Christmas in November

A couple weeks ago, my dad sent a big box of goodies to the kids. They gave us permission to go ahead and open the box up and unwrap all the gifts. Soooo...we called them up and had the kids open up all the gifts while they listened over the phone from Tennessee. The kids were so ecstatic. They got so many cute things. I told my dad I should have just waited until Christmas to open them, it would have saved us money...er...I mean time, lol ;-) I really just wrote this blog to let my dad and Cindy know how much it was appreciated and how happy they made the kids. I know how hard it is being so far away from family for such a lengthy period of time, but it is times like this that the kids remember, and not just about the gifts, but about the time they spent listening to them open the gifts over the phone and then talking about them together when they were done. That was really special. Thank you and we LOVE you!

If you have family in the same state, don't take it for granted. Cherish those crazy holidays running all over the place, the unexpected drop-ins, and the insistence that you guys have to do EVERYTHING together, because you never know how much you will miss the "annoying" things until they are no longer there.

Here's some pics of their new stuff!

Jerryisms

Jerry has been growing up so fast since he started Pre-k. It has been unbelievable how "mature" he is coming, well, as mature as a 4-year-old can be. None-the-less, he is still all boy and does and says things that reminds me not to take life so seriously. God gave me a wonderful little boy so full of life and he reminds me on a daily basis that I need to slow down.

The other day, JT was laying him down for a nap and he had a toothpick in his mouth. JT said he had to remove it and that he couldn't sleep with it. Jerry asked why and JT said because you could choke on it an die. LOL! Plain and simple, got the point across. Jerry, without missing a beat, he said that that's okay, because then I'll be with Jesus and Heaven is better than here. He looked JT right in the eyes and said, "It is better right?" Of course JT said it was better, but he still was not allowed to sleep with the toothpick. Then I got to thinking, do we look at life like that? I am not saying live recklessly just because you are saved and know you're going to Heaven, but do we live a life where whatever happens we are at peace because we have Jesus. How much time do we spend protecting our children and ourselves when ultimately no matter what, God is in control and no one is immune to death or the hour in which it comes. So, I ask myself, "It is better, right?" I confidently can say yes, and I want to live my life knowing that this world is not my home and I'm just passing through.

On a lighter note, the other day Jerry was standing in the living room and I hear him gagging. "Jerry, are you ok?" Still more gagging. "Jerry, what's wrong?" He looks at me with a mixture of shock, surprise, and disgust, all while gripping his throat. Finally, he manages to force out a strained response. "I...I...I swallowed a booger!" I lost it, I was cracking up. "What?" He replies, "Yeah, I swallowed a booger and I didn't even pick my nose! All I did was sniff and I...I swallowed it...I need a drink!" Then he runs off to the kitchen to get a drink and I am left standing there once again cracking up remembering not to take life so serious.

He sure is starting to be more interested in Bible stories, songs, etc. His song of choice use to be Iron Man or humming the X-Men theme song, but now every time he asks if I want to hear a song, it is Jesus Loves Me. He often asks me, "Mommy do I look handsome?" I say he is very handsome! He then looks at me and smiles then adds, "But not as handsome as Jesus."