The Suits Sisters

i rang in the new year with this party animal 

5 grandkids with #6 coming in February! BLESSED. Gotta snag a picture whenever you can  and hope for the best.  No babies were harmed in the cramming of this pack-n-play  We started Charlie Brown and quickly realized they all have the attention span of an ant  Christmas nap for Pops  and a makeover for Pops  All aboard the Bubble Wrap Train! 

We adopted a n overpriced  tree at the start of December and my mom, along with the girls, have been decorating it off and on through out the month  Click here to see last year's Christmas attire, but only if you want to die of THEY'VEGROWNSOMUCH-ness We made some no-bake treats yesterday and I realized that microwaving is where it's at! Woot! So fast and so easy. I can picture them in 5th grade asnwering the question,  "What holiday traditions does your family have?" ..."Microwaving. Every Christmas my mom microwaves a big bowl of chocolate chips" Caris was preoccupied with icing on her finger. Can I lick it? Can I lick it now? Mama. Can I lick it?

On Monday, as I was getting ready (Side note: my kids always ask me, "Where are we going?" when they see me getting ready which proves that I'm WINNING AT LIFE. Maybe I'm just getting ready for life? Nope. You're right, we're going somewhere) A verse came to mind, the first part of Galatians  6:14, " May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.." I let it sink in and was like, "TRUTH" before moving on. Fast forward an hour or so later when I walked into the post office with my three girls. I noticed that there were 7 people ahead of us in line as I sucked in my breath and contemplated leaving. And then...a Christmas miracle...they.did.everything.right. The baby was awake, but silent. Liza stood by my leg and didn't pull on any of my clothing (up or down), Caris not only held our packages, but sang in a loud enough to hear but not loud enough to be  obnoxious voice a made up song that went something like, "I&#

Our drive home from Thanksgiving in the mountains had me singing "All I want for Christmas is a minivan, a minivan..." but until that wish comes true, here's my THANKFUL THURSDAY list 1. Mutual peace for Kent and me after we closed a ministry/job door  2. FUDGE {Using the easiest recipe ever. Stay tuned} 3. A baby that's old enough to hang in the stroller while I peruse the library, zoo, etc. 4. A hard working husband 5. Christmas cards from Florida friends...they remember us! Not on the list, but an honorable mention: Patch is THE best travel dog (see above) We forget he's even in the car until he opens his mouth. And then we open the windows. 

Someday, when I look back on this chunk of time, I hope to have all sorts of praise hands and nuggets of wisdom a la Ruth Graham Bell or Elisabeth Elliot, but until then, I'll continue praying (a little) and stress eating (a lot). May your advent season be filled with Jesus-hope. When you realize that you're 3 days behind on the kiddie advent or that you've eaten 2 pounds of fudge while standing alone in the kitchen, may you give yourself grace.