Ten Christmas'

I ran across this picture that was taken in Urey Colorado ten years ago...and it brought back so many memories. But more important than even the memories, is the reminder of how far we have come in this life together. No matter the struggles we have come up against (and still do), we make great teammates in marriage and parenthood.
Since Rich is admittedly addicted to looking at our blog, I wanted to say..."Thanks babe, for another great Christmas. Let's get ready to ride!"

Have a safe and Happy New Year! Until next time...

Christmas Eve

All the gifts are wrapped and under the tree...just having some fun in the sun while we wait for Santa. Last time we checked he was in Madagascar. You too can track him at Northpole.com!Until next time....

"Shutter Bug"

There is a new photographer in the house. Yes, Brennen got a digital camera with money sent from his Grandma. He is having so much fun taking pictures of everything....and I must say, the kid's got a great eye! Here are just a few examples of his recent work.

Brycee Boy

Our Christmas Tree
Self Portrait
His friend Paris' Bear
He is sure to have more great photos for your viewing pleasure. Right now he is setting up props near the tree to photograph.

Only 2 more days til Christmas!!

Until next time...

Brennen's Turn

Brennen and his friend Peyson had a great time singing with our Church choir this past Sunday. They all gave us chills as they sang their little hearts out! These two have become fast friends and will celebrate their 7th birthdays just a few days apart. I'm still trying to process the fact that Brennen has asked for a laptop and an ipod that plays movies for Christmas. whats next?! Last night Brennen's school put on an amazing performance of the story of Jesus' birth. Each child did such an incredible job as they honored our Lord and Savior. The tissue definitely came in handy as they sang without even a hiccup.
Of course we thought Brennen was exceptional. He is always so serious about these kinds of things, and was up yesterday morning before 5:30 to make sure his lines were perfect! He sure does make a cute little Shepard doesn't he?
So...as we are finishing up all of our last minute shopping, gift wrapping, meal prepping and all that falls in between...take time to remember the ultimate gift being given to us already...that of eternal life and the love of Jesus Christ. And as we were reminded of last night...a gift is only a gift if it is received! We are truly blessed!
Happy Birthday Jesus!! Until next time...

Tonight is your night bro!

This was a great night for Brycee, and the first time he was excited about singing in any sort of school program. The first thing he wanted to do was make sure his hair was blow dried. I tried not to laugh because he was very serious while getting ready for his big night! Here he is posed in front of the Christmas tree. He really is posing. Once he was dressed, he asked if I would take a picture of him in front of the tree. We got several great shots :)
We have arrived at the Phillips home where the big event is just moments away! Still...I am just taking in the fact that he is so excited to show off is singing abilities. Last year he came and sat with Rich and I for every performance he was supposed to be in.

Here he is...showing his moves. He was very graceful as he sang Jingle Bells, Little Baby Jesus and We Wish You A Merry Christmas! As you can see, there were hand movements involved.
Both the boys and their friend Peyson, couldn't wait to get home because they knew that we were planning on decorating the ginger bread house. But when I mentioned it would take a few minutes to make the icing, the two older boys took off while Bryce anxiously awaited instructions for what to do next. Gotta love the feet Jammie's. I will miss this age!
I think they ate bit more than they should have, as the ginger bread house looked a little naked in the end.
But a great night was had by all. I loved watching the boys have so much fun. My mom made the Christmas season so magical for us kids, yet we never forgot the true meaning of the celebration. I love creating that joy for my own kids...and reminding them that our Lord and Saviour is the reason for the season!
The time is flying by so quickly...Let us relish these moments as mommy's of kids in feet Jammie's. May the memories last a lifetime...and the experience live within our children for years to come. Until next time....

Tis the season...

What's better than watching Christmas specials in mom and dad's bed...past your bedtime? Wearing a Santa had while you do it!! Until next time...

December in the desert!

It is a beautiful morning here in the desert! I couldn't resist snapping a couple photos after taking the kids to school. Some of you have done posts on your first snow...well, this is ours :) It has actually rained two weekends in a row (which may be some sort of record) and the temps have been down right freezing (65 degrees)! Time to break out the hoodies and put on my cold weather flip flops. We'll need them as we stroll through Cane Cane Lane to see all the palm trees decorated in lights. Merry Christmas to you wherever you are! Until next time...

Buggy and the Bee

Brennen was in an all school spelling bee this week. Rich and I were able to go watch as children from each class took part. I'm not sure who was more nervous, Rich or Brennen...and I actually wish I had a couple shots of Rich so you could see his face when someone misspelled a word. I'm not sure if he (meaning Rich) can handle another spelling bee! If you look closely at this picture, you will see that the other kids are clapping as Brennen sits red faced in the winners chair!! On February 1st, Brennen will travel to Riverside with the other class winners and participate in an ACSI spelling bee where Christian schools from all over Southern California will attend. He will compete with other kids his own age....Brennen is so excited...and as you can imagine...we are too! He really is a great little speller and plans on practicing quite a bit in the coming months. He's up for the challenge, so feel free to give him some new words to spell!
Until next time....

Ocotillo Weekend

We pulled into Ocotillo Wells on Friday evening around 5:30pm, in the pouring rain. We decided to camp pretty close to the road for the night, as we definitely didn't want to get our 5th wheels stuck in the mud. The rain stopped sometime during the night just to be followed up by some crazy wind. When we woke up the guys decided to move us to a new spot. When my friend Stephanie and I walked out of her 5th wheel, we noticed that the hill right behind us had this huge cross planted on top. We knew that it was the perfect place to be...especially since most of Saturday was spent playing games, watching movies, sipping on hot tea and just catching up.This shot is of Rich just above our camp. It made us both think of Jim (Uncle Jim) and how much we would love it if he and his family would join us out there. Lord knows we have the room in our "house" on wheels!
I love how this photo captures the way Brycee idolizes his daddy. Bryce wants to be wherever Rich is and do whatever Rich does. We thought is was pretty funny that Bryce doesn't want the training wheels on his motorcycle anymore because his dads doesn't have them....even though he can't ride a two wheeler yet!
The guys are so gracious with their time. They come out there with bikes and gear and surely with big plans of tearing up the dirt, but most of their time is spent making sure everyone is set up and taken care of before themselves. Leaves little time to do their thing, but you never hear them complain. Steve was especially helpful to all of us on this trip, and we look forward to camping with them again!
It was great to hook up with the Merrill's. Here are Greg and Rich after they cleaned up. The poor guys had about a pound of sand in their hair after Saturday's sand storm. Luckily for the girls...we just watched the drama through the windows and kept the kids entertained while the guys held down camp. We were so glad to be "stuck" with them, and ended up having a blast regardless.
Sunday proved to be an awesome day...and well worth all the chaos of the previous. The riding was perfect and I had so much fun on my bike. We were able to take a couple of family rides where everyone had a bike, a quad or the Rhino to ride in. I was so caught up in taking advantage of the great conditions that I missed out on some nice pictures. Thank goodness for great memories. So another camping experience down, and many more to come. Until next time....