Love

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind....this is the greatest of commands. The second is: love others as yourself. There abides faith, hope and love but the greatest is love. How important is love? So important that our Creator crafted us with such a need for this emotion that without it some simply die. A need so deeply implanted within us that perhaps it could be our purpose for living....just to love...others as ourselves. I really need to think about this and consider how to practice this more freely. I am thankful that faith and hope abide too. It gives me encouragement that I may do better with the love part in the future.

Snowy Day Perspectives

Tracks I made....Tracks they made...Tranquility.... Birdwatchers Cafe' empty today... This would be a sweet picture if I wrote how the girls came in for a hot chocolate warm-up, but actually it just shows AGAIN how they never put anything away when they are finished!

I hope everyone is safe and warm. While the weather is beautiful, it is also deadly for some. Tragedy has struck in our town as one of Madison's friends' mother was killed in a car accident.

May God bless you and keep you, always.

Kim

It's a Girl Thing...

McKenzie's new style -- shorter and straighter. McKayla has decided to let her hair grow out and go curly.

And the more things change, the more they stay the same (and comforting). What's better on a cold, snowy day off from school???? Monkey Bread - a favorite of Madison's.

Christmas Recap

I hope the new year is bringing much joy to all of you. Since we have enjoyed five days off in a row, and I hear there is another off tomorrow, due to the cold and snow....I have no excuse for not updating my blog. So...here's an update. Christmas Came... Santa Came... A Wii Came...

Guitar Hero World Tour Came...

And People Came...... Dad... Callie, Misty, Abe.... Megan, McKayla... Dustin, Byron... Tyrell, John Matt... Melissa, Abe... Ashley, Chelsey... Caleb... & Delilah... Megan, McKayla, McKenzie & McKenzie... ..........And there has seldom been a quiet moment since! We enjoyed seeing many friends and family members (who didn't have Guitar Hero photos) during the Christmas holidays. We hope all of you are enjoying the new year so far!

Merry Christmas from Kim.... Hopefully, you are all enjoying this special time with family and friends. I know most of you have more blessings than you can count, as do we, so let us be especially thankful and let us ask God to use us to help provide for those who have less and see less hope than we. Enjoy these videos...my two favorite songs of the season! Maybe they'll be yours too. If I could be with you, we'd listen to them together, sing along and dance! I hope to see you soon, my friends. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iSivQmzJ_w How Many Kings? by Downhere http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA9DmSfufSQ Christmas Canon - Rock Version by Trans Siberian Orchestra

November-December Blessings

We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving. Madison and I helped the FCA group package and deliver meals to those in our community who needed help to have a Thanksgiving meal. It was a very rewarding experience. In the afternoon, our family traveled out to the farm where mom was preparing a feast. Since she was serving her meal as dinner, that gave us time to enjoy the horses. We trailrode for an hour or so. It was so peaceful and fun.

The day after Thanksgiving, we traveled down to McMinnville to have dinner with Randy's mom & Charlie. Before stuffing ourselves again, Madison, Aunt Vicki & I spent three hours trying on pageant dresses. The next day, we took Randy along and he helped Madison make the final decision...you'll see how things turned out later in this post!

On Saturday, we met Aunt Vicki, Zac and Jayben in Cookeville for ANOTHER dinner! And the neatest thing happened. On our way there, our friends Michael, Brandi and kiddos Caleb and Delilah (used to live here in Monticell0) phoned us. They were on their way back to their home in Alabama and were near Cookeville...so they joined us for dinner too. It was a great time!

And before the whole Thanksgiving holiday was over, we also got to spend some time with our friends/cousins the Yates'. Although there are no pictures, I always enjoy the small amounts of time I get to spend with my "sisterly friend" and her family! Family & Friends are the best blessings!

Early in December, McKenzie & McKayla made their debut in the school drama production. They were "the best" little actresses in the whole play! They knew every line they were supposed to say and often had to help their fellow cast members along. I think there may be some acting in their futures!

The first week of December also brought a big-little surprise to McKayla. All she asked for for Christmas was a puppy...so here is Benji and McKayla literally-at first sight!

He weighed in at 8 weeks old at 2.4 pounds. They tell us he will "top out" at about 8-9. He is a "Yorkie-Poo". Supposedly easy to train due to the poodle genetics....we'll see.

December has been crammed full of activity! There have been Christmas parades, Christmas plays, Christmas contatas, snowdays, the SAT test, the ACT test, Governor's Scholar Applications and beauty pageants....AND IT'S NOT OVER YET!

Yes, we have a winner. Madison was crowned Miss Wayne County Area Outstanding Teen last Saturday night! Although this was her first pageant since she was three years old, she made us very, very proud.

As I sign off for now, I leave you with one last photo...this time...of me. I have always joked about having less of myself in some areas (thighs), more of myself in some areas (you can guess) and I have come to the conclusion that those things cost too much for the surgeon to fix...so I've resorted to changing what I can...yes....there's less hair....I figure it balances things out a little better...ha, ha! The girls like it and amazingly, so far, so do I. Don't know how I'll feel come "ponytail" time! I truly wish all of you the merriest of Christmases and the most blessed new year. Don't forget to thank God for sending his son, for giving his life as a sacrafice and then raising him again...all for us. If you haven't heard it yet...find the Christmas song by the group Downhere called How Many Kings. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! I love you all......Kim

What Happened in October.....

October was a fantastic month! The weather was beautiful and WE HAD FALL BREAK!!! Although I did file one grant application that week, the rest of the time was busy, busy, and fun, fun!

After much nailbiting, tummyaching and worrisome discussions, we decided to let Madison fly to Boston ALONE!!! She really is growing up but that doesn't keep up from worrying. She made the decision herself to wait to get a car until next summer (mature decision, we think) since she won't get license until March/April 2009. So she wanted a plane ticket for her birthday and Misty gave her tickets to a Harvard game (to see the band) and the offer of a guided whirlwind tour of Boston and Harvard's campus. Check out some of the great photos from her visit on Misty's blog or on Madison's Facebook page.

Here we are delivering her to the airport, where we watched all the way through security by peering through a store window---much to her embarrassment!

Shortly afterward, the rest of us headed out to St. Louis---a real road trip---no reservations and the only plan---to visit the zoo!

We packed a ton of stuff into three days and were able to stay downtown within walking distance of the arch!!! Obama was there the same weekend which made maneuvering downtown on Saturday morning a bit of a challenge but nonetheless, we had a great time....as you can see.

At, and up inside, the Arch. Truly much more amazing than I imagined.

At the zoo....I will spare you all 200 photos! It's a great zoo. Takes all day. Thousands of creatures great and small.

And at the Science Museum and Forest Park.

And of course, October and November end our band contest season...and this year, it ended greatly. Madison won 2nd place drum major at a major contest at Vanderbilt University and then 1st place on November 1 at Marshall University (West Virginia).

As I close, I'll share some favorite snapshots without any real explanation. Just pictures of joy and fun. I wish all of you were here with us to enjoy. God bless you with health, happiness and joy of life this season.

Kim