!

The fudge is in the center with a bow and little tied on card.  Around the fudge is every child's card.

Then they went outside to play.  Here Madi Grace is playing games on my phone relaxing.

Here are the rest of the children playing in the dirt, one of their favorite things to do, for sure!

Then, we all went to deliver the gift and cards to GiGi and PaPa.  They were blessed by it!

It was nice that on our first day of Advent we could start off all together doing this as cousins.  It was also wonderful that we were able to bless our parents on the first day of Advent.

More days to come of blessing others during Advent.  If you have *free* ideas we could do, Please SHARE!  We'd love to hear some more ideas.  Blessings!

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